"I'm not asking you to. Just be you. I only ever need you to be you." Trying to pull double or triple duty as his support network was asking for a migraine, a burnout, and an emotional implosion simultaneously. All things Bruce was more or less due- and more or less able to have now that he didn't need to worry about managing The Other Guy. He could get angry. He could lash out- it might even be healthy for him to but-
Turning it all inward? Only twisted Tony's gut. He- made a bad call, probably. Taking it back wouldn't change what happened and he knew himself well enough to know that he...probably won't quit if the system keeps working.
It doesn't mean anything. It was an easily obtained chemical cocktail to unwind him managed in the simplest way possible. "It's complicated." The Stark Default response when shit in fact was complicated- but also when they didn't feel like unpacking the hows or whys or depths of their motivation. Some lessons from Howard stuck. Two words for an hour's worth of explanation. "She might not but- I wouldn't discourage it. Jealousy isn't a thing for me."
Not in the same way it was for other people. Did he feel it? Sure. Did he let it devour him? No, it gave way to the rationalization that he didn't deserve her and it was due to come around eventually anyway- so. "But that doesn't necessarily mean it wouldn't be a thing for her. Bull's not on the exclusive short list of allowed deviations."
Mostly because Pepper didn't know him or know of him, he was't a thing back home. An argument could be made, maybe, but- he'd stepped out of bounds here. "You can though, is the thing. Get emphatic. Get upset. You're able to if you need to- about this or anything else. Arguments get loud but you and I both now we'll work it out. I mean- you didn't walk away from me over Ross. I think we're rock solid." In so many ways. He squeezed Bruce's hand back, huffing quietly. "Bruce- you're my friend. I don't have many of those. You don't need to give me orgasms or distract me from my own brain. You don't need to worry about me getting sick of you."
no subject
Turning it all inward? Only twisted Tony's gut. He- made a bad call, probably. Taking it back wouldn't change what happened and he knew himself well enough to know that he...probably won't quit if the system keeps working.
It doesn't mean anything. It was an easily obtained chemical cocktail to unwind him managed in the simplest way possible. "It's complicated." The Stark Default response when shit in fact was complicated- but also when they didn't feel like unpacking the hows or whys or depths of their motivation. Some lessons from Howard stuck. Two words for an hour's worth of explanation. "She might not but- I wouldn't discourage it. Jealousy isn't a thing for me."
Not in the same way it was for other people. Did he feel it? Sure. Did he let it devour him? No, it gave way to the rationalization that he didn't deserve her and it was due to come around eventually anyway- so. "But that doesn't necessarily mean it wouldn't be a thing for her. Bull's not on the exclusive short list of allowed deviations."
Mostly because Pepper didn't know him or know of him, he was't a thing back home. An argument could be made, maybe, but- he'd stepped out of bounds here. "You can though, is the thing. Get emphatic. Get upset. You're able to if you need to- about this or anything else. Arguments get loud but you and I both now we'll work it out. I mean- you didn't walk away from me over Ross. I think we're rock solid." In so many ways. He squeezed Bruce's hand back, huffing quietly. "Bruce- you're my friend. I don't have many of those. You don't need to give me orgasms or distract me from my own brain. You don't need to worry about me getting sick of you."