She moves between the long deep tables, breathing in the rich smell of the tomato vines, and their sharp green perfume of them takes her back to sun-warmed summers; to the slow and sweet days that stretched endlessly in that mellow delight known only to the young just out of school.

Scent is ever the relentless cue of memories, Pepper knows.

She smiles and lightly touches several orange-red globes that aren't quite ready yet, and adds the few that are to her basket, loving the heft of them in her palm. Good food, Pepper thinks. Raised slowly to be eaten with gusto.

A rush of thankfulness hits her, and she blinks, suddenly more grateful to Tony than she's ever been before.

He's changed. He's really and truly changed, she thinks in a daze. And he's mine.

This is almost more than Pepper can take in; this profound and wonderful turn of fate. The cautious side of her soul begins to question, but Pepper tightens her lips and pushes those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the joy of here and now.

At her feet, Rrrrrrr rubs against her ankles, inquiring in a purr if there's any tuna that needs disposing of. Pepper smiles and bends down to pet the cat. "Veggies here, not meat. Sorry cat."

Only slightly miffed, Rrrrrrr arches her back up against Pepper's stroking hand and then pads off to investigate a suspicious leaf under one of the tables. Pepper smiles and moves down to where the onions are growing. The long green spikes rise up neatly in rows from the dirt, and she lightly tugs four of them, pulling lovely slim bulbs up and shaking them clean before adding them to the basket.

She hears a hum, and turns. Tony is lounging against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, watching her, and the tune coming from him is familiar somehow. He keeps humming it as he moves closer, and Pepper breathes in his scent.

Memories, she sighs to herself. Motor oil, plastic, the sharp tang of metal and under it, the musk-sweet scent of Tony himself. When he was in Afghanistan, she would sometimes walk into his closet and pick a jacket; sniff the collar and wonder if he would ever return.

She moves to run her nose along the side of his neck, and he lets her, his arms encircling her with gently possessive familiarity. He tips his head, offering up his neck, and Pepper lightly kisses the muscles there, her lips lingering. She feels his humming now, and recognizes the tune.

The Farmer in the Dell

Amused, she looks at him, a question in her eyes, and Tony's own smile deepens. "Just thinking of the second verse."

Pepper thinks for a moment, and blushes. Stammering, she replies, "I h-haven't been asked and I haven't said yes, Tony."

"Working on both of those," he assures her. "I figure since it only took me roughly seven years to clue in and wise up, my learning curve is on a pretty steep slope to make up for lost time, and throwing in factors like you being in total love with me and me pretty much the same with you . . . it's inevitable."

"Inevitable?" Pepper laughs against his lips.

"Number 23 made it law, practically," Tony purrs. "Once you had your wild and wicked way with me and my randy body parts, that was it. I get to be Mr. Pepper Potts, which will mean we'll have to change all the monograms on everything, and I'll have to get a new driver's license."

"Rrrrright," Pepper laughs.

Rrrrrrr, hearing her name, comes out from under the table and circles around them.

"I have to admit that Potts Industries doesn't have quite the panache that Stark does, but—"

"Enough," Pepper whispers, and her eyes are very bright. "You are still the same handful of headaches you've always been, Tony Stark, and despite that, I love you very much. There is no rush. I'm going to be here today and tomorrow and all the tomorrows after that."

"Promise?" he asks, the question slipping out, aching and soft. Pepper blinks and sees the fear flicker in his big brown eyes; the melancholy there that has never quite been quenched.

She draws herself up, meeting his eyes, her hands pressing gently on the hardness of the arc under his shirt.

"I. promise. Sweetheart."

He blinks, smile widening across his face in a blaze of joy. "Love you. New Year's. Is New Year's too soon? Because we could do Paris, and then just keep jetting west to New York, and Chicago and San Francisco . . . I could give you a ring in every city, you know, and propose in each one . . ."

Tony doesn't get to finish; Pepper kisses him with sweet exasperation, bends to pick up Rrrrrrr, hands her to him, and goes for her vegetable basket.

She smiles, glancing over her shoulder. "You only get to propose once Mr. Stark—up to you when and where."

Tony strokes Rrrrrrr thoughtfully. "Prepare to be swept off your feet then, Miss Potts," he murmurs, and his tone is so certain that Pepper feels a shiver inside.

"You have plans?"

"Big plans," he agrees, and although he's smiling, there's an odd note of earnestness in his voice. "Call my real estate agent. I feel like buying a small South American country and renaming it Starklandia. Going make you a queen, Pepper."

End