"Look!" Pepper squealed, pointing up at the starry sky. "A Pegasus!"

Tony and Pepper were laying on their backs in the soft green grass beside the building that housed the armory, watching the stars. Pepper had her head laying lightly on Tony's chest with their hands intertwined, and she could feel the rising and falling of his chest with every breath he took. She wrapped her arms around Tony's chest and snuggled closer to her friend, stifling a yawn as she listened to the sound of the arc reactor in his chest mixing with his heartbeat. Tony chuckled.

"How long do you plan to stargaze tonight, Pepper?" Tony asked her.

"I would forever if I could!"

Tony laughed again as he let his eyes wander back up to the sky, watching as Pepper pointed out several constellations. A few minutes later, after Pepper had gone quiet for a while, Tony could hear the sound of Pepper's soft, even breathing. She'd fallen asleep.

After waiting about ten minutes, Tony sat up, gently pushing Pepper onto the grass beside him. Then he stood up, wrapped his arms around Pepper's knees and shoulders, and picked her up bridal style. He admired how beautiful she looked while she was asleep for a moment, then shook himself out of it and began carrying Pepper towards the armory.

In the armory, Tony carefully laid Pepper down on a couch he had brought in for his friends while he was busy inventing. He made sure she wasn't about to roll off the edge, then searched for a blanket that he knew was somewhere in the armory. He finally found it laying over the back of a chair, and he seized it and brought it back over to Pepper. He laid it gently over his friend, covering everything but her face. He stared at her serene expression for a moment before gently brushing a few strands of her fiery red bangs out of her eyes. He resisted the temptation to kiss her on the forehead, and instead whispered, "Good night."

When he had finished, Tony turned out all the lights in the armory, save for his desk lamp. Seeing as he didn't want to leave Pepper alone while she was asleep, Tony braced himself for an all-nighter in the armory, settling down at his desk to pore over some schematics.

Pepper yawned, slowly letting her eyes slide open. She was surprised to see she was back in the armory, covered up with a blanket and laying on a couch. She slowly sat up, letting her still groggy mind wake. She knew Tony must have carried her inside, but where was he, anyway?

Pepper finally caught sight of him at his desk, his head laying on the top, his eyes closed. He must have fallen asleep working. Forcing herself off of the couch, Pepper strode over to where her friend slept.

She stared at Tony for a moment, watching him sleep, but then she moved closer to him. She blew his dark hair out of his eyes, then kissed him on the cheek before walking away.

Still deep in sleep, Tony smiled.