When the genius had the chance to really think about it, he would see how the kiss he'd envisioned for years would never measure up to the one he was currently locked in with his beautiful but broken assistant. He'd always imagined it would be in the heat of a moment, when she'd just faltered in her usual defenses and fell prey to his usual charms. One of those kinds that would have resulted in her being lifted up on his desk, work area, etc depending on where this moment of crumbling took place. But those fantasies changed over the years, especially after he'd returned from Afghanistan. There were daydreams of indulging in the two of them just enjoying something as simple as the last moments of her at his home before she left for the night when he might dare to kiss her goodnight.
This didn't fit any of those scenarios.
Here they both were, stripped bare boned to each other, feelings exposed in an instance when it'd taken years to build those walls.
Tony didn't get a chance to respond. To say there was nothing she needed to be forgiven of. It'd been his fault when he couldn't be man enough to own up to how he felt, to say he'd felt for a while that he believed her to be worthy of more than him. No one deserved the kind of destructive, abusive love he had to offer. And Pepper didn't deserve to be damned to it, even if that was what she wanted, God help her.
Her lips were on his firmly and his responded in kind with equal fervor as his fingers tangled deeper into her strawberry blond tresses, releasing that scent that he breathed in each time he took a deep breath. God help them both now. Fingers tightened in her hair and one at her hip and Tony held onto her for dear life, like she was his lifeline. She'd killed him and saved him before, and now it was the same rinse and repeat motion, her kiss killing him and reviving in him life and hope that he did have it in him to be the man she'd always prayed for, the man she wanted to love her as fiercely as she loved him.
He couldn't stop kissing her now that it'd been initiated, and this wasn't going to be some momentary thing, they'd part and both toss up the shy, nervous act. They'd be forever changed to the other.
He made sure it carried on for a good two minutes, until the desire for a real deep breath was strong enough, and he parted them slowly, tenderly kissing her again once more for good measure.
Breathe, holy shit, Stark, just breathe!
Pressing his forehead against hers, Tony tried desperately to stop the rapid heartbeat in his chest as his breath came in puffs, his lips dry from the kiss. He'd barely opened his eyes, afraid to look in hers and see the exact same thing he knew was in his own: the true depth of his adoration and love for the woman in his arms right now. Tony refrained from saying anything because his brain couldn't adequately translate what was going on in his heart right now. That and it was easier to just shut his mouth to prevent him from saying some smart ass comment in usual Tony fashion.