This Christmas

Disclaimer: Nope. On my Christmas wish list, though. Here's a hopin'.

Authors Note: Again, I will deviate for a bit from Risks and Consequences. Not because I am getting bored (which is not the case at all), but because it's the season for holiday stories, and I used to write holiday stories every year so why not this year, right? This is just a little something to get us all excited about the season with some really fluffy Pepperony! Feeling especially fluffy today since I created a Robert Downey Jr. station on Pandora (highly recommend it to you all). I will post two chapters today and the rest this weekend. Enjoy! Sorry for any mistakes.

AN:2 Takes place post-Avengers.

Seasons Reasons

For as long as he could remember, Christmas was no different than any other time of the year. The only things that separated it from any other festivities were the excessively decorated homes, and the overly cheery people.

He didn't hate the season, not at all. In fact, every year since Pepper had started working for him, he had made it routine to have her and Happy order the tallest tree that could fit through his front door. He was just detached from it all.

This year was different, though. As much as it pained him to admit that he was indeed one of those cheerful people now, he couldn't deny that the change in his spirits was due in large to his very beautiful assistant-turned-CEO-turned-lover. Pepper Potts had helped him in every way possible. From a dark cave in Afghanistan to the stretches of never ending space.

It was not impossible to believe that he craved to enjoy every moment, including holidays, in her company.

So while sitting on one of the balcony loungers, with a blanket wrapped around him and his coffee mug in hand, he vowed to make his first real Christmas a memorable one. For himself, and for Pepper.

The early morning sea breeze blew around him when he heard the glass down slide open. A gentle smile graced his face, happy to have her join him for a viewing of the Malibu sunrise.

"Good morning, beautiful." Tony sipped from his Stark Industries mug without facing her.

"Good morning." Pepper wrapped her robe tighter around her body. The breeze suddenly sent a cold chill down her arms and legs. "I figured you'd be out here."

"Of course. It's going to be a good one, today." This time he did take his eyes off of the open Pacific to look at his other half. He noticed her shiver immediately. "Come here." He moved to set the mug on the small table to his left. Pepper walked towards him with a smile as he scoot back to make room for her in between his legs. With arms wide open and the blanket hanging on his arms like wings, he invited her in.

The chill that had struck her earlier suddenly had a similar effect on him. "It's cold today." Pepper shook again to ward off the cold.

"Yeah it is. Get in here so I can wrap the blanket back up around us. I'm freezing my butt off now." He chuckled.

A few moments later, Pepper sat nestled in between Tony's legs. Her back firmly against his chest with his arms around her middle. They trembled together once again before Tony finally and securely cocooned them in the blanket. Pepper laughed softly. "I don't know how I used to spend my childhood days in the snow back east."

"Baby fat." He chuckled as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

"Anthony Stark, are you calling me fat?" She playfully pinched his upper leg.

"Ow. No…statistically and biologically speaking we all have more body fat when we are kids. Used for various bodily processes and what not. Mostly by amino acids for the formation of protein chains." Pepper shook her head slowly as he, like always, got carried away by science. "Anyway, I'd say that helped keep you warm back when you used to make snow angels as a kid."

"Uh huh. Good save." She extended her arm out from underneath the blanket to take a quick gulp of the warm liquid in his mug.

The temperature slowly warmed as the first of the sun rays lit up the sky. Usually people hoped for clear skies when sky gazing, but Tony and Pepper were fans of cloudy sunrises and sunsets. They were more surreal and picturesque. So they both sighed happily when they realized some stubborn clouds had stayed put and provided for a very stunning sunrise.

As the sun continued its upward journey, Tony looked down to the woman in his arms. The warmth in his heart radiated throughout his body as he felt her breathe against him. Nothing or no one could or had ever made him feel the way he felt now. Pepper was a special creature. Strong and determined yet soft and loving. His balance. Heaven-sent he was sure, and he loved her more than anything. Which is why as she sat before him, and unconsciously caressed his crossed arms with her palms, he sent a skyward promise to marry her someday.

"I can hear you think back there." Pepper craned her neck a bit to look to him out of the corner of her eye. Her grin fully in place.

"What am I thinking, Pep?" He bent forward slightly to place a soft kiss on her earlobe.

"Knowing you, probably something about rewiring Jarvis. Or how to improve the Mark VIII."

With a small laugh Tony pulled her closer. "You're horrible at this game."

"Enlighten me, then."

"Well…" He began to shift her in his arms so he could look at her blue eyes. "It's simple really." Pepper smiled at his sudden apparent nervousness. "I was thinking about you. And I was thinking about me. I was thinking about how much I love you. And how you probably bewitched me because there's no way that I came to my senses on my own. I'm a genius, but not when it comes to knowing what's really worth my devotion and my…love." He paused to look back out at the ocean.

"Tony?" She knitted her eyebrows together in concern. "Are you ok? You're not dying again, are you? You better tell me right now if you are."

"No." He breathed out. "I'm not dying. I promise. Feeling more alive than ever, actually." Tony smiled sweetly before he kissed her softly.

"Mmm." Pepper murmured against his lips. "Me, too. I love you."

No more words were needed between them as they fell deeper into each other's embrace. Wanting to feel more of her, Tony carefully reclined the seat and moved Pepper to rest fully over him. He ran his fingers through her delicate hair while she continued to kiss him. Their hands roamed and sighs of yearning could be heard coming from both of their busy lips.

It wasn't long before they became so engrossed with each other's skin that they forgot about the blanket around them. The cloth fell at their sides as Tony opened Pepper's robe to run his hands under her shirt. His hands were warm from having been covered, but somehow she still quivered at his touch. Her response to his fingers earned her a grin against her mouth.

Tony's grin soon disappeared as the strong and determined Pepper that he had fallen for unleashed a little revenge. She made enough space between them in order to remove his black t-shirt and toss it off to the side. It was her turn to grin when he shuddered at the sensation of the cool December air hitting his flushed skin.

"Not fair." He spoke in between heated kisses.

"Sore loser." She smiled victoriously back at him.

Tony shook his head. "I always win." He took it upon himself to flip them so she lay under him with her robe partially on. "Trust me." She was so captivated by his arrogance that she never once protested as he completely removed her robe.

His skin was on fire, and suddenly Tony became very aware of the fact that the wind had picked up around them. He broke their kiss long enough to reach down for the blanket and drape it over their bodies. Once he was satisfied that they would not be completely exposed to the crispness of the morning, he continued to assault her body.

Articles of clothing were lost underneath them, on the floor next to them, or flung away from them.

They laughed softly in between caresses. He moaned against her neck when she ran her fingers tips down the length of his back. She inhaled deeply to steady herself every time he nipped at the spot below her earlobe. Needless to say, they were leaving no spot untouched. Every stroke had feeling. And every moan echoed had meaning.

It wasn't until the sun cleared the clouds that they lay happily satiated in each other's arms. The blanket twisted with their limbs.

Pepper's head rested comfortably near his arc reactor as he ran his arm up and down her back. Neither one of them wanted to leave the spot where they lay. The peacefulness of it all steadying their hearts. They heard the waves crash against the cliff side.

Tony sighed. "Best sunrise, yet."

"I would have to agree." Pepper buried her face closer to his chest. "So what were you doing out here before I crashed your party?" She asked.

"Actually, I was thinking about Christmas." He continued to smooth his palm over her back.

"Yeah? What about Christmas?" It had been twelve years since she had first met Tony. And since day one she knew the holidays were of no particular importance to him. She hoped he wouldn't be thinking they should skip them all together now that they were a couple.

"Well..." he paused and moved his neck a bit to look at her. "I was thinking it should be different this year. I want you and I to go pick out a tree. At a lot. No more ordering it online and having Happy pick it up for me. And then I thought maybe we could decorate it...together. Go all out."

"Wow, Tony. Are you sure?" She looked curiously up at his browns.

"Of course I'm sure! I'd say let's decorate the mansion, but that's a lot of structure to cover. Could be dangerous. And if Iron Man did it, that would leave you out of the fun."

"Tony, the tree idea is great. Let's do it." She moved up to kiss him.

"Alright. Today." He whispered after their kiss.

"Today?"

"Yeah. It's December. Gives us the time to really enjoy our tree."

Pepper sighed happily at Tony's plan. "Sounds good to me."

"Hey what do you think about a Santa Claus outfit?" Tony waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his question. "Oh, brother."

To be continued...

By the way, did you guys watch the Japanese trailer for Iron Man 3 that was released today?! Oh my wow! My Pepperony-loving heart couldn't take the cuteness. I was jumping like a young school girl. I cannot wait to see our duo share in some fluffy moments on screen.