I'm back! :D (Didn't go any where...) Hope you enjoy another random short! That's actually kinda long...oh well! Short enough! I dunno...

Disclaimer: Ugh...I'm not in the mood...

"Pepper?" Both boys questioned looking up, blocking the sun from their eyes.

"Yeah?" She asked, as if nothing was wrong.

She refused, refused, to admit that something was wrong. That she needed help. She didn't. There was nothing wrong, what so ever. Nothing. She wasn't going to let them know. Never.

"Are you okay?" Questioned her genius boyfriend.

She nodded. "Perfectly fine."

Although...the branch was digging into her thigh.

"You sure?" Asked her African American friend.

Again, she nodded, repeating herself. "Perfectly fine."

She saw both teens give her a doubtful look, both also refusing to accept that she was perfectly fine. Had she said something different, or did they just not understand English? She decided to let it slide, because they must not be able to understand her very well. She could also be a bit too quiet for them to hear, that's it. She wasn't being loud enough.

"You need help?" Her boyfriend asked, reaching out with him arms.

As much as she wanted to go into his arms, to get down, she refused the offer. "No, I said I'm fine."

"Just admit it," he said, smiling. "You're stuck."

"Am not!" She denied, childishly.

Tony, her boyfriend, sighed. His posture changed very visibly from standing straight and alert, to leaning all his weight onto on leg as he leaned against the tree below her. She didn't fail to notice how exhausted he looked, but like her, he was too stubborn to admit that he needed rest, as she was too stubborn to admit that she was stuck.

She wondered what made him so alert just moments ago. He looked tense and ready for action if need be. She understood that he was a hero, and they should be ready no matter what, but at this point he was starting to look a little paranoid.

She tossed the thought to the back of her mind. It wasn't important.

For minutes they all sat/stood in silence. Not one of them mentioning that it was starting to get dark, and that it was probably time for them to get home. Especially Pepper, because her dad wasn't very fond of her spending a whole day with her boyfriend, even though the man was told that Rhodey was going to be there. So, being late wasn't really an option for them. Luckily, it was just one of those days were it seemed to be too dark, too soon. It was only about 6 o'clock.

"Alright," her boyfriend said, stretching his legs, which he'd been sitting on since the silence started. "Time to come down."

"I like it up here." Pepper said, not bothering to mention that she couldn't, or that she'd been trying to this whole time. "The view is great."

Rhodey raised an eyebrow. "You're still stuck?"

"I never was!"

"So you admit that you are now?"

She shook her head. "No!"

"You guys, don't shout." Tony said, now rolling his shoulder.

He must be sore, Pepper thought. Then aloud: "Sorry, Tony."

He smiled up at her, still looking as exhausted as ever. "Don't worry about it, now can we go? It's getting a bit cold, don't you think?"

It was getting cold. It was late summer, so it wasn't as warm anymore as fall approached.

She sighed, knowing full well that her so "well-kept" secret was coming to an end, and was about to be revealed. Thankfully, she felt that she was almost out, meaning she was close to being unstuck. Which was something at least. Better than having to openly admit that she had been so stuck, that her leg was falling asleep.

Just as she opened her mouth to let slip the confession that she really was stuck, her leg popped free from the tree's grasp, sending her flying off the branch. With an embarrassingly weird squawk escaped her lips, her arms mindlessly going in front of her to brace the fall. Even though she knew doing so would probably get at least one of them broken. She braced herself for the pain, but none came.

Her tightly shut brown eyes opened, finding the world upside down. No, it wasn't upside down, she was.

Tight arms, obviously belonging to her boyfriend, were wound around her waist. She was facing away from him, her arms hanging by his feet, while her own feet were hanging over one of his shoulders, and the other barely on the shoulder, ready to slip down to his elbows. If someone, like Rhodey, looked at it from a distance, it pretty much looked like some kind of partly messed up dance move, but this was anything but intentional.

She heard Tony groan as if he was in pain, as he twisted to place Pepper on the ground without dropping her. He only slightly succeeded as she was dropped just in time for her arms to be able to catch herself.

"Thanks." She said, still a bit breathless from the fright. She just fell down a tree!

"No problem." He was also breathless, no doubt from the quick save he managed.

"That was a close one!" Rhodey commented, sounding half-worried and half-humored.

"No kidding." Tony replied.

Pepper laughed nervously, embarrassed. "I'm glad you caught me, but are you alright?"

Tony raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm fine, it's not like I'm the one falling out of trees."

"Don't lie, you're exhausted."

He shrugged. "I'll live."

"Get some rest."

"When you admit that you were stuck that whole time."

Pepper grumbled. He got her there. She didn't want to admit to being stuck, because that would be admitting to being a damsel in distress, which was the whole point why she never said anything in the first place. She was no damsel in distress. She was strong enough, brave enough, and smart enough to handle herself perfectly fine without the help of Tony or Rhodey.

But...if she admitted to that, Tony would rest.

She wondered what the better option was. She could swallow her pride and confess what she already planned on confessing before she fell, or she could wallow to herself as Tony still doesn't get the rest he needs.

She sighed. "Fine, I was stuck. Happy?"

Tony smiled, along with Rhodey. "Very!"

"Now can we go?" Rhodey asked the two. "This was fun and all, but it's really starting to get cold, and I forgot my sweater."

Weird spot to end it, but oh well. I think it's good. Good enough. :P

Fun Fact: My appitite is change very dramatically right now. All the things I liked as of last year, I almost can't stand no more. It sucks. Hopefully it will come back, because I remember how good they tasted, yet its strange that I don't like them...makes hardly any sense.

How'd you guys like the second chapter or my short stories that vary from length? Good? Keep going? Nah? No good? Hmm?

Hugs and Love, SilverPedals! :D

P.S. At my school, they're having a movie night on Friday, (11/15) and they will be playing IRON MAN 3 and Pitch Perfect! XD Even though none of my friends are Marvel fan's, one of them I'm pretty sure doesn't like Iron Man, sadly... :( But even so, I'm dragging them with me, whether they like it or not~! :D Mwahahaha!