He thought this day would never come.
There's a horde of butterflies in his stomach and as the moment draws closer his heart starts racing in anticipation. This is happening, this is it, this is forever... How does he know he can do this, why is he doing this, oh god...
This is Pepper. That's why. He would do anything for her.
The opening notes of an elegant, sweet piano tune ring through the room, and Tony turns as Pepper walks up the aisle, clasping a single bouquet of roses, a simple white dress flowing in just the right way, so perfect in his eyes...
For a moment Tony can't breathe, he just stares, drinking her in. She's never been more beautiful. And he's said it before, but somehow it will never be more true than it is now. He'll never have this moment again.
Sapphire blue eyes meet golden brown and she smiles at him, that beautiful, beautiful Pepper smile, the one she reserves just for him. His eyes are warm with adoration, devotion to this woman, this woman who changed his life and who he'll never, ever deserve...
Pepper reaches out and takes his hands as they turn to face each other in front of the altar. His thumb brushes across her ring, that gorgeous, delicate ring she'd accepted from him, and a lump forms in his throat. He blinks up at the ceiling as the emotions overwhelm him, feeling so lost because he's never felt this happy before... But he's grounded as she squeezes his hands and he looks back to her, to those bewitching blue eyes, and the joy he sees there nearly makes him lose it again. He swallows thickly. How did he get this lucky?
Tony doesn't even notice that he's being spoken to until the last moment and he panics for a second, don't screw this up, not this, please, but it returns to him quickly. He repeats the words with shining eyes and a catch in his voice that he can't quite get rid of. He'll love her forever and he'll swear it now, he'll proclaim it to the world because nothing, nothing means as much as this...
And then Pepper's speaking, promising. He can't take his eyes off of her, and it's the same voice that's nagged him and yelled at him and teased him and called his name so temptingly; it's home and comfort and love and Pepper...
He steps closer as the talking ends, his eyes never leaving hers. "Pepper... I..." and he trails off, lost for words for once in his life. He can't find the words to tell her how much he loves her, how much she means to him, his everything, and he just clings to her hands tighter, because he's never, never going to let go, never again...
She lifts a hand to brush his cheek, a soft touch he can barely feel. "I love you," she says, voice soft, fading as she smiles with those bright, beautiful blue eyes, and she leans in to kiss him, her lips soft on his, for just a second...
...
Tony jerks awake, the tears of joy overflowing bitterly as his gaze finds the cold, empty bed. The delicate ring glints at him in the half light from its resting place on the side table, three years untouched.
And Tony stares for an instant longer before he breaks and the sobs tear through him, desperate and relentless and never, never ending. He can't breathe for the tears and he reaches out for a hand that will never be there again, because he let go and he promised, he promised...
()()()()()()()
Written from a tumblr prompt: Imagine your OTP at the altar of a church, about to get married. Just as they're about to kiss, Person A wakes up in bed, sobbing and staring at the empty space beside them. In reality, Person B died years ago.