Tony and Pepper stared at the bulletin board with mixed emotions. He couldn't contain his joy when he saw his girlfriend's name announced as the new head of the surgery department. For him, his withdrawal meant her victory, a gesture of love he had made gladly. With a radiant smile, he approached the redhead, his eyes shining with pride and happiness. On the other hand, the woman was in shock. The information seemed surreal, as if there was some mistake. How was her name there if she had also withdrawn from the position? Her face reflected confusion and disbelief, her thoughts in turmoil as she tried to comprehend the situation. Her mind flashed back to the moment she decided to step down from the promotion, thinking the neurosurgeon was the right choice for the position, and now, suddenly, she found herself as the new head of the department.
"Congratulations, honey!" Tony hugged her and spun her around, not caring about the curious glances. There were already rumors anyway. They were just two friends celebrating.
"Thank you... But this... This..." Pepper was still trying to understand what had made Cora change her mind. "This is wrong."
"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" He looked at her, not knowing where she was going with this.
"You were supposed to win," the redhead began. Initially, it wasn't part of her plan to confess what she had done, but how could he fully understand the situation without that information? "I stepped down from the position," she finally admitted.
"Wait, what?" Now, he was also in shock.
"I'm sorry," the surgeon began to apologize. "I know I should have told you before, but..." She spoke quickly, stumbling over the syllables due to her nervousness.
"Hey, calm down," the brunet interrupted. "You stepped down? I did that a few hours ago," he also confessed. "I didn't want it to become an issue between us, so..."
"You stepped down!" Pepper repeated, trying to absorb everything that was happening.
Around them, the buzz was increasing, colleagues exchanging looks and whispers, some smiling as they congratulated her, but for the couple, everything seemed distant, almost unreal. Finally understanding what was happening, Tony pulled her into the nurses' room. They needed a quiet place to talk, but not as quiet as they were a few minutes ago. If they went back there, the entire hospital would definitely be talking about them with some evidence.
"So, you really withdrew?" he asked, his voice low and full of disbelief.
"Yes, I withdrew," she confirmed, closing the door behind her, ensuring they had as much privacy as possible. "Why did you do it?"
"Apparently, for the same reason you did," the brunet replied.
The redhead sighed. "You shouldn't have done that. I've always thought you were the best choice for the position."
"And I thought the same about you," the neurosurgeon said, gently squeezing her hands. "We did the same thing," he concluded.
"And I know we talked and agreed that this competition wouldn't come between us, but it just seemed like the right choice."
"As if the risk wasn't worth it."
"Exactly. Tony, I'm sorry, I..." she began, but was interrupted by his intense gaze.
"Pep, I love you," the man said. "You made me realize what really matters, and there's no promotion or recognition that's more important than that. When I thought about stepping down from the position, it was also an easy decision. And you know what else? I'm excited to have you as my boss," he added, a playful smile on his lips. "It might become my new fetish."
The woman laughed, her laughter bringing immediate relief to the tension she felt. "Oh, really?" she teased. "Good to know I can boss you around."
"You already do, sweetie, but now it'll be official," Tony joked, winking at her. "And I couldn't be happier about it."
"I don't even know what to say. If it were a few months ago, it would be totally different."
"I know, but what matters is now," the brunet smiled and approached her. "So, boss, what's the first order of the day?" he asked, pretending in a serious tone.
The surgeon looked at him with shining but mischievous eyes. "Orders can wait until later, because it wouldn't be professional to execute them here, and we've already been breaking too many rules lately."
Stark laughed, a warm and contagious sound. "That's the best part of working together. And get used to it, because we'll definitely break a few more rules, even with your new position."
"You're very excited, considering it's not confirmed yet," she said, trying to remain serious but unable to hide her smile. "I need to talk to Cora first to understand what happened."
"I understand, but you're going to accept it. You need to accept it because it's a great opportunity."
"Are you sure? Because if I really have to choose, the decision is simple."
"I'm sure," Tony affirmed. "I'm extremely proud of you, Pep. You deserve it, and there's no one better for the position."
"I love you," she kissed him quickly. "Thank you for this!"
"I love you too," he smiled. "I finish at 3 PM, so I can pick up the kids and prepare dinner to celebrate."
"You don't have to do that."
"Of course I do. I'll make that carbonara you love and buy the wine you adore."
"Wow, carbonara and Canalicchio di Sopra? I'm really a lucky woman!" Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him one last time before they left the nurses' room.
The brunet finished his workday with a smile on his face and, as soon as he left the hospital, he did exactly what he had said: he went to Ellie and Theo's school to pick them up. The twins were extremely excited about the idea of spending more time with their uncle, chatting animatedly all the way home. Once there, he helped the children with their baths and homework. Then, they spent some time playing together, and around 6 PM, they started preparing dinner. It was only at that moment that Tony understood why Pepper said the kids loved helping more for the mess they made than for anything else. The kitchen quickly turned into a chaos of scattered ingredients, laughter, and flying flour, but somehow, they managed to finish the meal. After cleaning up, he let the children amuse themselves in the living room while he finished setting the table. To give it a special touch, which he thought they deserved, he laid out an elegant tablecloth, lit candles, and chose a soft playlist to play in the background.
On the other side of the city, the cardiac surgeon had a quick meeting with Cora, who explained that the decision had already been made before they both withdrew from the position, so nothing they said had any effect, despite being surprising. The board president also mentioned that if it was the redhead's wish, she could officially decline the promotion. However, the woman remembered the conversation she had with her boyfriend, the unconditional support he was giving her, and after reflecting a bit, she ended up accepting her new position. After that, she finished her shift, completed some reports, and reviewed medical records before finally heading home. When she arrived, she found the neurosurgeon making the final adjustments for dinner. She exchanged a few quick words with the kids and went straight for a shower. About twenty minutes later, all ready, she came down the stairs. As soon as she reached the bottom, she was greeted by what seemed to be yet another fight between the twins. They had reached the critical phase where every little thing was enough to cause a disagreement, and it was becoming a routine. Pepper took a deep breath, approaching them at the same time as Tony.
"I had the remote first!" Theodore complained, holding the device tightly.
"But I want to watch my show!" Eleanor retorted, trying to pull the remote towards her.
"You two, stop it or you're going to hurt yourselves," the redhead said, trying to keep calm. "What is going on here?"
"I can't stand Theo anymore. I want a new brother!" the little girl exclaimed, crossing her arms and looking at her mother with a determined expression.
"Yeah, I want a new sister too!" the boy agreed, mimicking her posture. "Eleanor is very annoying. The most annoying ever!"
Stark almost laughed at the situation but held back. There was the funny and childish aspect of the kids' fight, but also the sudden request for new siblings in front of Potts. The topic of "children" was taboo in many relationships, and they were no exception, avoiding talking about it. He saw his girlfriend blush and, knowing her well, decided to save the ready-made jokes for later. Even though the subject was not a seven-headed monster for him, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. He had learned that, when it came to certain topics, they should take it slow.
"A new brother and a new sister, huh?" he asked, laughing. "Well, that's not something we can solve so quickly. Having siblings isn't like choosing new toys."
"And we've talked about these fights. You two need to learn to get along," Pepper seemed pleased with the lightness with which Tony handled the subject.
"But mom, Theo is impossible!" Eleanor grumbled.
"And Ellie is unbearable!" Theodore shot back.
"Hey, how about we make a deal?" the brunet suggested, as the kids were just like their mother, with equally strong tempers. "Today, you watch what Ellie wants, and tomorrow it's Theo's turn. That way, you both get a chance to choose."
Of course, this led to a new argument about who would go first. However, the neurosurgeon managed to handle the situation well, and peace was finally restored, with the evening proceeding pleasantly. They had a great dinner, and after the meal, the adults joined in a game of Candy Land with the kids. At the end of the game, Tony and Pepper took charge of putting the twins to bed, as they had school the next day. With some alone time, the couple settled on the living room sofa, the atmosphere between them quickly heating up amidst caresses.
"Is all this urgency to fulfill your kids' request, babe?" he teased, a mischievous smile on his lips. It wasn't his intention to bring up the subject, but he couldn't help it. Honestly, who could blame him for not thinking clearly when her fingers were already inside his underwear?
"You're crazy," she said, stopping what she was doing. Okay, the mood shift was judgment enough.
The brunet laughed, pulling her close again. "Hey, it was just a joke. I wasn't serious."
"We shouldn't even joke about that," the woman replied, her voice more serious than before.
"Is the idea of us having kids that absurd?"
"It's not absurd, I just think... It's too soon to discuss it."
"Even hypothetically, I get it."
"And is that bad? Because it seems like you're taking what the kids said too seriously."
"I'm not, it's just that..."
"Great," she interrupted him. "We really don't need to talk about it. My IUD is in place. So, no babies."
"No babies," he kissed her again, making it clear he was completely on board with the idea.
"But just to be sure, let's use condoms every time too, for extra precaution," the redhead added as they pulled apart.
"Whatever you want, boss," Tony laughed. "Now, can we continue where we left off?"
"Absolutely," Pepper nodded, and without wasting any time, they started walking towards the bedroom.
This conversation could wait.