It's currently 00:33am
I just re-read my story 'Break Up' and decided it needs a follow on. It breaks my heart to leave our favourite couple's happiness hanging in the balance.

One year on.

That night with Tony was a night of mixed emotions. Pepper would have thought two years after a break up and one year after their brief encounter in a New York club that she would be over him by now. But at the back of her mind, there was always Tony.

She had had a better year than her last. She had been doing really well in the New York office, she had a good group of friends and her love life wasn't as dusty as it was before. Although she must admit that she couldn't push herself into being with anyone any more than a month, but she personally didn't think that was a bad thing. She was trying.

Things changed however when she was asked to go to the Malibu office. They wanted her to deliver training to a number of new PAs and as Pepper had always been the cream of the crop, her boss asked her to go. It was fine with Pepper, her and Tony were on good terms and even occasionally emailed each other. But she was anxious.

Walking back in through those glass sliding doors in to the air conditioned building felt surreal. Two years since she'd been in Malibu and she missed it a lot. She smiled and nodded to a number of people who remembered her and said hello as she rushed through to the elevator. It was lovely to know people still cared and took notice. Her palms were sweating and her belly was full of fluttering butterflies as Tony had emailed her the night before:

"Pepper,

I heard through the grapevine that you were back in Malibu for a few days. You know I don't look right in the office, so how about drinks?

I'll be at Amber Bar at 8 tonight. I hope to see you there.

Tony x"

Well to say that messed with her mind was an understatement. She knew he wouldn't be in the office, but just walking past and seeing his new PA put a sting of jealousy through her body. And seeing that room which they had built so many memories in, laughing, yelling, dancing, kissing. It was hard to swallow. But for now she had to keep her head in the game, her first day of training started in thirty minutes, she would have to decide on drinks later on.

The training went fantastically well. People applauded her at the end and she got good reviews from her manager. She only had another two days in the Malibu office before she had to head back to New York, and to be honest with herself, she didn't want to leave. She forgot the comforting feel and similarity of the people and the city. The weather was always beautiful and even her sister lived in Malibu. Pepper had some thinking to do.

She decided to brave drinks.

"Tony."

He was sitting on a table in the back of the busy bar. He had a fresh Mojito waiting for her on the table and he'd gone for a simple beer for tonight. He looked good in jeans, a shirt and a blazer and dare she say it, nervous. His smile could have lit up the room when he saw Pepper emerge from the crowd in her emerald green dress and heels.

"Pepper hi, I wasn't sure if you were coming," he stood up and kissed her on the cheek before gesturing for her to sit down.

"I wouldn't miss an opportunity to catch up with you Tony, anyway emails don't quite cut it for me."

Tony nodded and smiled, his eyes sparkled looking into Pepper's. He then cleared his throat and started thumbing the label on the beer, he'd never been so nervous to talk to Pepper, he needed more beer.

"Hey, in my defence she could have been pregnant!"

"Oh please Pepper she was eating her third hotdog and had popcorn for afters, you should have realised there and then."

They both giggled like teenagers in love. It had been a few hours and it was making its way well into the night. The bar had been getting busier and louder, Tony always knew the best hideaway treasure troves in town to go to. They had talked about work, friends, family, memories, but they had stayed well clear of either's love life. No one wanted to willingly go down that road. But sometimes you can't stop yourself.

Tony let out a content sigh after he recovered from laughing, "Pepper I must say this has been a very pleasant evening."

"It most certainly has, sounds like you're trying to end it though Tony." Pepper toyed.

Tony wasn't sure what she meant, "Well it's going to have to at some point isn't it, I was just commenting on how lovely the evening has been. I missed joking with you." Tony looked down sadly at his beer bottle. Pepper was concerned it might be a repeat of that night in New York.

Pepper leant forward and smiled, "Want to escort me back to my hotel then Mr. Stark?"

"It would be my pleasure Pepper." They both smiled.

They both started to slow their footsteps as they neared the hotel Pepper was staying at. There was a gentleman standing outside who opened the doors and helped with luggage of the hotel customers. It was a lovely hotel, Stark Industries never let down. Tony took his hands from his pockets and kissed Pepper on the cheek before bidding her a pleasant evening and with the promise to see her again soon. He walked away.

"Why don't you call me Miss. Potts anymore?" Pepper called to the back of Tony, she seemed a bit annoyed.

Tony turned from his position walking back down the sidewalk to catch a cab, "Err, I hadn't really thought about it, I guess I just-"

"Well you used to only call me Miss. Potts and now it's only ever Pepper." She seemed quite distressed at this fact, maybe she was just a little bit tipsy, and that's what Tony was hoping for. "What's that about?"

Tony was a bit stumped; he thought it was a bit of a random thing to be picking out at him. They'd had a nice evening and he had restrained himself from doing anything inappropriate because he remembers how heart breaking their evening in New York was. "Pepper I just…" He didn't know what to say. Pepper walked up to him, her arms folded to shield herself from the wind a bit more. She stood watching him expectantly.

"Tell me Tony."

"To be honest, I called you Miss. Potts as an endearing name for the three years we went out." Tony looked down at his shoes and then back up at Pepper's face. "To call you Miss. Potts just gets to me, it reminds me of us, I know it seems silly, but every time I think about it my heart breaks a little."

Tony's voice cracked during the latter part of his sentence. Pepper was shocked that something so small meant so much to him. And honestly Tony was shocked too. It was an unimportant thing, but to him, anything that involved Pepper meant the world. "I know it's been two years and I know I broke in New York, but I still wonder why we let ourselves drift apart. I'd wanted you since that sunny afternoon that you brushed into my office like a whirlwind. I don't know what happened."

Tony poured half of his heart out and let it just hang in the air.

Pepper shifted on her feet. "Tony I thought we agreed that we were happier now."

"Well I lied, you said it would get better, but it hasn't." Tony couldn't stop his mouth; his heart had taken over his mind. "Time and distance haven't healed anything. I'm nowhere close to getting over you, because every day I'm surrounded by memories of you. We were perfect Pepper."

Tony took in a deep breath before looking into Pepper's eyes. She was tearing up, but stood there stumped. Tony didn't want a repeat of New York so he turned to walk away whilst he still had some dignity. He didn't get very far, as Pepper pulled on his elbow and brought him in for a hug. Her hands got lost in his hair and Tony let his face bury into her neck and enjoy the warmth.

"What am I supposed to do Tony," Pepper kicked herself to speak, but she didn't know what to say, she spoke in hushed tones as they embraced on the chilly night in Malibu's streets. "I don't know what the solution is."

Tony pulled away, but kept his arms wrapped around her middle, he didn't want to let her go too far. His forehead rested on hers and he took a deep breath. "I want to try us again. Three years of our lives were thrown down the drain for nothing. We crumbled, but there was no motive and that's what kills me most of all. We had something which people look for their whole lives, but we didn't try. So let's try now."

Pepper sighed, "Tony one of us has got to think realistically, if we crumble the first time when it's supposed to be exciting then what's going to stop us the second time round."

Now it was Tony's time to sigh, an even bigger sigh, "Pepper I'm not going to force myself on you. A relationship should be two ways and I'm not going to talk you into it because that's not how it should be. But I get the feeling that you miss me too still after all of this time. So in reality, I don't see what's stopping us."

They pulled their foreheads away from each other and Tony waited for Pepper's response. He wanted to kiss her more than anything. He wanted to make love to her. He wanted to fall asleep with her in his arms. But he shouldn't have to force a relationship out of Pepper, she has to want it too. Tony took a deep breath and warily leant closer, he was waiting for a slap to the face, but when it didn't come he edged further in and their eyes fluttered closed. Their lips pressed together tentatively, not being sure how this works after two years out of practice. Pepper's angled her head and opened her mouth to Tony, they tongues danced together and they slowly grew more desperate. Her hands winding through his hair. His hands tugging her hips.

"If we do this, it's going to be done right," Pepper said a little out of breath. "I'm not fucking it up again."

"Agreed," Tony breathed a sigh of relief, "I just want you back Pepper."

"Agreed."

It's now 02.17 and I'm not overly happy with it, but I'm out of practice so I'm allowed to have a naff story once in a while!
Enjoy and review pretty please :)