p • r • e • s • s • u • r • e

MISTER STARK!

The meeting with Dr. Cho had gone surprisingly well.

They'd finally agreed that as long as he got the shrapnel removed and had implants put in for support, he could keep the reactor.

Because he made the argument that he needed it to function properly as an Avenger.

Because Tony always gets what he wants, even if he, himself doubts whether or not he should get what he wants. It was all bullshit, of course. Sure, the reactor made it easier for him physically-more stamina, strength-his arthritis was gone-but he didn't need it.

It just made him feel less...old.

Not to mention it was useful. For...reasons.

"Tony what the hell was that in there?"

He sighs deeply as the door swings shut behind himself and a very angry biochemist.

"What?"

Tony keeps walking.

Maybe if I ignore him, he'll leave me alone.

"You know full well that you don't need it. You're safer without it."

"Bruce-"

"It's dangerous! You've seen what it's done to you!"

Stark walks into the elevator, his finger waiting on the button. It occurs to him that in the elevator, there's nowhere he can run.

And that's never a good thing.

"Bruce it's helpful."

"How do I know you're not going to...y'know. Again."

Tony crosses his arms and watches the floor count on the screen in front of them.

"You don't."

"Exactly! And that's-"

"I'm an adult, Bruce. I can make my own decisions about this stuff."

"I know you can-wait, why are we going down?"

"Lunch?"

"We're having an argument here!"

Tony smiles.

"No, you're having an argument with me and I'm quite frankly not...paying attention-you want the bolognese?"

"I-are you seriously looking at the menu right now?"

"It's really good."

Bruce snatches Tony's glasses off.

"Wh-I'm sorry, I didn't realise pasta was such a touchy subject."

"Tony."

"That is, in fact my name. Congratulations. A lot of people confuse it with 'rat bastard' or 'son of a bitch'."

"I'm serious. It's having a negative impact on your health."

"I mean, they're not completely wrong. Mom was a bitch sometimes."

The elevator comes to a halt and the engineer pulls out another pair of glasses from inside his coat pocket and lets the blazer hang around his shoulders. The two are instantly swarmed by people on the floor of the building, and they are promptly ignored.

"Mister Stark, can we talk about the budget this month?"

"Sir, why are there four million dollars missing from the company account?"

"Yeah-sorry Shirley, my bad, I bought a statue for the lobby."

"But-we have a statue. You had it commissioned literally last month."