A/N: OK the sequel to Stupid Kissing Games is there I know it was long but I have experience something that most people here describe as an author block! But it is gone, I hope, and I'm back. So I proudly present the first chapter (unbeta so all mistakes are mine and I'm sorry for them, I have read that like 10th times but I'm pretty sure I left something awful. But I just want to check if this is good enough to bother my beta:D))

PS. It will be somewhere in the IM1 so if you don't like spoilers there will be a few!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, no Iron Man, I'm doing it for fun!

MORE SERIOUS GAMES

Chapter 1 Five months later

"You are mad at me." Just one look at her was enough to come to that conclusion and Tony didn't waste time to voice it. 'What the hell I did this time' he wished to finish but bit his lips.

"No I'm not." She deflected calmly when inside something was holding her stomach in a tight grip. 'I have no reason to be mad at you, haven't I?' she finished in her head.

"Oh come on you are, you are just not saying why." He insisted. Over the last months he became more and more aware of her moods 'I just can't understand most of the things that are happening around here lately, you have made your choice!' he thought darkly still looking at his PA.

"I have too many things to do than explaining something that it isn't." She answered sternly locking eyes with him 'I hate it when you go there. You're always getting back with some woman friend, and I hate it' she was trying to say that to him just by casting him her most famous dark look.

"Fine, whatever I'm going." He said frustrated throwing his hands in the air in defeat 'One word and I will stay here' he was thinking, still looking in her blue yes. He could swear that she wasn't telling him everything and this conversation would be going nowhere until she just screamed her mind at him.

"Have a nice trip Mr. Stark." She retrieved to formalities. 'God I will miss you and I'm still so mad at you for going' she was trying to say but her stubborn composed self, took all control of her lately and nothing could change that. She was just too afraid to act on her feeling and even more cautious.

"Miss Potts." He acknowledged that it was the end of the conversation and nodded his head going to the door 'I somehow wish you will be coming with me' he thought and smiled to himself. Like nothing had changed since New York when everything has changed.

The door closed behind Tony and Pepper was left alone in his big living room, last conversation was still ringing in her ears. If anyone would presume that she forgot about past event and sorted her feeling for her boss that would be a fat mistake. Ever since that eventful night at New York they started some wired dance around each other pulling and pushing each other in turns and it was frustrating to say the least. There were unfinished conversations, some major fights that none of them remembered what had started and definitely something unresolved and unspoken hung between them. But their professional relationship was intact. Tony was once again his old genius, philanthropist, playboy self and she was still his composed and professional PA.

Except that, there were times like that that she just wished to scream at him and tell him everything. But she had got her chance and she had let it passed, there was no reason to be mad at him for decision she had made five months ago.

After some time Pepper put her unfinished work to her bag and decided to head home. Sitting on his sofa until he would return from Las Vegas would be long, uncomfortable and probably difficult to explain. And she had some small plans to prepare for herself as well. As much as she wished he would remembered this time, she was pretty sure the next day would be as normal as the rest of her birthdays for ten years with him. Well things never were going to change between them, no matter how much she was wishing they would.

'I hate it, I have hated it even before everything but now I just hate it even more' Pepper was thinking walking past front door of the Stark mansion in Malibu. Why couldn't he stay in the hotel, why he must have brought her here. 'Well this is his home and as long as I remember he can bring whoever he want here, and here is the workshop he can escape in the morning.' Some small part of her mind answered her. She keyed her personal code in and JARVIS opened the door, she readjusted the clothes she had picked up from dry cleaning and prepared herself for her job.

There was some movement in the living room and she assumed correctly, there was indeed some skimpy clothed girl walking around Tony's living room. 'I hate this job, I hate her and most definitely I hate him right now' she thought darkly looking at the blond girl in front of her poking on the intercom.

"That's JARVIS he runs the house." Pepper spoke and thought to herself that better started it fast and just be done with it. She needed to push Tony through the door so he didn't miss the plane and as long as his last conquest would be here he would not stick his head out from the shop. 'Very mature of him'

"You must be the famous Pepper Potts." The blond girl turned around and looked at Pepper. She was wearing Tony's shirt, Pepper made a mental note to get rid of it. She wasn't controlling half of the thoughts which were running through her head at that moment. Most of them were very murderous.

"Indeed I am." She answered as much politely as she could.

"After all these years, Tony still has you picking up the dry-cleaning." The girls spoke and Pepper was fighting with her composed self to maintain professional and just did not kill her then and there.

"I do anything and everything that Mr. Stark requires," She started faking a smile on her face and the rest of the sentence was just her anger finding a way out. "Including, occasionally, taking out the trash." 'Some people are alive only because murder is illegal' she added darkly in her head. "Will that be all?" she deadpanned with a smile on her face. She was good with her job.

"I would like to say goodbye to Tony." The girl answered darkly, glaring at Pepper's last comment.

"He is not in the house I think Mr. Stark is on the plane now so I would appreciated if you leave because I have other things to do." Pepper lied smoothly not even blinking, it had been so good rehearsed with the others over the years and it had always worked. The blond girl understood and silently took the clothes from her hand. Twenty minutes later Pepper was alone and she was heading downstairs to the workshop when the phone rang. Rhodey's voice demanded Tony's presence like right now and Pepper was trying to explain that she would do everything to get him there as soon as possible. She was also quite angry at Tony so on purpose she forgot to take his coffee downstairs. She saw him hunched over the hot rod. He was wearing some old blue jeans and a T-shirt, definitely not the clothes for the presentation he was due to leave like an hour ago.

"I'm gonna try again, right now…" She was finishing speaking to Rhodey punching in the code to the door and pushing the sound button turning the music down.

"Please don't turn down my music." Tony sounded annoyed and deep in his thinking mode.

"I'll keep you posted…" She hung up with the Colonel and looked at Tony trying to sound polite when inside she was wishing to just scream at him.

"You are supposed to be halfway around the world right now." She huffed at him 'Not in bed with another cheap treat, what were you thinking?' those unfinished sentence would kill her someday.

"How'd she take it?" He asked in his head it meant 'Did she leave?'

"Like a champ." She answered trying to sound professional 'You just know how to pick them'

"Why are you trying to hustle me out of here?" He asked, finally looking at her. She looked beautiful like always he somehow registered 'Are you mad at me? Well, no coffee, you are mad at me, could you just tell me what you want and be done with it' he wondered silently if he ever would have the courage to voice those sentences he was thinking right now.

"Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago." She informed him trying to sound as casual as every day but her eyes lost their sparks and he could see it.

"That's funny, I thought with it being my plane and all that it would just wait for me to get there…." He tried to explain something, which for him was very obvious, he would do only what he want with his time and no one would be telling him what to do.

Oh maybe except Pepper Potts when she was glaring at him like that.

"Tony, I need to speak to you about a couple things before I get you out of the door." She cut him mid-sentence 'and no I am not brave enough to say what I really want'

"Doesn't it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?" He finished as if she didn't interrupted him before and was trying to distract himself from her piercing blue eyes by cleaning his hands in some rug that he found on the table.

"Larry called. He's got another buyer for the Jackson Pollock in the wings. Do you want it? Yes or no." Back to business 'and I really want this painting so if you would say yes…'

"Is it a good representation of his spring period?" Tony questioned trying to sound very professional like art was his major, not something he spent his money to pay lower taxes. She didn't need to know how ignorant he could be sometimes.

"No. The Springs was actually the neighborhood in East Hampton where he lived and worked, not "spring" like the season." She frowned at him 'Do you have any idea what you are talking about?'.

"So?" Tony was trying very hard to still sound professional 'Busted, I do not know anything about art that's way I have you in my life, can I actually say it to her at loud?'

"I think it's a fair example. I think it's incredibly overpriced." She finished answering his question 'unfortunately it is true but since money was a problem to you?'

"I need it. Buy it. Store it." He offered standing up and walking to the workshop coffee machine. As much as he preferred her to bring his coffee (which was the same coffee that was in the machine downstairs) he knew that today he would not get it from her. It was some sort of punishment she was giving him and he had no idea for what it was but he presumed he deserved. 'Better that than the silent treatment' he added darkly in his mind.

"Okay. The MIT commencement speech..." she checked another thing on her list and started talking again.

"Is in June. Please, don't harangue me about stuff that's way, way, down..." He started pushing the button on the coffee machine which sprang to life making cracking noises and unfold an aromatic smell.

"They're haranguing me, so I'm gonna say yes." She finished his sentence and noted down something on her pad.

"Deflect it and absorb it. Don't transmit it back to me." He said in exasperated tone. 'Deflection is something you are very good at Miss Potts aren't you, we had a solid proof of that couple of months ago' she would kill him if he ever said that at loud and then gave him her resignation so he definitely kept his mouth shut.

"I need you to sign this before you get on the plane." She pushed some paper in front of him holding a sliver pen up.

"What are you trying to get rid of me for? What, you got plans?" He asked looking closely at her 'You aren't having plans, are you? Most definitely not some that I would not participate in…'

"As a matter of fact, I do." She answered truthfully still looking in his eyes.

"I don't like it when you have plans." he spoke fast 'Oh shit I have said that at loud, haven't I? But I really don't like when you have plans without me. Oh yeah like we ever had any plans together'. Where did that offending last thought come from? 'Am I going back to my delusional state?' He was wondering silently listening to her answer.

"I'm allowed to have plans on my birthday." She answered sheepishly 'Oh yes my birthday, do you remember about it? And was that woman upstairs a present because I honestly couldn't tell?'. She could see that something flashed in his eyes for a brief moment but then this famous Stark smug smile took its place.

"It's your birthday?" he asked trying to buy him some time 'Oh God did I forget again? Yes I did, judging by the look in her eyes.'

"Yes." She answered still looking into his eyes; it was mesmerizing just to look into them. She could tell that it was one of the best presents to stare shamelessly into his eyes right now watching how he was trying to dig his way from this situation.

"I knew that. Already?" He assured, not sounding very convincing but trying to smile his way out of it 'what should I do? Think faster you genius one' He mentally kicked himself.

"Yeah. Isn't that strange? It's the same day as last year." She said in light tone letting him off the hook he was squirming long enough for her to remember that he actually felt embarrassed for couple of second. It was Tony Stark and getting him embarrassed about something was a challenge to say the least.

"Get yourself something nice from me." He answered finally finding the right answer 'Money it is always the answer, isn't it?

"I already did." She quipped.

"And?" he inquired 'can I see it? Oh please let it be some underwear, and since it is a present I bought I should approved it, shouldn't I?'

"It was very nice." She informed plainly 'No you will not see it and no it wasn't underwear so you could stop grinning at me'

"Yeah." he added, 'God I think she can read my mind, is it possible that she can? Taking into consideration all those years it is very likely' he was thinking absent – mindly.

"Very tasteful. Thank you, Mr. Stark." A proper thank you was in order so Pepper finished this wired conversation as much professional as she could.

"You're welcome, Miss Potts." Back to business tone, Tony thought sadly, 'Have I ever told you how much I like those silent conversation with you Pepper? he added in his head. 'I just wish that one day we would say everything that was left unsaid. And I just wish that I would be able to see this present of yours sooner or later.'

Tony finished his coffee in one big gulp and headed for the car, he could as well as go to that stupid presentation in Afghanistan, his Pepper and their unfinished conversations and unresolved feeling would be waiting for him at home.

When he was driving away from the garage he looked at the rearview mirror at Pepper watching him leaving. He thought that he was a really lucky guy having someone like her to be going back home to, no matter how complicated their relationship was lately.

Note: As always reviews are very welcome. Please tell me what you think I knid of know where I want to take that story I just don't know if I should bother to write it! :D -Ann