(no subject)

[greatdealofbravery]

Something starts happening in the city. Something that makes John tight and uncomfortable and feeling quite a lot like a bomb is about to drop. He makes detective.

He texts Tony.

How do you beg a retired hero back into the saddle? Not you; Banner doesn't have to end me.

Comments

[profiteering]

Tony is scouting locations for Stark Industries to expand, and he finds it unbearably boring. He's glad for the chance to sneak away and text for a little while, though he's surprised it's John.

Depends on what you want them to do, why they quit.

[greatdealofbravery]

Don't know, exactly. Mostly just help some people with a little lost hope.

He's curled up, feeling tired, feeling dark.

[profiteering]

He wants to retort, sarcastically, that John is looking in the wrong place for a hopeful hero. But he can't, because it's true; Bruce did good. More good than he seems to understand.

The problem is he can't explain to Arthur that Bruce left the work for the same reason Tony did.

I'd start there. Put it to him like that. What's going on?

[greatdealofbravery]

He doesn't know how to answer that. He suddenly realizes he isn't sure if Gotham needs saving, or just he does.

Going to be in the city any time soon?

[profiteering]

Can be there tonight, unless you wanted to get away from it all.

But on second thought, he'll want to check in on Bruce and Ricki.

I'll be there at seven. Should I get a hotel?

[greatdealofbravery]

Yeah. Can I stay the night?

He feels almost unwell with relief.

[profiteering]

Yeah. I'll send you the name it's under, feel free to wait for me there.

He finds the last hotel he'd been in when he'd stayed in Gotham, orders a corner suite with no one below or above.

He gets into the city closer to eight, but desperate to see John.

[greatdealofbravery]

John is waiting in the lobby, with his hands in his pockets and his bottom lip between his teeth.

He looks so relieved to see him.

[profiteering]

Tony slips a companionable arm around his shoulders and breezes him through the lobby to the elevator, and up to the room.

"Did you get a message to him?"

[greatdealofbravery]

He shakes his head, quietly.

"I'm getting up the guts to go see him in person."

Which he shouldn't admit, since he doesn't technically know who he is, or want other people to know it, but Tony is Tony.

[profiteering]

Tony raises his eyebrows, but doesn't argue. Bruce might not like that, not when it rails up against the life he's set up. But maybe it's for the best.

"I just hope you have the right guy."

[greatdealofbravery]

"I met him. When I was a kid."

He admits, putting his hand in Tony's.

"He came to the orphanage. It's hard to explain, I don't want to give him up, but I know it was him. And seeing him, like that, was enough to get me to want to be a cop. It probably kept me out of gangs."

[profiteering]

"...He'd be glad to hear that."

Tony says, taking a gamble on what Bruce thinks or feels, which is risky.

"I know him. Not that well, but he's not really...my usual type."

[greatdealofbravery]

"Thanks for coming on such short notice."

He tells him, as they reach their floor.

"I know you're-"

[profiteering]

"I missed you."

He cuts him off, effortlessly, turning John in a quick, playful circle.

"I was at a party with Bruce a couple of weeks ago. Really wished you were there, so if you have a weekend off, I thought I'd ask you if you want to be my date. One of. I might take my boy, too, to get him some fresh air."

[greatdealofbravery]

He lets out a soft huff, permitting himself to be turned, ending the circle leaning gently into Tony, eyes closing.

"I'd like that. I've needed a bit of an escape for a while."

[profiteering]

"Three weeks from tomorrow. I'll send Happy to get you, we'll take off from New York."

Tony has begun to move his base back to the Tower, shying away from the old life in Malibu.

"That's enough time to talk him into being a hero again, right?"

[greatdealofbravery]

"I'm not going to hound him."

He tells him, shying into his side.

"I look at you, and I see very good reasons to step away from something like that. No man owes a city that kind of sacrifice- but I don't know how we're going to make it if no one does."

[profiteering]

"Look...he's not me. He's not like me. I took up fighting for different reasons than he did, I guarantee. I saw mine through. I'm okay helping from behind my Hulk, now. Maybe he'll have ideas that won't involve putting himself in the mask again, but you won't know unless you ask him."

He wraps his arms around John, ruffling his hair.

"Do you want me to go with?"

[greatdealofbravery]

"No. If it makes sense- I like having you not involved in that part of my life. You're a really nice place to go to."

To forget the things giving him dark circles.

[profiteering]

"I'm friends with his- roommate."

He's not sure they're 'out' yet.

"But every time I visit I get into trouble so I'll try a phonecall while you visit, how's that?"

[greatdealofbravery]

"Why would he have a roommate?"

He wants to know, brow creasing in consternation.

[profiteering]

"He didn't have anywhere else to go--it's too dangerous for him to be on his own."

Which is the very loose reason, the same reason that Tony tries to help hide Peter.

"Not like Batman couldn't use some real company, anyway. The butler's probably never had a day off his whole employment."

[greatdealofbravery]

"Right."

Pinching the bridge of his nose. He can't ask him to come back. He shivers, and presses closely to Tony's side.

"Help me forget everything? Just for a day."

[profiteering]

Tony kisses him, pulling him tight against him.

"I can do that. Just tell me what you feel like having done to you."