Office Hours, Monday, 11/17

[tyler_gone]

Another Monday, another day in the office.

Thrilling.

Tyler spent it browsing vacation web sites. He needed to go someplace warm.

The door was open, and he was rather desperately hoping someone would stop in to distract him.

Comments

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"You still owe me a trip to your home," Tony said, pointing at him and walking into the office without so much as a hello.

[tyler_gone]

"You really need to get your ass kicked that badly?" Tyler asked, by way of warning. (He may have forgotten he was talking to a guy who built a suit to fly around in just so he could get his ass kicked.) "And hello to you, too."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

It wasn't to get his ass kicked!

...That just seemed to be the unfortunate side effect.

"Yeah, hi. Why would I get my ass kicked?"

[tyler_gone]

"Because no one there has the first clue who you are," Tyler reported calmly. "And I tend to hang around with people who beat each other up recreationally."

He ran his eyes over Tony. "I mean, we can go if you don't mind taking the chance." he could protect Tony. Probably. Maybe.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"I'll bring some Mace if it makes you feel better," Tony replied, takign a seat on the edge of Tyler's desk. Or maybe he'd bring one of the less powerful repulsors. Just in case.

And maybe he wanted to test it out in a real world situation.

[tyler_gone]

"A handgun would be just fine," Tyler suggested. "All right. Are you doing anything for Thanksgiving?

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

The handgun comment got a surprised look. "I'd think you live in a war zone with a comment like that," He said dryly.

"Thanksgiving? I'd have to check my calender, why?"

[tyler_gone]

Tyler shrugged at the war zone comment; sometimes, in his more melodramatic moods, it felt like he did. "Because it's weekend after next," he said. "Give us a little time to get in some training and me some time to call people, find a place to stay. Unless you want to wait for December."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Are you inviting me home for Thanksgiving?" Tony asked, smirking at him. "I'd ask if the introduction to your grandma is next if I didn't know better."

[tyler_gone]

"I do have a grandmother somewhere," Tyler said helpfully.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Nana Durden?" Tony asked. "Well you're safe from mine. I don't think I have any family left at this point."

[tyler_gone]

Tyler looked at Tony as if he was wondering about brain damage before he realized the mistake was probably on his end. "I never mentioned I changed my name, did I?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

Tony tilted his head, giving him a thoughtful look. "Oh? And what's your real name?"

[tyler_gone]

"My driver's license does say Tyler Durden," Tyler quibbled, knowing that wasn't what was meant. "But if you mean birth name? Jack Moore." It tasted strange on his tongue; it always did.

"And feel lucky, I think you're about the third person on the island to know that."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Jack." Tony looked him over. "You don't look like a Jack."

[tyler_gone]

"I never felt like one," Tyler answered, with some gratitude. "Not like Tyler describes my inner soul, but it's better than freaking Jack."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Could have been worse," Tony said. "You could have been named Roger."

[tyler_gone]

"True. And I'm going to spend the rest of the day being grateful my parents weren't insane spy movie fans."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Speaking of which," Tony said. "Have you caught the newest one yet?"

He wasn't asking him on a date. Just a simple question.

[tyler_gone]

"I have not," Tyler revealed. "Is it supposed to be any good?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"I haven't a clue," Tony admitted. "But I think I could get my hands on one of the DVDs for pre-screening if you were interested."

Still not a date.

[tyler_gone]

"You do have a really nice entertainment system." That was not saying yes to the thing that wasn't a date. That was ... stating a fact.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

Tony just grinned. "How does this weekend sound to you?"

[tyler_gone]

"Oh, I think I could squeeze you into my packed schedule," Tyler said, clearly pleased. "And did you want to try my world weekend after? We got derailed."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"That sounds like a good idea." A beat. "As long as Pepper hasn't gotten me booked doing some sort of charity work to improve the image of the company."

He wouldn't put it past her.

[tyler_gone]

"Serving dinner in the homeless shelter, some crap like that?" Tyler asked with distaste. "Let me know if you do and I'll" -- come along, he didn't say -- "reschedule our plans."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"I'll let you know this weekend," Tony said, standing up and off the desk. "Dinner in?"

Still not a date.

[tyler_gone]

There was a pause, then the briefest of nods. "I'll even bring beer."

Definitely not a date.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Excellent." Tony nodded and grinned in a way that seemed like he just won something. "I'll see you then."