The Proposal
They were fighting again. Their entire relationship was built off a series of squabbles and arguments, it seemed. They had gotten worse, as of late. Escalating out of nothing and turning into World War Three. Tony worried about how much more of this they could take. The shouting, the throwing things, and worse, the ice...There was only so much stress a relationship could withstand. The worst part was that there was no reason for them to be fighting. No problem or issue to resolve. Something was just...Off.
This particular time, he had made some comment or another about how every purchase she made, even on her personal credit cards, ended up dipping from the Stark bank account—not that he cared. She took the statement as Tony calling her a gold digger. So, as always, it spiraled from there, touching on Tony's possessiveness, Pepper's perfectionism, Tony's insatiable flirting, and so on.
"What's it matter if I winked at the Stark dancers? You're name'll be on the lease Potts, The Lease!" Tony said it like it was the obvious answer to all of Pepper's qualms.
She gave him one of her best icy glares, her voice dripping. "I don't think you're ready for that kind of commitment." With that she grabbed her jacket and turned to leave. Panic shot through Tony's mind like lightening. This fight had been among the worst and he knew this time she may not come back. She'd been threatening it for a while but now...
"Marry me." The words flew from his mouth.
Pepper stopped short and turned slowly to face him, confusion and disbelief clear in her face. "What?"
Tony's face went blank the way it did when he was rerunning what he had just said in his head. Panic quickly spread across his face followed by an assessing look that was normally associated with him figuring out some obstacle in his shop. Finally a look of stubborn resolve settled in his eyes.
This all past in a breath and he was on one knee reaching for her hand. "Marry me." There was a hint of surprise in his voice as he repeated it, though his tone was calmer. As if all his doubts and worries were assessed and eliminated moments before.
"Tony I..." Pepper began, shock slowing her normally quick responses.
"Marry me." He was gaining momentum now, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Marry me and become Mrs Virginia Stark...Or don't." He added quickly, his heart racing. "Don't take my name." Tony shook his head. "I don't care." He looked up at her, his normally intense gaze magnified ten-fold. This was it. This is what had felt off recently. "Just don't make me live another day without you by my side."
His hands dropped from hers to reach into his jacket—he had been contemplating this for a while. He pulled out a box and opened it to reveal a diamond ring in the shape of a blossoming rose.
"I love you." Here his voice was finally, truly calm. His eyes didn't waiver. He was more sure of this decision than he had ever been of anything in his past. This woman had stood by him through the unimaginable. She could look past all his games—could see straight inside, to everything he hid from the world. And there she was. Still right there. Despite it all. Yes. He was sure.