Major computer issues have prevented me from doing much decent writing recently, so I switched over to finish editing this fluffy little ditty that I've been tinkering with off and on for a few weeks. Luckily, I'd completed the majority of it before the issues started happening. Ideas for it kept popping into my head as I was working on the other fics, so I'd click over, add what I was thinking about, and click back.
Now, low and behold, its looking like a one off! (Though I DO have an idea for maybe ONE more chapter. We'll see.)
Anyway, my computer is getting replaced next week. So I'll soon to be able to use something other than a couple of mobile devices with tiny screens to write with, and I can properly finish my updates on my other fics! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this one. :)
Pepper was sitting in a white, satin, strapless bustier and a long, white dress slip in front of the illuminated vanity of the women's dressing room at St. Thomas's Church, touching up her makeup, with the top of her hair in large velcro rollers. It was a June morning, bright and sunny with clear blue-bird skies. And it was also her wedding day.
Natasha Romanoff, her maid of honor, was standing at the door, leaning on the ornately carved, solid walnut door frame watching and waiting for her to finish so she could help her friend put on her wedding dress. That, and, as all good special agents tend to do, she was keeping guard against any unwanted intruders. One in particular, in fact, whom she knew was probably having a fit over not having been able to see, or even talk to, his fiance in more than 24 hour's time. The reason being- Pepper had wanted some semblance of tradition incorporated into she and Tony's wedding preparations. So, she had insisted that they sleep in separate locations the night before the wedding, and to avoid any contact with each other during that time leading up to the ceremony for the purposes of building up the suspense for the next day's events even more. Reluctantly, (read "whining and pouting incessantly at the mere mentioning, followed by desperate bargaining to no avail") Tony had finally submitted to Pepper's wishes and agreed to spending the night apart.
Natasha could only imagine how unbearable he'd become in the process. This is why she'd chosen to vigilantly stand guard at the door, fully expecting him to coming rapping on it at any moment, demanding to see his future wife.
"Can you imagine what Tony must be like right now?" she commented, with a knowing smirk.
Pepper chuckled in response. "I know, the poor baby. I feel terrible for leaving Happy and Rhodey alone to wrangle him. And seeing as how we'd agreed there would be no bachelor or bachlorette parties for either of us, I think their plan was to play a few hands of poker over some pizza and beer. Enough at least to distract him for the night, so he didn't try to call me."
"While keeping the festivities nice and tame," Natasha responded. "Smart."
Pepper smiled and nodded in agreement. But just then, she was startled, as her phone rattled and beeped noisily from where it had been sitting on the vanity. She reached for it, and saw that it was because of a text she'd just received from Tony.
"Uh oh. Just when we thought it was safe," Pepper muttered, quickly opening it. Then her face went from a knowing smile to a worried frown as she read what he'd written.
I'm almost to the church. I have to see you. It's urgent. We need to talk ASAP, it read.
"What? What is it?" Natasha asked cautiously, reading her friends' sudden change in mood.
"It's Tony. He says we..." but she didn't get to finish her sentence, as several abrupt knocks suddenly came at the door.
The two women shot each other a look, and Natasha peered through the peep hole. She huffed at what she saw- a very anxious, and very twitchy Tony Stark dressed in a black Armani Tux. "Guess who," she said, speaking to Pepper. "And right on time, too."
"Come on, Nat. Lemme in. I gotta talk to Pepper!" Tony begged from the hall.
"Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen, Stark! You've got direct orders from your better half to make yourself scarce for..." she said, briefly pausing to look at the clock on her phone before continuing. "Another hour. You've made it this far, pal. Don't blow it."
"Oh gimme a break, here! It's urgent! And I've been good! Even after the guys left last night, I didn't try to bug her! Not once! Did I, Pepper?! Ask her! She'll vouch for me!" he pleaded.
Natasha shook her head. "You're impossible," she grumbled.
"He's right, he didn't," Pepper reasoned reluctantly.
Natasha rotated her head to look at her friend with trepidation. "But don't tell me you're actually considering..." she began.
But Pepper sighed heavily. "That depends. He says it's urgent. So, ask him what he wants," she directed.
"The lady's asking 'whadya' want', Stark?" Natasha parroted flatly through the door.
"I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have to, Nat. Please. I have to talk to her. I know she wants to keep things a surprise, but it's urgent. There's something I have to tell her. And something I need to do. Our future could depend on it! So, I beg you! Open the door," Tony pleaded.
The two women exchanged glances- Natasha's with marked skepticism, and Pepper's with increasing worry. "Our future?" Pepper asked softly.
"Ahh, see? At least she cares! Now open up! The clock is ticking!" they both heard Tony's muffled voice say.
Natasha rolled her eyes back to Pepper, and raised her eyebrows, awaiting her instruction.
Pepper inhaled deeply, and then exhaled in surrender before she nodded and gestured for Natasha to open the door. "Fine. Go ahead. Might as well let my pest of a fiance in and get this over with. We both know he won't leave until he gets what he wants," she directed. "I suppose tradition was out the door for us years ago, anyway," she muttered to herself in defeat.
Natasha pursed her lips in disapproval, but said nothing as she turned and yanked the door open. A harried Tony Stark then barged his way into the room, practically knocking her out the way.
"Finally. My God, Nat. Thanks for keeping me wai-...Heeeyyyyyy, Pep! Wow! Is this it? Is this your dress? You look..." he babbled as he first acknowledged Natasha before laying elevator eyes on his half-dressed bride-to-be.
Pepper huffed in annoyance, and folded her arms. "Yes, Tony. I'm wearing a slip and a bustier to get married in, in front of everyone we know," she snarked sharply.
"I know you're being sarcastic, but that would be hot. All avant garde and no one would be expecting it...," Tony prattled.
"Do you want to tell me the reason why you barged in here, or am I going to have to waste more time by guessing?" Pepper interjected testily.
"Uh, right. Yes to the first. No to the second. And I have a very good reason for being here, actually. But..." he answered, but halting to swivel his head over his shoulder at Natasha. "Could...could we have...just a minute? Won't take long. You'll still be able to come back and...guard the..." he told her, gesturing wildly between he and Pepper and the door.
Natasha rolled her eyes. "Pepper, you're a saint," she told her friend before she marched out, pointedly closing the door behind her.
"Thank you, Natasha," Pepper called after her over Tony's shoulder, smiling politely in her friend's direction. Then she directed her eyes back to her future husband, and glowered. "You had better be here to tell me the church is on fire and you've come to rescue me, or so help me..." she warned.
"It's not. And I didn't. But what I came to do is important, so here it goes..." Tony began. He paused to regroup, and then let out a sharp exhale. Then he looked into her eyes intently. "I realized that I...I was about to make a huge mistake, Pep..."
Her eyes widened. "What?" she gasped, as her chest began to heave in panic.
Tony's eyebrows went up, and he quickly reached to smooth his hands down her upper arms. "Whoa! No! Wait, wait wait! That came out wrong. I mean, there's something that I forgot I have to do first. Before we tie the knot today. Okay? Better? That's better, right?" he asked hopefully, stroking her upper arm in an attempt to comfort her. He was nodding, with a dopey smile plastered across his face.
She went back to glowering at him, but then took a deep breath and exhaled in an effort to calm down. Then she shook her head at Tony's antics. "You know I love you, but sometimes the way you phrase things makes me just want to strangle you," she told him. "Your timing is..."
"Impeccable. I know. And I'm sorry," he replied. "But last night, lying in bed, without you there, it...made me think."
She furrowed her brow in confusion. "About what?" she asked.
"About...how that was the last night that you and I..." he began, gesturing between them, and trying to find his next words. "Were going to be...us. In the way that we have been for so long. And it made me feel a little...anxious. Not 'anxious' as in, I don't wanna do this. But 'anxious' like...I'm...stepping into brand new territory. Because I am. We are. That's obvious. And we've got this, okay? I mean, we do. But still. It's...daunting. Does...that make sense?" he asked, with an uncertain wince.
Pepper thawed and then smiled softly in understanding. She took a step to her fiance, laying her hands on his chest. "It makes perfect sense," she agreed, looking into his worried eyes. "And...I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about the same thing," she revealed.
Tony looked at her in surprise. "You did?" he asked. "I thought I was crazy for thinking about this stuff. And, by the way? Last night bit. The big one. Whoever made up the rule that prospective brides and grooms have to sleep in separate beds the night before their wedding is..."
"I was just trying to observe tradition, Tony. Which clearly is totally lost on you," Pepper argued, but with a coy smirk. Then she chuckled and shook her head. "But no. You're not crazy. I think it's perfectly natural, in fact, to feel a sense of finality when we've been a part of each others lives in such a way, for so long..."
"And now it's changing! Right. That's..." Tony interjected. He let out a relieved sigh, and shook his head, smiling in amazement. "See? I knew you'd get what I was saying," he told her, moving to wrap his arms around the woman with whom he was on the cusp of officially vowing to spend his life. He hugged her tightly, and Pepper hugged him back. "You always get what I'm saying. Even when I'm not entirely sure how to say it," he finished.
"It is exciting, though, isn't it?" he heard her ask in reply.
Tony pulled back to look at her. "Oh God, yeah!" he agreed, grinning. "I still can't believe I really asked you to marry me!"
Pepper chuckled. "And sometimes, I can't believe I said yes!" she joked. "Like now, for instance! Now would be one of those times!"
Tony laughed at her teasing him, and then they laughed together. Soon, he reached for both of her hands. "But how great is it going to be when we're official, right?" he cooed, looking lovingly into her eyes.
Pepper smiled. "Really great," she purred back, leaning in to tenderly kiss his lips. When the kiss broke, she gave him a sweet smile, but then pulled back to give him an inquisitive look. "But this was hardly a reason for you to come marching over here in a panic," she said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "And nearly causing me to have a heart attack in the process! When I read the text, I thought for sure you'd got cold feet."
Tony recoiled, and frowned. "Are you kidding, Potts? I can't wait to marry you! And that's why..." he paused, reaching into his tux jacket pocket to retrieve something. Pepper watched as he pulled out what he'd meant to retrieve. "I needed to bring you this," he said, opening his hand to show her a small, oval shaped, antique silver locket, suspended from a very delicate, long silver chain.
Pepper gasped at the sight.
"It was my great grand mother's. Or maybe that's great great?" he went on to explain. He paused to think about this before continuing, and then shrugged, unsure, and went on. "Not sure, actually. But whoever it was, she got it the day she got married. And then it got passed to her kid, who must've given it to their's because all I know is Pop got it from my mother's mother, and gave it to Mom the day they got married. And then she gave it to me, so that someday,..." he said, pausing as he carefully unclasped the chain.
Pepper immediately turned around, and held up her hair to assist. Tony then gingerly reached around her to bring the ends together. When he was finished, and smoothed his hands over her shoulders, she turned back around to face him. "I could give it to you," he went on to say with a proud loving grin. "The story goes, it was blessed all those years ago by a wise woman who wished our family long and happy marriages. And so far? It's worked. Like a charm," he purred.
Pepper gasped again, and grinned as she looked down at the locket. "Oh, Tony!" she said. "I take back what I said about you and tradition! This is beautiful!" she said.
Tony nodded. "Beats the hell out of sleeping alone the night before your wedding, anyway," he replied.
Pepper chuckled and nodded, touching the locket gently with the tips of her fingers before she leaned in to kiss his lips. Then she quickly tried to blink back the oncoming tears filling her eyes. "Oh no! My make up!" she cried.
Tony quickly reached for a tissue from the box on the vanity to hand to her. "You know, a tear streaked bride isn't exactly un-heard of, Pep," he joked.
"But not one that's tear-streaked before the wedding!" she countered, accepting the tissue. "People will think I was having second thoughts," she joked.
"Well, if they know me at all, they'll understand," he teased.
Pepper giggled, as she quickly dabbed her eyes, and then looked to Tony for approval. He grinned at her, and gave her an encouraging nod and a thumbs up before she tossed the tissue away.
"So, you get why I had to see you right away, right? I would've broken the streak, and possibly sent generations' worth of matrimonial bliss down the drain if I'd forgotten about it. Which I almost did," Tony said, defending himself.
"And you say I'm superstitious," Pepper teased, with a smirk. "Plus, say you had forgotten! Don't you think we could make it on our own?"
Tony chuckled. "Hey. You had us completely separated and incommunicado last night in order to shore up our luck reserves," he reminded her, causing Pepper to blush and smile sheepishly at him. "And of course we'll make it on our own! You and me? We're gonna be great. But, all the same, whatever extra help we can get to keep this train on its tracks, Baby, I'm in," he joked back. Then he shrugged. "Even if I pitch a fit about doing it first."
Pepper chuckled. "And blatantly interrupt the observence of one tradition in order to observe another?" she teased.
It was Tony's turn to act sheepish. The only response he could muster was a cocked grin as he shrugged and nodded in admission.
"Well, if you put it that way, you're excused. Just this once," she replied, pointing at him in warning with a teasing smirk. "And now that you mention it, I suppose it would only make sense that there would have to be some kind of other influence on your mother and I besides just being extraordinarily patient with our Stark men. That only gets you so far, you know," she joked.
Tony chuckled again at her ribbing him. "Don't I know it. And Nat's right. You do have the patience of a saint. Just like Ma did," he replied wistfully before he nodded at the locket. "Open it," he directed gently.
Pepper did as instructed, and carefully popped the locket open. What she saw made her gasp again, as the tips of her fingers instantly flew to her lips in surprise. A soft sob escaped from her as her eyes darted from the locket to Tony's and back.
He smiled in satisfaction at her reaction, and stepped to pull her to his side from around the waist. Pepper held the locket up for them both to see the pictures he had put in the frames of the two of them- both taken from their engagement photos, done in black and white. One was a close up of them, in each other's arms, smiling together at the camera, and the other was of them smiling lovingly at each other. "It's absolutely perfect. I love it," she said.
Tony turned his eyes back to her in adoration. "And I love you," he said. Pepper turned her eyes back to him, and he tilted his head to kiss her lips once more.
"I love you, too. So much," she whispered back, once the kiss broke.
"I've got one more surprise up my sleeve, Potts," Tony told her. Pepper gave him a curious look, and he smirked mischievously back. He nodded to the locket. "The frames have two pieces to them. Unsnap the tops, then snap those together, and you've got a..."
"Third frame!" Pepper murmured in wonder, as she did what he described. More tears began to fill her eyes as the two frames became one, and she sniffled again. "It must be for a picture of..." she murmured.
"The baby. Correct," Tony finished, smiling lovingly. "When I couldn't sleep last night, I went down to the shop, and added it. And now, we can add..." he said, pausing to reach into his other jacket pocket to produce a very small piece of photo paper, the image on it also black and white. "This," he said, holding it up between his fingers. Pepper took it from him, and examined what it was.
"It's a tiny copy of the sonogram photo! Oh, Tony! It's wonderful!" she gasped, grinning.
Tony grinned back, and nodded. "I thought we could do this one together," he murmured.
Pepper smiled adoringly at her future husband before turning her eyes back to the locket. "I think that's a terrific idea," she agreed. Delicately, she slid the little slip of paper into the slot, and when it was firmly in place, they both sighed in admiration.
"There. It fits perfectly," she cooed.
"Yeah, it does," Tony agreed softly, laying his hand on Pepper's stomach, and taking a moment to admire the little family he was soon going to have before he turned his eyes back to her. "I did come here to give you this, yes. But also? I couldn't let you walk down that aisle today without saying the things to you that I lied awake last night thinking about. In private."
Pepper gave him a curious smile, and Tony smiled lovingly in return before he spoke. "I...don't know if I've ever had the chance to say any of this, or if I have and just...didn't. But..." he began. He moved to take grasp her hands in his, and looked intently into her eyes. "I want you to know how much you being in my life has meant," he went on to say.
Pepper's chin began to quiver, and she gave her soon-to-be husband a bashful smile. "Okay, now my make up will be ruined for sure," she quipped, making Tony chuckle before he went on.
"I won't ever be able to repay you for what you've done for me, Pep. Not in a million lifetimes. All those years ago, I thought I was a lost cause. No better alive than dead. A waste. But you? You were the one that kept me alive. You kept me focused and moving forward, and...actually wanting to make something of myself," he said.
Pepper sobbed and sniffled, then broke a hand free from Tony's grasp to swipe at a few arrant tears, beaming at him the whole time.
He beamed back, and grasped her hand once more once she'd finished. "That's why I am honored to be marrying you today," he continued by saying. "Because you're what I never thought I'd find for myself. A soulmate. And I will do my damndest to be the best husband to you, and father to our baby, I can be."
Pepper let out another sob and threw her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her middle, hugging her just as tightly. Then she pulled back to cup his cheek, and laid a very tender, very tear-drenched kiss, on his lips. But she broke the kiss by chuckling, and Tony pulled back to give her a curious smirk.
"What? What's so funny?" he asked, with an amused grin.
"I was just remembering when you'd said a few months ago that you didn't want us to write our own vows because you weren't sure you'd be up to the task," she remarked. "That certainly sounded like a vow to me!" she teased. "Can't wait to hear what you actually wrote!"
Tony's eyes widened, and he chuckled awkwardly. "Uh...yeah. It...uh, will probably sound pretty similar, actually," he stammered.
Pepper's face fell, and she leaned back, looking at him suspiciously. "You...do have your vows written. Right?" she asked.
Tony swallowed hard. "Mmmm hmmm," he answered, giving her very unconvincing half-smile.
Pepper huffed, and jabbed him in the chest with her finger tips. "Anthony Edward Stark! You don't, do you! We're getting married in less than an hour, and you haven't even..." she began, but Tony quickly tried to intercede.
"Pepper, I can do this! I promise. I'll think of something! I'll...just reiterate the...sentiment that I was trying to convey by giving you the locket. But I'll fine tune it, okay? It'll be like you're hearing the words for the first time. But I'll leave out the baby part since we haven't told anyone you're..."
Just then, one of Pepper's hands flew to her cover her mouth and her eyes widened in panic.
Tony frowned in confusion at her sudden changed in expression. "What? What's going on?" he asked.
But she didn't answer. Instead, she bolted from his side and ran to the bathroom just off the dressing room, slamming the door behind her. Subsequently, the sounds of vomiting echoed through the room, and Tony winced and then grimaced.
"Saved by the ever-present morning upchuck," he muttered to himself. "Thank you, Baby Stark."
He then walked to the bathroom door, and knocked softly. "Hon-ey?" he called out to Pepper, trying to make sure he sounded extra doting and concerned in an attempt to try to distract her from the previous argument. "You gonna be okay? You good? Need me to do anything?" he asked.
"Just. Get. Your vows. Written," he heard her grunt breathlessly at him from behind the door before nausea wave number two hit.
Tony stepped away from the door frame like it was suddenly scalding hot. "Yep! On it!" he barked. "I'll just...uh...see you..."
But just then, he heard Pepper shuffling in the bathroom, and he stopped to listen to the sound of the faucet turn on for a few seconds, and then off, followed by the door suddenly whipping open moments later to reveal his soon-to-be wife. "Wait," she said, panting.
"Waiting," Tony answered, freezing where he was, and putting his hands up to his sides in surrender.
Pepper shook her head. "As aggravated with you as I am right now, I can't let you leave like this," she said. She took a step toward him, but then hesitated. "Do me a favor, and hand me my purse?" she asked, pointing in its direction.
He located it, as it was lying with the clothes she'd worn to the church, and then quickly stepped back over to hand it to her. She took it from him, and rummaged through it, finding a flip-cap bottle of breath mints. She shook a few into her hand and tossed them into her mouth, chewing them hurriedly as he waited.
When she finished chewing, and swallowed them, he raised his eyebrows, and she took a deep breath. Then she threw the bottle back into her purse, set the purse down, and marched over to him. She cupped his cheeks in her hand directly before planting a solid kiss on his lips.
A muffled, "umphhh" left him and he melted, wrapping her in his arms in return. They continued eagerly kissing for several moments before it broke and Tony moaned in approval, smiling.
Pepper smiled too, and eased her eyes open to look at him, her smile quickly changing to a curious frown. "That wasn't entirely unpleasant for you, was it? Given that I'd just..." she started.
Tony shook his head, and smiled. "Not in the least. You're minty fresh, Potts. You're good to go," he purred.
Pepper sighed in relief and chuckled. "Then that was a thank you. For being so sweet. Irritating. But sweet," she informed him.
"Does...this mean that I'm off the hook, then?" he asked, wincing.
She frowned. "From what exactly? Writing your vows? Um...that would be a definitive no, Tony," she retorted. "You'll have to say something in order to pledge a lifetime of undying love and devotion to me today. Otherwise, these many long and arduous weeks of wedding planning will have been a colossal waste of time and resources."
"No, not that. I meant...ruining the moment," he clarified. "And did I? Or...is it still possible that what I did here was so hopelessly romantic that you can let the other thing ride, and just trust me that I got it covered?"
Pepper smiled, and nodded her head. "It was pretty romantic. I'll give you that," she agreed. "And no. Despite your and your child's best efforts to disrupt it, the moment has remained in tact. And I love you for it. So, again. Thank you."
Tony nodded. "Good enough. I'll take it," he said with a smile, before leaning in to peck her lips.
They smiled at each other when the kiss broke, and Tony brought the back of one of her hands to his lips to kiss and lovingly pat. "Well, I guess I better skee-dattle, huh?" he asked, after a moment.
Pepper gave him a regretful smile, and then nodded. "You should, I suppose. I still have to get my dress on, and re-do my make up, thanks to you," she listed off, teasing him.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Pepper? Is everything alright in there? We are seriously in danger of getting off schedule, and I know how much you hate it when that happens!" they both heard Natasha's voice say. They both looked at each other and chuckled.
"Everything is fine, Natasha. Thank you. Just a moment, though!" Pepper called out in reply.
Tony cupped her cheek, and gave his fiance one last kiss. "Catch you on the flip side, huh?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with loving anticipation.
Pepper smiled, her heart fluttering with the same anticipation. "Catch you on the flip side," she murmured in reply.
Tony smiled softly back, and then his expression brightened in realization. "Hey! I just thought of something! The next time I get to kiss you, you'll be my wife!" he mused with delight.
Pepper chuckled at his boyish excitement, and then bit her lip, as the meaning of his words caused new tears to well in her eyes.
Tony gasped playfully. "Uh-oh. Not again. Sorry. I'll leave you alone. Don't want your eyes to get too red and puffy for you to see your way to the altar. We'd have to cancel and send everybody home," he joked. "And that would make this whole thing a colossal waste of time and..."
"Resources. I am aware. Thank you," Pepper finished for him, chuckling at him using her own words to tease her. She patted his back affectionately as he turned to go. "Yes. Go. Get outta here, you trouble maker," she teased. "You've caused enough disruption for one day."
Tony grasped the door handle, and then turned to look at his fiance one last time. "Ah, to hell with it. Come 'ere, Potts. I need one for the road," he said, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her to him to crash their lips together one more time.
Pepper squeaked in surprise, but then let herself melt into his embrace, kissing him just as eagerly back.
After a few moments, and a few more impatient knocks from Natasha on the door, they reluctantly broke the kiss, Tony ending it with one last small peck. "I love you. Bottom line. After last night, I just had to come see you. I can't get enough of you. You know that, right?" he murmured, holding her close.
Pepper nodded. "Yes," she murmured back. "And I'm glad for that. Because after today, Stark, you're stuck with me, I'm afraid," she teased.
Tony smiled. "Good," he purred. He took a step back, and gave his fiance one last look. "I can't wait to see you walk down that aisle," he mused lovingly, and Pepper blushed, giving him a coy smile, and fighting new tears forming in her eyes. He gave her a wink and a smile, and then took a deep breath just before he straightened up, smoothing his hair and his jacket lapels and cuffs as he turned back toward the door. "Jesus sake's alive, Pepper!" he hollered, as he yanked the door open to find an exasperated Natasha staring daggers back at him. "I mean I know I look especially fetching today. But, man! You believe this woman?! She can't get enough of me!" he spouted as he pushed his way past his friend and walked out into the hall. "It's her fault we're so late, Nat. Blame her. I just came to give her something I knew she needed, but she had other ideas about what it was she needed. You know what I mean?" he finished with a sly smirk.
"Oh right," Natasha rebutted skeptically, as he turned to walk back down the hall. "Like it's ever been her fault that she's been late for anything a day in her life! She's not going to start with her own wedding! So, save it for the honeymoon, Stark! We've got a schedule to keep!"
Tony spun around to face her, feigning a puzzled look. "Funny. I suddenly have the strangest sense of deja vu," he replied. "And, actually, if you must know, I can think of one time in recent memory when she did have something to do with being late. Right, Pep?" he countered, pumping his eyebrows to accentuate his potentially revealing comment.
Pepper's eyes went wide, but then she gave him a knowing smirk. "That was your fault, too, as I recall," she rebutted.
"Maybe I'm a teensy tiny bit to blame, yeah," Tony replied. Then gave her a playful smirk and another wink, before turning back around as he began to operatically bellow, "I'm getting married in the morning! Ding dong, the bells are gonna chime!" at the top of his lungs as he walked out of their view.
"What was that? What is he talking about?" Natasha asked, shaking her head in complete confusion. Then she turned her eyes to her friend. "And is that seriously what he wanted so urgently? A little pre-wedding nooky?"
Pepper just chuckled to herself, and shook her head in amusement and admiration. "No. It wasn't. It was just to remind me of all the reasons why I'm marrying him," she mused lovingly, before they both turned to go back into the changing room, and closed the door.