Office Hours, Monday, 1/26

[tyler_gone]

Tyler's lip had been split over the weekend by a punch he had chosen not to duck, and it would probably be less tender if he stopped poking his tongue at it.

No, he didn't want to talk about why he'd found a fight in the first place.

Someday he had to find coping mechanisms better than picking a fight with some poor idiot. Stupid Tony, making him regress. Stupid him, caring what Tony did.

And now he was going to quit sulking, do some work for his class that week, and let himself try to be pleased that at least his phone message was good news.

Comments

Delivered to Tyler's office door

[loverlyviolets]

Message (in Pepper's handwriting):

Best wishes,
Tony

Re: Delivered to Tyler's office door

[tyler_gone]

No one had ever sent Tyler flowers before, but the card really didn't help his mood. It said nothing, it wasn't even in Tony's handwriting, and it wasn't like he even was some girlfriend who deserved an apology. (So, yes, he was mad both because Tony made an effort at all ... and because he didn't make enough of one. If he wasn't so close to the situation, he would have been rolling his eyes.)

He put the flowers on the bookshelf underneath Smoochy I's head, though. It just seemed a waste to throw them out. Maybe he'd take them home to Eliza.

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve rapped on the door with his knuckles. "Tyler? You got a minute?"

[tyler_gone]

Tyler ran a hand through his hair. "Steve. Yeah, sure. What's up? Come on in."

Please, let it not be about Tony.

[screwyoumarvel]

It was about Tony. But first, "What happened to your face? No, wait, sorry. Belay that. None of my business."

[tyler_gone]

Tyler gingerly touched his mouth, not minding the question. "It was where somebody wanted to put his fist. I'll heal."

[screwyoumarvel]

"Right," Steve said. "So apparently you're, ah, dating Tony?"

[tyler_gone]

"It might be over, but I suppose that's one word for it," Tyler said tensely. "Don't tell me you're in his supporting cast of thousands too."

This was Tyler's not-surprised-at-all face.

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve wouldn't call himself a supporting cast member, no... "Oh, you broke up?" He sounded almost relieved. Then he suddenly looked worried. "Is Tony okay?"

[tyler_gone]

"Yes. The handsome billionaire who likes to fly around in the metal suit is just fine," Tyler said, before letting himself sigh. "I don't know what's going on. We had a fight, he had Pepper send me flowers. I haven't actually talked to him."

And he wasn't exactly rushing to do that, either.

[screwyoumarvel]

"Oh," Steve said. Internally, he was facepalming over the flowers. Sometimes, for such a smart guy, Tony could be really stupid. It was nice to see that carried over. "Flowers? Seriously?"

[tyler_gone]

"Flowers, seriously," Tyler acknowledged. "Behold."

He swiveled and gestured to the tulips. "The card said Best Wishes."

Which, now that he thought about it, might mean he was being dumped. Either that, or Tony thought he was the retiring housekeeper.

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve facepalmed, and said through his fingers, "Please don't kill him."

[tyler_gone]

At least someone agreed about how stupid Tony was being, and that made Tyler feel a little better.

"I won't," he promised. "I was being an idiot anyhow. It's not like he does relationships."

Or like Tyler was any fucking good at them himself.

[screwyoumarvel]

Sure, he said that now. "Or, when you do try to kill him, could you give me advance warning first? Or just do yourself a favor and don't; you were a good housemate and I'd hate to have to hit you."

Steve knew he was making no sense to Tyler. He just felt it needed to be said, because it made perfect sense to Steve.

[tyler_gone]

It was enough to almost make Tyler laugh. "Yeah, I have you telling me this and Deadpool babbling about the same type of thing on the radio. Tony must have an interesting history with women in your world."

A second later, he added, "I won't try to kill him."

You know. Just to be clear.

[screwyoumarvel]

"Women, old friends, sentient armor..." He rubbed at the back of his neck and admitted, "When we fell out, a couple of city blocks got leveled."

[tyler_gone]

That sentence-and-a-half left Tyler with about ten questions.

The one that came out first was, "He made the armor sentient? Like, more than Jarvis?"

Jarvis was already kind of scary.

[screwyoumarvel]

"Jarvis is his butler where I come from." Also, a Skrull. "So that's...different. I don't know, really, all that stuff is way above my head. I just smile and nod."

[tyler_gone]

"I would probably be a happier man if I did the same," Tyler decided, once he realized Steve meant the actual human kind of butler. He rocked back, thinking.

"Any plans to wreck things if you get into it with this one? 'Cause, a couple city blocks is basically all of the town."

[screwyoumarvel]

"I don't see that sort of thing happening here," Steve said. "I know better now, for one thing."

[tyler_gone]

"That's something," Tyler decided, though he noticed that wasn't exactly a promise.

"So, should I call him? I don't want to be pathetic. It's not like he's my boyfriend or something." The word "boyfriend" was spoken as if the idea were ludicrous.

[screwyoumarvel]

"If you were, I'd be far more worried about a murder attempt. I don't know. Call him if you want to. If you don't, don't, it can only make things worse."

[tyler_gone]

Tyler glanced at the flowers, than back at Steve. "I'll go find him tomorrow if he doesn't find me first," he decided.

It wouldn't kill Tony to stew a little longer.

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve shook his head at the flowers. "Sounds fair."

Flowers. Really.

[tyler_gone]

"And if I get an irresistible impulse to kill him, I'll csll you first," Tyler promised dryly.

[screwyoumarvel]

"I would really appreciate that."