The Man with no Heart (Tony Stark) - ON HOLD

Over the time

I think it was official how crazy I was for Pepper Potts, right? I mean, official to myself.

But once I accepted that, I guess I went even crazier.

And I guess I became the most annoying person on Earth, to her. But I could not just skip a chance to get to her, to mess around with her, to see her smile... or even to see her irritated. She is so damn sexy when she is mad at me.

However, as time passed by and I ended up getting used to life after Afghanistan, we came back to the old us. We probably argued more. Particularly Pepper.

If there were times when she would hesitate to say something back at me, because, after all, I am the boss, now, oh, she would not.

I would never forget what she did for me in those first days. How she stood there for me and did not go away, when she had her own life to deal with.

I have no idea how I let the words "I have no one but you" out of my mouth, that day when I asked for her assistance to exchange the arc reactors. But the feeling that came through me when I heard those same words, later, from her, were inexplicable.

I swear I could feel her nervously flinch sometimes, with my presence. The argument we had when she refused to help me by going to Stane's office. She knew what I was doing, I knew too. She knew the o, but I knew too. And you cannot imagine hoe my heart, or what's left of it, swelled when she showed how worried she was, but even more when she finally accepted my decision. She might have not agreed, but she accepted, and she helped me.

How am I supposed to even try to put her out of my mind?

I am not even trying.

And I don't want to.

But I don't really want to feed myself with hope, nah, I have no chance. She might care and she was a really good friend for me, much like Rhodey, but I knew she wanted nothing else than that. Otherwise, she would have not stop herself, in that balcony, when we almost kissed.

God.

Yes.

Almost.

I thought my heartbeat would kick the arc reactor out of my chest, in that moment. I did not move, I was simply petrified in my spot.

But she moved away.

It could not be a bigger proof, she does not want anything to do with me.

Or maybe, she knows me way too well to even try something.

I am Tony Stark, after all.

I guess you can risk the playboy of that list of names describing me.

Nah, forget it, I will always carry that fame.

I have never been with a lady after that, though.

And sometimes I just feel terribly needy. I have to admit Pepper must go through horrible moments, keeping up with me. But she stays around, and I am happy for that.

You have no idea how I regretted that moment, though. That moment when I told her to go to Stane's office and... well, you know all that happened afterwards.

She could have been seriously hurt.

And those thoughts are never leaving my mind.

"Tony!"

She knelt next to me, as soon as she found me, on that roof, after Stane was fried by the big arc reactor.

I weakly smiled at her as she touched my chest "You did not incinerate it... that was a good thing"