I Love You
Author's Note: I can't believe this is the last chapter and how much love this story has gotten! It constantly astounds me and thank you so much for following this story to the end! This chapter isn't inspired by a song in particular, just think of your favourite love song. Now please enjoy the last chapter of 'Five Times Pepperony Made Us Believe in True Love'.
It was Tony's first birthday since they became a married couple-even if it was five days ago- and Pepper Stark wanted to make it special for her new husband. She knew he would love it, he loved anything gift wise she gave him but she couldn't just give him a half hearted gift. No it had to be something special for her husband, which meant, a couple of days before her wedding, she was looking through her memorable jewellery, looking for the watch that belonged to her grandfather. Her father had left her mother and herself at a young age and her grandparents had stepped in to help her mother. When her grandfather died, just a month before her birthday in 2008, before Tony was kidnapped, he had left her the watch he always wore and she wanted to give it to Tony, as a way of showing him, how much she cared about him.
She found the old watch and smiled at it. It was worn and dusty, and Pepper couldn't help but smile. This watch had been so much with her grandfather, and now it was about to go through the same amount of love and care with her husband. She looked to the side, where her other gift to Tony for his birthday was waiting and she grabbed the box she had bought for the watch and placed it inside.
"Honey? Are you ready to leave yet?" Tony asked, walking into their bedroom. Pepper stood up and smiled at him, as he was carrying some of their bags.
"Yes, Rhodey is looking after the dresses and suits for me." Pepper replied.
"Alright, let's get hitched!" Tony announced, whooping at the end.
Pepper smiled at her new husband as he got out of bed and walked over to her. It was his birthday, and they were both now staring at the sea, admiring the beautiful location of their hut by the beach. It was something she was internally grateful that they had privatised, so that they didn't have to worry about press or other people.
"So, any fun plans for today?" Tony asked. Pepper turned around to him just as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Of course. I hear it's someone's birthday." Pepper smirked. He looked mocked hurt.
"Pepper, darling how could you possibly forget your husband's birthday?" Tony asked.
"Oh I don't know, it's not like he reminds me enough." Pepper smiled. He leaned in for a kiss and she gladly returned it before she pulled away slightly and grabbed the present from the side table.
"Happy birthday, husband," Pepper grinned. He smiled at her as he accepted the gift and unwrapped it, revealing the box containing the watch. He opened up the box and the watch was revealed to him.
"So um- it's my grandfather's watch. As you know, my dad was never in my life and um- my grandfather, he left this for me because he knew how much I loved it's unique design. I wanted to give it to, to sort of carry on the legacy of him- and to show you how much you mean to me and I don't ever want you to forget that." Pepper told him quickly. She was nervous for his reaction but he smiled at her.
"I love it Pepper. It's perfect." Tony told her, leaning in to kiss her again. She kissed him back and only stopped when she felt she needed to breath again.
"Alright, let me put this on and I want to show you this little spot I found the other day when you getting a massage." Tony told her, taking the watch out of the box. She smiled brightly at him.
Tony Stark would continue to wear that watch, for years to come, as a reminder of how much Pepper trusted and cared for him. It always reminded him of her strength and it always got him through the difficult times.
Looking through his parents old things was never going to be an easy task for the sole heir of the Stark name. Tony hadn't even touched some of the stuff in the boxes since before his parents had died in the car crash. He was looking for a particular box however, labelled 'Maria Stark's jewellery', which he knew would hold his mother's engagement ring. He wanted to propose to Pepper on her fortieth birthday, to make it special for her and he had a whole plan organised saying he wasn't originally going to propose, but the moment felt right. But every moment with Virginia Pepper Potts felt right, so why wait any longer?
He pulled the box out and he stared at it, deep in thought. He hadn't touched anything of his mother's-or father's- since their deaths. He hadn't been able to mentally ready himself for it but now, he needed to let Pepper know, to show her, that she mattered to him. To show how much he cared for her and adored her.
He grabbed the ring from the box and took a deep breath. He held it up to the light, twirling with it. It was a beautiful ring his father had given her, and his mother always wore the ring with her wedding band. When he was younger and his father was out of the country doing weapons demonstrations, he would catch his mother, looking at the ring, thinking deeply and lost in thought. He knew his mother loved his father but he always wondered if she thought of leaving him when he was always out of town and doing his demonstrations, instead of being at home with his wife and kid.
He knew however, his mother wouldn't do that to Howard Stark, when he always saw the look his father gave her, like she was his whole world, that nothing else mattered to him. It always made him want to look at someone like that, and Pepper was his whole world. He knew that's how he looked at her and that's how she looked at him.
Tony shook his head however. He had a proposal to plan, a night to enjoy with his hopefully soon to be fiancée and then a mission tomorrow on her birthday that he still hadn't told her about.
Tony Stark loved Pepper Potts and Pepper Potts loved Tony Stark. Five times wasn't enough to show how much they loved each other but for the world, it would have to do.
Author's Note: And that's the end! I hope you enjoyed this story just as much as I've enjoyed writing it! If you've enjoyed this story why not check out my other story, 'Mini-Stark and Parker'? It's about the sibling relationship between the daughter of Tony and Pepper and Peter Parker but it has a good dose of Pepperony!