I think there's been a lot of violence and fighting and tension (Pepper getting kidnapped).

From here on, nothing but Fluff and smut. Only Fluff in this chapter.

Houris - Beautiful women who live in Heaven and are the companions to those who are accepted into Heaven.


Beati Bellicosi

Blessed are the Warriors.

He was most assuredly in Heaven. Everything white and serene and he was lying down on the softest white cloud. A gentle light shone from somewhere and Tony watched the pretty houris flit around, here and there, giggling at him and smiling. I feel so content, so mellow... but something is missing. What is missing?

Just then, a light shone radiantly from one side of Heaven and Tony gasped as the most beautiful Houri of them all, floated into view. She smiled at him beatifically and sat down next to him. Then she glared at the other houris, who were giggling and staring. She clapped her hands firmly. They left the area and Tony was left alone with the wondrous Houri.

Her blue eyes mischievously looked into his and then they softened as he lifted her hand and kissed her fingertips slowly. Then Tony laid his head on the Houri's porcelain shoulder, feeling her red-gold hair softly fall on his face and inhaling the smell of lilies. He sighed deeply. The Houri stroked his jaw and whispered softly, "Tony, Tony wake up. Wake up please."

He muttered to her, "This is wonderful, I am awake and I am in Heaven."

She stared at him sadly, "But I am waiting for you on Earth. Wake up and come back to me, Tony, please."

He stared at her as she started to fade away. "What do you mean on Earth? Hey, hey, come back! Come back!"

"Come back to me, Tony..." the Houri whispered, blue eyes pleading at him. "Please wake up."


Pepper pushed back the thick lock of hair on Tony's forehead. How does his hair grow back so fast? She sighed as she stroked his hair gently. After their victory on the roof, Tony had fallen into a deep stupor. She had slept as well but Tony had not woken up yet and two whole days had passed since the battle on the roof.

She bit her lip with worry as she lifted the sheet covering his chest. Tony was liberally covered in bruises, gashes and cuts. The bruises were ugly purple in color, especially the one on his abdomen where the Captain had punched him firmly. There was a nasty cut above his arc and one on his side as well. One of his hands was wrapped in gauze because it had been burnt, the flesh pink and tender.

Idiot man and his need to be fair. Did he have to fight the Captain with little to no armor? Did he?! When he comes to I'm going to give him a piece of my mind...

If he comes to, a niggling voice in her head uttered and she stamped it down firmly.

His one eye was also purple and swollen shut as well as his lip. He had a deep cut on one thigh and some cuts and bruises on his legs. But his legs were relatively unscathed as compared to his back and torso.

The physicians of Patait had gone over Tony thoroughly, to ensure there were no internal injuries or life threatening wounds. They had reassured her, that while he was bruised and there were cuts, he was just tired and his body was recovering with sleep.

Plus Pepper was comforted by the bright piercing light of the arc in his chest. It was blue and shining, so she used it as a barometer to judge that Tony would be okay.

I wish he'd just wake up so that I can... I can talk to him...

She gently caressed his throat. That damn sarding Captain's finger marks are still on his flesh. I wish the Captain was here... so that I could burn him myself. She hummed gently, still massaging his throat.

"It looks bad huh?"

At the sound of his mirth-filled voice, Pepper started and stood up from the bed with fright. "Tony!" She exclaimed "You are awake! Oh I'm so glad you are awake!"

She tried to hug him and he tried to sit up to meet her halfway but he just couldn't, so she settled for caressing his jaw.

He was smirking at her in the mischievous manner she adored. But his eyes, her heart fluttered at the deep molten brown color of his eyes.

"Why is it Pep... when I'm injured, I always find you playing with my hair? Or my chest ?"

She said primly, "I was just checking your temperature. Besides," she pointed at the arc, "I was looking at your arc to see if you were okay."

He leaned back against the pillows, swallowing slowly. Then he looked down at his own chest and grimaced.

Tony said jokingly, "Is there any part of me that's not bruised or cut?"

Pepper's temper snapped. That's it!

She quickly caught his chin in one hand and leaned closer to him, taking care not to lean on his chest. She smiled evilly when she saw Tony gulp.

"Anthony Edduard Stark... whatever possessed you to fight a vampire without your armor ?!" She said in a low and cold tone.

He gulped again but she did not let go of his chin, enjoying the way his beard tickled her hand as he moved his mouth.

"Well... Pep... in retrospect... that was a stupid thing to do, I will admit it. But..." she raised her eye brows at him. "But ... I did not know that he was a vampire. I wanted to be fair..."

"Fair!" She snorted. "Do you think the sarding Captain would be fair to you if the situations were reversed? Answer me, Anthony!"

He did not seem to know how to answer that, so he kept quiet.

She bit her lip. I want to tell Tony that he frightened me badly... But I don't want him to see how much... how much I care for him.

"Tony, what about the Celestial Beast? You ran right at an eight-foot monster without a care! How could you be so careless!"

He countered this time, speaking quietly "It had pinned you down and you were struggling to break free. You are right, I did not care, I just did not want it to hurt you. You had suffered enough under those priests." His eyes had hardened with emotion and Pepper flushed.

She sighed and was going to let him go when he cupped her cheek. His callused hand felt so good on her flesh but she held herself firm as Tony looked her over slowly. His lingering gaze was making her heart beat faster.

"Are you okay, Pepper?" He rumbled at her. She nodded in agreement.

"Are you truly fine? Tell me the truth. What did that damn Beast do to you? Pepper, did it hurt you? Did it?" He growled at her, his body tense.

"No, no, he did not." she whispered, "Oh Tony, we were so wrong about the Celestial Being..."

He looked confused and she let him go and then explained about her time with Amaris and the conversation they had. She was busy gushing about the crimson tree, Yggdrasil and its beautiful island on the azure sea and how they walked on water, when she noticed Tony staring at her, his eyes melting whiskey brown, with his mouth quirked up.

"What? What did I say something wrong?"

"No, sweeting...it is just, you seemed to have enjoyed your time with the Beast... I mean Being ... you had your own little adventure."

"With Amaris."

His eyes hardened momentarily. "With the Celestial Being, Great One whatever."

Pepper sighed deeply, remembering her first glance at Amaris. "A very, very handsome man".

He tightened his jaw. "Really ... well you have met him, you should know... I can't judge a man's looks. I will take your word for it."

Is Tony jealous ? Hee hee... no, I think he's feeling a bit left out..

Tony said seriously, "Pepper, you ... I do not know how you handled two days as the Menolestes candidate ... I'm sorry for putting you through that."

Pepper just looked at him with exasperation. "Tony," she said firmly, "How long are you going to feel guilty for sending me to the Temple? Something, I'd like to add, which was my idea in the first place.

His eyes hardened and he let go of her cheek. He leaned back on the pillow again looking up at the ceiling. In a very tired voice, he whispered, "The priests and their damn drugs ... I wish you hadn't gone through that torture. I wish..." he clenched his fists. "I wish I had been there to protect you. I wish I could have spared you from that pain."

"Tony, why do you bring up the drugs?"

He looked at her darkly. "I went looking for Rana and in his basement lair, I found the Secondary Menoleste..."

"The one with the tattoo of a wave on his chest."

"The very same. During our tussle, he injected me with the same drug, Rana used to prepare you for the Celestial Being."

She gasped, horrified. "Oh god, Tony, shit... How did you survive that?"

He widened his eyes at her. "Pepper, sweeting, I just got pricked. Only half the dosage. That toady bastard injected you twice. It is a powerful muscle relaxant. But it must have reacted with your powers. That's why you got agitated instead of going limp."

Pepper mulled over his words as she absently watched Tony's flame flare with his anger. She instinctively stroked his hand. "Tony," she said gently, "forget it. We both experienced it and lived through it. We are stronger for it. Rana is dead. The Captain is dead. Patait is saved. And..." she caught his fingers in hers. "You did it, Lord Stark."

She gasped as he pulled her hand and pulled her onto him quickly. She was now lying halfway on his bare, warm, firm chest, their faces nearly touching. Pepper looked right into Tony 's rich brown eyes, so close to hers.

The darkest whiskey with hints of amber and emerald green. How they swirl and lighten.

He whispered to her firmly, "WE... We did this. Not me." He smiled at her so sweetly. She could only stare at him, entranced by the way he was looking at her and the feel of his body under hers. "We, Pepper. You more than me." His eyes darkened now and she felt her heart thump loudly in her chest.

I wonder if Tony can hear my heart thumping too.

He was looking at her lips and said in a whisper, "Pepper, we need to... we need to talk."

She whispered, "Back about my powers?" I dreaded this day ... the day when Tony would find out. I do not know what to tell him.

"No, I mean yes, but ..." he said and raised his eyes to stare deep into hers then. He gave her his irresistible half grin.

"About us. We need to talk about us."

Pepper heard what Tony was saying but she really wasn't paying attention. She shook her head slowly, not sure what she was doing. All she could think about was how beautiful Tony's lips looked. So firm and slightly pink.

She just wanted to feel them against hers. I've felt them once. It was.. heavenly. But I did not love him then. Now I want to feel them one last time. Just one kiss.

She moistened her lips and Tony exhaled deeply, pressing his chest against her firmly. But he did not take his eyes off her lips.

She leaned closer and saw Tony lower his eyes and lean closer to her face. One kiss. Just one.

She lowered her own eyes and moved her face forward, anxious to meet his lips.