Only Moreso - Hypomania - 3/3
Series title: Only Moreso - Hypomania
Rating: T
Genre: angst, drama
Fandom: Marvel-199999
Warnings: more mental illness stigma, off screen mention of Tony being tortured (although this chapter proper is pretty much warning free)
Summary: He covers his chest with a palm and winces. "That stings, Rhodey, that hurts my heart. But seriously, my time could be better spent in the lab."
"Right," Rhodey says dryly, "because you spend every waking minute in the lab when you're in a mood like this, instead of drinking and chasing skirts."
"And pants." Tony gives Rhodey a pleased-with-himself smirk. He's not even going to deny that he's in a mood (because he is; he's learned to recognize the signs over the years and how to cope with it). "Don't forget I chase pants, too."
Rhodey rolls his eyes.
A/n: The last two sections are gonna be Steve/Tony, so if that ain't your bag, this is last call for alcohol gen (such as this has ever been gen). Also, this section is very short but hey, I make up for it with Depression, I promise.
The thing about these moods is that they're seductive. If Tony could, he'd probably spend the rest of his life like this. He doesn't need to sleep much and the entire world is acquires the perfect glossy shine of the excitingly new. It burns magnesium-bright in his head, throwing his ideas into high relief, and he feels like he can do anything. It's the like best high in the world; nothing can touch him, he's perfect, and Lady Luck is smiling on everything he does.
The thing about these moods is they don't last. The light goes out and Tony always comes back down to Earth, back to his small and disappointingly human body. He remembers his limitations and has to pick up after himself. Well, Pepper's the one who actually cleans up after him, but it's when Tony realizes he's left a disaster in his wake; there's often a PR disaster or two and it's not unheard of for sex tapes to pop up on the internet featuring him and people who are far too young for him. The first couple week after he comes down, he avoids his lab as much as possible because he knows there's going to be an enormous mess and an overwhelming number of incomplete projects he doesn't want to even look at.
It's not a crash -- those are different and make him want to hide -- but it's a let down after living life sped up in a beautiful and flawless world. Tony finds he needs to sweep out the magnesium ash out of his head before he can face the world again.
This, of course, is what usually happens. This time when Tony touches down again, it's like the ceiling drops in on him. Memories of the cave and Yinsen and the arc reactor and Obie and being paralyzed on the couch all crowd in him and he is so thankful a crash didn't follow the high this time. It's hard enough to stay afloat as it is. If it had been a crash that followed, Tony knows he'd be drowning.
Depression >>
Rating: T
Genre: angst, drama
Fandom: Marvel-199999
Warnings: more mental illness stigma, off screen mention of Tony being tortured (although this chapter proper is pretty much warning free)
Summary: He covers his chest with a palm and winces. "That stings, Rhodey, that hurts my heart. But seriously, my time could be better spent in the lab."
"Right," Rhodey says dryly, "because you spend every waking minute in the lab when you're in a mood like this, instead of drinking and chasing skirts."
"And pants." Tony gives Rhodey a pleased-with-himself smirk. He's not even going to deny that he's in a mood (because he is; he's learned to recognize the signs over the years and how to cope with it). "Don't forget I chase pants, too."
Rhodey rolls his eyes.
A/n: The last two sections are gonna be Steve/Tony, so if that ain't your bag, this is last call for alcohol gen (such as this has ever been gen). Also, this section is very short but hey, I make up for it with Depression, I promise.
The thing about these moods is that they're seductive. If Tony could, he'd probably spend the rest of his life like this. He doesn't need to sleep much and the entire world is acquires the perfect glossy shine of the excitingly new. It burns magnesium-bright in his head, throwing his ideas into high relief, and he feels like he can do anything. It's the like best high in the world; nothing can touch him, he's perfect, and Lady Luck is smiling on everything he does.
The thing about these moods is they don't last. The light goes out and Tony always comes back down to Earth, back to his small and disappointingly human body. He remembers his limitations and has to pick up after himself. Well, Pepper's the one who actually cleans up after him, but it's when Tony realizes he's left a disaster in his wake; there's often a PR disaster or two and it's not unheard of for sex tapes to pop up on the internet featuring him and people who are far too young for him. The first couple week after he comes down, he avoids his lab as much as possible because he knows there's going to be an enormous mess and an overwhelming number of incomplete projects he doesn't want to even look at.
It's not a crash -- those are different and make him want to hide -- but it's a let down after living life sped up in a beautiful and flawless world. Tony finds he needs to sweep out the magnesium ash out of his head before he can face the world again.
This, of course, is what usually happens. This time when Tony touches down again, it's like the ceiling drops in on him. Memories of the cave and Yinsen and the arc reactor and Obie and being paralyzed on the couch all crowd in him and he is so thankful a crash didn't follow the high this time. It's hard enough to stay afloat as it is. If it had been a crash that followed, Tony knows he'd be drowning.
Depression >>