A/N: Hey guys, yes, finally another chapter. I'm sorry it's taking me a couple of days between chapters. I normally like to update more frequently than that, but work is still kicking my butt. I'm only 2/3rd of the way through a 3 weeks stint of working every day and it's really knocking me about a bit, and not leaving me much time to write. Plus, I'm trying to ward off a head cold as of this morning which I'm really bummed about because I can't have a day off until this coming Sunday, when I fully intend to collapse in a heap.

So yeah, not updating as quickly as I'd like, but on an up note, this chapter is quite long, so I guess that is something. I'm going to have to do another chapter of the Pepperony flashback to get it done as this one ended up being a lot of standing around and talking which I always enjoy writing and hopefully you'll enjoy from getting a Pepperony fix POV. ;) Just on that note, this flash back is set after IM1 but before IM2, just to line up the time line for you. So there has only been one attempted kiss before this flash back.

Okay, I'm off to take more vitamin C and go to bed early to try and nip this thing in the bud. Hope you enjoy and see you soon...

Chapter Thirty-Four

Natasha leaned back in her chair and looked at Pepper in confusion. "So, Tony almost killed Happy. How is that a love story?"

Pepper half-smiled. "I was so mad at him. Tony can be so careless sometimes and he just doesn't understand why we lesser mortals should have a problem with that. I mean, I was used to it, of course, but on the heels of Tony having just tried to kiss me, it felt like it was all too much."

Natasha cocked her head and looked at Pepper intently. "Didn't you have any kind of inkling about Tony's feelings about you before then?"

Pepper thought about that question for a moment. "There was always something between us, right from the beginning. I knew he looked at me differently to other women and for a long time I just didn't look past that. It was what it was. Back then Tony had no intention of changing his partying ways and I knew one woman, no matter who she was, could never have held his interest for long." Her face creased in concern. "But when he came back from his captivity, he was different. I mean, he was still the impossible Tony I'd always known, full of ideas and impatient with people who couldn't keep up, but something had changed. I think he got a chance to take a long hard look at his life and what was important and he made some changes." Pepper gave a dry laugh. "Of course, most men would have looked at settling down and simplifying their lives but Tony opted for creating a larger than life alter ego intent on saving the world."

"Did you wish he'd chosen the settling down option?"

Pepper smiled. "I don't think my fantasies are wild enough to imagine a domesticated Tony Stark somehow. I think his time in captivity mainly just focused his mind and Tony chose what he wanted to do with the rest of his life rather than aimlessly bouncing from party to party and doing whatever he wanted at any given moment."

Natasha arched an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that this is Tony not doing what he wants all the time?"

"Believe it or not, he is somewhat mellowed from how he used to be," said Pepper in amusement. "He's more flexible, on occasion."

"But none of this explains how everything worked out for you two," said Natasha. "What I'm hearing is that Tony hadn't changed enough for there to be a real chance of a relationship between you."

"That's what I thought," agreed Pepper, "but that night changed everything."

oooOOOOooo

Pepper paced up and down the hospital hallway, waiting for word on Happy's condition. She put her hand to her head to push back a strand of random hair and realised that she must look a mess. Pepper quickly ran her hand through her hair and tried to get her hair back into some kind of order. She hated looking dishevelled but around Tony that was all she seemed to be. Why did the man have to be so damn destabilising?

"You look beautiful, don't worry about it."

Pepper jumped at the sound of the voice behind her and she turned around to see Tony standing there, smiling at her. Pepper frowned, embarrassed at being caught out. "How's the house?"

Tony strolled up to her, hands shoved in his jeans pockets and seeming to not have a care in the world. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"I find that hard to believe," said Pepper tersely.

"The lab isn't in good shape," he conceded, "but all of my suits are behind explosion proof glass and all my work is backed up on Jarvis, so it was just some infrastructure I lost." Tony wrinkled his nose. "And most of my cars." He sighed heavily. "I'm a bit bummed about that."

"Oh, so you care about the cars and not about Happy," said Pepper in annoyance. "You are the least empathetic man I know, Tony Stark."

"When did I say I didn't care about Happy?" he protested.

"You haven't asked about him," Pepper challenged him.

"Because I was answering your question," said Tony in exasperation. "I was being polite, Potts, you should give it a try some time."

Pepper glared at him. "Oh, don't you even," she warned him. "You're on thin ice today, buster."

Tony pursed his lips. "So, how is the Hapster?"

"I'm still waiting on news," said Pepper tightly.

Tony frowned and glanced at his watch. "It's nearly six o'clock, what's taking so long?"

Pepper bit her bottom lip, feeling the worry well up inside of her. "Maybe they've found something really wrong with him?"

"Happy is as strong as an ox," said Tony confidently. "I've done much worse things to him than this and he's been fine."

Pepper's lips tightened. "That's not a good thing, Tony."

He half shrugged. "I didn't say it was, but it's a fact. Remember when I had that chemical spill accident and Happy lost vision in one eye and both of his eyebrows?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Yes, you made him draw on the eyebrows with permanent marker."

"I had to, he always looked like he was asking me a question. It was really off-putting. Anyway, his vision came back along with his eyebrows and he's as good as new and this will be no different."

Pepper glared at him. "I don't think you understand how rough you are on your employees, Tony."

Tony's brow knitted in concern. "Are you including yourself in that statement, Ms. Potts?"

"You nearly killed me and then you nearly kissed me," said Pepper in exasperation. "What is a girl meant to make of that?"

"That I had a small lab accident and I wanted to kiss you."

Pepper put her hands on her hips. "And Tony Stark always gets what he wants, right?"

"Not if the last few hours are anything to go by," he said straight-faced. "Why wouldn't you let me kiss you, Pepper?"

"How can you ask me that question?" she asked in disbelief.

"Because I don't know the answer to it?"

"Oh, you know the answer to it."

"Clearly I don't, hence the question."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"If you want me to understand, you have to help me out."

"There are days when I seriously consider the fact that you might be retarded," Pepper bit out, unable to believe he was going to make her say the words.

"If I get a say in the matter, could we go with idiot savant instead?"

Pepper folded her arms in front of herself. "Only if you're happy with being half right."

He gave her a winsome smile. "Can I choose which half?"

Pepper just stared at him.

Tony grimaced. "Alright, I knew it was a long shot when I asked."

"You do everything on a whim," said Pepper in agitation.

Tony made an outraged face. "Name one thing I've done on a whim?"

"You decided all of your private jets should be red instead of silver because you wanted to start using the codename 'Red Robin' for your movements whenever you flew, you bought desert in Vegas because we were driving past it when you noticed you were having a really good hair day," Pepper's words were falling over themselves as she rapid fired out each of them. "You reprogrammed Jarvis to only speak in Portuguese for a week because you got tired of him in English, even though you don't speak Portuguese and then, my favourite, you announce to the world you are Iron Man without any kind of consultation with those around you whose lives you'd also be affecting!"

"I said name one thing," said Tony, not missing a beat. "That was a whole bunch. I'm claiming that as a moral victory."

"Then you're an idiot," said Pepper dourly.

"Ah, ah," he tutted, "idiot savant, remember?"

"I thought we agreed the savant was silent," said Pepper sweetly.

Tony grimaced. "Come on, Pepper, what do you want from me?"

"I want an explanation about why you tried to kiss me," she said sharply.

Tony looked at her intently, suddenly serious. "Because it's all I've been able to think about for months now and I couldn't wait another minute to do it."

Pepper's heart pounded away noisily in her chest at Tony's unexpected words. "What-what am I meant to do with you saying those kinds of things to me?" she asked him unevenly.

"What do you want to do with it?" he asked hopefully, eyes never leaving her face.

"I want to beat you over the head with them," she said without hesitation.

"Right," said Tony slowly, "not exactly what I was going for there."

"And what were you going for, Tony?" she asked aggressively. "Another notch in your belt, something to fill in fifteen minutes in your busy schedule, another whim?"

Tony looked genuinely shocked and even a little hurt. A hurt looking Tony tugged at Pepper's heart strings but she tried to resist it. There was too much at stake here. If she gave in to whatever fleeting urge Tony might be having, then it would change their relationship forever and it was the most important relationship she had in her life.

"How can you ask me those things?" he asked and then shook his head. "And fifteen minutes? Seriously, Potts, what kind of men have you been dating up until now? That's not even enough time to let a good bottle of wine come to room temperature." Tony took a step closer. "Pepper, I want us to take this-" he waved a finger back and forth between them, "-further."

Pepper looked at him wide-eyed. "What?"

Tony moved in closer still, so that they were practically standing toe to toe. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about what it would be like," he said softly. "How we'd be together."

Pepper struggled to find words. "Are you telling me you have thought about it?"

"I'm telling you I'd really like for us to try and see where this goes." Tony took her hands in his and squeezed them gently. "I think we'd be good together, Pepper, better than good, great, brilliant, amazing even."

Pepper couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you talking about having a relationship, Tony?"

Tony blinked. "Um, okay, yes, I guess I am. I mean, I didn't actually use that word in my head, but yes, okay, I'm down with that, a relationship it is. Yes siree bob, a relationship, I can totally do that, it's not scary at all and after all, there is nothing to fear except fear itself and maybe that guy who claims he's Jesus' mom on the highway out of town-"

"Tony, you're babbling."

He pursed his lips. "I'm not unaware of that fact."

"You can't even say the word without becoming delirious," said Pepper in frustration. "Do you know what that tells me?"

"That I'm utterly adorable?" he offered up sweetly.

"What it tells me is that what you're really talking about here is sex."

"No, it isn't," he said quickly. "Look, it wasn't meant to be this complicated. I was meant to kiss you, we'd be swept up in the moment and decide to just do this thing already."

"I don't want to be swept up," said Pepper firmly.

Tony looked crestfallen at that news. "But that's what I do, I'm a sweeper, I sweep, therefore I am. It's the patented Tony Stark seduction move."

That was what Pepper had been afraid of. "I don't want to be an impulse or a challenge to you, Tony. You do realise that if we have sex, then everything would be different, right?"

"It'd be better," agreed Tony emphatically.

"Until you get bored with me," said Pepper tightly, "and then I'm meant to just stand around and watch you move on with your life while I get a front row seat to your next line of conquests."

Tony looked shocked. "That isn't how it's going to be, Pepper. I'm not looking for a challenge or a cheap thrill. I want something real, I want you."

"It's so easy for you to say those things but you have no idea what they mean," Pepper pointed out. "You've never had a serious relationship in your life."

"Just because I never have, doesn't mean I can't." He paused. "Theoretically."

"And you think you could be in a serious relationship with me?" asked Pepper.

Tony slipped his arms around Pepper's waist. "We've been in a relationship for eleven years, Pepper. I'm just talking about defining it a bit more."

It was so tempting to just say yes on the spot but Pepper was too used to being the grown up in the relationship. "Why now?"

"Why not now?" Tony countered. "I just keep thinking about that time we almost kissed on the balcony and wondering what would have happened if we both hadn't chickened out." He leaned in closer, warm breath on her face. "I'm want us to find out, Pepper. I want us to find out together."

Despite all her good intentions Pepper felt her eyes drift close as Tony moved in to kiss her, relaxing into his embrace and breathing in the smoky scent of the man. This close it was possible to see just how warm and brown Tony's eyes were, framed by those ridiculously long eyelashes that any woman would kill for. His nose nuzzled hers, letting her feel how close he was and holding off that moment before their first kiss, heightening the anticipation. Pepper's breath hitched as she felt the first scrape of Tony's lips against hers.

"Ahem."

The sound of a man clearing his throat had both of them starting and Pepper quickly stepping back out of Tony's arms as she noticed the doctor standing there. A faint blush coloured her cheeks as she hastily addressed him. "Oh doctor, good. How is Happy? Is he alright?" She hoped her voice didn't sound as trembling as the rest of her was.

"You're Mr. Hogan's family?" queried the doctor, looking between them.

"For all intents and purposes," said Tony, still staring at Pepper. "How is he?"

"Mr. Hogan has a few minor bruises and cuts and no signs of internal injury-"

"See," said Tony triumphantly, "I told you, he's fine."

"However he is still quite disorientated and we're giving him some medication for the pain," continued on the doctor. "He'll need to be closely observed for the next twelve hours. As long as he has someone to go home with, he doesn't need to stay in hospital."

"Thank you," said Pepper in relief. "Can we see him now?"

The doctor nodded. "The staff have just finished cleaning him up. I'll organise his discharge paperwork."

Pepper immediately headed for the examination room she knew Happy was in.

Tony was on her heels. "Ah Pepper, we haven't finished our conversation yet."

"I need to see Happy," she hedged, needing to put some distance between the intensity of the moment they' just shared. It was very easy to lose your head around Tony. Pepper walked into the cubicle which held Happy and she was immediately by his side. "Happy, how are you feeling?"

Happy gave her a big dopey smile as he looked up at her. "Shiny."

"That's the pain meds talking," the nearby nurse advised them.

"Well, shiny sounds pretty good," said Tony cheerily. "We'll get Happy home and then you and I can continue our discussion, Pepper, maybe over a good bottle of wine and-"

"Didn't you hear what the doctor said? Happy can't be left alone tonight. Someone has to stay with him."

Tony frowned. "Oh." He brightened. "That's okay, we can make a night of it. We'll take Happy home, tuck him into bed and then you and I can continue where we left off with me convincing you that we're a good idea."

"I can't, I have a date."

Tony looked stunned. "A what?"

"A date."

"A date date?"

"Yes, a date date."

"But how, when, where, why?"

"I'm not answering any of those questions," said Pepper determinedly. She'd met Kevin at a coffee shop and had gotten to talking over time and found they had a lot in common. When he'd suggested going to the opera to see La Boehme together it had sounded like it would be fun, so she'd said yes. "The point is, I can't look after Happy tonight."

"Who is it?" Tony demanded to know.

"You don't know him."

"I might, I know a lot of people."

"You don't know him," Pepper reiterated.

"Aha," said Tony, "so it's a him, okay, narrows it down."

"You don't know Kevin, so stop it."

Tony's brow furrowed. "Kevin, Kevin." He snapped his fingers. "Got it, is Kevin the airport security guard at that always says hello to you when we fly? You know, the one with all the tattoos."

Pepper looked at him funny. "You mean Fiona?"

"Wait, what, friendly tattooed guard is a woman?"

"Yes, she's a woman."

"Oh, so she's not Kevin then?"

Happy interrupted them as he stared at his hands which he was holding up to his face. "Whoa, check it out, guys, I've grown an extra finger on both hands."

Pepper and Tony looked at each other. "No, you've just got the usual five, Happy," Pepper corrected him.

"Pie sounds good, Pepper," he agreed, "but I don't know if I could eat five."

"And his hearing is still a little affected," the nurse chimed in.

Pepper patted his shoulder. "It's okay, Happy, we're going to take you home now and you can get some sleep."

"Well you're not," said Tony moodily, "you're off to have a gay old time with some guy named Kevin, if indeed that's even his real name." He gave her a suspicious look. "Where did you meet the guy anyway? On the internet? It's a scientific fact that eighty-seven percent of people who use the internet are serial killers."

"You just made that up," said Pepper in exasperation.

"Maybe, but are you willing to take the risk?" he countered.

Pepper turned to face Tony. "Do you know how you can convince me you're ready for the next step in this relationship, Tony?"

"I so want to say amazing, mind blowing sex," giving her a hopeful look.

Pepper folded her arms in front of herself. "That's the point, Tony. A real relationship isn't all about the sex. It has its hard moments where you really have to put yourself out and work hard at it and you've never had to do that before."

"You can't keep on holding my lack of experience against me, Pepper," he argued. "I've got to start somewhere."

She nodded. "That's just what I was thinking. Happy needs a chaperone for the next twelve hours. If you can look after him for twelve hours without becoming bored or distracted, then I'll consider the possibility that you might be serious about wanting more from our relationship."

Tony held up his hands in a protesting manner. "Hold on here. Are you suggesting I convince you of my sincerity about entering into a monogamous relationship while you're on a date with another man? Seriously?" He was just staring at her. "Seriously?"

Pepper gave him a defiant look. "No, I'm suggesting you convince me of your sincerity by going on a date with another man." She looked at Happy. "He needs you to be there for him, Tony and if you're incapable of that, I don't know how you think I could even contemplate-"

"Okay, okay," he interrupted her, "taking care of Happy, nothing could be simpler. If you want proof that it's not always about me, Potts, then watch and learn. I'm going to babysit the crap out of Happy and you're going to have to eat your words about me being a self-absorbed, non-empathetic, easily distracted and careless guy who is just looking for a quick thrill and take me seriously."

"We'll see," said Pepper calmly, "just make sure Happy doesn't get hurt."

Tony snorted. "Don't make this out to be brain surgery, Potts. I've got this." He turned around to Happy who was staring up at the light on the ceiling and trying to grab at it. "Come on, Happy, rise and shine, we've got something to prove to this Doubting Thomasina over here." Tony grabbed the bed, intending to throw it back and not realising it was actually a bottom sheet. He tugged on it hard and promptly tumbled the overly relaxed Happy straight out the other side of the bed. Happy hit the ground with a dull thud. "Oh crap," said Tony as rushed around to the other side to check on his friend. He pointed a finger at Pepper. "We haven't started yet," he said hurriedly, "that doesn't count."

Pepper closed her eyes, wondering if she'd just made a big mistake...