"Tony, when are you going to fire me?"

Tony looked at Pepper, absolutely aghast at her question.

"What do you mean, Potts?"

...

Pepper had seen Tony womanize. She'd spent the better part of her time working for him doing his dirty work. Whether it was sending multiple bouquets of flowers to the woman's office, sending anonymous, extravagant gifts, or finding their schedule so Tony could casually bump into them, Pepper would find herself doing it. She would always be the one that made Tony get all the women, it seemed. Tony would tell her, or talk about a certain woman, and somehow - with the help of Pepper's organized tactics - he would end up in bed with her. And then he would leave Pepper to 'take out the trash.'

The point is that Pepper had seen Tony go after women, and he usually started off with something small. Something simple. And with that something small, he would go after the woman who didn't normally want him. But that wasn't true - nearly every woman wanted him - they were just playing hard to get. That never bothered Tony like it would other men, because he knew either way that he would get them.

Now lately Pepper had been finding herself with free time. Free time. Defined as time to be used freely to one's desire, because they haven't anything better to do. Pepper Potts had never, in all her time she'd known Tony - her estimation of time could be far off, because one Tony Stark year is roughly equal to three and a half regular years - had free time. So, naturally, she began to wonder.

Pepper had noticed that she hadn't picked up Tony's dry cleaning, or chosen a new suit for him in quite some time. Her stress load had been lessened by a significant amount. It had also been three months - three whole months - since the last time Pepper had to dispose of one of Tony's one night stands.

So when Tony brings her coffee on a very early Saturday morning in the Stark mansion, Pepper finally snapped at him.

...

"I mean, if I'm supposed to be preparing my resume, and looking for another job that will be demeaning and low paying, then I would like to know now," Pepper said as the anger crept into her voice.

"A simple 'thank you' or 'good morning' would have sufficed for the coffee," Tony murmured, as he sat down across from her.

"Tell me, Tony."

"Oh, Potts, I like when you get assertive with me. Tell me to do something else, right now," Tony flashed Pepper his patented smile. Pepper narrowed her eyes as Tony took a sip of his coffee.

"Of course not, Jesus, Potts, what makes you think I would fire you?"

"I haven't picked up your dry cleaning in a month."

"You complain because it's on the opposite side of town from your house!"

That was weird. Tony Stark caring about something Pepper complained about? She only complained and fussed over one million things that Tony needed and refused to do, but he did something about the tiny dry cleaning issue?

"You've been bringing me coffee instead of the other way around," Pepper said, almost making it sound like a question. Tony took another sip of his coffee.

"Because you get snippy when I ask you to bring me coffee, so I thought you would appreciate it if I brought you some," Tony gave her a small smile.

"You've been telling me to leave early, and then come in late the next day. You've been encouraging me to take a vacation-"

"Pepper!" Tony cried. "You're tired! You haven't had a moment's rest since you began working for me, not to mention you haven't taken a vacation in five years, Pepper. Five years."

"I had free time today, Tony. I've had free time for the past few weeks. Do you know how often I get free time?" Pepper struggled to get the proper words out, instead of just blurting out everything she'd like to.

"Um, never?" Tony frowned.

"That's right."

Tony just looked at Pepper curiously. She sat with her arms crossed, and a strand of her hair had fallen in front of her eyes. She still hadn't touched the coffee he'd brought her, and she had a huge frown on her face. Tony couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, Pepper."

"What? Tony, if you're going to fire me, hurry up and do it so we can get on with our lives," she huffed.

"Pepper, I'm not going to fire you. Can't you see? I'm wooing you."

Pepper's heart seemed to stop beating. This wasn't right.

"Wooing me," she repeated, as Tony nodded slowly. Pepper shook her head.

"No, no, no, no, no, this isn't how you pursue women. I've been doing that for you for years. You send them flowers, and buy them elaborate gifts. You've bought them cars. Tony, you bought one woman a beach house!" Pepper was extremely confused, to say the least.

Tony waved his hand, "technicality," he murmured. "But I'm not going for any of them, I'm going for you. This wooing is specific for you, Pepper."

"Specific for me?" Pepper blinked twice.

"It wasn't like any of those women actually mattered. This is you, Pepper. You matter."

Tony stood up and walked over to sit next to Pepper. His body was very close to hers, and Pepper tried to do nothing more than just look at her feet. But she could smell his aftershave.

"I matter," Pepper said.

"Yes, Pepper, you matter. Those other women, they were just, you know, well women. I went big, and fancy, because I didn't know them. It wasn't like I cared how I wooed them, I was only doing it for the challenge. I trust you know that."

Pepper nodded slowly, and Tony took her hand in his. Her pulse ratcheted higher. He gives her his 'I'm being serious here' look, the look Pepper has only seen a handful of times. The look that makes her heart melt.

"Do you get what I'm saying?" Tony looked at her, as Pepper tried to look anywhere but at him.

Pepper just shook her head, and continued to avoid his eyes. She was beginning to think that she did understand, but it terrified her. And it also thrilled her on some level.

"I'm saying..." He murmured, as he lifted her hand to his face. "I'm saying that I don't just want to get into bed with you - don't get me wrong, I do - but I also want you to be in bed with me when I wake up."

"Tony," her voice trembled.

"But I want more than that," Tony continued. "I want a date. I want a movie. I want an art show. I want lobster and steak and weird Italian food that neither of us like. I want to be able to put my hand on your back without you telling me how inappropriate it is."

Pepper gave him a soft little smile, as she finally looked up to see him looking at her from under his lashes; holding her hand to his face.

"Tony."

"Pepper."

"I-I- We- I'm your assistant.." Pepper said quietly. Tony gave her a small smile, and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes? And?"

"A-And it's unprofessional..."

Tony laughed, and patted her hand with his free one. "In all the time you've known me, when have I ever been professional? If, at all?"

Pepper strained herself from being ever so slightly rude, released her hand from Tony's, and put both of her hands on his chest, in a failed attempt to push him away from her. She likes the way his muscles feel under her hands. "Tony, it's just a bad idea. It's a bad idea if we get involved. I'm your assistant, and-"

Tony snaps his fingers and gives her a smile as she removes her hands from his chest. "You're fired."

"What?" Pepper said sharply, looking at a grinning Tony.

"You're fired. I want your desk and office cleaned out by five, because I am picking you up at nine for dinner and I want you to have time to change," Tony said nonchalantly, pretending to examine the nails on his right hand.

This was Tony Stark for you. He was stubborn, very, very, very stubborn. He seemed to think that whatever he wanted goes, and usually - it did. But Pepper shook her head at him. "Tony, you need me more as your assistant than you do as.. Whatever you want me to be."

Tony sighed and put his hands on her face, staring at her with his puppy dog eyes. "Pepper, listen to me. I need you. Period. Whether it's getting me coffee, arranging my meetings, or just being with me. I still need you. And if you're honestly not interested, then fine - I'll stop. I'll stop. I'll re-hire you, and stop bringing you coffee. I'll stop giving your duties to other, less efficient staff members, and I'll stop telling you to take a very needed vacation," He said quietly.

"But if you are interested - which, I know you are - then you are fired, I will keep buying you coffee, and telling you to get some rest. And tonight, I'm taking you to that new Italian place that you keep saying you want to go to, but never have time for," Tony simply looks at her.

It's hard for Pepper to concentrate, when her mind is working through probably the most she's ever had to comprehend. "Tony," she whispered.

"If I say yes," Pepper said, her voice beginning to sound stronger, albeit still slightly wobbly. "You can't date other women. You can't fuck other women. You can't just meet some woman, and give her some of your Tony Stark charm, and then expect me to deal with it. If I say yes."

"I have Tony Stark charm?" His smile widened.

"Tony."

Tony sighed. "Okay, look. I can't make promises about the future. I don't know where we'll be a month, a year, or even a few years from now. I don't even know what'll happen a few days down the road. But to me, it seems to be worth the try, Pepper. Please know that I mean that."

Pepper studies his expression. She knows he means it, of course he does. But there was still a small part of her that was unsure of what she really wanted.

"Okay," Pepper said finally.

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay as in.. Yes? Okay as in.. No?" Tony shrugged and lifted his hands as if to demonstrate weigh scales.

Pepper smiled, "okay as in ... Would you like the reservations for exactly eight, or would you like it to be a bit later?"

"Make them for whenever works for you," Tony said simply.

The two looked at each other. Tony was happy. Hell, he was so much more than happy. He'd never had a stable relationship, ever. The word 'girlfriend' alone made him cringe. But he had a good feeling about Pepper, nobody had understood him like she did. He was happy.

"I.. Um.. I should go make the reservations now," Pepper said as she stood up, leaving Tony on the couch.

"Okay," he didn't move from his spot on the couch. "I have a tad of tinkering to finish in the shop, and I'll go shower."

Pepper smiled, and began to walk away. "Good, because I refuse to go to a nice restaurant with you covered in grease and dirt."

When Pepper reached the door, Tony called "Miss Potts, pencil something in for me? Did I tell you I have a date tonight?"

Pepper smiled to herself and opened the door to leave.

"What a coincidence, Mister Stark. So do I," she murmured, as she walked out into the bright sunlight, only hoping that the night's events would be better than she expected.

...

A/N: I don't even know. Not really sure what this is, but here you go. Enjoy it. Reviews make me happy. I heart Pepperony.