Falling in Love With You
A/N: This is AU after Ironman 3 but still has Sam, Wanda, Rhodey, Scott, Bucky as Avengers. Peter isn't with them because his identity is still a secret but he's in the crowd with May, Ned and MJ.
So please enjoy chapter two, inspired by Elvis's song, Can't Help Falling in Love
Pepper Stark- formerly Potts- was extremely nervous as she was sitting next to her husband, Tony Stark. Tonight was the first ever, Stark Ball, held for all of the employees of Stark Industries, Shield, the Avengers and friends and family of all three groups. She had organised the ball as a way of thanking everyone in one room for the support they all gave each other, and to show how thankful she was for them all. She had spent months organising and planning to get to this moment and now the butterflies were doing backflips in her stomach.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Colonel Rhodes, and I am here tonight as a representative of the Avengers and the MC for tonight's ball." Rhodey announced. The whole room cheered as Tony, Steve, Bruce, Thor, Natasha, Clint, Sam, Scott, Wanda, Bucky and Vision all waved around.
"I'm also here to welcome to the stage, Mrs Virginia Pepper Stark, the CEO of Stark Industries, the organiser of the first ever Stark Ball and my close friend." Rhodey announced. The crowd cheered again and Pepper stood up and looked down at her husband as he squeezed her hand in support and she smiled at him.
"You'll do great, honey." Tony called out to her as she walked on stage, her six inch heels clicking on the wood. She gave Rhodey a hug as she reached him and he happily returned it and whispered in her ear.
"Break a leg, Mrs Stark," Rhodey whispered and she could practically feel his smirk and he let out a low laugh and walked off stage, going to sit back between Tony and Sam Wilson. She smiled at her friends before facing the crowd. Hundreds of people sat in the crowd and she could feel herself getting even more nervous than what she had though possible. She cleared her throat however and took out her speech from her clutch.
"This is a much larger crowd than I first anticipated and I must thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being here at the first ever, Stark Ball." Pepper started, smiling.
"I created the Stark Ball as a way to have fun for all of those people I work with, from the people at Stark Industries, to the people at Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division, or as they all like to put it, just Shield. To the Avengers, who help make Earth a better and safer pace for all its inhabitants. Stark Ball, is to celebrate you all. You make it possible for me to stand here today to say this speech, to give my thanks."
"There is one particular person I would like to thank the most however. You all know this person as an industrialist, an inventor, a genius billionaire philanthropist, or as Ironman. I know this person simply as my husband Tony Stark. Tony, we have only been married for a year, however I've worked for and with you for twenty years this year, on this exact day." Pepper smiled over at her husband who looked mildly shocked at her words.
"Tony, you have helped me become the person I am, to overcome the biggest challenges and to face life head on and to always surprise people, just like you shocked the world when you announced you were Ironman. I love you Tony, and tonight, this ball, is not only for all of the people in this room, but also for you. The time and effort I spent on tonight, is for you, to show you just some of the love I have for you. You are the love of my life, my husband, and I will forever be grateful for you, my love. Stark Ball is not named after me or after you, but after the both of us, and the legacy we hope to leave behind." Pepper told him, looking at him. She paused.
"Now, to everyone else, thank you. You are all truly one of a kind and I appreciate everything you give to either Stark Industries, Shield and the Avengers. Now please, enjoy tonight, have fun, party and dance. Tonight is about you and my appreciation for you all." Pepper finished. The crowd all stood up, clapping away and Pepper smiled, waved and put her speech away before walking off stage and back towards Tony.
He stood up and hugged her.
"I love you," Tony whispered. Pepper smiled, kissing his cheek.
"I love you too," Pepper replied and he squeezed her tightly before letting her go and she sat down. At her table sat Tony, Rhodey, Bruce, Steve, Bucky, Sam, Natasha, Clint, Thor, Jane, Vision, Wanda, Scott and Hope. She smiled at them all.
"That was beautiful, Pepper," Hope smiled and they all nodded in agreement. Pepper couldn't help but feel the blush in her cheeks rise as she smiled at her friends- actually they were a family. The Avengers were a family- including Peter Parker, who still maintained that he wanted his privacy and was sitting with his Aunt May and his two friends Ned and Mary-Jane, a few tables over, with a couple of other Stark Industries Interns who had been sworn to agree to Peter's intern cover for the sake of May.
Talk at the table started to develop quickly, everyone breaking up into smaller groups to talk at the table. Bruce was talking to Rhodey, Sam, Vision, Wanda, Bucky and Steve. Thor, Jane, Natasha, Clint, Scott and Hope leaving Tony and Pepper to talk to each other, something Pepper appreciated from her friends.
"How about we start off the dancing?" Tony asked her, as the waiters took the desert plates away. Pepper could only smile at her husband as he stood up and offered his right arm to her. She accepted it and let him lead them to the middle of the dance floor, the only ones out there.
"Let's show them how it's done," Pepper smirked and Tony let out a laugh as he pressed his watch, sending a message from his watch to the DJ who immediately started to play Elvis's, Can't Help Falling in Love. Pepper took her husband's hand, placed her other hand on his shoulder and started to move. Tony immediately followed her.
"Should we tell them?" Tony asked her quietly.
"Not yet. This is for us for a little while." Pepper replied with a smile.
"Okay." Tony said simply and he suddenly dipped her and she couldn't help but laugh at his theatrics but she certainly wasn't about to stop it when she enjoyed it.
Stark Ball continued for many years, Pepper Stark, always the main speaker, with many people throughout the years getting up and thanking Pepper, including but not limited to Tony, Steve, Rhodey, Agent Coulson, Happy, and Nick Fury, but nothing would ever quite be as memorable as the first speech at the first Stark Ball, where Pepper Stark told the world and Tony, how much she loved him.
A/N: A lot shorter than the other chapter but I didn't think it needed to be as long as I really wanted to get to the point of Pepper's love and feelings for Tony.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! More to come!