coming in from the cold

[watchesthewatchers]

He's gone for a month, and then he's back again, sitting on Tony's balcony, lighting one cigarette off the next, eyes closed.

Comments

[profiteering]

"What? How?"

Tony shows him his, a beautiful copper piece.

"Look how simple that is."

[watchesthewatchers]

"It would just need to be a cuff you wouldn't mind my taking off."

Would be all.

"When I'm a schoolteacher, or when I'm a diplomat, when I'm a ditch digger. Not that I do much of that these days, but I shouldn't like to make a promise I can't keep."

[profiteering]

He nods.

"I don't wear my collar all the time either. As much fun as it would be to have you cuffed all the time, wherever you were...it's not practical. I know."

[watchesthewatchers]

"Then I'd wear a discrete, moderately priced watch."

He gives, smiling at him.

[profiteering]

"What's a moderate price range for you?"

Tony knows his price perspective is, well. Skewed. Bruce has pointed it out often enough.

[watchesthewatchers]

"Bruce's taste is lovely."

He tells him, kissing him, softly.

"Have him make a game of it. He collard you, he's giving you me."

[profiteering]

"I'll ask him tomorrow."

Which means he intends to devote all his attention to Peter tonight. He smiles, and goes back to kissing him for a while.

[watchesthewatchers]

Peter eventually goes quiet, leaning into and just enjoying each kiss to the fullest extent. He loves him.

[profiteering]

"Doing better?"

He murmurs finally, and for once feels like he's managed to help in a situation that needed an emotional response instead of brute force.

[watchesthewatchers]

"A great deal, for all that I'm making the mistakes of my forefathers."

Nosing at his cheek.

[profiteering]

"What mistakes are those?"

He murmurs, and nips his lower lip.

[watchesthewatchers]

"Spilling spy secrets to a pretty face. Or pair of shoulders, in your case."

Smiling.

[profiteering]

"Don't be shy, you can say it. My face is pretty, too."

He grins.

"And you could've picked a worse person to spill your guts to."

[watchesthewatchers]

"There are a lot of ways in which you could be a great deal worse."

Smiling, quietly.

[profiteering]

Tony returns the smile and kisses his forehead.

"That's my boy."

[watchesthewatchers]

"Could you leave me out here for a bit?"

He asks, quietly.

[profiteering]

"Yeah. I'll be in the lab."

He doesn't want to leave him, but you would never be able to tell from how easily he moves.

[watchesthewatchers]

"When I come find you, I'd like it if you could take control."

He admits, softly.

[profiteering]

He looks at him, and nods.

"I will. Don't take too long. I'm kidding, take all the time you need."

[watchesthewatchers]

He smiles at him, affectionate and warm and relieved.

[profiteering]

He smiles back, and then ducks away, off to work and explain the bare minimum to Bruce.

[watchesthewatchers]

Peter stretches out, smiling.