A/N: Hmmm...This story was actually meant as a one shot but I just couldn't help but type this up. Oh and this time it's written from Tony's point of view, not Jared's...Enjoy.

"Pepper-"

"No."

He blinked, bewildered by her pointed response. His hands are paused, his gesture frozen in mid air as he stared at her. She was sitting behind her desk and although she looked exhausted, she was still furiously typing away at her keyboard, eyes fixed on the computer screen.

"I'm-"

"I don't want to hear it," she retorted and he blinked again.

"But Pepper we're-"

"Not right now," she muttered with a barely audible sigh.

His hands retreated from mid air and swiftly he pocketed them and blinked at her. He really was confused now. He didn't think he had done anything in particular to annoy her and according to the checklist he had Jarvis draw up earlier, he did everything exactly as she requested. He showered and carefully dressed the bruises and cuts he received from the mission hours ago. He wore the neatly pressed suit she laid out for him on their bed, he even managed to dress Jared properly and yet still make it to the office approximately 10 minutes early.

He tugged on the little hand he held in his and together they walked into the room toward a very irritated woman. He glanced wearily at Jared and noticed the discomfort written across his son's face. He smiled reassuringly to the boy and slipped his hand from the little hand he held before replacing the comforting gesture to hold his shoulders instead.

"What's-"

"Quiet," she hushed.

He blinked again, really confused now as he sat down on one of her free chairs. He lifted Jared to his lap and together they watched her.

"Pepper I-"

"Be quiet," she mumbled exasperatedly.

"Okay," he murmured and obediently kept quiet.

He settled for silence with his son and he was mildly thankful his son wasn't the impatient type. But he noticed the constant squirming and he decided on a little hand game. He opened his hand wide and his little son placed his hand in his. He watched wondrously as his little son pointed on his hands a few times, pulling at his fingers, drawing lazy circles.

"Okay," she began pointedly.

The little hand game he was playing with his son stopped blankly and together they stared at her.

"Now," she started as she laid her hands very carefully over each other on her desk. "How many times have I-"

"Pepper, it wasn't his fault I-"

"How many times have I said it, Tony?"

"Five..." he muttered.

"And Jared, how many times did I tell you?"

"Three," his son mumbled softly.

"And yet the both of you can't get it right?"

"But what's wrong with-"

"No..." she sighed and pointed her gaze to him. "You cannot pick him up from school in your Ironman suit."

"But mummy, daddy was just-"

"I was running late, Pepper," he reasoned, "I couldn't get home in time to grab the car and Happy was busy driving Natalie around...I had to do something."

"I would have picked him up," she retorted.

"But I had to fly over his school to get home anyway so why not just kill two birds with one stone?" he questioned carefully.

She regarded him silently and he winced at her expression. He was sure much later without the presence of Jared, he was probably going to get a lengthy lecture.

"Alright, no ice cream tonight," she muttered as she neatly packed her bag.

"But mummy-"

"No buts," she retorted and he winced at her tone.

He reassuringly ran his hands over Jared's shoulders.

"And Tony-"

He gazed to her.

"Don't even think about sneaking ice cream into his room later..."