flying or falling

“Mommy?”

For the second night in a row, Pepper woke up to the voice of her five-year old daughter.

“Morgan? It’s four in the morning.”

The redhead sat up, rubbing her eyes. Morgan stood timidly next to the bed, hugging her stitched-up Iron Man doll to her chest. It was dark, but it was easy to see how nervous the little girl seemed.

“Sorry to wake you up again, Mommy.”

“Don’t apologize. Simply tell me why,” Pepper said softly.

“I... I had a nightmare.” She fiddled with the arm of her doll. “It scared me.” She shuffled backwards. “Sorry, I’ll go back to bed.”

Pepper reached over and turned the bedside lamp on, and immediately saw what the moonlight had failed to reveal—a wet layer of tears covering her daughter’s cheeks.

“Did you dream about Daddy?”

Morgan nodded, sniffling, and Pepper heaved a deep sigh, her chest rising up then falling. She blinked, her heart hammered, remembering all the times when she had had nightmares about Tony. Sometimes she still had them.

“Come here, sweetheart,” she said, flipping back the covers and patting the mattress. “I am already awake and there is more than enough room in the bed for you.”

Morgan’s ears perked tentatively, then she crept to the bed, crawling on top and snuggling against her mother, her doll still cuddled to her chest.

Pepper turned off the lights and pulled the summer duvet up around them. She kissed the top of Morgan’s head, once, twice, a hundred times. The feel of holding her daughter filled her heart with warmth, like the very first time she held her. That feeling would never go away. She still couldn’t believe she and Tony had created such a beautiful, living thing.

“You know Daddy’s just on his camping trip with your uncles. You don’t have to be scared, baby,” she whispered against her hair. “He’ll be back on Monday, safe and sound.”

“You promise?”

“I promise,” Pepper answered, running a hand over Morgan’s head while she rubbed her back with the other. “And you can wake me up anytime. Even if you have more than one bad dream a night.”

“Really?” The girl tilted her head to look up at her mother.

“Yes, honey,” Pepper said, smiling. “I will never be mad at you or send you back to bed, because I love you. And I love being your mommy, and you know what that means?”

Morgan shook her head.

“It means I will always, always be there for you, day and night, whenever you need me.” She traced her finger down her daughter’s jawline with a warm smile. “Just like Daddy.”

“Daddy’s not here now.”

Pepper laughed softly. “That’s right. But, you know, sometimes parents need a little time away from their kids to recharge their batteries. And doing grown-up stuff really helps with that.” A frown crinkled Morgan’s forehead, and Pepper chuckled. “Maybe I should explain this to you some other time, when you’re well rested.”

“Can we do grown-up stuff?”

“What do you mean?”

“I wanna go camping.”

“With your daddy and me?”

The toddler briefly stared at her stitched-up Iron Man doll, thinking about her father. Then she glanced back at her mother, shaking her head.

“No, you.”

Pepper’s face lit up with delighted surprise. “Only with me?”

“Yes.”

“I would love to go camping with you,” she said, smiling.

Throwing her arms around her mother, Morgan hugged her fiercely, and Pepper nuzzled her hair, breathing in her young-girl smells of vanilla oil and strawberry-scented conditioner. She emitted a soft chuckle, thinking of the time when Morgan had wanted to know if she hated strawberries because she was allergic to them.

She had told her she didn’t, that she in fact loved the smell of them, and she wished she could taste them. Then Morgan had admitted that strawberries were her favorite fruit. She’d wondered if it made her mother sad when she used strawberry-scented products for her hair—she called it ‘washing her hair with strawberries.’ I don’t want you to be sad when you smell my hair, she’d explained, and Pepper had been smitten with her daughter’s sensitive and empathetic ways. Her answer was simple: Not even strawberries could keep her away from her child.

“Why are you laughing, Mommy?” Morgan asked, her voice muffled against Pepper’s chest.

“I was just thinking of the day when we talked about strawberries... When you asked me if I hated them, and if you could still use strawberry shampoo or conditioner for your hair. Do you remember that?”

“I love strawberries.”

“I know,” Pepper said, giggling.

“You have a favorite fruit?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe mangos?”

“And Daddy?”

“I have never asked your father what his favorite fruit is, and I still haven’t managed to figure it out. Should we ask him?”

Morgan‘s head shot up suddenly.

“He’s probably already asleep, but we can try to reach him. Maybe he’ll pick up.”

The little girl sat up. Her eyes were shining and she was bubbling over with excitement.

Switching on the bedside lamp, Pepper grabbed her phone and called her husband, and it didn’t take long for Tony to pick up. He looked sleepy, hair tousled, and he yawned loudly, rubbing his tired eyes. There was the sound of snoring in the background.

“Why are you calling? Is everything okay? Did anything happen? Is Morgan okay? Are you okay?”

“We’re fine,” she said with a chuckle. “Did I wake you?”

“No, not really,” Tony mumbled. “D'you hear that? The last few days I’ve been trying to think of a way to stop that man from sawing logs, but now I‘m tempted to just suffocate him in his sleep.”

Pepper laughed, then she smiled at him. “I miss you,” she told him. “But I'm glad you’re having fun.”

“Not as much fun as I could have being in bed with you,” he quipped, holding the phone closer to his face so Pepper would definitely be able to see the look in his eyes—she did.

“I’m not alone, honey,” she replied, smirking.

“Oh...” he muttered. “So then, where’s my Maguna?”

He could hear her giggling, but she was burying her face against Pepper’s chest. So Tony called out for her, stretching the A at the end of her nickname, and her soft giggles turned into laughter. When Morgan finally looked right into the camera, nestling her head on her mother’s bosom, he smiled.

“There you are.”

“Hi, Daddy!”

She smiled at her father, her fingers carefully skimming the phone’s screen as though she wanted to touch Tony’s face. Stroking Morgan’s hair, Pepper bent down to kiss the top of her head while Tony watched with an even bigger smile on his face, and a heart full of love. She was such a great mother.

“So you’re in Mommy’s bed?”

He looked back at his daughter, and she nodded.

“Had another nightmare?”

Her head moved slowly, nodding.

“Oh, Morgan...” He sighed deeply. “Look at me, I’m alive. I’m okay. And you really don’t have to worry about me, like, at all, because Daddy’s having a really great time in the woods.” Holding his prosthetic arm into the camera, Tony grinned. “Caught the biggest fish with this thing today. I should show you. You know, I did this, and then I wrestled the beast like this, and then...”

Watching her father make all those silly grimaces and gestures, as he told her about his encounter with the fish, Morgan started giggling.

“Who needs a fishing rod when you can catch a fish with your bare hands? It was amazing!”

“We get it... You’re a hero,” Pepper mocked him, smirking.

He smirked back at her. Seeing her face through the phone always reminded him of how much it sucked not to be able to touch her. He loved going on these camping trips with the guys, but he never stopped thinking about his girls.

“I miss you, Daddy,” Morgan said, her voice filled with a hint of sadness.

“I miss you too, my sweet child. But I’ll be home soon. And you should go back to sleep. It’s way past your bedtime. Listen to your mama.”

“Your daughter’s got a question for you and I’m sure she can’t sleep until you’ve given her an answer.”

“What is it?”

“Your favorite fruit,” Morgan said.

“You wanna know what my favorite fruit is?”

She nodded.

“That’s easy... Your mother’s delicious—“

“Tony!” Pepper glared at her husband, warning him to not even think about finishing that sentence.

“What?” Morgan wondered.

“You know, your mom loves bananas, and the bigger the better. She likes to peel the banana and then eat it.”

Tony looked at Pepper, his eyes telling her that he was allowed to have a little fun. It had been three days without her. Two nights in a cozy tent without her, to snuggle up to, to touch and make love to. And now she called him, in the middle of the night, looking all sexy, with her hair tousled from sleep and a loose shirt that had slipped off her shoulder at one side, exposing parts of her breast.

“Do you know that your mother can take a banana all the way up into her mouth?”

Pepper hated that he was so funny. She was trying so hard to keep a straight face. “Will you please just answer her question?” she said, laughing.

Tony chuckled, then focused on his daughter again—she was already starting to think that her mother may love bananas more than mangoes after all.

“To be honest, Morgan, I haven’t really thought about it, so I’m not entirely sure. But here’s an idea... When I’m home, I’m going to taste every fruit that exists in the world and then tell you which one I like most. Is that cool? We can do it together. Maybe there is something that you love even more than strawberries.”

“No.”

“No, there is not, or no, you don’t like my idea?” Tony frowned.

“I love strawberries most.”

“Strawberries are the best!”

“Was that Happy?” Pepper asked confused.

“Yes, that was me,” Happy said.

“Yes, that‘s him,” Tony answered.

“Hey, Uncle Happy!” Morgan shouted, waving her hand, as his figure appeared on camera.

“Hey, squirt!”

“Begone, snoring beauty! Let me see my daughter,” Tony complained, pushing him away gently. “Go sleep.”

“I would, if you’d finally stop talking,” he grunted. “’Though I don’t think I can sleep with that haunting image now inside my head.”

“What image?”

“Pepper… bananas… her mouth?” Happy screwed up his face in disgust. “I can only hope I don’t dream about it.”

“I hope I do,” Tony said, cackling.

“Oh God!” Pepper let out, smiling apologetically at Morgan who seemed more confused than ever. “I think this is the moment where we should leave you two alone. Come on, say goodnight to your daddy, sweetie.”

Kissing the screen of Pepper’s phone, Morgan told Tony she loved him. He blew her a kiss, wishing her sweet dreams. Then he looked at his wife, giving her one of those smiles that he knew would make her instantly smile back. He loved when her smile was the last thing he saw before closing his eyes. He mouthed, I love you, and she said it back to him, with a look in her eyes, not a word. He understood, like he always did when they conveyed so much of what they were thinking with just a quiet, simple gaze.

When Pepper ended the call and put the phone away, Morgan was still lying on her chest.

“Are you feeling better? You think you can sleep now?”

“Mhm-hm,” Morgan mumbled.

Lights out, Pepper settled down in bed, one hand around Morgan’s back, the other touching the small arm that lay on her stomach. She closed her eyes, just waiting for her daughter to speak up, because she knew there was something still bothering her.

“Mommy?”

Pepper had to smirk—of course she was right. “Yes, baby?”

“Can I have a brother?”

“What?” Pepper’s eyes opened in shock.

“A bro–ther.” Morgan stressed each syllable of the word to make sure her mother would understand her this time.

“You want a... like a real... You want us to have a baby?”

“Yes,” the girl answered, turning to look at her.

“W–Why?”

“I don’t need a reason.”

Pepper laughed out loud. “That’s what your daddy would say...”

“I‘m old enough to be a big sister,” Morgan argued.

“You’re not the only one being a little old,” Pepper mused, as she ran a hand through her hair. She pulled her daughter into a hug and sighed. “Is it okay, if we talk about this some other time and not...” She looked at the clock. “At 4.30 in the morning.”

Morgan stared at her mother, knitting her eyebrows, obviously thinking about how much she wanted to have this conversation or if it could wait.

“Please, honey... I’m really tired.”

“What do I get?”

“Excuse me?” Pepper chuckled, her eyes widening in surprise.

“For waiting.”

“You know this is extortion?”

Morgan nodded, grinning with pride. She knew all about that word, thanks to her father.

“Well, you’re not getting any juice pops... That may work with your father, but not with me.”

“I don’t want juice pops.”

“What do you want then?”

The toddler put her hand up to her mouth, as though she was holding a microphone, and silently moved her lips.

“Morgan H. Stark, it is almost dawn. We are not going to sing kara—“ God, those adorable, big brown puppy eyes were an irresistible force. “Fine,” Pepper groaned. “But just one... One song, and then it’s bedtime for you, you little monster.”

Squealing, Morgan jumped off the bed and ran to her room. Pepper had barely gotten to her feet when the child came back, carrying the small karaoke machine that Scott had given her as a little apology gift for dragging her father into the time travel mess.

“So, what are we singing?”

She was hoping her daughter would pick an upbeat song that would make her dance so hard she’d be exhausted later, but with this ball of energy, she could never be sure. That girl was relentless, which was no surprise knowing who her daddy was.

Grabbing the microphone, Morgan called for the AI. “FRIDAY, play Let It Go.”

“Why did I even ask,” Pepper wondered, as she took the other microphone, and grinned, shaking her head.

About an hour later, they were lying side by side on the floor, sweating, giggling, and panting out of breath. The redhead rolled onto her side facing the little girl, who was holding her tummy to ease the pain from laughing so much. Tears were rolling down her face. Pepper wiped away her own tears, then reached out to stroke Morgan’s cheek.

“You should really be in bed,” she said, sighing.

Morgan looked at her, and, in a moment of silence, raised one hand and stroked Pepper’s hair away from her face. Cupping her cheeks, she smiled, slowly drawing her mother’s face closer to hers. She stared into her eyes. It was a long and deep stare, and the intensity with which she was staring at her, moved Pepper to tears. She only ever saw that much love and affection in another person’s eyes when she was looking at Tony.

“Mommy loves you so much, baby girl,” she whispered, her soft smile making her face glow.

Morgan pecked her mother’s lips in response, and said, “I love singing with you.”

“Me too,” Pepper answered, stroking her cheeks. “But you know what else I think you will love?”

Morgan shook her head.

“Watching the sunrise.”

“I thought I should sleep.” Morgan giggled.

“Well, even mommies can change their minds,” she said with a grin. “Your dad and I used to watch the sunrise all the time when you were still in my tummy.”

“Why?”

“Because… Because for a long, long time, I was always worried I’d never even get to have another day with your father. So to see the sun rise over lake, with him by my side, was...” She paused, swallowing, the words bringing back bad memories, her throat suddenly so dry it was painful.

Her silence encouraged Morgan to speak up.

“Special?”

Pepper nodded and sniffed back a tear, smiling, as she ran a hand through Morgan’s hair. “Yes, baby... It was very special. It still is. We just don’t do it as often anymore.”

“I have never seen a sunrise. Only pictures.”

“Then it’s about time that you do, don’t you think?”

Morgan nodded her head vigorously, the thought exciting her.

Pepper sat down on the two-person swing chair out on the deck. Morgan leaned into her open arms, loving the feel of snuggling against her mother’s chest. The sounds of a few early birds lulled her, along with the gentle movement of the seat. She cuddled her Iron Man doll, resting her head against Pepper’s shoulder. Pepper drew a light summer blanket over them that she and Tony used to keep them warm when nights were cold. It was almost sunrise, that one moment where the sky was clear and cloudless before the sun lifted above the horizon and threw her first long, golden lance on the shimmering lake.

“How long do we have to wait?” Morgan asked.

“Only a few more minutes, I think,” Pepper answered, smiling at her. “Just be patient, honey.”

The little girl looked out at the lake, yawning, barely able to keep her eyes open.

“Can you sing?”

“Don’t you think we’ve done enough singing for tonight?” Pepper said, laughing.

“Please, Mommy,” Morgan begged, “Until the sun comes up.”

She sighed and snuggled even closer to her, and Pepper wrapped her arm tighter around her daughter, stroking her shoulder, and then her hair. She started singing Landslide. It was the first song she could think of in that moment. When she was only half way through the song, the sun began to rise. She halted, gasping in awe, then looked down at her child.

“I have seen this so many times and it still takes my breath away,” she said softly. “Do you like it?”

There was no response.

“Sweetie?”

Then, there was the sound of snoring.

“So much for your first sunrise...” Pepper laughed quietly in her throat, suppressing it from coming into her mouth. “Well, I guess, there’s always tomorrow, huh?”

She squirmed to get out of the toddler’s embrace and bent down until she got hold under Morgan’s arms. Then she lifted her slowly up into her arms and went back inside. As she was putting her daughter to bed and tucking her in, the girl moved her lips, without opening her eyes.

“Mommy?”

“Shh, it’s alright, baby,” Pepper whispered, kissing her forehead. “Just go back to sleep.”

“I love you,” she mumbled, rolling onto her side.

“I love you, too, sleepyhead.”

Smiling, Pepper stroked her hair, thinking.

“Honey?”

“Yes?”

Pepper was sitting on the couch in the white silk robe Tony got her for Christmas, and he could see more white where it split apart high up on her thighs. He licked his lips, as he moved closer, gaze roaming from head to toe. He noticed the small round shadows of her nipples when her rope opened a little more while she lifted her glass of red wine and took a ladylike sip. She was the sexiest woman he had ever laid eyes on. Ever!

“Tony?”

Pepper saw him staring at her and smiled; a smile that made his body respond as if she’d put her hands down his pants. She ran one hand through her waves of auburn hair, and Tony instantly felt the need to massage her scalp until she moaned, to use handfuls of that long, perfect hair to guide Pepper’s mouth to all the places where he wanted to feel the wet warmth. She was really turning him on now. But when had this woman not done something that hadn't turned him on?

“There’s...” Her blue eyes took him in, and he swallowed hard, trying to ignore that crawling sensation just below the waistband of his jeans. “Uh, there’s a grand piano in, um... Why is there a piano in our living room?” He stopped right in front of her, and only quickly looked down the front of the gaping rope. Long enough to imagine Pepper’s pussy dripping wet and wanting, juices leaking through her white panties.

“Because you destroyed the one you had when you fell through the ceiling with your suit?” Stretching out her leg, Pepper ran her foot up his thigh. He took a swift intake of breath; she noticed that with a wide grin. “I don’t know why you haven’t bought a new one already, but I thought I’d safe you the trouble.”

“You bought that for me?” He licked his lips again, desperate for a carnal interaction.

“It’s just a piano, Tony,” she argued. “And I know you miss playing, so will you play for me?” Pepper’s foot continued to stroke slowly up and down his leg.

“Um, yes... I mean... What do you want me to play?”

“Surprise me!” Her lips curled up in that sexy way, and Tony was dead certain now that she had made it her mission to torture him tonight.

He sat down on the bench in front of the grand piano, not moving for some time. Then Tony’s fingertips plunged onto the keyboard, as he started playing Comptine D'un Autre Été | L'après Midi, which he knew she loved. Amélie was her favorite movie, and he had never wondered why. Of all the movies in the world, it suited Pepper Potts that she‘d pick a French film about a young woman endeavoring to help and improve the lives of those around her. It was kind of what she had done to him. She had turned his whole life around, awarding him with love and happiness. He‘d never felt so full of life—and love.

Tony gazed at her longingly, as she sat there with radiant eyes, staring at him, and a smile on her lips that was so beautiful, he knew it was meant only for him. Then Pepper got to her feet and approached him, her gait as graceful as a swan’s, as she seemed to float over the floor rather than walk on it. She stood next to the piano for a moment, until she climbed so effortlessly onto it, he thought she must have done it before, or spent all evening practicing it. Tony’s eyes darted to hers, focusing on the sly smile and playful sparkle in those blue eyes that he loved so much.

Pepper shimmied her hand down inside her panties and explored between her legs, then slid her hands under her rope and up her sides to cup her breasts. The slow, sensual dance she did in front of him, lying there, stretched out on the grand piano, as she touched herself, sent his shaft hardening. Tony tried to focus, but when he saw Pepper sliding a finger inside herself, making her own body jolt from the pure pleasure of it, he instantly hit a wrong note on the keys. She may look like an angel before him with her tousled waves framing her face, but what she was doing to him was the work of the devil. And he just wanted to lay his head down between her creamy thighs and devour her pussy.

She moaned softly at first, but the sounds grew louder and wilder as she worked her finger back and forth. Tony didn’t even care to give his musical performance another try, because he knew it wouldn’t work. His mind had already wandered off to a place where the only sounds to be created were loud moans, and a lot of bad words not suitable for children’s ears. He watched the movement of her finger, looked up at her and noticed she had opened her eyes to stare back at him. She pushed another finger deep inside, and Tony wondered how she could keep herself from orgasm when he was already feeling a single drop of pre-cum clinging to the rosy head of his cock trapped inside his pants.

“You’re not gonna thank me?” Her low chuckle triggered a fresh flood of testosterone.

“You want a proper thank you?” he said, studying her. There was such innocence in her expression—definitely not in her doing. She pulled her fingers out and brought them to her mouth where she very slowly licked them clean. All the air rushed from Tony’s lungs, and it took a moment for him to gather his wits about him. “A–a–and you think this thing can, uh... weather that heavy storm?”

“It better,” she answered, smirking. “Because this thing was worth a fortune.” Pepper rolled onto her side, exposing every part of her naked body to him, and ran a hand over her breast, massaging it. “Are you willing to find out?” She swept her tongue over her top lip before pulling her bottom lip into her mouth and sucking on it gently. “All you have to do, honey, is get up here and fuck me.” She paused and lay back, eyes facing the ceiling. Her palm curled around her breast, and she combed her fingers through her hair, barely able to suppress a deep sigh. She looked ridiculously sexy. “And please... don’t go easy on me.” Her voice was hoarse and ragged with the desperation of her need.

Tony quickly launched himself off the piano bench, his hands sliding low to the waistband of his jeans, unfastening it impatiently. He pulled his shirt over his head, then tugged his briefs down to allow his erection to spring free. A smirk went across his lips as he saw her studying what he had exposed. Boy, did he love to see Pepper's unmasked appreciation on her beautiful face—those special heart eyes she had for him whenever he stripped down to nothing; hungry eyes drooling over his skin, following his every move. He knew she couldn't help it, he couldn't either when he saw her naked, but it always turned him on even more. He would make her come so hard, they could be lucky they didn’t have any neighbors to complain about the noise. Not that he actually cared, though.

“You were aiming at this the second you paid the big bucks, didn’t you, Potts?” he said, tugging at her legs to pull her close and into position. Tony ran his hand slowly up her thigh, and then up her delicious body, through the valley between her breasts.

Pepper released a breathy sigh, her lips curving upward in a sweet smile of contentment, as she looked at him. “I just figured it might be a great exercise for your fingers,” she told him, words loaded with sexual innuendo.

“Oh, that’s really thoughtful. There’s just one thing you forgot.” Leaning forward, he kissed the side of her face. “My fingers don’t need any practice,” he growled seductively, “‘cause you’re my favorite piece to play.” His breath blew against the overheated skin at Pepper’s neck, making her gasp and squirm. He moved his hands to the white satin covering her centre, letting out a chuckle as Pepper immediately tilted her hips towards his touch. “Is it that bad, baby?” he asked, slowly running a finger across damp fabric. All Tony got in response was a ‘Mhmm’ through gritted teeth. “Let’s get these off of you then.”

She was so wet his fingers slid into her easily. He started playing with her clit ever so slowly, flicking two fingers back and forth; grinned as her moans began to grow louder and longer with each thrust of his fingers deep inside her pussy. He watched her face; how she was trying to dig her nails into the piano lid as she would do into a bedsheet. Pepper scratched the wooden cover of Tony’s gift, leaving her marks for him to see, every time he would sit down and play. Then she extended her arms, tangling her fingers in Tony’s hair, to have something soft to hold on to, as if that would help her relieve the pressure. But pleasure built and built until she convulsed around his fingers.

Tony muffled her cries with a deep kiss, his tongue mating with hers, dancing and fighting. Then he nibbled at her bottom lip, a craving for Pepper’s taste nearly driving him out of his mind. It wasn’t easy for him to hold back. God, no. His whole groin area burned with need, his painful erection begging him to finish this quickly, but he chose to ignore that, at least for now. This was supposed to be about her, and him saying thank you. So he tried to focus on her needs instead of his, taking on the challenge of how many times he could get her off.

Pepper Potts deserved every single mind-blowing orgasm he could give her. And not because that woman had bought him a grand piano, no. She deserved that kind of pleasure, that kind of bliss, simply because she had chosen him of all people to give it to her. Although falling in love with him may not have been entirely her choice but rather life’s way of making someone find happiness where he least expected it, she was here, by his side. And no matter how many times he made her come, fucking her, or how often he made love to her gently, he could never thank her enough for that. The fact that Pepper loved him was worth way more than a piano, worth more anything money could buy, and it certainly made all the tension he felt between his legs—his cock was now an unwillingly hard column of pain—endurable. Nothing could hurt more than not being with her.

His fingers slipped out, moving up slowly. Warm liquid wetted the tight muscle layers surrounding Pepper’s abdomen. “So, how do you like my performance?” Tony asked, looking at her with a mischievous grin.

Pepper met his gaze, her eyes filled with flames of lust and hunger. “Is it over?” she asked back, still trying to calm her breathing.

“This is far from over, Pep,” he said. “Because now comes the vocal part.”

“You’re gonna sing to me?”

He chuckled softly. “I am gonna use my mouth,” he told her, as he lowered his head and buried his face in her crotch, “but you’ll be the one singing.”

His tongue flicked across the tight nub of her clit. She jerked her hips involuntarily towards his mouth and gasped as he proceeded to lick his way inside her. Pepper grabbed his head, watching him while he was down there, as the pressure inside her built with every thrust of his tongue. Tony once again slid two fingers into her depths while he sucked her skin into his mouth, finally tasting her. Moaning his name over and over again, she pushed his head deeper into the abyss with her hands. Sure, she had wanted to have sex with him the minute he had walked in, but if this was how he intended to thank her for buying him stuff that meant something to him, she should really do that more often.

"You're so fucking wet for me," he rasped into her skin, watching her juices cream around his fingers and the tip of his tongue. "God, I really do owe you a thank you.” Tony’s words were filled with such longing that she couldn't help but respond.

"Then give it to me... please," she said breathlessly, and cried out in startled pleasure when Tony hit a spot inside her that sent an even sharper pang of sensation to her nerve endings.

Lust thrummed through him with each of her needy whimpers, as he stroked the wall of muscle and felt her tightening around his fingers. She wanted it harder, faster, and Tony was more than willing to give her what she wanted—needed. He sped up the motion of his fingers and sucked her, and Pepper arched her back, bucked her pelvis and clenched his shoulders with her hands. Her fingernails dug into Tony’s skin hard enough to leave bruises, but the only noise he made was a long, sharp gasp. He closed his eyes, savoring every second of her heavy breaths, her murmurs, and load moans.

Licking figure eights, Tony gave her the sweetest torture. If he was going to do this, he would do it at his own pace—and he knew that was how she loved it the most. He twirled his fingers around, feeling Pepper push harder against him. Her head moved side to side. She jerked and moaned loudly like the devil inside her was fighting for freedom. Tony kept feasting on her clit, then removed his fingers to dip his tongue in and out of her sweet spot. Pepper threw her head back as she cried out her thanks, giving him even better access. He glanced up at her, slurping up her juices as his tongue slid through her folds. It took only a few more seconds until she rewarded him with a long, low, keening scream.

"Yes, that's it, Potts.” Tony’s voice was a low, deep rumble. His thumb pressed hard on her clit. "Come for me.”

And she came so hard that it almost hurt, her muscles squeezing and contracting with fierce. But even with her thighs trembling, arms flailing and head shaking, Tony still didn't let leave her flesh. He kept her plastered on his mouth until he was sure Pepper felt every single bit of that orgasm. He sucked her hard, letting her clit roll over his tongue again and again, and she held his head in place so she could keep fucking his mouth. Sobbing his name, she came again, feeling the spasms as her orgasm wracked her, making her muscles twitch. After one last lingering lick, Tony released a moan from deep within his throat and pulled away from her. With his head pillowed on her thigh, his legs like jelly, he leaned against the piano, as he tried to control his ragged, satisfied breathing. He had never seen Pepper reach her climax with such intensity, let alone twice, and he prided himself knowing that he’d made her come that hard—clearly the best way to say ‘thank you’ to her.

Tony's body suddenly shook with laughter. At first it came out as more of a whimper than a laugh, then it changed to a giggle, and finally to a guffaw. “What is it?” Pepper asked, searching his face for an answer that his expression instantly gave away. “Did you just cum?” Ruffling his hair, she laughed out loud.

“I‘m sorry,” he said, chuckling. “I’ll clean that up later, I promise.” He gently kissed the inside of her thigh—moaning at its incredible softness—and deeply inhaled her scent.

“You know,” she said, stroking his head as she spoke, “I’d love it, if you came inside me instead.”

“Mm, dirty,” he purred, his fingers trailing up and down her leg. “You’re a naughty... naughty woman.”

“You got a problem with that?”

“Not at all,” he smirked. “Not at all... Just gimme a minute to recover. Please?”

“Take your time, honey. I mean, it’s not like this piano lid isn’t the most comfortable spot ever...” Her voice was tinged with amusement and sarcasm, and it made him laugh.

“You’ve been in worse places,” he remarked, still smirking. “And correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it your idea to get fucked on a piano?”

“Yeah, but that’s the thing, Tony... You haven’t even fucked me properly,” she quipped.

“You came three times!” He looked appalled, but grinned playfully, as he moved quickly to leap onto the piano and lay down on top of her. “You just can't get enough of me, can you, Ms. Potts?”

Pepper’s fingers skimmed his spine, setting little fires everywhere she touched. “Fuck me, Mr. Stark,” she whispered, and he kissed the plea right from her lips, their mouths clashing in a fiery embrace.

Tony nibbled on her lower lip, loving her soft exclamation of pleasure. His mouth then advanced in a warm steady march across her collarbone and down the soft incline of her breast. Each breath Pepper took lifted her breasts, as if in invitation, her nipples begging for his mouth, shameless and plump. He sucked at her nipple so hard it should have been agony, but it made her cry out in the loveliest tone he’d ever heard. He worked that same magic on her other breast, his tongue flicking against her nipple, then drawing a slow circle around the sensitive tip. His teeth closed over the taut bud, and he sucked it slowly between his lips. With every pull of his mouth, her body seemed to respond more heavily, her insides curling and tingling.

Sliding her hand between them, Pepper traced the narrow line of hair that pointed to the happy wonderland, forbidden territory to all other women. She gripped his soft cock, worked her hand along the length, trying to coax it to come out to play—and even Tony Stark’s dick knew better than to argue with Pepper Potts. In seconds, he was hard as steel. She cupped Tony’s heavy sac, curled her fingers around the weight and gently massaged it. Tony murmured his pleasure against the skin at her chest. Looking up into her eyes, he watched her face as she encircled his cock with her hand to guide it to the place she desired it most. When she took control like that, he could barely breathe, the desire to fuck her—to make love—permeating every fiber of his being.

Tony moved slow, very slow, to bury himself inside her, never taking his eyes from Pepper's face. Inch by torturous inch, he fed his wonderfully large cock into her sex. She wrapped her legs around him as he slipped inside her. It took forever, but it was wondrous, and Pepper enjoyed every second of it. Tony took her moan into his mouth, and completed it with his own. She clutched him, begged him to move faster when she broke the kiss to gasp for air. But he kept torturing her with the slow movement of his hips, thrusting forward, and deep strokes that never seemed deep enough for her. Her hands raked his back, her nails leaving reddened streaks on his flesh. He answered in a long, low groan.

"Fuuuck," she breathed out, "You don't play fair."

“You told me... not to go easy on you,” Tony countered, nipping her ear with his teeth.

“You’re supposed... to... thank me... not... torture me,” she murmured.

“I can go hard and fast if that’s—“

“Yes,” she whimpered, without pride or dignity, begging him to do it.

He could make love to her every other day of the week, but not tonight. Tonight, Pepper just wanted him to treat her like raw meat instead of a three-course menu. She knew that even a mindless fuck with Tony was never without that feeling of love and respect. It may hurt when he was rough, like really hurt, but it was a pleasurable pain. And no matter how harsh they treated each other in raucous moments of primitive, animalistic sex, they would always go back to that soft sweetness of their love. Afterwards, when they had quenched their insatiable thirst for each other during their scorching sex-fest. They definitely had a very healthy, great sex life.

Fulfilling her desires, Tony gave it to Pepper with grunting force. He thrust deep, and he thrust hard, their rhythm quickly taking on a primal life. He wasn’t soft, he wasn't gentle with her. He bit her vulnerable flesh, and pushed so hard into her body that she felt stretched to the limits, yet every thrust seemed to seek a little deeper. He yanked her legs to him and drew up Pepper’s hips to the angle he wanted, his gaze holding hers so she couldn’t fail to see the love there. Each thrust was equal parts pleasure and pain, and she welcomed all of it. The sound of their ragged hurried breathing filled the room, along with a chorus of low moans, howls, grunts, and groans, pure instinct driving them now.

His hungry mouth opened wide around her breast. He tormented one of her nipples, sucking hard, mindlessly, as his hand cupped her breast from beneath and squeezed the tip even farther out for him to suck. She gasped, as he drew her nipple deeper into his mouth. He groaned at her taste. Squirming restlessly, Pepper pulled him up by the hair. Her breasts collided with the muscular wall of his chest as Tony’s lips sealed against hers. His tongue invaded her mouth, his hips withdrew and pushed forward, over and over again, as Tony hammered himself into her without mercy. His guttural groans responded back to her pining pleas to keep going, to fuck her harder, as if that was even possible. Pepper wasn’t moaning anymore, she was screaming.

Her orgasm hovered, waiting for just the right moment to crush over her. Seconds later, Pepper blasted Tony in the face with a tremendous scream, shaking like an earthquake had erupted inside her. And with a hoarse cry, he followed, filling her with one last brutal, savage thrust. Tony pumped inside her until he was completely spent, then collapsed over Pepper with a groan. Both of them shuddered with the joy they had received, and were still enjoying. His cock was going soft inside her and although it was still pulsing the throbs were weaker now, subsiding like the ebbing tide. Tony stayed that way for a while, reveling in that feeling to be one with her in love rather than lust.

Eyes closed, Pepper held him like a newborn, clutching him to her chest protectively. In those sweet moments of exhaustion, she felt the closest to him. It was a feeling so intimate, a feeling she cherished so much, that it sometimes brought tears to her eyes. She never fought those tears. She smiled at them, because they were proof to her of how much she loved him. And he loved her back. In that same, all-consuming way Tony loved her back, and she had never even dared to believe happiness like that existed. Pepper wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Because who wouldn’t want to be that sickeningly in love and happy for the rest of their lives?

Arms wrapped around her, Tony closed his eyes in pleasure, as Pepper played with his hair, letting the locks fall through her fingers. “You know, I can’t wait to see what you’ll buy me next,” he murmured into the silence.

Pepper chuckled. “That depends on my salary,” she joked.

“Is my company not paying its CEO enough? You want a raise? Done.” Tony pulled his cock slowly from her pussy—Pepper moaned quietly in response—and took his weight back up by maneuvering his arms a little. Their eyes met, and as she grinned he did also. “The piano’s still in one piece,” he noticed, chuckling.

“Told you it cost a fortune,” she replied amused, as she drew her palm along his dark, stubbled jaw.

Tony leaned down to kiss her, his mouth lingering for a moment. “I should write you a song,” he breathed against her lips before he pulled away to look back into her eyes. “Because I swear to God, Pepper Potts, there’s no one quite like you on this goddamn planet.”

Not long after they had gotten married, Tony started planning a new home for them, or at least a home away from home. So, he bought a piece of land in the South of France and called in the bulldozer. The property was off the main road, isolated, with a few acres in the backyard that provided plenty of room to roam. He built their home from the logs on his land, using his own stand of timber.

It wasn’t huge, not like any of the places they had lived in, but it wasn’t small either. An eco-lodge, powered by solar and wind energy. The ‘merge with nature’ design made it not only in keeping with the natural environment, but in harmony with it. It didn’t have any of that Stark technology, which took a bit getting used to for him at first, but whenever he and Pepper came there, it really was a place of peace and quiet, a place where he could finally meet sanity and sit with it for a while. The place where Pepper had given birth to both their kids.

It was a beautiful bright sunny day at the French Riviera, the perfect time to spend the hot hours of the day upon their cool veranda, and in the late noon motor down to Cannes to have dinner at their favorite restaurant. One thing Tony absolutely loved about France—the thing he loved most was hearing Pepper speak French; it sounded damn sexy—was the tough paparazzi laws they benefitted from.

He could stroll in the park with his family, minding his own business, and didn’t have to fear that his kids would be traumatized by a gang of shouting, arguing, lawbreaking photographers who camped out everywhere he went. Tony couldn’t even remember how many times he had waged war on gossip magazines with relentless, precedent-setting lawsuits, because someone had snapped a photo of his son. He tried to keep his children out of the public eye as much as possible, so they could live a normal life, but it was a lot easier to do it in France than in the States.

They hadn’t been back in a long time, for almost a year, because things had been too busy in New York, but Tony had promised his wife, they would spend all summer away from everything that made her forehead crinkle and gave her headaches. She deserved a time out. Because, unlike him, Pepper was still very much involved in business. He, on the other hand, had been what people may call the perfect househusband. Well, he really wasn’t perfect.

But every obstacle he encountered as a father was definitely his favorite to overcome. Every moment that felt like a failure to him was worth the experience. Because in spite of him letting his son out of sight at the mall—not once, but twice—and having to look for him for hours, forgetting to make him a lunch bag for school, or seeing him fall off the changing table when he was just a few months old, that boy had turned out quite amazing. So, no matter how many times he had fucked up, it didn't matter. His son was perfect, and he was a killer dad. A total badass!

Levi was six, their little girl Morgan—Morgie, as her brother liked to call her—only about fifteen months old. She was sleeping soundly in Tony’s arms with her tiny head on his shoulder when he opened the door to their home. There were no walls separating the living room from the kitchen and dining area. Large panoramic windows suffused the wide open space with lots of light. Luxuriously chic amenities complemented the estate's subtle elegance.

A sliding glass patio door led to a wooden deck outside. The sound of trickling water from the fountain in the natural pool enhanced the peaceful atmosphere of the garden oasis that made up the rear part of the villa. The swimming area was separated from a zone planted with aquatic vegetation, which acted as a biological filter for the pool thus making it a self-cleaning mini-ecosystem with crystal-clear water.

The moment they entered the house and Levi spotted the swimming pond, he started running towards it. Pepper threw the bags she carried into a corner immediately, trying to catch up with her son. Once she had him tightly in her grasp, Levi started laughing.

Tony smirked at the lively child; a great favorite with most people, but his failing was a quick, impatient temper, and a brain that usually didn't think much before commanding the mouth to speak and the body to act—which sounded all too familiar to Tony.

"You wanna go for a swim, bud?" Tony asked, walking up to them, and the boy nodded vigorously. "Well, you know you can't go in there alone. Have you asked your mom if she wants to go with you?" Levi shook his head, and Tony grinned. "Why don't you do that then?"

As if he were a little shy, the young fella turned slowly in Pepper's arms and waited another moment until he looked up to her, saying quietly, "I'm sorry I ran away, mommy." He knew he wasn't allowed to do that, so if he apologized then maybe he would still get his wish. "Can we go swimming? Pleeeease."

Pepper smiled sweetly at her son, who gazed at her puppy-eyed. He always looked so cute when he had done something he shouldn't and was trying to say that he was sorry. In these moments, he reminded her so much of Tony. She didn't know if she would ever be able to resist that face. She had her experience with that kind of puppy look and it hadn't really gone well for her as far as resistance was concerned. But her son, he was a joy to be around and she just wanted him to have everything he dreamed of and more. So, she was more than willing not to resist.

"We will, honey, but you're gonna have to wait until I unpacked my bags. Can you do that?" Levi nodded. "Good boy." She smiled, catching a glimpse of Tony, who was still grinning foolishly at the two of them. "You coming with us, chéri?" she asked, smirking.

"Yes, you have to come too, daddy," Levi squealed with excitement.

"Do I have a choice?" Tony wondered, though he certainly wouldn't mind spending some valuable pool time with his family.

Pepper looked at her son, and as if he knew she would do that, he met her gaze instantly by turning his face away from Tony. "What do you think little man, does daddy have a choice?" Pepper said to him and Levi released a cute chuckle.

"You're the boss," he answered, clapping his hand over his mouth to stifle another giggle.

"That's my boy," Pepper patted his head, laughing. "And whatever mommy wants, mommy gets, so…"

"Stop brainwashing our son," Tony protested playfully, closing the distance between him and Pepper to give her a peck on the lips, and another one right after that.

"Baby, did I tell you to say this?" Pepper addressed her son, who shook his head. "See?" She turned back to Tony. "He figured that out all by himself," she chuckled.

Tony pressed another kiss to her lips. He was almost sure that Pepper had told his son to do that in case he would say that she cheated, but arguing with her was hopeless. He knew he would only make her enjoy the teasing even more, if he kept insisting that his wife and son were plotting against him like they had done so many times before.

He remembered the time when Levi had pretended to have forgotten about his birthday. Don't you know which date it is, he had asked his son and all he had gotten as an answer was the exact day and month. His son loved birthday parties, no matter whose party it was, so the fact that Levi had seemed to forgotten his father's had really saddened Tony.

Levi had been gone with Pepper almost all day, without a word as to where they were, and just when Tony had wanted to address his feelings as they returned, his son had surprised him with a huge cake. Pepper had known all along and not said a word, not even when Tony had told her how sad he was. His son and wife were quite good at conspiring.

"I wanna talk to Rhodey," Levi exclaimed, tugging at his father's shirt.

"I thought you wanted to go into the pool," Tony said, laughing.

"He doesn't know what he wants... I wonder where he gets that from." Pepper's laughter filled the air, joining Tony's. He ignored her comment, but couldn’t help smirking at it.

"Okay, here's what we do," Tony started, handing his daughter over to Pepper, who welcomed the baby girl with a loving kiss on the forehead. "We're gonna call him, and while your mom and I are unpacking, you can talk to him. When we're done, we're gonna go for a swim, alright?"

He pulled out the phone to dial Rhodey’s number and said a few words to his friend before he gave his cell to his son. "You've got fifteen minutes," he told him and turned to his wife, who was whispering sweet words into their daughter's ear while she cradled her head against the side of her neck. The sight made Tony smile. Even after all this time, he still wasn't used to seeing Pepper like that—a mother.

"What are you looking at?" Pepper roused him from his slumber, her face wearing a smirk.

Tony grinned and, without a word, walked back inside to start unpacking. Pepper followed close behind. She put Morgan down on the floor to help her husband get their stuff sorted and the little girl soon had found something to play with.

Tony and Pepper had learned to coordinate their movements in the domestic department the same way they had in the business department. They could read each other, anticipate the other's next move before it even happened, which definitely came in handy when one had to juggle two kids at the same time. They were done getting settled much faster than they had thought.

"Our son still has five minutes left on the phone, you know," Tony mentioned, suggestively raising an eyebrow while he sat on the bed watching her.

"Yeah, but the thing you have in mind takes a little more than five minutes," Pepper laughed, hitting him lightly against the arm as she walked past him.

Quickly, Tony grabbed her wrists in one hand and pulled her down. Pepper let herself fall much harder than necessary and smiled contentedly at his winded grunt and wince. He put his arms around her to keep her from getting away and placed a kiss on her shoulder before he captured her mouth. Pepper only gave in shortly.

"How about we do that when the kids are asleep?" she suggested, touching his cheek with one hand. "It's not like I don't want to..."

"You promise," Tony asked, as if he was worried to be disappointed.

"I promise," Pepper smiled, kissing him. "We're gonna have the pool all to ourselves, babe... Think about that."

Scrambling out of his lap, she let him dwell on that thought, knowing too well she had only fueled his passion and made it all the more difficult for him to get through the next couple of hours without being able to indulge that passion. It was fun playing him like that, seeing the expression on his face and noticing how much he adored her.

When she changed into her bikini, Pepper could feel him never turning his eyes away, not even once to check on their daughter. He just stared at her, admiring the view. She still felt a bit flattered every time he did that, because some couples didn't keep that deep admiration for each other after they had been married for a few years. They did. They admired each other's bodies as much as each other's personalities.

Tony came from behind, enclosing her with his arms and Pepper let her head fall back against his chest. She closed her eyes, only for a minute but long enough to forget the whole world for a moment. They had been together for ages, but she loved him more today than she ever had. Now, she was a woman in desperate need for love and affection. Tony's love and affection. Her husband's.

"I get the baby, you get changed," Pepper whispered, turning around in his embrace. She cupped his face, smiling happily at him. "I love you, you know that?"

"I have two beautiful babies to remind me should I ever forget," Tony replied, smiling just like her.

"They really are beautiful, aren't they?" Pepper chuckled, caressing his cheek with her thumb.

"Just like their mother."

"Okay, now you're getting cheesy. I should go," she said, laughing, and slipped out of his arms.

She picked up their daughter, who was babbling a few sounds that didn't make sense, and left the room to go change her into something more suitable for the pool. Then she went back outside to their son. Still on the phone with Rhodey, wrapped up in a conversation about who was the strongest Avenger, he didn't take notice of her until Pepper put her hand on his shoulder.

"Time to hang up, Levi," Pepper said, surprised to see him saying goodbye to Rhodey immediately. "Take your shirt off, so we can hop in the pool. Mommy wants to go swimming. C'mon, buddy! Let's go have some fuuuuun!" She laughed as she put Tony's phone away on the table and grabbed the bag she had taken with her.

"And Morgie?" Levi asked, quickly pulling his shirt over his head.

"She's coming with us. We all go."

"But she can't swim, mommy."

Pepper noticed how he almost seemed worried; worried because something might happen to his sister while they were in the water, and also sad, because he obviously wanted her to join the family fun. She had always found it sweet how protective he was over his little sister, how much he cared.

"Just take a look at what's inside the bag, sweetheart," she told him, smiling, and as Levi did so, he pulled out a plastic-wrapped swim ring. "Can you read what it says?" He nodded. "And do you know what a baby float is?"

"I'm not stupid," Levi giggled.

"Of course you're not. I'm sorry," Pepper apologized, chuckling. "So you know that when she's gonna sit in there, you don't have to worry about anything happening to her, right? She'll be fine. We still have to keep an eye on her, though."

Before she was even finished talking, Levi had already unpacked the swim ring and was busy blowing air into it, though that was seemingly a bit hard with his small lungs. Yet he was eager to do all the hard work himself and not let his mother help out. Pepper couldn't help but grin at her son's wild enthusiasm.

"Take it slow, baby, or your head's gonna blow up. You already look like a little lobster."

"Mama, you're really funny," Levi started to laugh, losing half the air he had just blown into the ring.

"At least that's what she thinks," Tony interrupted the two of them, appearing on the deck with just his swim trunks on. Pepper grinned and he just grinned back, then took the baby float from his son. "Leave this to the man with the big lungs, kid."

"I'm afraid, your father's lungs aren't as big as his ego, Levi," Pepper was quick on the comeback, as she took the little boy's hand in hers to walk with him to the pool. He jumped in right away, and Pepper loved how happy her son was just getting to be in the pool. He felt so comfortable in the water, he had never been afraid of it.

He called for his diving goggles and Tony was quick to deliver, throwing them at him. Levi put them on and ducked in and Tony watched with a smile when his son inspected the pool's ground, his head under water, as if he could find a real treasure down there. It just made Tony extremely proud what a great little being he and Pepper had given life to. Their son was perfect in every way.

Tony put the swim ring into the pool and turned to his wife. "I'll take her in," he said to Pepper, his eyes on his daughter. He took the baby and sat her into the seat of the baby float. She gurgled happily as the water touched her feet and arms. She was just like her brother, Tony noticed, not afraid of water, though this was the first time she was all alone in there. Both his kids were perfect in every way.

"Seems like we're the only ones left," Pepper remarked with a smirk.

Before she even knew what was happening, Tony suddenly scooped her up in his arms, made a few steps towards the deep end of the pool and threw her in. The redhead screamed in surprise at the chilly water that closed over her head. All the breath left her body in a choked gasp. As she got to the surface, she heard her son's belly laugh and her daughter's giggling. Then she was pulled back under by a strong force at her feet and she knew it was him. Hardly able to get away, she fought her way up.

"Tony, stop!" she screamed, as her head stuck out of the water again. "Stop!" She had to laugh at his playfulness, even though she wanted to sound mad.

"Don't stop, daddy!" Levi yelled, clearly enjoying the game his parents were playing.

Just when Pepper wanted to talk back to her son, Tony grabbed her legs once more and pulled her down with him. Pepper tried kicking him, fighting him off. When she saw him wince in pain, she noticed it with satisfaction. Tony put his hands around her face, pressed his lips onto her mouth, and she could feel her mind and body reacting to it instantly. She couldn't fight back anymore and there was no doubt that it was exactly what he had wanted to achieve with this move.

They reached the surface, lips still locked, and when Tony was about to put his arms around her waist, Pepper splashed him full in the face. Laughing, she splashed him again. His eyes flashed vengefully when he blinked the water out of it. Pepper gave a little yelp, guessing his next move, and swam towards her kids as fast as she could. She'd just reached her daughter when Tony grabbed her ankle and yanked.

"Where do you think you're going, huh?" He laughed, hauling her back against him. Pepper snorted with laughter, squirming in his firm hold.

"Let me go," she squealed, almost choking on the water that splashed into her mouth.

Another splash hit Tony, this time it was coming from his son, who was obviously trying to save his mother. Tony released his hands from Pepper and turned to Levi, grinning broadly. "You too now?" he said with a cocked eyebrow as he got closer to him. "You shouldn't have done that, son."

When Tony caught him and dug his fingers into his sides, tickling him, Levi laughed lustily. "Mommy!" he called out for Pepper. "Help me!" He was laughing so hard, he could barely form words. He tried to get away, but whenever he almost managed to slip out of Tony's reach, his dad got hold of him again.

Pepper watched her two men with a wide grin on her lips, then faced her daughter and began tickling her feet underwater. Morgan laughed, as much as Levi did, and when Pepper tickled her sides, she started laughing harder. Pepper splashed her with a bit of water and the baby girl gasped for air but didn't cry. She just giggled as cute as only babies could do it. It was adorable.