A/N: AHHHHHH I'm sorry! I know it's been...a long time (I don't even want to think about how long...), but I'm on spring break right now, and I've been working on my stories...and I wanted to post this. I will try to keep posting, for anyone who's still reading, although I can't make any promises on how frequent it will be.

Thanks, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review?

Chapter 5 (Tony):

"Really, footy pajamas?"

"Pepper," Tony replied patiently, "footy pajamas are the epitome of style and the perfect thing to wear while celebrating." When she continued to raise her eyebrow, he quickly changed the subject. "Did you bring the popcorn and cream soda?"

"Yes, I did, but what exactly are we celebrating again?" Pepper handed Tony an unpopped bag of popcorn and he stuck it in the microwave, punching in 1:56 as the time. It had to be exact.

"We're celebrating Stark Tower becoming fully operational." When she continued to look unimpressed, he added proudly, "It'll be mine when I turn 18, remember? I just started it up an hour ago."

"That's right, I had almost forgotten how you now have your name in the sky in the five minutes it's been since you last mentioned it."

"Hey," Tony protested, pointing a soda bottle at her. "Pepper, you're killing me. The moment, remember? Enjoy the moment."

"Mhmm." She kissed his cheek and removed the popcorn from the microwave. "So, Mr. Stark, how does it feel to have your name in the skyline of New York?"

"Amazing. Like Christmas, but with more me," he replied seriously, even though he was pretty sure she was just pulling his leg. She threw a piece of popcorn at him.

"Well, Merry Christmas, then."

"Thank you. So tell me, how does it feel to be a genius?"

She rolled her eyes. "You tell me."

"Hey," he said, frowning and putting his hands on her shoulders to look her in the eye. "All of this came from you, remember? Your idea. And now Stark Tower is a beacon of clean energy."

"All of this came from that," Pepper corrected him, tapping the arc reactor in his chest. Tony sighed.

"Give yourself some credit. Stark Tower is your baby. Give yourself…" –he searched for a number "–12% of the credit."

"12%?"

Whoops.

"An argument can be made for 15," he offered, reaching for another piece of popcorn and thinking furiously about what to say. Pepper snatched away the bowl.

"12%? My baby?" She kept her back to him as she slid a disc into the brand-new Blue-Ray player, which was connected to a huge, state-of-the-art flat screen TV. Tony winced.

"Well, I did do the heavy lifting –literally, I lifted the heavy things. And sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you." This wasn't going as planned. They were supposed to be curled up the couch, ignoring the movie.

"Oh…"

"My private elevator…"

"Your private elevator?" Pepper interjected.

"…It was teeming with sweaty workmen." Pepper raised her eyebrows, and Tony winced. "I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I?"

"It's not gonna be that subtle." Pepper raised her soda bottle as if toasting to her revenge. She settled herself cheerfully on the floor, ignoring Tony's invitation to join him on the couch.

"I'll tell you what. The next building is gonna say "Potts" on the tower," Tony said quickly. Pepper smirked and leaned against his leg.

"You're a big talker, but you don't even own the first building yet."

Tony waved a hand. "Semantics."

"Your father's not going to appreciate that."

"My father is the father of Tony Stark, he's lucky I even acknowledge him as family," Tony replied. At Pepper's expression, he shook his head. "Pepper, if I listened to everything my old dad said, I wouldn't be Tony Stark."

"And if I listened to everything you said…" Pepper began, but J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted.

"Sir, the telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overridden."

"Mr. Stark, we need to talk." It was Agent Coulson, Tony saw, glancing down at his phone and scowling. He answered.

"You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark. Please leave a message."

Pepper laughed into her hand.

"This is urgent."

"Then leave it urgently." The elevator door of Tony's living room opened to reveal Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony was getting to the point of wanting to shoot someone, but settled for saying loudly, "Security breach. It's on you."

"Mr. Stark." That tone of voice was awfully familiar – Tony got it all the time from his teachers at school.

"Phil, come in," Pepper exclaimed cheerfully, rising. Tony scowled. A shot of heavy rain appeared on screen, coming pretty close to his mood. The high-pitched sobs completed it.

""Phil?" His first name is Agent," he protested, trying to take back his Pepper's attention.

"Come on in, we're celebrating," Pepper said, ignoring Tony.

Tony grumbled under his breath, but forced a fake smile. "Which is why he can't stay."

"Phil" ignored both of them. "We need you to look this over as soon as possible," he said offering Tony a folder, which Tony quickly backed away from.

"I don't like being handed things."

Pepper smiled. "That's fine, because I love being handed things. So, let's trade." She passed Coulson the popcorn bowl, took the folder, took Tony's soda, and gave Tony the folder. This was not how Tony had wanted things to go, and now Phil had his popcorn.

"Official consulting hours are between 8 and 5 every other Thursday," he said sulkily. "And I expect popcorn."

"This isn't a consultation," Agent Coulson corrected him, looking serious. Serious was never good. Then Coulson set the popcorn bowl down carefully, like it might explode, and Tony decided that serious could be good after all.

"Is this about the Avengers? Which I know nothing about," Pepper added quickly, as Agent Coulson raised an eyebrow.

"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought, and I didn't even qualify." Tony tried to steal his soda back from Pepper.

"I didn't know that either," Pepper said innocently, moving the bottle out of his reach.

"Yeah, apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others," Tony continued, making quote marks with his fingers. He chucked some popcorn at Pepper to prove his point.

Pepper cocked her head. "That I did know." Tony rolled his eyes at this, but Pepper just smiled.

"That doesn't matter now. We have a situation."

Tony frowned. "Ms. Potts, could I talk to you?" She smiled apologetically at Coulson and followed Tony into the corner.

"I thought we were having a moment," he complained in an undertone.

"I was having 12% of a moment."

Tony scowled and opened his mouth to reply, but Pepper put a finger to his lips. "This seems serious. Listen to Phil."

Tony sighed. "How would you know if it's… Why is he "Phil"?" This was the main point that irked him.

"Tony. If this has to do with the Avengers, then it's more serious than either of us knows. Listen to Phil."

12% and falling.

Pepper watched the computer screen silently as faces and information flashed across it. "You have homework. You have a lot of homework." Literally, since Agent Coulson was one of his teachers. Tony hated homework.

"Well, what if I…didn't?" he hedged.

"If you didn't?" Pepper looked a little too amused, like he was a freshman being cute again.

"Yeah."

"You mean when you've finished? Well, then…" She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Tony Stark, I love you, but you have to get this done or you won't even get your 12%, understood? After this is over, there'll be plenty of time to celebrate."

"Square deal. Fly safe."

She smiled and kissed him briefly, too briefly. "Work hard," she said softly, before turning to lead Phil out.

"Actually, I need a brief word with Tony. Could you wait outside?"

She walked out, and Coulson turned to Tony, looking serious enough that even Tony could recognize it.

"Mr. Stark, I know you have a history of goofing off, I know you don't get along well with others, but it is imperative that you read these papers and report to work afterwards. The fate on the Earth depends on it and the world will hold you to the promises you've made."

"Yes, Agent."

"This is a volatile group, but I believe it will work. It has to work, do you understand?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Thank-you, Tony."

The door opened, and Pepper was still waiting. "So, any chance you're driving by LaGuardia?" he heard her say to Coulson as she walked out.

"I can drop you."

"Fantastic. I want to hear about the cellist, is that still a thing?"

"She moved back to Portland."

"What? Boo!"

Tony picked up a holographic version of the Tesseract and frowned at it as the shattered pieces of the moment fell even further away, forgotten.