I can't remember why I decided to write this… I was eating a cake at the time… Not a whole cake, a cupcake. Nope, can't remember.

I'm back to writing Iron Man fluff :) This one is pre-Iron Man, Pepper's worked for Tony for seven years.

Please please please PLEASE review. I will let you have one of my mum's yummy cupcakes :) They have chocolate chips in them :)

'Sir.'

'Hmpgh.'

'I apologise, sir, but you have not programmed me to speak "duvet".'

'Program this,' Tony mumbled, throwing one of his pillows at the window.

'And you wonder why the press views you as immature.'

'Can it, JARVIS,' Tony said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. 'Where's Pepper?' he asked, realising it was Pepper who usually stormed up to his room and forcibly removed him from his bed. She'd stopped pulling the duvet off him when she realised he had an annoying habit of sleeping naked, and had instead began to simply push him off the bed, duvet and all.

'Miss Potts has gone surfing, sir,' JARVIS informed him.

Tony sat bolt upright, sleep forgotten. 'Pepper? Surfing? Now?'

'Yes to all three, sir.'

Tony scrambled out of bed and grabbed his running gear, deciding he'd go down to the ocean and see if he could spot his PA in a tiny bikini.

Pepper was having a great time. She knew it was only a matter of time before JARVIS told Tony of her plan and he would come down to try and see her in a bikini. Pepper smirked at her full length wetsuit, that would show him.

Another wave approached and Pepper lay flat on her board and swam towards it, getting ready to pop up at the right second.

'Out the way, ginger!' another surfer yelled rudely at her, shoving her with his board, causing her to lose her balance and slip under the board and into the ocean just as the wave approached and crashed over her head.

Surrounded by water, Pepper tried not to panic, but she hadn't had time to grab enough precious air before she was pulled under. She tried to swim towards the surface but lack of air was making her feel dizzy and she couldn't work out which way was up. Pepper started to panic, unable to see anyone, or her board. She was surrounded by water, stranded on her own, and no-one knew where she was.

No, JARVIS knows, he'll tell Tony, he'll come looking for me.

But Pepper knew full well that by the time her boss came to find her it would be too late. Fog clouded her vision and her lungs felt like they were going to burst.

No, don't pass out, stay awake, FOCUS.

But it was too late and the last thing Pepper saw before her mind went blank and her lungs filled with water was the empty, empty ocean around her.

Help me, Tony.

Tony was enjoying his run, the weather was perfect and the ocean was a beautiful sparkling blue, filled with surfers. Tony jogged down the old, beaten path to the beach, keeping an eye out for Pepper. A wave approached and the surfers jumped up and rode it with the skill and ease of people who had been doing this all their life.

But where was Pepper?

Concern started to seep its way into Tony's mind, although he knew it was highly likely Pepper had decided to dry off or had gone down to the beach hut to get a drink or something, she might not still be in the water.

Even so, Tony burst into a flat out sprint down the hill, enjoying the familiar feel of his legs aching and his feet hitting the ground which soon turned into soft, thick, sand, which made it nearly impossible to run on.

Tony slowed and made his way along the beach, ignoring the stares of everyone who thought that may be Tony Stark but weren't sure and didn't want to say anything.

Tony was started to get very worried. No sign of Pepper, she wasn't lying on the beach, soaking up the sun, and he couldn't see her familiar flame red hair in the beach hut either. The beach wasn't that busy and he was certain he'd be able to spot her.

She must still be in the ocean then.

But he couldn't see her there either. Tony frowned, a feeling of foreboding creeping up on him and causing his stomach to twist into knots.

The wave crashed against the beach, washing up surfers who high-fived and grinned at each other, then made their way off to beach and to the car park, the beach now nearly empty. But that wasn't the only the thing the ocean had to wash up.

A familiar silver and purple board, without its rider.

Oh shit.

Tony kicked off his shoes and sprinted down to the ocean. It was definitely Pepper's board, he remembered it had been delivered to his house as Pepper didn't want to risk not being in when it arrived and having to drive to the depot to collect it later. He knew it was hers because he'd pestered her to show him what was in the giant box until eventually she gave in and produced that silver and purple surf board.

'PEPPER!' Tony yelled, hoping she'd just fallen off and was swimming back to the shore. He imagined how embarrassed she'd be when she saw him stood there, smirking at her because she'd lost her board.

But there was no response.

Tony felt like screaming at the few people that were exiting the beach now the waves had stopped. One of them must have seen something, one of them must have seen her fall off her board. Why didn't anyone come to her aid?

Tony bottled up his anger to save for later, he had his best friend to find. Ignoring the accusing silver and purple board staring up accusingly at him, Tony ran straight into the ocean and dived under the water.

The hot Californian sun's rays were piercing the surface, luckily making it quite easy to see. Tony pushed himself forward, head twisting round to try and find her. The water was cold and there was so much of it.

She could have been swept further out.

Tony ignored the voice in his head telling him to go back and get the lifeguard, by the time he did that it could be too late, he was on his own. Tony pushed himself further through the water, away from the shore. He broke the surface just briefly to grab more air then dived right back under again, and caught a glimpse of something red. Tony swam in that direction.

Pepper was floating in the water, not moving, her red hair floating out behind him, the ocean combing its fingers through it. Tony sped towards her, suddenly glad his mother had made him have all those private swimming lessons. Pepper's eyes were closed, and her mouth was slightly open.

She's probably dead already.

Tony grit his teeth and grabbed his friend, pulling her up to the surface.

'Pepper,' he gasped, filling his lungs with air. Pepper's head lolled against his shoulder, her wet hair getting in his eyes.

Tony remembered is lifeguard lessons and pulled Pepper onto his back, keeping her head above the surface of the water and pulling himself through the water back to the beach, not breaking the water to get air once.

Tony gasped as he reached the sand. The beach was now empty and there was no-one there to help him. Tony pulled Pepper away from the ocean and dropped down to his knees next to her, shaking her shoulders.

'Pepper! Pep! Come on, please don't be dead,' Tony yelled at her, surprised to find tears pricking the corner of his eyes.

Pepper didn't move, and she felt cold under his finger tips, and Tony had nothing dry to put on her. He screamed for help but no-one came.

'Okay, Stark, you're on your own,' Tony said to himself, then to Pepper: 'If you die, you're not getting paid for this month.'

Tony tipped Pepper's chin back and her mouth fell open, opening her airway. Tony pinched her nose and covered her mouth with his, ignoring the salty taste of the ocean on her lips and blew air into her lungs twice, then pressed down firmly on her chest and started CPR, determined to not stop until she woke up or somebody responded to his constant yells for help.

Tony couldn't remember how long he was there under the hot sun, forcing air into his friend's lungs or forcing her heart to beat, but eventually, after what seemed like years, Pepper spat water at him, rolled over and threw up half the ocean, coughing.

'Pep?' Tony said staring at her.

Pepper felt calm and serene, she vaguely remembered something about the ocean and a surfboard, but that didn't bother her and she was perfectly happy to just float.

But there was something nagging at her subconscious that there was something very wrong with this image.

'PEPPER!' she heard someone yell. Pepper smiled, she recognised that voice. Tony was coming to join her in her floating.

But she couldn't see him anyway. Pepper frowned. What was happening? Where was she? Why did Tony sound so… so… so frightened? Tony was never frightened, ever.

Pepper felt something around her move and started to panic, her serene feeling leaving her. The ocean, she was still in the ocean. What was happening? Was this Heaven or Limbo or something? She refused to believe that after seven years working for Tony Stark she deserved to go to hell.

'It's neither, Pepper,' someone said to her from somewhere inside her head.

Pepper frowned. That didn't half sound like her grandmother, who passed away a few years previously.

'Like I would allow you to die so young, fight this, sweetheart,' her grandmother's voice said to her.

Then there was a pain in her chest, like something pressing down on it, she vaguely heard Tony threatening to not pay her if she died, which sounded fair enough.

Then she felt what seemed like all the water in her body exiting in simultaneously and found herself in Tony Stark's arms, staring up at him.

'Tony?'

'Tony?' Pepper mumbled weakly at him, searching his face. 'Why are you crying?'

Tony hugged her tightly. 'If you ever dare do that to me ever again…'

Pepper smiled and closed her eyes, happy to be in his arms feeling safe. Tony realised then that she'd fallen asleep and gently lifted her up. The beach was completely and totally empty and the beach hut had closed now the excitement of the waves had gone. Tony carried her back up to the house, pausing momentarily to slide his feet into his shoes and to tuck her surfboard under his arm, knowing Pepper would kill him if he left it behind.

Once he was back at the house, Tony phoned his personal doctor and tucked Pepper up in the spare bedroom, covering her with blankets and sitting next to her until the doctor arrived.

'She should be fine,' the doctor said. 'Luckily your CPR must have been effective, I can see no water at the back of her throat, but you still need to keep an eye on her, don't let her out of your sight even for a second, and make sure you keep her warm, have that… JARVIS… thing… monitor her temperature.'

'Already on it, doctor,' JARVIS said in a cold tone, insulted to be referred to as a 'thing.'

After the doctor had left Tony quickly heated up some chicken soup he found at the very back of his cupboard (having hidden in there previously because he seriously hated soup) and brought it up to Pepper, propping her up against his chest and spoon-fed her with it while Pepper curled up against him, half asleep. Once it was finished and Pepper made various noises of protest when Tony tried to slide away from her, Tony climbed under the duvet with Pepper, who immediately latched herself onto him and refused to move. Tony resigned himself to his fate (not that he minded too much) and turned the TV on, turning the volume right done.

Pepper's throat hurt, a lot. Like, serious amounts.

Where am I? she thought groggily. Then it all came flooding back. The surfer that knocked her off, the ocean, her grandma, Tony saving her.

Tony. Pepper inwardly cringed as she realised she wasn't alone and was in fact lying on her boss with her arms around him. She wasn't sure what she was more amazed at, that she was still alive, or that Tony was cuddling her. She decided it was the latter, Tony had never struck her as a cuddler. Although then she remembered how terrified she'd been and was suddenly glad he was here.

'I know you're awake, Pep,' Tony said softly, running his fingers gently through her hair.

'Sorry,' Pepper croaked, attempting to move away from him.

'Don't you dare apologise,' Tony said, pulling her back to him. 'I'm under orders from the doctor to keep you warm.'

Pepper sighed and decided to just let him hold her, he was very comfy and warm. Hesitantly, Pepper wrapped her arms round his waist again and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart beating under his skin, it was a very reassuring feeling.

'What are we watching?' she croaked, noticing the TV was on.

She felt something which may or may not have been Tony kissing the top of her head and he answered with, 'stop talking, you sound like you've got sandpaper in your throat, and it's The Big Bang Theory.'

Pepper looked up at him. 'I'll stop talking after I say this,' she said. 'First off, it feels like I have sandpaper down my throat and second…' her face softened and she gazed at him. 'Thank you for saving me,' then she reached up and placed a quick kiss on his lips before she had a chance to stop herself and burrowed back down into his shirt.

Tony chuckled. 'You're welcome,' he said. 'Just don't do that to me again, okay?'

'Okay,' Pepper whispered, eyes closed and falling asleep again, the last thing she saw before she fell asleep was her surf board propped up against the wall.