"I had a friend, back home," Tony said, leaning against one of the bookshelves.

"Pepper Potts. She was my assistant, but she was a close friend too. And I liked her, a lot, and she knew it too. But she liked this other guy, Happy Hogan. Happy was my best friend. Part of it hurt to see them together, but... it's what they wanted. And I had to see them together for years. But you know what? It never changed that Pepper was my friend, and a very close friend."