Of Men and Meth

Free Falling

         Stephen had been laid out lazily on the sleek red couch. The blanket that had rested over him had been a grey plaid designed one. He had been watching Tony, but now the man was currently sleeping on the couch.

         Peter had left the lab to head to the meeting room to meet with Carol. Tony was closing things up. Saving files and putting equipment away. When he had turned to the former doctor, the man was sleeping.

         “Oh-” Tony raised an eyebrow at the man’s sleeping form on the couch. He looked over to the clock to get a glimpse of the time, the meeting would start in 5 minutes. Dum-E whirled his claw happily as he played with the little ball that Peter had gotten the bots not long ago. Dum-E chased it across the concrete floor of the lab. Tony smiled at his bot.

          He finally decided to leave the “Good Doctor” alone. Tony smiled at his dumb little nicknames for the man. Tony approached his workbench and tore a piece of blueprint paper from the edge of a blank sheet. He took the white marker that was laying next to his glasses.

          Biting the cap off, he shook the marker before he wrote, proceeding to leave a note.

  Doc,

            Had to show up to the Initiative meeting, or Carol will have my ass. You fell asleep so I decided to let you get some rest. You need it. When you’re up, help yourself to whatever you’d like in the kitchen. You can do anything you want by just asking FRIDAY. Maybe if you’re nice enough she’ll help. Sleep tight Doc.

                                    T.S.

          Tony put the cap back on the marker and tossed it back on the table. He took a piece of tape from the tabletop and walked over the Stephen

          Tony put the tape on the blue paper and stuck it on the blanket by the doctor. Surely the man would read it. Tony smiled and pushed the blanket up to cover Stephen’s body correctly. He pulled his hands away, not wanting them to linger too long and perhaps wake him up.

          He finally turned on his feet, walking towards the exit. When he left, he turned the lights off, leaving the emergency lights on for the man. He made his way to the elevator.

          Now, personally, Tony did not just leave people in his lab without any supervision. But, for Stephen, the man didn’t seem to threatening to make Tony worry about his possessions. Tony had already had multiple people use him for his inventions. Used him and turn their backs on him like they did not know him at all. After all, he had lost Obie, Hammer tried to kill him, he had to deal with Killian who also tried to kill him, the government wanted his tech, so did the terrorists. Tony’s tech was never safe it seemed. Even though he was worried, some deep gut feeling had told him that Stephen was a good guy and wouldn’t steal his ideas. Wouldn’t steal his work.

         Tony shook the sick thoughts away as he pushed the button to the meting floor on the elevator panel. The stuffy feeling with elevators was still there for him. Good feelings and bad ones. Bad that he was stuck, good that he met Stephen. Tony watched the red numbers flick after he was raised to his destination.

         When the doors parted, Tony adjusted his tie and pulled his sunglasses from his pocket. He slipped them on and started to walk to the door, running a hand through his hair. He passed a few SHIELD agents as he made it to the door. He turned the doorknob and opened the wooden door.