Office Hours, Friday, 8/14

[tyler_gone]

Right, so the sad thing was that Tyler had been on this merry-go-round called Fandom long enough that when he woke up female, he just figured he was past due for it. The only surprise was that instead of looking like that blonde cheerleader chick, he'd gained wavy chestnut hair and cheekbones to die for.

If he had to be a girl, this didn't suck as a way to look. After fruitlessly trying to reach Tony (Tyler was pretty sure he was sulking, for which Tyler wouldn't blame him), he went for a run, showered, and came to his office to do some work. He had a final to plan whether he had boobs or not.

[Open office, of course!]

Comments

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

Number one on Tony's list of things to do was... make sure his lab was still in working order. But number two was to see if Tyler till needed to be knocked out and taken in for treatment.

...and if he had breasts.

"Tyler?"

[tyler_gone]

"Yeah," Tyler (and his breasts!) said, glancing up from the computer screen and trying to place the attractive but unfamiliar brunette. "I don't look like myself today, but yeah. Can I help you?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Huh. Better than I expected," Tony replied, shamelessly looking Tyler's new body over.

[tyler_gone]

Tyler could be dumb, but there were certain things you got to recognize when you'd been sleeping with someone for a year. That shameless look was one of them.

"Tony?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Yes?" Tony, stop leering.

[tyler_gone]

It was all right! Tyler could leer back.

"Christ, you're hotter than you were last year," Tyler informed him, and stood up to try for a hug-grope-thing. "Where have you been? I totally handwavily left messages."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Japan. With Nathan," Tony replied, more than okay with groping. "You should have come, it was oodles of fun."

[tyler_gone]

"I was only gone like four days," Tyler said, but didn't pull back despite the sarcasm. "What did you do in Japan for four days? Sushi? Sake?"

Bar hostesses?

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Japan, his time," Tony amended.

[tyler_gone]

"I go take care of myself and you guys run off and travel in time?" Tyler finally stepped back from the glomp and sat down, gesturing for Tony to do the same. "Was it fun?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

Nevermind that.

"Take care of yourself?"

[tyler_gone]

"Stop evil twin from wrecking my life." He hadn't actually done anything, but Tyler had learned it paid to be proactive. "I was losing time all over the place. Pretty sure he tried to convince Jarvis to get in a fight."

He shook his head. "Anyhow, I did a couple days in the psych ward and they say I'm ... as sane as I'm going to be."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"...that would end badly," Tony said slowly. "I went to Nathan's to talk to him about that, actually. And then we ended up on a boat to Japan."

[tyler_gone]

"Which is why I checked out," Tyler said, equally slowly. "You ended up on a boat. To Japan. In 18whatever."

It did not take a rocket scientist to realize that would take more than four days.

"How long were you really gone?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"A few months," Tony replied as if that was totally normal. "What did I miss here?"

[tyler_gone]

"Dunno. I only got back yesterday," Tyler shrugged. "Loki looks like a blonde, slutty Pepper today."

Which clearly didn't matter. "What did you do in Japan for a few months?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Nathan had to do something with the military there." That so wasn't an answer. "Spent a little time in the country while we waited to come back."

[tyler_gone]

"Did you upgrade their armaments or something?"

Tyler was not going to be ridiculous and ask if Tony tried to send letters or telegrams while he thought he was gone for months.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"No." Tony didn't work on weapons like that anymore. "I won't sell to the US government, I doubt Japan could offer better."

[tyler_gone]

Stupid question. Tyler winced. "I know that. Sorry. I thought if you were that far back ..."

He could help people blow themselves up faster? He didn't even know. He dropped the sentence.

"What was it like?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"I got shot with an arrow." Someone was still bitter.

[tyler_gone]

Understandably.

"How bad?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Through my arm," Tony replied, tapping his bicep. "And then I was trampled by a horse. Nathan is not allowed to pick roadtrips."

[tyler_gone]

Tyler swore softly. "Or else you aren't allowed to leave the island."

He was trying to tell if he could see any damage. He couldn't. "No bees?" he asked, weakly.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Oh no, we had ninjas instead."

[tyler_gone]

"Tony, something is very wrong when the one of us who went nuts had the better week. Months." Tyler eyed Tony. "I don't even think you're kidding."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"I'm back and that's all that matters right now," Tony insisted. "And my lab is just the way I left it."

Happy thoughts. Haaappy thoughts.

[tyler_gone]

"As if any of your employees would touch it," Tyler pointed out skeptically.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"I was worried I'd be gone for months here as well. Pepper might've had the whole lab packed up and sent back to New York if that was the case."

[tyler_gone]

Tyler's stomach churned, but he didn't let himself think further about that lovely possibility. Or about if Tony would ever want his lab shipped anywhere.

"But you weren't," he answered, a little short. "You got back within the week."

"How's Nathan?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Shot all to hell, but miraculously alive. Hit him for me, will you?"

[tyler_gone]

"Consider it done next time he comes to Fight Club," Tyler said. "... for which I better be normal."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"No girl fights?" Tony was now sad.

[tyler_gone]

"My balance is off. I sparred once as a girl and it bit. Not trying it again." He snorted. "You just wanna see if I pull hair, anyhow."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Are you?"

[tyler_gone]

Tyler gave him a sulky look that shouldn't have been as come-hither as it came out. "Maybe if you ask nicely."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Is that a promise?" Hey, it'd been months.

[tyler_gone]

Tyler grinned. This was easier. "Come back to my place and find out?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"You just want to see if it's the same as last time I was a woman," Tony replied teasingly.

[tyler_gone]

"It won't be exactly the same," Tyler pointed out, looking down at himself.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"There are other things we can do," Tony offered.

[tyler_gone]

"I figured," Tyler said. "I've never been a lesbian before, but ... I have an imagination."

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Well, there is that shop in town..."

[tyler_gone]

A hand snaked out to rest on Tony's knee. "Feel like a shopping trip?"

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"With you? Always."

That was almost romantic.

[tyler_gone]

Hey, Tyler hadn't been thrown over for a geisha. He'd take it.

"As soon as I shut everything down here," he promised, and leaned to kiss her.

They were closer to the same height, as girls.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

Tyler was still taller. Jackass that he was. Being in Japan spoiled Tony.

Grabbing Tyler's shirt, he pulled to deepen the kiss.

[tyler_gone]

Annnnnd there Tyler went, kissing back.

"You missed me."

He was totally allowed to be smug.

[not-ironmaiden.livejournal.com]

"Oh, shut up and get ready to leave." Yes. Yes he did.