From that point on Pepper began to notice exactly how much Tony and Clint hung out with each other. Almost every time she spoke to Tony he mentioned Clint and every time she talked to Clint he mentioned Tony. To be completely honest, Tony spent more time with Clint than he spent with her by far. She sort of blew it off for the most part; she figured that they were working on a project together or something. Then one day Pepper wandered into the kitchen on her way to the airport to find Tony and Clint sitting at the table together, she stopped at the door and listened to them laughing together. She looked at Clint who never took his blue eyes off of Tony. As he smiled the stress lines in his faces disappeared and his expression lightened. He glanced up for a moment and saw her and his smile faltered, "Morning Pepper." He said managing to regain his composer.
Pepper glanced down at her feet and back up, "Hello boys."
Clint stood up, "I'm gonna go take a shower, I'll um, I'll talk to you guys later." He excused himself touching Tony's shoulder as he passed by and looked at Pepper. He looked sorry and worn; like he was fighting a battle he knew he was going to lose. That's when she realized it; Clint was fighting a battle with himself. He wasn't secretly in love with Natasha but Tony instead. She quickly pushed the thought to the back of her head, Clint was a good man and even if he did have a crush on Tony she trusted that he would never do anything to hurt his relationship with herself.
About two weeks later Pepper had a question to ask Tony about the donation of a car to a cancer research group. Jarvis had ever so politely informed her that Mr. Stark was currently in the workshop with Agent Barton, which she had already guessed. She glanced out of a window on her way to the elevator, the sky was already dark and it was later than she had expected to be. She flipped through the file on the way down to the workshop, closing the manila folder at the door and stopping.
The lights were dimmed and the room had a slight blue glow. Pepper looked around until she spotted the pair. Tony and Clint were on the couch, Clint's head was resting on Tony's shoulder and Tony's arm was around Clint's shoulders. Pepper knew that she should have been mad or jealous but when she saw how peaceful Tony looked while he slept with his arm around Clint she couldn't bring herself to be anything of those things. Maybe she felt relieved, relieved that Tony had found someone that he could actually love because Pepper knew that what her and Tony had wasn't that type of love. It was the type of love shared by a pair of people that depended on each other and trusted each other above all else but it wasn't love. Pepper sighed; Tony and her were just like Clint and Natasha. She placed the file on Tony's desk and shut off the lights on her way out.
A few nights later Pepper passed into the living room to find Tony standing on the other side of the room from her. "Hey Tony," She said stopping next to the couch.
Tony turned around and smiled, "Hey Pepper." He stepped towards her.
"I think we need to talk." She sighed looking into Tony's brown eyes. He frowned but nodded his head, "Look, you know I love you right?" She asked.
"Of course!" The genius grabbing her hand and squeezing gently.
Then the door opened and Clint came into view, "Oh, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting." He apologized stopping in his tracks and heading back out the door politely.
Pepper watched Tony frown again, "Tony," She whispered and he looked back at her, "Go after him."
Tony shook his head, "Pepper, no."
Pepper smiled and pulled Tony into a hug, holding him tight. "Think about all the time we wasted playing games Tony," She whispered into his ear, "Don't make that mistake again."
Tony held her tighter for a moment, "Are you sure?"
Pepper stepped back and nodded, "Will that be all Mr. Stark?"
Tony laughed, "Yes, that's all Mrs. Potts, and thank you." Then Tony turned on his heels and through the door Clint has disappeared out of, "Hey Birdbrains wait up!"