Say it Back - [ironstrange]

21: Under-suit

May 21st

They didn't talk for a while. That was the first time when they both felt awkward around the other. It was foreign to them, foreign like they were in space. Or foreign like the multiverse.

Why did you tell him? Stephen asked himself. It would've been way less weird if he just lied and said something else, he could want to stay at Tony's place for about 14 000 605 other reasons.

Calm down. It would be worse if he didn't tell you, thought Tony while still dealing with light heart palpitations.

Stephen had wanted to speak for almost half an hour since he remembered what Tony said about his brief meeting with Kaecilius. It must've been very hard for him since he seemed to have repressed it, yet deep down he kept worrying about it.

For God's sake, of course he worries he got stabbed. And it's all your fault.

It was his fault in a way. He wasn't careful. He always knew he would have to start fighting eventually, it's what he's trained for all his life. And now he left the one place where no one but him could be hurt?

What if Kaecilius is looking for Stephen? What if he finds him here and kills Tony because he's 'in the way'? What if he kidnaps Tony? He has no way to defend himself and with a weak heart it would be even worse.

"What are you jittering about?" Tony's voice sounded like a firework in a library so Stephen jumped and looked at him. He raised his eyebrows in slight surprise at what he said. "Your worry doesn't help me, Stephen. You can talk to me. I am glad you told me."

"Nono, it's just, you know, me not wanting you to get hurt and all that. Typical friend stuff," shrugged Stephen while trying to hide a smile and his anxiousness.

"Pfft," Tony laughed. "It is really okay. It's so okay that you're doing this."

"It feels better to hear you say it," Stephen said with a trying smile. Tony nodded in agreement. Finally they could laugh it out. Tony really was okay with it, he was simply worried. Naturally.

"I'm really bored. Let's raid my mom's bathroom," suggested Tony. It was more of a demand but Stephen's face immediately said 'absolutely not'. "What I meant was: let's gently use all her things and put them back in their spot after using them and then clean it up after," he then reiterated.

Maria's private bathroom was really nice. It was pristine but not in a boring all-white way, just very clean which made Stephen even more worried they'd make a mess in there.

"Do you know what I want?" Tony asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"I want one of those huge manors in the English countryside. Like the one in Garfield 2. I'd much rather live there than in New York," he said.

"I haven't seen that movie," Stephen replied truthfully.

"Uncultured swine we'll paint our nails and watch the movie."

"Okay, but how did you come to think of that?"

"I don't know, I just looked at you and was reminded." Stephen made a noise of offense and hit his friend on the arm, who chuckled back with a warm smile on his face.

The usual, slightly unpredictable, Tony was creeping forward again, and it was such a relief to Stephen to see him relaxing because that meant he could relax too. The pair did paint their nails, in black. It was messy and the nail polish ended up on their cuticles, but it wasn't for the aesthetic it was for fun.

Stephen made Tony clean up the drops of nail polish he dropped on the beautiful and polished-to-the-gods marble counter. Tony left the bathroom to go to the living room. He wanted to watch a movie on the smart TV. Stephen realized he hadn't taken care of himself for a while.