"I don't know, I just think we can't just forget about this argument," Pepper had said, and Tony agreed. That had been the worst argument they'd had in all their years of being together. It was much worse than the one they had when they broke up 6 years ago and worse than the one when they reconnected 2 years ago. They needed to talk, they needed to clarify their feelings. They needed to be honest.

"We can't continue like this," he asserted. "We can't keep hurting each other without considering our feelings."

"No, we can't."

"We also can't continue as if nothing happened. This isn't healthy, it's not helping our relationship. We can't keep sweeping our issues under the rug."

"Especially when in the next fight we bring up the previous ones."

"What are we going to do?"

"Do what any adult would do. We'll talk honestly, bluntly. Without leaving anything out."

"And you want to start now?"

"You said you were sleepless, didn't you?"

"Do you think this is a good idea?"

"Do you think it could get worse?"

It couldn't. He knew that. The way they argued had made it clear that it wasn't just a small fight, which is why, two hours later, the couple was still sitting on the living room sofa, this time, after facing the depth of their feelings.

"Do you think we can make it?" Tony asked after a long time in silence.

"Not if we don't try, and we are, aren't we?"

"We are," he affirmed with conviction.

"But what about you? About the things you said yesterday..."

"I was angry, so I don't think we should prioritize the things I said," the brunet interrupted her.

"So you weren't serious about ending the relationship?" She was genuinely concerned about that. The thought of losing him was terrifying.

"Pep, I'd be crazy if I were serious. I admit that at the moment, after everything we said, it seemed like a real option. But like I said, we were completely out of our minds. We were in no condition to think rationally at that moment. I'm sorry for making you think it was a possibility for me."

"Good, because you scared me. I know we have our problems and need to resolve them, but not with a breakup, because I love you too much for that."

"I love you too. More than I thought possible, and I love you more each day. I'm really sorry for this confusion."

"I know that given the circumstances, it might not be the best words, but I'm happy for what happened. I think we needed this. To reach the extreme to realize what we were doing, you know? For all this time, we've just been ignoring what wasn't doing us any good."

Tony nodded. "We're going to make it work, Pep," he whispered.

"I know we will," she smiled and tilted her head to look at him.

They stared at each other for a few moments before the brunet slowly moved closer, pressing his lips to hers in a slow kiss. Holding the back of his neck, she deepened the kiss, exploring the inside of his mouth with her tongue. When they pulled apart for air, he noticed the sparkle had returned to her eyes. She smiled, and without wasting any time, Stark captured her lips again, this time with intensity and desire. As she was still seated beside him, he pulled her onto his lap.

Pepper quickly ran her hands under Tony's shirt and easily removed it, tossing it to the floor, while he slid her robe off her shoulders, kissing and nibbling every part of the skin that became exposed. His hands roamed her sides, and within seconds, he also removed her blouse, grateful for the absence of a bra.

"Oh my God, Tony," the redhead moaned as she felt his tongue on her nipple.

While he played with one of her breasts with his mouth, sometimes sucking, sometimes biting, he used his hand to give equal attention to the other, making her gasp. Pepper's breathing grew increasingly erratic, her body more sensitive to his touches due to the pregnancy, and she could only moan indecipherable words.

The brunet left her breasts and began trailing kisses down to the waistband of her shorts. With her help, he slid the garment along with her panties down her legs and laid her on the couch, pausing for a second to take her in. So beautiful. So surrendered. So his.

Taking advantage of the moment, he inserted a finger into her center, moving slowly. Then he added another, increasing and decreasing the speed to tease her. He knew she would soon reach orgasm, so he lowered his mouth to her intimacy, using his tongue to play with her clitoris and adding a third finger, speeding up his movements.

Pepper felt her entire body tremble. She no longer had control over it and all she wanted was for Tony to be inside her.

"Babe... please... I..." she said, her voice faltering.

Tony smiled. He needed her just as much, so he removed his underwear and quickly kissed her again. He sat back on the couch and once more pulled her onto his lap, making the woman sit on his member. He then began to move slowly, holding her by the waist and helping her with the motions.

"Pep..." Stark moaned against her neck.

"Just enjoy," she said in a husky voice and bit her lower lip. The brunet clearly didn't think twice and followed her advice. He began to move against her quickly and intensely. Pepper held onto his shoulders as she matched his movements.

Their moans grew louder and it wasn't long before they climaxed together.

"Why is makeup sex so good?" Pepper asked with her head still buried in the crook of Tony's neck, making him laugh.

"I have no idea," he replied, kissing her head. "I need a shower."

"And I need food."

"Want me to join you? I'm a bit hungry too."

"You don't have to. You can go shower while I make us something to eat," Pepper answered and then gave him a peck on the lips before getting up and putting her clothes back on.

Tony watched her walk to the kitchen and decided to do as she said, heading for the shower. He had just turned on the water when he felt her hands on his member, arousing him once more.

"I thought you were hungry," the man said, turning to face the redhead.

"I am, but it's no fun eating alone... Besides, I got hungry for something else."

"Like what?" he asked, kissing her neck while squeezing one of her breasts, making her moan.

"I'd rather show you," she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss.

Stark matched her intensity, and although the water was cold, the heat quickly filled the bathroom. The brunet kissed her neck down to her chest, taking each breast into his mouth one at a time. Tony knew this gesture was driving her wild, her moans said it all, so he trailed kisses down her stomach, thighs, and the most awaited spot. He inserted two fingers into her center and watched as she leaned against the walls, trying to control her heavy breathing. Seeing that Pepper was about to come, Tony withdrew his fingers, receiving frustrated moans in response, which he silenced with a passionate and urgent kiss.

Pepper took the opportunity to grab his member and tease him. She started with simple caresses and soon was masturbating him. When she knelt and took him in her mouth, the brunet knew it would be his end, so he quickly reversed their positions, savoring her and once again playing with her clitoris. He felt her body tremble in reaction to the orgasm, so he swiftly stood up and entered her in one thrust.

She cried out as she felt him fill the emptiness from before, and as he increased the pace of his thrusts, she began to scratch his back and bite his shoulders. The second orgasm didn't take long to arrive; her legs started to tremble, and if he wasn't holding her waist tightly, she knew she would fall. Tony gradually eased the intensity, kissing and biting her exposed neck, and once she recovered, he increased the rhythm again. This time, they climaxed together. He stayed inside her for a few moments until they caught their breath, and after a gentle kiss, they showered and stepped out.

It was just past 6 AM, and by then, they were very hungry. They dressed and went down to the kitchen for breakfast. While Pepper sat at the kitchen counter, eating some previously cut fruits, Tony stood at the stove, making pancakes and frying some bacon. She loved watching him cook. She loved seeing how over the years, he had developed familiarity with the kitchen, and she would never admit it if he asked, but she thought he was much better than her at making several dishes.

"Here we go. The best breakfast for two of my favorite girls," Stark said, handing her a plate where the pancakes and bacon were arranged in smiley faces. The simple act made Pepper smile.

"Now I'll show you how to make this even better." Getting off the counter and going to the fridge, the redhead grabbed a can of whipped cream and some raspberries. Returning to her boyfriend, she drizzled some cream over the pancakes and sprinkled the fruits on top. Pepper tasted the mixture and brought a generous piece to his mouth for Tony to try.

"You're going to get me addicted to sugar, Miss Potts. First the vanilla coffee, now these pancakes..."

"We can always burn some calories," she said, giving him a suggestive look.

"You're insatiable today," he replied, pulling her by the waist.

"I was thinking more about an activity like running," she defended while wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Sure you were," Tony said, pressing his lips to hers and kissing her again.

Before they forgot about breakfast, he broke the kiss and sat down on the other side of the counter so they could eat.

"Love, you're already five months pregnant, and we know we're having a girl," he observed after a few minutes.

"And you're stating something we both know because..."

"Because I think we should start calling her by name. I read that during this phase, babies can already hear us, so it's important to talk to them. I don't want our daughter to be born thinking her name is Pineapple, Little One, or anything like that."

"Coming from a guy who insisted on calling her that until yesterday?" the redhead asked, raising an eyebrow. Tony used the nicknames so often that even she started calling their daughter those names. "But I agree with you. She needs a name."

"Have you thought of any?"

"Not yet. And you?"

"Neither have I. I had an idea just for the middle name, but I'm not sure."

"What name did you think of?"

"Rose."

"Because of the song?" she asked, smiling. Potts had also thought of that. They both already had a connection to the song, and after that night, they discovered their daughter did too. It made perfect sense.

"I know it's cliché..." he began.

"I think it's the perfect choice."

"So, it's decided? Just like that? We just chose one of her names in five minutes without any argument? This is very different from what I thought it would be."

"What did you imagine? That we'd go through a list of 50 names until we found the one?"

"At least," Tony said, and she laughed. "I thought you'd make threats, discard my suggestions, and I'd have to make deals..."

"Maybe we should let Erin and Iris choose the first name," Pepper suggested.

"I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Here's a funny story. A friend's mom is also pregnant, and yesterday when we were returning from Iris's game, the topic came up. I asked if they had any names in mind for their sister, and Erin said Otis. Iris said the name was horrible, so Erin said that's exactly why we should name the baby that."

"She said that?" the woman was shocked.

"She did, and then they started giving several intentionally horrible name suggestions. And since I don't think you want our daughter to be named Glue or Jax, I don't think it's a good idea to leave that task to them. I'm sure at some point in the conversation they even suggested Rex."

"They really hate their sister," she observed.

"They don't hate her; it's just that all this is very new to them. They think the baby will interfere with what we already have, and since they already have each other, they don't need another baby," the brunet explained.

"In summary, they hate her."

"They're just jealous, but I'm sure when they see their sister, they'll fall in love."

"And what if they don't? Tony, what if they don't change their minds?" Sometimes Pepper worried about this. She knew it was normal for children to feel jealous, but she didn't want to go through that experience.

"Honey, you don't need to freak out. This kind of thing happens. All this time, our world revolved around them. They were the center of attention, and now they have someone else to share the spotlight with. Most children react this way."

"I never imagined they'd be so jealous. I mean, they were so excited at first."

"They take after you," Stark joked. "Too soon?" he quickly asked, making her shake her head slightly and laugh.

They then fell into complete silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence, quite the opposite. There was familiarity, comfort. Tony felt at peace, at home.

"What is it?" the redhead asked when she noticed he had been watching her for too long.

"Marry me?" he asked.

And the silence was never quite this loud.