AN: There will no longer be disclaimers in the story. If you haven't figured out by now that I don't own Iron Man, then I'm sorry, but you're a moron.

Sorry for the painfully short chapter, but I'm writing in a very limited time space, so I'm trying to churn out a few more chapters before my time is up. So don't forget to review! Reviews make me write faster. And better. And… they make me happy.

Reviews. My anti-drug.

The drive to the airport was relatively uneventful. Happy was strangely silent and seemed oddly embarrassed whenever Tony or Pepper addressed him, but otherwise nothing had happened. They had been in the air for about an hour now.

Pepper was lying on the couch, her head in Tony's lap. They had had their lunch and were relaxing. Suddenly, she sat up.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

The industrialist cocked his head. "About what?"

Pepper crossed her arms. "Well, I mean, should we keep this a secret?"

"This?"

Pepper gestured vaguely. "You. Me. Relationship. Should we be open about it or keep it as far away from the media as possible?"

Tony ran a hand through his hair. "Hmm. Good question. If we go public then you'll never have any privacy."

"It's not like I have any now."

"Good point."

He pulled her closer and let her lean against his chest. The arc reactor was warm against the small of her back.

"On the other hand, if we keep it a secret then we can't have PDA's."

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "I don't use a PDA, Tony. I have a Blackberry."

He snorted. "I mean Public Displays of Affection. We won't be able to do anything outside of the house. Not even hold hands."

She shrugged. "I can deal."

"So you want to keep it on the DL."

"Huh?"

"The down low, Pepper. You want to keep it a secret."

"Oh. Yes, I suppose I do."

Tony frowned suddenly. "I don't think we can tell Rhodey."

"What?" Why not?" Pepper said.
"He can get a little… loose-lipped if you let him drink enough. I don't want the possibility that something'll slip through."

She shrugged. "Fine, I suppose. He's your best friend, after all. I've only really been alone with him a couple of times."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah. We had weekly meetings while you…" her voice trailed off. "… while you were away."

An uneasy silence filled the cabin. Pepper clutched Tony a little tighter.

"I stayed in your house!" She blurted out suddenly. Tony looked at her strangely.

"Excuse me?"

"I stayed in your house. While you were in Afghanistan. I used the mansion. I'm sorry!"

"Why in God's name are you sorry?"

"B-because I used your things and ate your food and abused your hospitality when I didn't even know if you were alive or dead or if I'd ever see you again and I thought that I'd never get to talk to you again and I knew I should have left and gone home but I couldn't, Tony! I just c-couldn't!"

Tony hugged his hysterical secret girlfriend/ kickass personal assistant tightly. "Hey, hey. Shhh. It's okay. I'm alright, aren't I?" he stroked her hair gently.

Pepper looked up. "I would just lie awake for hours on the couch with a blanket pulled over me, and then when I couldn't stop myself any longer I'd change into the dress and go sit on your bed." She smiled through her tears. "The blue dress. The one you got me for my birthday.

"I would crawl under the sheets in that ridiculous strappy blue costume and I'd fall asleep. I felt like…" she blinked furiously, trying not to cry. "I felt like you were with me."

Tony planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I was with you. I'm always with you. Like the Lenny Kravitz song. I'm with you when you're driving on the road. I'm with you when you're in the supermarket."

"Metaphorically speaking, of course."

He grinned. "God, I hope not. Because I'm also with you when you're in the hot tub, the shower, the sauna, the gym, and the massage room."

She hit him with a throw pillow.

Whoever guesses the Lenny Kravitz song he's talking about first and tells me in their review I'll let help me with ideas for the next chapter.