Disclaimer: I neither own Iron Man nor the drawing (the latter is a gift from my friend Marytta :D).

This story is beta'd now! Thanks to alygator86. :D

He thought it would be more complicated to find the right time. Or at least, that it would take more time for either of them to find said moment. He may let Pepper say it first. It wasn't that he was not sure of his feelings —for better or for worse, he knew he was damned a long time ago. He just didn't want to screw things up by rushing them. Because oh, he was so very sure that he would end screwing everything up...

He knew it was a regular step for couples in order to assure the other of their commitment. He was eager to prove Pepper he was serious about their relationship, but he also took Pepper's silence in that aspect as a sign. Who was he to question what the right time was? Surely they had not been together long enough yet.

He wished to give her everything, but he was at a loss there. It had been ages since he had been in any sort of relationship. And he was very young in those first attempts, so Tony regarded them as mere child's play in comparison to what he had —what he wanted to have— with Pepper.

Thus, he constantly repeated to himself that it was good that they were taking things slowly and that letting Pepper set the pace was the wisest option. She had been remarkably good at organising his life during all those years. However, the truth was that, deep down, he was still waiting for Pepper to open her eyes and realise who she was committing to. For God's sake, he had been introducing himself as a playboy until just a few months ago. He knew he was charming, and maybe even a woman like Pepper felt curious about being involved with someone like him. But curiosity would fade away eventually and he was afraid that she wasn't taking any more steps into their relationship because she wasn't really sure this was what she really wanted —or because she wasn't sure if she wanted this with Tony. They were different things, right?

Yet, he wasn't blind. He knew how Pepper looked at him. How she smiled as if he was everything she needed to be happy.

"I don't have anyone, but you."

"You're all I have too, you know."

Certainly, he needed her to be happy. And damn it, was it even healthy? He hardly cared about that while he could still make her happy. At the very least, she deserved that.

So yes, he would let her confess her love first, whenever she felt prepared for it. In the meanwhile, he would try to push his insecurities and doubts aside and enjoy his new life. Besides, he would be ready to reply at any time, anyway. But alas, Tony Stark's plans apparently never went the way he wanted them to.

They had been giving this relationship thing a try for only a couple of months. He had taken her out to dinner —damn paparazzi—, she had moved into the tower —she already had a guest room there due to her crazy work schedule, so it had been more a room change than an increase in the hours she spent in the tower— and they had cuddled on the couch watching movies. Little gestures that talked without words of their wishes. Tony couldn't say if they were frightened of getting hurt or of doing something that scared the other away. Luckily, they had known each other for a very long time, too, and their dynamic flowed without putting in any extra effort. A smile was enough to calm their anxieties and so, they both smiled frequently, as if to remember their partner how warm their love was. And okay, 'love' was still a word that scared Tony a little bit, but not so much when Pepper was holding his hand.

Maybe he had got too comfortable in this new situation. Maybe that was the problem and the reason why he could not keep his mouth shut.

It had been a normal night, at least for them. They had just arrived home after attending a charity gala. Pepper was tired and had managed to persuade him to go to bed right away by making puppy eyes —honestly, why did everyone assume Tony was the one who used the puppy eyes in that relationship? It clearly went both ways.

Pepper was getting undressed when Tony came from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. Resting his cheek against her shoulder, he closed his eyes and breathed in her perfume. He let himself get lost in her: her smell, her skin, her (suddenly) unsteady breathing. He didn't even realise he had opened his mouth until he heard his voice.

"I love you."

That was it. He stiffened right away and took a step back from Pepper. She had not said anything. The fact dawned upon him, filling him with dread. Of course, how could she? They had just been testing the waters. There was no way that Pepper would want something serious with him. It was painfully obvious she was not ready to say the words. Damn it, what good did it do to be a genius if he couldn't know what his girlfriend felt?

Girlfriend. He had the most wonderful woman in the world as his girlfriend and he had ruined it all.

"Pepper..." He faltered. He felt his mouth dry and he realised how terrified he was. What could he say to fix it? He could not take back his words. That would be... simply awful.

It couldn't have been more than a few seconds before Pepper turned around, but for Tony it seemed like eternity. Her concerned gaze was fixed on him.

"Tony? What's wrong?"

He offered no answer. She was not saying the only words that would make that situation right. He gulped and Pepper took his face in her hands with more care than he put on his inventions.

"Honey?"

It had been a really long time since anybody had called him 'honey' and meant it. It broke Tony.

"I'm... I'm sorry," he whispered.

"What for?" asked Pepper in the same tone.

"For the—"

"You didn't mean it?"

"No, of—"

"You didn't?!" And okay, Pepper's alarmed tone was never good news.

"Yes!"

"Then, why are you apologising?"

"Damn it, Pepper, because I didn't want to rush things!"

Tension left her body at once. She rolled her eyes and dropped her hands. Tony only got a second to feel desolation before she intertwined her fingers with his.

"Tony, we've been in a relationship for just a few months, but we've been friends for quite more time. I don't think you can rush anything by voicing your feelings."

He swallowed and looked down at their hands, thinking about her words —he could not decide which part had touched him the most. When he finally lifted his gaze again, Pepper rewarded him with a bright smile.

"It was actually rather sweet. I love you, too."

Tony looked at her awestruck. He had really thought he had messed things up. But Pepper... It hit him then that she was as ready as he was. Suddenly, he went for a kiss and neither of them could help but smile when their lips touched.

"I love you, honey," he repeated when they pulled apart, looking her in the eye that time. It occurred to him that they should practise that pet name thing a bit more.

"And I, you." He had imagined that would be his line, but in that moment he was happy that he had not waited any more time.

A/N: I don't know why I thought writing a Pepperony fic in the middle of my final exams was a good idea, but here it is anyway. I hope you enjoyed it, I'm looking forward to knowing what you think. All opinions are welcome; criticism helps to improve!