Then he said, "Marry me?" Just like that.
Tony hadn't realized what he'd done. He hadn't planned it. He couldn't believe it. It wasn't that he didn't want to say it; he did, but maybe not like this. He had wanted to marry Pepper for many years. The brunet had kept the ring in his office drawer, waiting for the perfect moment, and many times he found himself thinking about proposing. The closest he'd come was about two weeks ago, on his birthday and also the day they celebrated one year of dating after their reunion. But he ended up changing his mind. The proposal should be something special, done in a perfect moment, on a perfect day. It should be her day, not a day she had to share with him. So he decided to postpone it.
But now there he was, going against everything he had thought before.
"What?" Pepper asked, surprised. She didn't know if she had heard right.
"Do you want to marry me?" he repeated, this time aware of what he was saying.
Maybe there was a better moment to propose, but what could be better than that homely scene they loved so much? After everything they had experienced? Why delay it once again?
"Are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious. This is the most serious thing I've ever said in my entire life."
"Tony, you must be joking with me."
"What's so hard to understand that my proposal is real? You're very difficult, you know that?"
"I don't know if you noticed, but in the last 48 hours, we've had the worst fight in our relationship's history and two incredible rounds of sex. It's been a lot of emotions in a very short time, so obviously, you can't be serious. Besides, you don't even have a ring. That's a basic element of a marriage proposal, isn't it?"
"So if I buy you a ring and propose again, you'll accept?"
"I don't think we need a label. Marriage is just a piece of paper we're going to sign," she pondered.
"So you're going to say no?" He found her response strange.
"I didn't know that seeing me eating made you so sensitive that you'd propose to me," she deflected.
"I'll spend the rest of my life proposing to you, and one day you'll accept," Tony said with such seriousness that Pepper laughed.
And indeed, for almost two weeks, that's exactly what he did. Every day Stark proposed to her with some bead ring made by the daughters. Sometimes it was when she woke up, other times while having breakfast, while they were having sex or having dinner. Every time he made a scene, even using Rocky and the twins for the theater, but Pepper always said no, only accepting the rings to keep as souvenirs. That act seemed to have turned into a game between them, but Tony saw it only as a way to distract her for the grand finale. Although every time, he was serious. And well, they arrived in Paris with the twins, the main stage of his plan, on the last Friday of June in the morning. They took advantage of the day to show a bit of the City of Light to the daughters, as it was their first time in the city. The girls were enchanted by the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre gardens, and the charming cafés along the streets.
On Saturday, the sightseeing tour became Tony's responsibility, as Pepper was busy spending time with Beatrice and helping her friend with the final details of her wedding to Hadrien Prevost, which would take place on Sunday. Beatrice Lefevre was a beautiful French woman with fair skin, long brown hair, and chocolate-colored eyes. She had a slender body and was extremely charismatic and caring. The women had met during the brief period Potts lived in Paris, and although they didn't keep in touch as much as they would have liked, they maintained a strong friendship.
One of Pepper's best memories of her friend was from her last week in Paris. She was living in the city due to an exchange program during her final year of school, and although her parents believed she would return home right after graduation, Pepper had other plans. She intended to continue living there; leaving Paris was not an option. But everything changed when she received the acceptance letter from New York University. Although she knew it was an opportunity she couldn't miss, she was scared. Pepper didn't want to go so far away when she had already found her home in the city of the Eiffel Tower. That had been the reason she decided to spend her senior year outside Vancouver in the first place: to find herself, to find a place where she belonged, and for the first time, she was feeling that.
Beatrice knew how much her friend loved Paris, and as much as she wanted Pepper to stay, she knew great adventures awaited her in the United States. So, that night, after reading the acceptance letter, the two spent the entire night doing all their favorite things together. The brunette did everything to show Potts that Paris would always be waiting for her, that it would always be her special place. Days later, they said goodbye at the airport, promising that the next time they met, both would be living a great love story. Pepper laughed at the brunette; Beatrice had always been too romantic, too dreamy. And of course, they had met several other times, where Potts always laughed about that farewell. But now there they were, twenty years later, living the best love story each of them could dream of.
On Sunday, the wedding was a magical ceremony held at an elegant hotel in the center of Paris. The decoration, based on light blue and lilac tones, was impeccable, with fresh flowers and candles everywhere, creating a romantic and enchanting atmosphere. As the guests arrived, the place filled with laughter, lively conversations, and a palpable sense of anticipation. As planned, the string quartet began to play the first chords just as the sun began to set. The golden light streamed through the large glass windows, bathing the hall with a warm glow that made the environment even more spectacular. The groomsmen and bridesmaids took their places, and when the wedding march sounded and Beatrice appeared, Pepper could swear she had never seen her friend so happy before. Dressed in a stunning white dress with lace details, the brunette radiated joy and love.
The ceremony went perfectly. The officiant spoke moving words, and at the "I do," many people couldn't hold back their tears. The vows were sincere and touching, and the kiss that sealed the commitment drew warm applause from everyone present. As night fell, the sound of the band the couple had hired filled the hall. They started playing several lively songs, and suddenly, Pepper heard the chords of a song she knew very well.
"Our song," she whispered softly to Tony, who hugged her and started dancing with her.
"Remember when we danced at that charity gala years ago?" he asked in her ear.
"Of course I remember," replied the redhead, swayed by the music. "I was so nervous that night, and the lyrics weren't helping at all." She let out a light laugh, and Tony kissed her gently.
He told her how beautiful she was and confessed that even back then, he had loved her for a long time. Then he began to sing the song in Pepper's ear.
You make me full, steal my breath
You're so unpredictable
That's what I'm coming home to
Oh I'm dreaming about a romance,
Slow dancing with you
When I got you in my arms and
I don't care what we do
And then, Pepper felt again all the sensations of their first dance. And once more, she was sure she couldn't live without him by her side.
"Attention, single ladies," the band's vocalist announced. "Come closer to the stage. It's time for the bride to throw the bouquet."
Pepper started laughing, saying she wasn't going to do it at all because it was too embarrassing. But Hadrien, who was nearby, said she should go because it was impolite to disregard her friend's bouquet. She then dragged herself to the front of the stage, determined not to make any effort to catch those flowers.
"Come on, I'll count to three," Beatrice said. The redhead looked around and saw several women with their arms up, super excited. She laughed and raised her hands a little to not show how uninterested she was. Beatrice pretended to throw it, but it was just a joke. The other woman started to groan, and she counted again and threw it.
Like in movies that end with a wedding, the bouquet spun in the air twice, the women jostled, and then Pepper saw that everyone kind of moved aside, and it came straight toward her.
"That seemed like it was planned," she said, a bit embarrassed, while holding the bouquet between her hands.
The band started playing again, and she looked at the flowers for a while, surprised that she actually liked having them there. Pepper had never seriously thought about marriage. In her opinion, her relationship with Tony was already perfect... But deep down, she found herself dreaming of experiencing a day like this.
Beatrice soon appeared next to her and pulled her over to a photographer to take a picture together. Suddenly, several people also came over to congratulate her. Tony, ever observant, watched from a distance, a proud smile on his lips. He knew that this moment meant more to his girlfriend than she let on. And seeing her smile and enjoy herself, he was sure they were on the right path.
When everyone had moved away, Pepper went back toward the table where they were seated. She was looking for Tony; it was past 11 p.m., and feeling extremely tired, she wanted to return to their hotel. Additionally, the babysitter who stayed with the twins that night was scheduled until midnight.
As soon as he saw her, Tony seemed to understand what she was thinking. They said goodbye to the newlyweds, extended their congratulations, and agreed to meet up again soon.
As they walked through the hotel garden, ready to leave, he commented, "Looks like you'll be the next to get married."
Pepper laughed and said it was just a silly superstition.
"So you don't want to get married?" Tony pressed.
"I do," she said, somewhat confused. "But it's just that…"
"Ah, I'm glad you want to," Tony interrupted her. "Because I think this bouquet came with a surprise. I heard there's something special inside for the woman who catches it."
The redhead looked at him puzzled and then stopped to take in the surroundings. The flowers and candles lining the path weren't there when they arrived. The music wasn't coming from the party but from the string quartet a few meters away. Even the moon seemed to shine differently at that moment.
Tony still looked at her curiously, and she began to dig through the bouquet, her heart racing. Then, her fingers touched a small box nestled deep among the branches. She pulled it out quickly and saw Tony smiling.
"I've always believed in numbers, equations, the logic that leads to reason. That was the case for years, but then you came into my life, and I started to question what real logic is. Who decides what reason is? You turned my world upside down. Because of you, I made the most important discovery of my life. It's only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reason can be found. I'm here because of you. You are the reason for my being. You are all my reasons."
"You're going to make me cry," Pepper commented, her eyes welling up. She knew that in five seconds, the first tear would streak down her cheek.
"I've made many mistakes in my life, Pep, and you more than anyone knows that. But even so, in a crazy way, you never gave up on me. I should have acted a long time ago, and my fear of losing you ended up making that happen. Letting you go is my greatest regret, and I thank God every day for our second chance." He said, taking the box from her hand. "I love you. Simply, truly. You are the embodiment of everything I've always looked for in a human being. I love that you get cold when it's 21C outside and still chose to live in Canada. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich even though you always choose the same one, and I love the little wrinkle on your forehead when you look at me like I'm crazy. I love how you challenge me, how you inspire me to always be a better person. I love how you care for our family and that you're exactly who you are."
At this point, the redhead could no longer contain her emotion.
"I love you too." That was all she could manage to say.
"When I asked you to marry me in our kitchen two weeks ago, I was serious, just like every time since then. I love you, Virginia Potts, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Then, Tony knelt down and opened the box, revealing a beautiful engagement ring. "Will you marry me?"
Pepper was sure her makeup was already smeared from all the tears streaming down her face, and while trying to calm her pounding heart, she nodded.
"Of course, I will." Potts finally replied, and as soon as she did, Tony slid the ring onto her finger, which fit perfectly.
He finally stood up and kissed her.
"I'm never going to forgive you for making me cry like this!"
"And I'm just getting started," Tony smiled. "Just wait until our wedding day."
"Tony, I swear to God, if you make me cry like this and ruin all our wedding photos, I'll kill you myself."
He laughed and then kissed her once more, making Pepper conclude that everything was definitely going to be alright. The night, now draped in a veil of stars, seemed to bless the new journey they were about to begin together.