FIRST OFF: I'm not a big fan of Pepper in the Iron Man comics. So, none of this will make sense if you're trying to fit it into the comic's stories. It won't work. I don't like Pepper and Happy together. Sorry. I just don't. Now. Things you have to assume before you read this: The first one is that Pepper is almost 35 in the second Iron Man movie. The second is that she began working for Stark Industries as soon as she graduated from college. The third is that, like she said in the second movie, she'd been working for Tony for 10 years.

Tony Stark didn't fall in love very often. In fact, he only believed he'd actually only been in love once. And that was back in 1990 when he was in college. But that's a different story. For Tony, falling in love wasn't something that just happened, like love at first sight. It had to go through certain steps. The steps were different for every girl, so it's not like Tony could decide 'I'm going to fall in love with this girl today by following the steps.' But if he didn't follow the steps, it simply didn't work for him. And these steps took time—something Tony didn't have a lot of. But when he really did fall in love, he fell hard.

Step 7: Boyfriend—Girlfriend

"Okay Pep, it's your thirty-fifth birthday. What do you want to do?" Tony asked for the millionth time that day.

"I told you, Tony, I don't want to do anything. Between you being Iron Man and us both running Stark Industries, we're always at fancy dinner parties or meetings or whatever. And wherever we go we're surrounded by the press. It's a wonder they don't know we're dating by now. But whatever the reason, we're never home." Pepper shrugged.

"But it's your birthday. I want to do something for your birthday." Tony whined, acting like the six year old he really was at heart. He was giving her the 'puppy dog' face. The one she could never resist.

"Oh all right. Surprise me, Tony." Pepper threw her hands up and left the room to finish the paperwork she had to do.

Tony smiled. Oh, he'd surprise her alright. Later that night, at five thirty when Pepper was done with work (he'd made her come home early) he drove her to a cute little boutique she'd mentioned she liked once. Once.

"How did you remember this place?" Pepper asked, wide eyed.

Tony blushed. "Well, Jarvis helped." Pepper laughed. There, Tony insisted she buy a new dress and shoes to match. Pepper tried to resist, but Tony loaded dress after dress in her size into his hands and led her to the back of the store to try them on.

After lots of Tony's inputs, opinions, and critiques Pepper ended up with a strapless backless dark green dress. It was floor length and flowey with part of it bunched up on the right waist. The shoes were black stiletto closed toed high heels that looked like many other pairs that she had, but Tony still insisted.

After escaping the press that seemed to have them on GPS, he drove her to a salon where she got her hair and nails done. Her nails were in a simple French manicure and her hair was, also simple, left down but curled. He told her to use the salon's bathroom to change into her dress and shoes. When she came out Tony was waiting and wearing a suit.

Then he drove her to an Italian restaurant in LA called Campanile. He'd called ahead so (not only was—you guessed it—the press there) their table was ready. They were lead to a table at the side of the room on the wall. Tony, like a gentleman, held her chair out for her and then went to sit down himself.

"So," he began, "how's your birthday so far?"

Pepper grinned. "Amazing. But I can't believe you spent this much money! Everything at the boutique was expensive and you bought me a dress and shoes. Then you took me to get my hair and nails done and the spa wasn't cheep either. Then this fancy restaurant… I appreciate it and I love it, but it's so much."

"I have more money than your average person, yes." Tony smiled, "And who better to spend it on than you, Pep?"

Pepper grinned and leaned across the table to kiss him. "Yes Tony, I know the reporters are watching. I'm okay with it."

"Really?" he asked softly. Pepper nodded. "In that case—" but he was interrupted but their server. They ordered and began talking about nothing and soon their food was ready. As they ate they kept talking. Tony glanced up at Pepper who had previously been watching him.

"Pepper?" he asked.

"Yeah?" she replied.

He hesitated but then decided to continue. "Pepper, I've said this to a lot of woman. I've even said it to you far too many times. These words have come out of my lips so many times that I'm sure that's all they are now—meaningless words. But I don't want them to be meaningless or empty. I want them to mean something which is why I'm rambling on about it because I want you to know that I really do mean it and—"

Pepper interrupted him. "Tony, spit it out!" she laughed.

He smiled nervously. "All I want to say is I love you, Pepper. I have for a while now and… I just wanted to tell you, since I haven't yet and… Well, I have, but I was either drunk, kidding, or teasing. And I wanted you to know I mean it. I love you, Virginia Potts. I love you. Not maybe, not tomorrow, not someday. Right now, at this very moment. I've realized something; I need you, I trust you, I admire you, I want you. And we can be wrong most of the time, and we can fight and be mad at each other, but nothing, nothing in this world can change the fact that I love you."

Pepper grinned. Yeah, he was right. He had told her he loved her many many times. But this time it truly was different. "I love you too, Anthony Stark."

So. This was supposed to be the last chapter. But it isn't. There's still two more chapters. :D Because Tony's already in love with Pepper, the 'falling in love' steps are over, I suppose, but the 'falling *more* in love' steps aren't over quite yet. ;D