Tony Stark had a reputation. It was one he'd done nothing to dissuade and quite a lot to encourage. It was one that had him pinned as a playboy, someone who toyed with women's hearts and then let them fall by the wayside afterwards.
Of course, it was all false, but that didn't mean Tony didn't get mileage out of it.
He would smile and wink at anyone who made eye contact, whispered commonly-known secrets to the girls who were spotted with him, and added a gratuitous amount of photos to his social media that just slipped by the censors on the site. All in all, it was time-consuming and more than a little frustrating, but Tony had a reputation to upkeep; and that reputation involved being a genius, billionaire, philanthropist, and playboy.
It fell apart sooner than he expected and lasted longer than he could have reasonably hoped.
It was nighttime, the first time in a long while when there wasn't some world-destroying crisis happening, and Pepper and Tony were relaxing. The fireplace flickered, casting reflections on the glass Tony was holding. It was quiet and calm, the perfect evening for getting to know each other, in all the many ways that might mean.
It was the perfect night for curling up on the couch together, for making out like they were teenagers instead of adults. For sex.
The thought sent a chill down Tony's spine. He'd been able to get away with it for this long – only having sex when the situation required it, with people he had no real affection for. It would have been cruel except he knew they didn't care about him personally either. It was a consequence of the circles he ran in, and, up until now, had been a helpful one.
But now, with Pepper sitting beside him, firelight shining on her hair, he realized he didn't want this to end the way everything always did. He wanted to make this last. He just didn't know how it would work if he had to confess his most well-kept secret to her.
Still, if he was anything, Tony was a master of poorly thought out but ultimately successful plans. He finished the last of his whiskey in a single gulp and moved to put the glass on the coffee table in front of them. "Hey, Pep – "
Pepper beat him to it. "Tony, we need to talk."
Those words had never meant anything good and Tony tried not to let it show on his face. "About what?" he asked.
Pepper looked away. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but I feel like it needs to be out in the open before we can go any further." She paused and made eye contact with Tony, her firm, don't-bullshit-me face on. "I won't be having sex with you anytime soon."
Tony laughed. He knew it was the wrong reaction, but he laughed – more out of relief than anything. "That's great!" he exclaimed, turning so he was sitting facing Pepper. "I – that's great!" he repeated, most of his vocabulary abandoning him.
Pepper arched an eyebrow. "This isn't an excuse for you to pick up with anyone you like," she warned.
"No, not at all," Tony agreed. He reached out and took Pepper's hand. "Pep, I don't want sex."
It felt deceptively simple; the secret he'd had for so long was simply released into the air for everyone to hear. Tony sucked in a large breath and held it for a second before releasing it. "I don't want sex," he repeated, his entire body trembling.
Pepper smiled. "You don't?" she asked.
"No," Tony said, interlocking their fingers. "I – I do want a relationship though," he said, stumbling over the words.
"Lucky for you that's what we have," Pepper said, leaning over to rest her head on Tony's shoulder.
Tony exhaled, feeling like he'd just let go of a burden that had been weighing him down for far too long. No more pretending, no more lying to the people he cared about, and it was a relieving thought. "Where do we go from here?" he wondered out loud.
"Well," Pepper asked, "what do you want to do?"
Tony sighed contentedly. "Just exist," he said softly.
"Then that's what we'll do."