It hadn't been the easiest decision, going back to work a few months after Maria's birth. Pepper was so in love with her little girl, being apart from her for to take care of the company, it almost broke her heart. The first few days, she had a really hard time, leaving Tony and Maria at home and she couldn't help but feel ridiculous for it. After a bit more than a week, she had managed to cope with it.

One day, two months later, it almost seemed like a normal day again, like nothing had changed at all. It was late, Maria and Tony probably had dinner already, but it was fine. What she didn't expect, though, was seeing her two beloved ones asleep on the couch. No, that wasn't quite right. She had expected it, but the mess that greeted her when she entered the mansion, it was a shock.

With a quiet sigh, Pepper had left her bag near the door only her purse and phone in her hands as she walked further into the living room. Tony was splayed out on the couch while holding Maria securely with one hand on her back. The little girl was sleeping on his stomach, peaceful and not showing any sign of waking up anytime soon.

Taking of her shoes – she definitely didn't want to risk waking Maria – Pepper walked over to Tony, kneeling next to his head while reaching out a hand to stroke Maria's soft curls. Her other hand stroke over Tony's cheek for a moment, just watching the two of them asleep before she leaned forward to kiss him. Just as she had hoped, Tony slowly woke up, looking at his fiancée through sleepy eyes. "Hey honey", he greeted her, giving her this wonderful smile she had fallen in love with. His hand seemed to hold Maria a bit more securely as he woke, making sure she wouldn't fall, let alone wake up.

"I only left you two for a few hours, babe. What happened?"

A bit confused, Tony looked around and seemed to remember just how all the mess had come to existence. Giving her an apologetic look, he already tried to explain the situation. "Maria and I have been playing. One thing led to another and I really tried to clean it up. This little monster here, however, decided it was time for a nap." Chuckling softly, Maria shifted a bit at the vibrations in his chest.

"It's okay. We will take care of it tomorrow. For today, I think it's best to go to bed. You put Maria in bed, I take a quick shower and then we'll meet in the bedroom."

As his face began to light up, Pepper only rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Not like this. I'm exhausted, so are you, we're getting some actual sleep."

"A man can dream, Miss Potts."

"Not tonight."

Smiling softly, Pepper got up again, gently taking Maria from him to give him the chance to get up as well and take her again. Giving him one last kiss, she placed Maria in his arms again and left to get up to the master bedroom. The living room was a mess, work had been exhausting and had left her a lot of papers to sign the next day, but all in all, it was a great day.