Archive of Our Own

“Agent May,” Tony formally addressed SHIELD’s new assistant director as he strolled aboard the Bus, SHIELD’s oddly named super secret jet.

“Mr. Stark,” May coolly replied. “Here to see Coulson?”

“Yes, if that’s possible.”

“It is. He’s in his office.”

“Excellent,” Tony said with a smile barely refraining from clapping his hands together in glee. It had been months since he and Phil had seen each other, and he desperately needed to see his husband to make certain that he was alright in light of all the SHIELD/Hydra nonsense. “Maybe I can convince him to getaway for a few hours. We don’t want him to burn out or anything.”

May shook her head in mild bemusement. “I don’t know what it is that he sees in you.”

“I don’t either,” Tony agreed. “But, I’m grateful that he does see something worthwhile.”

May nodded and let Tony pass by.

*&*

“You know May is scarier than Hill ever thought of being,” Tony said as a way of announcing his presence to his husband.

Phil’s head snapped up and the scathing retort he had ready for the person who dared to disturb him remained unsaid when he saw Tony leaning in the doorway of his office.

“This is usually where you say hello,” Tony prompted as he entered the office and flopped down in one of the chairs facing Phil’s desk. “So?”

“Why should I be so predictable and what have you done to Bruce that you are here and not in your lab creating some kind of new technology that nobody can live with out?” Phil finally said after quietly checking Tony out for signs of undue stress.

“I love how you turn everything into the Spanish Inquisition,” Tony lightly quipped. “And for the record, Bruce is on a Doctors Without Borders gig in Africa.”

Phil shrugged. “Love you, too, and who’s looking after Bruce?”

“Clint is with him since he technically doesn’t have a job anymore.”

“You gave him a job like you did Hill, didn’t you?”

“I may be a greedy industrialist, but I don’t like seeing my friends in the breadline, so to speak,” Tony answered. “But, I didn’t come here to reminisce about old friends. I came here to kidnap my husband for a day of leisure.”

“Is that all?”

Tony softly sighed. Phil’s skepticism was understandable, but tiring to deal with. “Phil, I haven’t seen you in months. I miss you and I want to spend some time with you. I have no hidden agenda other than that.”

“Sorry,” Phil murmured. “The last few weeks haven’t been the best.”

“I know,” Tony said with a warm smile. He knew what Phil had gone through trying to rebuild SHIELD while rooting out all the Hydra agents, especially the ones who had been his friends. “So why don’t we get out of here for a few hours?”

“And do what exactly?”

“We could go for a romantic drive along the coast and have a nice dinner in San Francisco, and then spend the rest of the night making slow, passionate love,” Tony replied.

“Sounds too good to be true.”

Tony stood up and held out his hand. “Then let’s go make it true.”

Phil stood up and slipped his hand into Tony’s. “Let’s,” he agreed and let Tony lead him out of his office and onto an unscheduled adventure.

*&*

Phil ran his hand down the center of Tony’s chest marveling at the smoothness that he found there. Extremis had not only repaired Tony’s body it had erased the multitude of scars that had crisscrossed his husband’s chest like a twisted version of tic tac toe.

Tony caught Phil’s hand and raised it to his mouth placing a kiss on the heel of it. “What are you thinking about?”

“I was wondering if you miss the arc reactor,” Phil said as he tangled his hand with Tony’s. He would never get enough of being close to his husband since they almost lost each other during the Chitauri Invasion.

“I did at first,” Tony admitted with a wry grin.

“And now?”

“I don’t miss the constant ache and I love being able to take a deep breath.”

“That’s good.”

“Are you afraid that I’ll suddenly turn into a fire breathing monster before self-destructing?” Tony gently inquired. He still had nightmares about AIM and what they had done to Pepper in the name of revenge.

“Yes,” Phil replied. He was happy that Tony was physically whole once again, but was still concerned since he had seen first hand what Extremis in the wrong hands could do to a person. “I was at first, but you and Bruce came up with a way to render it safe, and thus turning it into a possible medical tool.”

“You make me sound altruistic when all I wanted to do was keep my best friend from suddenly self-destructing during a board meeting,” Tony quipped in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“Which I’m certain Pepper appreciates,” Phil said with a soft chuckle.

“I’m certain she does when she’s not yelling at me,” Tony agreed with a chuckle of his own. “But, I didn’t bring you here to discuss Extremis or Pepper.”

“What did you bring me here for then, Mr. Stark?”

“This,” Tony answered as he rolled Phil onto his back and began to drive him crazy with desire.

*&*

“Are you certain I can’t convince you to stay for another day?” Tony asked between sips of coffee.

“I’m certain you could, but I need to get back and keep May from killing the kids,” Phil answered as he finished his breakfast by mopping up the last bit of egg yolk with a piece of toast.

Tony softly sighed before pouring himself another cup of coffee. There were times when he didn’t want to share Phil with the world, and today was going to be one of them.

“It’s not the end of the world,” Phil said after a few moments of companionable silence.

“I know,” Tony admitted. “It’s just that I’m going to miss you while you go about saving the world.”

“Well, there is this thing called Skype,” Phil drawled.

Tony rolled his eyes. “It’s not the same and you know it.”

“True,” Phil said with a knowing grin. “But, if you are a good boy, I might let you kidnap me for another day of leisure in the near future.”

“Don’t tease,” Tony warned.

“I’m not,” Phil vowed. Tony’s life before he had met him had been filled with disappointment and anger because his father was too busy chasing a ghost. Phil had promised Tony on their wedding day that he would not do the same by letting his job come between them. “I need the time away just as you do, and I do miss you when I’m off on a mission.”

“Okay,” Tony murmured before leaning across the table and pulling Phil into a soft kiss that was part apology and part promise.

*&*

Phil and Tony stepped out of the hotel Tony had booked them into for a brief stroll before they drove back to L.A., but they only got half way down the block when May pulled up in Lola.

“What the hell?!” Tony exclaimed. He knew from painful personal experience that Phil allowed no one to touch his Lola let alone drive her.

“She drives much better than you,” Phil firmly answered as he placed a finger against Tony’s mouth to keep him from launching into a rant. “It looks like I have to go, so be good and stay out of trouble.”

Tony huffed in annoyance, but nodded his head in agreement. “Be safe and remember I love you,” he said once Phil removed his finger.

“I love you, too,” Phil said and pulled Tony into a toe tingling kiss before slipping into Lola and driving off to save the world once again.

The end or is it?