Chapter Text
He felt a shake on his right shoulder. It was the most amazing nap he ever had and damn whoever was trying to wake him up. He shook his shoulder to detach the shaking. But, instead of stopping, the grip on his shoulder was getting tighter.
“G… Go away DUM-E…” Tony turned away on the comfy chair, moved his right hand around, trying to push away DUM-E’s robotic claw away.
The moment he succeeded in grabbing something on his shoulder, turned out it wasn’t something hard and metallic cold. It felt warm, rough and… It’s a hand?
Slowly, the inventor opened his eyes. Tony let go the hand to cover his eyes since the light was so bright, he almost blinded by it. It was another 10 seconds or so until he got his full vision back. The voice greeted from beside him startled Tony so bad he almost jumped on his seat.
“Good evening, mister Stark.”
Oh right, he’s in the cinema right now. He was following Coulson again to another old cinema, to watch that rom-com, again.
It happened 4 months ago, like two months after the HAMMER drones debacles and a week after he and Pepper decided it was better for them to be just friends.
SHIELD Consultant he may be, but Fury wasn’t his Boss. He got other more interesting projects to do besides helping the one-eyed pirate with Helicarrier project.
Then Nicky boy sent agent agent to babysit him. Again. Yeah, as if he needed babysitting. He’s a fucking grown man.
Of course, Mr. stark. I’m just here for the 372 free channels.
Tony couldn’t believe the guy. He actually sat on Tony’s couch and asked JARVIS nicely to project ‘Cops’ on Tony’s wall in the workshop. JARVIS, you traitor!
Anyway, he was working on the schematic of Fury’s pet project when he got a sudden craving to eat that beautifully baked blueberry focaccia he found on a small Italian bakery just 15 minutes away from his mansion with car.
Unfortunately, the owner didn’t provide delivery service, so he needed to go there to buy some for himself.
It was pure coincidence when he saw Agent agent walking down the sidewalk. And it was pure coincidence when he followed the man into an old theater, leaving his car still parked next to the bakery.
Imagined how surprised he was that the SHIELD Agent was actually buying a ticket to see an old rom-com. Oh my God, oh My God, Oh my God! Was he about to crash on the guy’s date?
After buying the ticket, Tony put on a baseball hat (yeah, he bought it from a street vendor before stalking the agent. The man’s a super spy, Tony needed to disguise himself) and went inside. The movie had started but, there were not many people on the theater. He saw the slightly receding-haired man sat down alone in the third seat from the top in the middle seat of the theater.
Tony had chose to sit five seats below the agent’s on the left side of the cinema. As far away from the spy but still can watch over the man.
There’s not a single moment when he followed the man that he didn’t see Pepper’s disappointed face, shaking her pretty little head at him.
Shoo, Pepper, shoo.
Tony wouldn’t admit it but the movie wasn’t bad. It was funny and … Ugh romantic. But it wasn’t bad.
It was almost an hour, when the billionaire realized the reason he was in the theater in the first place. Slowly and discreetly Tony look behind his shoulder, eyes slowly landed on the agent.
The light from the screen illuminated the agent’s face. His expression was blank, but tears were running down his face. His shoulders were slightly hunched liked a man that has lost everything with gaze still fixated on the screen.
All of the teasing, planning to make fun of the man for being stood up flew away from Tony’s mind. He couldn’t forget the expression on that man, the expression that portrayed a man that has lost a crucial part of himself. Since then, Tony kept track on the agent’s whereabout via JARVIS and he found out that the man always went to theaters that showed the ‘rom-com’ movie.
Since that time, out of curiosity Tony followed (stalking, his mind mocked) the agent and always sat as far as he could from the agent’s chair and stole a few glances at the older man. Agent Coulson (Tony finally learnt his name) always watch it by himself and cried silently in the middle of the movie.
Today was the 7th time he has followed Coulson, and he felt so stupid that he let himself felt asleep and got caught. Well, it has been a long run. It was a miracle he got this far. And the spy was too melancholy to notice himself being followed.
The agent’s eyes were slightly red minus tear-stained on his face. His expression though, it was dangerously blank, not the ‘my life is over’ blank. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, I…”
“Remember.” A smile appeared on Coulson’s face, but his eyes were cold. “I do have miss Potts’ number in my cellphone.
“Uh, I…” Think of something, Tony! You’re a damn genius. You’ve built the first Iron Man in a fucking cave. Say something!
The older man fished out his cell phone from his inside suit pocket. He was about to dial on the phone when Tony blurted out,” You were crying.”
Coulson’s lips pressed into a thin line, mocking the engineer in a flat tone. “I applaud you for your detective’s skill.”
“Okay,” Tony straightened his back on the seat. He massaged his neck when he felt the sudden stiffness. “I was… I dunno. You were sad and it kinda make me…”
The silent was starting to give Tony hibbie jibbies.
In the end, the only thing Tony could say was. “I’m just wondering what could possibly make you… I meant, did you know you?”
He could feel the older man was trying hard to resist an eye roll, and instead he just frowned slightly.
“Well, you know what I mean.” Tony waved his hand around, emphasizing on his meaning. “I’m just saying that it was shocking to see a Badass like you, cried over a romantic comedy.”
The agent just stood there, watching him for a minute before leaving him without any word.
Oh, he’s so screwed.
***
It was funny how screwed he thought he was when Coulson left him in that theater. But, after that, they just went back to their usual thing. He did his work while the agent watched some bad reality tv shows and did some paper works, pretending not to babysit him.
It wasn’t long before Agent agent became Coulson. Their routine changed slightly into Tony critically commenting on the man’s bad taste on tv shows.
“Seriously Coulson. Don’t you have anything else to watch? I mean Supernanny, really?” Tony said mockingly, as he continue typing some codes on the screen.
“I find it amusing.” Coulson said simply.
Giving up, Tony left Fury’s to-do-list and flopped down on the couch next to the agent. He push the man’s shoulder a bit, to allow him a space to sit.
Instead of baffled, the man just looked at him with that calm expression and a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“Your taste… is simply dreadful.”
“You’re supposed to do your homework, Mr. Stark.”
“Yeah, yeah. Quit your yapping. I’m gonna finish that thing later.” Tony cricked his neck. “JARVIS, play us Mission Impossible.”
With a long sigh, the agent informed him blandly,” I’m trying to avoid action and spy movies, Mr. Stark.”
“What,” Tony shrugged. “You’re basically living your life like in the movie. Not many people can say that they spy for a living.”
“And not many people in my line of work get to live a normal life.”
“Yeah, well normal is overrated. Look at me.” He swiveled around to face Coulson on his spot. “I’ve got this shiny light in my chest and I got to save the world because of it.”
“Technically, you only save a part of New York.”
“Potato, potahto.”
“Not everybody wanted to be that special snowflake, Mr. stark.”
“Well, when you are that special, you couldn’t really runaway from it, could you?” Tony watched him seriously, and then gave him a smirk. “You just got to roll with it.”
Tony turned around to watch the start of the movie. He didn’t notice the slight twitch of a smile on Coulson’s face as they sat shoulder to shoulder watching Agent Ethan Hawke doing what he does best. Making the impossible, possible.
***
Disappointed.
That wasn’t exactly what he wanted to feel when Coulson suddenly told him that he has been assigned to another project. He wouldn’t be able to babysit him anymore since after all, Agent Coulson was high on the SHIELD’s chain of command. Tony dug into SHIELD’s files when he was looking for Coulson’s files concerning spouses, in case he did lose somebody. (Until now, Tony’s still perplexed by the agent’s tear-stained look)
“Well, I’m gonna miss you Coulson,” Tony couldn’t hide the truthfulness in his words. He seriously will miss the man. Bantering with the man for almost a year was something he looked forward to every time he saw the older man stood in the living room with folders, and later a box of pizza.
Cleaning some invisible dust off of his impeccable suit, Phil put on his bland smile and he said. “You have my number Mr. stark. You can always call.”
“Well, if you say so.” Tony shrugged.
There was a pause as Coulson put on some paper works back inside some folders and into a cardboard box. Tony fidgeted where he stood, couldn’t stand the stillness in the air besides the sound of papers being shifted around.
With a box full of finished paper works, Coulson turned around facing Tony, observing his expression and body movements. Then he pulled a small genuine smile. “You can call me anytime, Tony.”
The younger man could feel a tug at his heart, and it wasn’t the shrapnel above his heart.
“Within reasons,” Coulson, or Phil continued shortly.
Snapping back out of his daze, Tony unclenched his fist, putting his hand on his hip and smirked playfully. “Well, you know me. I’m a busy guy. Maybe you’re the one who should call me, if you really really missed me.”
Phil didn’t snort because he’s a BAMF, but he did roll his eyes. “Whatever you say, Mr. Stark.”
Tony pulled his bottom lip out, crossing his arms. “I thought we have moved to the second base already and now you’re back to calling me Mr. stark?”
“I learnt from Supernanny that you shouldn’t reward your kids too much for nice behaviour." The older man’s face has turned back into his normal agent face, but there’s no doubt that those eyes were depicting mischief.
Before he could protest, the agent left the younger man speechless with his mouth slightly opening and closing like a fish.
***