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Tony had been thinking a lot about the day he was having with Pepper. The hours spent together, sharing stories and smiles, only reinforced his desire to be by her side. However, the dark-haired man had already made plans he couldn't cancel. It was getting late, and despite inviting his ex-girlfriend to join him, the redhead declined. With no other choice, he had to stick to the schedule. Reluctantly, he got ready, said goodbye to the Potts women, and left for his appointment. He arrived at the restaurant almost 40 minutes later, cursing New York's night traffic and all the tourists bustling around.
"For a moment, I thought you weren't coming," his companion said as she saw him arriving with the concierge.
"By now, you must know I'm not great with punctuality," Stark joked.
"Yeah, maybe I've noticed," she laughed.
"I'm really sorry, Laurel. But New York traffic is nothing compared to Toronto's," he apologized.
"No need to worry, I arrived late too," the woman informed, standing up to greet him with a hug and two kisses on the cheeks. "I actually got here just three minutes ago."
"That makes me feel a bit better," Tony commented, sitting across from the brunette and gesturing for the waiter to approach.
"Good evening, my name is Gaston and I'll be taking care of you tonight," said the smiling blonde waiter. "Would you like to place your order now?"
"For now, I'll just have a glass of your finest whiskey," the dark-haired man replied.
"And for you, miss? Would you like to order something?"
"I'll have the same," Laurel said.
The waiter nodded and walked away from the table.
"I didn't know you were a fan of whiskey," Tony commented.
"Well, you never saw me in college," she said, laughing.
Since they met in the park while he was out with his daughters, Stark had kept in touch with Laurel. They had exchanged numerous messages and met up a few more times. She was a beautiful, friendly, and funny woman. Tony enjoyed her company.
"So, what brings you to New York? Business or pleasure?" he asked.
"A bit of both, I hope," the veterinarian replied, raising her glass to her lips.
"New York is a magical city, so you have a good chance of getting what you want," the dark-haired man mirrored her gesture. "Definitely the best," he referred to the amber liquid.
The woman smiled. "I have to agree."
They then engaged in several animated conversations, but despite how much the Iron Man alter ego was enjoying Laurel's company, he couldn't stop thinking about Pepper. Although she had stated there was nothing more between them and he could go out with a clear conscience, it seemed she was only saying that superficially. The redhead had always been the one in his life, ever since they met two decades ago. Unlike with other women, it wasn't Pepper's beauty that first caught Tony's attention, but her personality. The way she wasn't afraid to speak her mind or correct a mathematical error of a genius MIT graduate in front of half a dozen people upon whom her job depended. With any other employee, Stark would have fired her on the spot without a second thought, but Pepper was different. He promoted her to his personal assistant and, years later, to CEO of Stark Industries. She was always a mystery to be unraveled. Reserved, enigmatic, she rocked the man's world without even trying. Five years after their breakup, nothing had changed. And he knew it never would.
"Tony, are you okay?" Laurel asked, noticing he was silent and a bit distant.
"Sorry, it's just..." What could he say to her? That he was flirting while thinking about someone else? That he was using her as an escape? He sighed. "Iris wasn't feeling well when I left home. Pepper just texted saying she has a slight fever." He lied.
"And what are you still doing here?" Well, the brunette seemed to have believed him.
"We had plans, I couldn't just not show up." Tony hated lying, but hurting Laurel's feelings seemed worse.
"Tony, your daughters come first. I completely understand that, so if you want to go be with Iris, it's okay. I'll understand."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely." She smiled, stroking his hand across the table.
"Thank you, Laurel." He said, relieved, as he stood up. He left two $100 bills on the table, more than enough to cover what they had consumed so far, and left the restaurant as quickly as he could.
As he drove through the bustling New York streets, Tony thought about the possible ways to confront Pepper and his feelings once and for all. He had formulated a thousand and one plans, but when the elevator doors opened into his living room, he realized none of them were good enough. Taking a deep breath, he left his jacket on the sofa and went upstairs. He passed by the room his ex-girlfriend was occupying, but didn't see her. Hearing the sound of the shower, he knew she was in the bathroom. He waited outside, organizing his thoughts. Considering that the redhead might take a while, he decided to quickly check on the twins in their bedroom. He approached their beds carefully and kissed each of their foreheads. As he was leaving, he heard Erin call out to him.
"Yes, my angel?" he asked softly, inevitably smiling. It had been just over two weeks since the girls had started referring to him as "daddy," but every time he heard it, it felt like the first.
"Were you with your girlfriend?" the little girl wanted to know.
"What?" he asked, a bit confused, not understanding where the question was coming from.
"You went out with Laurel today, is she your girlfriend?" Erin rephrased the question.
"How do you know that?" Tony approached her again.
"Mommy said you were having dinner with her today."
"And I did, but she's not my girlfriend, princess..."
"Hmm..." The little one said thoughtfully. "Do you love mommy?"
"Why all these questions?" He laughed nervously. Were they supposed to be having this conversation?
"You still haven't answered me," she said seriously, and despite her sleepy voice, the dark-haired man knew her daughter was getting angry. The girls were just like their mother.
"Of course I love your mother. She gave me you and your sister, didn't she?" Stark chose the safest path.
"Oh, Daddy, you're so silly," Erin tapped her own forehead lightly, making the dark-haired man laugh.
"Why don't you tell me where you're going with this?" He encouraged her to continue, knowing some pearl of wisdom was coming.
"Why don't you tell me if you love Mommy like I want to know?"
"Okay, Erin Louise. I love your mother. Satisfied?" He admitted.
"If you love her, why did you make her cry?"
"I did what?" Right, he definitely wasn't expecting that.
"She was crying when you left, Daddy. We don't hurt people we love."
"Are you sure Mommy was crying?"
"Oops..." The girl scolded herself. "I shouldn't have said that."
"But now you have to tell me... Are you sure Mommy was crying?" Tony asked again.
"You told me never to tell lies," Erin replied, clearly speaking the truth.
"You're right, I'm sorry." Tony was still completely taken aback by the conversation with his daughter. "Erin, I didn't mean to hurt Mom, okay? I'm sorry if I did, but it wasn't my intention. I would never do something like that on purpose."
"Then why didn't you tell her that?" The girl seemed to see things they themselves didn't.
"That I didn't want to hurt her?" He questioned.
"No, Daddy, that you love her." She rolled her eyes, showing clear frustration with the adults' slowness.
"I don't know if that's what she wants to hear." The dark-haired man paused. "Actually, I'm not even sure I should be talking about this with you."
"Why? I'm very smart."
"Exactly because of that."
"You adults are so confusing." Tony laughed. "And you kids aren't easy either." He tucked the sheet around his daughter. "Now it's time to sleep. If Mom finds out you were awake this late, we'll both be in trouble."
"Can it be our secret then?" Erin asked with pleading eyes.
"It can." Stark smiled.
"Good night, Daddy. Love you." The little one said.
"Love you too, sweetheart. Now, sleep tight." The dark-haired man gave his daughter one last kiss on the forehead and left the room, still trying to process the conversation he had with her. Passing by Pepper's room again, he noticed the door was closed, so he decided to take a quick shower. Minutes later, as he entered the kitchen, he saw his ex-girlfriend approaching.
"Are you hungry?" He asked, swallowing hard as he analyzed her. Pepper was wearing a blue silk babydoll that accentuated her curves.
"What are you doing here?" She asked confusedly.
"Asking if you want something to eat."
"And you're going to cook? Since when do you cook, Anthony?"
"I've learned to do many things over these years. Macaroni and cheese, macaroni and cheese, macaroni and cheese... Did I mention macaroni and cheese?" Stark joked, counting on his fingers.
The redhead laughed. "I'm fine, thank you."
Tony smiled, feeling somewhat more at ease with the relaxed atmosphere that was beginning to settle between them. "How about some wine then?" he asked, already fetching a glass from the cupboard.
"Tony, what's going on?" Pepper interrupted, ignoring his offer.
"Are you always this suspicious?" he retorted.
"You went on a date and you're home before 10:30. It's obvious," she stated matter-of-factly.
"Laurel could have been here with me," Tony could have made it clear that it wasn't a date, but he decided to give her more ammunition.
"Sure, with your ex and your daughters in the next room... Nice try."
"I just needed to check on Iris. Your message got me worried," he explained.
"My message?" Pepper laughed. "Anthony, did you use our daughter to get out of a date?"
"I didn't use Iris to get out of a date. I used her so I could come and be with you."
"Ah, of course," she replied sarcastically, turning to leave the kitchen.
"Why is it so hard to believe that I wanted to be here with you?" Tony followed her.
"If you wanted to, you wouldn't have gone in the first place."
"Is that why you got jealous?" Tony teased.
"What?" It had to be a joke... Even if it was true.
"Erin told me that..."
"What did Erin say?" Pepper interrupted, turning to face him.
"Nothing," he couldn't break the agreement with his daughter that way. "The point is: I really wanted to be here with you, but I didn't know if that's what you wanted."
"I told you that you didn't have to stay here."
"And why does it feel like you only said that half-heartedly?"
"Tony, you're imagining things," the redhead stopped at the top of the stairs.
"What's so difficult about telling the truth? You weren't like this before," the dark-haired man also stopped, preventing them from colliding.
"I wasn't many things before you," Potts replied, holding her ground.
"Neither was I," he stood his ground.
"Tony, I don't know why you left your date so early, but it was a mistake. You should call her, apologize, and go meet her wherever she is," it wasn't what she wanted to say, but she didn't want to admit her jealousy either. Jealousy had always been strong between them.
"It wasn't a mistake," Tony said as he ascended the remaining steps and stopped a few paces away from her, locking eyes. "When Laurel asked me about my home earlier, instead of describing a place, I found myself thinking of you." He paused significantly. "I thought about the color of your hair, your eyes, the sound of your voice. I thought about the taste of your lips, the texture of your skin, your scent. I thought about how you bite your lower lip when you're nervous, how you blush when you're embarrassed, how you play with your fingers when you're worried... At no point did I think about describing a place." He sighed deeply. "Leaving her, Pep, wasn't a mistake. Going away was."
Pepper stared at him, stunned by the intensity of his words. She couldn't formulate an immediate response; her thoughts were swirling like a whirlwind. "Tony..." she murmured softly.
"I know I hurt you like no one else has, and I hate myself for it. But, darling, I love you in a way I can't even explain. You are my strength, my inspiration. You mean the world to me, and that will never change." He laid bare all his vulnerability as he continued to pour out his heart. "I want you to know that this time will be different. I'll come after you wherever you are. You're more than just a friend or the mother of my daughters. You're someone I want to spend the rest of my life with." Tony took another step towards her, took a deep breath, gently brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, and spoke with sincerity. "I don't know if you were ready to hear this or if this is what you wanted to hear, because you never talk to me about how you feel. But, Pep, I don't want to spend another day wondering what could have been if we had been honest with each other, and I hope you don't either."
And what could she say after all of that?