Authors note: reviews are like chocolate, you can never get enough of them. Nuff said, there are other IM Fanfics on my page if you are looking for others. I apologize for the lateness, works being a bugger lately!

Word count: 385.

II. Three Words

The first time Tony had said the words, he was in deep sleep and Pepper had only just arrived because she had been up all night doing paperwork that her boss slash lover was meant to be doing. She always knew that Tony felt it, he just never said it – there was a whole different perspective to it, it was one of the many reasons why she hadn't told him herself.

Pepper feared the worst when it came to her relationship with Tony, the fact that they had been together for a few months, with ten years of knowing each other – she could read him like a book but that didn't mean she didn't know how he felt about her, on more than one occasion she saw it first-hand.

For example it was only yesterday when instead of being in his work-shop slash man cave, adding things onto his suit that he made his way up to the living room, where Pepper had made herself comfortable on his plush leather sofa, typing away on a document that had to be written for the meeting the following morning.

Without glancing up, she smiled softly and murmured, "Everything okay, Tony?" He nodded and then realised she wasn't looking in his direction so instead plopped down beside her, moving the laptop from her lap and hands before snuggling into her neck.

Shocked, she froze. His lips brushing against her neck, his arms wrapped around her fragile and petite frame; only for him to pull her body flush to his chest. "Hey." She whispered, feeling all fluffy with the warmth from his chest – this wasn`t rare of Tony he she loved it when he felt like this because she loved feeling like this.

"Hi." He whispered back, his breath tickling her neck.

And they stayed like that, for what seemed like forever.

It was only then when she noticed her boss and lover's eyes fluttered open, a smile gracing his lips as he pulled her closer into his body – for one, he was definitely a cuddler it seemed only when Pepper was there. He did exactly what he did yesterday, his lips by her neck only this time he whispered, "I love you." Again, Pepper froze – not expecting this but replied just as softly, "I love you too Tony."