Apartment over Stark Industries, Tuesday Morning

[tyler_gone]

Tyler said goodbye to Estella.

Then he went home, eyes down, head full of a mass of thoughts that kept turning into cement and burying themselves in his stomach. he didn't want to be a father. He could only hope somewhere, somehow, Estella would turn out all right.

He grabbed some scotch and headed to Tony's place to talk about absolutely nothing of consequence for a few hours. Now it was the next morning, and he was lying awake on sheets that probably cost more than his rent, and the thoughts were back and turning his stomach to cement again.

Maybe if he didn't move, he'd fall back asleep.

Comments

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Apparently someone named Doom was to be blamed," Tony replied. "Though now I'm surprised there was no child with you and Daphne. Pardon, I mean Nathan."

[tyler_gone]

"First, if that happened Nathan would run away forever, and, second, he kissed me," Tyler grumbled. "Certain priest did the same thing to him."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

Tony just smirked. "I didn't say I was upset about it, did I?"

[tyler_gone]

Tyler eyed him. He didn't trust that smirk, and he had a sneaking suspicion what it meant. Tony wanted him to kiss other people, again, therefore ...

"Okay. Who did you sleep with?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

That just earned him a wounded look. "Lately? Only you."

[tyler_gone]

"I'm touched," Tyler said, and he wasn't even being as sarcastic as he wanted Tony to think he was. "So why do you care what I do with Nathan? Which is going to be nothing, but I'm a curious guy."

Their relationship was strange.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

It so was. "If I wanted to do the same thing with someone else... I wouldn't be opposed to you doing that with him."

Oh god, was this Tony way of asking permission.

[tyler_gone]

It took Tyler a long, long, long moment to get it, and there was a second after that in which he couldn't decide whether to laugh, kiss Tony on the forehead like the spoiled child he was acting like, or hit him.

He went for the hitting, striking out with a fast and not especially hard punch to Tony's jaw.

Really, that said more than words would just then.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

Tony rubbed his jaw, checking if he was bleeding. "You know, a simple no would have sufficed."

He asked! That was... a big deal for him.

[tyler_gone]

"Actually that was yes," Tyler informed him, only a little guilty. "As in, yes, screw who you want. You got punched for trying to pimp me out. Again. After I told you I don't want to play that about thirty-seven times."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"I was just saying you could!" See, no pimping there. "I shouldn't even be so concerned about asking you these things."

But there he was.

[tyler_gone]

"But do you really think I want to with Nathan?" That partner selection was the pimping, in Tyler's mind.

He tilted his head, trying to get a better look at any bruise rising on Tony's face. "You don't have to ask, you know --"

Then he realized what he was saying, and that somehow he and Tony had gotten to the point where Tony felt he had to ask permission to sleep around.

Holy shit. Their relationship just kept getting weirder.

"Tony?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

He was going to tell everyone he fell down the stairs. Because Tony was a dick.

"What?" He snapped, hesitantly poking at the spot.

[tyler_gone]

He didn't hit that hard!

"Did you just ask me whether you could sleep with somebody else?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

Hard enough!

"Well, I don't want you getting like you do again." That was Tony for 'Yes.'

[tyler_gone]

"And I punched you instead of just throwing a screwdriver." Tyler looked very glum as he rubbed his forehead.

"I'm sorry. Ice?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

Tony eyed him for a moment before throwing Tyler's pants at him. "Maybe we need ground rules about physical violence in the bedroom."

A beat.

"And a safe word if that's what you like."

TONY. NO.

[tyler_gone]

Tyler yanked on his pants, a little ashamed of himself. He was deliberately ignoring the safe word thing. "Wanna hit me back?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"We all know how well that would go," Tony replied, rolling his eyes. "You owe me another bottle of scotch."

[tyler_gone]

"Bottle of scotch and a blow job?" Tyler asked.

No, that wasn't hope in his tone. It was ... something that just sounded like hope.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"...I wouldn't object to that."

How exactly asking to be able to pursue someone else made him the victim here was best left to the ages.

[tyler_gone]

He had more right to sleep with other people than Tyler had to hit him. Or something like that.

Was it really the most important question Tony could ask? Tyler reached for his fingers. "... now?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

That was tempting, but... "Aspirin first. And I think I have something for breakfast in the kitchen that doesn't need a microwave."

He had to, right?

[tyler_gone]

"Coffee," Tyler said, abandoning the whole idea of sex pretty quickly as he finished dressing, "does not require a microwave."

Coffee was totally breakfast.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"A man after my own heart, Tyler," Tony replied as he headed for the kitchen.