Yeah, you might've hinted at that once or twice, [ tony drawls into his mug while he sips, eyes on simba over the rim. one cup should give him the energy he needs. ] Cattle farm, wasn't it?
Mmhm. [He slides the steak off the pan and onto the plate, then asks JARVIS to turn the burner off. It's a little awkward - he's perfectly capable of doing small tasks himself, or at least small tasks like that - but since there aren't any visible controls for the stove, he doesn't have any choice in the matter.]
Hope you don't mind my table manners, [he adds dryly before he picks the steak up and bites into it. A fork and knife aren't really an option for him - while he can certainly hold the utensils, they're laughably small and mostly useless.]
[ tony has leaned the small of his back against the kitchen island, using it as support. more concerned with nursing his coffee than any table manners, he shrugs and buries a yawn in his mug. ] Mi casa, su casa.
[He catches that yawn and glances up from his meal. Tony has the look of someone running on fumes and trying to hide it with coffee. He frowns slightly.]
You don't need to stay up on my account.
[Well, he kind of had, but surely he can sleep now, right?]
You didn't catch any shut-eye on the plane?
[Although, he realizes, even if he had, Tony's gone to a lot of trouble on his account, done a lot of traveling in a short period of time.
He finishes the steak in a couple of bites that are just a little too big, washes his hands - after a moment of peering at the faucet before waving his hand under it makes the water come on - and, just this once, leaves his dishes in the sink.]
C'mon. [He rests a hand on Tony's shoulder.] You should go to bed. The rest of the tour can wait.
[ "most people don't like it when their boss falls asleep during his meetings," tony deadpans about the plane trip. he goes unheeded and watches simba quickly finish up with a perplexed tilt of his head, then blinks in surprise when faced with the compassion in the gion's eyes again. in a moment of weakness, tony thinks, bed sounds nice, and imagines the feel of his sheets and wrapping his arms around his squishiest pillow. but he purses his mouth and squares his shoulders, shifting them back under the massive paw-hand. he can hang on till everything is done. that's what caffeine is for. ]
Actually, it can't. Pepper's here first thing in the morning, so you need to be set before then, [ tony explains. ] But hey, since you're done eating, we're one step closer.
[He looks a little exasperated when Tony refuses to sleep, and the tuft of his tail twitches around his paws, brushing against the tile.]
Just show me where to sleep, [he retorts lightly.] I can handle the rest. [He can't imagine what else he needs other than sanitary arrangements - and he can deal with that if left to his own devices.]
[ tony sips more of his coffee and motions to the hallway. ] That was our next stop, anyway. Let's go. [ when he pushes off the counter, he's more sluggish than before, expressions and movements much less animated (less wired) than when they arrived. carrying his mug with, tony stubborns his way into a stroll, gaining speed and ease with each step. it's all kinetic energy. just gotta keep moving. ]
[He picks up the sheet - he'll swap it for the towel later - and follows Tony, who keeps indicating points of interest as they walk. His keen gaze tracks his movements, and he notes how sluggish he seems to be. He follows him to one of the downstairs bedrooms and glances around. In spite of the minimalist decor, he suspects that everything in here is more expensive than he really wants to know about, and he has a moment where he feels a bit like a bull in a china shop.]
Any surprises I should know about, or are beds still normal?
[He eyes the bed. As big as it is, it's still not big enough for him if he stretches out - maybe if he curls up, but he's pretty damn bulky. He's not going to mention that to Tony.]
[ tony has lead him to the bedroom opposite of the one whose windows overlook the pool. people (pepper) are less likely to try to enter it. he lingers in the door frame and sips more coffee. ] Lie down and find out.
[ better than a rock and grass, at any rate, tony drawls mentally, remembering the bed in simba's den. from here he should check if simba's comfortable, and then, provided that, head down to the workshop and finish his checklist. he should, but ... that look in simba's eyes, the one from the poolside and again in the kitchen. that look has imprinted onto his memory. tony wants to attribute some deeper meaning or emotion to it than plain kindness, some reason or–or ulterior motive, maybe, and if he watches simba closely enough he could catch a slip-up, an indication before it's too late and he's left with even more holes in his chest–
no, that's ... that's not true. simba doesn't play things that way. he'd probably be a terrible liar like pepper, too. tony's just tired. letting his eyes shut, he tips back the mug and swallows like he's emptying a glass of alcohol. ]
I still think you look like you need this more than I do, [he quips, gesturing to the bed. It's true, though; Tony looks exhausted, like he's running on fumes, and he feels the instinctive need to take care of him.]
[ tony allows himself a second more of eyes closed after he polishes off his coffee. then, whatever needy trance that held him broken, he says, ] That one's yours. I'll get in mine soon enough. You good here?
[ of course he does. tony opens his mouth, but he can't muster up the energy to wisecrack or even his curiosity about what's in the pack, so he just mutters, "okay," turns to the hallway, back the way they came, and walks. the trek there he gives succinct, blunt answers to anything simba says, and if simba runs ahead, he'll find he's locked out of the workshop; the sealed glass-paneled door won't budge. it's the one area in the house he doesn't have free access to.
once tony arrives, he easily opens it. he seems to stand a little taller inside, like he's finally found fresh air despite the faint smell of metal and oil. he leaves the empty mug on a table. ] Okay, grab it and go. Daddy's got work.
[He stops in the middle of stooping to pick up his pack to give Tony a strange look, then shakes his head. Never mind, he doesn't want to know.]
Tell me you're going to go to bed soon. [He cradles the pack in his arms as he turns to look at Tony, and there's concern in his eyes. Tony might be more energetic now, but he still needs sleep.]
[ tony's already at the table where the armor has been laid out in pieces, the larger sections leaning against the legs. he picks up the cuirass and inspects it. ] Uh-huh. [ muttered: ] Back to fabrication with you.
[He's pretty sure he doesn't believe that, but there's not much he can do about it short of pinning Tony down and sleeping on top of him. So instead, he shrugs and heads back up to his room.
First, he tucks the pack away in a corner of the closet, then swaps his towel for the sheet Tony gave him. With everything in order, he squeezes onto the bed in a curled up ball, but he can't get comfortable; first he pushes the entire bed up against the wall so he has the feeling of being surrounded on one side, like he's used to. It's better, but still not enough, and it takes him far too long to realize that the bed is too soft. He feels like he's sinking into the mattress, like it's quicksand - and while he can see where it would be considered comfortable, for someone who's not used to sleeping in a bed at all, it's smothering.
With a sigh, he moves the bed back into place and pulls the blankets and pillows off. A closet in the room yields a couple more blankets, and while it's not as thick as his nest of grass, it's a damn sight better than the bare concrete in Siberia. He nestles into the soft bedding, marveling at the feeling of an actual pillow under his head (well, part of his head), and finally drifts off to sleep.]
[ "good morning," jarvis's pleasant british voice sounds out hours later once sunlight has brightened the house. "it's 7am. the weather in malibu is..." he continues factually on about the temperature, the high and low, the cloud cover and surfing conditions. after that, his morning report to the two waking occupants in the house differs: downstairs, simba gets notified of jarvis's assistance in navigating around visitors, and also that he has yet to set his home preferences (alarms, room temperatures, lighting, preferred tv channels and websites, etc). meanwhile upstairs, tony, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, is told that miss potts is preparing breakfast.
so the day begins. the gion hears from tony only through jarvis. he'll be back tonight, jarvis says. the woman named pepper potts stays around the house, mostly in the eastern wings. at one point, outside simba's closed door, he can hear her and another man passing through the opposite bedroom. "–bits of straw and hair floating all over the pool," he's saying. her response is a steadfastly professional, "i find it best not to ask," before their voices and footsteps fade away again. finally in the late afternoon jarvis tells simba of her leaving and that there's a delivery of meat stocked in the now-crowded fridge: cuts of steak, a ham, and a turkey.
night rolls around. tony returns alone dressed in a full suit and tie, which he pulls loose the moment he's inside. ] Honey, I'm home! [ he calls out. "welcome home, sir," jarvis answers, but for once he isn't the honey tony meant. ]
[He blinks awake at the smooth British voice, reminds himself of Tony's...whatever. Invisible butler. "Too goddamn early," is the only preference he offers. "In fact, don't give me any alarms unless I ask for them." He hesitates, and then adds a "Please," because he doesn't want to come across as too brusque. But that doesn't keep him from rolling over and going back to sleep until Jarvis tells him it's safe to come out. He makes a few steaks and wolfs them down, then eyes the turkey. It looks complicated. Maybe Tony will have a better idea of what to do with it.
After that, he paces around the house, as much for something to do as anything else. At one point, he sprawls out on the faux fur rug in the living room and takes a nap in the late afternoon sunlight that slants across the floor.
When Tony comes home, he's cutting slices off the ham - still cold - and eating them. As big as the ham is, he's already demolished over half of it, and he doesn't show any signs of stopping.]
[ tony enters the kitchen stripped down to his slacks and shirt, cuffs and top button undone, and his dress shoes replaced with sneakers. some rogue bangs have loosened from his hairstyle and his face is flushed from a wash. ] I know that it takes too long, [ he answers easily, making for the fridge. he pauses, the door opened, then holds out a grabby hand at a slice of the smoked ham. he looks expectant. ]
[He takes Tony's look in and, for a second, forgets all about turkeys, and nearly forgets about the ham. Then he remembers what he's doing and neatly cuts a slice off, proffering it briefly on the point of the knife before he pulls it back.]
Where are your manners? Say please.
[Yes, Tony's being lectured about manners by a guy who spent decades living in a cave.]
[ tony narrows his eyes when teased, more assessing than angry. when that passes he tilts his head, looking at simba from the corner of his eyes, too prideful to bend. ] I'm not begging for table scraps. Gimme.
[He just snorts and extends the slice again. At least he's asking - sort of - instead of wordlessly demanding. That's probably about as good as he's going to get (and, to be fair, he's a guest in Tony's home, he shouldn't expect anything). But also-]
You this nice to all your guests?
[Also, he can't help being sassy, even though he knows damn well Tony's gone above and beyond to accommodate his needs.]
[ tony snatches the slice with a triumphant "thank you" and folds it whole into his mouth. even chewing and his mouth full, he shoots simba a closed, smug grin. sorry, can't answer, enjoying his victory ham. ]
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Hope you don't mind my table manners, [he adds dryly before he picks the steak up and bites into it. A fork and knife aren't really an option for him - while he can certainly hold the utensils, they're laughably small and mostly useless.]
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You don't need to stay up on my account.
[Well, he kind of had, but surely he can sleep now, right?]
You didn't catch any shut-eye on the plane?
[Although, he realizes, even if he had, Tony's gone to a lot of trouble on his account, done a lot of traveling in a short period of time.
He finishes the steak in a couple of bites that are just a little too big, washes his hands - after a moment of peering at the faucet before waving his hand under it makes the water come on - and, just this once, leaves his dishes in the sink.]
C'mon. [He rests a hand on Tony's shoulder.] You should go to bed. The rest of the tour can wait.
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Actually, it can't. Pepper's here first thing in the morning, so you need to be set before then, [ tony explains. ] But hey, since you're done eating, we're one step closer.
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Just show me where to sleep, [he retorts lightly.] I can handle the rest. [He can't imagine what else he needs other than sanitary arrangements - and he can deal with that if left to his own devices.]
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Any surprises I should know about, or are beds still normal?
[He eyes the bed. As big as it is, it's still not big enough for him if he stretches out - maybe if he curls up, but he's pretty damn bulky. He's not going to mention that to Tony.]
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Fancy.
[And when he pulls it away, there's still a pawprint on the mattress before it slooooowly regains its shape.]
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no, that's ... that's not true. simba doesn't play things that way. he'd probably be a terrible liar like pepper, too. tony's just tired. letting his eyes shut, he tips back the mug and swallows like he's emptying a glass of alcohol. ]
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I need to get my pack from the basement.
[He looks like he's going to dash out of the room right now, except Tony's in the way.]
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once tony arrives, he easily opens it. he seems to stand a little taller inside, like he's finally found fresh air despite the faint smell of metal and oil. he leaves the empty mug on a table. ] Okay, grab it and go. Daddy's got work.
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[He stops in the middle of stooping to pick up his pack to give Tony a strange look, then shakes his head. Never mind, he doesn't want to know.]
Tell me you're going to go to bed soon. [He cradles the pack in his arms as he turns to look at Tony, and there's concern in his eyes. Tony might be more energetic now, but he still needs sleep.]
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First, he tucks the pack away in a corner of the closet, then swaps his towel for the sheet Tony gave him. With everything in order, he squeezes onto the bed in a curled up ball, but he can't get comfortable; first he pushes the entire bed up against the wall so he has the feeling of being surrounded on one side, like he's used to. It's better, but still not enough, and it takes him far too long to realize that the bed is too soft. He feels like he's sinking into the mattress, like it's quicksand - and while he can see where it would be considered comfortable, for someone who's not used to sleeping in a bed at all, it's smothering.
With a sigh, he moves the bed back into place and pulls the blankets and pillows off. A closet in the room yields a couple more blankets, and while it's not as thick as his nest of grass, it's a damn sight better than the bare concrete in Siberia. He nestles into the soft bedding, marveling at the feeling of an actual pillow under his head (well, part of his head), and finally drifts off to sleep.]
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so the day begins. the gion hears from tony only through jarvis. he'll be back tonight, jarvis says. the woman named pepper potts stays around the house, mostly in the eastern wings. at one point, outside simba's closed door, he can hear her and another man passing through the opposite bedroom. "–bits of straw and hair floating all over the pool," he's saying. her response is a steadfastly professional, "i find it best not to ask," before their voices and footsteps fade away again. finally in the late afternoon jarvis tells simba of her leaving and that there's a delivery of meat stocked in the now-crowded fridge: cuts of steak, a ham, and a turkey.
night rolls around. tony returns alone dressed in a full suit and tie, which he pulls loose the moment he's inside. ] Honey, I'm home! [ he calls out. "welcome home, sir," jarvis answers, but for once he isn't the honey tony meant. ]
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After that, he paces around the house, as much for something to do as anything else. At one point, he sprawls out on the faux fur rug in the living room and takes a nap in the late afternoon sunlight that slants across the floor.
When Tony comes home, he's cutting slices off the ham - still cold - and eating them. As big as the ham is, he's already demolished over half of it, and he doesn't show any signs of stopping.]
What do you know about cooking turkey?
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Where are your manners? Say please.
[Yes, Tony's being lectured about manners by a guy who spent decades living in a cave.]
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You this nice to all your guests?
[Also, he can't help being sassy, even though he knows damn well Tony's gone above and beyond to accommodate his needs.]
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