[Nightlight]

[seeagreatergood]

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.

Comments

[toblameforit]

"It doesn't have to be a shitstorm," he murmurs. "It can just be I love you."

[seeagreatergood]

"I'm sitting in a rented room getting drunk because by trying not to hurt two eighteen-year-olds who want to have sex with me, I ended up hurting one of them anyway. I'm pretty sure it's already a shitstorm." He lets out a bark of laughter. "Christ, what kind of badly-written porn movie has my life turned into?"

[toblameforit]

"Right now I don't wanna have sex with you," Tony points out. "Right now I wanna snuggle it better. I don't think they do that in badly written porn movies. Except scene porn, I guess, but that stuff's usually pretty good."

[seeagreatergood]

"--Okay, stop." He straightens again and gently pushes Tony to arm's length.

"This is probably not a conversation I should be having with tequila in my blood stream but we're gonna have it. What exactly do you want from me? Why do you want a physical relationship with me?"

[toblameforit]

"I think you're cute and sexy and I love you," he says, tucking his feet up under him and leaning sideways into the back of the couch. "I don't really want anything from you. I mean, I bet it would be really hot if we had sex, but not if you were afraid of it, y'know? So if you don't feel like it that's no big deal."

[seeagreatergood]

A little tension goes out of his shoulders.

"Okay. Thank you."

[toblameforit]

"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?"

[seeagreatergood]

"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."

[toblameforit]

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

[seeagreatergood]

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

[toblameforit]

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

[seeagreatergood]

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

[toblameforit]

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

[seeagreatergood]

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

"I should talk to Sherlock."

[toblameforit]

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

[seeagreatergood]

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

"Yeah. Good plan."

[toblameforit]

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

[seeagreatergood]

"Why on Earth not?"

[toblameforit]

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

[seeagreatergood]

He snorts.

"Ah. Thanks."

[toblameforit]

"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."

[seeagreatergood]

". . . 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."

[toblameforit]

"Best I can ask for."

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

[seeagreatergood]

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

[toblameforit]

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