A/N: 06/30/2015 IT'S FINALLY HERE! AN UPDATE! AAAHHH! 8D *Aherm* anyway; I'm so, so sorry for leaving you hanging on an ending for so long. I never wanted to, of course, but I got busy and things got in the way and I just wasn't inspired, so it ended up waiting until now. PLEASE enjoy this final chapter. I took extra special care in writing it for you guys, so I hope it's everything you've hoped it would be (but even if it's not, don't hesitate to tell me, lol) :)

Thank you wintercandymints, Luxraylover, sailorraven34, aliceindeepdarkwonderland, Hyne, Hawkkitty44, RIPxGlee2015, Ghost Rider of the Aragon, wolftattoo, TheConjuringMind, nancyozz, and all the Guests for your reviews. They really kept me going on this :)

Reading time:

if you're fast: 12 mins or less.

if you're slow: 20 mins or less.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers.

Chapter eleven: Decide~

Number 10. Get a feel for where he's at. You can try indirect flirting all you want, but it might not have an effect. Sometimes guys need you to spell things out really clearly.

Thor spent the next week mulling over what Natasha had shown him, avoiding Pepper Potts like the dreaded Asgardian Plague of Rothnor, which (apparently) didn't exist in the Earth realm. He took great care in keeping tabs on the young woman's whereabouts, making wonderful use of JARVIS's surveillance systems in order to steer clear of her, though mostly he just hid out in his room. Pepper would come by from time to time to ask if he was okay or wanted to go out, but she never went past the simple action of knocking on his door so he would always get by with pretending he wasn't there. It wasn't his intentions to be mean or make Pepper think he wanted nothing to do with her, mind you, it was just that he feared that if he tried to work things out in his mind with her in his presence, it would only confuse him and lead him to a false conclusion regarding his feelings about her.

During the moments he was alone, however, he only proved to confuse himself even more. He simply didn't know what to think of Pepper or her feelings for him, as well as what he thought of his feelings towards her. At first he had been guilty, and spent countless hours thinking of the gentlest possible way he could let her know that her feelings weren't reciporocated, but then he began to think of all the time they'd spent together and the moments they'd shared, of how pretty her laugh was and how beautiful she looked when she smiled, and then he wasn't so sure.

And the more he thought about it, the less sure he became. So he enlisted the help of Natasha. She had told him to picture his life with and without Pepper's attentions and see which one felt better to him. He did as she suggested, and found that, within each of the billions of scenarios he'd created in his mind, none of them looked any better without Pepper.

He thought of what would happen if he rejected her; he didn't like the thought of losing her special smiles and spontaneous gifts and countless other things that were reserved only for him.

He thought of what would happen if he stepped back and she was courted by another man; he particularly didn't like that idea. Just the mere thought of Pepper giving someone else the things that she had given him – like her time and attention and laugh and unconditional devotion – made him feel, as he had once heard Natasha say, 'gross'.

He thought of what would happen if she died; he pictured a million different scenarios involving her death, some gruesome and some being perfectly normal and to be expected in the Earth realm, and found that each and every one made him feel physically sick and overcome with grief, and in the end he decided to just move on to another topic entirely before he felt the need to burst into tears or spill the contents of his stomach.

He thought of how the world would be if Pepper was not in it at all; he imagined his entire journey with Sir Stark and Lady Natasha and the rest of the Avengers, thinking of just how different it would be had Pepper never been there to look after Tony and then all of them after the Battle of New York, and ultimately decided that he didn't want to be in a world without Pepper Potts, didn't want to be part of a solar system where she never existed. Granted, he would never even know what he was missing had she never been brought into being in the first place, but just the thought of not knowing made him incredibly melancholy, and he didn't like it.

In fact, he couldn't imagine a world without that woman's strength and kindness, that personal light she seemed to emit so effortlessly, like a second sun (something else that Earth did not have). He would miss the way that she stuck by him when others laughed, how she educated him on things that were common knowledge on Earth but completely foreign to him when no others were willing to, how she could make him smile and laugh and feel good about himself despite the fact that he was little more than a liability to every other being around him. He would miss it. Even if she never existed he would miss it. Without even realizing it.

And that, above all else, was the driving point for the conclusion he eventually came to, as well as his motivation for finding Pepper right that very moment and telling her everything. If he didn't, he feared that his time would pass, and it would be too late.

And so, the young Thunder god stood up from his place on his bed and opened his bedroom door, walking swiftly down the hall with the intent to march right up to the red-haired Earth woman and-

"Hey, Thor."

The blond Avenger nearly leapt out of his skin at the sound of the voice, and he whirled around in a panic to face its owner; Pepper Potts stood a few feet behind him, smiling brightly at him before bursting out a chuckle.

"Lady Pepper!" He exclaimed, regaining his composure.

"Are you okay?" She laughed, raising a hand to cover her mouth.

"Uh...y-yes. Yes! Yes, I...I am well," he responded, stumbling over his words.

"Good," she smiled, pursing her lips as she quelled her laughter. "For a minute there, I thought you were trying to avoid me."

"No!" He burst out, his shout thundering across the walls of the skinny hallway. "Uh, I mean...no. No, I- I swear that it has nothing to do with you personally-"

"So you have been avoiding me."

"Uh..."

"It's okay, Thor. If you wanted some time to yourself you could've just said so. I know I can be a little annoying sometimes."

He wanted to tell her that no, that wasn't why he'd been avoiding her and that she could never 'annoy' him, but he decided that it would be easier to just let it be. He nodded, smiling somewhat awkwardly as she stared up at him with her bright blue eyes.

"So," she says. "Wanna go for a walk outside? We can sit on the balcony and get sun tans while JARVIS serves us martinis."

Ask him to walk with you after work is done. If he says he 'doesn't know', nudge a little more and say, "You're going to leave me all by myself?" If he says he can't, he's not interested. If he says he can, try to flirt with him when you are walking together at the end of the day. If he says yes immediately, he's definitely interested.

Though he didn't know what a martini was, Thor could tell by her positive attitude and pleasant demeanor that this pastime she spoke of must be desirable among humans, so he readily accepted. After all, being in a more private setting would be far more ideal than a continuously inhabited hallway to speak with her about the sensitive topic he wanted to breach. And the last thing he wanted was to ruin the perfect opportunity to do so.

"Verily, Lady Pepper! I would much enjoy spending a prolonged amount of time in your presence."

Pepper chuckled, looking down at her feet as a red pigment tinged her cheeks. "Thanks, Thor. Lord knows I could use a good rest...hey, would you mind carrying this bag for me for a bit? I've been lugging it around all day because Tony asked me to run a bunch of errands."

Ask him if he'll carry your heavy bag or briefcase for a little while. It doesn't need to be all day, but tell him that it's hurting your back and that he looks strong enough to carry it. If he says yes, he's definitely into you and likes that you think he's manly.

"Of course, Lady Pepper," he replied, giving her his biggest smile.

He politely took the surprisingly heavy briefcase from her hands, hoping it wasn't too obvious that he was quickly becoming nervous, and followed her down the hall.

The large balcony just outside Tony's Tower was indeed very nice, and proved to be the perfect place for the impending talk Thor planned to have with Pepper.

He also found that he liked martinis, perhaps more so than coffee, and took pleasure in enjoying the peace and quiet as they lounged in their comfortable chairs and watched the seemingly endless span of buildings stretch out towards the horizon.

He knew that now would probably be the most efficient of times to speak with her, but the Asgardian found that with each passing moment nothing of the sort was about to take place. It was as if a foreign object had lodged itself in his throat, preventing him from speaking. He also felt somewhat dizzy and lightheaded, and the mere thought of speaking his mind to the woman sitting beside him sent his mind into a panicked frenzy. He had heard of this feeling from Natasha and the others, as well as various Earth films depicting romance. What had they called it? Oh, yes. Nervousness.

He was nervous.

...Wait.

He was nervous.

Why should he be nervous?

This was Pepper!

She was smart and funny and beautiful and amazing and there was absolutely no reason for him to feel nervous about-

"Thor?"

Thor locked his eyes with that of the puzzled woman's next to him, snapping out of his increasingly panicked state.

"Y- yes, Lady Pepper?"

She looked him over, body noticeably relaxing as she sighed in relief. "Nothing, it's just...you looked like you were about to black out or something."

"I- I assure you, I am fine."

He began to smile, but all efforts of doing such a thing were halted when she abruptly placed her hand on his forehead. "Are you sure? You might have a fever."

His skin felt as though it had burst into flames at her touch, and he immediately leapt from his chair and into a standing position, Pepper following suit in her growing alarm.

"Thor, are you sure you're okay? You've been acting really-"

"I am in love with you!"

She blinked, eyes wide with shock. "Um...what?"

Thor promptly shut his mouth, feeling as though he were a wild animal caught in the headlights of a Midgardian vehicle (or whatever the expression was) and swallowed thickly as he stared at her with wide eyes.

"...I believe that I am in love with you," he said hesitantly, reiterating his words as he gathered the courage to push through with what he had to say. "And if you would be so kind as to accept my proposal," he said gently, getting down on one knee and taking her hand in his. "Then I would be most honored if you would allow me permission to court you, as only a gentleman would."

Pepper blinked rapidly, shaking her head and gaping like a fish.

"Thor, I'm...sorry, but...I can't accept this."

His smile dropped. "Pardon?"

"I can't accept this," she said again. "I'm sorry, but it's just too much. I could never let you do something that would jeopardize your chances with someone else."

"But...but the magazine!"

"What?" She asked, brows coming together in confusion.

"That day in your office," he explained, standing up. "You had a magazine with a marked article containing thorough instructions for how to court a man."

Her face was a contortion of shifting emotions; first ignorance, then confusion, and then-

"...Oh, no! That was for my friend! Her subscription to Cosmopolitan had run out and she asked me to save some of the articles she liked for her."

Oh.

"...Oh." He said, feeling strangely neutral. "Well, I...I suppose I shall leave you to your duties, then. I apologize if I have wasted your time."

He numbly turned around and began to walk away, getting as far as the set of double-doors that lead back inside before Pepper called out to him.

"...Thor, wait!"

He swiftly turned around, taking long strides towards her until he was a mere foot away, hope sparking visibly in his eyes.

"Yes, Lady Pepper?"

She paused, biting her lip as she pondered what to say. "Do you...are you sure that you like me?"

He thought for a moment, nodding. "I believe so. Yes. But you need not feel obligated to oblige my request. I fully comprehend if you do not share the same-"

"Well I never said that I didn't like you," she said hastily, cutting him off before he could self-deprecate himself any further. "I just thought that maybe you saw right through me and that you felt obligated to oblige me. Not the other way around."

She smiled, and he couldn't help but do the same.

"So...what are you saying, exactly?" He asked, trying to be sure that he fully understood.

Pepper looked down at her feet, shifting in place as though embarrassed. "I'm saying...thaaaaat...we could...give this a try. If you want. I don't want to pressure you."

"Nor do I wish to pressure you, Lady Pepper," he replied, and the two of them proceeded to stand there awkwardly.

…

…

…

"So, did you wanna...get back down on your knee again?" She hesitantly suggested, and he immediately complied.

"Oh! Yes, of course."

He lowered himself down onto one knee, once again taking her hand in his, and said, "I, Thor of Asgard, would be most pleased, if you, Pepper of Midgard, would acquiesce to allowing me the honor of courting you, a most noble and strong woman whose pleasant demeanor and good humor lifts my heart to the point of soaring."

"I accept," Pepper smiled, giving a small curtsy.

Smiling broadly, Thor rose to his feet, still holding onto her hand as he gazed down at her. "Very well, then. It is decided."

"...Well, are you gonna kiss me so we can make it official?" She asked innocently, smiling shyly up at him.

He pinched his eyebrows together, confused. "Pardon?"

"Are you gonna kiss me?" She said again. "I mean, if we're gonna be together then the least we can do is make it obvious to other people that we are. Am I right?"

Thor blushed, redness filling his face. "Uhm...on Asgard it is considered improper for the man to engage in any such activities while in the stages of courting."

She smiled, pursing her lips together to keep from laughing. "Well, let me show you how we do things here on Earth."

Not giving him any time to question her motives, she reached up on her tip-toes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, resting her hand at the back of his neck as she did so. She pulled away after a few moments, fingernails lightly scraping against his nape as she tried to gauge his reaction.

"I...believe I could grow accustomed to Earth's standards of courting," he said dazedly, blinking rapidly to get rid of the hazy, minty feeling Pepper's lips had given him.

She laughed. "That's good to hear."

"YES!"

The two simultaneously looked to the source of the sound, just past the double-doors that lead back inside, just in time to see Natasha coming out from her hiding place behind the corner.

"I knew it!" She exclaimed, excitement and triumph clear in her voice. "See? I TOLD you she liked you!"

Thor's face grew redder than a tomato at the short woman's victorious smirk. "L- Lady Natasha?!"

He and Pepper both took a step back and looked away from each other, equally embarrassed that their conversation had been overhead.

"Yeah, it's about time," another voice said, and Clint came out from his hiding place. "Just watching you two dance around each other was starting to make me sick."

"Clint!" Pepper chastised. "You were listening in too?!"

"Hey, don't look at me! It was her idea!" He defended, pointing an accusing finger at Natasha.

"Mmm...yeah," She admitted, shrugging guiltily.

"Bruce, get back here!" Clint called, disappearing behind the corner.

Steve timidly stepped out onto the balcony, squinting in the sunlight as he came to stand a few feet away from Natasha.

"Ugh, Steve?" Pepper said, exasperated. "Is there anyone here who wasn't listening in on our conversation?"

"Uh, Tony," Steve supplied, hands in his pockets. "He's at a meeting right now."

"Wow. There's a first," she remarked, widening her eyes and running a hand through her hair.

Clint reappeared around the corner with Bruce walking in front of him like a prisoner under house arrest, pushing the slightly older man to stand in line with the others.

"Sorry, Pepper," the scientist apologized. "They made me do it."

"It's okay, Bruce," Pepper smiled. "I would've done the same thing."

"...So," Clint said, getting their attention. "What are we gonna do now? I mean the hard part's over, and Tony has successfully been left out of the loop, so...what now?"

"Gosh, Clint!" Natasha reprimanded. "You say it like we've just finished saving the world...again."

Pepper sighed, chuckling at the two friend's antics, and replied, "Now? Now...I think we rest. Maybe go out for pizza."

"Without Tony?" Steve asked, taking a hand out of his pocket to gesture to the door behind them.

"Without Tony," she agreed, and the star-spangled Avenger nodded a silent thanks. "And then we'll all come back here and watch a ridiculous movie, all the while taking bets on how long it takes my boss to figure out that Thor and I are together."

"I'll take that wager," Bruce piped up, and the others heartily agreed.

"Great to hear, guys," Pepper said, chuckling as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Thor's neck. "So what do you think? Dinner and a movie with our best friends?" She asked, smiling up at him.

"That sounds like a splendid idea," he replied, smiling as he resisted the urge to kiss her again.

"Great," she grinned, pleased with his answer.

She leaned in to kiss him (to which he happily obliged), and the six individuals scattered to get ready for a night of gourmet pizza and goofy movies.

Thor fumbled around in his room searching for suitable attire for nearly half an hour and ended up holding up the entire group as a result, but found himself not minding as much as he normally would. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason knowing that he had Pepper, the fact that she was with him now, after all of his troubles and confusion and headaches, made him less caring of trivial worries. He liked it. He didn't feel the need to question it or pick it apart, either. He just...liked it. It was a nice feeling, and his only regret was that he hadn't revealed his thoughts to her sooner. Still, he wasn't complaining. He doubted if he could ever complain in the presence of that woman.

Thor stepped out into the hallway after deciding on a pair of plain jeans and a t-shirt, and met with Pepper and the others in the front room as she called Happy to bring around the limo.

He found a small piece of paper that had somehow snuck its way into his shirt pocket as they walked out the door, taking it out to find that it was one of his final notes he had taken from Pepper's magazine. He read it, looking up just in time to see Natasha smirking knowingly at him as she got in the limousine, and he smiled appreciatively in turn as he took the piece of paper and stuffed it back in his pocket.

Whatever happens, just know that there are plenty of fish in the sea. Even if it doesn't work out, you can still leave on friendly terms and move on to find someone better suited to you. And if it does work out, then congratulations! You've successfully snagged your guy. May your days together be filled with happiness, and your time spent never wasted.

End~

A/N: There's probably a bunch of typos in here but I'll fix them later, I figured you guys have waited for an update long enough :)

Anywho, did I have you going there for a minute? Did you think I was really gonna have Pepper not return his feelings? Yes? No? Not for a second? Okay XD

I had wanted Tony to give Thor some 'ladies' advice and have it horribly fail when he tried to use it on Pepper (humorously, of course) but it just didn't turn out that way. Oh well, though. Maybe in another SpiceHammer fic, when I get the inspiration/idea for one. Feel free to PM me if you have an idea, btw :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and that it was nice and fluffy and all that other stuff.

Thanks to everyone who:

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8. Didn't check this out and accidentally clicked

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10. And...ten XD