p • r • e • s • s • u • r • e

I Get it

"Excuse me, where do you think you're going, Parker?"

The boy turns on his heel and comes running back to Tony's open arms.

"Bye Mister Stark," he says into the engineer's shirt.

"Bye, kid."

Peter tears away from him and jogs back to the elevator, waving as the doors close.

"Tell May I said Hi!"

As soon as he's gone, the smile from Tony's lips falters just a little, but for the most part, he seems...happy. His face doesn't show it as much, but you can tell there's a slight glow beneath his skin. He turns to face Bruce.

"So? What's up."

"Someone's in a good mood."

Tony's face does a thing.

"What do you want, Bruce."

"In Vegas. What hotel should we stay at?"

He fiddles with something onscreen.

"Uh...the Palms has a new room...I think it's called the Empathy Suite? Yeah, the Empathy Suite."

The scientist nods.

"Erm...do you want to reserve it?"

Tony pauses.

"Just because, y'know, you're you, and...I don't know."

"Yeah no, it's fine. I'll call them."

"Right. Okay."

Bruce pecks him on the cheek and heads back upstairs.

Tony sighs, and sits back down at his desk, watching the render of Peter's new suit.

He smiles.

~The next day~

Rough hands find a glass jar and soon forget it in the dusty closet that sulks in the far corner of the room.

"Twenty-three...twenty-three..."

Drawer after drawer creaks open, revealing more than he wanted.

"Dammit!"

Socks, empty bottles and tiny, filmy empty plastic bags slide around as the drawer is slammed shut and after it, the door.

The hands wander back to the jar, turning it upside down and shaking vigorously, knowing it was empty.

"Twenty-three..."

"What are you-"

"Twenty-three, Rhodey! I need twenty-three..."

The soldier looks down from the stairs at the mess in front of him. The furniture had been upended, papers had been strewn everywhere and Tony was crouched over a handful of beads.

"What's that you got there?"

"A smoothie," he retorts, almost immediately. Rhodes frowns, and the engineer beams up at him.

"No?"

"No...that's not a smoothie. Looks like...beads."

He rolls his eyes.

"Never mind. You wouldn't get it."

"Let me guess; Peter?"

Tony nods.

"His sense of humor is so...odd."

"They're all like that. You get used to it. Or so I'm told."

"Ah. Well...I need twenty-three of these and-"