A/N: well, here we are folks. This is the last chapter. I'd like to say this story's been short but sweet – after all, I think my word doc only comes to 19 pages, but those of you've who've been following this fic since the beginning know better. I want to thank you for hanging in there with me, encouraging me when it seemed like I would never update again.

Epilogue to follow in a week or so.

"So Friday night was…?"

"Me realizing that there's no such thing as an unlimited time offer." The reply was prompt, and stronger than everything else she'd said because of it. "It was me realizing that even though good things come to those who wait, that fortune also favors the bold…" She laughs softly, somewhat humorlessly. "…and that I'd been living behind too many clichés and faulty relationship advice from women's magazines that contradict themselves regularly from one month to the next. That sometimes change only lasts as long as its encouraged and that silent encouragement doesn't count."

Tony was alarmed when two matching streaks of silver shot down Pepper's cheekbones.

"Damnit." Pepper growled low in her throat and pulled her hand from his to brush away her tears before he could beat her to it. "I didn't intend to become a stupid girl over this," she said apologetically, wiping at her cheeks again to erase all evidence of any uncomfortable emotions. "At least, not any more than I've already been about this whole mess –"

She's apologizing? Tony couldn't believe it.

That's the last thing she needed to do.

Well, okay, he'd take one for the silent treatment this last week, but for anything else?

Totally unnecessary.

"Pepper." Tony interrupted her in the middle of her rambling apology by replacing her hands – which were still wiping at her face – with his own. She went still and absolutely silent, clearly surprised to feel his hands on bare skin. It didn't throw her for long though. With his hands cupped around her face, she rose on her toes and stepped close. Kisses that were messy, and just a little awkward because of the way she had to brace herself on his shoulders, and intensely beautiful for their honesty were pressed over his cheeks and against his once again shocked mouth. "I'm still not explaining myself right." Pepper's whisper was a hot promise against his skin. "What I'm trying to say is that the times that my boss is being an ass are growing fewer and father between, and that I enjoy my time with him too much not to see him as a man instead of a self-destined island, and that if you ever leave on another mission without telling me in person rather than leaving a note stuck to my office door I will kill you."

Once again Tony was stunned as he gently pushed Pepper's face away. The determination on that gamine face was shocking. "You're half in love with me," she stated fiercely. "Pretending with those women the other night would been whoring yourself out, and I wasn't about to allow it. We both know you deserve better than cheap amusements." She shrugged and said matter-of-factly, "Which is another reason I waited so long to…I suppose I am declaring myself, aren't I?"

Tony nodded, since she seemed to be waiting for an answer.

"Okay. Good. I'm glad we agree on that."

He nearly burst when she didn't finish her last train of thought. "You were waiting…?" he prodded.

"Oh. Because I knew that our friendship could survive a few failed resolutions. But I didn't want a relationship between us to become temporary and cheap if –"

"If I screwed up?"

"Don't be stupid." Pepper very nearly sounded insulted by his version of how events could have – could still, in his mind – gone wrong. "It's just that I'm not unintelligent, nor am I a masochist."

"I fail to see how that's a problem."

Pepper's sidelong glance was full of wry humor. "If you'd been able to hear the discussions I've been having with myself for the past few months, you'd understand. You see, my intelligence has led me to observe that while in the past you've seemed to find it remarkable easy to forget about your…overnight guests…they've seemed to have a hard time getting over you. I've also observed that you have an almost compulsive need to possess anything new, shiny, or unique, without any consideration for whether or not you actually want it."

"Well, when you put it that way…" When she put it that way, he did understand exactly what the holdup had been. What he still didn't get was why any of this added up to her "rescue" the other night.

"Don't get me wrong, Tony. That drive is an admirable trait when applied to technology, especially the way you build technology. It's just…less so…when it comes to collecting people."

"And this must be the part where not being a masochist becomes a factor." Tony couldn't help the glum tone in his voice. God, Pepper was jerking his emotions all over the place. And he clearly was a masochist because rather than admit defeat, he found himself wanting to draw the discussion of his flaws out further if it meant standing here in the cool sand and the dark with her.

"You make everything sound so black and white, Tony. There's gradations of feeling involved here. I mean, for one thing, it's my job to keep you from being too distracted by shiny baubles. And then, there's been my desire to keep myself from the possibility of hurt…and you from it as well. Especially now that we've laid all our cards on the table." Pepper's voice got quieter and quieter with every word. "I was able to rationalize that keeping myself from being hurt served as a safeguard for you as well. As long as we risked nothing, there was no chance of losing anything." She shifted closer, her eyes glimmered at him from under ridiculously lush eyelashes. "It's not as if either of us have anything left that we can afford losing."

Just like that, he was soaring again. "Keep talking about how much you need me."

"It's a two way street, you know." One hand slapped his chest lightly; he trapped it immediately and held it next to the glow he just noticed escaping from his arc implant. Well, that would explain the glimmering eyes, wouldn't it?

"I definitely…know…" He really couldn't help it. He had to lower his head the few inches needed – such a novelty to be taller than close to eye to eye with her – and pressed his lips to the soft skin under her jaw. "Tell me more about how you can't live without me." Her hips were surprisingly easy to entire closer. "Or if you prefer –" he slid his arms around her waist without a hint of protest. " – you could expand on how you're wild about me, can't stand to spend another second away from me, that you're just dying to get me into –"

"The office at 10 am sharp tomorrow morning?" Pepper's laugh rang softly in his ear; her hand patted his back just a little patronizingly when he groaned, turning from lover to disgruntled lover in the blink of an eye. He buried his face in the crook of her neck in retaliation and grinned as she squealed at the bristle of his beard against tender skin.

"Mr. Stark –"

"No. No, no, no, no, no," he groaned. "Stop being reasonable and just run away with me."

"If only I thought I was the first to hear that offer, you might find yourself in luck. As it is…" She tried to shrug him away, but he was having none of it. Her neck was warm, and soft, and smelled delicious. Vampires clearly had the right idea. It was one of the most delectable parts of a woman above the shoulders. "As it is, I'm willing to discuss the development of a more intimate relationship between ourselves. Our adult, responsible, capable of self-control selves. And just because I'm willing to consider a…merger… doesn't mean I'm going to toss aside our other relationships in order to have it. So stop trying to get out of –"

"Our other relationships?" That sounded promising.

Pepper pulled away slightly, leaning into the hands still around her waist in order to stay upright while she looked into his face. Her own expression was…tender. "Mmm-hmm. Our working relationship…and our friendship. Didn't I just spend the last few minutes explaining how I was too afraid to move forward for fear of losing it?"

To be fair, the term "friendship" had never entered into the discussion, but Tony wasn't about to split hairs. Out of all the things people usually wanted from him, a genuine friendship rarely rated a spot of the list.

"Now that you mention it, I don't have a lot of friends."

"I know," Pepper said, mock solemn. "That why we're going to take this slow. I don't intend to let what we already have get buried in a mad scramble for naked skin."

He could get used to Pepper speaking frankly. "Slipping between the sheets is hardly the same as getting buried."

She wanted to laugh; he could see it in her eyes as she placed a finger over his lips to hush him. "Mr. Stark, I'm still not that easy. And you're not going to be either."

"But Pepper –"

"Uh-uh-uh. Like I said, you have to be in the office at 10 o'clock, and I – after I've been properly wined and dined, mind you – expect to keep you occupied for a long longer than what we have left tonight.

Tony looked at her, stricken…amazed…captified.

It didn't even matter than captified wasn't a word.

He could really get used to Pepper speaking frankly.

"Ms. Potts, I think I'm in love," he murmured around the finger still over his lips.

Pepper's smile was as brilliant as it was…devious. It was enough to put the fear of god into him as she leaned up and paused mere millimeters from his lips.

"I know."