A/N: I revisited some of my old writing and this is the fluffy nonsense you get... It's AU.

An Endless Pool Of Love

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.

Hearing her kids enjoy themselves so much was a beautiful thing to witness and she knew her husband felt the same, because as she looked over to him and Levi, she could see happiness radiating from Tony's face. It warmed Pepper's heart. She had never imagined that she could love someone that much; that she could have so much love for just one person. Now she had it for three.