p • r • e • s • s • u • r • e

Untitled

"Oh yeah, that. Um...my aunt...she's doing alright. Jen is...well, she's Jen."

"Your father?"

Something hardens in the scientist's eyes as they glint green.

"Still alive."

"Pity."

"Tony, I'm not gonna let you kill him. And I'm not going to let you let me kill him. Drop it."

"He sounds very killable."

"Not gonna happen."

The engineer mulls over what he says next.

"Have you ever thought of...y'know...visiting him?"

"Why?" He snaps.

"I don't know, to be honest. You know SHIELD keeps tabs on everyone."

"I'm aware."

"Don't you want to know what he's been up to? Where he's been? If he's offed himself out of guilt yet?"

Bruce's grip tightens on the tiny fork in his hand, warping the metal because Tony never knows when to stop.

"Tonyshutthefuckup."

The billionaire's eyes twitch just a little, and he nods.

"Right. Sorry," he whispers.

Stupidstupidstupid.

He wants to apologise profusely as Bruce feebly attempts to bend the fork back into its original shape.

The waiter appears not much longer with two large plates, and leaves with their unfinished calamari.

"Bon appetit," Tony says, and takes a bite of risotto cake.

And that's when it hits him.

---------Maria, we have cooks for that.

I want to make it for him. They don't know what they're doing.

Not with his grades.

I don't care about his grades. He still needs to eat.

You know he'll be fine, right? He's got tons of snacks stashed up there.

He still needs a proper meal.

Maria put it down

No. I'm making him his risotto.------------------

---------------You'd better not put that in your mouth.

Watch me.

Oh hell no.

What-what're you doing?

WHAT DID I TELL YOU?

Fuck you!

Alright, that's it-

No! No, I'm sorry, I-don't, please!

Turn around. Take your shirt off.

No, dad, I'm sorry, I swear I won't eat the risotto, please put the belt back on-------------------------------------

The memories flashed through Tony's head and he gets up abruptly, throwing down his napkin. .

"Wh-"

"Bathroom. I'm fine, I just...I'm fine. I'm gonna be okay. I mean it. Just give me a second," he mutters, rushing off to the restroom where he collapses in a stall.