Happy RDJ's Birthday! #53! And what better way to celebrate than to read a bit of fluff! (A quick warning, since this has a T rating- it's a TAD suggestive, but there's nothing overtly sexual, and it ends up being quite sweet, I promise.)

I hope you enjoy! And thank you for all of your reviews! :D

A lazy tropical breeze blew through the sheer curtains hanging over the open French doors of the balcony in the master bedroom of a private beach front island villa. This was where Tony and Pepper had spent the first night of their honeymoon. And it was also the first stop in what would be a multi-week voyage of world travel, only because neither of them had been able to settle on just one honeymoon destination. So Tony had suggested instead that they make a list of locales they both had in mind, and spend a few days at each one.

The warm, humid air ghosted across Tony's arm, which was hanging limply off the bed down to the floor. It made him stir enough to sleepily roll over, and re-wrap his arms around his wife's upper body, pulling her to him. He nuzzled his nose in her hair, and she wiggled to press her bare back and behind against his chest and stomach so they were once again skin to skin before they both settled back in to their deep slumber. The sun had been up for hours, but they'd thoroughly worn themselves out from their wedding night activities, which had started directly after the reception (or, rather, after they'd chosen to leave their reception, happily informing their guests just before they left that they were welcome to stay in their absence and enjoy the party). Predictably, the newlywed's weren't able to keep their hands off each other during the car ride to the airport, nor throughout their flight, and especially not after they'd checked into their resort.

After a few quiet moments, Tony heard Pepper sigh, and then he felt her start to squirm in his arms. He grumbled at the disturbance, but she patted his forearm lightly in reassurance. "Hold on. I just need to pee," she said softly. "I'll be right back."

He begrudgingly released her, and he felt her slip away from his side and out of the bed as he lazily rolled again to his stomach, quickly falling back to sleep. However, after what was really only moments later, but what felt like hours to him, he felt a weight on the end of the bed. He realized Pepper had returned, and was quietly crawling over the top of him on all fours. He inhaled deeply, and sleepily rolled back over to his back, his eyes opening enough to squint at her. But then he frowned at what he saw.

She'd wrapped her previously unclothed body in one of the provided white satin robes that had been hanging in the villa's linen closet, and she was moving now to straddle his lap, her face beaming with delight.

"Good morning," she cooed, looking down at him once she settled herself over his hips.

Tony was still frowning. "Good morning. Um, this?" he said flatly, fiddling with the material of the belt loosely cinched around her waist. "Isn't part of the attire we agreed upon for this portion of our honeymoon. I specifically recall us stating- and, tell me if I'm wrong- that no actual clothing was going to be the only acceptable dress code, besides the necessary swimwear we'll need in order to visit the beach later, and a few little skimpy pieces of lingerie you've so graciously decided to dazzle me with."

"Yes, but this happens to be hiding a surprise you'll very much want to unwrap, I can assure you," she informed him, with a knowing smile.

Tony cocked an eyebrow, and gave her a sly smirk that caused a corner of his mouth to turn up. "Reee-ally? A...surprise, huh?" he purred.

Pepper pumped her eyebrows, and beamed. "Mmm hmmm," she cooed mischievously.

Tony's eyes eagerly scanned her body. "Lucky me, then. Is it anything like the, um..." he said, pausing to clear his throat, and make one-fingered air quotes. " 'Surprise' I had the pleasure of unwrapping last night?" he purred.

Pepper giggled, and cocked her head. "You...could say that," she teased, still beaming.

Tony let out a playful chortle. "Ooo, yay for my wife keeping things spicy!" he said, grinning, and doing a fist pump in the air, making Pepper chuckle. "So, what do you have for me this time? Another hot little number like...a new nighty? Maybe something...black and lacy? You know how I like things that are black and lacy," he babbled, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Then he gasped giddily. "Ooo! Black and lacy and...see-through, perhaps?" he guessed, licking his lips eagerly.

Pepper chuckled, and shook her head. "Nope. Not this time, Mister. This time, I've got something you've never seen on me before," she explained. She gave him an encouraging nod. "So, go ahead. Open it, and see for yourself," she urged.

Tony gave her an excited smile, and then did as he was instructed by gently loosening the belt of the robe from around her body. Pepper intently watched his hands work, and waited patiently as he slowly parted the fabric to reveal what she'd been eluding to, quickly realizing in the process that she was right. This time was different. And what he saw made him inhale sharply, as a proud grin quickly spread over his lips.

"Wow!" he gasped, moving to sit up more so he could get a better look at her bared body. His eyes flicked in surprise from her bottom half up to her eyes, and back again. "Baby, look at you!" he marveled, breathlessly in awe, as he delicately smoothing a hand over her lower abdomen, which had noticeably expanded overnight to accommodate a small, but suddenly apparent, baby bump.

Pepper giggled in delight, and patted her newly rounded belly. "I know! Isn't it wonderful?" she asked, her voice dreamy.

Tony shifted his gaze up to his wife's eyes again, shaking his head in disbelief and grinning. "It's...it's..." he stammered, struggling to find the words. "The most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he finally resolved. "It's...spectacular."

Pepper chuckled. "There's that word again," she teased.

Tony chuckled back in reply, and smoothed his hand back over her body once more. "Wow," he murmured again in awe. Then he cupped one of her cheeks, and gaze adoringly into her eyes, smiling at this sudden and happy development. "You. I need you. Come here, gorgeous," he murmured before he cupped her other cheek and pulled her to him to firmly kiss her. Pepper melted into the kiss, and they each happily moaned. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her, and all at once he made a swift movement to roll her off his lap onto her back, being careful not to put his weight on her body, but lying more to the side, while still holding her closely to him in his arms underneath him, the two of them managing to stay in lip lock all the while.

Pepper squeaked in surprise when he did this, and then giggled as he broke the kiss to gaze lovingly into her eyes. "Best. Surprise. Ever," he purred. "I love you for giving it to me."

She beamed, and cupped his face in her hands. "And I love you," she said. "For giving it to me."

Tony grinned, and bent again to kiss her, this time very tenderly. When the kiss broke, he slid down her side in order to plant a soft kiss on her baby bump, flicking his eyes up to hers as he did it. Pepper smiled at his tenderness, and ran a hand lovingly through his hair. Tony then propped himself back up on an elbow beside her, grinning as he laid his other hand over the top of his unborn child.

"Boy, did we plan this wedding just right or what?" he asked.

Pepper chuckled and nodded in agreement. "I'll say," she replied. "Even one more day later, and I might not have fit into my wedding dress! And then what would I have done?"

"You could've opted for the bustier and slip ensemble. I know I would have been a fan," Tony deadpanned, shrugging, which earned him a playful smack on his shoulder, and a giggle from his wife.

"I'm just glad your child didn't decide to make a grand appearance at the most inopportune time," Pepper joked back.

Tony chuckled. "Well, either way, I'm thrilled with your new shape," he gushed, giving her a loving smile. He went back to gazing at her middle. "Though, is it weird if I can't wait to watch you to get bigger?" he suddenly asked, cocking a curious eyebrow at her. Pepper laughed.

"I'll make the exception just this once," she teased. "Given the circumstances."

"I know, right? Because it's amazing," he said. He then turned his eyes back down her body to where his hand was still resting. "I mean, that's you and me in there, Pep. That's amazing."

Pepper gave her husband an admiring smile. "You said the same thing the day I told you I was pregnant," she reminded him.

"And I can't get over it," he replied. "Honestly. Before, I didn't understand what Pop meant about me being his greatest creation, and all? I just thought he was being dramatic. Or trying to overcompensate for not being there that much, or...whatever. But..." he paused in thought for a moment. "I get it, Pep. I do. Because there isn't anything I want in the world more that to watch this kid grow up to be...the amazing person I know he'll be."

Pepper smiled again at his repeated use of the word amazing to describe her pregnancy and their child. "Or she," she said tearfully, her voice giving out from the emotion of the moment.

Tony chuckled and nodded. "Definitely. Or she," he agreed. "And by the way, if it is a 'she'?" he said. "She'll be just as gorgeous as her mother. I already know it."

Pepper grinned again, and cupped his cheek. Tony moved to scoot closer to her face again, gazing adoringly into her eyes. He tenderly brushed a lock of her hair away from her face and behind her ear with the backs of his fingers, and then softly kissed her lips as he slid his hand up and down her side affectionately before the kiss broke. Then he placed it back on her growing belly once more. Pepper watched him for a moment as he smoothed his fingers back and forth over her body in slow, loving strokes, his eyes gazing intently on the rise and fall of his hand following her newly developed curves.

"Forget the beach. I have a feeling this is where you'll be for the duration," Pepper mused, with a knowing smile.

"You bet. Nothing could be better," Tony replied. "And, by the way? Just when I thought you couldn't get any hotter, this happens. So you really are in for it now, Potts," he teased. "We aren't leaving this bed for a long, long time."

Pepper giggled at him using her maiden name to tease her. "Oh, I expected as much. And I'm holding you to it, Tony Stark," she teased back. "You can bet on that."

Tony chuckled, and nodded once in the affirmative. "Then it's official. Operation 'Get Our Freak On' has been approved, and we are preparing to launch," he joked, making Pepper laugh out loud.

He smiled blissfully at the sound of her laughter, and then turned his eyes back to her belly. "But first, I need a word with our Mini. So, if you don't mind," he told her. Pepper smiled lovingly at her husband, and watched as he scooted back down to his stomach beside her. He ran his hand gently over her skin again before giving her baby bump another sweet, lingering kiss. "Hey, you in there," he murmured softly to his child. "I'm thrilled you decided to surprise us today. You're already getting so big, I can't believe it! Just do me a favor and keep going like this, huh? Keep growing big and strong, and make mommy grow a great big belly that I'll be able to put both my hands on, and feel you move around in, okay? Cuz' I can't get enough of you. Look at you. You're..."

"Amazing? Spectacular?" Pepper offered, her voice watery and soft with tears.

Tony flicked his eyes back up to hers and nodded, smiling. "Yeah. And more," he replied, before moving his eyes back down to his child, and smoothing his hand over his wife's changing body once more. Then he turned his eyes back up to Pepper's. "You both are. And you always will be," he told her.

THE END