seeagreatergood | [Nightlight]

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continuity: nightlight

[Nightlight]

So things got awkward and Auggie moved his stuff back out of the Stark household into Milliways.

And he's been totally fine with it. Honestly. It's been kind of a relief not to have to keep such a close eye on himself the last three or four days. Milliways is kind of anxiety-inducing, but less anxiety inducing than living in a house with those two young men.

Of course, he misses the easy camaraderie. But it's not like this is the first time he valued safety over friendship.

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A little tension goes out of his shoulders.

"Okay. Thank you."

"And I want to hug you a lot," he adds. "Without you necessarily turning into a kitten first. You know me by now, I'm kind of really cuddly. You okay with that?"

"I would like that," he says cautiously.

"Right now I'm also pretty sure I'd have trouble convincing myself that I'm not manipulating you, though."

"That is such incredible bullshit," he says. "You're not manipulating me."

"I never claimed to be rational, here. Or smart."

Wryly: "And I guess more hugs won't make you feel better, huh."

"Not right now." He smiles, a little wanly. "Thanks for the thought, though."

"Damn, 'cause that's my best trick. Oh well. Some other time."

That gets a little more of a smile out of him, even if it's brief.

"I should talk to Sherlock."

"You should talk to him with me there," he suggests, "so you don't keep biting each other's heads off."

He rubs his face. Apparently he's going to feel guilty about that for a while. Good to know.

"Yeah. Good plan."

"It'll be okay. He's not mad at you either."

"Why on Earth not?"

"Because he knows why you're so freaked out and it's nice of you even if you're being an asshole about it?"

He snorts.

"Ah. Thanks."

"It really is," Tony says earnestly. "It's just... we really are okay, we really can take care of ourselves, and it'd be nice if you noticed."

". . . Yeah. I'll try to be better about noticing." He rubs a hand over his face. "It won't be easy, but I'll try."

"Best I can ask for."

He reaches over and rests his hand on Auggie's shoulder for a moment.

"I'm not sorry that I worry about you guys, though."

"You can worry if you want," he says generously. "Just give us a little credit, okay?"

"Yeah. I'll work on that."

"Okay."

And that's that.

"Should I leave you alone to get drunk now?"

He blows out a breath. "Probably."

Tony unfolds himself up off the couch.

He hesitates for a moment.

Then he leans over for one last quick hug, resting his cheek against the top of Auggie's head.

Those kinds of seated-standing hugs are always a little awkward.

Auggie hesitates, then hugs back, quick and firm and careful to keep his hands in innocuous places.

"I'll be fine. Go take care of Sherlock."

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toblameforit - 2011-09-03 17:49 (UTC) - Expand

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