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THIS ROUND IS NOW CLOSED TO NEW PROMPTS.
ROUND NINE WILL OPEN ON SATURDAY THE 14TH.
ROUND EIGHT
closing at 5000 comments
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But they were already there. Sitting in the living room, talking and laughing, the Lord of the Rings playing on the large plasma. They had snacks and drinks already and were sitting all cozy, next to each other and laughing. Laughing.
Today was movie night then. Without Tony.
And Tony wanted nothing more than to ask 'Hey, guys. What's going on?' Wanted nothing more than to just take a few steps more and grin at them, to join them.
But they hadn't invited him. The only day Tony could say yes, and they hadn't invited him. And they already looked so happy, laughing at inside jokes that Tony didn't understand.
Because Tony wasn't on the inside. He was on the outside, watching them have fun without him.
So Tony turned around on his heel and left. He went back down to his workshop, and grabbed the nearest bottle, draining half of it in one go. The alcohol burned going down, but it didn't help ease the tightness in Tony's chest.
Dummy clicked at him worriedly, nudging him gently and Tony smiled sadly, petting the metal arm. Dummy beeped then whirled away. He came back moments later with a soldering iron and the remains of the toaster, setting them down in front of Tony and waiting eagerly for instruction on how he could help.
Tony grinned at him through suddenly wet eyes. “Sure, buddy. Count me in.”
AN: Sorry, but the Team making it up to Tony is beyond me. Hopefully a more qualified author will fill this. [looks pointedly at writers] Please?
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Good story though :)
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Natasha whipped her head around, staring at the empty doorway. Funny, she could have sworn she heard someone there.
"Tasha?" Clint motioned to Bruce to pause the movie. "What is it?"
She shrugged. "I thought I heard Tony."
"Anthony?" Thor boomed. "Our Man of Iron has been occupied for many a week now, aiding this city."
"No, he finished that ages ago. Fury's got him working out a new helicarrier." Clint remembered Tony questioning him about the current one's weak points a few weeks ago. It had been the last time they had talked.
Steve shook his head. "He finished that two days ago, remember?"
"Fury had him yesterday to go over it, yeah." Bruce recalled Tony hurrying out of their team briefing with Hill.
"Well, he probably has a meeting with the Queen, or OsCorp." Tony always had meetings. Natasha had mentioned that Tony was even more occupied then when he was CEO.
"Yo, JARVIS?" Clint had to resist the urge to look at the ceiling while talking to the AI. "What's on Tony's plate for the day?"
"Agent Barton." The computer sounded even more reserved than normal, which was quite the feat. "Master Stark has no engagements until 9 am on Friday."
Bruce put his hand up. "Wait. So Tony's free? Why didn't he let us know?"
The team was silent as the realization sunk in. Steve stood up, Clint jumping as the popcorn bowl clattered to the floor.
"JARVIS. Where is Tony?" He asked.
"My apologies, Captain Rogers," The AI sounded anything but apologetic. "But I am not at liberty to reveal Master Stark's whereabout."
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XDD This is more than okay! This smells awesome! [hugz]
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"Again, Agent Barton, I am not at liberty to say."
Steve sighed. "So then, yes. Yes he did."
"Friends!" Thor's eyes darted from Avenger to Avenger, taking in the worried faces of Bruce and Natasha. "Anthony is a great hero and a good man. A simple misunderstanding surely is no cause for such alarm?"
"Thor," Natasha's eyes had gone dark. "This is Tony. With abandonment issues to rival the New York pound, enough self-worth issues to fill a psychiatric journal, a dramatic streak to rival your brother's, and a history of assuming the worst. He wouldn't even tell his girlfriend and best friend that he was dying."
"Shit." Steve cursed. "JARVIS, we really need to find Tony. And apologize."
"Please?" Clint hoped that the magic word might work on the AI.
"Master Stark is in his lab. You might want to arrive before he starts on the 25 year Glen Garioch."
The Avengers were pounding down the steps to the Tonys' lab before JARVIS had even finished.
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Okay, I already told Mad (through ff.net) that they would have my first-born, but when I actually returned to LJ to check on my prompt and saw this, seeing as you've actually DONE the Bonus...Well, it's a good thing I have the twin gene, huh?
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"JARVIS, when did you put on Brave Little Toaster?"
"After you mentioned that the only friends who wouldn't abandon you were the ones you built, Sir."
"Ah." The toaster was really cute.
"And Sir, if-" "Don't want to hear it JARVIS." Tony interjected. "I already know that they only want Iron Man and not Tony Stark, don't care."
"If I may add, Sir, the other Avengers will be arriving in 3 minutes and 38 seconds," JARVIS continued, "And they seem quite worried. About you."
Tony felt his heart perk up, the traitorous thing. "Don't let 'em in JARVIS," he looked down at the toaster. "Me, Toaster, and Dummy are doing fine. Maybe I'll make Radio and Kirby."
"Brave Little Toaster, Tony? Really?" Clint's sardonic tones echoed across the lab.
"Great movie, Agent Barton. Don't knock the animated classics." Tony steeled his face into a happy grin, knowing that it wouldn't quite reach his eyes. "So, agents, Cap, Dr. Who broke what and what do I need to fix? Or call from Fury? Osborn?"
"Tony." Steve's eyes were wide, and impossibly blue, and he looked like someone had kicked a puppy. "Nothing's wrong. We just needed to apologize."
Tony shrugged. "What for? Everything's okay."
Bruce strode up, grabbing his hands. "No, no it's not. You've been busy, we all know that. But we're a team, and we just assumed that you'd be busy."
Clint walked up behind Bruce. "We should have tried harder, instead of giving up."
Natasha, Steve, and Thor circled around them. "Look at me, Tony." He was helpless against Bruce's command, brown eyes locking with brown. "You gave me a home. And a really awesome lab. You're the first person to look past the other guy, even knowing what he can do, and still want me to stay with them."
Natasha cuffed Tony on the head. "You gave me a second chance."
Steve stole one of his hands from Bruce and gave it a squeeze. "You found my motorcycle. And my shield. And make me feel at home in the future."
"Blueprints of all the vents at Shield, the helicarrier, Avenger's Tower, and wicked awesome new gear. Don't think that doesn't warm my cold dead heart Stark."
"Aye, Anthony," Thor continued, "The Director has informed me that you are responsible with opening the Bifrost on this side to bring about my return, and for my...diplomat" Thor stumbled over the unknown word "status upon Midgard. And you keep Pop Tarts and honey mead for me."
Tony looked down at the hands on his, Clint, Natasha and Thor reaching to touch him. "Oh."
"Yeah. You're family. And family means no one gets left behind. We'll work on this." Steve was smiling as they began to lead Tony from the lab.
"Hey JARVIS," Clint called out. "Scrap the LOTR marathon, we're doing Miyazaki tonight. Totoro, Spirited Away, then Howl's Moving Castle. And please round up all the pillows and blankets, we're reverting to teenage girls and having a sleepover."
Everyone perked up at Totoro, it had been the first movie they had watched together at the Tower.
"And JARVIS, please clear Tony's schedule until next Thursday." Natasha added. "We have very important team bonding, and no one leaves unless we're in costume."
"Even the Xavier School Agent Romanoff?" "Yes" Bruce called out.
"And the meeting with the Latverian ambassador?" "If you don't cancel that JARVIS, consider yourself fired." Tony quipped at the AI.
"Duly noted Sir."
Tony followed Thor and Steve up the stairs, picking up Toaster. Thor requesting to watch Alien and the sequels, and Steve suggesting a few movies from his time.
Family, he mused, the pit in his stomach being replaced by a warmth in his chest. He could do that.
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Toaster!
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Meets Brave Little Toaster.
Meets Lilo and Stitch.
...How about one of my firstborns, my left arm, and my entire collection of Porn? Because YOU MADE THIS COMBINATION EXIST AND THUS DESERVE TO BE REWARDED.
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