A/N: Thanks for the Happy New Year wishes everyone :) . This chapter is set just after the New Years Eve party that the trio Stark family attended. Enjoy...

"You want me to tuck him in?" Pepper asked as she halted and stopped in the middle of the steps. She turned around and gazed down at him.

He chuckled and gazed up at her. "You really got to stop doing that, Pepper...One of these days I'm going to walk right into you."

She smiled warmly and slipped her hands around his neck and kissed him softly. "I know, but I like it because for once I'm taller."

"Well, you get quite close sometimes when you're wearing your stilettos..."

"True," she nodded briefly but added, "But it's nice and I'm pregnant and hormonal so just humour me."

"Always," he murmured and kissed her gently, "I live to please..."

"Yup," she remarked shortly, "That's why you persuaded me to have ice cream with you and Jared at 2am even though you know I hate to eat sugary substances before sleeping."

"Well," he whispered as he pressed a few kisses down her neck, "You weren't complaining."

"That's because Jared was giving me the typical 'Tony' look," she murmured as he kissed her.

"Huh? There's such a thing as the 'Tony' look?"

"Oh yes," she nodded swiftly and unknotted his tie. "It's the one where your eyes go all wide and droopy..." she paused and narrowed her eyes at him, "You're doing the look right now."

He chortled as he pulled her close. "Well, if it's any consolation, Jared does the 'Pepper' look on occasions too."

"What are you-"

"There..." he mustered triumphantly as he gazed up at her. "You're doing the 'Pepper' look."

She huffed and mumbled, "You're incorrigible."

"And yet you marry me and bear children with me..."

"That's because I-"

"I know," he sighed and sarcastically mustered a defeated expression, "You're in it for the money and Ironman."

"And also because you're a fantastic flashlight," she admitted sarcastically.

He chuckled as he slid a hand across her cheek and pressed a sensual kiss at her lips. He pulled her closer as she ran a hand through his hair and suddenly he felt like he was kissing her for the first time all over again. He was contemplating on whether to lower her to the steps or press her up against the railings before he suddenly felt her pulling back.

"Tony," she mustered with a stifle laugh as he pulled back from the kiss. "We're in the middle of the steps and-"

"That's disgusting," Jared grumbled from the top of the steps.

"Jared!" Tony exclaimed as he loosened the hold on Pepper but made sure to still securely keep an appropriate hold on her.

"Really gross," Jared added and shielded his eyes.

"See, I told you."

"You know, kissing your mother is a completely appropriate gesture," Tony murmured.

"Tony-"

"It's still gross," Jared mustered.

He chuckled at Pepper's horrified expression.

"Come on, let's get you tucked in," Tony smirked at Jared who scowled at him from the top of the steps. As he stepped up beside her he whispered, "So I can kiss your mother without an audience."

"Tony," she gasped.

"Incorrigible," he mumbled, "I know."

As she disappeared into the bathroom he unbuttoned his shirt and lazily draped his tie over the edge of the bed. He sighed and smiled warmly at the thought of his little family.

"Is he asleep, Jarvis?"

"As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out."

"I'm not surprised," he murmured as he discarded his shirt.

"How was the party, sir?"

"Wonderful," he replied and smiled as he continued, "It's always great when I'm with Pepper and Jared."

"Would you like me to initiate protocol 50-TG for the evening, sir?"

"The normal will do, Jarvis."

"I have also taken the initiative to commence protocol 15."

He raised a brow as he discarded his pants and stood promptly in his boxers and a white shirt.

"What protocol is that?"

"You designed it when Mrs Stark was pregnant with Jared."

"Oh...good thinking, Jarvis. I didn't even think about that."

"Didn't think about what?" Pepper asked briefly as she stepped into the dresser to discard her formal clothing.

"Protocol 15," he mumbled as he followed her into the dresser.

"Protocol 15?"

"That protocol I designed when you were pregnant with Jared."

"Oh...I remember that one. That really helped a lot."

He rolled his eyes sarcastically and added, "Of course it did. Your professional flashlight husband designed it just for you."

She snickered and slid her arms around his waist. "Yes...my obscenely rich husband..."

"Mhmm..." he murmured as he leaned in to kiss her and whispered, "Your obscenely rich and sometimes superhero husband is ready to please."

"I'm just here for the cash remember," she whispered as he smiled at her.

"And for other things too," he chuckled and pressed her against the cupboard as he trailed kisses down her neck.

She leaned into him as he kissed the place where her neck met her shoulder. He moaned softly as she ran her fingers through his hair. He decided he'd take it slow this time around. That she deserved a little more pleasure because it was New Years and he really wanted to make love to her even though he made love to her the night before. There was something special about starting out the year with the fact that she was two months pregnant that made him swoon.

He slipped a hand under her shirt and pressed his palm against her lower back as if to pull her closer. He closed his eyes as he breathed her in and trailed kisses up her neck with every intention to capture her lips again. But just as he slipped a hand into her cheek and drew back to briefly look at her his eyes captured hers and he paused.

"Mhmm...I love you, Tony...Happy New Year," she murmured and smiled warmly at him.

Her words touched him further than anything ever could at that precise moment. It wasn't as if she didn't say it every day but more so the moments she chose to say them that made their moments just so...perfect. It was as if she knew how to turn him into an incoherent bubble of romance and everything so clichéd that came with love. Only she could look into his eyes and stare directly at his soul and remind him what it was like to fall in love with her all over again.

And it was like this every year on this very day that he loved her more and more. He couldn't love her any less because loving her was the next best thing to heaven.

The smile at his lips curled as he sighed and pressed his forehead against hers, "I love you too, Pepper," he whispered and added before he kissed her, "Happy New Year."