A/N: A friend of mine from Tumblr helped me out with this part. So, thank you Mallory!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING. Sadly. Everything belongs to Marvel, Stan Lee, etc, except for the plot, which is mine.
"Pepper, are you going to the benefit tonight?" Tony asked as they were eating lunch in his office. Eating lunch together had become a daily routine for them and Tony couldn't be happier than to have lunch with the one he loves.
"You have to go, I don't." Pepper replied as she took a bite of salad from her plate. She wanted to hear Tony say that he wanted her to go, that he wanted to spend the rest of that night with her. Maybe, she was expecting too much from Tony, but it wouldn't hurt at all to hear Tony say that he'd like to go with her; as a date, for the first time reveal to the world that they are finally together and happy at that.
"Be my date." Tony said, breaking out of her reverie. He had a genuine smile on his face that Pepper has been getting used to, partly because he only smiled that way towards her and nobody else.
"Are you asking me or are you insisting I be your date, Mr. Stark?"
"Both, Miss Potts." Tony's eyes had a glint of shine in them and Pepper immediately felt the butterfly feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew she wanted to go and by hearing that Tony wanted her to go too, well let's just say that she would not deny on being his date.
"Well then, I suggest we finish the work we have to do today and I'll meet you at your house at seven thirty, Mr. Stark." Pepper smiled and threw her plastic plate in the trash as she left Tony's office to continue her work.
Tony was ecstatic, excited, happy, thrilled. He couldn't wait for tonight, to show the entire world that Pepper is finally his and that they're both off limits, but the thought of his enemies finding Pepper still stuck at the back of his mind. He was willing to take the risk because he couldn't handle keeping their relationship for too long. He yearned to put his arm around her waist in public, to kiss her anytime he wanted, to hold her hand when they're walking on the beach and he just hoped that after tonight, he would be able to do those things without having to do it in private.
Pepper left work at five, a bit early for her liking, but she couldn't contain how excited she was. Usually, she would deny Tony and just stay at work until working hours are over, but this time was different. They were finally together and the thought of the entire world knowing about it, put a smile on Pepper's face. She never liked the media, but she wanted the world to know that Tony was off limits and that he was finally hers.
Tony was dressed in a black and white suit with a black bowtie hanging around his neck. He had difficulty on putting it on, so he decided to just wait for Pepper to fix it for him. He kept looking at his watch every five minutes and he was beginning to get nervous. Tony Stark never gets nervous, but tonight he was. He was thinking what if she didn't come? What if she stood him up? Tony would be hurt if she did that, but when Jarvis spoke, his heart began to race.
"Sir, Miss Potts is within minutes of the perimeter of the house." Jarvis's monotonous voice was overheard throughout Tony's bedroom.
"Thanks, Jarvis." Tony replied and once he heard Pepper's heels sounding the halls of his house, his heart was beating so fast, he thought it would explode out of his chest. He referred his attention back into the mirror in front of him and tried to act nonchalant, that all the thoughts he was just thinking weren't there. He saw Pepper coming closer to him and when he saw her through the mirror, his heart melted.
He turned around to face her and eyed her up and down. She was wearing a blue strapless dress that reached all the way down to her ankles. It revealed tons of exposed skin around her neck and when his eyes met hers; his breath was literally taken away. Her red hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders, just the way Tony liked. The blue dress made her blue crystal eyes stand out and he noticed that there was a glint of shine in her eyes. When she smiled, Tony felt weak at the knees. She wasn't wearing too much make up to make her look different, but she had enough make up for Tony to notice.
"Need help?" Pepper asked as Tony broke out of his trance. He nodded and Pepper reached around his neck and fixed his bowtie. Tony was watching her intently and something in his mind had clicked. He was willing to spend the rest of his life with this woman, to have kids with her. He wouldn't mind if she was the only woman he would wake up to every morning and the last person he'd see before he would go to bed. Then he remembered that he had made something for her for this night. He knew that Pepper would accept his offer when he asked to go to this benefit, so he made her a customized necklace.
When Pepper was finished with his bowtie, Tony looked down at her and just smiled. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, but he knew that if they were to kiss right now, they would never make it to the benefit so he resisted.
"I have something for you. Stay here." Tony said and ran downstairs to his workshop and grabbed a medium sized navy blue velvet box. He opened it to make sure that necklace was placed there and when he saw it, he immediately smiled. He knew that she would love it and he knew that it would look great on her pale skin.
He ran back upstairs and once he reached the top, he slowed down and acted calm. He couldn't contain his excitement; he just wanted to throw the velvet box at her and then devour her lips with his own. When he reached Pepper, he told her to turn around and close her eyes and face the mirror as Tony was behind her. He opened the box swiftly and took out the necklace as he put it around her neck with ease. He was right. It looked great on her and the sight of her closed eyes, with the necklace around her neck, made him just fall in love all over again.
"Okay, you can open your eyes." Tony whispered into her ear and when she opened her eyes slowly and saw the necklace through the mirror, she was on the verge of tears. Tears of joy, happiness, love. She loved Tony and always will.
"Tony…" Pepper said as a tear fell from her cheek. He turned her around to face him and wiped away the tear that just fell.
"Pepper, are you okay? It's okay if you don't like it." Tony replied, nervousness evident in his voice.
"Tony, I love it." Pepper said as she hugged Tony tightly.
The necklace that Tony gave her had a gold silver chain and the pendant was a miniaturized arc reactor. It looked exactly like Tony's new triangular arc reactor and it shone bright just like his.
"I made it because you are my better half and the arc reactor just proves to you that you're the one that makes my heart beat and you'll always be the one to do so." Tony wanted so badly to say that he loved her, but it didn't seem like the right moment yet. Pepper just hugged him again and when they broke out of their embrace, she kissed him passionately until Jarvis spoke, interrupting their kiss.
"Sir, Miss Potts, I apologize about interrupting you, but Mr. Hogan is here to take you to the benefit."
They rested their foreheads against one another and looked into their eyes as they walked to the front of the house to meet Happy. Tony had an arm around her shoulder and Pepper's arm was wrapped around his lower back.
"Pepper, you look amazing." Happy said and she smiled and said her thanks.
"Boss, you were right. The necklace looks amazing." Happy told Tony and Tony couldn't help but smile. When they got into the backseat, Pepper was beginning to get nervous and Tony realized this because she was fidgeting with her hands that were placed on her lap.
"Pepper, everything's going to be fine. Just smile at the cameras, we'll answer a question or two, then we'll be inside." Tony said to reassure her and Pepper relaxed a bit when Tony entwined their hands together.
"Sir, we're here." Happy said from up front and got out of the car as he held the door open for Tony and Pepper.
The flashes from the cameras were going off in every direction, Tony's name being yelled at every corner and Pepper was afraid to get out of the car. Tony got out first and smiled out into the crowd before he held out a hand from inside for Pepper to take. Tony realized that she hadn't taken his hand yet, so he looked inside and saw her sitting there.
"Pepper, I'll be right by your side." He told her calmly and Pepper finally took his hand and they entwined their fingers together when the flashes around them continually flashed in their faces when they realized that they were there together.
"Miss Potts!" "Mr. Stark!" Everyone was yelling and Tony and Pepper never figured that coming out with their relationship would cause this much media frenzy. Tony and Pepper went to talk with one of the reporters there and Tony's hand never left Pepper's.
"Mr. Stark, are you two an item now?" The man on the other side of the railing asked and Tony looked at Pepper and smiled that genuine smile at her.
"Damn right we are." Tony said and placed a kiss atop of Pepper's forehead and this caused another frenzy and yelling toward their way. Tony went to sign some autographs and when Tony was socializing with a young boy at an age of about eight, it literally took Pepper's breath away. She immediately realized that Tony would be a great father and she wanted Tony to be the father of her children. When Tony went back to Pepper, they entered the Disney Hall hand in hand and were welcomed by the people of the board, congratulating them on their new relationship.
"Hey there, love birds!" Rhodey yelled to them and they walked over to greet him. This night, he wasn't dressed in his military suit; he was wearing a black and white suit with a black tie.
"Hi, Rhodey." Pepper said and gave him a hug.
"Pepper, you look gorgeous." Rhodey replied as he eyed her up and down.
"Yeah, thank you, I know I look great too." Tony said and Pepper rolled her eyes at him.
"Tony, you did amazing on the necklace." Rhodey told him and this caused a smug grin on Tony's behalf.
"Thank you." Tony replied and Rhodey had to go and attend to a beautiful brunette that was eyeing him from afar.
"Would you like to dance?" Tony whispered into Pepper's ear and she looked up at him and nodded. Tony took her in his arms and placed a hand on her lower back while Pepper's arm was draped over her shoulder. Their free hands were holding onto each other as Tony held it close to his chest. They were swaying to the music, just looking intently in each other's eyes.
"I don't think I said that you looked beautiful tonight, Miss Potts."
"Well, thank you, Mr. Stark. You don't look half bad yourself."
"How long do we have to stay here? Because just by looking you, I can't really contain myself." Tony whispered and this earned him a roll of eyes from Pepper.
"We can leave at around eleven." Pepper replied and Tony looked at his watch. He sighed, just another three more hours. When he looked back at Pepper, the thoughts of leaving left his mind. He was willing to stay here with Pepper and just dance the night away with her in his arms. Tony went into kiss her and Pepper didn't pull back. She kissed back and when everyone around the place saw, they all began to murmur under their breaths, but neither Tony nor Pepper didn't care.
When their kiss broke, they rested their foreheads against one another and continued to dance to the music. They finally pulled away from the dance floor and went to the bar. Their hands were entwined once again and they both found it hard to let go of each other's hands.
"Extra dry vodka martini with three olives?" Tony asked with a smile and Pepper just nodded and smiled at how Tony remembered.
"Don't drink too much, alright?" Pepper told him and Tony just nodded. He ordered a scotch and while waiting for their drinks, their number one favorite reporter approached them.
"Miss Everheart, good to see you here." Tony said with sarcasm.
"You as well, Mr. Stark. Miss Potts, you look amazing if I must say." Christine fake smiled at her and Pepper just smiled back.
"I'd say the same about you, but then I'd be lying." Pepper said and grabbed her drink and left with Tony outside on the balcony. Tony drank his scotch as he ordered another glass.
"I never knew you were feisty." Tony said with a smile.
"I don't like her." Was all Pepper managed to say as she gulped down her vodka martini. Tony's second glass of scotch was finished and he ordered another one. "Tony, that's enough," Pepper told him as she took the third glass of scotch and gave it back to the waiter.
"Pepper, come on. I don't get drunk that easily." Tony said, grabbing the scotch before the waiter left and gulped it down.
"Tony, I'm not kidding." Pepper said with seriousness in her voice.
"Does it look like I am?" Tony replied.
"You know what, you can drink however many glasses of scotch you want." Pepper said before leaving Tony alone on the balcony. She didn't want Tony to drink anymore, but she knew that that's how he is and she's going to have to accept that since they're in a relationship now.
Pepper went back out to apologize to Tony and found his lips locked with Christine. When Tony saw her, he immediately found the strength to push Christine away and when he saw Pepper begin to cry, his heart began to break in little pieces.
"Pepper, it's not what it –"
"Tony, I don't want to hear it." Pepper said before she was walking away, wiping her tears away so that no one would get any ideas that she was crying. Tony grabbed her wrist and brought her back out to the balcony.
"Pepper, listen to me." Pepper found the urge to slap him across the face and when she did so, Tony was hurt. Not because of how hard she slapped him, but because she didn't even have the decency to hear him out. Christine was still standing there with an amused look on her face.
"He's all yours." Was all Pepper said before leaving. As she was walking out, she bumped into Patrick and when he saw the dried up tears that were on her face, he immediately looked alarmed.
"Ginny, are you okay?" Patrick asked with a concerning tone.
"I'm great." Pepper replied with a fake smile on her face. Patrick took her by the elbow and brought her to the bar as he was staring at her intently.
"Ginny, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Patrick. Just drop it." Pepper replied with anger in her voice.
Tony came back inside and looked around for Pepper. When he saw that she was with that same guy he saw her with the other day, he immediately felt jealous and angry. He walked up to them and when Pepper saw him, he looked the other way.
"Excuse me; I'd like to speak to my girlfriend if you don't mind." Tony said with a dangerous tone. The same tone that he would use before he would cause trouble.
"Tony, I don't want to talk to you right now." Pepper said and Tony was hurt, betrayed.
"You heard the lady, you can leave now." Patrick said and Tony grabbed him by the collar and pushed his back against the railing of the counter of the bar.
"No, you can leave now." Tony said before he let go of Patrick. Tony took Pepper by the elbow and brought her to a secluded corner.
"Pepper, look at me." Tony lifted her chin with a hook of his finger and made her look him in the eye.
"I don't want to hear what you have to say, Tony."
"Pepper, she kissed me first, alright. I tried to push her away, but she's strong! I'm sorry." Tony replied and Pepper just shook her head and wiped the tears away that were beginning to fall from her face.
"Bullshit, Tony." Tony was hurt when Pepper began to curse because he knew that whenever she cursed, she was really angry.
"Pepper, why can't you trust me?" Tony yelled, but not loud enough for everyone to hear.
"I'm sorry that I have to do this." Someone that looked a lot like Patrick said from behind Tony before he knocked Tony off his feet.
"Tony!" Pepper yelled as she was kneeling down at his side.
"I'm sorry, Ginny, so sorry." Patrick said before he took Pepper away and left. Tony could see Pepper being taken away, but he couldn't move. He couldn't do anything about it. Next thing he knew, he fell unconscious.
Pepper awoke tied up on a wooden chair inside a dark room. She was beginning to panic and all her thoughts referred back to Tony. She had hoped that he was okay, that Patrick didn't kill him. Pepper immediately felt angry for not trusting Tony. She wanted to go back to him, to apologize and tell him that she loves him with all her heart.
Suddenly, someone came through the door and when she saw the familiar face, she immediately just wanted to yell.
"I told you that I would be getting revenge on you, Miss Potts." Justin Hammer said with an evil smirk on his face.