Welcome to the new chapter of Pain of Love.

Pepper sat down in front of her computer, and started to look around what she could find about Stane. If he really was part of the robbery in the vault he would get fired for sure. Pepper was on her own personal computer, not the FBI's so she can't hack into said company without being charged a major felony. She read about him, and his daughter. His daughter, Pepper wasn't a fan of that character in this story, in fact she dislike her for being everything Pepper was opposite of. Whitney was girly, spoiled, and seemed to use people not caring about how they feel, throw away what seemed to make them human. Pepper on the other hand was a tomboy in every way, she was sweet, and she cared every deeply about how the other person felt. They didn't realize that in every contrast, there was a comparison. They're both passionate about what they believe in, doesn't matter of what it is, believing how a girl should never wear white after labor day, or you believe that every human had rights just as everybody elses. They're passionate and no one can change their minds whatsoever. This is what Tony thinks about every night before he goes to sleep. He's comparing and contrasting between Pepper and Whitney. He may think of Whitney from time to time. Can you blame him? You don't stop loving someone over night, that's for sure.

These thoughts also crossed Pepper's mind. What was so great about Tony? He was cocky, too smart for his own good, and could be selfish from time to time. Not to mention he thrusted himself into unneeded trouble for himself when he invented the Iron Man suit. He was an already weak person when he made it. Was that why he made it? So, he could be equal to everyone phyiscally? No, Tony wasn't bad in phyiscal fitness, he had to, to be able to carry that weight of the suit. It scared her deeply because she couldn't stop herself from falling for him, but he was in trouble many many times before, and could be killed. Pepper was scared that if he did die, which God forbid would happen, would she be able to move on? She knew the answer, no. No, she wouldn't mainly because she would never know if he loved her back. No matter how hard she shook her head to rid these thoughts about Tony, she couldn't. He kept coming back into her thoughts, like he was cycling around her head. She tried to focus on the screen in front of her, but she couldn't. She thought to Tony's smiling face when he saw her at the airport, how he was so panicked when she got kidnapped, how he looked at her when she said something which seemed stupid to him. Pepper sighed, her fingers falling off the keyboard.

Tony was on his bed, his feet flat on the floor, his head in his hand, elbows on his knees propping his arms and hands up. The thoughts wouldn't stop. He wished that there was a way to just shut off his brain. Where he wouldn't think for hours and hours on his bed about a certain girl. He was reaching a breaking point. He reached into his pants pocket, and pulled out his cellphone. He quickly brought up a text message to send to Pepper;

'You home?'

He thought it was stupid once he sent it, of course she was home, she just came back a few hours ago! She replied;

'Yeah...Why?'

Tony replied;

'I'm coming over. Don't ask why.'

Pepper replied with;

'Kay...'

Tony leaped off of his bed, out the door of his bedroom, down the stairs, cross the living room, and out the door. He ran until he reached Pepper's apartment building. He continued to run, he didn't bother with the elevator, he used the stairs, that's when he reached Pepper's apartment door. He knocked, waited for about two seconds, then knocked again, repeated the process about two more times before Pepper opened the door.

"Hey, can I come in? Thanks!" Tony didn't let her answer before he entered her apartment.

"What's up Tony? Is it about the vault thingy? Cuz I-" "It's not about that." Tony interrupted.

"Okay...What is it?" Pepper asked. Tony walked into the living room.

"I-I-I...Um...Well, you see...Would you?...Would you be mad...Would you be mad if I kissed you right now?" Tony mumbled and stuttered, and ended with a question.

"What?" Pepper asked, her eyes getting wide, she never would've thought that those words would spill out of Tony Stark's mouth. Ever.

"You see...um...for while...I broke up with Whitney...and I have thoughts just going round and round and round...and they are all about you...and I think...I think I love you Pepper Potts..." Tony said, with a lot of pauses in between. Tony hung his head when Pepper didn't reply after a short while.

"I-I...don't know what to say...I think...I think I love you too..." Pepper said, after about two more minuets of silence. Tony's head snapped up.

"What?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, but if you don't like it that's okay, you know you might be into unrequited love thingy..." Pepper said, a bright blush on her cheeks.

"No, I like it, that you know you love me." Tony said, stepping about two steps closer.

"Are you being cocky?" Pepper asked.

"No, of course not, why would I?" Tony asked, taking three steps closer to Pepper.

"Sounds like you are getting cocky." Pepper said. Tony reached out, and grabbed Pepper by her waist.

"I asked before, would you be mad if I kissed you?" Tony said, his lips dangerously close to hers.

"Depends if your good or not." Pepper smiled.

"Well, lets check and see." Tony smiled too, before their lips crashed together. So many things rushed into their heads, the shock of this was actually happening, the waiting for this to happen is finally over, and the feeling of the kiss was amazing, to amazing to be described in a single word, no, not even in many words put together can explain the feeling. As the kiss increased in desire, we end scene to keep this story at a teen level.

Enjoyed? If you did, review! Merry Christmas!