I know this has been done many, many times – but I wanted my own go at it.

It wasn't a formal thing.

They were all thankful for that. Everyone was. All the people from the office, the one's that could handle it, had organised a night out. It was just a huge clubbing sort of night. So the older board members and various elders decided against it. It was the end of another working year and the company had done well in business. Being the boss, Tony had decided everyone deserved a good night out. He also felt he needed a good night out. To forget.

The same year, Pepper and Happy started dating.

It killed him. Killed him to think she left him early at work to go out on dates with Happy. That she fell asleep after being with him. Every time they went to a meeting or something, it hurt him to see Happy give Pepper a little wink - or for their hands to touch and linger. It felt like they were purposely rubbing it in Tony's face. At the fact that they were happily together and Tony was still all alone. He thought he was making so much progress with her. He felt he really stepped up and had proven himself as a good man to Pepper. But it changed everything – Tony was slowly losing the will to stay a good man.

Tony had asked Pepper about it once. It was right before a board meeting and Pepper hadn't seen it coming. She thought she'd hid it from him so well. Once she'd stopped flirting back with Tony and all the banter had stopped – he'd clocked it. Everyone had gone in to the meeting room, so he quickly pulled her back and asked straight out if she was with Happy. After a minute of gaping back at Tony she nodded. Gritting his teeth and giving Pepper and longing look he entered the room himself. He then distracted himself from her for the rest of the meeting and prevented eye contact when they walked out. I'm sorry was the last she'd said on the subject.

So a night out in Malibu's finest clubs sounded like a plan. They'd all meet at the Iona bar to get things started and gradually head out to end up in Lakota club until the early hours of the morning. Tony decided to skip the bar. It was quiet and dull and cramped. And he especially didn't want to be in an over-crowded room with Pepper and Happy. So at ten o'clock after getting a very amusing call from a very drunk Rhodey Tony went out to meet everyone at the club.

He checked himself once last time in the mirror and was proud of what he was wearing. He threw it together really. He didn't want to get all dressed up, but wanted to show he'd made some sort of effort. Fitted jeans, black t-shirt, black blazer and sneakers. He looked good. And he kept telling himself he was dressing up to catch the eyes of the ladies, but there was only one lady he really wanted to impress. He was desperate for Pepper, but Tony Stark was strong. Iron Man couldn't show his weaknesses.

But it was common knowledge Pepper was his one big weakness.

"Tony!" Rhodey yelled and threw his arm around his shoulder "Where you been man?"

Tony's eyes instantly scanned the room as he walked in, he found Pepper. She was wearing a short cream dress with a brown belt wrapped round the middle. Undoubtedly wearing heels. She was laughing and dancing with a man. Most probably Happy.

"Just... around." Tony mumbled.

He thought this could have been a really bad idea. Tony started to feel this would be just another heart wrenching moment for him to watch Pepper being happy with another guy. But Tony thought after he got a bit drunk and focused on some of the other girls out, he'd feel better. So that was his new plan, get pissed and hook up. That was if he could actually get through it.

"What?" Rhodey asked loudly and shoved his face in Tony's - snapping Tony back to reality.

"Around," Tony added louder, moving them towards the bar "Having fun?"

"Hell yeah!" Rhodey yelled back and fell on a barstool.

"Two beers please," Tony said to the barman before turning back to his friend.

After a minute Rhodey's voice broke through the music "Pepper and Happy then huh?"

Tony's eyes dropped to the floor "What about it?"

"Just thought you'd have an issue with it," Rhodey shrugged his shoulders.

"Why would I care?" Tony picked up his beer and gulped half of it down.

"Because it's you," Rhodey turned his head to look at the dancing redhead "And it's Pepper."

"So you've clarified who we both are?" Tony's eyes lingered on her and Rhodey caught it.

"You like her Stark." Tony's head whipped back to Rhodey. Rhodey in return simply tapped the side of his head and said before walking off "Drunk minds speak the truth."

Tony gaped - watching his best friend swan off and kiss some blonde on the cheek. Rhodey caught sight of it. Crap. If a drunk Rhodey can flat out tell Tony, then he was screwed. He thought he'd done a god job of making it look like his usual self. Tony Stark liked a woman. Shocker. But people had caught him out. Tony wanted to calm it all down. Tonight he was going to flirt with every other girl in the bar and flaunt it. He was going to be his old self.

Tonight, Tony Stark was back.

One in the morning and the Stark Industries party was still going strong. People were having a good time. Rhodey had hooked up with a girl called Josie. Tony had flirted with every girl nearly twice. Pepper wasn't having a good a time as she'd hoped. She went out feeling optimistic about the night. But she felt almost guilty. Happy had picked her up and she'd arrived getting a big hug from Rhodey. Then Tony got there. She had to hold herself back from crawling behind the bar and out the club. She'd caught his eye a number of times whilst he was chatting up various girls – and it wasn't a friendly look. Happy had asked her what was wrong and she brushed it off.

What made it even worse was that once Happy had to leave the party. She'd been angry because Tony had asked him to take some of the board members home. The divorcees who thought they were still young, but couldn't hack it. Pepper had tried her best to get Tony to back off, but Happy had protested and respected his bosses command. But it just made Pepper feel vulnerable – her only shield had gone to drive around Malibu all night.

Shrouding herself in a big group of girls from floor nine, Pepper decided to drink the night away. She'd tried to forget about Tony. And she tried to convince herself she had a good thing with Happy. Losing sight of Tony – Pepper almost managed it. Until she went to the toilet.

"Well enjoy the rest of the night, or morning whatever." Happy chuckled down the phone.

Pepper laughed lightly back "Yeah okay, i'll see you whenever."

"Love you." Happy answered, sounding hopeful for a return.

"Ya-huh." Pepper hung up.

God. Did she actually just answer 'ya-huh' to Happy telling her he loved her. She really needed to sort her head out. She was happy. She was... content. Who am I kidding? She loved Happy. She really did, but not as a boyfriend. He knew it as well as she did – that's why he sounded so hopeful on the phone. As far as the logical Pepper's head thought, it wasn't Tony. Then her heart pounded when she thought of him. Pictured his charming smile, the glint in his eye – it all got too much for her head to deal with. She wanted Tony, not Happy.

"No." Pepper said to herself, looking in the mirror – .. She didn't want to like her boss. It was too much. Happy was sweet, lovely and caring. And Tony was... he was. Tony was an arse. He was adorable, charming, funny, cute, gorgeous. He was perfect, but he was Tony Stark. And that was a tough thing to come to terms with. To come to terms with the fact Pepper Potts loved Tony Stark.

"Talking to yourself?" a voice came from next to her "You know that's worrying."

Pepper straightened and turned to see Tony leaning against the tiled pillar of the ladies toilets. Crap. She'd just realised she loved him and now she was alone with him. His hair was tousled, his blazer unbuttoned and a half empty beer in his hand.

"What're you doing here?" Pepper asked facing him.

Tony pushed himself from the pillar and sauntered towards her "Big party," Tony pointed towards the door "Not noticed?"

"I mean what're you doing here?"

Tony set his beer down by the sink and shrugged "To talk."

"In the ladies toilets?" Pepper felt uneasy – she wasn't sure if this conversation would be safe to have. Both with alcohol running through their systems and her new emotions screaming inside her head. Tony nodded and perched against the sinks. "What about?"

"Stuff."

"Being pretty vague Tony?" Pepper was getting a bit agitated. She waited for him to carry the conversation on. Or say anything because the silence was killing her. After a few minutes she moved to pick up her bag and walk out, but Tony caught her wrist – still sat on the sinks.

"Why are you with him?" Tony's voice split through the silence.

"Because he asked me."

"But i've asked you." Tony answered back quickly, now looking up at her face.

"No Tony," Pepper took a breath "You flirted whilst screwing around."

"Yeah I did," Tony sat up a little straighter "I admit that eight months ago that's all I did. But I changed. When I came back I still flirted, but you pushed me away."

"Well I thought you were being you," Pepper lied.

"You and I know both know that's crap," Tony looked down at his hand still holding her wrist "I tried so hard. Why Happy? Did you do it out of spite – or was I just kidding myself when I thought you might like me back?"

Pepper took another deep breath and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Her heart was pounding. She tried to control herself - if she could. But before she could answer, Tony looked up and Pepper saw tears brimming in his eyes.

"Tony-"

Tony cut her off by standing up abruptly and towering over her "Happy's a good man." Pepper said in a hushed voice.

"So am I." Tony answered immediately.

"Happy's faithful."

Tony mock-laughed back "Didn't I just tell you that i've changed?" he leaned in further.

"He's not afraid to tell me he loves me." Pepper dragged her eyes from Tony's lips to look him the eyes.

Tony looked at her for a second before leaning up to brush some of her hair back from her face. His hand lightly stroked her cheek and he brought his hand round to touch her lip with his thumb. He then dropped it and took a deep breath. Tony was. He was afraid to tell her how he really felt. He was scared at how much he needed Pepper. Rejection. Rejection played on his mind as well. But then this whole thing with Happy just went and got in the way. He wasn't sure if he could tell Pepper. Especially when she was with another guy.

Tony couldn't control it. He instinctively leaned in and his lips touched Pepper's. Neither moved. They stood. In the ladies toilet of Lakota. It wasn't technically kissing if their lips didn't move – was it? Pepper didn't have time to think of the consequences because Tony started to move his. He dragged Pepper into him with his hand pulling on the front of her belt. Pepper kicked into action when she felt Tony's body pressed up against his. She opened her mouth and their tongues moved together. One of Pepper's own hands pulled the lapel of Tony's blazer.

"Why did you do that?" Pepper asked through gritted teeth.

"Because I wanted to."

Pepper pulled back "It's not about what you want Tony, it's about what's right-"

"This is right." Tony pulled her back in, he didn't want her to leave. Pepper looked unconvinced. He knew what would do it and if he wanted to be with Pepper he was going to have to suck it up and say for the first time in his life "I'm in love with you."

That did it. She knew it. Tony would offer her everything she needed. Sorry Happy was the last thing she thought before leaning in to kiss Tony again.

I feel it's another naff ending, but i'm never sure how to end my stories and you guys usually still like them so it's up – dundundun. I have so many ideas, but I keep getting major writer's block – so if I ever get past it you're going to get a wave of stories. Review, cheers m'dears (: AnnaTW