rodrikstark's headcanons (part 1)

j. mace + his intelligence

as silently as possible, you crack open the door to james' office and peer inside

he squints at his computer, rapidly typing in short bursts as he figures out his code

"jamie?" you try, nudging the door open with your hip.

"hey," he says, not taking his eyes off the bright screen.

"i brought you brain food," you mumble, holding up a bowl of strawberries, blueberries, and sliced bananas. "should i just leave it?"

"nah, c'mere," he says. you walk over to his desk, placing the ceramic bowl on the surface with a quiet tap. then, you sit across his lap.

he glances at you, pressing a brief yet firm kiss to your cheek before continuing to work. it makes you smile.

you watch his computer screen as he expertly navigates between 3D modeling software and some sort of coding program. as he switches windows, you get a glimpse of his desktop background: a candid picture of you both laughing at something stupid. your friend took it, years ago.

"will you come to bed soon?" you ask, bending to grab a few blueberries. you pop two in his mouth before putting one in yours.

"this issue's pretty intense," he sighs. "i dunno, sweetheart."

you sniff a little. as you watch him work, you put more fruit in his mouth every minute or two.

finally, you ask, "you could talk about the problem with me." you let him kiss at your fingertips, which are slightly stained with fruit juice. "it's good for you to get out of your own head, jamie. even if i don't get a word of what you're saying."

he stops typing, then looks at you for real. "you're smarter than you give yourself credit for."

"not as smart as you." you smile through the sadness you feel. "you're gonna help save the world one day, james mace, and i—"

"you're everything," he whispers insistently. he kisses you, and it tastes so sweet. "you're my everything."