Hey! This is my entry for the Back to School Contest Make The Music Of The Night is holding! It's short, but I'm still stuck with writers block, so this was the best I could manage. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: IMAA doesn't belong to me.

For the first day returning to school, he noticed that his redheaded friend was far happier in comparison to himself. If that wasn't something that fit with her personality perfectly, he might have been a little frightened that she was so excited for the return of another year of school. The last year of school—high school—to be exact. She was practically bouncing off the walls with her happiness all day long. He, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He was dragging his feet behind him, not particularly enthralled at the return of school.

If anything, seeing her bright smile that even the sun couldn't hold a candle to, brightened up his day considerably. Though, he'd be caught dead if he ever verbally said such a personal and embarrassing thing—at least not any time soon. Sure he was ready to openly, or silently, admit that he harbored feelings that stretched beyond the "just friends" boundary. But that didn't mean that he was particularly ready to let those feelings be publicly known.

Despite being a senior now in high school, he was yet to feel any different than he had when he was a junior. To him, it was all the same. He was just another student who was trapped in the school system for yet another year until he was finally released into the world as a free man. Well, until college comes into the picture.

He didn't know if he believed in fate or even just the idea of fate, but it must have been something akin to fate that he ended up with another free period that he was glad to be able to say that he shared with his redheaded friend. It was possibly just pure luck that that was the way things turned out. Much like the previous year, it was just the two of them, which he couldn't be happier about. This meant more time alone with the girl he felt such deep feelings for.

"Doesn't it feel great, Tony?"

He looked up from his spot on the floor of the roof to see the beauty that was his favorite redhead. "What?"

"To be a senior? You know, to be so close to graduating?" she wondered again, looking almost dreamily off towards the distance that held the view of the city.

He didn't feel much different than he did last year. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that last year was his first year of public school in a long time. "Yeah," he lied smoothly, knowing it would make her happier. "It feels great."

She threw him a look that clearly stated that she knew he was lying to her, but shrugged it off. "I guess it's different when you've only worked towards this goal for a short while."

Tony stood up and walked up next to her, never once taking his eyes off of her as he did. It was a habit he had unwillingly picked up over the summer. He'd often find himself having to explain why he was staring at her for so long—he was a terrible liar. "Yeah, but that's just me," he tore his gaze from hers and off towards the city before them, "but you, Pepper, you have worked hard and will deserve that diploma at the end of the year."

Pepper was silent for a few moments, as if having to let his words sink in. When he looked back, she had her lips stretched upwards into a smile that just about stopped his heart as it always did. He wondered if it was just the cool breeze or just a trick of the eye, but he thought he saw a tinge of pink settled on her freckled cheeks. A thoughtful look soon replaced her smile as she looked back to the city's view. "Have you ever wondered what our kids would be like in school?"

Had he not been supporting himself against the ledge in front of him, chances are, he would have found himself meeting the cement below him face-to-face. At least then, he'd have an explanation for why his face had suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree—he doubted that after such a comment, his face wouldn't be red.

At his silence, Pepper turned to look at him expectantly. Then, and only then, had she realized what she had just said. "Oh..." she mouthed the word silently, as Tony watched her skin go from pale to red in only a matter of seconds. "Oh," she then whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

"Yeah," Tony responded, somewhat awkwardly.

Pepper was suddenly flailing her arms about in embarrassment in front of her. "I didn't mean that! Not like that! I don't mean our kids! I meant like...my kids and if you were to have any kids, because you don't look like..." She paused to take a breath as she tried to find the words that she couldn't think of. She suddenly held her hand up towards him, an embarrassed panicked look reaching her face. "Not that you wouldn't be a good dad! You'd be a great dad! Actually, I wouldn't mind it if you were my kids da—uhm...!" She slapped a hand over her mouth and quickly turned away from Tony. "I mean...!"

Tony found himself voiceless as Pepper freaked out as she stumbled over her own words. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to stop her. He didn't know if it was because he was truly that speechless or just because it was kind of cute to see her so flustered—maybe a bit of both.

"...I was just wondering what our—ugh! I keep saying it!" she continued, trying to clear up the misunderstanding, but clearly just shoving her foot deeper into her mouth. "What I meant to say was...was that maybe our—I mean my kids and your kids, that I'm sure you'll have, because you'd be a great dad! And I'm not the one that should judge that...but I just know you and I'm sure..."

"Pepper!" Tony finally found his voice as he quickly turned the flustered redhead to face him. She instantly shut her mouth with a audible pop. "I understand!" He paused for a second. "I think..."

Pepper let her head drop in utter embarrassment into her hands. "I'm such an idiot," she mumbled barely coherent enough for Tony to understand. "I can never just shut my big, stupid mouth."

"Hey now," Tony whispered, as he gently pulled her hands from her face, she looked so much better when she wasn't hiding her face. "You're not the only one who's misspoke before. Did I ever tell you about the time I mistook Rhodey for someone else and called him beautiful?"

It was so worth letting that secret slip—saying she was the person he accidentally mistook Rhodey for—just so he could hear the laughter that burst through her soft-looking lips. She looked up at him with tears of laughter in the corners of her eyes. "Really? Who'd you mistake him for?"

It was Tony's turn to suddenly start putting a tomato to shame, as he felt the heat pouring into his cheeks. "Uhm...I don't know."

Pepper narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You're face says otherwise, Tony. Tell me!"

He turned away, fighting against her grip on his shoulder as she tried to pull him back towards her. He averted his eyes to anywhere but hers as he tried to evade her curious gaze. "Tony! Tell me! I want to know! It wasn't Whitney was it?"

"No!" Tony instantly denied. "How many times must I tell you, that's no longer a thing, Pepper."

"If it wasn't Whitney, then who was it?" Pepper continued to press. "Do I know her? Was it Annie—or Jean?"

"What? No! It wasn't—Ugh! It was you! Okay? It was you!" Tony blurted out unintentionally.

Suddenly, despite the noises from the city, it was dead silent. Pepper, wide-eyed and mouth gaping, could only stare at Tony, who wanted nothing more than to shrink down until the redhead before him couldn't see him anymore, or at least forgets that he even said anything. She thought she had a big mouth, but sometimes he felt that he had it worse.

He stepped away to catch some much needed breath, and space—he hadn't realized that they had become so close. "I should just..." he pointed towards the doorway to the stairs. "I have to go to the bathroom!"

Pepper didn't respond, so Tony used that moment to escape as quickly as possible down the stairs. He almost escaped, but just as he got passed the door, her voice stopped him. He poked his head through the doorway he just went through and to Pepper, who fiddling with her shirt's fabric.

"Don't go," she repeated softly, slightly louder than the previous time.

He gave a light sigh and took in a much needed deep breath. When she starts doing things like that, it was hard for Tony to refuse. He walked back slowly and a bit awkwardly, but managed a comforting smile at the same time. "Alright, you convinced me. I'll stay."

"Forever and ever?"

Tony tossed her a strange look at the sudden change of mood, but he found himself nodding. "If that's what you want."

Pepper paused as she turned to lean against the ledge of the roof. "It is...as long as you still think I'm beautiful."

He just barely caught the smirk that stretched its way onto her lips, as he felt his cheeks burn up once again. He tore his gaze away from her once more as he nervously nodded. "Yeah, I still do."

He glanced at his watch, noticing that they only had a few minutes left until the end of the hour. Earlier, he was excited to have so many more free periods with his favorite redhead, but if this was how they were going to turn out—all awkward and weird—maybe he should've been happy enough with the time he already had with her. Then, he wouldn't have so much time to make a complete and utter fool of himself in front of the exact girl he harbored such great feelings for.

"Tony?" Pepper wondered, breaking through his thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"How do you mistake Rhodey for me?"

He really wanted that bell to ring already.

I didn't know how to end it. So yeah. That's that.

Fun Fact: I love rewatching movies!

I don't know how much I will be able to post in the near future (even if I get rid of this writer's block) because...I GOT A JOB! I'm actually pretty happy about that. So, just as a fair warning to you lovely readers, I had to tell you.

Hugs and Love, SilverPedals!