The next chapter! I hope you like it and please let me know what you think! And I really hope that all of you can see it. There have been problems with chapter 10, that really bothered me. As always, thanks to everyone who read it and left a review! You're awesome.

In this chapter, there's a hidden quote from one of the movies. I changed it just a little bit, but a real fan of Tony can find it. I'm curious to see who gets it!

I don't own the characters or places!

Pepper

Later that evening, I was sitting on my bed and looked at the new painting from Mr. Meyers which was standing on the nightstand now. It had been an amazing afternoon together with Tony, Obadiah and Happy. Well, maybe except for the fact that Tony had been really tired and nearly fell asleep after we'd eaten the pizza. We didn't get a chance to talk alone again. Which meant that I couldn't wait for the next morning when I'd see him again. In the car when Happy had taken us home, he'd kissed my cheek. And he held my hand. But nothing more.

What were we now, after everything we'd talked about this morning? Tony admitted that he wanted me. And we nearly kissed if there wouldn't have been the incident with the reactor. Were we a couple now? Or something else? After all, I'd insisted on keeping it secret.

I decided not to think of it any longer. Those questions would be answered soon enough. At least I hoped that. Instead, I thought of the afternoon again. It had really felt like a real family, together with Tony and the others. We'd been eating pizza, joking and laughing. Very much laughing, to be exact. I've never felt like this before. And I only knew them for a short time by now. It was amazing how quickly I got used to all of them. Especially Tony.

A strange sound interrupted my thoughts and it took me a moment to realize that it was my phone. Remembering the conversation with my mother some time ago, I considered not to answer it. However, I wasn't even sure if she was calling again. With a sigh, I stood up and walked to the living room where the phone was lying on the table.

It was Daisy. I sat down and answered the call.

"Hey Daisy." I greeted her.

"Hey V, how are you? We didn't talk for a while and I thought that I could just call you now." She sounded happy, but there was something in her voice next to that. I knew that tone. Something happened. And suddenly, it bothered me that she was calling me V. I'd never liked that nickname very much, but now it was more obvious than ever.

"I'm fine." I replied simply, not wanting to explain the chaos of my feelings to her. "But how are you? You sound like something happened."

I heard her heavy sigh. "You know me too well." She muttered, suddenly sounding unhappy. "Yes, something's going on. But let's talk about happy things first. How's work? Do you still like your new job? I heard that Mr. Meyers sent you paintings. Do you miss Griffin?"

I chuckled, but there was an uneasy feeling in my stomach now. What was going on? "Work is fine. It gets better each day. I really like it here. And my boss is a genius, it's very impressing."

"I know, I saw the press conference." Daisy replied dreamily. "He's really handsome. It doesn't surprise me that you like your job. After all, you can stare at him very much."

"I don't just stare at him." I muttered and my voice sounded sharper than intended. Yes, Tony was a beautiful man. But he was also so much more than that. "And yes, the paintings were for my office. It was really empty before that." I paused, thinking of her other question. Did I miss Griffin? "And no, I'm not homesick." I said without regret and felt how true those words were.

"Wow, so you don't miss us at all?" I knew her well enough to know that she was offended.

"I miss you. But no one else there." I emphasized the last words. "My mother called me recently. It was horrible. She said Ben showed up at their doorstep and wanted to know where I am."

"Yes, about that..." Now she sounded uncomfortable. "I also met him. That's why I called in the first place." So that was why she sounded hesitant at first. "He doesn't have that girlfriend anymore. You know, the one he... Nevermind. You know who I mean. He told me how much he misses you and that all this was a mistake. And he even asked if I think that you could forgive him! Can you believe it? After everything he did to you, he still thinks that you can forgive him. He wanted your number and the place where you live now."

While she was talking, Daisy's voice got more and more angry. "What did you tell him?" I asked curiously. I already knew that she didn't tell him anything.

"I told him to screw himself." She replied simply and I laughed. "What's so funny?"

"That's what I told my mother too. That she should tell him to screw himself the next time she met him."

"Your mother's too nice for that."

"I know." I rolled my eyes, even if Daisy couldn't see it. "I just hope he doesn't show up there again. After all, my parents know where I live now." Luckily, they didn't know my address.

"When you keep running around with Tony Stark, he'll know that you're in LA someday. After all, Stark Industries is very present in the media. And now that you're working there, they'll talk about you too."

"I hope not." I muttered, remembering the press conference and how uncomfortable I felt in front of the crowd. "And even if he'll know that I'm in LA, he'll never find me here. It's a big city." And everyone knew where Stark Industries was located... However, I knew that Ben wouldn't get to enter that building. Tony would make sure of that.

"He sounded very desperate. Just prepare yourself mentally for the possibility that he might show up there someday."

"I don't want to see him." I groaned. "I've got a new life here. A better one."

"I knew that you were unhappy here, but this is something new. What makes you say that it's better? Aside from the new job and the hot boss? Did you finally meet someone? Or did you find that handsome stranger again you met in that bar?"

Inwardly, I cursed. It had been a mistake to tell Daisy about it. "I'm just glad to have a few changes in my life. Can't I also be happy on my own?"

"You know that you can tell me anything, V." Her tone made it clear that she didn't believe me. "I won't give away your secrets."

"I know that." I threw in quickly, not wanting to hurt her. "So yes, there might be someone. But I don't want to talk about it."

"Just call me when you need someone to talk." She offered and I had to smile.

"Thank you." I whispered. "And now tell me how things are going with you and Irina." Irina was her girlfriend. They've been together since high school and I was still waiting for their marriage.

"Oh it's so good that you ask! I've been thinking so much recently and I want to propose." Somehow, this didn't surprise me. I always knew that Daisy would be the one who proposed and not the other way around.

"That's great! Any ideas how you'll do it?"

And then she began to tell me about her plans and we thought of the best way to do it. I also knew Irina so I could help Daisy with her ideas.

"You're going to be my bridesmaid!" Daisy explained when we finally worked out a plan. "You're my best friend and you have to be here for the wedding!"

I laughed softly. Somehow, this thought made me happy. I would love to see Daisy's wedding. Maybe Tony would even accompany me to Griffin? When I realized what I'd just been thinking, my eyes widened. So much to keeping things secret... I knew that he wouldn't go just as friends. To him, it didn't matter if anyone knew about us.

"You have to inform me after the proposal. I want to know everything." I said right before we ended the call.

"I will, I promise." Daisy replied.

After our conversation, I fell asleep very fast.

"And you're sure that Mr. Stark has no interest in a cooperation with our company?" The man on the phone asked, sounding quite disappointed.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Stark has already found other partners." I replied calmly, ignoring the disappointment.

"But he knows how successful we could be together, Mrs. Potts?" He continued. "He's missing a big opportunity there."

"I can assure you that Mr. Stark knows quite well what he wants." I said it lightly and leaned back in my chair, a wide smile on my lips.

"Can't you talk to him again?" Now he was really disappointed.

"He read your offer and made his decision. I am in no position to change his mind."

The man on the phone kept talking, but I wasn't really listening to him anymore. It was still in the morning and I'd arrived at work about two hours ago. Unlike Tony, who came into my office ten minutes previously, a phone in his hand. He'd handed it to me with the words 'It's the owner of a company who wants to work together with SI. He tried it several times by now, I refused permanently. It would end in disaster. Get rid of him!'.

And that's what I was trying to do now. While Tony was sitting on a chair in front of my desk and listened to the conversation quietly, showing his emotions by making faces. Right now, he held up both thumbs.

In the end, the man realized that he didn't have a chance and ended the call. Of course not without politely thanking me for my help.

Tony sighed loudly and ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you, Pepper. I really didn't want to talk to him."

"I noticed." I remarked and smiled slightly. "That's my job, by the way. You don't have to thank me."

He chuckled. "I think your job description doesn't include dealing with very annoying people for me. Maybe I should add that." He frowned exaggeratedly and now I laughed.

"Please don't. I bet you could have dealt with him far better."

He raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean by that?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on, you know what I mean."

"Most people would rather say that I'm a very charming person." He argued.

"Only when you want to." I muttered. "You didn't even say good morning!"

"Good morning." He said immediately and smiled widely. "And I'm really sorry for that." He pointed at the phone. "It was an emergency. I just entered my office when I saw that he was calling."

I sighed. "Next time he calls, you can deal with him. I don't like people like him, who always say what they think you want to hear."

"I know." He threw in. "And me neither." And suddenly, he was looking at me with that gleam in his eyes again. The one that made me want to kiss him. Somehow, I knew that he had the same thoughts.

Ever since our conversation about our feelings the previous day, we haven't been close to each other. First the incident with the reactor and now this phone call. Would this be our chance?

And then the door to my office opened after a soft knock. It was Obadiah.

Tony groaned loudly and turned around. "What do you want, Obi?"

Obadiah held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "I knocked." He said apologetically. "And there's someone who wants to talk to you."

"Please not another phone call." Tony muttered and at Obadiah's questioning look, I summarized the events of the morning.

"No, it's not a phone call." Obadiah explained, sounding slightly amused. "A video call. From New York."

This caught Tony's attention. "How is it going?"

"They'll be finished next month."

"So I can set up the reactor?" Now he sounded excited, which made me smile.

When Obadiah nodded, Tony jumped to his feet. "I need to talk to him now."

"He's waiting for you."

Tony looked at me and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's leave early today." He said suddenly. "There's not much to do anyway. We could have a look at the city together."

For a few moments, I considered arguing that there was still enough work to do, but then I decided against it. "I'd like that." I replied instead.

After smiling at me widely, Tony went to his office. Which left me alone with Obadiah.

"He really likes you." Obadiah noted. "And you're good for him." I didn't know what to say to this, so I just looked at him silently. "I've never seen him happier than with you."

"He makes me happy too." I whispered and Obadiah's expression softened.

"Just keep in mind that he can also be difficult at times. Don't judge him because of that." Without waiting for my reply, he left.

"And you haven't been here before?" Tony asked incredulously.

I shook my head and chuckled. "No. My time in LA has been quite limited."

"But you told me that you've looked at the city on the weekends." He threw in.

"LA is a big city."

"Don't tourists always come to Santa Monica Pier first?" He raised his eyebrows at me.

I shrugged. "Don't ask me! You've been living here for years, not me. I just came here recently."

"And did you see the Hollywood Hills yet?"

"Nope." I replied immediately which made him groan.

"I think I have to teach you a few things about tourism, Pep." He muttered and I raised my eyebrows, even if my heart was racing. He'd called me Pep before, a shorter version of Pepper, which was already a nickname. Why did I find this so endearing?

"When did you become an expert in tourism?" The scepticism in my voice was obvious.

"Last night." Tony said simply. "I've been thinking of something we could do together."

This made me smile again. "We can do very much together. You don't need a plan for this." We were walking next to each other slowly, a small distance between us. It was a beautiful and very hot day. Luckily, the place wasn't crowded yet. While we were talking, I kept my eyes mostly on Tony's face, but I couldn't stop myself from looking around every few minutes. This place was really awesome, especially the view of the ocean.

"Plans make everything easier." He threw in and shrugged. "But you're right. Normally, I claim to be a very spontaneous person."

"What's different now?" I asked curiously.

He hesitated for a few moments before he answered my question. "I don't want to do something wrong." He admitted and avoided to look into my eyes while saying this. Instead, he focused on our surroundings.

"Tony Stark fears that something might go wrong? I am shocked." I tried to cheer him up, but it didn't seem to work. He still looked a little troubled.

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" He muttered and shook his head.

"Actually it isn't." I argued softly and finally, he looked at me again. "Everyone has doubts sometimes, right? Even Tony Stark." Now he smiled slightly at my joke. We kept walking in silence and after some time, we created a distance between us and the other people.

At some point, I couldn't stand the silence any longer. This was very unusual for Tony. "What's going on?"

He looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

"You're distracted. Something troubles you."

"How can you know me so well?" He muttered and shook his head.

"Interpreting your expressions becomes easier."

He sighed. "You're right." Tony admitted. "I don't want to scare you away."

"How would you do that?"

"It nearly happened, remember?" I did. Too well, but I wouldn't show him that. Instead, I just nodded

"Maybe." I said simply.

"I really don't want you to leave."

"I doubt that I could, even if I wanted it." I admitted slowly and this seemed to take him by surprise. His eyebrows shot up and he stared at me.

"What do you mean?"

I chuckled weakly. "Ever since I laid eyes on you for the first time, I felt drawn to you. And this feeling gets stronger with time."

The thoughtful look on his face which appeared after my words confused me.

"And I thought that only I could feel it." He muttered quietly.

Now I laughed. "No, it's mutual."

"Then maybe we should just stay together." He suggested and I grinned at him.

"That's a very good plan."

We were standing very close to each other now. Again, I thought that it would be so easy to close the distance and kiss him. And that's what I did. Well, or we both moved at the same time, I wasn't so sure. But it also didn't matter.

The only thing that mattered was the feeling of Tony's lips on mine. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders while his hands were on my hips. The moment our lips touched, I thought that I'd heard him sigh. There was this electricity between us again and where he touched me, it felt like my body was on fire. Even through my clothes.

Sadly, the kiss didn't last long. After all, we were still outside, surrounded by people. When we parted, we looked into each other's eyes silently for a few seconds. Slowly, a wide smile appeared on Tony's lips. His eyes were shining. "Staying together really sounds great."

"We will definitely do that." I agreed.

When we continued walking, he took my hand. I liked that feeling. He kept telling me facts about a few things we saw on our way along the beach and I enjoyed listening to him. Especially when we didn't have to talk about our work.

Suddenly, a thought came to my mind and I just couldn't stop myself from asking him a question. "Have you ever been in love before?"

This seemed to surprise him since he stopped with his explanations about water pollution and frowned at me. "What do you mean?"

"It's a simple question." I muttered and suddenly, asking him didn't feel like a good idea anymore. "Just forget it. Keep going with your story."

Of course Tony didn't let the subject go. "No." He said simply.

"No to forget it or no, you haven't been in love?"

"I've never loved someone before." He muttered quietly. "Not until I met you. There haven't been many relationships, if I should be honest. They didn't last long, maybe a few months. That's also why I'm not sure if I'm really good at this."

"Normally, you'd claim that you're good at everything." I teased him softly.

"I'll just do that tomorrow." He smiled at me, but then he frowned again. "I think I don't need to ask you the same question."

"With him, I never felt like this." The words left my mouth before I could really think about them. "Maybe we've been doomed long before he betrayed me."

"I would really like to hit him because of this, but it brought you to me. So I would have to thank him after I beat him, right?" He grimaced. "Not a good idea."

I shook my head. "Not really." I agreed and then the conversation with Daisy came to my mind. Just like the one with my mother. I tried to keep smiling, but Tony must have sensed my sudden change of mood. He stopped and frowned.

"What are you thinking?" He asked slowly. "If this is about me mentioning your ex..."

"No, it's nothing." I interrupted him quickly.

"Oh, but it is. Don't lie to me." I was getting better at interpreting his expressions. It was the same for him with me. When I avoided to look at him, Tony placed his hands on my cheeks carefully and forced me to look into his eyes again. "Please tell me what's wrong?" When he was looking at me with big, pleading eyes I just couldn't deny him anything.

"My mother called recently. And yesterday I talked to Daisy. They both told me that Ben's looking for me. Apparently, he's sorry and wants to apologize." I tried to sound as annoyed as possible which wasn't very difficult.

When Tony's face went blank, I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach. "No way! That bastard." He muttered darkly and kept cursing, but I squeezed his hands to get his attention. "Seems like I got carried away." He said and smiled slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Before you start to think of a thousand ways to make his life impossibly hard, let me speak, alright?" He narrowed his eyes, but remained silent. "I don't care if he's looking for me. Let him do this. As long as he doesn't show up here in LA, everything's fine. Because I really don't want to see him ever again." Tony opened his mouth to say something, but I placed a finger on his lips. "Don't think about him. He's not worth it. Stay here with me, in this moment. Because it's incredible, isn't it? You and me, together."

Finally, his expression softened again and he smiled at me. "Alright. But I'll make sure that he doesn't come here." With those words, the subject seemed to be closed for him. He took my hand and changed the direction, back to where the car was waiting. Today, Happy didn't drive us. Tony took his own car. "How does dinner sound to you? And then a sunset in Malibu?" He looked at me carefully now and I understood the meaning behind his words. Did I want to spend the night with him? Of course I did.

"Sounds awesome." I replied and smiled widely. "But I think my flat is closer. We can watch the sunset any other day."

He chuckled and quickened his pace. "I like your attitude." He laughed and squeezed my hand.