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]

“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."

[specification]

Arthur looked at him after finishing his bite and shook his head. "No, I've never brought anyone over to them," he said, honestly. "Told you, It's been a long time since I've done anything like this."

He paused and tilted his head. "I only suggested it because of our mutual connection to Mallorie. I know we're supposed to keep this private."

It didn't mean that he wasn't nervous about it. It did make this a lot more serious but he felt that if they were going to call her and tell her, they might as well go all in.

[starknaked]

"Arthur..." He considered things and then stood up. Hell, they had the place to themselves, after all.

Moving around the table, he leaned down to kiss him softly. "I'm touched, okay? And I suck at emotions. But this is your friends, both of them, and you know how he feels about me. I'm touched you want to take me over with you as your date," he said.

Considering a second, he dragged his chair closer and sat back down. "That said, I'll even offer to tell her."

[specification]

He was completely out of his element in this but he knew, logically and realistically that he wasn't the only one and for that he was thankful. Arthur looked up at him and smiled when Tony kissed him. "I'm not exactly great at them either," he admitted.

Arthur watched as Tony brought his chair in closer and allowed his lips to curl up. "Will you?"

[starknaked]

“Great. My first possible long term relationship in a while and I end up with a virgin,” he teased, knowing it was a bad joke but unable to resist. “Guess I’ll learn to live with it,” he said in the tones of one long suffering.

He nodded though at that question. “I will. Over the phone. Not in shoe range.”

[specification]

"You say that as though you yourself are not a virgin," Arthur shot back, good natured. He chuckled and took a sip of his drink before setting it down and picking up his fork. "Yes, you will have to learn to live with it," he smirked and took a bite of his appetizer.

He nodded, thinking of how she would respond. "Tonight," he asked, after swallowing his bite and glancing at Tony. They had decided to call her tonight after all.

[starknaked]

"I'm Tony Stark. I think it's a crime to talk about me and that word in the same sentence," he teased, taking another bite. "I supposed I can learn. I'm told I'm actually kind of a genius."

Taking a drink, watching Arthur. "She's going to be fine with it," he said, assuring one of them. He just wasn't sure which one.

[specification]

"Being Tony Stark, genius playboy, doesn't exempt you from this," Arthur chuckled and took another bite. "I have faith that you will."

He nodded and looked up from his plate to look at him. "Yeah, she will," he agreed. And if she wasn't, then she'd have to learn to live with it because he was wanting to try this out between them.

[starknaked]

“Of course it does. Built into the term playboy, I believe,” he said as if this was a serious conversation around their meal. The appetizer was cleared as dinner was served table side with Beef Wellington and all the details.

“Cobb though, he’s going to have a fit,” Tony said, relishing the idea.

[specification]

The Beef Wellington looked amazing as did all the fixings and details to go with it. Arthur pulled his gaze away from the food and looked at Tony with a half grin. "And you love that," he surmised. If anything, he sounded downright amused. As he saw it though, what Cobb thought about his relationships didn't particularly matter to him. It was Tony and himself in this relationship, not Cobb and he liked Tony.

He really liked Tony.

[starknaked]

"It makes me happier than you can imagine. Though close to when you agreed to this date," he said, almost looking embarrassed to make that admission.

"I'll even try and behave," he said, emphasizing try. He didn't promise he would, after all.

[specification]

Arthur lifted his gaze and gave him a smile. "The date has been fun - a lot of fun so far," he admitted. It had been a very long time since he could say he had been on a date, let alone, an all day date like they'd had.

He chuckled and took a bite of his food. "And by behave, you mean...," Arthur asked with a quirk of his lips, arching an eyebrow in Tony's direction.

[starknaked]

"I've enjoyed the entire day," he agreed, raising his glass before taking a drink. "And I suspect, while you're in town, it won't be the last. Of course, that does encourage me to try and find where you are and follow you to wherever you are," he tease.

"Not taking you here," he said plainly, taking another drink.