003 ACTION; The Hunger-pains of Teddy Altman, aged 17 3/4

[teddyalt_man]

[Action to Avengers household, Tony specifically]

He'd snuck down before. He'd had to. Mostly for food, mostly because being in his room all the time was driving him mad. He felt... like some sort of weird prisoner, not wanting to be seen. He wasn't, he knew no one was keeping him locked anywhere. It was just easier, not to speak to anyone. He didn'

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[notbuiltforthis]

[Unfortunately for Teddy, Pepper also knows how to ask JJ if anyone is around, and she asked her closest friend the AI to let her know if Teddy ever did leave his room. When JJ alerted her that the teenager had made his way into the kitchen, she gave him a moment before slipping down the stairs and in after him.]

Teddy.

[teddyalt_man]

[He jumps, turning quickly just as the knife he was using clatters to the floor. He didn't bother turning all the lights on, just the little ones under the cupboards, and so the kitchen is bathed in a sort of frighteningly poor light. It makes him seem very pale. And Pepper is illuminated by the lights behind her. And doesn't she just look like some Avenging Angel?

It takes him a moment to get his brain and mouth to work in tandum, and when they do, all he can manage is one word. Pepper is... possibly the last person he wanted to see. Even less so than Tony. This can't end well.]

Hi?

[notbuiltforthis]

[She should look like a worried guardian angel, as she isn't entirely sure if that paleness if from the lack of light or because he hasn't eaten in days.]

...Hi? How are you?

[teddyalt_man]

[Probably a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B, Pepper. He's not really been himself.]

I... I'm good. I mean... I... I.. I'm sorry. For what I did.

[He steps away from the counter, cheese sandwich forgotten.] I was done in here. I'll just... tidy up and... get out from under your feet.

[teddyalt_man]

[Teddy has seen the boy about, smaller and younger than himself and the two have never exchanged words, if only because Teddy didn't... know much about what he should say. The kid doesn't seem like the talkative type. And that's okay, because Teddy doesn't think he's much of a conversationalist right now.

He pauses in the act of making his sandwich, looking at the young man raid the fridge. Apparently he wasn't the only one in the house who was hungry]

[teddyalt_man]

[Teddy watches the little guy with... something of a frown. The smile made him feel a bit better but even so...

It's pretty obvious what he's looking for though, and Teddy knows he's in front of the pan cupboard. He shifts, pulling one out that seems about the right size and hands it over.]

There. Er... I'm Teddy.

[ironfail]

[Tony was starting to hate the kitchen. Every time he wanted to avoid someone, he ran into them in the kitchen. It was like a curse. It'd been another long couple of days in the workshop though, working on anything and everything just to take his mind off things, and he'd finally given in to the need to eat food that wasn't granola bars and energy drinks. It was the middle of the night, he reasoned. The chances of him running into anyone else was way slim. So he dragged himself upstairs, not bothering to clean up the grease and sweat and grime that had accumulated from several days of work and not bathing. He looked like a hobo and he didn't fucking care. Because he wasn't going to run into anyone -

Damn. Screw this kitchen.

He has about three seconds to decide whether to run back out of the kitchen or pretend like he doesn't even notice Teddy. Unfortunately, he has a feeling Pepper would frown at either of these options, so he sighs and tries his best not to act totally awkward.] Hey.

[teddyalt_man]

[Teddy had noticed Tony as soon as the man had appeared in the doorway, and he'd not been able to move. It was like a deer and a truck, Teddy was just sort of hypnotized into standing there even though every logical reaction screamed that he should run run run. Maybe Tony was just passing through, on his way somewhere else. Maybe he was sleep-walking and hadn't seen Teddy at all. Maybe this was just some evil Tony-robot here to kill Teddy and right now it was just warming up the lasers...

Or maybe not. Maybe it really was Tony Stark. Awake, even if he smelt like a dead thing.]

I... er... Hi.

[And with that, Teddy backs away slightly, towards the most distant corner, just in case. More distance means he's less likely to do something stupid.]

[ironfail]

[Tony sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. He sees you backing away, Teddy, that's a bit of an extreme reaction. And he's not gonna cut you any slack. Casually walking over to the fridge, he opens it and pokes around for something quick and easy to make.] I see you've finally come out of your hide-y hole.

[teddyalt_man]

[Yes, he has, but right now he wants to run right back up there. It's just he can't get there without passing Tony.]

Yeah I... I was hungry.

[Then there's a couple of deep breaths]

I'm really really sorry about what I did.