A/N: This is the last chapter :) Thank you all for all the faves, follows, comments, for the amazing support you gave me! I'd love if you let me know your overall thoughts now that the story is finished. All of you who were reading and enjoying (hopefully) please drop me a note and I will love you so much!

The sequel will be up sometime within a month, I wish I could say if it will be more like two or more four weeks, but it depends on my uni work & motivation, but I will try to start posting the little side stories for this 'verse. If you want to be informed, follow me! :)

Just like he predicted, Tony doesn't last more than a week before he goes flying again. Should be some kind of an established routine, he thinks when he finds himself in a car going towards Long Island, I could do that. Meeting with Isaac and then flying, it'd be like double therapy.

On the way back Tony asks Happy to swing by his favorite Greek restaurant and they end up stopping in one of the smaller streets and eating kalamarakia straight from the greasy paper bag, the food hot and still burning their fingers.

When they are back, Tony goes down to the workshop; JARVIS informs him that there was a call from Rhodey while he was in the car – he asked not to be disturbed, unless it was emergency – and that the colonel didn't day much more than Tony already knew from War Machine and Marks' readings: after having landed safe and taking a day to acclimatize and get acquainted with the base and safe houses, they are now starting the reconnaissance and infiltration that is predicted to last at least a week before the more detailed plans of action are ready.

'Agent Coulson and Agent Romanov said hello, too, and thanked you for the coffee supply that you had Colonel Rhodey take for them.'

'They better,' Tony laughs. The whole S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to be just a bunch of coffee maniacs at this point. Tony knows that he used to be the same way, before, and that he could go back to drinking coffee in moderate amounts, but honestly, he doesn't need it, not right now. He's still getting the greatest amount of sleep of his life, full eight hours every night, unless he wakes up from a nightmare –but that happens rarely. His body, he can tell, is happy with the arrangement and he is really full of energy these days.

(Not that it doesn't mean that some mornings, he'd rather just stay in bed without having to move at all. But it seems like this from-time-to-time is never going to stop.)

So Tony leaves Rhodey a message, since the man is not picking up; it involves a lot of meaningless sentences, too many embarrassing pet names and a few serious questions somewhere in between; exactly what Rhodey must be expecting.

'Sir,' JARVIS speaks up as soon as Tony finishes talking and moves to the sofa; he's supposed to be working on a code for one thing he's making for SI – so that's purely speaking and listening to the A.I. replies (might as well be done when he's lying comfortably, knowing that JARVIS will increase the oxygen percentage in the workshop's air, so the stay will be just pleasant). 'I've just got a notification from Malibu – the manufacturing of P1 units is complete. I will be sending them to New York now. They should arrive in the morning the day after tomorrow.'

'You're invaluable, J,' Tony replies, smiling in space, knowing that JARVIS will see it. 'Then we assemble it and hide from the curious eyes…'

Suddenly, Tony realizes that it's less than a month until his birthday (his thoughts wandering to the ring in its box, waiting in safety) and decides that he needs to start making plans for the big day soon.

Rhodey calls again the next day and reports that everything is going according to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plan, no problems yet, agents gathering all the intel they can, everyone scattered around all the city's vantage points.

It's a full week before something starts to happen.

In the meantime Tony meets with Isaac and goes flying again, goes over the architect's plans with JARVIS compulsively, trying to get rid of all potential weak spots of the construction's details, especially regarding energy distribution – the arc reactor is going to take a lot of space in the basement and it needs certain kind of unparalleled installation that the A.I. has given specifications for before Lautner even started the project.

Plus, as Pepper has kindly reminds him, they need to Tony-proof the tower, especially the penthouse that he's chosen for living quarters, and Tony's future workshop. The architects took Tony's needs into consideration, but he and JARVIS has a few more little ideas that came from everyday life and decided to add them to the plans.

Tony thinks a lot about how exactly he should – propose; he keeps telling himself hell, that words sounds so strange even in my own head, how am I supposed to do it for real? He figures Pepper wouldn't want any rich and splendid surroundings, she surely would just prefer a quiet evening with just Tony, homemade food, and a surprise. That sounds like a plan and Tony calls Chiara a few times to fish out some good recipes, but he can't decide what exactly he wants to make, so he just leaves that for more last-minute moment.

The ring is waiting patiently in the locker.

Then on Wednesday, almost ten days after Rhodey has left with the team, when Tony is dabbling with some engine (he could have made easily when he was six and now all he can do is make little changes with JARVIS' guidance and bots' help, but he doesn't let himself discouraged) and listening to his usual loud music, there is a phone call and JARVIS turns down the volume of the song immediately.

'We are engaging tomorrow in the evening,' Rhodey says; it's afternoon in the USA now but given the time difference it must be almost daybreak in Russia. 'I thought you'd like to hear that from me. And yes, I did all the check-up on the armor, just in case, like you told me to, everything is fine, JARVIS says we can go for one hundred thirty percent in case it's necessary and the suit will be fine.'

'Of course it will be,' Tony scoffs. 'That's what I did your upgrades for. Do you have any details about what exactly is the thing that Vanko's been making?'

'We are positive he's got an arc reactor, fully functional, I don't know if it's exactly the same as your palladium one, but it's working. Also, he's been focusing on – some kind of energy weapons, though we aren't so clear on that, planting someone close enough to actually find that out would be compromising the whole op. The plan is to lull Vanko out of his liar with the gear and bring him down before he can do some damage to civilians.'

'Do you know where he gets all the money from?'

'International connections, obviously, we've got a lead but it'll take some time to find the source. They agents are on the right way, though.'

'Not much of a consolation,' Tony murmurs pensively. That means that eliminating the man is only eliminating a piece of the chair, and even if it's a very important piece, whoever might be behind the whole story will probably be looking for yet another way to – to what, then? Ivan, personal, me, America, Tony muses, but whoever is behind, what might they want? If I'm out of the picture, what does that mean to them? Weapons would be a logical answer, only that SI doesn't make weapons anymore. It doesn't all seem to be about theproverbial sword –

– but, he suddenly realized, it could make the shields.

F u c k.

'Tony, you there?' Rhodey's voice asks, insistently, and Tony grunts something in response. 'JARVIS will keep you updated from now on, okay? I need to go,' he adds and hangs up.

Tony nods even though, obviously, Rhodey wouldn't know anyway. His thoughts are running, considering, predictiing, looking for possibilities, like in a chess game, trying to think a good few steps ahead.

It seems that eliminating Vanko is an inevitable step; he's just too instable and unpredictable to be just monitored, even if that could make finding the people high up easier.

Fuck, and I thought my life wouldn't be a mess anymore, especially now, and everything just gets more and more complicated.

For obvious reasons, the rest of the day intense for Tony. He's in the house with Happy, so they do a lot of workout; Tony runs and runs and runs on the treadmill until he is almost too exhausted to worry, knowing that his brain working too eagerly means bad sleep; being physically tired helps it a lot. He literally itches to go flying, but he's just been out the pervious afternoon and it doesn't seem like a very good idea to go again, it takes a lot of time and flying too often just makes it much more probable that someone will spot him, even in an area as isolated as the one he chose.

Pepper comes home late, after a tiring day, one more board meeting that was nothing but arguing since the men haven't understood yet that no, Pepper is not going to listen to them in certain regards and yes, she wouldn't mind if they just sold their share and left the company altogether if they insist on being a pain.

They eat a light dinner and go straight to bed; Tony even manages to sleep for a few hours, even if he wakes up every now and then, but it's not nightmares, just – the impatience. The uncertainty.

So he spends a big part of the night wondering how the op preparations must be like in the Russian base, imagining the tension and commotion and long-practiced calmness before storm that can be acquainted only after a certain time of practicing. That's probably not a good thing to do, but he can't stop himself.

There wasn't a sharp hour set for the op to start, Tony knows, the team will just roll with how the events go, it's just in the evening that could by anytime between nine a.m. and one p.m. in New York, depending on who you ask, given the time difference of nine hours.

Pepper gets up at seven, thanks to one of her early meeting having been moved to another day; they eat breakfast together and Tony says goodbye and disappears in the gym. Happy is with Pepper, so Tony is staying alone in the house. That's probably for the best, as he doesn't think he will be able to focus on much but JARVIS words who is supposed to inform Tony of everything that happens.

The A.I. speaks up finally at exactly ten thirty one EST.

'The team has moved out, sir they receives the signal they were waiting for, sir,' JARVIS informs Tony in his usual flat voice and Tony grins at how perfectly composed the A.I. is. Well, obviously.

'Marks in place?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Give me highlights, okay?' Tony asks. 'And where is Rhodey?'

'Of course, sir – Colonel Rhodes in War Machine is waiting for his signal in the base's hangar.'

'Tell him good luck from me, won't disturb him more than necessary,' Tony murmurs and sits by the workbench, his hands quickly finding the engine he's been playing with; he immediately finds the spot where he stopped working yesterday and without much thinking lets his fingers work.

JARVIS speaks up now and then, telling Tony the news that War Machine receives and that the team talks about through their comm line (obviously JARVIS is somewhere under the surface of the communication devices, please). Everything seems to go okay, the few agents capture three other wanted people quietly, from three different places in Samara, quickly and efficiently moving them to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s makeshift base. It is, according to intel, going to be noticed by Vanko, who – as two of his contractors said, the ones that were captured and persuaded to cooperate a few weeks earlier, the ones that only confirmed what the agency's own spies found out – will put on his gear and move to a certain place. It was Natasha's job, Tony's learned a few days earlier, to make sure he's be aware that it's Americans around him and make him disquieted enough to engage.

'A car moving out from in front of Vanko's house,' JARVIS announces and Tony feels a rush of adrenaline, almost as if he were there, across the sea, and not in his familiar workshop. 'War Machine moving out.'

'ETA?'

'Three minutes for the suit, twenty for the car,' the A.I. replies promptly and his predictions are very precise and turn out to be true.

Everything happens as planned: War Machine is staying out, hidden from sight, as the team tries to reason with Vanko and contain him. The man doesn't seem very scared, he talks back and raises eyebrows and looks relaxed, according to JARVIS via War Machine's readings, and he's for sure wearing the gear on himself, but he has clothes over it and the agents still don't know what exactly it is.

Then, all at once, things go very, very bad in a very, very short time; Tony can't hear the noises and explosions and the shouts, but suddenly JARVIS tells him, in a quiet and reserved voice, throwing out the words almost too quickly to understand out, that Vanko just laughs at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s proposition to just turn himself in, laughs until they are all confused, and then throws off is jacket and cuts one of S.H.I.E.L.D. jeeps in half as if it was nothing.

Tony freezes, his brain stopping for a moment before his thought start rushing, JARVIS tells him how the – weapon looks, like a whip, and that's more or less how it's used, it seems to stream some sort of energy from the arc reactor that the A.I. can't analyze on spot because it's unknown tech and he needs a few minutes; then Vanko attacks the scrambling agents and Tony feels like throwing up at the thought that they might be dead already or in a moment, and it's all because of arc reactor and because he's made it and made the armor and triggered the madman's need of revenge –

'Sir, you need to breathe, please,' JARVIS orders him firmly, breaking the stream of words of description and ignoring Tony's gesture saying go on. 'Breathe, sir. The agents are okay, some are wounded but they will live, War Machine is engaging.'

Tony holds his breath for long enough to make himself dizzy, listening to JARVIS' voice that would be soothing in every other situation bus this –

'…the energy flow seems to cause disturbances to the armor, sir, and the repulsor blast and laser get caught by the whip…' JARVIS' words are calm and leveled, but Tony tenses even more in his chair and almost forgets how to breathe again his mind locking on one word only, Rhodey Rhodey Rhodey, fuck –

'Mark VI and Mark VII?'

'ETA one minute, sir' JARVIS replies, of course he'd move the suits as soon as he knew something was wrong, but it was three minutes of flight away not to be noticed too soon and fuck, Tony knows he is going to regret that decision –

The suits have the reflection panels and the best anti-radar so apparently, JARVIS tells Tony, no one – maybe the technicians controlling the area, but no one in the middle of the fight – notices them until they are a few seconds away and when they engage, Vanko focuses on them, giving a moment for Rhodey to check on the state of the armor and make the rest of the agents get the hell out of the place. Tony knows it's probably a bit overboard, throwing in two suits at once when War Machine can still fight, not very well but still, but he figures that he isn't going to endanger more people than necessary; he knows he's going to regret it because if not the general opinion, than S.H.I.E.L.D. and maybe the army if he's unfortunate, they will be demanding answers: why did he have two armed suits in the area, why did he interrupt, who the fuck was piloting Marks…

Tony doesn't think he will bother with the first two questions, but the third one –

– it's going to be hell.

But it's human life at stake and he doesn't think he fucking cares at the moment.

JARVIS tell him everything as Vankos's whips curl around one of the Marks but it has an energy shield that repels the lash and catches Vanko's attention for long enough for the other suit to have a couple of shots at Vanko, destroying part of the installation and incapacitating one of his arms; the other Mark wriggles out of the grasp and fires a few tranq shots aimed at Vanko's neck (Tony hold his breath) –

– and the man falls, the installation on his arms giving out some uncoordinated energy blasts, but Mark VII quickly and disconnects the arc reactor Vanko has installed in a vest-like thing on his chest.

'Everyone is alive, sir,' JARVIS informs Tony quickly. 'There were a few agents hurt, seven according to the talks over comm system, four of them immediately being transported to a hospital, three other is good enough state not to be rushed –'

'Thanks, J,' Tony murmurs almost soundlessly, the tension leave his body and leaving him feeling suddenly all achy and sore. 'Rhodey?'

'War Machine has sustained damage, but it's not irreparable, sir. Colonel Rhodes is okay – he wants to talk to you.'

'Sure –'

'I,' Rhodey's loud angry voice interrupts Tony before he can finish the sentence, 'am going to have a few word with you, Stark. I really will, what the fuck where you thinking? You know what problems –'

'I am very well aware of that,' Tony replies coldly, because he's just too exhausted, more mentally than physically, to play nice.

'… thanks for the save, though,' Rhodey adds, making Tony snicker irritably, and the line goes silent, JARVIS speaking up again.

'Agent Coulson wants to talk to you, sir, shall I connect his cell phone?'

'You do that, babe,' Tony replies, removing himself from the chair and sitting on the sofa, arms wrapped around knees, hugging them to his chest, letting the tightness go.

'I want all readings from War Machine and the other suits, about Vanko and his questionable inventions, that you have, and I'm not going to take no for an answer,' the agent says and it's not really what Tony has expected to hear. No scolding, no shouting, no question, wow – although they probably just figures that then can do all of that later.

'Sure, Agent,' Tony replies nonchalantly, pretending not to still be as worried as he is.

'We're going to stay here for at least one more week, wrapping up the loose ends, and Rhodes is not going back earlier. Deal with that – oh, and Stark?'

'Yes?'

'You know this already, but Vanko has his gear more high-end than we've been expecting, and we've been expecting high. Those behind are going to be even more of a question now.'

'And Vanko is not going to say anything.'

'And Vanko is definitely not going to say anything,' Coulson repeats. 'Juts food for thought. I trust you took precautions?'

'I've got more than three suits, Agent,' Tony admits reluctantly. 'We're okay here.'

'Sure. I'll call you,' the agent replies before disconnecting, and Tony is once again surrounded by almost-silence.

'Sir, are you okay?' JARVIS asks him after a few moments, since Tony is just sitting there, without movement, taking shallow breaths as for his chest hurts when he tries deeper ones, with his face buried in knees.

Tony lifts his head up and gives the A.I. a tired but wide smile.

'Sure, J, I'm just – I need a moment to calm down. Are you okay?'

JARVIS goes silent for few moments that feel like eons, in Tony's mind, but when he speaks it's without any trace of pain or regret.

'I am. I – I obeyed those rules you gave me. It makes everything okay. And – I am glad you are my creator, sir. I don't think anyone else would even consider the A.I. in such situation.'

'You give yourself too little credit, babe,' Tony counters, but he knows that JARVIS is right. 'But never fear, I'm rather possessive of you.'

'And I, too,' comes the reply, and Tony just has to grin.

When Tony, with JARVIS' help, recounts Pepper what has happened – since it's been named an explosion by secret services, the public is not supposed to know anything about Vanko and the other suits and the whys and hows. Well, no one outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. even is supposed to know about the two Marks that were at the scene; Coulson told Tony they won't protest if he flies the suits back to the USA – they are in a good state, mostly surface damage that isn't too much of a problem; he says that is his official voice and pretty words, but all Tony hears is take the suits the hell out of here before someone from the outside as much as notices them.

(So, by the time Pepper is back from work, the Marks are already somewhere over southern Italy.)

'I can't believe you didn't tell me, or anyone,' Pepper tells him, still shocked by the story that Tony so casually shared. 'Rhodey, S.H.I.E.L.D…'

'Especially not them,' Tony explains patiently. 'They wouldn't let me. And you can imagine what would have happened if – the suits weren't there.'

Pepper breathes out, trying to calm herself.

'Don't be mad, Pepper. I – I just did what I thought was a good idea. Let's not think about anything more now, okay? Rhodey is safe and all the agents that have been hurt will recover, it might take them some time, but they will be all right. Vanko is in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands. Success.'

'I guess,' she agrees unsurely. 'I'm glad you're here,' she adds and moves across the table quickly to wrap her hands around Tony's back. 'I'm glad you're here,' she repeats. 'My genius moron,' she adds playfully and Tony doesn't correct her since well,he figures she is kind of right.

The next morning Pepper must leave for two days in Canada, so Tony decides to take advantage of the situation and finally get to assemble P1 suit with JARVIS' and bots' help; it probably would be quicker if he had someone help him, but since Rhodey is away and Happy needs to be there with Pepper, Tony figures he'll manage himself. And he can always engage Mark III to help him, maybe the metal fingers won't be too good when it comes to little details, but Tony can do that himself.

Rhodey checks in, repeats that everything is okay and informs him that there will be a debrief with Coulson and Fury that he'll be asked to attend; just the four of them. Or five, if Natasha decides to swing by.

Tony finds himself in front of the P1 suit pieces, glasses on and the earpiece in place, so that it's easier for JARVIS to navigate from Tony's point of view. He starts by examining part by part, piece by piece, remembering all the details and mentally cataloguing them in his head, thanking god for his almost-perfect memory.

He could, of course, have JARVIS and bots do in entirely for him, if he dabbled for a bit with Mark's finger construction and precision, and it probably would be easier, but – that would be cheating. Like buying a ring.

Tony is really, really determined to do these two things with his own hands, to prove to himself and to Pepper and to the world that he can, if he wants. If he has the motivation.

When he is halfway through assembling the second leg – it's easier that way, JARVIS told Tony the most efficient option – there is a phone call and a familiar voice pours through the earpiece.

'Missed me?' Clint asks in his usual cocky tone. Tony makes a face to himself, not stopping to install the hip joint pieces, the construction is easy enough for him not to need JARVIS' description; it's putting things into places, like 3D puzzles but easier because he knows what fits where.

'No, I can't say I did, but worse things have happened to me this week,' Tony replies perfectly seriously.

'Can I come over?'

'You didn't even say hello over the phone, you philistine,' Tony comments not entirely clearly as he's keeping a wire in between his teeth for a moment – Dummy, who is supposed to do the job, suddenly disappeared somewhere, that damn future wine rack.

'I figured you wouldn't like to stay alone in that gigantic scary haunted house,' Clint states, ignoring Tony's remark. 'I know that Pepper's gone, and you've had a rough couple of days, man, I was shitting my pants here about that op, it was such a mess to begin with…'

Then Tony just gets it. Barton – he's just trying to be nice to him and offer his support since he knows enough about Tony to figure what could be a trigger for him – and, which is an much more confusing realization, Clint's been even more worried than he himself because Phil was there, his boyfriend or whatever they wanted to call themselves, and Natasha – even if she wasn't directly involved in the fight, just the recon.

(But there is P1.)

'You know what,' Tony makes the decision on a whim, 'you come here, you bunk over, boy, you know there are too many rooms in this place. We'll do some stuff. I can't promise to be much fun, but the hell with it. And I drink only alcohol-free beer.'

'Sure, okay –'

'But,' Tony cuts in forcefully, come on, this is kinda very important, 'I'm doing some work here that no one is supposed to know about for a few more weeks and I'm going to trust you with the magical Stark secret, so if you tell anything to anyone, you can say hello to my newest laser beam armor gun.'

'… I get it, man, no problem,' Clint agrees, sounding a tiniest bit subdued but helluva curious. 'Be there is half an hour?'

'Fine with me,' Tony agrees and goes back to P1; by the time Clint arrives, he's managed to figure out the whole lower back of the suit.

Clint comes with a dozes bottles best non-alcoholic Czech beer, about ten boxes of pizza, informs Tony that he bought smalls because he couldn't decide on the toppings he liked most, and makes a small camping in the corner of the workshop. Tony just sighs with dramatic resignation and explains, between pizza bites, what exactly he is making (it's a suit for Pepper, you know, I thought she could use some relax, she's so tightly wound, nothing about the proposal, he's not that stupid).

'It's so romantic, Stark,' Clint says, but strangely there is no mocking tone to his voice. 'I didn't know you had that in you.'

Tony just laughs.

'No, really, you won't believe me when I say it but – Phil is a fucking romantic too, in the best old-school way. Candles and flowers. Especially flowers. I thought I'd have a heart attack because of how incredibly cute it was, the first time.'

Tony considers.

'Well, he does love plants,' he comments in the end, gaining a smack on the arm. 'Hey, don't you do that, I'm holding a precious stuff in my hand and I can't fucking find it when I lose it, man, have some respect,' Tony adds quickly, and then cocks his head, realizing what he's just said. Barton is silent for a few moments and then burst out laughing and Tony joins in.

'You are hilarious,' Clint says when he can finally catch his breath; by that time Tony is swearing to himself never to laugh like that again because his chest hurts from that mixed with too much hunching over the P1 parts on the floor. He doesn't dignify the marksman with an answer, just sticks out his tongue and goes back to work and when Clint asks him if he can help, Tony warns him that if he tries to do anything without Tony's clear permission, he's going to have killed by a very vicious accident on his tombstone.

When Pepper is back, the armor is all done with minimal, repeat minimal help from Clint, and waiting for the right moment with arc reactor in its chest plate.

She comes bearing food, so the evening is spend on eating and talking and then lovemaking (blame Clint and his romanticism), since they are both finally rested enough not to fall asleep the second they lay down.

It's a whole long week before the team – with Rhodey and everyone else from S.H.I.E.L.D. who was called to Russia at some point – is back in the US.

In the meantime, Tony meets with Isaac and with Grayson – it's hard to believe that it's been almost two months since the man's last visit, and so, so much has happened; when Tony finishes telling the man everything that he can (and wants) his throat hurts and come one, it hasn't for some time. Grayson tells him that if he continues feeling really good, they might think of lowering the med dosage; Tony really wants to ask about going off the pills completely, but it's still a very silly idea. He can tell himself that he just isn't ready for that, even though it's been nice fooling himself a bit in front of Pepper.

A nice game.

They also hear from Lautner who looked at all the changes that Tony and JARVIS' pointed out they need and incorporated the suggestions in the project. Everything seems perfect now, Pepper agrees with Tony, so they give start to look for an interior decorator. There are some parts of the tower that Tony wants to be made exclusively according to his own ideas, the workshop and R&D that will be a few floors lower, as they need a special kind of approach. JARVIS is willing to help; Tony wouldn't say the A.I. is excited, come one, he doesn't do something as prosaic, but JARVIS is definitely enjoying himself.

The parcel is still being cleaned-up after the demolition of preexisting building, but it's just finishing the work. In a few weeks the construction should begin and the chief of the team of rascals – that's Rhodey's expression – says that if Stark Industries really wants it, the tower can be ready in eight months. Normally it would take a year at least, Tony knows, but he chooses the best for a reason. They agree on the plans.

When Rhodey finally gets home, he eats with Pepper and Tony, doesn't talk much about the mission, and goes straight to bed to sleep for twelve hours.

Sunday, in the best S.H.I.E.L.D. manner, is not a day off work but a day of especially intense work and Tony is suddenly hosting Fury, Phil, Natasha and Clint in addition to the four inhabitants of the mansion.

And they all talk.

Tony feels a headache starting to build up after like ten minutes into the lunch that Pepper ordered from her favorite Spanish place. At least the food compensates for this sudden mess I'm in, Tony comments to himself and kind of wishes to run away, but he can't, he won't, because that would be being a baby and whining and fuck I was supposed to act, right? That's what I asked for myself.

'Tony?' Pepper calls his name at some point, probably realizing that he hasn't said anything in almost half an hour. He shakes his head in no, please don't ask me, it's okay movement, but no one has been eager to believe him when he says that.

They calm down, slowly, toning the excitement and lowering their voices and Tony feels unfitting. Sure, he knows he shouldn't, he knows that it would be a common courtesy to take his needs into consideration, but it's not like he had expected that.

At least they don't apologize, because Tony is quite sure he'd just be too embarrassed.

How the fuck am I going to go to the gala if I can't stand eight people at once?

'First, out techs looked at Vanko's arc reactor and confirmed it was just like he palladium one you used to have. Second, we need to debrief you about those precious suits of yours, Stark,' Fury says in the end. Tony nods and finds Pepper's hand; she leads them all to the living room and says that if someone wants coffee, JARVIS has started the machine.

'You know, Stark,' Fury starts in a neutral voice (Tony wasn't aware he even could do neutral voice, wow) as everyone is seated; only Happy has left after the dinner and went somewhere into the town, using his finally-free time wisely. 'I've got just one question about this whole story. I don't care if you sent your suits to Russia and violated about a million international laws, that you intervened in our op without a permission and all that. The only question I've got for you is – just how exactly advanced is your fucking A.I.?'

Ah, Tony smiles mentally, I can guess why that's bugging you, Big Man.

'Uhm,' Tony murmurs and clear his throat dramatically. 'I don't know, J, how advanced are you?' he asks in space. Clint snickers somewhere on Tony's left.

'I would say I am pretty advanced, sir,' JARVIS says politely. 'Probably the most advanced artificial intelligence on the planet.'

'Only probably, babe, you wound me,' Tony replies and sighs, letting a smirk crawl onto his face. 'JARVIS is the most advances A.I. around, you heard that, Pirate Boy.'

'What does that mean, exactly?' Natasha asks, of course it's Natasha to go straight to the bottom and stop Tony from avoiding the question forever, well, he still could, his ability to do verbal sparring is perfectly intact, but – he's going to have to say it anyway.

And it's not like anyone could do anything to JARVIS.

'J, the lady asks.'

'It appears that I am fully sentient,' the A.I. replies after a shortest moment of hesitation that Tony is sure only he noticed, a fraction of a second too long to be just a normal response. But JARVIS can decide for himself and he knows that, he wouldn't have to say that if he didn't want to. Tony wouldn't make him. Tony wouldn't betray him.

The room is eerily silent.

Pepper doesn't say anything and neither does Rhodey, since they have known about JARVIS for a long time and kept the secret.

'As in able to perceive and feel things; aware; cognizant,' the A.I. adds softly.

'No fucking way,' Clint states. 'No offense, buddy, but feeling? Seriously, feeling?'

'I am capable of feelings just as I am capable of making decisions independently, Agent Barton. Sir asks me to do things and I obey; sometimes I am a step ahead. In Samara, I deployed the suits as soon as War Machine registered unusual readings. Sir was aware of my actions a few moments later.'

'You're telling me,' Fury basically growls, 'that we're sitting in a house where a crazy A.I. could kill us any moment, and you send us suits that could do the same, Stark? Wow, I didn't think you were that disillusioned –'

'I think you are forgetting yourself, Director,' Pepper cuts in, her voice perfectly sweet.

'Am I, Miss Potts? Are you aware of what that could –'

'– mean, yes, of course I am. I live under one roof with the greatest futurist of this century, Director, and I've known his for over a decade. But you are forgetting one most important thing: I wouldn't be angry at you for accusing Tony that he might be stupid enough to do something that would endanger himself, we all know he's done that a lot of times; but he lets Mark IV guard me. He gave the War Machine to Rhodey. Even if he doesn't care about himself, he would never, never ever endanger us. He's very possessive of what he claims is his,' Pepper adds, gaining a short laughter from Clint again.

'I agree with Miss Potts,' Coulson states. 'I trust her and I trust Tony.'

Natasha and Clint murmur something in agreement; Pepper and Rhodey don't have to as they will always be on Tony's side, whenever a side must be picked.

'… we will see,' Fury states in the end, sounding angry and pleased at the same time; Tony can't help but wonder how the man manages that. 'No one can know about more suits, well, the unmanned ones. I know you have one you fly in, that's okay as long as you are willing to admit that you pilot it, with some help of a program, or something like that.'

'Believe me, I care even more than you about JARVIS not being compromised,' Tony comments, because honestly, any different thought is pretty absurd. J is his fucking baby and will always be, and Tony would be willing to do almost everything to protect the A.I.

'That's good that you've settled the matter, but I believe the coffee is done in the kitchen,' JARVIS speaks up, ignoring completely what they've been just talking about.

'You should have done that straight away, buddy,' Tony tells JARVIS as everyone but him goes to the kitchen to get themselves some of the bronze gold. When the crowd is back, they seat down again – and Tony really hoped for a moment that it was the end of the talking, he isn't tired but rather annoyed.

'I lied when I said there as one thing,' Fury says after a few moments filled with gulping sounds and clatter of porcelain. (Of course you did, Tony murmurs to himself.) 'There is this project I need to talk with you and Rhodey about.'

'Just me and Rhodey?'

'Romanov and Barton might take part, and where they go, Coulson goes, or rather is dragged,' Fury explains, and it's Tony's turn to snicker.

'Secret enough that Pepper needs to go out and wait two hours before I tell her everything anyway?'

'No, I actually would prefer if Miss Potts stayed – but to the point, I don't have time for games – we're preparing an Initiative around S.H.I.E.L.D. It's not clear yet, but we've been having intel about more and more strange things going on around, I think that's what you know about the agency, we deal with everything, from mafias to aliens, and there's a surprising activity from the bad side, Stark – remember HYDRA? Howard must have told you,' Tony nods affirmatively. 'That kind of crazy shit. We are thinking about creating a response team, in case the fucking world needs it. Rhodes knows about that from yesterday, but he said he won't give us an answer before you do.'

You won't? Tony asks his friend silently, feeing himself smile, really, he didn't know he can expect such loyalty.

'We'd like James as an active member of the Initiative – and you as a consultant. Since you've been doing all that tech for us anyway, we can as well make it official, Tony,' Coulson quips in, Tony can hear the man's smirk in his voice.

'We're in,' Tony decides. Well, it's not much of a decision, really. 'Does JARVIS get to be a certified superhero now?'

'I can have someone send you a PDF with a print-out diploma if you want, Stark,' Fury replies flatly; this time everyone laughs. 'I'm going back to HQ, do you mind if I drop these three kids for a few days of leave they've earned? I'm sick of them,' the director adds and leaves the room with his coat sweeping loudly in the otherwise-silent room.

'Your coffee intake is limited to five cups a day,' Tony instructs them politely before waving goodbye and dragging Pepper out of the room. He doesn't mind if they stay, even if it is kind of imposing, but he is not going to cut his precious leisure time with Pepper on their expense.

They stay until Wednesday; it's crazy in the positive way, although Tony finds himself hiding in the workshop quite a lot. It's all fine, he is getting used to more people around, to many voices all the same time and many objects to track, but still needs quiet time to for balance.

(Yoga with both Natasha and Clint leaves him unable to breathe because he's laughing too much. Running isn't much better; Tony has four treadmills, he doesn't know why so many himself, so that is okay, but they just argue what music to listen to for half an hour before JARVIS plays Tony's angry playlist and they both spend the rest of the hour complaining.)

When they leave, it's ten days to Tony's birthday and almost everything is ready.

'I've got an idea,' Tony tells Pepper on Friday morning, the day before The Date. 'But you'd have to take a day off tomorrow –'

'I've already done that, you moron,' Pepper replies affectionately when she's swallowed her yogurt. 'Obviously.'

'… okay, okay,' Tony. 'You are great. Yeah. You are the best, have I told you that recen–'

'Yes, about ten times, can you please stop avoiding the topic you've brought up yourself?'

But I am so fucking nervous, Tony whines mentally. He's not going to tell her that, though.

'I'm taking you for a field trip tomorrow morning.'

'But – it's supposed to be rainy and foggy, Tony, do you think it's a good idea?'

'Rainy and foggy is perfect, Pepper,' Tony assures her and reinforces the message with a kiss. He knows it sounds suspicious and mysterious, but he is not going to ruin the surprise. Pepper, knowing him well enough, doesn't push.

Saturday morning is foggy and drizzly, JARVIS tells Tony. (It's good because that means low visibility; it's simply easier to fly two suits in one area in such weather without the worry of being spotted.) JARVIS walks the suits to a van and Tony asks Happy to drive it to the old SI factory. Happy doesn't even question his boss, just says okay and leaves.

Tony asks Pepper to drive the A8 and she agrees without questioning, apparently deciding to be nice on his special day. JARVIS directs her and if she realizes where they are going, she doesn't say.

When they finally get to the destination, Tony asks Happy to take the A8 home and leave the two of them to themselves; Happy just laughs at how absurd his job of the day is and leaves.

'Open the back of the car,' Tony says; the van is parked in one of the abandoned hangars, so the rain doesn't bother them. Pepper does as she is told, and as soon as she gets a peek inside – Tony can imagine – she shrieks in surprise. It's actually kind of sweet, Tony decides.

'I thought,' he says, moving closer to her and wrapping an arm around her waist, 'we could fly together. I figured, since Rhodey can have the suit, and all that… I though you could enjoy it…'

'I have never, never ever expected something like that,' she whispers into his neck. 'I – I think I'd like to, I'm just a bit scared?'

'Well, my lady, I will catch you if you fall, but I doubt JARVIS would let anyone get hurt, especially his two favorite people in the world.'

'Indeed, sir,' JARVIS replies via Mark II and Tony can hear the armor's murmur as the pieces move to let him step inside and wrap themselves around his body; P1 does the same. Tony take a step ahead and hears Pepper moving, too, so he gives her a final kiss before they are both in the suits and suddenly in the air.

Pepper loves it and she doesn't seem as scared as she was on the earth after full three seconds up in the sky; JARVIS left the connection open between the suits and in half a minute she's telling him endless words.

'– this is amazing, Tony, the feeling, as if there was no gravitation, light and pleasant, the speed, why am I not scared of the speed? That's why you liked the fog, JARVIS doesn't have to be so careful, we can do want we want, that's amazing, I love you, Tony, you're the greatest genius I know, just don't let this inflate your ego even more, I'm just saying this because it's you birthday but oh, JARVIS, do the upside-down thing again –'

Tony just listens to her monologue, giving JARVIS most of the control over the suit and just going with what the A.I. decides to do; his cheeks kinda hurt from smiling.

It's almost as if the last year didn't matter (not exactly didn't happen, but you can't expect a miracle); Tony knows it's going to be an anniversary of – waking up – in a few days, but that's something he doesn't want to think about that.

They fly for almost an hour before Pepper says that she's probably had enough fun for one day, so they go down to earth and get out of the suits. JARVIS takes them inside the van and Pepper drives them back to Stark Tower mostly in silence, with some songs they both like played in the background by the A.I.

(Pepper wasn't surprised that Tony said he wants to spend his birthday just with him; he sent Rhodey to Florida and let Happy have a few days off, starting in the afternoon, so that it could be just the two of them.)

After they eat late lunch, homemade lasagna and chocolate fondant all made by Pepper for Tony – she doesn't cook often but there are a few dishes she's really good at, Tony wanted to cook himself, but she banned him from the kitcehn – they end up cuddled on the living room sofa; Tony can feel the shape of the ring box in his jacket's pocket and he can swear he hasn't been that nervous ever in his life. No, really.

'I know I haven't mentioned your birthday,' he starts quietly, playing with Pepper's hair, 'and you haven't either, I can guess that is because you thought I just forgot, like every year, but I didn't. I… I just needed some time to get you the right gift. It took me a long time… and when I finally had it, I thought that the best present I could ask for for my birthday would involve you. So there. A… joined gift for me and you?'

'Are you sure it's not just a gift for you?' Pepper teases, but Tony can tell she is curious and anxious to know what the whole thing is about.

'Well, I hope not… Anyway,' he starts again, feeling his heart starting to beat faster, really fast, and fuck, he's soon going to start mixing words or will just faint and it will be a disaster and it will be pathetic –

What if she says no? he asks himself, even though, logically, it doesn't seem very likely, but what if she does? I've been stupid, I can't – I shouldn't have – I don't think I –

'Tony?'

Tony swallows, feeling as if his mouth was full of sand, that's getting even worse, he thinks, but it can't. He is supposed to be. Fucking. Brave. He shakes his head slightly, feeling a shiver running down his spine, and just in case says:

'I know, Pepper, I've been spoilt, my whole life, I've been used to get everything I wanted –'

'It didn't prevent you from being hurt,' Pepper reminds him softly, but Tony ignores her words, it's not relevant.

'– so please forgive me if I'm being a selfish bastard like I usually am because of this,' he pauses for a second, then moves away from her and suddenly finds himself kneeling in front of her on the cold floor, one hand unconsciously opening the box to present her the ring. 'Pepper – Virginia Potts, will you marry me?' he says and almost swoons, he can't believe he really said it –

Pepper laughs and Tony freezes.

'If you've been so worried about this,' she says, moving on the sofa and wrapping her long fingers around his wrists, 'you really are a moron. Yes,' she adds. 'Yes, yes, and yes,' she repeats, Tony takes out the ring, letting the box fall to the floor, it's more as if someone was controlling his movements because he can't really comprehend that she said YES; then her hands guide his and he slips the ring on her finger and she kneels down next to him and kisses him fiercely.

She. Said. Yes.

'I love you,' he finally manages to whisper into her ear, breaking away from the kiss. 'This is the best day of my life.'

'And mine,' she replies.

It really is, because for these few hours, Tony manages to forget, manages to stop caring about how everything he has shattered into pieces, because now, he's picking them up and making a royal jewel out of them.

(And even though Tony knows the next day Coulson and Clint are going to New Mexico to check out a potential extraterrestrial threat, Natasha is sent out to mingle with Russian high-society as a follow-up to the Vanko mission and Rhodey goed to HQ every day to help the agents with Ivan's interrogation – he doesn't say anything, of course – Tony decides that as much as he cares for these people, it all doesn't matter.)

'I have one more request for you, Pepper,' he tells her a few minutes later, when he's calmed down enough to speak coherently. 'Look at the ring again?'

'I was going to ask – what is it made of, Tony?'

'It's – the new element. The one I have here,' he adds, tapping his arc reactor.

'You made if yourself?!' she exclaims, making him offer a shy smile.

'I did, and – I want you to name it. The element. Consider it a… engagement gift? Your choice will be remembered forever by the science,' he jokes and she highs him tighter.

It takes her a few moments to figure out an answer and Tony just waits.

'Well, if you think I'm not going to include your name in it, by the modern fashion,' (of course Pepper would know all the element s and stuff, she's been dealing with Tony Stark for years and years) 'you're wrong. Let's call it starkium, that sounds –'

'Perfect. You are wonderful,' Tony replies and silences her with a kiss. 'I wouldn't have made it without you,' he adds in a whisper.

(Tony doesn't know if he will be okay in a few days, in an anniversary of opening his eyes and not seeing; he doesn't want to remember but he can't forget. The sand and the howling wind and the heat seem far away, but they are still too close. Get used to it. That's how the world is now, he keeps repeating that to himself, but he can't. He still keeps trying to find an anchor point, a common element, an answer to the whole mystery of the new world that's in front of him, but all he has is loose threads that he can't catch and connect. It seems like pretending – the images in his head – and it becomes reality; reality becomes pretending.

Time passes and Tony knows that he needs to learn to let go of things instead of reminiscing them endlessly, and to accept that everything in the past is nothing but an afterimage, nothing but an image of a world that doesn't exist any longer, burnt under his eyelids by the last memories of sunshine.)

.

FIN