Return to Malibu - PSL for Arthur

[starknaked]

After certain delightful interludes in the office, as well as teasing the pointman rather mercilessly on the plane ride back to Malibu through teasing looks and comments that wouldn't mean much to anyone but him and Arthur, Tony found himself ready to do nothing but avoid work.

Which left him in a precarious position because he wasn't entirely trying to avoid Arthur.

Sleeping in, he had taken calls he couldn't avoid, made one to Mal that revealed nothing but was designed to ensure she wanted to know more. Having planted that idea in her head, he considered his options. In the end, he went down to the lab.

Surrounded by work, by Dummy and parts and things that could well explode, the chances were good that even if Arthur did seek him out, this would not be a place for the sort of work they were meant to do. It wasn't that he didn't want his mind militarized and protected to keep the suit safe. It was that he was certain that Arthur would do his job, do it quickly and efficiently, and he wasn't quite sure he was ready to let him leave his life. Not yet.

Comments

[starknaked]

"I will accept either answer for a thousand, Alex," he said, trying to make it sound like a lighthearted joked. He listened, taking a drink. Right until his gaze stuck on the movement of Arthur's tongue.

"I'm sorry, are you speaking? I missed everything you just said because, yeah, tongue."

He smiled though, having heard it all. "Not as long as me. Good to know."

[specification]

Arthur couldn't help it, he laughed. "Now I know the perfect way to distract you," he mused, jokingly. If he were honest, he had probably already known that since Friday evening.

"No, not as long as you. How long as it been for you? Not just male but either gender?"

[starknaked]

“You walked into a room and I stole you away from a party and stripped you down and you’re just now catching on how to distract me,” he asked, arching a brow in good natured humour.

Tony went quiet at that, considering. “For sex, two days before you. Female. Relationship though?” He paused, putting some time into that question. “We’re talking a few years. Anything with a guy, nearly five… Maybe six,” he admitted, thinking about it. “His name was Ethan. Which is more than I can say about most of the women in my life.” Names had never been his strong suit, after all.

[specification]

Arthur licked at his bottom lip again, remembering that evening. "It was a good party," Arthur mused, not ashamed that Tony had taken him just feet away from a party. As they both had agreed on, they didn't do this with just anyone else. For Arthur, he never did anything like that.

He nodded, a small smile curling on his lips. "It's fairly new for both of us then," he concluded. "We play it by ear, do what we can to see each other when the time allows." Perhaps go somewhere that the two of them could be alone and not worry about anyone else.

[starknaked]

Tony wondered if that little lick was intentional or just a habit of Arthur's he was going to have to get used to. Used to or using because he can, and because Arthur wanted him to.

He liked knowing that Arthur didn't do this with just anyone. If he wasn't that up to this, wasn't doing it every other week, he didn't want to think that Arthur was and would move on. It would pay him back though, wouldn't it? If Arthur used him like he had so many women?

"It bother you I like the idea of not just fucking you senseless and walking on," he asked, putting it just about as bluntly as he could.

[specification]

Part of it had been intentional and another part of it had been pure reflex as he had thought about Friday night. Arthur liked how Tony's eyes were drawn to it though. It had been so long since he'd had a man like this -- well no, any man or woman who paid that much attention to something as simple as his lips.

Arthur arched a brow. "I doubt we'd be here if it bothered me," he mused. "After all, you did fuck me senseless on Friday."

[starknaked]

"And it's been a whole ... not even a week," he said, laughing playfully. "I don't know..."

Tony sighed because dammit but this was emotions and words and he sucked at them.

"Whatever is going on here, I want to keep it going. Okay? Yeah, it sucks because we have to keep it quiet because I'm not ready to face that and the press. Besides, you can't be in the press' eye. So it would be quiet and us, and things like this but I'm curious to see."

See what he wasn't even sure.

[specification]

"It's only been two days," Arthur corrected with a chuckle.

He watched the man across from him for a long moment as he took a sip from his drink. Arthur wasn't particularly skilled in things like this either so he could relate. It was both scary and reassuring that Tony wanted to try this as much as Arthur wanted to. It didn't really bother him that they had to keep it quiet. Well -- it did and it didn't at the same time. Arthur wasn't the type to broadcast out loud who he was with and/or sleeping with. He kept his personal life that, personal. But it did suck that they couldn't just go out without worrying if the press will see them or not.

Arthur nodded. "I want that as well," he said and set his drink down onto the table. "We can do things like this, meet up at different places and take vacations together." He wanted to see where this went - where it could go.

[starknaked]

"Two days," he repeated, rolling his eyes and shrugging. "That's a whole less than a week," he pointed out, knowing it was just being pedantic.

"Good. I wasn't sure how you would feel dealing with the secrets and hiding from the paparazzi and all. It gets tiresome after a while. I can and will warn you of that. If things get to where you just aren't enjoying it, no harm, no foul. Got it," he asked, arching a brow. It
seemed only fair to warn him and make it all clear. He wasn't going to hold things against Arthur because even for Tony sometimes it was difficult being Tony Stark.

[specification]

Arthur grinned and watched him.

He shook his head and turned his glass around on the table. "No, I have no problem with secrets," he admitted. "They're a part of my job and as such, I'm just fine with them and being inconspicuous about things." Arthur appreciated it though that Tony wanted to warn him and be clear about it.

Arthur watched as their waitress for the evening brought over the appetizers that they had ordered. It did look very good.

[starknaked]

“Good. So then. I say we flip a coin,” he said, as if the reason was logical that he would say that. In fact he shifted, digging into his pocket for one as the appetizer was brought up. He held the coin poised.

“Heads, you tell Mallorie. Tails, I’ll do it,” he said, tossing it into the air.

[specification]

His eyebrows rose, not sure what he had meant by that until Tony had said those words. "You know, by secret, they don't normally involve telling anyone else," he teased. Course, Mallorie wasn't just anyone else and they both knew that. She was, after all, the reason they were here.

"If we wanted to be daring, we could just tell her together," he said, taking a sip of his drink but watching the coin flip.

[starknaked]

“Don’t tell Mallorie,” he asked, not showing the coin as he caught it. “Is that your choice? So when she finds out, which she will, I tell her you thought secret meant we didn’t tell her?” He leaned part way across the table, stage whispering to Arthur. “You don’t fear her,” he asked, wide eyed and stunned.

Though he grinned then, slipping the coin in his pocket. “Together it is. And secret means we accept Mallorie and Pepper will know.” He couldn’t keep a damn thing from Pepper, and he knew it.

[specification]

Arthur blinked and bit back the urge to laugh. "Okay, maybe a little," he grinned and putting some of the appetizer onto his plate. He chuckled and shook his head. "So secret means that Mallorie and Pepper will know," Arthur agreed with a nod. They couldn't exactly keep anything from either of them and he realized that.

"I can only imagine what Mal will say once we tell her."

[starknaked]

"Mallorie hits people with her shoe," he noted, taking a bit of the appetizer for himself. If he was going to keep drinking, he needed food. "People that hit with shoes are feared. That and Pepper owns most of my company technically. Not risking that," he added with a smile, taking a bite. "Always forget how good their food is."

Tony laughed, shaking his head. "I told you so will likely be up there."

[specification]

Arthur winced before he laughed. "No, true - and her shoes hurt," he admitted with a grin. Those heels could do some serious damage if they hit in the right place. Arthur took a bite and made a soft noise in appreciation. "It's very good," he agreed.

"When should we call her?"

[starknaked]

"What is with her wearing those pointy heels? French or not, you wear sneakers if you're going to throw things," he said breezily, taking another bite. "Glad you enjoy it. I admit, I wasn't sure the place to choose. Sometimes when people say they will eat anything, they don't want anything but they'll eat it. I wanted you to enjoy tonight,' he admitted.

"Perhaps tonight. Before work starts?"

[specification]

"And you know from experience, don't you," Arthur asked, watching him with a small grin. He took another bite. Once he swallowed it and took a sip from his drink, he looked at him. "I am enjoying tonight. I've enjoyed the entire day."

He nodded. "She'd get upset if we wait until later to tell her." Which, of course, brought him to the dinner he was supposed to have with the Cobb's on Friday. "Wonder how much Cobb would be upset if you came to dinner with me on Friday," he mused out loud.

[starknaked]

"if you're insinuating that she isn't the first woman to be mad enough at me to heave shoes at me, then you'd be right." He wouldn't think to count just how often it had happened, shoes or otherwise. "That is what I wanted so then I can definitely enjoy," he said with a wink.

"She would. That would definitely...' And with that Stark came to a screeching stop. "Oh God, this is the best and worst moment ever. Yes. Do this."

[specification]

"I was insinuating that, yes," Arthur agreed with a laugh. He really had enjoyed himself and frankly he was still surprised by how much he enjoyed himself with this man sitting across from him. It wasn't what he had imagined when he was on the phone with Mal last week or even while he was on the phone with Tony Stark.

Arthur took a bite of his food and laughed. He finished off his food before wiping his mouth off. "I think it would be interesting," he admitted. "We'll talk it over with Mallorie later."

[starknaked]

Tony liked the ease with which they laughed, that Arthur wanted nothing from Tony but for him to work when it was time to work. It was so unique in his world, in all he had known, that he wanted to keep it for as long as he could.

"So, would you introduce me as your date," he asked, curious. And loving the mental image of Cobb's face if he did.

[specification]

"You would be my date," he said. Though, hadn't he told Mallorie that by 'we' he meant the kids and Mal and Cobb? Things can change. They'd talk to her tonight to see what she'd say but he could only imagine the look on Cobb's face. "I imagine Cobb may have an aneurysm," he mused. Truly, Arthur couldn't help it. He liked the man like a brother but it was fun to see all the facial expressions the man was capable of.

[starknaked]

"Well then." Opening up as a couple. Course it was to Mallorie, and she'd be sure that Cobb didn't say shit, but it was still as a couple. "I think we should look into it." Meaning ask her about it.

"So I know you and Mallorie are close. You and Cobb friends or just work together?"

[specification]

It had been far too easy to think about opening up as a couple or even as introducing Tony as his date but it was Mal and Cobb. They wouldn't be able to act like a couple in public but they would at least both know that they were doing this together. It was...scary as fuck, if he were honest.

"We'll ask her about it," he agreed with a smile.

"I was introduced to her first but over time, I've grown to be friends with Cobb," Arthur admitted. "He's a good man for and to her."

[starknaked]

Tony nodded. He'd gone from single and for all the world as heterosexual to planning a date night with friends of his. Well, friend. The other he only trusted because Mallorie did, and given how much he trusted her, he'd deal with Cobb and not worry about him outing him.

"You brought home other boys to their house," he asked, curious and honest in the way he asked it.

"He's good to her," he agreed. "Not sure I like him much though. Not just because he doesn't like me."