Based on the Iron Man films.

Disclaimer : This is purely FANfiction. I do not own Iron Man, any of the characters or anything else related to Iron Man.

The fireworks announcing Stark Industries Expo died down as Tony headed backstage. He frowns as he reads the numbers on his Blood Toxicity reader. Too high. Too fast.

He knows he was running out of time. He can practically hear the clock taking seconds away from him.

Every second his body becoming weaker and weaker. And there isn't a damned thing he can do about it.

The great protector. The sole person who procured World Peace. The hero who can't even save himself.

"Mr. Stark?" her voice calls over all the other voices in the auditorium, worried and dutiful as always.

""Miss Potts?" he replies cheerily and turns to face her, his suave façade swiftly pulled in place.

"Tony, are you okay? You look a bit…" Pepper asks, already making an appointment at the nearest doctor on her touch-screen phone. She made it all seem so effortless. So graceful, even when she was running around and making three calls at a time.

"Pepper," Tony says, patiently waiting for her need for putting everything to schedule on hold. She finally looks up and meets his eyes. He doesn't bother to break the contact, he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to even if he tried. Somehow, during the years, she managed to wrap him around her little finger like a pink ribbon.

"MR STARK! The press is waiting for you," one of the employees announces awkwardly.

The CEO clears his throat. He was about to apologize, but then, the sudden stifled jerking motion of his assistant stops him. "Are you alright?" he asks, grabbing hold of his assistant's arm, not quite sure of what to do to help.

"Just a snee-snee-zz-" comes the staccato reply from his assistant, quickly followed up by a dainty sneeze.

"If you're getting sick, I don't want you sneezing all over my paperwork or my plasma screens," he jokes lightly, but frowns once she looks up at him, her eyes glassy and red.

"Let's get out of here," he instructs, without waiting for her reply, he leads her to the backdoor by the hand.

"Why are you holding my hand, Tony?"

~ "I'm not"

Pepper looks down to their entwined fingers with a stern look and he quickly brings it up to his face, "I was just admiring your new nail polish" the CEO of Stark Industries covers deftly. "See? Beautiful. If only Aston Martins come in this hue".

She smiles and decides against informing him that that particular polish was more than a year old.

Tony leads them expertly through the crowd and waves courtly at a few of the photographers, smiling confidently as their flashes follows them down the steps. His assistant, on the other hand, tried shielding her eyes from the blinding flashes of the camera flashes –and she assured herself that it wasn't just to hide the crimson blush on her cheeks.

As they stopped in front of the car, Tony opens the door for her and waits until she had moved over before following suit.

The driver walks around the car, shuts the door and heads back to his seat. The car exits the Expo and under a minute the final stretch home had begun.

Tony looks over to Pepper, in all intention of informing her of his plans for a trip to Venice. He only forgot to factor in how awake she would be.

Her head was resting against the window of the car, her red fringe falling over her eyes.

He stretches his arm over her shoulders and slowly lowers it. Please don't wake up yet.

Smiling, he draws her closer until her head rested against his shoulder.

It was as if a sudden realization had drawn on him. He probably wouldn't have another opportunity like this again.

Tony lets his forehead fall forwards until it touches hers. Not another chance.

He grins as another dainty sneeze came from her. How cute. A sigh escapes his smiling lips.

The car pulls into the driveway of the Stark Residence and the engine dies down.

"Need any help, Mr. Stark?" the driver asks, trying not to laugh at the current picture in the rearview mirror.

The older man waves his hand dismissively and hugs the woman in his arms to get her awake. She sighs before opening her eyes and shooting upright. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she almost bolts upright in the car, but quickly exits through the other door instead.

It takes the hero time to gather his courage, at least, enough of it to stand. He climbs out and brushes absently through his hair, "Do me a favor and pick up my dry-cleaning," he says as he shuts the door, completely ignoring the driver's retorts.

Pepper, who had been talking to the driver, straightens up and watches as the car finally drives off, "Tony, you can't expect drivers to do the assistant's job," she says and sniffles impatiently as they head up to the stairs.

He edges in front of her and holds out his hands to the side, bending over, "Hop on," the man orders, so casually as if he were asking about the weather.

"Excuse me?" Pepper almost shrieks, jumping back a bit.

"Oh, I get it," Tony quickly says, trying to cover his 'mistake' and turns to face her, arms out to the sides, "Hop on".

"Are you drunk?" the woman asks indignantly, her mind already four miles away in backtracking when and how much she had seen her boss drink that day. Was one Martini too much…?

"You're sick, you're going to go all weak-kneed once you hit the stairs," Tony Stark says in his all-round smooth-talker voice.

She forces a smile and successfully avoids rolling her eyes, "Mr. Stark, I can run a multi-billion dollar company with a cold… I'm sure I'll be able to make it up ten steps," Miss Potts states, her voice flat and annoyed.

He pouts slightly, but nevertheless walks up the stairs next to her, his hand on her lower back, guiding her.

It went fine until - "Hand. Tony." Pepper warns darkly as she senses his looming intentions.

"What? I wasn't even going to do anything!" he covers a little too quickly, holding his hands behind his back.

"We need to finish the paperwork on the transfer of the company," she says as they enter the house.

"Jarvis. Tea" Tony orders into the air, seemingly ignoring his work, "And something for …"

The Iron Man-bearer glances at the woman next to him, before continuing, "colds, or… something".

Pepper Potts' irritable smile formed on her features as she took a seat at the barstool next to the kitchen counter. It had been a long day and she wasn't in the mood for any more problems. Finish work. Go home.

"Your tea and requested items, Mr. Stark," the computerized voice came from the automated drinks machine. The steaming cup of tea stood ready. On the platform of the auto-Medicine dispenser sat two sachets of pills for colds.

"Here you go, Miss Potts," Tony says in his boss-like voice, but the grin throws off the demeanor. As she stretches out her hand towards the items he grabs hold of it and leans forwards and lands a peck on her cheek. She blushes darkly and he couldn't help but instantly feel self-conscious about his actions. He couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't taken it too far this time. He quickly backtracks and heads over to the drinks machine, ordering a coffee for himself.

Her sudden sneeze pulls his thoughts back to the present though and he heads back to the counter without a second thought. He tears open the sachets for her and holds it out to her, smiling as if it would always end up like this. I'll take care of the crises and you take care of the rest.

He wanted right then, to tell her the truth. To explain to her what the arch reactor was doing to his body. To tell her that he was only a few weeks away from… To tell her what was really going on…

….but when she looks up at him and thanks him so sincerely as always. He just couldn't.