Pepper didn't know what to do. She was frozen. Five years had passed, and she had never stopped loving him. Five years had passed, and he still felt the same way about her. It was like they were back on the rooftop of one of the city's buildings after the disastrous Stark Expo, confronting the intense and contradictory feelings that had always existed between them. Her heart was racing, mingling with the confusion that filled her mind. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She needed a moment to process everything, to decide if she was ready to face the challenges that would come with being by Tony's side. She didn't want to make a hasty decision, but she also didn't want to lose the chance to be happy with the man she loved.
"You have no idea what you're making me feel," the redhead said after an interminable moment of tension.
The man smiled as her teary blue eyes gazed at him. They were so close that he could see every tiny freckle on her face. She was so beautiful.
"You have no idea what you're making me feel," he said, gently caressing her cheek. But as much as she loved being admired by him, at that moment, it was sheer torture.
"Are you going to kiss me?" Pepper asked, feeling her breath become heavier.
"Is that what you want?" he inquired.
"Well, you'll have to figure it out," she responded seductively, and then she felt his lips pressed against hers.
For the first time in years, they surrendered to a kiss without reservations. At that moment, it was as if only the two of them existed. It was like finally being back home. The kiss, which began with the feelings of two people who just wanted to feel each other, gradually became more intense. Hungry. They both wanted more.
"We're not the only ones at home," Pepper commented, pulling away briefly to catch her breath.
"They're asleep... Besides, we just have to be quiet," Stark offered the solution, making her laugh.
He then pulled her closer and kissed her again. Tony took the moment and lifted her, causing her to wrap her legs around his waist. He then guided them to his room and gently laid her on the bed. By that point, the clothes they were wearing were already starting to be a nuisance, so the redhead had her hands on the hem of his shirt to take it off.
"Are you sure?" he asked, his eyes intense and serious.
"Aren't you?" Has some signal been misinterpreted?
"Honey, I think you can feel just how much I want this, but you don't have to do anything you're not sure about..."
"Anthony, I want you," she said, caressing the back of his neck and pulling him in for another kiss. She hoped the answer was obvious.
Stark understood the message and helped her with the attempt from a few seconds ago, removing his shirt. He then began kissing her neck and chest, his hand exploring the side of her body, tracing every curve.
"Blue has always suited you," he said, referring to the babydoll she was wearing.
"I can keep it on if you want," Potts teased.
"The blue of your eyes is already perfect for me," he replied before kissing her again. In a matter of seconds, he removed the garment, leaving her in just her panties beneath him.
Tony then focused on Pepper's breasts. While he used his mouth to play with one, sometimes sucking, sometimes nibbling, he used his hand to give equal attention to the other. Her breathing was increasingly erratic; she moaned at the contact of his tongue on her skin, which only served to excite him more. He started kissing her abdomen, making her gasp in anticipation. He ran his hand over the elastic of her panties, then stopped halfway, returning to kiss her intensely.
The redhead took the opportunity to turn them over on the bed so she was on top. She kissed him quickly and removed his pajama pants along with his underwear. Now, she was in control. Smiling with her conquest, she began to slide her hand along his length, moving slowly while watching his chest rise and fall.
"Pep..." Stark said with difficulty as he felt her mouth on his penis.
Potts worked masterfully, and he was loving the sensation she was giving him. He felt he would soon reach orgasm, so he stopped her and laid her back on the bed, spread her legs, and began kissing the inside of her thighs. With skillful fingers, he pulled down her black lingerie, stimulating her at her pleasure point. Pepper moaned, her hand wandering over Tony's back, scratching him mercilessly.
He increased the pace of his fingers and tongue. When he stopped, he heard a brief protest escape her lips, but it didn't last long. The last piece of clothing between them was removed, and as he had his mouth on her again, she felt as if she had lost control of her body.
"Tony..." she moaned, on the edge of orgasm. "Oh, God..."
"I love you, Pep," he said, bringing their faces to the same level.
"I love you too."
The redhead then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Stark took the moment to join with her, and once inside, began to move slowly. Potts moaned more and more, which he took as encouragement to go deeper, faster. It didn't take long for them to reach climax together, feeling complete again, as if they had found what was missing in their lives.
"That was..." Tony began with some difficulty, his voice faltering.
"Like we never parted," Pepper finished. She kissed his shoulder and felt a shiver run through her body as he pulled out of her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Are you sure?" He wanted to be certain.
"Will you be here when I wake up?" the redhead asked.
"Always," Stark confirmed, settling into the bed and wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Then I'm more than fine," she replied, resting her head on his chest. As he played with her red hair, they both realized that the love they shared seemed stronger than ever. At that moment, they knew they belonged to each other.
It didn't take long for them to fall asleep, exhausted and in ecstasy. Initially, they had a good night's sleep, but waking up early the next day wasn't exactly in their plans. However, they forgot to combine that with their daughters.
"DA-DAD!"
"DAD!"
Tony heard two distant voices calling him.
"DAD, WAKE UP!"
"DAD, WHERE ARE YOU?"
The high-pitched voices grew louder.
"Sir, the little Starks have woken up," F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s voice also sounded in the room, causing the adults to stir in bed. "Sir, they are getting impatient," the robotic voice sounded again, and this time the man opened his eyes.
He was still sleepy, a bit groggy, but when he heard his daughters calling him again and saw the redhead sleeping beside him, he finally woke up from his trance.
"Damn it!" the man exclaimed, jumping out of bed.
"What's wrong?" His abrupt movement woke the woman.
"The girls," he replied as he put on his underwear and searched for his shirt on the bedroom floor.
"What?" She asked, sitting up quickly. "What time is it?"
"08:47, am" F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke.
"Shit!" the redhead exclaimed quickly as she got up, wrapped in the sheet.
Tony put on his sweatpants and tossed the blue babydoll to her.
"You distract them while I figure out a way to sneak out without them seeing me," Potts suggested.
"Hide yourself in the closet," he countered.
"I'm not going to do that."
"And you know I won't be able to stall these two," Tony said, heading for the door. "Pep, who knows how long they've been looking for us," he added nervously.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!" Erin and Iris shouted together when they saw the door open.
"Hi, princesses... Thank you so much!" the dark-haired man replied, returning the twins' hug. He had completely forgotten what day it was today.
"We brought something for you," Erin said, handing him a sheet of paper. "These are me, Iris, and Mom. And this one is you flying in your armor and protecting us," she added, pointing to the drawing they had made.
The man was deeply moved by his daughters' affection. They were undoubtedly two of the best things that had ever happened to him.
"Mom was going to help us make breakfast and bring it to you in bed, but we couldn't find her," the little girl continued.
"She wasn't in the room, and F.R.I.D.A.Y. wouldn't say where she was," Iris completed her sister's sentence, clearly annoyed by the lack of information.
"I'm sorry about that, young ladies," the A.I. apologized.
"What time is your party?" Erin asked, entering the room and coming face to face with her mother. "MOM!"
"Hi," the redhead said, smiling, completely embarrassed. Could her daughter tell how nervous she was?
"Mom?" Iris questioned, also passing by her father. "What are you doing here?"
"I-I... I was helping Dad with some things in the room... Like the curtain!" She blurted out without thinking, immediately regretting it. Curtain? Why would she be helping Tony with the curtain? Why didn't she just say she was there to congratulate him too?
The children looked at each other confusedly but nodded.
"Have you already said happy birthday to Dad?" Erin asked, heading toward the bed.
"Of course," she lied, pulling her daughter by the waist to stop her from continuing.
"And have you given him his present?" Iris asked, making both adults swallow hard. They both wanted to say yes, but that would obviously be a total lie.
"Not yet," the woman replied. "Hey, how about you two go to your room and change out of your pajamas, hmm? I'll also get changed, and then we can make the breakfast I promised." She really wanted to get out of this embarrassing situation.
"Everything's fine. But hurry up," the children agreed.
Pepper felt the weight of the situation, trying to stay calm as the girls left the room. Tony looked at her with a mix of relief and concern.
"It's going to be okay, Pep," he murmured, approaching her and taking her hands.
She nodded, trying to smile, while her heart still pounded in her chest. "At least you remembered to lock the door last night."
"I didn't remember. F.R.I.D.A.Y did," the dark-haired man said.
"Heavens! I can't believe we almost got caught by our daughters."
"Lucky for us they didn't notice you forgot to put on your panties," Stark pointed to the black piece near the foot of the bed.
"I hate you, Anthony," she replied as she picked up the bottom of the lingerie.
"You don't hate me. At least that's not what you told me yesterday... Countless times," the man pulled her closer by the waist and embraced her. Potts was somewhat reluctant, but eventually gave in and rested her head against his chest.
"But changing the subject, happy birthday."
"Thank you... It might sound extremely cliché, but you have no idea how much you three are making this day special."
"I'm glad!"
"Speaking of good things, what's my birthday present? Based on last night, maybe a stripper? New lingerie? It was impressive how he would always be him."
"Oh my God! You're unbelievable, Anthony," she said as she extricated herself from his arms, but couldn't help smiling.
"If you must know, I didn't mind at all that you forgot to wear panties this morning," Tony said, causing Pepper to roll her eyes and throw a pillow in his direction.
"I'll be in the kitchen with the girls. Make sure you're not late, we have to be ready when your guests arrive."
"I missed you giving me orders," the dark-haired man spoke a little louder so she could hear him.
Potts left the room confused by everything that had happened between them in the past few hours. What did this mean? What would change? There were so many questions and she would end up freaking out if she kept thinking about all of them, so she opted for a hot shower. The woman needed to relax and tried to do so with every drop of water that ran down her body, it wasn't fair to focus on the anxieties when the delightful memories of last night were so fresh in her mind. She had just gotten out of the shower when the twins appeared in the room urging her on, so she had no choice but to put on the first outfit she took out of her suitcase and follow her daughters.
On that Sunday morning, while sitting at the kitchen counter and watching the little girls prepare her birthday coffee alongside Pepper, Tony couldn't help but think how lucky he was. It wasn't about money, his empire, or his armors. But only about those three women laughing for whom he would give his life.