The drive to Pepper's house was surprisingly comfortable. It was almost as if it was a habit, something they were already used to. While Tony drove, focused on the road and making utterly lame comments about the streets of New Jersey, the redhead was in charge of the radio, complaining about her colleague's terrible taste in music. When you stopped to think about it, it was truly impressive how far they had come to reach this moment — from endless HR meetings straight to friendly rides.

"You're not having much luck today," she commented as the neuro surgeon parked in the spacious garage. "Everyone's already gone, and judging by the lights being off, it's just going to be us and the wine. Or maybe something stronger. After all the stories we heard, we might need it."

"But who says that's bad luck?" the man countered, reclining further into the driver's seat and tilting his head to look at her better. "Seems like I'm just too lucky."

And the comment, of course, ignited a fire in Pepper's chest, causing her to hold her breath and her heart to skip a few beats. She could easily get used to hearing him say things like that more often.

"They always say that at the end of the day, it's all about perspective," she deflected, as she was completely destabilized and couldn't come up with a good enough response for him.

Tony laughed, throwing his head back, completely captivated by her. "The problem, Potts, is that you talk too much and act too little," he teased, receiving a playful smack on the shoulder and a murderous look in response.

And since they were used to it, it wouldn't be a surprise if a debate started between them. But things were definitely not like before, so the redhead just laughed, got out of the car, and was followed by him. The adults entered the dark house cautiously, with Pepper guiding him to the small liquor cabinet positioned in the left corner of the kitchen while Tony took the opportunity to observe the details of the rooms they passed through. It was his second time there in a matter of hours, but some details already seemed different.

"Whiskey?" Pepper asked, turning to him.

"I'll take the same as you're having," Tony replied.

"Then, whiskey, double shot, neat, and no ice," she informed.

"Wow, strong taste, girl."

"Is that a problem, Stark?" she asked.

"Far from it, Potts," he said, accepting the glass of amber liquid she handed him and taking the first sips. The redhead did the same, and then they went to the living room, sitting on the couch facing the fireplace, as the atmosphere called for something more cozy than just cold chairs around a table.

More comfortable, they took their first sips almost as quickly as the glass was refilled, moving on to the third, fourth, and fifth shots in sequence. The woman was right when she said the day called for something stronger than wine; feeling the burn in their throats was a necessity to discuss everything they had heard about Mia in that hospital room. Would it get easier to face that story over time?

They talked about the youngests, about everything involved in the case, and ended up realizing they had never reached this level of connection before — of mutual understanding, of being able to talk about even the most complex and delicate issues. Because Tony, for example, never imagined he'd be discussing why he chose to spend that Christmas night on duty at the hospital, about how the loss of his parents and his divorce had marked him in such a way that the decision always seemed obvious. Similarly, Pepper had never even considered that one day she'd be telling him about the father of her children, but there she was, explaining how she made sure her kids never missed the figure who had refused to be their father, how she wanted her children to never be marked by it. Since then, every event, every date, every moment was lived to the fullest, to create unique and meaningful memories. Despite everything, or maybe because of everything, they were finally on the same page. There were no walls they couldn't jump over or fences they couldn't cut through.

At that moment, they were closer than she had realized. And not just in a psychological sense, but physically as well. She hadn't even noticed when Tony put his glass on the coffee table and moved closer to admire her. One of his hands was gently caressing her thigh, as if it were an old routine they had already mastered. When she finally finished her drink, she got lost in the neurosurgeon's eyes, and he quickly took the glass from her hand. Leaning towards her, his hands, which had been holding the glass, now moved to her face, his fingers stroking her hair. Still maintaining eye contact, he lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers, once and then again, as if he feared the moment wasn't real.

Tony's lips were firm, and his breath tickled Pepper's lips. Her heart pounded in her throat, and her mind screamed, urging her to remember every detail of that kiss, just as she had done the first time they kissed in their friends' bathroom a month before. She was falling for her colleague, and they were kissing once again. And then, she couldn't think of anything else. His lips were insistent, his hands pulling her closer, as his mouth moved against hers, gently parting her lips with his tongue, seeking entry. She allowed it, of course, and his arms wrapped around her, and the kiss became something more.

The man's stubble gently massaged her face without scratching. After a few seconds, they were both overtaken by a force beyond themselves. Their tongues entered the scene in an intense duel, and she explored every inch of Tony's mouth, feeling filled, complete. It was a new sensation. Frightening. He made her feel things she didn't want to feel. Made her lose herself in unconsciousness. Made her want to run. But it also made her want to stay. Made her want to go further. For a brief moment, they pulled apart to catch their breath, and Tony sought her eyes to make sure they were doing the right thing. To make sure Pepper thought it was the right thing. In response, he found the eyes he loved so much lost in pleasure, and from that, he gave in completely.

Tony tasted her lips once more, while his hands explored her body with both delicacy and precision. He loved that she was wearing a dress that made his caresses easier. She held his face with both hands, deepening the kiss. Their breathing became heavier as his fingers touched the inside of her thighs and her center. He could feel the moisture forming in her panties, just as he felt the tightness in his pants caused by his arousal.

With swift movements, Pepper unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it onto the couch. She got on her knees on the furniture, lifting one leg to properly sit on his lap. Her hands slid over Tony's chest, her nails scratching his dark skin, her mouth and nose playing with his neck and shoulders, inhaling the characteristic scent of Hugo Boss that she adored.

"Aren't we moving too fast?" He tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, her voice a bit husky.

He surprised her by laying her down on the couch and kissing her again. "Nothing, I just wanted control again."

"Idiot!" She scolded, but that was definitely not a word to define the clever man who knew exactly what to do to drive her crazy. That was why they needed to maintain a minimum level of rationality at that moment.

"This is a good time to show me the rest of the rooms, Potts, like your bedroom, for example. Unless you want us to finish what we started right here on this couch."

And heavens, how she wanted them to just finish it once and for all. But her mother was home, and her kids were too. They couldn't risk any of them waking up and catching them in the act.

So, she got up and extended her hand to Tony, who promptly accepted. Pepper led them to her bedroom, locking the door behind them, and then approached him with slow steps.

"Do you want to ask me for something in particular?" He questioned, his voice as weak as hers had been minutes before.

"Yes, go very slowly. I want you to touch me, make the moment last for hours, make me float, Stark." Taking her hand in his again, the dark-haired man led her to the bed.

Tony obeyed exactly what the woman had asked. They sat down first, side by side. He kissed the freckles on her shoulder and chest exposed by the neckline of her dress. One of his hands touched her skin beneath the fabric. The contrast of his warm fingers on her skin caused shivers all over the redhead's body. His lips traveled from her nape to her face, then captured hers in a passionate kiss. The urgency of their mouths made the contact intense and extremely sensual. He waited no longer. Carefully and without breaking contact with her, the man removed her dress, taking a moment to admire the woman in front of him.

It was his turn to give her what she had asked for. Tony touched every inch of Pepper's body with his agile and precise fingers, provoking wonderful sensations in his colleague. He played with her nipples, pulling them, caressing her breasts, drawing sighs and moans while she felt her center become wet as a pure reaction to what she was experiencing. When he took one of her breasts into his mouth, the redhead leaned into him, grabbing his hair.

"Tony..."

His name danced on her lips with every new touch. He removed the panties she was wearing, spreading her legs to give her more pleasure. He tasted her very slowly, making the moment last for long minutes. Pepper's body responded naturally to the act of lovemaking. The orgasm hit her fully, arching her body against his, her moans filling the room as she tried not to make too much noise. He kissed her stomach, between her breasts, and finally looked at her. The redhead's face and chest were flushed, her blue eyes almost completely disappeared due to the dilation of her pupils caused by desire. He lightly touched her lips with his thumb before kissing them again.

Pepper let herself be intoxicated by the kiss after the orgasm, receiving all the affection from the neurosurgeon. As she hugged him and felt the muscles in his back tense with his movements, she had no doubt about her next step. Using her strength, she rolled over in bed, positioning herself on top of him. She broke the kiss and began her own journey over the body that was hers. All hers. Her lips distributed caresses on his chest, smelling, feeling, tasting. Her teeth began the teasing at the level of his stomach, descending to the center of her attention. The redhead used her mouth to play with his member, still hidden by the fabric of his underwear. Teasing, she simulated taking him in her mouth, which made Tony's erection stand out in the only piece of clothing he was wearing. With one hand, she caressed the area, causing pain in his groin accompanied by moans. She finally decided to remove his underwear, freeing his member that quickly showed itself ready for her. Holding it with one hand, she leaned in to kiss Tony again, not letting her hands stop their work.

She was lost in his lips, yet she managed to reach into a bedside table drawer to grab a condom, ready to slide it onto his member. She took him slowly, letting the feeling of fullness replace the void and the yearning caused by the desire that dominated her. Feeling his hands on her waist, they began to move together. In perfect sync, they guided their bodies in search of greater pleasure. Giving and receiving. Completing each other. Occasionally, his hand would escape to play with one of her breasts. The growing pleasure made the blood rush through their veins, and the temperature rise. The rhythm became frenetic. Tony noticed she was close to another orgasm. First, he lifted his body, pressing it against hers in a desperate, urgent search for her lips. Then, he plunged as deeply as he could inside her. The gesture made her scream, her body beginning to tremble sensing the arrival of another powerful wave that made her overwhelming and precise. The explosion happened, making Pepper throw her body back.

The dark-haired man held her in his arms and quickly changed their position, laying her against the mattress and plunging deeper and deeper into her like someone thirsty diving into a lake in the middle of the desert. He could no longer hold back what he felt and let himself release, feeling the power of his own orgasm, the intoxication making his body collapse onto hers. Time stopped for a few moments. Seconds that represented the pinnacle of everything they felt for each other. Pepper, still dizzy, embraced the doctor with her eyes closed. His weight was a way to represent how much she loved having his body pressed against hers. How had she gone so long without feeling like this?

"Are you okay?" Tony asked after a brief moment, leaning on his arms, one on each side of her body to better observe her.

"Do I not look okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"I'm just making sure."

"Have I ever told you that you overthink things, Stark?" She bit her lower lip, making him shake his head with a light laugh.

"Are you the one telling me that?" he teased.

"You should listen to the voice of experience."

"I'd rather listen to your voice for other things."

"Really?"

"Oh, Miss Potts, you're still going to be the death of me." Smiling, he kissed her again. They had so much lost time to make up for.