Tony Stark

“Jarvis, sometimes you gotta run before you can walk.”

Independent and private portrayal of Tony Stark.

MCU-based and semi-selective.

Mobile links are here.

@theherogig …

Yeah, I usually do. Once I make my mind up about something, it takes a lot to change it. Pretty near impossible, most of the time. {I said through am unapologetic shrug, but kinda shot him a confused look when I saw him ball his hand up into a fist; giving the impression that he was going to fist bump me? Fist bumps? Are those even still a thing? I wondered quietly to myself. Wow, old people can be so weird at times. I silently considered. Just like that he was up on his feet again so he could pace the floor. It was really obvious how uncomfortable he was with all of this. Leading me to wonder why he thought Mom and I moving to New York with him would be a good idea. I mean, geeze, he’ll end up pacing a hole in his floors if that happens} You can count on that. Neither one of us do anything unless we want to, so if she’s against it, she’ll make that known. {I casually added through a nonchalant shrug, but my brows furrowed slightly as I considered something Tony had said before that} Wait…. You can fly your suits without even being in them? That’s really cool. Think I could fly in one sometime? {Deep down knowing Mom would never go along with me flying around in one of Tony’s Iron Man suits, but hey, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt any of us} Do you have any in purple, by any chance? {I couldn’t resist asking, since that’s my favorite color and all. Either way though, and before much more could be said, Tony was leaving his number and then heading toward the door to leave} Yeah, no problem. I’ll give it to her when she gets off the phone. {I promised as I put the number on the coffee table for safe keeping. I then started toward the front door} So, see you when I see you. {Not really sure what to say in departure, so for now, I guess I’ll leave it at that} And you know, be careful out there. {I eventually added before clearing my throat quietly. Okay, so yeah, this was a little weird}

As Tony shut the door to the apartment, he could practically feel his windpipe closing. Why was this so difficult for him? He had been up against wizards from space and purple idiots who wanted half the world to disappear, but this? A kid is what he couldn’t handle?

He shook his head as he placed the back of his hand to his forehead. He wasn’t sure what direction to go in, literally; where was he? Which way did he come down the hall? He was pretty much useless without advanced technology leading him to the right places, but he took a guess and ended up back to his car soon enough. He sat in the driver’s seat with two hands on the steering wheel, but he didn’t move. All he could do was stare up at the apartment from which he just came from and think about what was inside: his daughter. She was part of him, and he didn’t know how to deal with it. Peel back the cocky, know-it-all mask of Tony Stark and what were you left with? Someone who didn’t want anyone to be like him.

After what seemed like ages, he pulled away and drove back to his house. After entering, he was met with Jarvis asking how the situation with. “Don’t wanna talk about it, but good.” 

Jarvis: “Sir, not talking about how you are feeling is not good for your overall health.” 

“You know what else isn’t good? The dust on this counter.” Tony ran a fingertip across the surface and held it up to further examine it. “You and Dum-E have work to do and so do I.”

@theherogig …

{My head shook slightly and my nose wrinkled when I heard him mention that Barbie scooter. To be honest, it took me a hot second before even remembering that commercial} Actually, I preferred the chemistry sets and telescopes over the Barbie dream house…. scooter…. dolls…. Whatever. My mom was afraid that would deem me a nerd though, and just ask for me to get picked on at school, so she compromised by not only getting me the scientific stuff I liked, but that stupid scooter too. She even got me the bike. {A slight shiver moved through me as I remembered how ugly that thing was} I don’t know what was worse about that bike…. The pink streamers, the shiny wheels with those awful charms, or the matching pink helmet with, I kid you not, hot pink glitter bedazzling it. I mean, Mom was worried about me getting picked on over my interest in science, but not that froofy bike? {I shook my head before adding} Clearly she was delusional. {My shoulders rolling into a slight shrug} Long story short, I rode the bike a couple of times, it ended in disaster, and my mom decided that my interest in science was safer, so she never pushed that other stuff on me ever again. {I added before taking another sip from my bottle of water. In hearing Tony point out to me that he wasn’t a wuss, I wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince more; me or himself. Now, for my part, I didn’t see him as a wuss, but maybe he did? Otherwise, why would he feel the need to speak up in defense of his freak out sessions} Hey, you battle monsters, aliens, and other ridiculous things on a near daily basis, so if you didn’t freak out after something like that, I’d think something was wrong with you. Honestly, I don’t know how you do it. I mean, aliens? What’s next? Flying cows or armed chickens? {Okay, so I know how nutsy that would sound, but arguably speaking, so did the idea of aliens. Who would have thought those actually existed} Yeah…. for someone who doesn’t think the “dad thing” is coming naturally to him, you already have the cheesy dad jokes down, so that’s something. {I added in teasing retort} I get it though…. We’ll talk to Mom. She travels so much for work that I’m not sure she’d care where our home base is. You know, as long as her boss would let her relocate to New York. I guess it would all really come down to what she can work out with her job. {My shoulders rolling into another carefree shrug} For the record, and I know this is a lot to process… I mean, to be clear, I don’t picture calling you “dad” anytime soon or anything like that, because I think we can both agree that we’re not there, but I’m glad you gave meeting me a chance.

While Tony was impressed that she showed such an interest in the same things he did, he was also worried that what they were currently in was a never-ending cycle. Tony’s father didn’t show him any attention or appreciation for anything he ever did, and given that Tony had just found out about his own offspring? Well, he didn’t think he had the best track record as a father, either. He was flattered that she seemed to have gotten some of the Stark genes, but in his less selfish moments, if he could sculpt the perfect child, he or she would be nothing like him.

“I’m glad you stuck up for what you believed in.” He paused to hold up his fist and acted like he was going.. fist-bump her shoulder? Shoulder-bump her? Pound her shoulder through the air? “Go you. Atta girl.”

He could literally feel himself deteriorating at how every other word that came out of his mouth showed his inexperience, but he was just glad that his vocal cords seemed to work properly after the bomb that was dropped on him.

Tony’s brows furrowed and he hung his head a little lower, eyes focusing on his shoes.

“It’s pretty weird out there, kid. An armed chicken would be the least of my worries. I’ve got suits to take care of that. Wouldn’t even have to be in one.”

And his time to start pacing came back around. He was on his feet in no time with his hands behind his back, one resting in the other, as his eyes wandered the room that was beginning to look a little familiar to him.

“Money talks. She can come to New York if she wants to. That’s not the problem.” Would Tony buy her boss off if it came down to it? Absolutely, with roughly zero hesitation. “As long as it’s what you both want.”

He shook his head, realizing how ridiculous he was sounding. He was talking to a teenager, at the approximate age of thirteen, about picking up and moving across the country to live with him, who she had known for what felt like hours, but measured out to roughly ten minutes.

“I should probably get going. I’ve got a whole lot of nothing to do and a short time to do it in. Tell your mom to call me.” He dared to make eye contact with her, but when he did, he immediately turned his head. They weren’t there yet.

Tony embarked on his own adventure of finding a pen and paper, and while the paper on the kitchen counter had some writing on it, he didn’t think it was more important than the father of her child’s number. Unlike most girls, he gave this one the correct digits, signed by ‘You Know Who I Am’.

“Make sure she gets this, alright?” He spoke as he finished writing, eyes not lifting from the paper. He placed the pen down and finally lifted his head to look at her. “And uh, yeah, call me Tony.”

@theherogig …

{It didn’t take a genius to know that Tony was only talking down about alcohol because he knew it was the “parental” or like the “adult” thing to do. I knew he didn’t really actually believe it though. He didn’t have anything to worry about though. I mean, my mom either, for that matter, because I meant what I said…. I tried it once and thought it was gross. Not something I have any intention of delving into again, so you know, lesson learned or whatever} Trust me, I won’t. I tried it once and thought it was awful. Never again. I’d rather stick to soda, to be honest. {I added honestly while my shoulders rolled into a casual shrug. Giving an approving nod though in response to Tony informing me that he knew a guy. I have to say though, I felt a little better about it when he mentioned that the guy was my age. That would make attending a new school easier for sure} Good, cause I don’t want to be that kid, ya know? The one who goes in with a rep for getting into the school only because my dad knows people in high places. I especially don’t want like the dean of students addressing me by name like we’re friends or something weird like that. That sort of thing would just make me come off as some kind of kiss ass with the other students, and I’d be labeled as the loser to avoid, cause they’d be afraid that I’d snitch on them every chance I get. I know that probably sounds foreign to you, but that’s how school tends to work these days. Kids and their stupid labels and snap judgements. It sucks at times. {Okay, so if I said something like that to my mom, she’d probably just roll her eyes and call that silly teenager thoughts. Still, she didn’t know what it was like to be a teenager. Kids found any reasons to label you and place judgement. It’s just how it worked in school} But yeah, someone my age who can show me the ropes there would be cool. {I added agreeably, but my eyes narrowed slightly in a mixture of question and slight confusion as I heard his follow up inquiry about my mom reaching out to him sooner; eluding to the fact that all of this now was about money. I know Tony told me that I didn’t need to answer that, but honestly, I wanted to. He should know me nagging my mom to reach out to him about me had nothing to do with money} Tony, me wanting to know you has nothing to do with money. I wanted to know who my dad is. Simple as that. I didn’t care if you were the richest person in the world, or you were living in a hut in Burma. I just wanted to know /you/ was all. {I shrugged casually once more, but felt a relieved smile shifting to my lips when Tony mentioned that he had been considering moving to New York until recently. Of course he didn’t come right out and say the words, but I guessed from his failed attempts to finish his partial thoughts and his circular hand gesture toward me, he was eluding that he didn’t want to just pick up and leave now after finding out he has a daughter} Good, cause yeah, I mean, I’d love to go to that school in New York, but I wouldn’t want to just up and move there if I didn’t think you’d at least come visit us, or whatever, when you were able to. {I stated as I casually retrieved the unopened, cold bottle of water from the coffee table, and then gesturingly scooted it closer to him to take when he mentioned it getting hot in here. Remembering what he said about people handing him stuff, but I figured moving it closer to him was enough to let him know that was for him if and when he wanted it, without freaking him out by actually hold it out for him to take} Yeah, I know this is all probably weird, and I don’t want to freak you out or like, scare you away, but I want to get to know you. I don’t want this to be a one and done type of thing. If it’s weird for you though, or you’re not looking to add a daughter to your already pretty demanding life, I get it. I know Mom dropped this one you out of the blue, and I’m sure it’s a shock, to say the least, so no pressure.

Tony was on the verge of panic simply because he was on the verge of panic. Was it clear by now how he operated? He lived a life that no one could understand, including him. As if his life wasn’t already as complicated as it could get, there was now a teenage offspring that was thrown into the mix with a woman he could barely remember. He really needed to get his shrink on the line, but there was a girl in front of him that he really didn’t want to run away just yet. He needed to try to calm himself and really make use of the present, unlike what he was used to doing when he charged through the days like they were replaceable.

He took in a deep breath & released it slowly, eyes meeting hers as he shook his head in response to the water. He didn’t think hydration would play any part in fixing whatever was going on with him. He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat.

“I didn’t think you two were the type. It would’ve happened long before now when you wanted that Barbie scooter on that annoying commercial. Trust me, I know you wanted it. It was crammed down everyone’s throats for years.”

Tony rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. He was starting to get himself functioning more, or at least enough to form sentences.

“Just so we’re clear, I get freaked out a lot easier than I used to. Doesn’t make me a wuss.”

His image was important to him, and making himself seem like a weak, hyperventilating duckling was not the impression that he wanted to give off. He wasn’t used to feeling much of anything except for the unwanted weight on his body, both physically and mentally, so being in front of someone that was technically fifty perfect his was giving him some type of foreign feelings.

He took in what she said about not wanting him to be in her life one minute and out the next. Maybe it was because he didn’t really have that father figure in his life who ever showed him any type of compassion, or maybe it was because his next response would be what any decent human would say, but he found himself nodding and speaking immediately.

“I want what you want. I don’t think this could get any more awkward or weird for me, so just lay whatever you want on me.”

He didn’t mean it in a negative way per say, but he was just being honest because what else was he supposed to do in his current situation? He couldn’t fake the feelings that he had never been on the receiving end of, so for the time being, he couldn’t pretend to have that love a father was supposed to. Did that make him horrible? Probably. Was he used to it? Absolutely.

“ Tony! What the fuck!? “ she’s on her feet in an instant, gaze darting round for the nearest thing to stem the bleeding he’d caused from pulling the IV out of his arm. Her gaze settles on nearby napkins, snatching them up and pressing them against his arm where the pinlike hole lies, a scowl clear on her lips as she keeps pressure on it, jaw clenched.  “ I sure as hell hope you have no intentions of getting out of this bed because I swear to god I will kill you myself, don’t you think you’ve given Pepper enough worry for one lifetime? cut the crap, Tony. “ Pepper, not herself. Not that she wasn’t worried, althought right now she was certainly more pissed. She got it, when she’d come round from being held captive by Hydra, she’d done the same thing, she’d wanted out of that damn bed, but she also hadn’t been so dramatic as to land herself in it in the first place, and perhaps he was going to have needed medical attention anyway but god, he’d only made it worse. The moment she’d gotten him back, he’d collapsed and she couldn’t take that happening again. She also couldn’t tell him exactly how worried she’d been but she wasn’t fooling herself into thinking it wasn’t written all over her face. She says nothing else, keeping pressure for several moments before lifting the napkin slowly, moving it away completely when she’s satisfied it’s stopped. “ Pain is more than a nuisance Tony and if you keep ignoring it, one day it’s going to get you killed. “ tongue flicks across white teeth as she looks away. “ remember last time you did that? “ referring to the reactor, when he was being poisoned. She hadn’t been there for that, but she’d heard about it, through everybody but Tony.

“ Do you think you could manage not to try to kill yourself just for a little while? “ she queries, sinking back into the chair heavily. “ if you could hit pause on that, that would be great because- “ she swallows, head bowing as she pinches the bridge of her nose, letting out a ragged breath as she laughs, no humor in her tone. “ because I don’t have the energy to sit here and watch you hit self destruct, again. “ tone quietens. “ I don’t know what the hell happened up there or how it happened, and if you want to talk about it? great, i’m all ears, but that’s not what i’m talking about. I’m talking about since you got back. That stunt you pulled to made a point? And now this. “ forces herself to inhale. “ Can you please just put a pause on whatever crazy plans you have to save the world, just until you recover? “ She holds her hands up in a gesture of peace. “ That’s all I ask. “

The high-pitched ring in her voice as she yelled at him always brought him great joy, and that was no different while lying in the bed arguably immobile. His eyes remained focused on the red scene that he had created while he listened to her scramble for anything absorbent, and much to his relief, she was there in seconds putting pressure to his arm with a napkin.

“Sure hope that wasn’t used. Add infection to the list.”

His voice reeked of sarcasm as his eyes lifted to meet hers, and if he wasn’t so numb on the inside, he probably would have displayed that smirk that always seemed to make people even more irritable. Even if he was at his best, however, he couldn’t deny the fact that Pepper needed a break from all of the chaos. He had felt guilty for a while, but as time passed on, that’s kind of what she signed up for when she chose to spend a life with him. He wouldn’t know what to do without her, but he needed to make a mental note to teach her how to move on without him just in case.

He inhaled slowly, eyes threatening to roll either from the annoyance or the sheer fact that something had been in that IV that made his lids droop.

“That time technically wasn’t my fault. I just hadn’t figured out how to navigate this yet.” He moved his index finger in a circular motion over his chest. “You should be thanking me that you weren’t there. Pepper would be jealous. She had to stick her hand inside and play Operation.”

Tony shifted the best he could, but whether he would admit it or not, his body felt like it was struggling. Maybe it was where he lacked the basic nourishment and self-care, or maybe it was because of how he mentally flipped a switch so everything was turned off. Even so, he was on the verge of feeling something upon noting the undeniable shift in the atmosphere. For what seemed like the first time in his life, his lips remained sealed as he was all ears on her. He was one who lived by the whole ‘do now, think later’ thing, and unfortunately, she made a valid point.

His eyes left hers and focused on the bar at the end of the bed; it was uninteresting, but it was better than holding eye contact because he hated it.

“Trust me, if you knew, you’d know why I didn’t think twice about ripping myself apart.”

His voice was softer, but stern. He felt his jaw clench, but it didn’t stay like that for long before he spoke again.

“Did I make my point, though?” His eyes shifted back to hers. “Because if I didn’t, it was all for nothing. Give me something here.”

Perhaps the words could have been sensed as playful, but his tone remained the same. He couldn’t bear the fact that his grand entrance back to Earth wasn’t something successful and memorable.

“You think I’m reckless and off the wall, and maybe I am, but for good reason. No one’s going to get anywhere if you don’t take these risks, and I still lost.”

Those were words that Tony never wanted to hear come out of his mouth. Although it wasn’t the first time he had been defeated, this served as the one time he didn’t see a return.

“That was it; our one-way ticket. Gone. Zip. Na-da.”

Maybe she did need to learn how to party. But before she could do that, she needed to learn how not to feel threatened by a crowd of strangers, and how to walk into a room without immediately mapping out all the possible exit plans in her head. Partying wasn’t particularly high on her list of priorities.

“I don’t know you all yet,” Bucky said. “I mean, I know you’re all friends with Steve, and that definitely counts for somethin’, but I’m still pretty new here, and it’s a lot to take in all at once, y’know?”

After two years on the run, two years of hiding her identity and trying not to be noticed by anyone, settling in at the Tower with people who knew who she was wasn’t exactly easy. She felt awkward and out of place here, with these people who were so clearly a team, a unit. They all fit together, and she couldn’t help feeling like an interloper sometimes.

She shrugged and added, “I mean, I don’t got anythin’ against any of you. You’ve all been plenty nice. I just don’t know you.”

“First of all, Cap and I are only friends sometimes. Acquaintances, really.” Tony paused, his shoes coming up to rest on the coffee table as his legs crossed at the ankles. “The only one you have to worry about biting is Banner, and that’s only if he’s big and green. I trust that you’ll know when to make a beeline for the door.” 

Perhaps the newest addition would soon pick up on the ways of her peers, but he knew all about the adjusting period that came along with life-changing events. Tony was far from a comforter, but he was behind her in spirit.

“I suppose jumping in head-first isn’t the most precautionary approach. It was a test. You passed.” 

The clapping was unnecessary, but that never stopped him in situations prior. His palms colliding caused an echo in the otherwise empty space, which was on the contrary to what they were discussing.

“I can go swimmin’ and everythin’,” Bucky said, the corners of her mouth twitching as she suppressed a smile. “It’s amazin’ what technology can do these days, y’know?”

It was surprisingly gratifying to see that Tony was actually willing to laugh at her lame joke, and it made her feel a little less awkward about this whole encounter. They’d spent the past month coexisting more than interacting, and she couldn’t deny that she’d felt some apprehension about approaching him today. She hadn’t been at all certain how smoothly this conversation would go. But so far, things weren’t nearly as tense as they could have been. She could work with it.

Sticking her hands in the pockets of her cargo pants, she said, “I actually came down to see if I could borrow a screwdriver. A Robertson, a small one.” She shrugged her left shoulder to indicate her prosthesis and continued, “I gotta open this thing up for a few minutes. I had a screwdriver of my own that I was carryin’ around, but that Ross fella confiscated my backpack, so it’s long gone. Doubt I’ll ever see anythin’ that was in there again.”

A screwdriver was a screwdriver, and the flash drives in the backpack had been the less important ones; the one with the truly vital intel was hidden inside her prosthesis, where no one would ever be able find it. But the loss of her notebooks still rankled. She’d put her life into those notebooks, every memory that she’d thought was important, everything she wanted to make certain she didn’t forget. She’d started new notebooks, here, but the fact that the old ones were missing still bothered her, and the thought of Thaddeus Ross or anyone else reading them made her furious. They were private.

She cast her eyes over the cluttered worktable again, noting when Tony had retrieved the bolt and returned it to its place. “You sure do like to tinker, huh?” she said.

Just like Howard. But she would never say that out loud. She had no intention of evoking that particular bit of pain again.

Tony rolled back to his original spot, never taking his eyes off of her in the process. He liked how she used her body language to engage instead of overloading him with words. He was no fan of migraines, and some people just didn’t have an off button handy.

His brows shot up when she mentioned the tool that she was in search of. His eyes shifted between hers and her man-made arm.

“Are you kidding me? That opens with a screwdriver?” 

He debated only for a short period, but hard nonetheless about going on a huge rant about how he could come up with something better than that. Perhaps following his best judgement for the first time in what seemed like a decade, he remained silent. His lips sealed together into a thin line as he finally stood, body twisting in both directions as he thought of where the small tool could be. He absentmindedly held up a hand and wiggled his fingers as he concentrated, mumbling to himself before venturing off toward the metal drawer that held a lot of his small belongings.

“Ah! Here we go. Knew it was around here somewhere.”

He spun around to face her and was preparing for a toss that would only be several feet, but he was on a roll with using the better side of his brain. Instead, he retraced his steps back to her and extended his arm out, handing her the tool.

“Keep it. There’s another one around here somewhere.” He paused, eyes quickly leaving hers for he feared the eye contact. “I usually like to use tools with lasers now anyway. These new inventions are crazy.”

He returned to his seat and wheeled himself back to his desk. His hands began to fidget with random objects as he prepared his response.

“Pretty much, unless it has to do with the bathroom faucet. I have people for that.”

He would never admit it, but household systems were never his specialty. He would always end up breaking everything he touched. That part was not an issue considering he would just buy another and have it delivered, but it was his ego that took the hit.

He lifted up a small device to eye-level height for a clearer view. He picked up a small tool in his right hand that buzzed to life, but the noise was fairly faint.

“I’m having a difficult time deciding which of these two I should wear.. What do you think? The blue or green?”

@theherogig​

Tony was brought out of his scattered thoughts when he heard the familiar voice behind him. For once, she wasn’t saying his name in a serious manner that suggested he was in trouble, so he felt at ease as he turned his head just enough to see her. Upon processing her question, his brows furrowed in concentration. This was a big decision, and he didn’t feel comfortable having to make it on the spot. If one looked closely, they might even find tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He made a low noise resembling a growl, which was really a cry for help because his eyes couldn’t find more beauty in one dress than the other. He turned fully around to face her before taking several small steps toward the dresses.

“Which one did I buy again? If it’s the green, yes. If it’s not, then no.”

He turned back around and folded his arms across his chest as his eyes wandered aimlessly.

@theherogig​

Nadia and Tony were one and the same, one of many reasons they butted heads so much, one of many reasons that when they fought, everyone around them fled. They had the same temper, the same distant armour that protected them from the rest of the world, a hard shell that couldn’t easily be broken, a thick skin. That didn’t mean they weren’t prone to melodramatics, that didn’t mean they didn’t care. Both just disliked having their emotions on display a great deal so Tony protected himself with sarcasm, and Nadia protected herself with snippy comments and throwing herself into work, not that unlike the elder of the two who would tinker in his workshop for days.

Similarities could be drawn more than differences, which is exactly why she’s never doubted their relationship, however estranged, they cared for eachother a great deal but in their line or work- it was better not to exploit a weakness. After this incident though, Nadia wasn’t sure how she’d cope if anything happened to him. He was the only person she had in the world. She’d always said her team was her family and they were, but when it came down to it, they weren’t blood. When push came to shove, she’d drop everything for him and she knew even without it being spoken, should she ever need it, it would be the same.

The corners of her lips tilt slightly upwards at his comment, letting out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding as she leans back in the chair with a small laugh, hands drawing back to comfort of her lap. Gaze flickers over his frail body even as relief of him waking courses through her, her body is alert, ready for danger, ready for him to crash at any moment. She’d be ready this time. “ What-? ” she frowns, confusion lacing her features for a moment before it clicks, lips forming a small ‘o’. She stands swiflty, reaching for the button that was above his head. “ I moved it, last night. Sorry- I didn’t intend to let you out of my sight. “ Lips quirk again as she swallows, sinking back into the chair as she passes it to him. “ I sent Pepper to get some rest but- I can get her if you like? “ hands pull at her sleeves, pulling them over sleek digits as she continutes to tug at the ends, a nervous habit, or maybe a sleep deprived one, or maybe; my brother went to space and nearly died, he looks like a living corpse.

i nearly lost him.

Swallows, head shaking as she gives him a small smile. “ How are you feeling though? Are you in any pain? Next time you want to be melodramatic when you can barely stand, a little warning might be nice. “ she chastices half heartedly.

Tony never liked to admit how freaked out he could get in fear of looking weak. It wasn’t an ego thing necessarily, but rather he simply didn’t want someone who was out to get him to knock him while he was down. He was glad that no one except Nadia could see him in the present, because although there was no mirror in sight, he could just feel the way he looked. 

His eyes wandered as she reached for the button as requested. He simply hummed in response, all while brewing up one of his usual comebacks. To his dismay, he was stuck with none, and instead remained silent as he felt his upper body being put into a position to sit comfortably. His eyes returned to her as she lowered herself back into her seat, and he couldn’t help but notice the way her eyelids threatened to droop over her tired eyes, which he labeled as exhaustion. 

His face lit up when she mentioned Pepper. He couldn’t think of anything he craved more than having her wrapped up in his arms and her warmth against his own, but he figured that he had probably done enough damage for the time being. He didn’t need to wake her from her peaceful sleep, so against his desired, he decided against it.

“Leave her. She needs rest.”

His eyes remained on hers, and although eye contact physically pained him more often than not, he held it. From the looks of it, she deserved that much. He almost felt guilty for putting her in such a state, but on the other hand, he couldn’t regret what he almost lost his life doing...or tried to do.

And there it was: the undeniable heartache that came with such a loss. It wasn’t the beating he took to his pride, but the lives that were lost because he couldn’t finished what he needed to. The mere thought made him want to lay in that bed and never wake up. He didn’t deserve to go that easily, though, because he had work to do; he had to fix everything.

Tony was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Nadia’s voice, which wasn’t as annoying and piercing to his ears as he remembered. He stared at her for several seconds after she finished and sniffed once.

“Pain is but a nuisance.” He paused, feeling his left arm twitch. “Whatever. I made my point, didn’t I?”

Alright, that thing in his arm was getting annoying. He could understand needing fluids, considering he had been gone for - gah, let him not think about that for a second - but he had a very hard time with random things touching him, so without further ado, he gripped the tubing and yanked the IV clean out of his arm. He stared down at the small hole in his skin and had decided to play doctor on himself.