The planning was quick. Ideas sprung from his brain like rain from the clouds. Day in and day out, from the second he had decided, he knew just how he would do it. He knew how he would ask. Working up the courage to put his plan in action, however…that took work. Much more work than he had expected.
Tony Stark was no coward. He wasn't afraid of commitment, although many people liked to claim that he was. He just wanted his commitment to mean something, wanted to put his faith and trust in something, no, someone that deserved it. He didn't want to be let down, not again, not after a life of let downs and betrayals.
He might be better than everyone else, but hey, even a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist had to have a few fears, right?
Every day, the little box in his pocket grew heavier and heavier. Pep was never secretive about what she wanted, and every day, she dropped more and more hints. It was a rare, uncomfortable time for him. He struggled to keep his mouth shut, to keep his face blank, to give away nothing of his plans. She showed no signs of seeing through his little charade, but still, he worried. He worried about this one little question like he'd never worried about anything in his life.
What would he do if she said no? What if he couldn't live up to her expectations? He'd never been a family man, there was no denying it, and he'd never been a true romantic until she was in his arms. What if he couldn't even keep that up for her? What if…what if she wanted kids? He'd thought about puppies, maybe, he could probably handle raising a dog, but…children? Miniature versions of themselves that they'd have to teach and love and protect? That sounded hard!
…but for the first time in his life…he wanted to try. He really, really did. Whatever she wanted, no matter how he would struggle, no matter how difficult it was…he would do everything in his power to make Virginia "Pepper" Potts the happiest woman on Earth.
The day finally came.
Tony's heart pounded so hard in his chest that he was certain the arc reactor was malfunctioning. How could he be stressing out so much about one simple little question? Everything was set. It would all go smoothly…as long as she said yes.
Why wouldn't she, though? She'd already seen the worst parts of him. There was nothing left to discover, no more big reveals, no more worrying about what he was hiding…
Although there was the whole 'worrying about his life' thing. Dating a superhero, the best superhero, that was a hard thing for others to live with. She'd done well so far, though, right?
Pepper didn't seem to think anything was up. She seemed to think this was a dinner like any other, though she had commented that it was "a little pricey" for an average night. Tony had laughed at her, waved a wad of hundreds he had tucked in his breast pocket, and reminded her that "pricey" wasn't even possible. This was all in a night's play for him, after all…or at least, as far as she knew.
When they arrived at the restaurant, Pepper actually set down the work tablet she was so insistent about carrying with her. Happy parked the car (well, limo), and they were ushered inside the gorgeous building as the VIP of VIPs. Other guests gawked and pointed, and Tony could swear Pepper was basking in the attention. She walked with her head held high, her back straight and grace in her every step.
She was beautiful.
They were escorted to a table set with the finest of silverware, a bottle of Pepper's favorite wine already sitting on the table. A waiter seemed to appear from nowhere, already pouring the wine as Tony pulled out Pepper's chair. She smiled at him, but he detected a very distinct note of sass in her 'Thank you.'
He just grinned at her and took his seat. While she took her first sip of wine, he slipped a hundred dollar bill wrapped around a little black box into the waiter's hand, and off he went with his secret mission.
Years after that night, Tony could recite their whole conversation, word for word. Sitting there right then, however, he could barely comprehend a thing that was said. Everything seemed to be moving way too fast, the whole night rushing past him, all the wine rushing to his head. It had been a long time since Tony had really felt completely drunk at a dinner, but right now, he was surprised he wasn't dancing on the tabletop. Admittedly, he had a really hard time holding his silverware by the end of their main course.
Pepper, on the other hand, never lost an ounce of her elegance. Her thin fingers wrapped around the stem of her wine glass, the perfectly even coat of nail polish seeming to make her fingertips glow, even the gentle curve of her pink lips… there was nothing about her that didn't seem stunning. He couldn't stop smiling at her, couldn't stop admiring every inch of her beautiful self.
She arched one eyebrow, just staring at him for a long moment. Tony hadn't realized what a dumb smile he'd been wearing, but Pepper was well aware.
"Are you laughing at me, Mr. Stark?" She asked. He did laugh, then, and grinned at her.
"At you, Ms. Potts? I wouldn't dare." He teased. Before she could reply, he looked up, spotting their waiter carrying a dessert tray towards their table. Tony clapped his hands, catching the attention of everyone in the restaurant, but most importantly, the redhead across from him. "Look at that! Dessert is finally here!"
'Finally' was right. He'd been waiting for this moment all night, no, all year, and now…God, was he nervous. He just prayed this all worked out.
Pepper was about to speak, probably about to scold him. As soon as their dessert, a simple cheesecake drizzled in the richest chocolate, was set down, she went completely silent. All around them, every other guest seemed to hold their breath, and Tony was aware of all eyes locked on the two of them.
Tony just smiled. He couldn't blame them for watching. This was the biggest moment of his life…their life.
Sitting atop the cake was a ring, but not just any ring. Tony had designed this ring himself, and even his most complicated inventions hadn't gone through so many changes. It had to be perfect, just as perfect as her. The diamond was obviously large, but in respect to Pepper's taste, he had specifically measured it to be appropriately sized for her delicate fingers. In respect to Tony's taste, however, it was lined with precise cuts that shaped it into a replica of his arc reactor. Twining around the silver band was a line of pale sapphires, and in the candle light of the restaurant they glowed with the same soft light of the machine embedded in his chest.
The ring was everything it needed to be, everything Tony wanted it to be. As he got up, though, kneeling down beside his one and only love, he wondered: would she think it was good enough?
"Tony…what are you doing?" Her tone was very near to a curt scolding, so close that he had to restrain a laugh. She was about to reprimand him for an actual proposal…God, did he love her.
"Well, Ms. Potts, I'm about to ask a question that's been a long time coming." He took her hand, holding her delicate fingers in his calloused, rough ones. It was a feeling he'd never gotten tired of, a feeling that he hoped he'd have the rest of his life.
"Tell me, Pepper…" She was smiling at him, actually smiling. Maybe this wouldn't go as badly as he thought. "What do you think about spending the rest of your natural life with me?"
"Natural life?" She echoed the thought, sounding like she was trying not to laugh at him.
"Well, I'm sure I could extend it through a variety of means, but let's not talk about that just yet." He grinned back at her, loving the blush that spread over her cheeks. "Pepper…my sweet Pepper…will you marry me?"
She laughed.
Maybe he should've panicked. Maybe he should've worried that her laughter was all the answer he'd ever get. Maybe he should've asked if she was going to walk out right now. Instead, he just watched her, waiting and grinning like a fool. He wasn't scared anymore. He couldn't explain why, but looking at her now, seeing that sweet smile on her perfect lips, the loving expression in her gorgeous eyes…he was reassured by all of it. There was only one answer he'd hear.
"Yes, Mr. Stark. I'll marry you." She laughed again, and he laughed with her. "Someone's got to take care of you, after all."
Author's Notes:
Shockingly, something new! This was a gift for my friend Steph, who has been waiting for ages to get the ending to this scene. But hey, she loved it, so it was worth it. I hope you guys enjoy it too!