After returning to the States, both Tony and Pepper went back to what they knew best – work. As soon as Tony got home, he went straight to his workshop, opened up his projects and started working on the newest update of the suit, trying to add more protection layers to the armor, having realized its fragility after Vanko's attack. In a little over a week, he managed to add Mark VI to his collection and came up with even more ideas for a future Mark VII.

Whereas Tony spent most of his time down in his workshop, Pepper spent about 12 hours a day in the office, engrossed in multiple projects. Her 'Stark Towers' project had been approved by the board, much to her satisfaction, and as soon as she got the legal documents, she disposed the workers to start building it. New York was the first tower to be finished and thanks to technology and advanced constructing machines, it would be ready in no less than two months. During those two months, Pepper spent her time flying off in between Los Angeles and New York, enjoying immensely the professional satisfaction that her efforts had brought her over the course of the project. Besides the New York construction site, she'd also visited the DC one, feeling very impressed by how her employees treated her.

She was no longer just a simple PA. She was the CEO of an international company and that managed to boost her self-confidence and image.

Even though their little vacation to France had been wonderful, Pepper was well aware of the fact that after returning to their hectic life, they'd spend most of their time apart. But she couldn't have imagined how little time they would get to spend together. During those two months while she was busy with the construction of the towers, she and Tony went on a total of zero dates. Well, not actual dates, because each time they'd schedule something together, another thing would come up and mess up a perfect night out or a simple breakfast together. Tony would refuse to leave his man cave, unless she would bribe him with sex, thing which didn't happen that often, due to the fact that her professional life had taken over her personal one, and that each time she got home from office she'd put the last ounce of effort into getting into bed and sleep her exhaustion off.

The sleepovers at his place were less and less often and sometimes Pepper wondered if they could actually manage to make their relationship work, despite their growing affection for one another. Pepper could count the times they've had sex during those two months on only one hand. The funny thing was – whenever she was in the mood for him, it would turn out that Tony was either too busy for her or away on a mission.

Pepper often wondered what it was like to be inside Tony's head. The man fascinated her on a daily basis. And even though she could easily say that their relationship was unique, it was also more than that. Truth to be told, Pepper hated whenever she had to be away from him for more than a few days because she'd grown so dependent on his whole being. Ever since that night in France when he spilled out his feelings for her, Pepper noticed that he'd begun paying more attention to what he said to her. At times, when they'd find themselves alone, Pepper's heart grew heavy at his obvious inner-struggle as to not wrap his arms around her and hold her close. But she couldn't find the courage to let him know that the mere act of holding her wasn't going to upset her or annoy her.

And despite her realization that he obviously loved her, still, she couldn't say it back.

But that thing changed when, during their celebratory date night, Phil Coulson showed up uninvited and ruined whatever plans she had. During those two months, Tony had explained to Pepper that Fury had some plans about gathering around a group of superheroes, but he'd been so pissed off about the fact that he was considered being unsuitable that she hadn't pressed the subject on. But when she noticed the look on Phil's face, Pepper immediately knew that something was out of place. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she figured it was something serious, so in exchange for Tony doing his homework, Pepper leaned in to his ear, whispered she was going to let him make love to her while wearing his armor, kissed him goodbye, then left.

Pepper hadn't realized it back then, but that night was going to change everything in their lives.

When she was on that plane, watching the live broadcast of the battle in Manhattan, her heart stopped. The sight of him disappearing with a nuclear bomb on his back into a giant wormhole in the sky made her heart drop into her stomach and the sudden realization that he was most likely dead, rendered her completely numb and breathless. The only thing she was aware of was the sound of her labored breathing, before she sat up, excused herself and left the room, retreating inside the small bathroom where she sat down on the floor, knees hugged to her chest tightly.

Dead. He's dead. Oh god…. Just like that. I haven't even had the chance to tell him how I felt.

She sobbed and sobbed until they subsided into hiccups. She'd lost the only person she had a real connection with anymore. Her chest seemed to burn with pain and she pressed her face into her knees, letting out a heartbreaking sigh. Her whole world collapsed in a matter of seconds and she couldn't breathe anymore. Tony.

She loved him and she'd been a coward all along. You were the only person whom he trusted and you've let him down worse than his father, worse than Obadiah and everyone else. He's gone and you've let him leave this world without knowing there was someone who cared for him and loved him more than anything else in the entire universe. And what's worse of it all is that you'll never find his body and have a chance to mourn properly.

"God dammit, Tony." She choked in anguish and closed her eyes tightly. "I love you."

A/N: I might not have the chance to update until late June, so this might be the last chapter until then. Thanks for all the reviews and nice words!