#past tonyrhodey

[robertdowneyjjr]

tonyrhodey MIT fic prompts because we definitely can never have enough of them—

roommates fic

classmates fic

lab partners fic

fought over the same seat and/or book at the library

met at a party

orientation buddies

they work together at the tutoring center

joined all the same extracurriculars

one caught the other drawing graffiti in the school bathroom

they always walk past each other on wednesdays while running from one building to another for back to back classes

one causes an explosion in the lab to trigger a fire drill so the other can get out of a test they forgot to study for

studying at the same coffee shop and always asking each other to watch their stuff

student/TA dynamic

they get locked inside the library together after closing hours

leaving passive aggressive notes for each other in the laundry room when they forget to take their clothes out of the dryer

rushing the same frats during greek week before realizing greek life is not for them

spring break fic

summer internship fic

[squireofgeekdom]

Tagged by @fezwearingjellybananas! thank you!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

117 (115 of which are solo authored)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

810,361 (717,002 of which are solo authored, and more than a quarter of that is just mitm 😂)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Whatever catches my attention long enough to give me a fic idea that I finish writing, honestly! I'm fully of the 'scroll twice to get to the end of my fandoms list' writer. But for specifics I'll try to just stick to the past two years, where I've collaborated on fic for USS Interpreter - a cast of original Star Trek ttrpg characters, the Spider Gwen comics (and Squirrel Girl comics), Star Trek Strange New Worlds (and Discovery, and a bit of TOS), Spider Man 2017, Raimi Spider Man, The Flash, IDW Transformers, The Untamed by way of Murderbot fusion/crossover, and Arcane

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Does It Hurt? - MCU CACW fix-it fic, with Tony and Bucky, and tonyrhodey

Don't Miss It - Ford and Mabel Gravity Falls Weirdmaggedon fic, optimistic speculation at the time

Meet in the Middle - My very, very, veeery long-ongoing driftrod fic

More than This - Aro (and ace) Obi-Wan

What You (Don't) Need to Hear - Aro Stanford and Dipper Pines

I do love that 2/5 of these are aro-centric fic

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I love comments and I enjoy replying, and from talking to regular readers I think it helps encourage folks to comment. It's never something I expect from when I comment on other's fics, I just want to share my appreciation, but I always am happy to get replies myself.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Restraining myself to the past two years for specifics, I think You're Just A Little Boy, my transmasc La'an fic, has the most outright Unhappy Ending - at least for this fic, I might write a more hopeful follow up. I'll throw in when you're gone we won't say a word (but you know that's okay), my alternate future Pike fic, goes in for the most bittersweet, and I've definitely cried the most over it

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I write a lot of happy endings, but they're often threaded with a bit of angst or bittersweetness. Fungus Not-Amongus is altogether pretty delightful fluff for Tilly and Pike, though.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

I have once or twice, but not for a good long while, I've been quite lucky

9. Do you write smut?

Not yet! Got a project or two down the pipe that might have some, but it's not something I typically write

10. Do you write crossovers?

Yes! All the time. In the past couple years, I've written Ghosts in Your Head, Ghosts in My Head, The Flash fic in a Pacific Rim setting, more of a fusion setting, but I'll count it. Intersections, with Spider Gwen & Squirrel Girl, which are technically both Marvel Comics, but I'll count them as a crossover event in the comics spirit. Artificial Survivor is more of a Untamed fic in a Murderbot fusion setting, but the Murderbot characters are technically alluded to, so I'll count that too. Plus there's the Star Trek/Star Wars crossover with Star Trek OC's I'm helping out on. Generally you can find a lot of crossovers I've written, I find them really fun.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! A reader asked to translate a tonyrhodey fic a few years back

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Given that I specified solo-authored fics above, you can probably guess the answer to that is yes! 😁 I'm co-writing fic about ttrpg Star Trek characters - I play & write Chief Engineer Piper Hawthorne. @severeannoyance is our captain and @plokoonsdisapprovingeyebrows is our Star Wars expert for our Star Wars crossover fic.

14. What‘s your all-time favourite ship?

Given that MITM is 1/4 of my solo wordcount, and I have updated it in the past two years, it's probably gotta be driftrod, at least for this ask. ask me next week, you might get a different answer 😂

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a West Wing / X-Men 2 crossover that's been sitting in docs for many many years. I might release some of the finished scenes at some point, like I did with E2bard, because there's lots of good stuff and I always have fun with the West Wing character voices

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Dialogue, introspection, and replicating particularly strong character and narrative voices

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

I tend to repeat phrases and overuse dashes, and don't expect much setting description XD

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I usually just indicate that something's in another language and keep it in the same language as the rest of the fic - English for me, I'm currently pretty monolingual, but I think other options are perfectly workable for other authors.

Not actually related to the question, but I've gotten comments in other languages or with phrases in other languages, and I always find them an especially high compliment - that my fic was not only worth reading in a language that wasn't someone's first, but that they also put in the time to leave a comment. I usually have to use a bit of google translate and ask my bilingual friends for help translating (thank you), but all the comments have been very nice.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I think I wrote what was Star Wars fanfic for vocab assignments back in middle school, though I didn't know that was what it was called. My first published fic was for Bleach.

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Sticking in the past two years, Ghosts in Your Head, Ghosts in My Head is one I'm really proud of. And of course I have to mention Meet in the Middle, something I've stuck with for more than five years at this point.

tagging @severeannoyance and @plokoonsdisapprovingeyebrows plus @philcoulsonismyhero and @vetoing-clocks if yall want! Plus a blanket tag for anyone who wants to!

[ad1thi]

the closet

the thing is, Tony isn’t out

Flamboyant, raucous, over-the-top Tony Stark isn’t out

its a shame nobody told Bucky that

--

It starts, as most things do, with Tony falling in love

Tony’s 15 years old and desperate for any sliver of attention and Rhodey is just so good that falling in love is more of an afterthought than a conscious action

and then he’s 17 and he’s well and truly happy (even if Rhodey refuses to do more than some heavy petting until he’s 18) and Howard mails Rhodey a $50,000 dollar check with no note

but Tony knows what it’s for

he breaks up with Rhodey, gets on his knees for Tiberius Stone in an extremely well lit alley, and ends up in the hospital with multiple contusions

in that order

he’s 18 years old and he’s hanging on for dear life

he’s 18 years old and his parents are dead

they died while he was in a coma that his father put him in

he’s 18 years old and Rhodey has magnanimously overlooked the Tiberius incident, but has firmly said that they’re better off as friends

he’s 18 years old and Obie puts a hand across his shoulders, looks at him and says, “It’s a stocks thing boy. You understand”

And as he rubs the bruises on his lips, he does understand

--

It goes on something like this

Tony is 23 years old and he’s gone twelve for twelve with Maxim cover girls 

well, kind of

he and March had a scheduling conflict, but December was twins

(actually, December was triplets but the third was a boy and he didn’t talk about that kind of stuff)

--

Tony is 27 years old and he’s dying

so he does the responsible thing and gives Pepper Stark Industries

she basically runs it anyway

between finagling her into accepting and subtly giving Rhodey a suit, he doesn’t have much time for his new PA Francis Barton

he has just enough time to appreciate the way the man fits a suit, and then there’s a glint in his eyes that Tony can’t ignore so he moves on

(later, when he meets Clint in Randy’s Donuts he’s oddly proud of himself)

(but he still trashes Fury’s servers for sending in a male nark)

(Tony doesn’t talk about this kind of stuff)

--

Tony is 33 years old and Steve Rogers is at his door

“A young boy killed himself last night”

Tony pauses his tinkering on his tablet to look up at him

“Steve sweetie,” the pet-name slips out from habit, “You can’t save everybody”

 “He was being bullied because he was gay,” Steve’s eyes are red, “I thought that was okay now?”

Tony sighs, “It is, technically. But that doesn’t mean bigots don’t still exist. The best you can do is be a good role model, and hope others follow, you know?”

“Be a good role model, as in..?”

“Like,” Tony taps his fingers against his knee, “someone who’s publicly in support of LGBT+ people, or someone big coming out as queer”

“Someone who’s in the TV a lot?” Steve’s voice is slightly squeaky, and Tony briefly looks up and nods

Steve’s head cocks to the side, and even before he says it Tony knows that he’s gonna hate it

“Tony why haven’t you come out yet?”

(he was right)

“Get out.” Tony’s voice is shockingly firm, a stark contrast to the shaking of his fingers

‘No think about it, you’re one of the richest men on the planet, you’re in the news everyday, and you’re Iron Man. It’d be sensa-”

“Get OUT” Tony’s voice raises a few octaves and Iron suits materialise in the air, repulsors aimed at Steve

“Wha- Tony call off the suit”

The whirring of the gauntlet makes Steve take a step back

“I won’t ask again Rogers.”

“Get out”

Steve leaves

--

It ends, as most things do, with Tony falling in love

Tony is 36 years old and he’s in love with James Barnes

who is currently going at it with a lollipop and making Tony extremely uncomfortable in a public space

Tony is 36 years old and in love with James but still in the closet but apparently nobody told James, because he notices Tony staring and smiles before walking over and pressing his lips to Tony’s

in public

in front of cameras

where everyone can see

--

The thing is

Tony understands

Howard and Obie made sure that Tony understood

and he does

he swears

--

Tony is 36 years old and he’s in the goddamn closet but James is kissing him and he stumbles back, breath coming out in short pants

his vision is blurry and he can feel his heart thundering against his ribcage

he winces and flinches away, hands raised in a defense position when he feels someone come close to him, because he understands he swears

--

Fin

[starkintrn]

Do you think that Tony will ever forgive Steve after CA:CW? You can write it as a short request if you want!

( i’ve actually considered this a lot! i came up with a quick drabble about it! i doubt that tony is gonna be able to forgive steve quickly or anytime soon but i feel like if they spoke about this on a more personal level and more like adults, they could have gotten somewhere. )

Tony woke up with a headache this morning and only later decided to name it Steve Rogers.

No amount of coffee, Ibuprofen, or workshop distractions is able to calm the monster down. By the time the late afternoon sun starts streaming through his windows, painting everything around him a bright golden color, Tony wants nothing more than the sweet sensation of relief, which is why he hauls himself up from his chair and stumbles up into the kitchen in the first place.

At first, he considers making himself something to eat, since his headache may be a result of poor eating habits – no surprise there, really. However, remembering all of his attempts at making any type of food from scratch, Tony scraps the idea as quickly as it appeared in his head. He’ll leave the cooking to Rhodey, who is accompanying Pepper to a meeting, although ever since Tony returned from Siberia broken down both physically and emotionally, Rhodey has been verbally expressive about his hesitation to leave his side. Today is the first day Tony managed to convince him to worry about him from afar, and the two of them agreed on checking in on each other every now and then.

“Hey, Friday, we have some coffee beans left, right?” Tony absentmindedly asks as he opens some cabinets, tapping his foot.

“Coffee can cause your headache to get worse. If you really wish to relieve your pain, you should avoid bright lights and loud noises. Make sure to get some rest-”

“What’s that? Coffee is good for healing headaches? Well, why didn’t you just say so?” Tony playfully mocks before waving his hand dismissively, “I’m different than other humans, Fri. I’ve been living on coffee and alcohol since birth. I think that they’re part of my bloodstream at this point. I might be the anomaly whose headaches are cured by an inhumane amount of coffee.”  

After finding a rather pathetic amount of coffee beans, Tony brews himself a quick cup of black coffee, pouring it inside an Iron Man mug that he simply couldn’t resist buying. Pepper glanced at it once and claimed it was tacky, and ever since then it became Tony’s favorite mug.

Taking a small sip, immediately drawing his mouth away as the liquid burns his tongue, Tony turns around to head back towards the workshop and freezes. There, on the other side of the counter, a tired, visibly worn-out blonde man with incredibly blue eyes stares back at him, offering him an awkward smile. Tony drops his mug of coffee, the glass shattering on the ground with a sound that makes the other man wince, while Tony simply remains rigid, ignoring the way the hot coffee seemed to scorch through his sweatpants.

Millions of thoughts whirl through Tony’s mind and he finds it difficult to process what exactly is going on. His heart starts racing, to the point of his chest staring to ache, and his shoulders tense up instantly. His mind screams at him to move, say something, do anything, but his muscles are locked and he finds himself unable to move.

Steve opens his mouth to say something, but Tony beats him to it.

“What are you doing here?” The question is spat out almost accusingly, but Tony is more surprised than angry. In fact, the primary emotion controlling him is fear. His arms cross over his chest almost instinctively. “Are you the only one here or did you bring in your little motley crew? How did you even get past security? Friday, why didn’t you alert me of this?”

“Steve Rogers is an Avenger, is he not?”

Shit, Tony realizes, horrified and pissed off at himself for his own mistake, I forgot to change Friday’s settings. She let him in because all of the Avengers are welcome here. Or, they used to be.

“I’m not here to hurt you, Tony,” Steve finally finds his voice, and Tony hears a hint of sadness behind it as he continues, “I’m here alone, and I don’t have my suit on. I promise that I’m only here to speak to you.” Tony eyes Steve’s attire and he is telling the truth, since he’s wearing a light blue sweatshirt, faded blue jeans, and a baseball cap. However, he remains on guard, already prepared to call one of his suits over. “You broke my heart. Literally.”

Steve winces, as if the mere sentence brings him physical pain, as he nods, “I know, I know. I regret that more than you’ll ever know.”

Tony arches an eyebrow in disbelief, trying to forget the feeling of Steve on top of him, his shield raised above his head mercilessly, a cold and angry look in his eyes -

“Listen, Tony, I’m not here for your forgiveness. You have the right to not forgive me for something like that. I kept secrets from you and hurt you, I know-” Steve begins to explain, cutting off Tony’s train of thought, but this time Tony ruthlessly cuts him off in return.

“Then why are you here?”

“I wanted to apologize to you in person. The letter I sent you, it wasn’t as personal, and it seemed cowardly. I’m not afraid of facing you,” Steve finally says, maintaining eye contact with Tony, who simply narrows his eyes, “You deserve an actual apology from me. In person. It’s the least I can do.”

Tony isn’t convinced. His hands clutch the edge of the counter and he remains on edge, prepared to scramble for his armor at any given point in time, even if Steve is wearing casual clothing. “Are you doing this for me or do you just want to ease the guilt off your mind? Because if it’s the latter, you’re free to leave.”

Steve blinks rapidly, almost as if the question caught him off-guard, before he shrugs his shoulders, throat working as he most likely attempts to find his words. “We’re a team, Tony. Or, at least we were. We’ve been through a lot together and even though we never got through a mission without constantly disagreeing, you were my friend. I know we can’t have now what we had back then but I don’t want you to think that I believe that what I did to you is acceptable.”

Tony doesn’t respond to that, conflicting thoughts plaguing his mind, and Steve seems to take that as an invitation to continue talking. “Look, I shouldn’t have left you there to die. I shouldn’t have kept the secret of the true cause of the death of your parents. I should have been upfront about it and told you as it was. I shouldn’t have hurt you like that. I’m sorry I put you through all of that. I can’t change what I’ve done, but I’ll always be here to offer help and stuff.”

Steve finishes his apology off rather awkwardly while Tony attempts to take in what had just been said to him, genuine surprise and curiosity being added to his already mixed emotions. Did he really just apologize to me all over again?

“I also wanted to say thank you for holding Secretary Ross off,” Steve quickly adds before falling silent once again.

There is a long silence between them and Tony can feel Steve getting more and more uncomfortable with each passing second. Tony tightly clenches his jaw as he thinks it over, mulling over the potential consequences of each possible decision. The stubborn part of Tony doesn’t want to accept the apology, as genuine as it may be. However, another part of Tony is shocked that he even got an in-person apology, since very little people who have wronged him have actually apologized, let alone to his face. The ache in his chest is still there, but it hurts a little less than it did when Steve first appeared.

Tony knows that he doesn’t have the right to be extremely angry. After all, there was a point in time when he was also proven wrong, and it was about something very important to Steve. However, does it really compare to Steve’s actions, which involve nearly killing him? They both made mistakes but Tony wonders if one of their mistakes outweighs the other.

“I’ll leave, thank you for hearing me out anyway,” Steve assures Tony after a few more seconds of silence and Tony watches as he starts making his way towards the door and eventually to the elevator.

“Hey, Cap,” Tony calls after him before he can think about this further, watching as Steve turns around with a ridiculously hopeful look on his face, “Just let Friday know whenever you show up here, so you don’t put me into cardiac arrest again. Also, you owe me another coffee mug. I expect it to be sitting on my desk next time you decide to swing by.”

Steve’s lips curl into a small, almost relieved smile and he calls back his agreement before turning around and walking out of sight. Tony rolls his eyes, his once tense shoulders drooping back down, and he glances down at the shattered mug, the spilled coffee creating a large dark stain on the floor.

Tony doubts that he will ever be able to forgive Steve, or at least forgive him quickly. Rebuilding their fallen friendship sounds like an impossible feat and if it’s not impossible, then it is going to take a lot of effort from the both of them. In fact, Tony is certain that they will never be able to interact with each other the same way again.

However, this is certainly a start.

[dykeninthdoctor]

about me :D

hi !!! i’m aven angxlsgrxce (some ppl call me angel too, so go for that if u wanna) ☼ white, aro queer, he/she (interchangeably)

aven.txt aka what i blog about!:  ☼ primarily dsmp/mcyt at the moment (my main ccs are sbi+co), but i have been both a spn and mcu blog in the past. occasionally spn content might pop up, as well as other medias

aven.writing aka what i write about (ao3):  ☼ dsmp: sbi-focused content, both of the oneshots i’ve written can be found on my ao3, here (a c!kristin and c!phil fic) and here (a fic about wilbur in limbo) ☼ spn: dean-focused, all of it can be found in my writing tag!! there’s some older stuff on ao3, but i might orphan that at some point ☼ mcu: tony-focused, primarily tonyrhodey and bentony, along with some fics with harley and peter. some can be found on my ao3 and some are solely on tumblr under my writing tag  (i will get around to a masterlist at Some Point) 

tags: aven.txt, aven.lb, aven.writing, aven.gallery, aven.library, aven.ask, [mutual name] tag, yellow. (you can always ask me to tag tws/cws, i cannot promise i’ll be able to but i’ll do my best if it’s reasonable)

some things i like to talk about: love!!!!! humanity!!! bread!!!! bread and love and hands!!!! yellow is my favorite color and i tag happy posts as yellow :D. wilbur soot!!!!! sleeping at last!!! space!!!! songs!!!! i make playlists!!!! i really like 10 things i hate abt you, rocketman, and knives out!!!!! aaaaa!!!

pfp by @capfalcon

[shellheadtm-a]

SHIPPING INFO !! ANSWER THE FOLLOWING FOR YOUR MUSE SO PEOPLE KNOW HOW SHIPPING WORKS ON YOUR BLOG.

WHAT IS YOUR OTP FOR YOUR CHARACTER?:

if you guessed stevetony, surprise!  grab yourself a gold star from the sticker sheet.  i mean it’s obviously not my only ship, buckytony is practically tied at this point for it (thanks winter soldier 2018 and dean, it’s all your fault).  i was on the tonyfelicia train before that last issue of black cat came out, my main crossover ship for him is completely out of the blue (rj maccready, listen, it happened, i can explain to you how it happened, it’s a very tearful tale of miscommunication and awkwardness and the end of the world), i can see a lot of potential ships, maybe, where he’d settle in and do fine with it.  but my main ship for him is tony/being happy and loved and safe, which is really the only otp for him that matters to me at all.  is he happy?  does he feel safe?  does he feel loved (at least part of the time because god if he doesn’t have massive self image issues)?  then we’re good to go.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO WRITE WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING?:

my main goal here, which probably sounds stupid but whatever, is to give tony healthy relationships that he can grow in to balance out the shitty ones he’s had in canon.  it’s why i’m not here for toxic ships for him, it’s been the majority of what his love life has been.  i’m also not a fan of angst for the sake of angst with no resolution.  back to that whole no toxic ships thing.  it wears me down, guys.  angst with a purpose is great.  angst just to make myself mad is not my thing, especially since there are things that will be inherently touchy because of tony’s history.  basically what i want are ships where he can develop and maybe start to feel comfortable enough to let the masks down, not things that will put them back up.  so no, not happy fluff all the time, but if there’s gonna be drama, i’d rather it not be the kind i can picture in a high school relationship.  there’s enough possible friction with tony as is that i don’t need to manufacture it.

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?:

typically...i don’t even consider a ship with a character under 25.  closer to 30 and above is actually better, usually, because honestly, tony’s not some twenty-something.  with tony i’m not super comfortable, usually, with large age gaps.  he’s in his early 40s, for him someone closer to his age and maturity level (which is more mature than i’m betting most people think) is better.  tony needs an equal partner with some life under their belt, you get me?  he’s a lot to handle, not just because he likes to barrel ahead and do what he wants to do anyway because he’s stubborn and thinks he always knows best (which is a thing that has to be negotiated and stood firm about), but because he comes with some issues and trauma from past relationships.  he’s not some squeaky playboy that’s never had a relationship, he’s been abused, he’s been used, he’s been cheated on, and he’s been hurt.  a lot.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?

yeah, i’d say i’m very selective.  i don’t say this to like...discourage people from it, like, at all.  by all means, i’m all ears to possible ships.  but i like there to be a basis for a ship?  some interaction that’s platonic?  to see how they click first.  and also i really, really prefer it to be a thing where we talk about it.  i’m gonna use mala and dean as examples here, but.  we have such detailed headcanons and shit because we actually talk about shit.  there’s a lot of stupid what if scenarios that get passed around.  also i have a habit of sticking to one or two portrayals for it.  mostly because tony’s wrapped around those like a squid and i can’t pry him off.  but also because i’d rather have fewer, very well developed ships than a bunch.  shipping’s not my main goal, i’m just here to write for my idiot spam in a can.

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NSFW?

my rule of thumb is that if it’ll get censored on network television, it goes behind a readmore.  will there be things of that nature on this blog - of course there will be, i think it’s fairly obvious tony is a huge fan of sex.  it’s the casual stuff he sucks at.

WHO ARE OTHER THE CHARACTERS YOU SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH?:

in marvel specifically?  i can squint and see peter quill and tony maybe having a thing with the right development.  doomtony, but don’t @ me i don’t want to hear it.  tonyemma honestly - but i can’t say one way or another if it would ever be more than fwb.  tonyrhodey is another big one.  really it’s less for me about general characters and more about individual chemistry between portrayals.

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?:

i’d uh.  appreciate it?  bascially don’t assume because you rp x, y, or z it means you get a ship.  like i said before, i kind of stick to one or two portrayals per character with this kind of thing and also depend heavily on chemistry.  if there’s nothing there, there’s nothing there, and i’d rather it not be pushed on me without discussion and some feeling things out.

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?:

more or less.  ships aren’t the end all be all for me, but they’re nice to have.  i like to watch tony grow when he has a safe place he feels loved and doesn’t feel the need to put on the song and dance all the time.

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?:

to a degree?  like i have ships i’m super attached to, can’t imagine shipping with another version, and others i’d like to try out.  i’m not single ship, but i’m picky, so take that as you will.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?:

it’s less that and more which ships are my favorites that i have and the answer is all of them, because they’re all unique.  fe is a good one to see where his morals and emotions come into conflict with one another, to a degree.  mac is about hope for a future he hadn’t wanted.  steve and tony are...well.  steve and tony, it’s seeing that requited and seeing them just naturally move into that next stage of their relationship going forward.  bucky’s all about healing.  i like themes.

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?:

send me a meme, come talk to me in ims or disco, whatever, but let me know so we can talk about it and see if anything’s there.

[leotanaka]

OTP TAG

tagged by @brvceselina​ and @marthaskane​ (thanks xx)

Pick 10 of your otps from different fandoms without reading the questions and then answer them. Then tag 10 other people to do the same.

toadie/sonya (neighbours)

nick/juliette (grimm)

max/eleanor (black sails)

batcat (gotham)

sam/callen (ncisla)

phil/gina (heartbeat)

clara/phillip (nutcracker and the four realms)

tony/rhodey (marvel)

neri/jason (ocean girl)

florence/siobhan (death in paradise)

Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6?

now you’re asking me something. i haven’t done a rewatch in years and have shipped them for like 20 years so i’m afraid i can’t actually remember :( at least not off the top of my head.  

Have you ever read a fic about 2?

i have not, no but i would love to read some so if anyone has any silverhardt recommendations - send them this way. 

Has a picture of 4 ever been your screensaver/profile pic/tumblr?

no, i haven’t. 

If 7 were to suddenly break up today, what would your reaction be?

sadly, they never actually got together but i was heartbroken about her leaving and the possibility of them never seeing each other ever again so it’s safe to say that if they got together and broke up, i would be absolutely devastated!!! 

Why is 1 so important?

where do i even start? these two... they really had one of the most beautiful dynamics i think i’ve ever seen and part of that is because they were both in a position where they’d been hurt and weren’t able to properly heal. with toadie, it was the accident and his guilt and inability to move forward with his life because of it. going so far as to sabotage his relationships to avoid being hurt again and sonya... she was abused and abandoned while struggling with multiple addictions and cut herself off from being with anyone and essentially feeling anything because she didn’t want to risk opening herself up and being subjected to all of that again. but when they found each other... it took a long time but they both learnt to love and trust again and let people in. they were willing to take a risk that it could all end badly for the other one and that is just... i mean, there was also the destructive co-dependency, sonya’s addiction to helping and saving people, toadie’s self destructive saviour complex but the fact that they loved each other so much that they fought past it and worked hard on their own behaviour so they could be together, it was just so beautiful and so important. they also demonstrated how love isn’t always enough and everything that a relationship needs to actually be able to survive. 

Which one has the strongest bond?

TOADIE & SONYA  (i’m bias af but it’s true)

How many times have you read/watched 10′s fandom?

we’re a very, very small fandom so it’s easy to keep an eye out for it but i’m always waiting for certain people to either post fics or graphics or something because i know they love them as much as i do.

Which ship has lasted the longest?

sam & callen, i think. they’ve been together, well... partners for about 12 years??? 

How many times, if ever, has 6 broken up?

i actually don’t remember. they broke up and got back together like every couple of episodes for about 10 seasons from what i can remember. 

If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive: 2 or 8?

silverhardt vs tonyrhodey... 

a grimm and a hexenbiest vs iron man and war machine...

i have no idea to be honest. i think it COULD be silverhardt but... tonyrhodey would give them a run for their money. 

Did 7 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason?

no, they did not. 

Is 4 still together?

no, they’re not :( 

Is 10 canon?

i wish :( but sadly they never got together. 

If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win?

i feel like it would come down to nick/juliette, sam/callen and bruce/selina - who would win out of these ones... i have no idea but it would have a very bloody end. that i’m certain of. 

Has anyone ever tried to sabotage 5?

i don’t think so... at least not intentionally. 

Do you spend hours a day going through 3′s tumblr tag?

i do actually. at least once a week, i go through the tag (and look at any possible variations of the tag and other bs blogs) and see if i’ve missed anything. 

If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break forever or else she’d break them all up, which ship would you SINK?

NO! 

tagging: @zutaralesbian, @laurelwinchester, @silvertons, @eleanorguthrie, @storytime-writings, @hydrosspyross, @jujubiest, @wardinpanties @thejaebeom, @bookjockey

[icarusalchemist]

tonyrhodey fic sneak peak

"What's with the long face, honeybear?" Tony's voice called from the doorway. Jim turned, quickly plastering a smile on his face.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just contemplating how the universe would see an atheist getting married in a church."

Tony laughed, then stepped the rest of the way into the room, closing the door behind him. "The universe is a bitch, and she'll get over it."

Now Jim was chuckling and shaking his head. "You're not wrong, but you know you shouldn't say it."

Tony simply shrugged, his half-buttoned red silk dress shirt pulling out of its barely done tuck and falling loosely past his hips. Jim sighed at the sight of his best friend before him.

[robertdowneyjjr]

What moments are you hoping for in endgame?

hmmm.

tony and nebula saving their own asses and getting back to earth on their own bc their willpower is stronger than anything else.

tonyrhodey reunion mirroring their scene in the desert in im1. i want a tonyrhodey hug. they haven’t hugged in so long.

tony and steve finally sitting their asses down and talking. they apologize to each other, sort out their miscommunication issues, actually listen to each other, and have a real heart to heart. a hug would also be nice. Endgame Is A SteveTony Event.

i’m crossing all my fingers and hoping that tony and carol would become really good friends just like they did in the comics. they’re so similar and they deserve this friendship.

carolrhodey!! not necessarily romantically bc i know it’s not realistic and there has been no indication whatsoever that they know each other, esp since rhodey likely didn’t join the air force until after carol disappeared. BUT it would be awesome if she introduces herself and rhodey acknowledges that he’s heard about her, how there were talks about a pilot that disappeared and how carol became an urban legend among the military. that would be super cool.

uru armor!!! PLEASE i want to see tony make an armor entirely out of uru. how fucking epic would that be??? i would do unspeakable things to see that happen on screen.

more brucethor pls and thank.

also would love to see more of okoye’s side eye. she’s such a mood omg.

VALKYRIEEEE!! i just want to see her and carol and nebula being the most epic space girlfriends ever. really, like, holy shit their team up would be amazing.

i just really want to see how clint ended up with that awful mohawk. what happened, dude?

oh also please just give us confirmation that cassie is okay and that she did not get dusted along with scott’s other loved ones. i would cry if she’s gone.

do you think goose would make an appearance bc i’ll scream

the avengers coming together as a team again, suiting up and getting ready for their most important mission. i mean, i don’t need to hope for this moment bc it’ll happen, but i’m just excited for how epic i’m sure it will be.

jocasta as the ai for pepper’s rescue suit. plz i am begging.

they defeat thanos and nebula gets to deliver the final blow by either wielding the infinity gauntlet or just by good old fashioned decapitation. i’m fine with either.

pepperony wedding at the end of the movie of course. and maybe hints of a future iron baby?? is this asking for too much? no i don’t think so.

tony and peter reunion please i need it like air. give tony his son back.

please do not. i mean it. do not send steve back to the past and trap him there. i would be so mad.

would be great if none of the heroes died lol

there’s a ton more i could think of but these are the main ones!! i have a lot of hopes but man who knows what’s gonna happen.

[stony-ao3-feed]

The Proposal

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2SwoIw6

by tonystanktableforone

like most things in Steve's life, it was utterly and completely ruined by the press

(in which Steve tries to propose and things don't go to plan)

Words: 1163, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes, James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Pepper Potts, Sam Wilson (Marvel)

Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Angst, but very slight angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, but again, very slight smut, i'm not actually quite sure it qualifies as smut, Blow Jobs, Oral Sex, but its like a line?, not like really pwp, but like the mention of a morning blow job, you'll get it when you read, Marriage Proposal, Rule 63, Fem!Tony, purely because i love genderbent tony and i wanted to play around with it, mentions of past tonyrhodey, because i've been in a big ironhusbands mood lately, so i had to, Italian!tony, Established Relationship

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2SwoIw6

[ad1thi]

the proposal

this is a really stupid idea that came to me literally 5 seconds ago

fem!toni because i love reading that and felt like i should write it

i debated between buckytony and stevetony for this but ultimately went with stevetony; but if you wanna read a buckytony version just drop an ask!!

--

happy v day everybody just because i’m sad and alone doesn’t mean yall have to be!!

--

slight angst but it gets resolved really quickly 

(lets be honest would it be me if it wasn’t angsty?)

--

like most things in Steve’s life, it was utterly and completely ruined by the press

which okay to be fair sounded like an exaggeration (if Sam’s face when Steve lamented during their morning run was anything to go by) but Steve meant it

having all his ailments cured by a super drug? ruined by the press

trying to help with the New York recovery process? ruined by the press

Toni’s Malibu home? ruined by the press

(actually that one might be more correctly attributed to the Mandarin but Steve firmly stood by the belief that if the press hadn’t been all up in her face she never would’ve cracked the way she did)

the search for Bucky? ruined by the press

his plans for a grand and SECRET proposal? ruined by the press

--

maybe he should backtrack a bit

--

Antonia Stark was

was

she was the love of Steve’s life

Steve couldn’t reasonably think of a moment during his second life in the 21st century where he hadn’t been enamoured by her

Even when he was smarting from the recent loss of 70 years and spitting vitriol at her across the Quinjet; he was acutely aware of the itch in his fingers to capture her beauty on paper, to immortalise her somehow

that hadn’t lessened in the 10 years he’d known her

he’d filled entire books of various sketches of her

her in the workshop, animately talking to JARVIS

bending over the IronQueen armour

a lollipop caught between her lips

in the middle of a laugh

in a red gown midstep down the spiralling staircase

contorted in an impossible position against Col.Rhodes on the sofa

Antonia Stark had owned Steve’s heart since the second her faceplate snapped back and Steve first noticed her rich hazel eyes

--

all he wanted to do was make her feel as special as she made him feel everyday

Steve had known he wanted to marry for about 4 years now, but Toni was (understandably) skittish about commitment

which was fine

Steve was willing to wait

and then finally, 6 months ago

after one of their visits to the New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children's Hospital, she tilted her head from where it was resting on his shoulder in the car and said ne voglio uno

it was so soft Steve would’ve missed it had it not been for his enhanced hearing, and despite the rapid beating of his heart; he kept his voice equally low and when she asked, one what doll

a kid, she replied, burying her head against him, i want a mini us running around, the tower’s getting kind of lonely anyway

it was said with such nonchalance, but Steve knew how scared she was- so he just pulled her close, pressed his lips against her hair and whispered back, do you want to start now or?

the smile against his lips was how he knew he’d said the right thing

--

she never brought it up again

but Steve couldn’t stop thinking about it

he had dreams about running his hands over her swollen belly, whispering stories about the Commandoes to a babbling baby with shocking blue eyes and brunette hair

couldn’t stop thinking that could be our kid everytime Toni bent down to say hi to the children that gathered outside Stark Tower

--

3 months later, he started planning

--

they’d been together 5 years now, and Steve wanted the proposal to be special

--

he had it all planned out,

all he had to do was wait for the ring; which he’d ordered in a custom design resembling a crude arc reactor

(military back pay was a blessing)

--

everything was perfect; the reservations were set, Steve had begged Pepper to let Toni off work, Sam and Bucky had put aside their feud for the night, Col. Rhodes had given his blessing (even though Steve was pretty sure he had to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life) 

all that was left was to pick up the damn ring

--

easy enough right?

--

and then the damn press happened

--

6 months of planning falls through the window when Toni walks in their bedroom, knuckles white from where she’s clutching the newspaper, tears streaming down her face and Steve is instantly on edge

“You’re- we’re-” she sniffles through words before throwing the magazine at him, “I need time I’m sorry”

By the time Steve has read the headline “SPOTTED: Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes in a ring shop! Is America’s power couple finally taking the plunge?” she’s gone

--

Steve gets a call approximately 5 hours later, which confirms his suspicions’ she flew half across the world to where Col. Rhodes is currently situated

(he pretends it doesn’t sting)

(he’s aware that they’re nothing more than friends now, but it does nothing for the pit in his stomach)

--

He’s on his way back from a SHIELD training room, and stops by the kitchen to check the pantry for the ring, and thats how he knows she’s back

(he always knew she was coming back, but it’s been 2 weeks)

She’s on the bed when he enters the bedroom, running her finger across the ring absentmindedly

“I meant what i said you know,” she says without looking up, eyes still on the ring, “about wanting kids with you.”

“I still want that,” she looks up and it’s the hardest thing Steve’s ever had to do to plant his feet down and not run to her side and kiss away her tears, “Its just- I just-” she breaks off with a hollow chuckle, “I do want that. I honestly thought i was over this”

“I’m sorry for running off like that,” she walks up to him and presses the closed box in his hand, “I want to say yes Steve. I really do. But i can’t right now”

She moves to walk away, but he grabs her wrist, and pulls her into a tight embrace, and whispers against the shell of her ear, “You’re worth waiting for doll”

She’s pressing kisses against every spare piece of skin she can find, fumbling at his suit as he walks her back against her bed; smiling against her legs when she cries out in ecstasy

--

the ring stays on her bedside table for a year and half

everyone notes her empty left hand, but only Bucky asks him about him; once- on the anniversary of Peggy’s death

“is she worth waiting for?” he asks, as they sip beers on the helipad, “is she your right partner?”

Steve just hums back, “i would wait the rest of my life for her Buck”

--

On the 28th of March 2018, Steve is woken up to a familiar heat enveloping his cock, and when he props himself up on his elbow to enjoy the view of Toni between his legs, the ring glints in the light from where Toni’s left hand rests against his chest

It’s the best orgasm Steve’s ever had

Fin

--

[voluntadfuerte]

no couple in the mcu gives more “old married couple” vibes like tonyrhodey. you know those two were past bfs that realised maybe it was better to just stay friends. all im saying is that they totally dated each other at MIT.

[mockingbirdie]

some of my tonyrhodey posts are picking up steam the past few days (meaning like three or four reblogs because people can’t appreciate a good otp) and I just want to add that if you ever reblog one of my iron husband posts and tag it with “bros” or “bromance” or “brotp” I see you and I am angry eyebrows about it

[yenneferw]

@goshua requested some more trans!tony

so i was originally go with some tonyrhodey but then i changed my mind for more irondad so here we are

also this is kind of short but i wasn’t feeling Great about it so jsdlfkjd

Happy drove him to the Avengers compound in silence as always, but the difference this time was that Peter wasn’t pressing that silence. He watched out the window as the world flew by, tapping his fingers on his legs and worrying about how this trip was going to go.

The last two times he’d spent a weekend at the compound, it was really fun. But the last two times he went, he had been in a good mood, excited for a weekend at the Avengers compound, a weekend hanging out with Tony. The last two times, they had talked about science and the Avengers and watched movies with Rhodey. Tony had answered his abundant questions and seemed to genuinely enjoy talking about his suit and his classes with him.

This time, all Peter wanted to do was curl up in his bed.

When they got there, he grabbed his bag out of the trunk silently, walking toward the side door closest to the living area of the Avengers compound. He still had his earphones in, grounding him in the moment away from the sounds of the people who bustled around the compound all the time. As he walked into the open space of the building, a flash of wings burying him under rubble appeared out of the corner of his eye and he felt his breath catch.

“Hey, kiddo,” Tony called from down the hallway. The sound of Liz’s dad’s voice echoing through the warehouse came back to him, a little distant with the music in his ears, weaving itself in with Tony’s words. He stood still near the doorway, his heart caught in his chest.

Tony was approaching him, walking into the room, and he could tell from the way he slowed down as he got closer that he could see something was wrong. Peter watched him, the clothes he was wearing feeling restrictive and the music playing in his ears seeming to go up a couple volume levels.

“What’s up?” Tony asked cautiously.

Peter had forgotten how to talk, but he felt like even if he could open his mouth, the thought of trying to explain what he was feeling would only grate at his skin.

“Are you okay?” Tony was coming closer again, his hand out and coming to rest on his shoulder. He was the king of dadly shoulder-grabbing moments. It tied Peter to the moment, and he reached up and tugged the earphones out of his ears. “Hey, talk to me, Pete.”

Tony’s face looked like May’s did when she wanted him to open up. He felt swallowed in how tightly he had kept his fear to his chest lately, because there was no way he was going to tell May about being trapped underneath a building. And he usually talked to her about the way some kids at school treated him like shit, but those things still piled up.

It wasn’t that he felt like it was easier with Tony, but more that Peter felt like he would understand it better than May might. And he wasn’t going to worry so much that he would take away the suit if he heard about Peter’s anxieties.

He wanted to pour everything out at once, but all that came out was the initial cause of his low mood: “I lost the binder you made me.”

Tony paused for a moment, assessing that, and then squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll make you another before you leave this weekend,” he promised him. “Don’t worry about that. Guess I should have thought ahead to make a spare.”

Peter shook his head, because this really wasn’t all about the binder that Tony had made him. It had sucked, but he had worn his original sweatshirt over his spidey suit to make up for the fact that he didn’t have the special-made binder. “But I lost it, and it was really warm so I didn’t really want to wear a sweatshirt while I was out, and there was this guy and he asked why I was wearing my pajamas out to fight people, which was stupid and shouldn’t have bothered me but it made me all self-conscious about the sweatshirt—”

“Hey, I really am listening, kiddo, but you’re talking way too fast.” Tony put an arm around his shoulders, guiding him over to the couch for them to sit. He sunk back into it, remembering watching all the movies with Tony and Rhodey here. “So someone was an asshole?”

Peter fiddled with his headphones, twisting them between his fingers. He felt like it was bad for the cord, but he liked having something to do with his hands. “The sweatshirt guy didn’t bother me too much. It’s just— everyone’s an asshole. Not everyone, I guess, but a lot of people.” He was still talking quickly, but not so quickly that Tony looked lost.

“Yeah, there are always gonna be assholes,” he said. Peter looked over at Tony, hoping that his only words of advice weren’t to resign himself to their asshole behavior. He had been putting up with transphobes for a lot more years than Peter had, and in the public eye, too, so he was sure he had some way of dealing with them—at least in his head. “You know what I do when the assholes get to me?”

“No.” The question was rhetorical, he knew, but he spoke before he thought about just letting Tony go on.

“I think, I’m fucking Iron Man.”

Peter smiled a little bit. “That makes you feel better?”

“Well, they’re not Iron Man, are they? They’re just an asshole with nothing better to do,” Tony said. “And if thinking I’m fucking Spider-Man doesn’t help, you think about the not-assholes.”

Peter nodded. I’m fucking Spider-Man. He had stopped an illegal weapons dealer before—from a plane in the air. That was pretty cool. People like Flash and his buddies hadn’t done anything like that.

And it was pretty cool thinking about the way he and MJ could joke about cis people together, or the fact that he chose to remember Uncle Ben through making Benjamin his middle name.

“What do you do when you remember things though?” Peter asked, uncertain of himself. He didn’t know that he liked acknowledging that those feelings were back there. It was scary in and of itself that the memories haunted him like they did. “Like, things that happen while you fight.”

Tony seemed to understand immediately. “Has that night been bothering you?” he asked him, guilt peppering each word like it was his fault that Peter gained superpowers and ended up fighting Liz’s dad.

“Sometimes. In big buildings sometimes I see the wings flying around me,” he admitted, and it felt better than he thought it would to finally let that live outside of his head. In his head, it was a monster thriving around him when he was the most afraid, but aloud, he knew that it wasn’t real. Toomes wasn’t coming back.

“So that’s why you got a little”—he made a random gesture with his hands—“when you came in.”

Peter nodded.

Tony thought for a moment, and then let out a breath. “I have to remember to breathe. I have to remember where I am, not what’s happened to me,” he told him. He wrapped an arm around Peter’s shoulders again. “I’m sorry, kid. It’s not fair that you have to deal with all of this.”

Peter shook his head, not liking the way Tony spoke like he had caused every bad thing in his life, right down to Uncle Ben’s death and the transphobia and all of it, or something. “I don’t want to not be Spider-Man just because I see things sometimes,” he told him. “I still want to help people. I want other people to not have to be hurt by people like Toomes.”

Tony squeezed his shoulder. “God, you’re a good kid. How are you such a good kid?”

Peter looked over at him, listening to the lingering guilt and the pride mingle in his voice. He wanted to say something clever, but it took him too long to come up with something. “Thank you,” he said instead.

Tony smiled a little and patted his back. “Do you want to watch a movie? I think Vision wants to join in this time,” he said.

Peter nodded, a smile coming to his face as well. That talk had made him feel better, but not completely perfect. But watching a movie was easy, and didn’t require talking if he didn’t want to talk. Plus, he felt like watching a movie with Vision would be cool. Everything with Vision was cool. He was like a fucking robot guy who walked through walls—he was automatically cool 100% of the time.

“I’m a good kid because I’m fucking Spider-Man,” he blurted out as he thought of it, but it wasn’t until after he said it that he realized it wasn’t even clever enough to say when they had moved past that topic. Actually, it made little sense at all, but he stood by it anyway.

Tony rolled his eyes at him. “You think you can handle making the popcorn?” he asked. “I’ll get Vision and Rhodey.”

“Of course I can, I’m fucking Spider-Man.” He stood up, setting his bag down by the couch and dropping the earphones on the table.

“Why do I get the feeling May doesn’t let you say ‘fuck’?”

Peter shrugged. “Don’t know where you would get that from at all.”

Tony grinned a little bit. “Well, hey. Good to see you’ve got your sense of humor back.”

“Fucking Spider-Man never loses his sense of humor.” He went into the kitchen to make the popcorn, pulling out a couple of bowls to dump it into.

“Fucking Iron Man and fucking War Machine want the cheesy kind,” Tony called back into the kitchen as he disappeared down the hallway to retrieve the other two.

[notfknapplicable]

need blog recs

point me to the good Rhodey and TonyRhodey blogs plz!

Shit done chilled out these past two years :’(

[thesoundofnat]

A Quarter After One, I’m A Little Drunk

@bacomnom said: Tony Stark and B12 (How do you accidentally set a shirt on fire?!?)

Tony, Rhodey

Summary: Tony and Rhodey get drunk and ask each other questions.

A/N: Silvo only said Tony, so I added Rhodey because I do love me some Tonyrhodey. This was supposed to be fluffy/happy, but I’m not sure if it’s really either? I hope you like it anyway!

Drabble challenge

[Read it on AO3]

Words: 1 033

“How do you accidentally set a shirt on fire?!?”

Tony scowled. “You… use fire close to it? It’s made out of flammable material…” He trailed off, most likely due to the expression on Rhodey’s face.

“I know how a shirt catches fire,” he snapped, his hand already at his temple as if it would help matters. “I just want to know why you did it.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed in that way that told Rhodey he was trying very hard to focus his gaze on him. Oh, he was far from sober, but then again, so was Rhodey.

“That was five years ago,” Tony eventually deadpanned. “How am I supposed to remember? You asked for a drunken mistake. Not the reason behind it.”

Rhodey burst out laughing. “Okay, okay, I did ask for that. I give. Your turn.”

Tony grinned, as if he’d won a great victory. “Okay, let’s see. Remember when your washing machine broke last year?”

Rhodey nodded, though he had a feeling he wouldn’t like this question.

“That wasn’t a natural malfunction, was it?”

“No.”

“So what happened?”

Rhodey sighed, his body slumping as he reached for his glass; not to drink, but just to hold. “I kicked it.”

“You kicked it?”

“Uh huh.”

“But why?”

Rhodey shrugged. “I was angry that day. Very angry. I had no way of letting anything out, and I was gonna do my laundry and it was just so loud and complicated that day.”

“So you decided to kill it.”

“Something like that.”

Tony barked out a laugh. “Oh, man. What were you even angry about?”

“Nuh uh. No more questions. My turn.”

Rhodey had no idea how this game had started. They had surely been playing truth or dare a minute ago, but it had evolved into whatever this was; where they only asked questions and got honest replies. This wasn’t how he’d imagined he would spend his Saturday night, but it had been way too long since it had just been him and Tony, so he hadn’t protested when his friend had suddenly appeared at his doorstep, looking lonely and desperate and so goddamn happy to see him. Rhodey knew Tony had that effect on him as well.

Tony was leaning back where he was sitting on the floor, nearly toppling over since only half his back was resting against the couch. “Go ahead.”

“What’s your biggest regret from college?”

Tony had visibly not been expecting the question, and his eyebrows met his hairline. “From college? Woah, okay, let me have a flashback.” He closed his eyes, his hands in the air as if that would allow him to pause time and rewind. Rhodey took a sip of his drink while he waited, his gaze never leaving Tony’s form.

“You keep asking about the past,” he said a few seconds later as he opened his eyes again. “We’re getting old, Rhodes, but surely you’re not getting nostalgic?”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

Tony’s lips quirked, and Rhodey wasn’t sure what to make of it. “My biggest regret was probably not having let myself be the kid I actually was. At least at times.”

“I told you you would.”

Tony averted his eyes. “You did. I didn’t believe you back then. I thought I was too smart to be young.” He gulped down the rest of his beverage in one go. “‘Course, I started drinking and partying afterwards and told myself I was making up for lost time. Bullshit.”

“Tones.”

Tony shook his head. “Sorry. But there you have it. My biggest regret.”

“From college.”

“In general. It just happens to have taken place during college.”

They were silent for a moment, unsure of what direction to take this in now. Rhodey could ask more questions and let Tony vent, or they could pretend he hadn’t said anything. Let this night end on a positive note. Rhodey wanted both options so badly that he was starting to wonder if he could somehow combine them.

But he knew he couldn’t.

“You wanna hear my biggest regret from college?” he said instead, his voice loud and sudden as it sliced through the quiet.

Tony met his eyes curiously. “Sure.”

“The fact that I didn’t allow myself to date properly. I’m not just saying this because I’m still unmarried at this age or whatnot, but I entered college thinking I had to sleep around rather than form closer bonds. I regret it, because after graduation I was just lost. I had no idea how love or relationships worked.”

“Sounds like me.”

Rhodey grinned. “We’re both messes, huh?”

“We’re doing all right today, if I do say so myself. Don’t you think?”

“Could be worse.”

“It has been worse.”

“True.” Rhodey raised his glass. “To us.”

Tony grabbed an unopened beer bottle and clinked it against Rhodey’s glass. “To growth.”

Rhodey drank and nearly choked when he scrambled to say, “Maybe you shouldn’t open it,” when Tony moved to do just so.

Tony frowned. “Why?”

“Because I’m sure we can barely stand up with how much we’ve had to drink already.”

His theory turned out to be correct, and Rhodey led Tony to the bedroom once they’d managed to get to their feet after several attempts. He knew his friend hated his couch, and was therefore not going to subject his back to it - nor his own - for a few hours of sleep. They’d shared a bed countless of times before, and while it had been a few years since he saw nothing strange about doing it again.

They somehow shed most of their clothes and found themselves beneath the covers, but Rhodey felt too restless to settle down, so he chanced one last question before sleep found Tony. “What’s your biggest achievement from college? If you had to pick.”

Tony was silent for so long that Rhodey assumed he’d passed out instantly and was a bit startled when he suddenly said, “You.”

“Pardon?”

“You were my biggest achievement. Becoming your friend and somehow keeping you for all these years.”

Had Rhodey been quick to tear up he was sure he would be sobbing right now, but instead he just said, “Ditto, Tones,” and left it at that.