"You never missed it? Not even a little?" he teases her lightly, sure he knows what her answer will be: a big fat No. Pepper has had far better things to do than babysit him and both his and SI's events- he left home after the company Christmas party had come and gone a week prior, before the Mandarin was in the news again, before yet another bombing as the ugliness of the world outside Malibu asserted itself again, before Happy wound up in a hospital and Tony was set to chase heat signatures around the country, just as soon as he could convince Pepper to stay home.

It's quick, how his thoughts keep sliding back to that moment, to that argument, the last he remembers of home, the heavy regret. It'll be different once I'm back, he tells himself, feeling the weight of Pepper's hand on his thigh, the drifting massage of her thumb. Though the night air is cool coming off the water, he feels perfectly warm beside her, right where he needs to be.

"Right? I should dress like this more often. You too, querida," Tony tells her with an impish smile, setting his drink aside to slide his hand beneath hers, and lift it right to his mouth for a slow kiss. Never has he pictured her outfitted like some gothic dream, but the effect is gorgeous on her, and irresistible to him.