Written for: spoonlesslupie. May 5th, 2018 Pepperony crack, post-engagement but pre-wedding.

Pepper walked into the living room to find Tony polishing one of his older Ironman suits on the couch. She took her usual spot by the fireplace and flipped through some quarterly reports that needed her signature by Monday. Once again, they'd overshot their production budget. The poor overworked accountants had been crunching the numbers all night. Pepper made a note to up their Christmas bonus this year. Lord knows they deserved it.

"Aren't you going to ask?"

Pepper didn't look up. "Ask what?"

"About the suit." She might as well have questioned his intelligence for how appalled he was. "Don't you want to know why I'm polishing it in the living room?"

"Tony, I've known you for almost half my life. I stopped asking questions long before you decided to become a superhero."

He pursed his lips. "Was it the time I came home with six alpacas after my fortieth birthday party?"

"Around then, yeah." She made the mistake of glancing up, and of course, he'd broken out the puppy dog eyes. Bastard. "Okay, fine. Why are you polishing the suit in the living room?"

Like a kid at Christmas. "I'm glad you asked. You know how at weddings there's that traditional thing where the bride has something old, something new, you know the rest."

She did, and she suddenly wished she didn't. "No."

"So I got to thinking this old Mach 7 is still fully functional even if by technological standards it's beyond obsolete-"

"Tony, no."

"It's an old suit that I'd be loaning you. That's the borrowed part-"

"Tony."

"I could add some new parts and spray paint it blue, which is an incredible sacrifice on my part. I hope you understand that-"

"Tony! I am not wearing an Ironman suit at our wedding!" She stood up so fast, her paperwork went flying. Pages of meticulously organized reports were in a heap at her feet. Another thing to smack him upside the head for. "Why would you ever think that's a good idea?"

"Hey, easy there," he said, hands raised. "That's not at all what I meant."

"Yes, it is!"

"Well… okay, what if it walks you down the aisle?"

"My dad is going to do that."

"But your dad hates me!"

"He does not hate you, Tony."

"He set his dogs on me at Christmas. I really liked those pants, you know."

"I'm still not wearing that suit at our wedding."

Tony pouted. It was significantly less effective than the puppy eyes; Pepper had long since become immune to that quivering lip of his. "Okay then… I could design you a new suit!"

"I'm not wearing any suit and neither are you," she pointed an accusatory finger at him before he could open his mouth. "So don't get any ideas."

"I wasn't even thinking that!"

"Yes, you were."

He pouted some more. And folded his arms. Amazing how a man pushing fifty could look so much like a five-year-old. "Is there anything fun you'll let me do?"

A few things came to mind right away, but none of them were suitable for a wedding. After the wedding maybe, but that was a matter for another day. For now, Pepper gathered her papers into a neat and semi reorganized pile. Her ring glittered in the light, banishing her exasperation and filling her with an indescribable warmth. She couldn't wait until a gold band sat under it.

"How about this?" Tony threw aside his stained polish rag. "You let me remake your dress in hot rod red and gold titanium."

Pepper choked on air. "Are you serious?"

"Come on! You'd look amazing, and then millions of women around the world will copy you. Think of the trends you'd set."

"Think of my mother having a heart attack," Pepper said. "I'm wearing my grandma's dress, you know."

"Don't you think your grandma would want you to look badass on your big day?"

"I think she'd want me to look like a bride. Brides wear white."

"FRIDAY, change of plans," Tony called out. "We're painting the suit in white now. Scratch the blue."

"You got it, Boss. What about the usher and caterer suits? We still doing black?"

"Of course. Only my lovely bride gets to stand out." He winked at Pepper.

She pinched the bridge of her nose as Tony walked over and kneeled beside her. "Why am I marrying you again? Remind me."

"FRIDAY. Pull up that list of all seven hundred and forty-three qualities that make me a perfect husband-to-be for Pepper."

The list appeared on one of the holographic screens set up around the room. It scrolled up at a rate too fast to read, not that Pepper would've tried. "Somehow, I thought the list would be longer."

Tony shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a humble guy."

It was about that time Pepper decided Tony should stop talking. She pulled him up by his shirt and gave his mouth something better to do.