This one shot was written as a gift for my fellow secret valentine on tumbrl. I'm part of the p2secretvalentine event. It's so short because it's so hard for me to write in English. Anyway it's here in case someone who doesn't have tumbrl wants to read it. Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! ^^

THE POEM

The sound of Pepper's heels against the smooth floor was what made him lift his head up from the 3D model he was expanding on the interface in his workshop. Dum-E whirled at his side as his beloved girlfriend aproached him. She was dressed very nicely: little black dress and killer designer heels. Blackberry in one hand and an inquisitive gaze adressed directly to him.

"Tony, you are already here?"

He looked at her with a crooked smile plastered in his face.

"Where else would I be on a boring Friday evening?" asked Tony truly unaware or whatever was going on. She was not dressed to spend the night home. He was expecting dinner in the couch and watching some movie togheter then make out and cuddling session and later maybe sex.

Pepper inhaled deeply and leaned to him, brushing some hair from his head.

"You don't remember. Not a clue of what day is today?" she asked with a sweet voice.

He had no idea. Whatever.

"I've already told you. It's Friday, Pep"

"Of course. Friday. Oh well!"

The redhead rolled her eyes and spoke again, looking directly in his eyes.

"It's february 14, Tony. You forgot, another year. It's not that I was expecting flowers or chocolates or custom made giant bunnies… But… Something, maybe a good dinner outside? Oh I don't know! But no… You're here covered in dirt and playing with your bots and your beloved blue interface… "

The last phrase was thrown at him with rage and he frowned.

"It's JARVIS fault! He didn't warn me!"

And then coming from the ceiling his artificial intelligence spoke in his characteristic British accent.

"I warned you this morning, sir. And another time two hours ago when Miss Potts arrived home from her office"

"J come on! I was not listening… I was just stuck with this new thing for the…"

Pepper shut his mouth with her hand.

"Don't. I'm going upstairs and I'm gonna change in my pajamas. You can come later. To sleep." she remarked, then turned her back to him.

"Come on, honey! Are you upset? It's just that fucking creepy cheesy festivity built to glorify consumism. I would not love you less because I didn't bought you a corny plushing heart! I'll take you to dinner whatever you want… Please, don't be mad at me!"

She turned to face him when was about to reach the crystal door.

"I'm not mad it's just… You forget everything… Sometimes it's just… I don't know… I'm not in the mood of having dinner outside anymore."

And with that she was gone. Tony was confused but sad at the same time. He was such a jerk sometimes. He hated to hurt Pepper's feelings. He loved her, truly loved her. But sometimes it was so hard to know what she was expecting from him, because she was his first long term and comitted relationship. It was all like the giant bunny fiasco again. He had to do something to fix this. And he was going to do it.

Two hours later Pepper was trying to sleep in her side of the bed, when her boyfriend aproached her. She was trying to fake sleep in order not to argue more with him. She was tired. But Tony knew better.

"I know you're not sleeping. You are not a good actress, honey. That's why I hired you as my assistant in the first place."

In one smooth motion, he was sitting in their bed, next to her, caressing her hair. She lifted her face up and looked at him. He was smiling broadley at her. But his smile faded when he saw the strings of her tears marked on her pretty cheeks. She had been crying.

*Perfect Stark, you made the love of your life cry on Valentine's Day*

"Get on bed, Tony. It's late" was what she said, trying to cover the marks in her face. She was ashamed of crying for such an idiotic thing herself, but she was hoping he remembered this year after all what happened to them on Christmas Day. She nearly died, for God's sake! And they had gone trought a lot. The Extremis extraction from her body and then his surgery happening one month ago. It was too much to handle. And now this.

"Don't cry, Pep. Come on. I don't know how to apologize but… I've made something for you. Here" he said placing an stained piece of paper in front of them.

Pepper lifted an eyebrow and smiled weakly at him.

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

"It's a poem" said Tony "A poem I just wrote for you, babe. Happy Valentine's Day!" he handed the paper to her while flashing his trademark crooked smile.

The redhead smiled briefly and looked at him.

"Read it to me"

Tony took the piece of paper and began to read.

"Okaaay. It sais:

Let me in the walls

You've built around

We can light a match

And burn them down

Let me hold your hand

And dance 'round and 'round the flames

In front of us

Dust to dust

You're like a mirror, reflecting me

Takes one to know one, so take it from me

You've been lonely

You've been lonely, too long

We've been lonely

We've been lonely, too long"

"Do you like it?" asked the genious hesitantly, handling her the paper again.

Pepper took it and pointed to the first sentence.

"Tony. That's the lyrics of a song" said his girfriend as a matter of factly. A little anguer in her voice. Was him trying to trick her with this?

"What? Noooo It could not be… It's not… This comes straight from my head. My brilliant mind. I promise." he seemed very confused. And by his concerned expression it was crystal clear he was telling her the truth.

So Pepper relaxed. And gazed at him amused.

"Yep" continued his girlfriend now laughing openly. "It's from The Civil Wars. It's called Dust To Dust"

"Oh come on!" replied Tony slightly embarrased, taking the paper and crumbling it in a ball. Then throwing it away.

"You must have been listening to my music playlist while working this evening, honey" Pepper began to laugh at him. "And somehow the lyrics kept stuck in your head" She smacked him in his left shoulder "You idiot!"

Pepper laughed more and more with every pasing minute, until Tony forgot his embarrasment and his concern for her and the two of them were laughing togheter, the piece of paper forgotten in their bedroom's floor. And then, Pepper pulled Tony to the bed, over herself and kissed him in the lips.

"I don't know why, but I love you. You moron…"

Tony smirked at her.

"I love you too, even when you say such sweet things to me…" He joked and began to caress her right cheek.

Then, all of a sudden, he lifted her chin with care, keeping her eye level with him.

"I like to see that smile in your face, gorgeous" he said.

They looked into each others eyes for a good time, smiling at each other like two fools and then they kissed again, more passionately.

It seemed that Valentine's Day night was not going to end so bad for them after all.

THE END

(Author's Note): English is not my mother tongue so, SORRY if there are any mistakes.

This is for LIZ ;)