Authors Note- Another chapter! I am so excited to keep this story moving. Sorry I left it in such suspense last chapter….thanks for sticking thru! Lets move on and see how our sexy Mr. Stark is going to handle Pepper's abrupt decision.

P.S. This chapter has a bit of moodiness to it, but I think its kind of necessary to get to the good, naughty stuff later on….Tony has emotions too, and I just wanted to get into that a little bit...

To my amazing reviewers-

JO- Glad you like it, I promise to keep bringing the updates!

The 85th writer- YES! You should have laughed! There is always that strange little difference between the two of them isn't there? Pepper is all work and no play, but all her emotions are right there, just waiting to explode! And Tony…he is all play, but his emotions are hiding there too. So happy you're enjoying it!

VampireDA3- OO no!! I hope it wasn't too evil of me to leave the chapter like that! A little suspense never hurt anyone, right? Here is another update though, so I am not too evil. 

Tamasit1- Thanks! I wanted to get into how Pepper is a bit confused, and a helluva a lot of upset! Let's hope she realizes quitting is not the way to go!

Allie108- Pepper is a very silly, confused girl. I promise she won't be gone forever!

Once again, I own absolutely nothing.

Feel free to leave anything from a good job to a you could do better by…

On with the story!


Anthony Stark knew something was wrong. He should have guessed it immediately, just on her choice of lunch.

In all their time together he had never seen Pepper order anything but mixed greens, grilled chicken, no croutons or dressing please. Yet there she was, sitting on the gray couch, inhaling fry after fry as if they were her last meal. Then there was the fact that she just stopped, and her face had suddenly flushed from her neck all the way up to her hairline. Red as a pepper, he thought to himself with a smile. He had started calling her that once he noticed that every time he would brush off her meeting reminders, or any other infuriating thing he happened to do, would cause her to flush an instant red. Plus, she had the spicy temperament of a damn pepper too. It was controlled, of that he was sure, but he had been on the receiving end of her scathing comments on more than one occasion.

Pepper Potts was the only woman who had ever spoken to him in that way.

She was the only woman who could get away with it, actually.

She was also the only woman who had ever seen him at his worst, who knew him as more than suave Anthony Stark…who knew him before he was Iron Man, and Pepper was the only woman who constantly stood by him before he was a changed man…

As a matter of fact, Pepper was a lot of only's to him.

Pepper was also the only one who had just told him she quit.

Tony figured she was very, VERY upset at his little Iron Man admission. He set the file down next to him and looked at her, his Pepper.

Wait, did I just think MY Pepper? he thought suddenly. He shook his head and scolded himself for his horrible lack of focus. He brought his attention back to Pepper. She stood there staring down at her hands, her hair spilling over one side of her face like a curtain.

He had always thought Pepper was intelligent, no, she was brilliant. She was quick, witty, and she was the one person he would trust with proofing his equations. But beyond that, he had always thought she was one of the most beautiful things he had ever laid eyes on. Maybe that was why she was the only woman who had remained a constant in his life, and he had never even touched her. Yea, he had wanted to, on more than one occasion….especially that night on the balcony. Not just because she had looked breathtakingly and painfully amazing, but because she wasn't just Virginia Potts, personal assistant to Anthony Stark. She was just Pepper, Pepper in a blue dress nervous because she was dancing way too close to her boss.

Funny enough, right now, Tony again wanted nothing more than to brush the hair behind her ear, and take her face in his hands and kiss her and kiss her until her anger was nothing but a memory.

He doubted that would be the best course of action right now.

"Where in the world is this coming from Pepper?" he finally asked. He saw her shoulders go up and down as she sighed heavily.

"Mr. Stark-"she began.

"Tony," he interrupted. "I told you to call me Tony."

"Ok," Pepper began again with a deep breath. "Just as you asked me not to question your decisions, I am sorry. I am asking you not to question mine. Please, let's be civil about this."

Tony could not believe the words coming out her mouth. Her voice was shaking, and she refused to look at him.

"Sure, I'll be civil once I understand how one minute your scarfing down French Fries and the next your telling me you want to quit!" he said with a little more force than he had intended to.

Pepper brushed a crumb from her skirt and sighed again. "I made a decision Tony. That's all you need to understand. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. I will have my things removed by the end of the week and I will find you a suitable replacement. "

"Oh you're sorry?" he asked.

"Very sorry Mr. Stark," she replied.

Tony sighed. This was all types of wrong to him. He had finally figured out that she was the one thing he truly had, and that he…ok, that maybe he even loved her, and now she was telling him she was going to quit? For no reason? He had changed! He was tolerable now. He had admitted to her she was all he had. He didn't even remember the last time he had looked at another female the way he looked at Pepper now! It certainly wasn't what he wanted anymore, none of that was. He thought he had made that clear to her. Heck, Iron Man was an embodiment of what he was trying to do with his life now! Move forward, be better, right his wrongs….didn't she see and understand that?

"Pepper, does this have anything to with the whole press conference?" he asked. "I mean, because if it is, don't you think your overreacting? I know I tacked on a couple of extra hours of work for you, but is it really that much that your thinking of bailing out on good old Stark?"

Pepper let out a little chuckle. She shook her head and the rest of her hair came down around her face. He was glad he took the pencil out. She looked better with her hair down anyway.

"Tony," she began softly now, still looking down at her hands. "please?"

Unacceptable, he thought to himself. He walked the distance between the two of them in three steps, ending up right in front of her. He could smell her, that soft vanilla smell with something else that he could never place. Just being this close to her got all his senses on end.

"Pepper, look at me," he said just as softly. She just shook her head no. He took a deep breath. Why did she have to be so stubborn?

Tony stared into her face, how her lashes fanned out against her cheek, all those small freckles you could only see when you were standing this close. Every nerve in his body was itching, telling him to do something, to make some kind of contact with her. He finally brought his right hand up to her hair, very slowly and cautiously. He felt he was holding his breath the whole time. Pepper just closed her eyes, head still facing down; as if she could wish him away, imagine he wasn't going to touch her. Tony grabbed a strand of her hair, and let it fall between his fingers. It felt just as amazing as the first time he touched it. Then with his callused hands he gently pushed it behind her ear. He was careful not to touch her face, but his finger made the slightest contact with the back of her ear and he saw her shudder.

"Potts," he said again. "Look at me."

Pepper finally looked up at him, and it almost made him dizzy. Sometimes he was caught off guard by her, how beautiful she really was. Her eyes were wide, and he saw in them the slightest trace of tears. He immediately frowned and cocked his head, a small smirk tugging at his mouth.

"Potts, I know you don't have allergies," he said. "So why the sniffles?" She smiled faintly and rolled her eyes. "I am not firing you," he continued. "Iron Man doesn't change anything Pepper. I still want you, correction, I still need you around. Who else can put up with an old geezer like me? Who else is going to stick their hands in my chest? I don't even understand why you would want to quit. I won't understand unless you tell me. And as your boss, by the way, I am saying no to your quitting." He said the last part and grinned widely.

"I cant," Pepper began, then paused as if to recollect herself. "Mr. Stark, I absolutely cannot stay here. No matter what you say or do, I am done. You would not understand even if I did tell you."

That was it. Tony knew he was a genius. There was no problem he could not solve, until now. Until this.

Until Pepper.

She was not budging, she wasn't even willing to tell him what was going through her head, and damn it if that was the least he deserved.

He was tired of it.

Tired of dancing around Pepper for the last few months since he got back. Tired of pretending he was upset because she was just quitting as his pa. He was upset because that meant she was leaving him. When he got off that plane and saw her standing there with red rimmed eyes, he had known it. He knew it then and he knew it now.

Tony Stark loved Pepper.

He loved every single thing about her. He could go on and on in his head about it. He had realized it when he was captured, he had realized it when he came back and he had most certainly known it when he gave her the whole superhero girlfriend rant hoping she would bite.

But she didn't.

And now this.

It was more than Tony could take.

"So no matter what you're giving up on this Pepper?" he finally said after the long pause. She said nothing. He continued. "I could get you another car, if you want…maybe some more shoes…I know. You want a vacation? A raise? All you had to do was ask Potts."

Pepper looked up at him, a million questions flashing in her eyes. "Tony, have you lost your mind?" she asked. "I quit. What part of that don't you understand? Why must you always make things so hard for me?" The last part came out forceful and sounded like a scream in the otherwise quiet room. Pepper's lips were quivering so softly he would not have noticed unless he was staring at her face, well, exactly like he was doing now. He could not see why she was so mad at him, so quick to just leave him!

"So you're still quitting?" he finally said.

"TONY!" she practically howled, all trace of sadness gone, only frustration. He knew she was wondering when the hell and how this was going to end. Tony already knew.

He smiled and inched a little closer. He was so close to her now he could feel the heat radiating off of her, that warm smell seeping into him, filling his lungs up with nothing but Pepper. She didn't move, but he saw how suddenly her chest was heaving in and out, and how she was biting her lower lip. He knew he was completely invading her personal space. He didn't care though. It was exactly where he wanted to be.

Tony brought his hand up to her face again and she went to talk but he put his finger right over her mouth. Her lips felt soft and giving against his rough finger, and he smiled that cocky little grin. Her eyes were wide open now, her pupils dilated.

"So you quit?" he asked again, softer this time. As he said those words, he brought his face down closer to hers in the slowest possible fashion. Her breathing was completely erratic and he could practically see her heart beating out of her chest. He had to admit, he felt woozy and dizzy all at once too, being this close to her face, so close he could count the freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks. He loved how red her lips were against his finger and how he could feel the breath coming out her nose in short little bursts. However, she still nodded her head in a weak no.

"I guess I will ask again. You" he lowered his mouth closer to hers, so close his nose touched hers. He felt his heart beat so hard, he thought the reactor would pop right out. "Still" he closed his eyes just as he saw hers close. "Quit?" he finished and with that, with his finger still in place, he parted his lips and placed the lightest possible touch against her mouth. As he pulled back softly, the softest whimper escaped from deep within Pepper's throat. Her eyes opened wide and she whimpered, "Yes" to his question.

And just like that, Anthony Stark grinned. He whispered a silent fuck it to himself, as Pepper stared at his smile in fear. She opened her mouth as if to speak and before she could even utter a breath, he leaned down and covered Virginia "Pepper" Potts mouth with his own.