Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of its characters and lines from the movie used in this story. What is written here is for entertainment purposes only. I do not make any profits from it.

"I have an idea," stated Tony, raising himself on the bed using his elbows. "Let's just stay in today. Like the whole day. Just you and me. 24 hours of uninterrupted Pepperony time."

Beside him, Pepper giggled. "The media really needs to work on a better couple name for us."

"I like it."

"Of course, you do." His favorite pizza was pepperoni after all.

Pepper lazily reached for her phone on her bedside table. "Hmm. It's 9? I should get going."

Tony plopped down on his side and pulled her close by the waist. "Don't go," he murmured against her neck, his goatee tickling the skin. His grip on her was tight and Pepper halfheartedly wiggled from his grasp.

"Tony."

"You can run here. We have a gym, equipped with a treadmill, lap pool, you name it. Just stay here."

Pepper chuckled, patting the arm over her stomach. "Nice try. But I like going out to have my morning run. It's not as boring as staring at a wall."

Tony emerged from the crook of her neck and seriously said, "I can have a TV set up on that wall. Or have Friday set up a screen to show you a virtual street, make it feel like you're running outdoors."

Pepper looked at him curiously and Tony averted his eyes to his pillow.

It wasn't unusual for her fiancé to prolong her stay in bed or to keep her glued to his side but a nagging feeling on the back of her mind made Pepper ask, "What's the matter?"

Tony picked at his pillow. "I just think it's a waste of resources to have a treadmill in the house and not use it."

He glanced at Pepper.

Big mistake.

She had that look on her face that told him she wasn't buying any of his reasons.

"I just... I don't think you should go out today."

Pepper raised a brow, demanding he say more.

Tony sighed and sat up, leaning against the headboard. Pepper followed suit.

"I... I have this feeling... that something's going to go wrong. And I... I just want us to stay here where it's safe." He played with his hands as he said it, indicating to Pepper just how nervous and anxious he was.

"Oh, Tony." She clasped his hands and he looked at her.

"Call it a sixth sense or iron sense or whatever but Pepper, I feel... I know that something big is coming like," he dropped his voice, "the world is gonna end."

Pepper bit her lip in thought. Tony had always been one to rely on science and logic. He was never one to turn to auras or feelings or sixth senses unless they were backed by fact.

And the fact was with the wedding being one month away, the both of them were stressed with finalizing last minute details. They were having two receptions for crying out loud! It was not easy planning a private wedding reception for family and close friends and a reception for business partners with them numbering around a thousand.

"You're just having cold feet," she decided to say.

Tony felt a shiver run his spine. "Yeah. But not the wedding kind."

Pepper smiled at him, kissed his forehead and said, "Come on. Get dressed."

Tony frowned as she got out of bed. "Did you not hear a word I said? Bad feeling? World ending?"

"I heard you. Which is why I'm dragging you with me to jog."

"Pepper," he groaned. "I hate jogging."

"Precisely. You'll think about how much you hate jogging instead of that morbid sixth sense of yours."

Tony didn't move.

"I'll wear that sports bra you like so much."

His head perked up.

...

"I hate you," Tony said panting, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"You love me."

Tony glared at Pepper and accepted the bottle of water Happy offered him.

"And you're such a liar. I see no sports bra."

"There is one underneath this thing."

Tony drank the water in one go.

"Still thinking like the whole world's gonna die?" Pepper asked.

"No. Just thinking that I might."

"Don't be such a baby." At least he wasn't as paranoid as this morning. Pepper turned to Happy. "Is he normally like this?"

"More whiny but yeah, more or less," replied the former bodyguard who used to have the fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on who you ask) task of overseeing Tony's workout and self-defense training. "And he cheats a lot."

Tony pointed at him. "You're just still upset I defeated you that one time."

"You mean you used dirty boxing," Happy corrected.

Tony handed back the now empty bottle. "Keep this attitude up and you're not invited to the wedding."

"You can't do that. I'm the ring-bearer. You can't afford to lose me."

Pepper rolled her eyes at the two.

Tony turned to Pepper. "Speaking of weddings, Edmund told me something that made me curious. I know I'm not supposed to ask, but is your dress backless?"

"Tony, we talked about this."

Tony pouted and stepped into Pepper's space. "But Friday saw your dress! I don't see why you can't give me a tiny detail about—"

"Friday is not you!"

"I should hope not. Because she's not allowed to do this." He stole a quick kiss and Pepper was forced to swallow her retort.

"Boss."

"Not now, Happy," Tony said, still focused on Pepper. "As the groom, it's important that I'm given—"

"You should really see this," Happy persisted.

Tony sighed. "I swear, he's like a nosey ki—"

"Tony."

The familiar voice made both Tony and Pepper turn around.

"Bruce."

Tony hadn't seen the man in years but there was no doubt that despite his weary and sudden appearance this was the Bruce Banner, the incredible Hulk, the enormous green rage mons—

Bruce had taken a step and collapsed in Tony's arms, cutting the genius' train of thought. The gamma expert hugged him tightly, eyes squeezed shut like he was trying to unsee some kind of horror.

Pepper moved closer in concern.

"I miss you too, buddy." Tony patted his back slowly.

Bruce gathered himself and pulled back just as Tony asked, "Where have you been?"

"Falling."

"What?"

"Did you just say falling?" Pepper looked equally confused.

Bruce nodded and pointed at the sky. "It was a massacre."

Tony felt the same shiver from this morning return. All the light banter and joking only minutes before seemed so far away. "What happened?"

"Some spaceship. Giant. Huge," Bruce shuddered at the memory. "We barely escaped."

"Was it Chitauri?" asked Tony, his mind already whirling, turning to protocols and suits and weapons defense system. Damn it.

"Who's we?" asked Pepper, oblivious to the racing thoughts of her fiancé.

Bruce shook his head at Tony and said to Pepper, "Asgardians."

"Asgardians?" Happy straightened. "Thor's people?"

"You were in Asgard?" asked Pepper.

Bruce nodded. "Long story. The point is they have the Tesseract and now that they do, they're coming."

Happy and Pepper looked alarmed.

"Who?"

"Who's coming?"

Bruce was about to answer but Tony beat him to it.

"The aliens," he said grimly. "I'm guessing they want to roll up in here with their usual agenda of take over the Earth and kill anyone who gets in their way."

Bruce nodded. "I don't know about taking over Earth but they have no qualms about killing anyone. They massacred the Asgardians for the Tesseract. Loki's dead. They have Thor."

Pepper grasped Tony's arm in fear and he looked at her, pushing back the detail about Loki and Thor for now. "I don't really want to say 'I told you so' but..."

"You told me so."

"Yep."

"Tony, man," Bruce cut in, an apologetic look on his face for interrupting them. He already felt bad for arriving and bringing such bad news to ruin their day. "I'm sorry but we need your help."

Tony nodded curtly. "Right. Just—one minute." He turned back to Pepper and led her away from earshot.

"Bruce is pretty shaken. I think whatever's coming—"

"Aliens," spat Tony. "Just say it. The aliens are coming and we're close to defenseless." He shook his head in frustration. "The Avengers is broken up and if the aliens took out Loki, Thor, and the Asgardians, how are we puny humans gonna survive?"

Pepper took Tony's face by her hands, forcing him to look at her. "Stop it. Stop this self-pity party you have going on. It's not gonna help anybody least of all yourself if you have an anxiety attack. Just breathe."

Tony nodded and Pepper guided him through some breathing exercises.

"Good," she said once he had visibly regained control. "The world needs Iron Man right now."

Tony looked at Bruce who looked like he was itching to do something to deal with the threat, then back to Pepper.

"I'm going with Bruce… and… I might not make it back. Let's be real," he said when she was about to protest. "These are aliens, Pep. The last time we dealt with them, I almost disappeared through a wormhole." He cupped her cheek. "But I promise you, I'm gonna try as hell to win this and come back. We have a wedding to get to, remember?"

Pepper nodded wordlessly. What else was she supposed to say?

Tony kissed her quickly but thoroughly before walking back to Bruce.

Happy gave Tony a quick hug and then joined Pepper, watching the two Avengers go off to save the world.

Before he could get too far, Tony turned back and yelled, "Hogan!"

"She'll be fine!" Happy yelled back.

Pepper's eyebrows went up. "Do the two of you have some sort of plan where you lock me in a bunker while the aliens invade?"

"You don't have the security clearance for an answer."

"I'm your boss," she reminded him.

"Right. Well, let's just say that Tony has a RESCUE plan in place for you."

"A rescue plan?"

A/N: Destiny is almost going to arrive!