Just my interpretation on the Pepperony scenes from IM3. Enjoy :)

P

Pepper stared open mouthed at the television screen. Her heart stopped and she closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. She really didn't know how she coped at times. She knew her boyfriend was an idiot but did he really have to threaten a terrorist on live TV in front of all the press and inform them of his address? It was startling to her how a man said to be a genius could be so dumb at times. That was just it; he was a man. There's your answer she thought. That and he's impulsive, not to mention eccentric. Two good reasons why she was normally the one issuing statements to the press and not him.

Pepper wanted to be angry, she really did but after last night, she didn't have the heart to yell at Tony again. He had been through so much since the attack on New York but she thought there was more to it than that. He wasn't telling her something and if he dropped the: I'm –dying- and-didn't –want –to-worry- you bombshell on her again, then she might think twice about getting angry for a second time.

T

He didn't intend on saying that at all. It just sorta came out. In fact, he didn't intend on saying anything to the press. Pepper had told him time and time again that she would issue statements because he always ended up saying something he shouldn't. Of course he had protested and asked when he had ever done that. Does I AM Iron Man ring any bells? Granted that was a bit stupid but it felt so damn good at the time. It was like being on top of the world. He remembered the first thing he thought as he said it was Pepper is gonna be pissed and this time was no different.

Actually, scratch that, it was. It was different because it felt so much worse when he'd realised what he'd done. He loved Pepper so much; she meant everything to him and what had he done? Gone and put her in harm's way. All because of his stupid ego thinking it could take on The Mandarin. He could almost see Pepper's face; anger and hurt blazing in her eyes. He wasn't sure an apology would get him through this one.

P

It had been a long day and Pepper was glad when she finally pulled up outside her home she shared with her big mouthed boyfriend Tony Stark. He wasn't getting out of this one that easily. What the hell is that? She thought as she stopped the car. Looming at least twenty feet tall on their driveway was a massive bunny that said "Merry Christmas Pepper" on its chest. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Another thing Tony wasn't known for. Subtlety. Wondering if it would evaporate in the rain or get stolen by some other nut who thought it was a good idea to get their girlfriend a toy rabbit that wouldn't fit through the door, Pepper walked inside, trying to keep the smile from her face.

"Hey Tony, I'm home" she called as she entered the living room.

There was no reply and she nearly got the fright of her life when her eyes rested on the sofa and there was Tony in the suit sitting looking straight at her. Wait, what? In the suit? She wasn't quite sure if he was looking at her or not actually.

"So are you wearing this round the house now or something?" she said amused at her boyfriend's antics.

He stood up and walked over to where she was taking off her heels and placed his hands on her shoulders. He began to massage them lightly, careful not to crush her underneath his metal hands. She sighed at the cool touch of his suit. It surprisingly didn't hurt when he did this, although she suspected he was doing it very carefully and could hurt her if he wanted to.

"Just trying it out… do you like it?" he asked slyly.

She laughed. "What, the suit, the painful massage, or the massive bunny guarding our house?

He stopped rubbing her shoulders.

"I thought it was original."

"Define original"

"No one else will get their girlfriend a giant bunny for Christmas."

"Exactly."

"It took me ages to get it outside the house" he muttered.

"Aw Tony I love it really, it's a very sweet thought…now, aren't you going to kiss me?"

He thought about this but he wanted to string her along a little bit longer.

"…Can't, I have the mask on, but you could put one right here" he said, tapping the metal mouth of his suit playfully.

Two can play this game she thought.

"Fine then, I'll just have to get a crow bar and Jimmie it open" she whispered, leaning ever closer to Tony.

His heart was hammering wildly in his chest. What was she trying to do to him? Before, he could register what she was doing; Pepper had already begun to walk off downstairs to get a crow bar. He couldn't believe it. His sensible, no nonsense girlfriend was going to go downstairs and…

"No wait! You can't go down there you'll be at risk from uh all sorts of things."

"I'll take my chances" she said cheerily and he winced as he saw her literally skip down the stairs. She wouldn't be so cheery in a minute.

Pepper skipped down the stairs in what felt like excitement. It was so unlike her but all anger had evaporated and been replaced by a giggling, lovesick teenager. She didn't actually intend on getting the crow bar, she just wanted to make Tony think she was. What should she do when she got down there…

Pepper stopped dead in her tracks and glared at the sight in front of her.

"This brings a whole new definition to the word low" she said flatly to Tony, who was doing chin ups in his workshop with some fancy tech attached to his head.

"And you ate without me…on date night!"

"Sorry, I was hungry."

Tony Stark, the master at apologies.

"Besides, I thought you'd be having drinks with Aldrich Killian."

There was a deathly silence as she wished he didn't just say that. Even the suit, which must have followed her from upstairs (spooky), glared at her accusingly.

"That's it, I'm going to bed!" she snapped and turned on her heel back up the stairs.

"No, Pep, wait!" He sighed. "There's something I haven't been telling you."

I knew it she thought as she turned to face him, part way up the stairs. She eyed him warily.

"I'm a hot piping mess and it's like I can't control it. Nothing's been the same since New York; you experience things and then they are over. I, I can't sleep and when I do I have nightmares. God dammit I love you and I've got to protect the one thing I can't live without; that's you."

She walked over to him slowly and wound her arms round his neck, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He laid his head on her chest and relaxed for the first time all day as she pulled him closer. She closed her eyes and thought sadly about how vulnerable he was becoming these days. It took a lot for him to admit his feelings out loud, especially if he was worried about something. Slowly and carefully, she lifted the headset off his head and pulled back to look into his eyes.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"…okay." he said leaning back against the counter top.

"And you're going to join me."

"Better!"

T

He flinched and jumped in his sleep; sweat forming on his brow. It was happening again. Every night it would come back and haunt him. Flashes from when he almost died for the third time. He could feel the heat as he flew into the worm hole and the terrifying sensation of crashing, falling like a stone back to earth. He tried not to let it control him but it was like his mind was in over drive. He couldn't think straight and the attack replayed again and again, as if wanting to torture him. He took in short shaky, breaths but tried to fight it, hide it so he wouldn't wake Pepper beside him.

P

Not again. Her heart broke for him as she watched his body flinch and shake beside her. The nightmares were always the same and he didn't even have to tell her; she just knew.

"Tony" she whispered softly, putting her hand comfortingly on his arm.

All of a sudden, one of the suits shot up, literally landing on top of her and she screamed in fright. Tony immediately woke up and yelled at it to shut down. She watched as it crumpled into hundreds of pieces around the bed and they both sat facing away from each other.

"Let me just get my breath back." Tony pleaded as he turned to Pepper.

"No Tony, I'm going to sleep downstairs." She said holding back tears and walked out the room.

T

Damn it. He punched the bed. These nightmares were driving a wedge between him and Pepper. He only programmed the suit to protect them both but he hadn't anticipated for it to be quite so violent. There was no way he would be able to get back to sleep now. He wished Pepper was by his side; that way he would feel safer. She probably wouldn't feel that way next to him now he thought sadly. Eventually, his tired body protested and he gave into sleep for a few hours until the nightmares started again. He wasn't sure how much sleep he'd got but this one was worse than the others. His chest felt like it was constricting and his head was throbbing. He cried out to see if he was imagining the excruciating pain. He wasn't.

P

She felt bad for reacting like that but she had been so shocked when the suit was looming over her that it was like an automatic reaction to freak out. Anyone in her position would do the same, right? It wasn't normal to have a robot calculating your every move. Now she'd gone and left Tony to deal with the nightmares on his own because she couldn't deal with it herself. She tried to put herself in his shoes and thought about how betrayed she'd feel if he wasn't there for her. Her mind was telling her one thing but her heart was saying another and when she heard Tony cry out, she ran upstairs without thinking because this was Tony. He was her boyfriend, but he was so much more than that. He was the love of her life. She kinda wanted him to admit that to her first. She knew he loved her, he'd said as much earlier. So she'd have to stop debating and be there for him now.

"Tony?"

Thanks for reading. Drop me a review and I promise a fluffier next chapter :D