it sounds like a bad joke

[watchesthewatchers]

A genius and a spy walk into a grocery store.

Comments

[watchesthewatchers]

"I'll save you."

He promises, and then they're driving again, fast enough that heads turn.

[profiteering]

"That's all I need to know!"

He offers him crackers after a particularly tight turn.

[watchesthewatchers]

He reaches out and plucks one up, smiling at the road ahead.

"I could forget misery, here, like this."

[profiteering]

Tony looks at him, touched in spite of himself.

"We'll have to keep you here as long as possible, then."

[watchesthewatchers]

"I'll stay as long as I can."

He decides, heart swelling.

[profiteering]

Tony reaches over and ruffles his hair, but slowly, more affectionately.

It's very easy not to think about London, or the Circus, or SHIELD out here.

[watchesthewatchers]

"I mean, if you'd have me."

A shy tilt into Tony's touch.

[profiteering]

"Oh, you're not going anywhere."

Until he has to.

[watchesthewatchers]

He smiles, and is back to driving, looking like the cat that got into the cream.

"Swimming, then."

[profiteering]

"Nude, obviously. I'm not ruining this suit."

And it's not like he needs an excuse to get naked. There are dozens of YouTube videos of him wandering around in the buff--usually drunk, but not always.

[watchesthewatchers]

"I can do nude."

He murmurs.

"But home first, these are perishable."

[profiteering]

He rejects a call from Fury.

"We'll need towels, too. Not a big fan of dirt sticking to my back."

[watchesthewatchers]

"And to find a private one."

His own phone rings. Peter is responsible enough to pull over, to answer it.

His eyes go wide.

[profiteering]

"Oh it's private, JARVIS wouldn't lie--"

He breaks off at Peter's expression, and wonders if maybe he should stop screening his own calls.

"What's wrong?"

[watchesthewatchers]

"Aliens have invaded, but from the sounds of things, it's under control?"

Forehead creasing.

[profiteering]

"How under control? In your country or here?"

He's learned some protective instincts over the years. Especially where aliens are concerned.

[watchesthewatchers]

"In a SHIELD holding cell."

He parrots for Fury.

"So we're fine, but answer your phone next time, Stark."

[profiteering]

He scratches his temple with a finger, trying and failing to come up with a retort. Being an asshole is a lot harder once you've started to care what happens to the world.

"We're good to go?"

[watchesthewatchers]

"Yes. I think so, yes."

Peering at the phone.

"What has happened to the world, Tony?"

[profiteering]

"We expected E.T. and got Thor's family drama instead."

Which is a glib way of saying he has no idea, and wonders the same thing. More often than he cares to admit.

[watchesthewatchers]

"Well. Beach visit."

Pulling back onto the road.

"I wonder if life will be constant interruptions like that?"

[profiteering]

"Probably. They just can't live without me."

He smirks at him, then frowns.

"Is it weird for you that he has your number? Or did you two swap digits when my back was turned?"

[watchesthewatchers]

"My phone number?"

Curious.

"No, I gave it to him. I'm technically spying on you for SHIELD."

[profiteering]

He purses his lips, seeming angry.

"I feel like that shouldn't be turning me on, but it is."

[watchesthewatchers]

He turns his head, and laughs at him.

"I'm not giving them anything. But they think I am. Well, technically, they think that I don't know that they know I'm not giving them anything, so they're gleaning information from around the edges of my reports, but I know they're looking at the edges, so I'm falsifying those in ways that are useful."