The next day, in the underground garage of Stark Tower.
This was the palace where Tony Stark's darlings slept. Each priceless sports car rested quietly in the temperature- and humidity-controlled air, like a pack of metallic beasts, poised to strike.
But today, they were not the stars of the show.
"Tony, are you sure you're not about to show me another limited-edition sports car you've bought?"
Pepper Potts' voice held a mix of resignation and indulgence. She was blindfolded with a soft, black silk scarf, Tony leading her by the hand, carefully navigating through rows of supercars.
His palm was slightly damp, which was unusual.
The Tony Stark Pepper knew was the eternal playboy, effortlessly in control of any situation. His hands would only be cold from holding a chilled martini, never damp with nervous sweat.
"Patience, Pepper." Tony's voice sounded a little strained. He cleared his throat. "I promise, it's something you've never seen before. One of a kind. A surprise tailor-made for you."
He stopped walking and moved behind her, his warm breath nearly grazing her earlobe.
"Ready?"
Pepper nodded, her heart starting to beat faster for no apparent reason.
Tony took a deep breath and slowly untied the scarf from her eyes.
Light flooded her vision, and Pepper blinked instinctively. When her eyes adjusted to the sight before her, her breath caught in her throat.
It wasn't a car.
It was… a robot?
It stood silently in the center of the garage, its chassis a soft yet striking cherry blossom pink. The streamlined frame exuded a futuristic, high-tech feel, its surface as smooth as a perfectly polished piece of candy. Its form was tall, yet it didn't seem bulky, instead projecting a peculiar blend of adorable charm and formidable power.
"What is…?" Pepper murmured, unable to find the right words.
"King Kong Barbie, Unit-01," Tony's voice held a hint of barely concealed pride and anticipation. "Your personal health assistant, and… bodyguard?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the display on the pink robot's visor lit up with a cute boot-up sound.
"Hello, I am Nini." A soft, friendly synthetic voice spoke as it gave a slight bow. "Pleased to be of service, Miss Potts. I detect a slight increase in your heart rate and elevated adrenaline levels. Would you like me to play some soothing music for you?"
Pepper was completely captivated by the sight.
She walked up quickly, reaching out to cautiously touch the robot's cool, smooth shell, her eyes filled with amazement and affection.
"Oh my god, Tony! It's… it's perfect!" she exclaimed, turning back to him, her face beaming with pure joy. "Nini? That's such an adorable name!"
She turned back to the robot and asked curiously, "Why are you named Nini?"
A smiley face emoji appeared on the robot's visor. "According to my core programming, my creator wishes for me to watch over you at all times, just as he would. 'Nini' is a diminutive form of 'Tony,' representing a unique and singular form of care."
The explanation was like a stone tossed into a lake, sending ripples through Pepper's heart.
She looked at Tony, her expression complex.
Tony's heart skipped a beat. He thought Pepper had finally understood.
However, Pepper's next words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head.
"Paul… he's such a genius, and a real sweetheart," Pepper said, deeply moved, the light in her eyes shining even brighter. "How did he ever think of such a wonderful idea? And to express it this way… he's so thoughtful."
She said with certainty, "This must be Paul's gift to me, right? Thank him for me, Tony. I absolutely love it!"
The smile on Tony's face froze, inch by inch.
He felt like he was standing center stage, bathed in the spotlight, ready to receive the world's applause, only for the audience to start cheering for the poster behind him.
The volcano of anticipation that had been burning hot inside him was instantly entombed in ice, leaving only cold rock and wisps of white smoke.
What do you mean, *Paul's* gift? What do you mean, *thank him for me*?
Sure, the kid came up with the design schematics, but the subsequent material optimization, the power source integration, and this ridiculously garish pink paint job—that was all personally supervised by Tony Stark!
He even turned down invitations to two parties for this!
"Ahem." Tony forced a smile, trying to save a little face. "Actually, I… contributed. A lot."
"Oh? Did you?" Pepper clearly missed the bitter undertone in his voice. She was excitedly circling Nini, showering it with praise. "Did you provide the funding? That's our Mr. Stark, always so generous."
Tony felt like he'd taken an arrow to the chest.
He decided to give up arguing the point with Pepper.
A woman's mind was sometimes harder to understand than quantum mechanics.
He watched as Pepper's attention was completely captivated by the pink metal hunk, and a sense of defeat washed over him. But at the same time, seeing that genuine, unadulterated smile on her face, he thought… maybe this wasn't so bad.
At least, she was smiling.
"Pepper," he began, his voice a little hoarser than before.
"Hmm?" Pepper turned back, her eyes still sparkling.
"Speaking of 'care' and 'help'…" Tony's gaze deepened. He unconsciously raised a hand and pointed to his own chest. "Could you… help me with something?"
He didn't elaborate, just watched her silently with those caramel-colored eyes.
The warm, flirtatious atmosphere in the air vanished instantly, replaced by a strange tension.
Pepper's smile faded slightly. She looked at Tony, at the hand pointing to his chest, her expression filled with confusion.
His expression was one she had never seen before—serious, and even tinged with a hint of… vulnerability.
He wasn't joking.
Pepper sensed this immediately.
She didn't know what Tony needed her help with, but she could feel that it was something very, very important.
Important enough to make the invincible Tony Stark wear an expression of entreaty.
The garage was eerily quiet. Only the soft glow of Nini's visor pulsed in the silence, like a silent witness.
Tony didn't press her. He just waited.
He was about to reveal his deepest secret, his most vulnerable side, like peeling an onion, carefully preparing to show her the first layer.
And Pepper's answer would determine whether he had the courage to keep peeling.