"Not really, that was...giving you somewhere to crash. I can compartmentalize my attraction to people when I need to." And with Bruce? He'd needed to. The longer he'd thought about it (all of five minutes of truly deep thinking on the way to the lab while he recategorized their entire interaction and his observations accordingly) the more he'd been able to rationalize the offer as an extension of safety Bruce hand't had a chance to hold onto since the accident. Ross wouldn't act against Stark overtly and- it'd seemed like a good idea at the time. Nevermind how fucking Lonely Bruce had been.

Now, though, here on the porch with the weather starting to turn in the dead of night; he wasn't reconsidering his offer so much as wondering why the boundaries never changed- or why he never explained in full the delicate balance he and Pepper kept, the lines they drew, what he was and wasn't allowed to get away with.

He didn't miss the roil of- revulsion? Horror. Disappointment, probably because Pepper loved Bruce, Bruce loved Pepper and of course he'd have opinions. Delicately, tactfully Tony stretched his arms overhead, rolling his shoulders and popping his spine in such a way as to move a few inches away. Give Bruce the breathing room he desperately needed, wanted, but seemed to refuse to take in favor of pretending he wasn't bothered. "I don't bring him here, Bruce. You live here, that'd be fucking rude. So you won't have to worry about socks on a door knob."