Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Contrary to popular belief, I know exactly what I'm doing." Tony said, barely sparing Rhodey a glance after taking a swig of some dark liquid that didn't look like scotch or soda. Rhodey knew that was his cue to leave, Tony's version of a polite dismissal, but his feet were rooted to the floor. He couldn't take his eyes off the dark lines climbing up Tony's neck, lines they both knew weren't road rash. Road rash didn't look like it was trying to poison the brain. It didn't create the paleness of his skin, the sweat from his brow, and the tiredness of his eyes. It didn't cause him to collapse, too weak to hold himself up.

(How would Tony have gotten to his desk without Rhodey?)

Beyond that, there was no ignoring that image of the corroded, smoking palladium piece that Tony removed from the very thing keeping him alive. He was itching to ask questions, to press, but his best friend looked utterly exhausted and annoyed at everything. There was no way it was healthy to have something like that anywhere in the body, much less so close to his battered heart.

He was supposed to leave. The military was chomping at the bit to know what Tony said. Rhodey was the only reason they weren't breaking down the door, and it would be best if he got back as soon as possible to placate the hungry, agitated lions of the top brass. He was supposed to handle them for Tony.

"I don't think you do." He said quietly. He craned his head, studying the side of Tony's face. His hair hadn't started greying, yet he looked a decade older without his exaggerated hand movements, with his sagged shoulders, and visible exhaustion. When Tony didn't face him, Rhodey turned the chair, crouching in front of his oldest friend.

When Tony didn't fight back, didn't move beyond a tremble in his hands, the worry increased tenfold.

"Tony, please," he begged, "tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing is wrong, Rhodey." He went to turn himself, hands gripping the armrests of his chair and feet pushing at the floor. Rhodey stopped him by grabbing his shoulders.

"I know there's something. You want to play solo, do it all on your own, but I'm right here."

"You or the military?"

He suppressed a flinch. "Me, Tony. I'm still your friend, no matter what-"

"Whatever, I'm fine. Go tell the military they're not taking my suits. End of story.'" He pushed off Rhodey's hands and spun his chair back around to face the work table. Rhodey stayed, halfway crouched, watching Tony close himself off. He hadn't been around in recent months, dealing on the military side with the Stark Industries shift and trying to calm fears about the Ironman suit. Heck, before the senate hearing, he hadn't seen Tony in a month despite them being in the same building a few times. Normally, Tony would seek him out if they were in the same vicinity. He hadn't.

A loud crash had his head snapping left. Dum-E rolled back and forth beside an overturned rack of tools, beeping quietly with his claw hanging down like a dog who knew they did something they weren't supposed to. Tony sighed. "I swear, I'm donating you to a city college." He said it without any bite, a familiar threat that carried no weight. Tony had been staying that ever since he built Dum-E at seventeen, and it never failed to make Rhodey smile. Except for now.

Tony pushed himself up to stand and Rhodey's inner alarm went off. He rose himself to his full height, arms halfway out, but not moving from where he stood. Tony managed three steps, an unsteady fourth, and then his legs gave out. Rhodey launched himself forward, catching Tony around the stomach and sliding in front of him to keep his head from hitting the floor. Tony struggled, trying to push away, half formed insults falling from his lips. Rhodey held him tighter, pulling him into his chest where his head could rest on Rhodey's shoulder when he finally gave in. After a few seconds, he did. His chest heaved, as if he were unable to draw in a full breath, and Rhodey shifted him to be more on his side to take the pressure off of the arc reactor. Tony's forehead fell against his neck, and Rhodey was shocked to find him cold.

He let the silence fall, listening to Tony's ragged breathing as he tried to get his lungs under control. Rhodey rested his chin on Tony's head so not to look at him - that would make Tony feel vulnerable, more of a need to be defensive - and carded a hand through unkempt curls to calm him. He kept his other arm loosely braced around his stomach to keep him from trying to run. Tony's arms hesitantly came to wrap around him, holding on tight but ready to let go at a moment's notice. It broke Rhodey's heart. Since when did Tony feel he couldn't hug him freely? When was the last time they hugged?

"JARVIS," Rhodey muttered. The room hummed, the AI waiting readily for his request without speaking, "turn up the heat, please." JARVIS didn't respond, but the hum picked up with the heaters going on full blast.

"I'm not cold, Rhodey."

"You feel cold." He raised the hand from his stomach to touch his forehead and temple, then returned it to the original spot before Tony could get any ideas of escaping. He'd stopped sweating. His skin was clammy, the barest traces of heat meeting his fingers.

"Don't you have to get back to the military? They'll send the dogs after you, y'know."

"They can wait." They knew where he was, knew meetings with Tony could take hours, and while impatient, if they thought Rhodey was getting something done, they would let him stay. "Making sure you're okay is my priority."

"Define okay." The smirk was audible. Rhodey didn't laugh.

"You can tell me what's wrong, or you don't have to. Either way, I'm staying right here. It's us against the world, remember? That hasn't changed, even with your suit of armor. I'm not going to push you anymore. It's your choice what to say here, Tones, but I would really like to help."

"You can't help." Tony replied automatically, sounding more weary than Rhodey had ever heard. "You can't help this."

"Try me. You're not the only one who went to MIT."

Tony held on tighter. "I didn't... I didn't want to tell you. You were angry, Pepper is angry, Happy probably isn't that happy, and I figured that's better than-" He cut himself off, leaving Rhodey confused. Worry was swirling in the pit of his stomach, clawing at his insides as his brain made connections it didn't want to.

"Why would angry be better?" He asked quietly, moving his head to finally look down at his friend. Tony didn't look at him, eyes far away. His jaw was clenched, brow drawn as he fought with himself. Rhodey kept his mouth shut, not pressuring, not forcing him to answer outside of his own pace. He would be there as long as Tony needed him to be.

"I'm dying, Rhodey."

The world stopped. He couldn't breathe. "What?" He uttered, unable to believe it, unable to coincide the word 'dying' with 'Tony Stark.' He was larger than life itself, the star of every room, not even forty yet. Rhodey was supposed to go first, not Tony.

"The arc reactor."

"But- it's what-"

"Keeps me alive? Yeah. It's also killing me." He moved one arm from around Rhodey, touching the black veins on his neck. "The palladium... it's going into my bloodstream, poisoning me. All I can do is replace the cores. There is no other element that can handle the reactor without killing me instantly. There's nothing I can do about it. Nothing a doctor can do about it. Nothing you can do about it."

"Removal-"

"I've already thought about it. Science isn't advanced enough and won't be for years. Not an option." He chuckled humorlessly, dropping his hand into his lap. "I'm out of ideas."

"You're Tony Stark. You're never out of ideas." Rhodey shook his head. He couldn't accept it. Couldn't live with it. "There must be something else-"

"There isn't anything else! I've tried!" He yelled, eyes lighting up with angry fire. It dissipated as fast as it came and he slumped against Rhodey, weakened from the outburst. He whispered, "I've tried everything."

Rhodey held him tighter, speaking even as fear crawled up his throat, trying to suffocate him. "Okay," he answered, voice somehow coming out steady. Everything in him was arguing for hope, but he couldn't put that kind of pressure on Tony, not right now. "How long?"

"Be more specific. There's two questions that could be."

"Give me both answers."

Tony fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "I've known for three months. It's why I organized the Expo. Go out with a bang and all. How long I have depends on my usage of the suit."

Monaco popped into his mind, as well as all the other times Tony used the suit in that time frame. He was almost afraid to ask. "Without the suit, how long do you have?"

"Chlorophyll - the stuff I was drinking on my desk - is helping slow it down and control the severity of the symptoms. It's supposed to give me two to three months extra. I have, uh...JARVIS?"

"According to your last blood toxicity check, Sir, you have two more months, though you will continue to get progressively weaker and-"

"Mute." He rubbed his face. "Dang it, J." When Rhodey didn't say anything, Tony started rambling. "It was slower, in the beginning. I guess my body was managing to filter most of it, but with the suit and replacing the cores, it got overwhelmed." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Rhodey. I didn't want you to know."

"Why?"

"Hm?"

"Why didn't you want me to know?"

Tony shrugged. "It would be easier, I figured. You could go on like normal, and if I made you angry, you wouldn't be sad when I kicked the bucket. The military will get off your back, because I'm planning to give you a suit anyway, and everyone would move on."

"You're an idiot." Rhodey cuffed him on the back of the head. His friend yelped, rubbing the spot, before Rhodey grabbed him in a hug. "Seriously, an idiot." That fear had turned into a lump in his throat. His eyes began to burn, but he forced the tears back. "Tony, no matter what's happening between us, I would want to know that you're... sick." He couldn't say 'dying.' He hadn't accepted it. "Say it had been me. How do you think you would feel if your last words to me had been angry ones? How do you think you would feel if you didn't spend every possible second with me? You're my brother. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you were gone and I..." He couldn't stop the tears that fell into Tony's hair. Rhodey wiped the tracks away before speaking again. "I would have wanted to know. Heck, I'm mad at myself right now for not figuring it out earlier. You're an idiot, Tony Stark."

"So I've been told." He said into Rhodey's chest. "I really was planning to give you a suit."

"I'll take a suit when you can fly with me."

"Rhodey-"

"We'll talk more later." He hushed. "For now, you need to rest."

Tony bristled, leaning back to look at him. "I do not need to rest, for goodness sake. It's just because of switching the reactors. I'll be fine in an hour."

Rhodey raised a brow, not breaking eye contact. "JARVIS?" He prompted, quickly covering Tony's mouth when he went to stop his AI.

"Sir has not had a full night's sleep in a week, Colonel. It is affecting his ability to think, his emotional state, and futher weakening him. I would also recommend sustenance that isn't chlorophyll or coffee."

He took his hand away. Tony scowled at him, mumbling about traitorous AIs and mean friends.

"Sleep or food?"

"What's behind door number three?"

"There is no door number three."

"Fine, I guess I could eat." Tony sighed. "JARVIS, please ask Happy to pick up some Chinese food for all of us."

"That's not exactly healthy-"

"I'm dying, let me have Chinese food."

He sighed through his nose, ignoring how his heart twisted painfully. "JARVIS, make sure he orders a few helpings of steamed veggies with whatever Tony's usual is."

"Would you like your usual, Colonel?"

"Yes, JARVIS. Thank you. ETA?"

"Mr. Hogan is currently one hour away. Judging by the busy hours of the restaurant, he will take two hours to get here. I have taken the liberty of placing the orders, including Miss Pott's and Mr. Hogan's usuals."

"Alright, you're going to nap until he gets here."

"Hey, you made me pick-"

"It doesn't matter what you picked, you're getting both. JARVIS, please ask Pepper to-"

"No!" Tony intervened, putting a hand over Rhodey's mouth this time. "She's busy enough with cleaning up my messes and, y'know, being a better CEO."

He grabbed Tony's wrist gently, removing the hand from over his mouth. "You haven't told her, have you?" He asked, already knowing the answer. He'd wanted Pepper angry when he died, too. Tony nodded, not meeting his eyes. "Tony, you have to tell her, and Happy."

"It'll crush her, Rhodey. I can't."

"Tony, look at me." He waited until the genius raised his head. "It'll crush her if you tell her. It'll kill her if you don't. Do you understand me?"

He sighed, sagging onto Rhodey again. "Okay, but not right now, and I don't want Rushman around."

"We can fix that." He promised, rewrapping his arms around his brother. Distantly, he realized that the last time they sat like this, Tony was still a kid in MIT. Even after Afghanistan, Tony hadn't wanted Rhodey this close, but that was likely because of his injuries. "JARVIS, please send Miss Rushman to the grocery store with a list of things Tony is low on. Tell her that it is his request and she can have the rest of the day off after she brings them back. She'll be compensated for gas, though I'm sure she knows that."

"Put gummy worms on the list. And blueberries." Tony mumbled, his forehead returning to Rhodey's neck. "Lot of blueberries."

"Throw a lot of fruit on the list, please. And vegetables."

"Done, Colonel. Miss Rushman is leaving. Miss Potts is upset at losing her help, but is receiving another phone call."

Rhodey nodded, his eyes back on Tony. He was taking his complete weight, the inventor practically curled up in his lap. His eyes had shut, though Rhodey knew he was still awake, if only somewhat. The conversation seemed to have taken the strength he had left. "JARVIS?" He asked quietly, running his hand back through Tony's hair again. Hair that hadn't gotten the chance to turn grey. Lord, please don't let him lose his best friend.

"Yes, Colonel?" The AI replied, equally quiet.

"Please alert me when the cores need changing."

JARVIS beeped in response, an affirmation without words. Rhodey kept his hand steadily going through Tony's hair, his free arm holding him in a hug. He watched the rise and fall of Tony's chest, assuring himself that he was still alive, and waited the half hour until JARVIS gave a quiet confirmation that "Sir is asleep."

He took in a deep breath and steeled himself. There was no way he was putting Tony on the lab couch. Carefully, he maneuvered himself up, bringing Tony with him. In a move he hadn't pulled since MIT, he got Tony into a piggy back carry, with Tony's unconscious cooperation. The younger man's head came to rest securely on his right shoulder, his arms coming around to rest limply over the Colonel's chest. They'd done it a million times back in school, until life separated them too much for him to have a sleepy Tony around. He was almost always full of energy or sarcasm whenever they saw each other after MIT. No chances to do this.

'And soon,' his thoughts whispered, 'I won't be able to do it at all.'

He somehow kept the tears at bay and walked toward the glass entrance. JARVIS opened the door without request, and Rhodey made his way up the stairs. The top door opened and he could see Pepper, her back to them while furiously tapping at her phone. When he entered, she whirled around. "Tony, why did you-" She stopped, mouth open but silent when she saw them.

"He's sleeping." He whispered when he was close enough, aware he was stating the obvious. "Can you get an extra blanket from the closet, if you're not too busy? One of the soft, thick ones?"

She nodded, lost for words, and Rhodey soldiered on, making his way to Tony's room. JARVIS had already dimmed the lights and shut the blinds, the only light coming from the door and a little arc reactor night light that Tony created, supposedly for fun after Afghanistan (he had a suspicion it was more that that). After pulling back the covers and stacking the pillows, he lowered him onto the bed, releasing him to lay near the center. Rhodey removed his shoes for him, sitting them on the floor by the bed.

He then laid down himself, pulling Tony to lay curled into his chest, ear over his heart. Rhodey wrapped his arms around him securely, sighing into Tony's hair. When he woke up, Tony might be upset at him for possibly embarassing him, especially with Pepper coming in. (Not that she hadn't seen him in far worse situations.) He couldn't find it in himself to care.

"What am I going to do with you, Tones?" He whispered. In his thoughts, he echoed it differently, 'What am I going to do without you?'

There had to be a way.

There just had to.

"JARVIS, please adjust the room temperature to whatever is best for Tony with his... condition. I want the whole house that way. Does he have a thermal jacket here?"

"I will do my best." He answered. "No, he doesn't. It would be beneficial for him to wear one. Shall I order one?"

"Please do. A few of them, actually. His favorite colors and some not too flashy. Expedited shipping."

"They'll be here in the morning, Colonel."

"Thank you."

His hand returned to Tony's hair, carding through it. The last of tension slowly left Tony's muscles. He gave a small, tired sigh, completely leaning into him, and Rhodey couldn't stop the small, sad smile on his face even as he beat himself up with regret. Why had it taken so long for him to notice Tony's eradic behavior? He had just waved it off as Tony being Tony, just as everyone else had likely done. He knew Tony better than that. He shouldn't have been fooled by a grin and a quip. He shouldn't have allowed his anger and stress to cloud him from the real issues.

Pepper slipped into the room, interrupting his thoughts. She took only half a second to survey them, concern building in her eyes, before laying the blanket over the bed. She helped Rhodey firmly tuck Tony in, all the way to his neck. The arc reactor light shone dimly through the fabric.

"What happened?" She asked quietly, eyes on her former boss.

"He's exhausted." He half-lied. "Sick. I've got Happy coming with food."

"Do I need to make an appointment with his physician?"

"No," he shook his head. If Tony said doctors couldn't solve it, then they couldn't solve it. "I'll keep an eye on him."

Though Pepper did not look convinced, she backed off with the distant ringing of her phone, shutting the door gently behind her. Tony mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, as if he sensed her leaving, and Rhodey bit back a chuckle. Those two, dancing around each other, it was funny.

Then realization hit and cold dread shot through him. If they didn't fix this, Tony only had two months to live, and he knew his best friend. He wouldn't confess, wouldn't put her in that position. And if Pepper confessed? Rhodey wasn't sure what he would do. Push her away, as he had tried to do with all of them? Or something else?

He sighed heavily, rubbing Tony's back to try and comfort him from the inevitable. No, not inevitable. He had to hold onto hope.

No matter how futile it may be.

Rhodey closed his eyes and allowed himself to just breathe, memorizing what it felt like to have Tony at his side. He tried to push away the thoughts of death, of the future, but the clock ticked in his mind, second after second of that poison racing through Tony's system. Had Pepper noticed the lines? Or had she been too busy? Tony most likely only saw her while in a suit, or wearing something to cover it. There was no way she would see those lines and just let them go without pushing for an answer, like Rhodey had almost done.

"JARVIS, what symptoms is he experiencing?"

"Currently, Sir is at the stage of experiencing dizziness, weakness, exhaustion, headaches, chest pain, and losing track of thoughts. Feeling cold is also a prominent side effect, though Sir continues not to aknowledge it. He runs occasional low-grade fevers that will continue to get worse."

"What else will get worse?" He asked with trepidation, afraid of the answer.

"His existing symptoms will continue and grow more severe. Other symptoms of a wide variety may manifest. It is impossible to know the exact timeline of how Sir will be effected."

"What will help? Either slowing it down or making him feel better."

"The Chlorophyll he is taking slows down the Palladium. Without it, he would have already passed on. He has to take a certain amount or more each day, with an increasing amount as the Palladium gets worse. He still has 23 ounces left for today." JARVIS replied solemnly. "Outside of that, eating regularly and getting enough sleep will help his physical and emotional wellbeing to some extent, though it will not slow the Palladium more."

"Can you send that information to my phone? When I'm not here, I want to know when, what, and how much he eats, drinks, and sleeps. I want to know about the Chlorophyll, too."

"I have taken the liberty of creating an app, Colonel, that I will download to your phone along with text notifications. You can access Sir's vitals and consumption at any time." He paused. "I would appreciate if you would try to get Sir to sleep more. He is not helping himself by driving his exhaustion further."

"I'll try, J."

"Thank you, Colonel."

"Let me know when Happy gets here, yeah?"

"Of course."

Rhodey let his eyes shut, listening to Tony's breathing and memorizing how it felt to hold on to his best friend. His brother. He couldn't even begin to imagine what the world would be like without him. He couldn't imagine seeing the name 'Stark' and there not be Tony Stark walking the Earth.

"We're going to fix this, Tony," he murmured, the tears fighting their way from behind his eyelids. They slid down the sides of his face. "I promise."

Chapter Text

"Mr. Hogan has arrived, Colonel."

Rhodey opened his eyes, blinking against the light JARVIS was gradually allowing into the room. He stopped at about 50% of the afternoon light, giving the room a dim glow, and he looked over Tony. He was breathing steadily, his heart strong when Rhodey checked his pulse through his neck, and was warmer than he last checked. He looked to be at peace, the lines gone from his face with sleep. Rhodey could still see the fourteen year old kid he met at MIT.

He wished he could let Tony sleep, but he would kill him if he learned his Chinese food had gone cold. Plus, Pepper would be wondering, and Happy would pick up on the weirdness in the house quickly. He would be hanging around since there was food for him in that bag.

Gently, he shook Tony's shoulder. "Tony," he said, "your food is here. Time to get up."

Tony mumbled something, trying to burrow himself further in Rhodey's chest.

Rhodey chuckled. "C'mon, buddy. You're the one who wanted Chinese food. You can go back to sleep after we eat." When he didn't move, Rhodey shifted Tony off of him. Tony let out a noise, trying to crawl back even as his eyes opened.

Though it was hard, Rhodey got up, moving to his friend's closet. He found a thin, dark blue jacket in the back of his rack of California clothes and suits. It would have to do. His MIT hoodie must have been left in the lab. When he turned, Tony had sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "Arm out," Rhodey told him. Half dazed with sleep, Tony listened, and he slid the jacket over his right arm. He caught a glimpse of the black lines, dark and foreboding, before the jacket crossed his back and Rhodey was pushing Tony's left arm into the other sleeve.

As he zipped up the jacket, he found Tony giving him a weird look. "What are you..." He started, then it seemed to dawn on him. "Oh."

Rhodey said nothing, fixing Tony's collar before smoothing out his bedhead. He then turned his friend where he was sitting on the edge of the bed, legs over the side, and grabbed his shoes. He knelt, grabbing the right shoe.

"What are you doing?" Tony asked.

"You were waking up too slow. Your food is getting cold." He grabbed his right ankle. Tony yanked his foot out of his grip.

"I'm not incapable, Rhodey. I can get dressed myself."

"You're not incapable." He agreed. "You're sleep deprived. I'm trying to help." He held out his hand patiently. Slowly, Tony sat his ankle back down in it, and Rhodey slid the shoe over his foot.

"I feel like Cinderella." Tony huffed.

"Well, you're no princess. That's for sure." He grabbed the left shoe, putting it on his other foot.

"She didn't start out as a princess, honeybear. She became one."

"You're no poor servant either." He straightened, pretending to dust off his military dress as Tony pushed himself to stand. He wavered and Rhodey's hands went to hover at his back, not touching while Tony got his balance. It was clear he had to walk a fine line between supporting and smothering - Tony had always been prickly about doing things on his own.

When he didn't fall, Rhodey tilted his head toward the door. "Ready?"

"Is Rushman still here?"

"No, she dropped off the groceries a little while ago. JARVIS told me." He replied. "Pepper came by, too."

"What'd you tell her?"

"You were tired and sick, that's it."

"I guess you're going to make me break the news."

He sighed. "You don't have to do it today, but you have to do it soon. She already knows you're sick."

"No thanks to you."

"What was I supposed to say?" He answered evenly, pushing down the frustration. "She saw me carry you to bed."

"You could have put me on the lab couch."

"Not happening." He slung an arm around Tony's shoulders. "JARVIS told me what you needed. You're destroying yourself further with your sleeping and eating habits. That stops today." Tony didn't respond, glaring at the floor. "Now, let's go eat." He half-pulled Tony out the door and kept him pressed against his side as they walked down the hall. Soon, they emerged in the livingroom to the delightful smell of Chinese food and the sight of Happy and Pepper quietly conversing on the couch. When they entered, both looked up.

"How are you feeling, Tony?" Pepper asked as Rhodey practically pushed him to sit on the couch across from them. He dropped down beside him and started organizing the four main take-out containers, the vegetables, and the egg rolls on the table. All of them had drinks in white styrofoam cups, but JARVIS apparently had the foresight to tell Dum-E to bring the Chlorophyll bottle. There was an ounces measurement on the side that he hadn't noticed before, telling him there were exactly 23 ounces remaining.

"Fine." The genius replied. Pepper must have given him the Look because he relented. "Better, I guess. Can we eat?" His desperation was only half-masked. Rhodey immediately passed him the container of pineapple chicken and rice, which he happily dug into. "J, turn on the TV please. What's good on?"

With that, they all started eating. Tony seemed to be the only one paying attention to whatever sitcom was playing on TV as Rhodey observed Happy and Pepper looking at the genius far more than the flat screen. When Tony was halfway through his food, Rhodey grabbed a smaller container and dumped a portion of steamed veggies into his plate.

"Rhodey," he whined.

"You have to eat your vegetables. We're not fighting over this."

Tony sighed exaggeratedly and started picking at a piece of brocoli. Rhodey rolled his eyes at his dramatics - Tony liked vegetables. It wasn't a crime.

Halfway through the second episode, he felt Tony begin to lean more heavily on him. Rhodey glanced over - the man had eaten most of the food, though he would normally clean out the container, and had alternated between drinking his coke and the Chlorophyll. There were three ounces left. When Pepper was distracted by her phone and Happy was actually paying attention to the show (judging by his smile at one joke), he leaned over, muttering in Tony's ear, "Finish the Chlorophyll before you fall asleep."

Tony blinked at him, then nodded. He grabbed the cup and drank it down, though his grimace told Rhodey how disgusting it was.

"What is that?" Happy asked curiously, getting Pepper to look up. "I've seen you drinking it a lot."

"Health drink," Tony half-lied. "It's one of the few things Dum-E can make without pouring motor oil into it - most of the time." He put the now-empty cup down and shifted his attention to the show. Silence reigned again.

Gradually, Tony's weight fell onto him. Rhodey moved enough to put an arm around him, coaxing him into his side. When the plate started to slip from the inventor's limp hands, Rhodey caught it. He moved both it and his own onto the table, then pulled Tony to lay against his chest, forehead falling against his neck once more. He didn't need JARVIS to tell him that Tony was asleep again. He continued watching the show, ignoring how Pepper and Happy were watching them.

However, Rhodey did start paying attention when Pepper got up. He kept her in his peripheral until she disappeared down the hall. It didn't take long for her to return with another blanket, which she laid over Tony and him. Her hand grazed over Tony's forehead, frowning at the lack of heat, and she looked Rhodey in the eyes. "What does JARVIS think is wrong with him?"

Rhodey's heart picked up the pace. Pepper had a way of diving into the soul to try and figure out what you were thinking. It was no different now, the piercing stare making it hard to lie. "It's like a virus, Pepper. There's nothing a doctor would be able to do. He's been trying to work through it, so he's exhausted." It was another not-quite-lie. Pepper stared at him for another few seconds, then backed off, clearly suspicious but willing to let it go. For now.

They sat through four more episodes in more comfortable silence, occasionally sharing quiet conversation. There was a silent agreement - don't change the environment, don't wake Tony. Getting him to sleep was always a challenge. No one was going to mess it up, especially if he did it willingly.

Eventually, the two did have to leave as it encroached on eight o' clock. The leftover food was packed into the fridge by Happy while Pepper gathered her things. They moved at slower than the normal pace, moving things delicately to not make an extra noise. When done, Happy whispered to Rhodey, "Do you need help getting him to bed?"

Rhodey's mouth quirked up into a smile. "No, I got him." He moved the blanket off of them. Tony's face scrunched up at the loss of heat, but otherwise, he didn't move. Rhodey maneuvered him similarly to how he'd done in the lab and then he was hauling Tony up onto his back in one fluid motion. Again, Tony found his place there, head dropping onto Rhodey's shoulder and arms falling loosely around his neck. Happy blinked, smiled amusedly, and stepped out of the way for Rhodey to carry Tony to bed.

Once there, he put Tony down, as he had done before, and pulled off his shoes. Next, he held him up with a hand to his back and tugged the jacket off, deciding he would be more comfortable without it. When he was hanging it on the bedpost, Tony roused, blinking blearily. "Huh?"

"You fell asleep." Rhodey explained. "Do you want to change into your pajamas?" The jeans couldn't be too comfortable, but Tony shook his head, turning onto his side to better face Rhodey. The military man pulled the blankets over him before sitting on the edge of the bed, hand coming to rest in Tony's hair. "I would stay with you, but I'm sure my commander is getting very impatient. I have to tell him something. I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise."

Tony hummed, content as Rhodey ran his fingers through his hair. They stayed in silence for a few minutes before he spoke: "Tell them I agreed to train you in a suit. That'll shut em up."

"You don't have to do that."

He shrugged. "I want to. Plus, I was planning to give you one anyway when I died." Rhodey paused, his hand shaking. Tony didn't notice. "This will be more fun. Just promise me you won't just hand it over to the military? Tell them that's my condition. They can have you in the suit, but I have control of what goes on it. No Hammer Tech, ever."

Rhodey shuddered at the idea of that crap being attached to one of Tony's suits. "Wouldn't dream of putting that junk on there." He agreed. "I promise, I won't let them do anything, but it's gotta be in paperwork."

"Pepper can draw it up tomorrow. J, text her about it. I'm sure that'll take some stress off of her, too."

"Done, Sir."

"Thank you, Tony." Rhodey said earnestly, hand resuming its earlier motion. His friend burrowed into his side, chasing more contact, and his heart twisted painfully again. His friend had been shouldering his death alone, outside of JARVIS, and had been pushing them away. This craving for contact... Rhodey hadn't seen it in years.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?" He asked, surprised.

"I didn't tell them." He mumbled. "It didn't feel right, but I don't know if it ever will."

"I'm not mad at you." Rhodey replied. "You can tell them when you want, but the longer you keep it a secret, the more it's going to hurt everyone, including you."

Tony breathed out a world-weary sigh. "I know." After a few minutes, he turned his head enough to see Rhodey. "I thought you were going to leave?"

"I'm staying until you fall asleep."

"I'm not a child."

"Humor me."

Tony snorted a laugh, eyes falling closed. Rhodey kept up the steady movements of his hand, gently removing tangles until Tony went completely lax. The tears returned when his friend wasn't looking. He let them fall, crying silently as Tony drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Text

When Tony woke up, the room was dark, he was warm, and Rhodey was still by his side.

His friend was sleeping, his arm wrapped around Tony to keep him pressed securely against his chest, just as he had woken up hours earlier. When Tony raised up carefully, the arc reactor light shone on his face, allowing Tony to see the utter exhaustion there. He was no longer dressed in military uniform, instead having stolen Tony's larger set of pajamas.

"Sir-"

Tony put a finger to his lips, silencing JARVIS, and started wiggling himself out of Rhodey's hold. He rolled off the other side of the bed and onto his feet, though he had to grab the bedside table for support. When Rhodey's face scrunched up and his hand clenched, searching for him, Tony slid a pillow in his place. It spoke of Rhodey's exhaustion that he didn't wake up the second Tony left his hold, but the genius was thankful for it right now.

On silent feet, he made his way out of the room. Once in the hall with the door shut, he prompted, "J?"

"Good morning, Sir. It is currently 5:38 AM. Colonel Rhodes re-entered the house at 3:47 AM, and fell asleep at 4:07 AM. The military agreed to your proposal and is allowing him whatever time he needs to train. There is a bottle of Chlorophyll ready for you in the kitchen fridge, as Colonel Rhodes requested it from Dum- E. There is no motor oil in it. Your recommended intake for today is 60 ounces." His AI responded. "I recommend you either return to bed or eat something, as Colonel Rhodes wishes."

Tony waved off the suggestions, padding his way down the hall to the kitchen. "Turn on the TV, J." He swiped the bottle from the fridge, taking a swig as JARVIS removed the blinds. The early morning sun was barely over the horizon. "Anything good on?"

"Does SpongeBob count, Sir?" JARVIS asked, trying to be sarcastic. Tony could feel the disappointment in his decisions.

"Actually, yeah." He flopped down on the couch, hesitating only a moment before grabbing the blanket from last night, wrapping it around himself. Gosh, why did Palladium have to make him feel so cold? "Oh, and notify Rushman she has the day off, unless Pepper wants her."

"I've contacted Miss Potts, Sir. Miss Rushman is not scheduled to come in until ten."

He nodded absently, leaning back against the couch as the theme song for SpongeBob played. "Is Pepper set to come by?"

"She'll be here at approximately 8:30, Sir. She wanted to run the military contract draft by you. She created it shortly after my notification." JARVIS said. "Since Colonel Rhodes put forth your idea of training, there has not been any emails from the military in her inbox."

Tony sighed, relief filling him. If Rhodey was right in their earlier conversation, he would rather Pepper be less mad at him. Less military emails was a step toward that. "That's good, J. 8:30, you said?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Will Happy be with her?"

"It's very likely."

"Hm." He glanced around, suddenly restless. "Rhodey says I should tell them." His AI stayed silent. Tony rolled the words around on his tongue. "I don't know how. I know it'll hurt." He folded his hands in the blankets, shutting his eyes. "Does she have any meetings this morning?"

"No, Sir. She has one scheduled for 2:15 PM. She is planning to do paperwork this morning."

"Do you think she'd be okay if I tagged along? Maybe I could do some work, for once in my life. Might help."

"It may, Sir."

Tony mulled on it, watching without processing as the sponge and star character chased after jellyfish like they were butterflies. "J, change the TV. Are there any videos on how to make an omelet? She likes omelettes. Happy probably does." After his disaster on the jet, he needed directions.

The screen changed and Tony spent thirty minutes watching various people make omelettes. The premise was simple, he knew that, but there were different techniques, and different things that could be put in it. Why couldn't it be straightforward? Cooking was so complicated. With a sigh, he kept JARVIS from starting the next video. "I'll give it a shot." He got up, pushing the blanket off of him. "And turn the heat up, will you?" He was seriously regretting leaving the jacket, but he hadn't wanted to wake Rhodey.

"Done, Sir. Should I send Dum-E up with his fire extinguisher?"

Tony laughed, then thought about it. "Y'know what, that might actually be a good idea."

An hour and a half later, Tony had nearly been doused four times when his omelettes nearly caught fire. It took so long to cook the egg flat, and he kept falling asleep at the table. Patience had never been his strong suit. In his last attempt, he turned the heat all the way up and had to scrape charred egg from the pan. "Why does this have to be so complicated?" He muttered, placing the possibly ruined pan in the sink and grabbing a new one.

"On the contrary, Sir, omelettes are considered one of the easiest dishes."

"No one asked you, JARVIS." He sighed, putting the new pan on the stove. He sprayed it with non-stick, something he had forgotten to do the first time, and started cracking eggs into a bowl. "Walk me through it, please."

"Admitting defeat, Sir?"

"Smart mouth." He muttered, cracking the last egg. A little piece of shell fell in the bowl and he suppressed a groan, grabbing a spoon to try and retrieve it. It took a few tries and some advice from JARVIS, but he got it out. "I've already screwed up and I haven't turned on the stove." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair before he began to stir, throwing in some salt and pepper to go along with it. "Just pour it in the pan..."

With JARVIS's help and forcing himself to pay more attention even as his focus drifted, Tony figured out when the eggs were almost done. He poured cheese, ham, and chopped tomatoes into one side (all the things Pepper liked), waited for the last of it to cook, and flipped the edge, as JARVIS instructed. It took a few tries, and the omelette ended up a bit too brown, but it slid into the plate. "Yes!" He cheered, remembering at the last second to be quiet as he pumped his fist in the air.

"Nicely done, Sir. Three more to go."

"Two," Tony corrected. "I'm not hungry, J."

"You need to eat."

"I don't want to." His stomach wanted to revolt at the very idea. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten all that Chinese food. "I might throw up if I try, and I really don't want to spend any time of my last days doing that." He picked up an egg. "Now, let's do this again..."

His next attempt was a success. He made it for Happy, throwing in all Pepper liked as well as some chopped peppers. The attempt after that had to be thrown away when he got lost in thought and didn't hear JARVIS's warnings. He narrowly kept Dum-E from covering the kitchen in foam, though he did praise the bot for noticing the wisps of smoke. (JARVIS probably kept the fire alarm from going off.) Another pan and twenty minutes later, he had Rhodey's done. He slid all three plates into the warmer. "Time?"

"8:02, Sir. Miss Potts and Mr. Hogan are in route. They will be here at approximately 8:32."

He had exactly thirty minutes to wait. "SpongeBob, J." He requested, dropping down on the couch. It wasn't long before he had listed over onto his side, loosely clutching the blanket as he fought for awareness. He turned onto his right side and JARVIS turned down the TV, that traitor. It was a losing battle with his fading strength, and he slipped into the oblivion of sleep.

.....

"...not contagious. The omelettes are perfectly safe for consumption, Mr. Hogan. He worked hard on them."

Tony woke slowly, not opening his eyes as the rest of his body tried to come back online. First was hearing, then touch, as he felt someone moving back his hair away from his forehead. He recognized those hands. Pepper's hands. He found himself leaning into her touch as she pressed a palm against his forehead. "JARVIS," she whispered, "how long has he been asleep?"

"Sir fell asleep at 8:06 AM after making the omelettes. Before that, he woke up at 5:32 AM and escaped the hold of Colonel Rhodes, who is sleeping in Sir's bedroom." He paused. "Exhaustion is a prevalent symptom for Sir's condition."

"And what is his condition?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say, Miss Potts. He does not wish for you to concern youself over him."

Pepper sighed, a mix of worried and exasperated, and Tony's heart sunk. "He's cold. Happy, can you get me the-"

"Got it."

Next thing Tony knew, his blanket was being moved enough to fit what felt like a warm compress between his stomach and the couch. His cover was swiftly returned to him, trapping the newfound heat, and he couldn't stop the sigh that escaped him as his core warmed. Pepper smoothed back his hair one more time before walking away, heels clicking softly in her wake, and Tony wanted to beg her to come back.

He listened, a different kind of warmth rising in his chest when he heard the gentle scrape of forks against plates as they ate the omelettes he prepared. At least they weren't inedible, like the monstrosity on the jet.

Eventually, he knew he had to get up. He peeled his eyes open and shifted, clutching the warmth against his stomach until he was on his left side instead. He could hardly keep his eyes open, his eyelids so heavy, but he wasn't about to sleep all day either. He just needed one more minute...

"Tony?" Pepper appeared, rounding the other end of the couch. He blinked at her, words stolen from his lungs. She looked beautiful, as always. Seeing concern rather than annoyance made his heart do a skip that he didn't think was related to the palladium. She smiled softly. "How are you feeling?"

His brain scrambled some words together. "Like me. How were omelettes?" He asked drowsily.

"You did a good job this time, but I would rather you sleep than push yourself." She approached him. "The contract is in the kitchen, I'll read it for you, and then you can go back to sleep. The military is-" She stopped a step away, face morphing. "Tony, what is that?"

"What is what?" He asked, rubbing at his eyes to try and wake up. This was why he hated going to sleep. It was so hard to wake up again.

(In two months, he wouldn't be able to.)

Her hand went to his neck rather than his head. "This. These lines." She traced them, her fingers grazing over his cool skin, and the drowsiness was knocked out of him. He sat up, knocking the blanket and hot compress off of him while pushing her hand away, searching his mind for an excuse. He came up blank. She wasn't supposed to find out like this.

Happy was there in the next second, standing behind Pepper as she pulled her phone from her pocket. "That's not a virus," she said, rapidly tapping. "I'll get you an emergency appointment with Dr. Cooper. He'll need to test your blood. JARVIS can send a list of symptoms. Happy, go get Tony's shoes, jacket, and wake Rhodey. We're going to the hospital-"

"No." Tony managed, stopping them both. He tried to push himself to his feet, but his entire body hadn't gotten the memo about waking up, and he collapsed back into the couch. Happy was by his side in an instant, taking his pulse through his wrist. Tony let him. "No hospitals, Pep."

"Look at yourself, Tony. You need a hospital. I should have had Rhodey take you yesterday. Why didn't you say anything?" She asked, frustrated. She barely spared him a glance, typing so fast Tony could only assume she was about to assemble an entire team of doctors.

"Pepper-"

"I'll cancel my 2:15 meeting."

"Pepper-"

"Natalie can handle some of the paperwork. I can take calls from the hospital. We'll have to keep the press off of our tails-"

"Pepper!" He yelled, finally getting her to stop and look at him. "The doctors can't fix this."

"What do you mean they can't fix it? You haven't even gotten looked at. You're due for an appointment, anyway-"

Tony sighed, using his free hand to rub his temple since Happy had the other. "I know what this is. They can't help."

Pepper slowly sat down on the coffee table, tightly gripping her phone. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

He dropped his hand, forcing himself to look at Pepper, then Happy. His gaze dropped to the floor when their faces proved too much. He tapped the reactor. "This runs on Palladium to keep the shrapnel out of my heart." He began, pausing as he tried to organize his thoughts. Part of him was screaming for him to escape, making it harder to think. "And it's still working, but the Palladium itself... it's not supposed to be in the human body. It's leaking into my bloodstream, causing this-" He waved toward his neck, "-and all my other...symptoms. There isn't a viable replacement."

No one said anything. When he glanced up, he found Pepper had a hand over her mouth. Happy looked about ready to puke, gaze zeroed in on the black lines.

"It's poisoning me. Making me tired. The suit makes it worse." He said, not hiding the exhaustion in his voice. "I've agreed to train Rhodey in a suit so it'll get the military off our backs, but also to not have to use mine so much."

"Poisoning?" Pepper echoed, latching onto that word. "Tony, are you..." She didn't finish.

He pulled in a deep breath and forced himself to say it: "I'm dying."

Pepper's phone fell to the floor.

"No." When Tony looked up, he found her shaking her head, tears making her eyes glassy. "No, you can't... There has to be a way. Removal-"

"Would kill me faster. Technology isn't advanced enough yet. All I can do is slow it down. Can't stop it." He shrugged, trying for nonchalance even as his heart was shattering. He'd thought he'd come to terms with his time limit, but seeing Pepper breaking down in front of him... He wanted to do something to fix himself. "I've already extended the time frame." He nodded toward his cup. "Chlorophyll. That's what I've been drinking. Doesn't taste great." He tried to chuckle. It came out flat.

"How long?" Happy asked, the same way Rhodey had.

"I've known for three months. I have two left."

The grip on his wrist shifted to squeeze his hand. Tony squeezed back. Happy looked absolutely heartbroken, but there was an understanding there, and Tony knew his other best friend wouldn't be pushing him for a cure like Rhodey still thought there was. The genius gave him the smallest smile of gratitude.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Pepper asked, sounding wrecked. Rhodey's words rang in his head, about not telling her would have killed her, and any doubts of their truth were gone. He went to answer, but she started talking. "On the plane... You didn't want to come home. You thought Venice was a place to... be healthy." She put her head in her hands. "Tony, I am so sorry."

Tony got up, Happy steadying him when he wavered, and came to sit beside Pepper. "You don't have anything to be sorry about, Pep. Please don't be."

She sniffed, then threw her arms around him. He hesitated only a half second, more surprised than confused, before hugging her back, nose almost in her hair. The vanilla shampoo she used filled his lungs and it felt like he could breathe easier. He tried to find the words to explain why he hadn't told them earlier. All he could come up with was a half-lie. "I was trying every possible element combination. It took time." It did take time, but he finished doing that weeks ago. "I can't figure it out. I'm..." not smart enough, not good enough, not enough- "...sorry."

"If I can't be sorry, then neither can you, Tony Stark." She pulled back, cupped his face in one hand. The warmth that came off her palm was better than the compress she'd obviously brought from home. He wanted to stay there, in that moment, but he knew he couldn't. They couldn't. He had to help them move on, even while still alive.

He grasped her hand with his, removing it from his face. He squeezed before letting her go. "I made you CEO of Stark Industries not because of this, but because you're capable. You're the most capable person I've ever met. Be its queen, Pepper Potts." He stood, not missing how Happy shifted toward him, ready to catch him if he stumbled. He didn't. He marched straight to the closest hallway, keeping his eyes forward as he tried to push back the burning sensation in then.

He found Rhodey waiting for him, leaned against the wall. The look on his face said he'd heard everything. He clapped Tony on the shoulder, stopping him from detouring toward the lab. "You did good, Tony." He nodded, not trusting himself to answer. "Go take a shower. I'll make you pancakes."

"Made you an omelette." He croaked, hating how his voice tried to break.

"And here I thought you were hopeless in the kitchen." Rhodey joked.

"Dum-E was on fire safety."

"That can be a good or bad choice. Now, go take a shower." He pushed Tony further down the hall, passing his lab door before he let up. "JARVIS, make sure he does. No lab until he eats."

"Yes, Colonel."

"Bullies." Tony muttered. "All bullies."

"Sure, Tones." Rhodey ruffled his hair. "Whatever you say."

Chapter Text

Rhodey took a deep, steadying breath before he entered the living room. Pepper hadn't moved from her spot on the coffee table. Happy was pacing anxiously, hands folded behind his back. Rhodey cleared his throat, bringing their attention to him. "JARVIS, give them the symptoms rundown, current and future, please. And download the app to their phones as well as text notifications." He made his way to the kitchen where he busied himself with grabbing the ingredients for pancakes after sparing a look at the remaining omelette, which didn't look bad at all. A little lopsided, a bit brown, but Tony had made it, and that's all that mattered.

Happy and Pepper eventually joined him after hearing the list of symptoms, not saying a word. Pepper took up residence at the island, her phone buzzing against the table, likely with calls about SI from all the news stations looking for the next big scoop on Tony Stark. She didn't pick it up. Happy got blueberries, syrup, and a can of whipped cream from the fridge, sitting them to the side before leaning against the island, adjacent to Pepper. Rhodey got out the skillet, turned it on, and started throwing ingredients into a bowl. "Are there any chocolate chips here, JARVIS?" He knew he was being a bit of a hypocrite after how he made Tony eat vegetables, but that was more because he hadn't eaten in a while.

"In the pantry, Colonel. Third shelf."

Happy got them for him, sliding the bag over, and Rhodey poured them into the mix. He worked in silence, soon pouring the batter into mounds on the hot skillet. It was when they began to sizzle that he started talking.

"Tony was trying to make us all mad." He said. He didn't have to look to know their heads snapped up. "At least, he wanted us to be. He thought it would be easier for us to let go of him when he..." He shook his head. He couldn't finish the sentence. "He didn't tell us because he didn't want to hurt us. He wanted us to live normally, angry at his behavior, while he suffered." He flipped one of the pancakes. "I only found out yesterday, when I went down to the lab, and that's because he collapsed on me twice. Otherwise, I don't think he would have informed any of us. He tried to tell me the lines were road rash."

He flipped another two pancakes before continuing. "When I went down there, he was sitting in one of his cars, looking at files on Vanko. The way he looked at me... he was exhausted. That was the first collapse, when he tried to get out of the car. He had to change the palladium core in his reactor." He swallowed down bile at the thought. The only reason he was telling them specifics was because he knew Tony wouldn't, and both Pepper and Happy knew how important the arc reactor was. They would help him keep an eye on the cores. "The thing was smoking, and I still almost let it go, let him push me off. I don't know how I would have lived with myself if I did."

"I'm staying here." He stated, flipping the last pancake. "Tony suggested the training. The military is letting me stay, with occasional meetings about progress. We have to keep him eating and sleeping. He has to drink the Chlorophyll, though he's doing a good job at keeping up with that, according to JARVIS." He had talked to the AI when he returned last night, before he dropped into bed beside his brother. "It's the other two things I'm worried about."

"There's no solution?" Pepper asked quietly, any remaining hope flickering out in her eyes.

"Tony says there isn't. JARVIS says there isn't. I want to believe there's a way out as much as you do. I even told Tony we would talk about it today." He sighed, turning down the heat as the pancakes neared done. Happy wordlessly slid a plate over. "But the more I think about it, the more cruel it is to Tony." There was a pit of guilt forming over what he'd said, but he didn't know how to approach Tony about it. "I don't want him to stress himself out for hours, facing disappointment after disappointment, just because we don't want to accept it."

"What else can we do?"

"Tony won't respond well to coddling. Heck, I don't think I would. We do what he wants while keeping him as safe as possible. We intervene when we need to and only when we need to." He put the finished chocolate pancakes onto a plate, creating two stacks. "But he doesn't want us acting too different, I think. I don't think he'd mind if we hung around, though." He poured syrup on the stacks how Tony liked, then shook the can of whipped cream to add a helping of it on top - mostly on one stack, in case he didn't feel like eating it. Not the healthiest, but Tony loved it. "Keep things as normal as possible while still being here."

He picked up the plate of pancakes and the whole container of blueberries, a fork balanced on top of it. "I sent him to get a shower. He should be out soon. You both need to go to the office. Take care of Stark Industries."

"It feels wrong." Pepper said. The tears hadn't fell, but Rhodey could see them in her eyes. "To leave him, I mean."

"We all know Tony. He's going to retreat after anything that involves real emotion. I don't want to overwhelm him." Rhodey replied. He cracked a smile. "It would make him happy if you went and kicked butt at Stark Industries."

She nodded, mouth forming a thin line. Familiar determination filled her eyes. "I can do that."

"Happy, shadow her, please."

"If you need anything, let me know." The man replied. "Do you think Tony will want something specific for lunch?"

"I'll text you if he does, especially if he doesn't want to eat. If all else fails, he'll eat a cheeseburger. Thanks, Hap. I'll see you guys later." He knew they would come back. He didn't have to ask. He would bet money they'd be basically living here. Tony had jokingly (seriously) offered an open invitation if they ever needed to years ago - Rhodey was there - and this fell under a need.

Rhodey knew he wasn't leaving any time soon.

He entered Tony's bedroom without knocking, finding his friend dressed in jeans, a long sleeved shirt, his jacket, and socks. His hair was damp from the shower, sticking to his forehead, and his complexion had improved since yesterday. He was pulling on his shoes when Rhodey sat the plate of pancakes and blueberry container on the bedside table closest to him.

"Your favorite," Rhodey said, sitting beside him.

"Doesn't go well with Chlorophyll."

"I'll get you whatever you want."

"I'm not hungry."

"You have to eat something, Tony. I don't mean all of it. Just a few bites."

"Where's your omelette?"

"I only have so many hands." He said, covering up the fact that, in the emotional turmoil, he had forgotten it. "It looks great. I'll go grab it."

"You don't have to eat it. It's not the best."

"I want to." Before that conversation could continue, he got up and jogged to the kitchen for his breakfast, his stomach only then reminding him how hungry he was. He brought back his plate as well as two bottles of chocolate milk that he'd found in the fridge, concern growing at the sight of Tony picking a mere crumb off the edge of a pancake. He smiled to hide it, putting one of the drinks beside the pancake plate for Tony. "How many times did Dum-E try to douse you?"

"A lot." He chuckled.

Rhodey resumed his spot beside Tony and started eating. Honestly, the omelette tasted pretty good. He could tell Tony actually listened to instructions for once in his life, yet it still managed to have his flair. He ate the whole thing and stole some of Tony's blueberries, which got the genius eating some in retaliation. It gave Rhodey an idea, and he nabbed one of Tony's pancakes.

"Hey!" Tony grabbed the plate, moving it into his lap where he could better protect it. "These are mine! Get your own, sourpatch."

He shrugged, rolling up his prize to eat it like a burrito. He silently cheered when Tony started eating. In the end, he ate one and started on another before putting the plate to the side with his half-empty chocolate milk. "Am I clear for the lab now, boss?" He asked sarcastically.

"Yes, you are. What are you going to do?"

"I heard the military agreed. Figured we could start training now, if you're up to it?"

Rhodey grinned. "You know I've been waiting months to try one."

"Then what are we waiting for, Rhodes?"

With that, they left their plates for Dum-E to grab later (and possibly break) and went down to the lab. Tony started talking a mile a minute with advice and safety protocols that Rhodey knew his friend had ignored the first time around when JARVIS proposed them. Tony had Rhodey go through the movements without the suit - flight, repulsors, balance, turns - and then he got the Mark II out of the display case.

"Shouldn't I practice without all the weapons?" He asked as Tony opened up the suit.

"Where's the fun in that?" He grinned. Rhodey shot him a look and he relented. "J has them all turned off. You're going to learn to shoot them, then how to fly in here."

"And if I destroy the lab?"

"Then I'll have a project later." Tony's grin became more forced. Rhodey did his best not to aknowledge it, instead putting his back toward the suit. He stepped backward as Tony instructed and the suit closed around him. The helmet came to life with a million different pieces of data, charts, and numbers that Rhodey couldn't hope to process before settling on something he could manage.

He saw Tony through the eye holes. "I already had this one ready for you. I was waiting for when you'd steal it." He joked, stepping to the side. Rhodey turned his head to keep him in his sight, irrationally fearing that Tony could drop dead if he stopped looking at him. "Don't look at me, honeybear. Look ahead."

Reluctantly, he did. JARVIS had created hologram targets ahead of him. "Aiming first." Tony said, voice coming clear through the helmet. "Let's put that military training to good use. Right repulsor, hold it up." Rhodey did. It charged automatically, the power levels showing on the image to his right. How did Tony handle so much so close? "You'll get used to all the stuff in your face, Rhodey. The suit is in tune to what you need." When he finished speaking, the repulsor fired, hitting the closest target dead center. "Awesome. Next one!"

It went on like that for half an hour. Rhodey got better, faster, new targets forming every thirty seconds or less. The targets started moving, slowly at first and then at wild speeds. He missed some, hit more. He began to laugh at the thrill of it, finding it easy to twist and turn in the suit. When the targets were all gone, Tony clapped. Rhodey could sense his maniacal grin through the armor. "You're almost as good as me. Now it's time to fly."

"Simulation style?"

"Nope. J, ten percent power."

Rhodey shot into the air and hit the ceiling, dropping back down on one of the work tables. "Tony!"

"Sorry!" The genius cackled, sounding not sorry at all. "I did it the first time and I didn't even have armor. This is a right of passage, platypus!"

Rhodey groaned, climbing off the table. "Any other stunts you pulled that I need to know about?"

"Uh...no?"

He sighed, shaking his head. Of course Tony pulled more dangerous stunts than he could fathom. He probably went for a test flight before a full diagnostic. "Fine. What do I do now?"

What followed was an hour of learning the controls backwards and forwards, learning how to lift off ten times before he could fly around the room. Apparently, Tony did not want Rhodey making the same mistakes he did, though he refused to elaborate on what mistakes he exactly made. "I might let you watch the footage later." He offered.

"I bet you did something stupid."

Tony scoffed. "Genius here."

Yep, he did something stupid.

"I think you're ready for a test flight." Tony mused, stepping in front of him. He tapped the face plate and JARVIS raised it. "I can go up there with you-"

"No, Tony." He cut him off, voice going stern. He didn't have to explain why.

"Fine. You see that slot?" He pointed at a rectangle opening in the bottom of the wall. "Follow it out. It'll lead you straight into the sky. I'll meet you outside."

"No suit."

"No suit." Tony reluctantly agreed. "Go!"

And Rhodey went, following the arching path to the surface. "Woah, woah, woah-" He was half terrified, half exhilarated, and for a few seconds, he could forget everything as the thrill of flight took hold. This must have been how Tony felt during his first test flight. Rhodey could understand why he loved flying so much.

"You're doing fine, Colonel." JARVIS assured. "Pull a little to the right, yes, that's correct. You will emerge in three, two, one-"

He shot into open air, picking up speed to go straight up into the clear blue sky. He whooped, grinning as he shakily slowed himself down. The diagram to his left said he was approximately seventy feet above ground. "Okay, down, slowly." He said to himself, taking a breather to calm himself. He started lowering, intent to find Tony, when a gold and red blur shot by him.

"Did you really think I was going to let you have all the fun, Platypus?" Tony laughed in his ear.

All Rhodey could register was his own fear, ice building in his veins as his lungs froze. "Tony-"

"They're my suits. I do what I want with them. Let's fly!" Tony whirled around him, coming to a stop three feet ahead of him. "I just spent two hours teaching you. Did you freeze up on me? C'mon, this'll be fun."

"Get your butt out of that suit right now, Anthony Edward Stark, or I swear-"

"Ooh, full name and swearing."

"Tony!"

"Look," his friend said, his sudden shift in tone stopping Rhodey. He sounded solemn, sincere in a way he rarely was, "I want to fly with you. I don't want to go knowing that I had the chance and didn't. Please, just a few minutes, and then I'll get out and won't get in the suit again. You'll take over. I promise."

Rhodey swallowed. "Okay." He shifted, pushing himself backwards. "Last one to the Ferris Wheel and back is a rotten egg!" Somehow, his voice didn't break, even as he watched Tony fly after him, laughing, each second chopping away at his remaining life. He twisted, facing the giant wheel, and grinned with tear-covered cheeks.

Tony won.

Chapter Text

After the race, they circled around each other, doing flips and loops and theorizing two person maneuvers they would never get to pull. "Imagine our repulsor blasts met," Tony mused, doing a lazy arc. "Wherever they touched, that would be a crazy explosion."

"It would." He agreed. "But why would we do it?"

"Don't know. Too dangerous for fun, even for me. Necessity?"

Rhodey hummed, spinning in the air. He allowed himself to drop a few feet, then shot back up. "No matter the reason, it would be cool to see."

"Yep. You're getting the hang of that, by the way."

"Thanks. It handles like a dream."

"That's exactly what I said."

"Are you going to show me those recordings?" He teased.

"Maybe after dinner. Happy and Pepper would get a kick out of them, too." He chuckled. "Hey, watch this." Before Rhodey could say anything, Tony dropped out of the sky, toward the ocean. Rhodey followed, though he didn't turn off his repulsors as Tony had.

As Tony got closer and closer to the pristine blue water, Rhodey had to ask. "Tony, what are you doing?"

"Something cool. You'll see. Don't be a stick in the mud, Rhodey."

Mere feet from the surface, Tony's repuslors lit up and he shot across the ocean, sending water up in a wide spray on both sides, creating something like a path. Rhodey shot after him, creating his own path as he came up beside the inventor to be even with him, inches from the water. Tony laughed like a kid on Christmas as Rhodey tried to calm down from his heart attack.

"You are crazy sometimes. You know that?"

"I remember being told that after entering an active warzone."

"You still owe me a plane."

Tony only laughed harder.

Eventually, they had to land. The fifteen minute flight felt like hours and Rhodey understood why Tony did it. Already, it was becoming one of his best memories with him, something to hold onto after he...

'Don't think about it.'

They flew in through the same path as earlier, emerging in the lab. Rhodey exited his suit first, feeling shaky with adrenaline but alive. Tony followed, emerging from the red and gold with a flair that was all him. As the suit closed, he looked back, ran a reverent hand over the arm, and instructed JARVIS to send both suits to their cases. "How'd you like flying, Rhodey?"

"Best thing ever."

Tony smiled, a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "The ultimate joyride."

"Colonel Rhodes," JARVIS broke in, "the package has arrived."

It took him an second to remember what it was. "Thank you, J."

"What'd you order?" He asked while walking to the closest work table with some sort of contraption on it. Rhodey couldn't make heads or tails of it, only that it required a lot of wiring and was definitely not another arc reactor.

"Thermal jackets." He shrugged, heading for the stairs. "I'll bring you one, see if I got the right size." It was an excuse and they both knew it. JARVIS never got it wrong.

Tony waved a dismissve hand, zeroed in on the project, and Rhodey stopped in the door, watching him with an ache in his chest that he knew would only grow worse. Once the soundproof door had shut behind him, he asked the question he dreaded: "JARVIS, how much time did that flight take off of his life?"

"Roughly three hours." The AI replied. "But...I think Sir needed it."

Rhodey's lips twitched into a smile. He nearly tripped on the top step, eyes too blurred with tears. "He was really happy." He choked. "And...I think I needed it, too."

He had retrieved the cardboard box from outside when his phone rang. Placing the package on the table beside the forgotten bottle of Chlorophyll, he pulled it from his pocket to see Pepper's caller ID. "Hey," he greeted, "is something-"

"Why am I seeing on the news that there were two Ironman suits running around?" She asked, all controlled fury.

"Flying, actually." He replied, then winced. Tony did rub off on him sometimes. "Look, Pepper-"

"You said we needed to intervene when he did something stupid. That was something stupid!"

Rhodey pinched the bridge of his nose. "Pepper, listen, please." She fell quiet. "He was training me and wanted my first flight to be with him. His last flight. He said he'd stop, once he knew I had it. I have it. He won't use the suit again and..." His eyes were burning again. He swallowed down the lump in his throat. "It'll be a great memory. Flying together."

He heard her sniff. "Okay, I understand." She replied softly. "Happy is asking what you two want for lunch. Cheeseburgers?"

Recalling earlier, he shook his head despite knowing she couldn't see it. "Nevermind on that. I think he's lost a lot of his appetite. Does he remember that soup place we went to a few months ago? Tony might like a grilled cheese and tomato soup. I'd take the same."

There were a few muffled words as Pepper talked to Happy. She returned to the line. "He's on it. He'll swing by in about an hour, hour and a half. Is nausea a symptom?"

"There's potential for it, though Sir has yet to have it wothout involving alcohol." JARVIS said, patching directly into the phone line. "Lighter foods would be better on him as a preventionary measure."

"Got it. Let me know if anything happens."

"Will do, Pepper." He hung up the phone, a shiver sweeping up his spine. That woman could be terrifying when she wanted to be. Rhodey never second guessed Tony's choice of making her CEO. She didn't beat the sharks in the business world - she made them dance for her.

He popped open the box, sorting through plastic wrapped jackets of different colors until he found a dark blue one. Nodding to himself, he snatched up the bottle with his other hand and jogged back to the lab, ripping open the plastic as he went. Through the glass walls, he could see Tony still working, threading thin wires with Dum-E holding a magnifying glass. When he entered, he found music thrumming faintly in the background, a far cry from Tony's usual lung jarring bass.

"What are you working on?" He asked when he reached him, putting the bottle on the table but far from electrical parts.

"A phone." Tony replied, not looking away from his work. "Stark Industries is due to launch something new. I wouldn't be Tony Stark if I didn't make something better than the crap Apple is throwing out."

Rhodey laughed. "Well, take a minute. I want to see how you like this jacket." Tony frowned, but shrugged off the thin jacket he was wearing. Rhodey handed over the new one and Tony pulled it on.

"Fits like a glove," he said, rolling his shoulders. Rhodey didn't fail to notice how he automatically zipped it up, trapping what little heat that prevailed over the palladium. "Thanks."

"No problem." He went and sat on the worn lab couch, letting Tony be reabsorbed into his work. The music climbed in volume to where he could actually hear the lyrics, but not more than that. Rhodey pulled out his phone and started fiddling with it, pretending he wasn't watching the genius ocassionally out of his peripheral vision. He knew Tony wouldn't like it if he stuck right up against him - Rhodey needed to give him space to be in his element, where he could breathe, while watching over him. When he couldn't be here or Tony needed more space than him being ten feet away, the notifications would do that for him.

Thank God for JARVIS. Human or AI, he would take care of Tony when Rhodey couldn't.

Almost an hour and a half later, the AI alerted them that Happy had arrived with lunch. Tony didn't look thrilled at the idea of eating, but said for him to be led down to the lab. "What did you get for me, platypus?" He asked, swiping up a hologram. The phone was no longer a jumble of wires, now compacted into a sleek frame. Tony had made phones before - his own had always been his creation - but this topped it.

"Grilled cheese and tomato soup."

Tony shot him a look over his shoulder. "I do not need sick people food."

He rolled his eyes. "It's not sick people food, Tones. I'm getting it, too."

With an eye roll of his own, Tony went back to spinning holograms, reading at a speed Rhodey couldn't hope to accomplish. He may have went to MIT, but Tony had surpassed him well before fifteen years old. Happy made his way down the stairs, holding a bag with three obvious containers and a drink tray in his other hand. JARVIS opened the door for him as Rhodey cleared off one of the work tables.

"Tony, you gonna eat?" Rhodey asked casually, eyeing him. He'd stayed standing the whole time, as he normally would do in the lab when working on something so intently. He didn't look ready to walk away from the project. "Your soup is going to get cold."

"In a minute, honeybear. Working."

He suppressed a sigh, sharing a look with Happy, who frowned deeply. They started eating, eventually easing into conversations over sports, work, and food, as they always had when they were in the same vicinity. Both of them kept tossing looks at Tony, silently communicating concern while talking about hot wings sauces. Tony was too stuck in his own world to notice, sipping on Chlorophyll while analyzing a 3D model of his newly dubbed StarkPhone.

"I gotta go to the bathroom. Be right back." Rhodey said, tossing down a crumpled napkin. He sent a look to Happy, telling him to 'watch him,' and the bodyguard nodded.

He was washing his hands when JARVIS's voice filled the room, clipped and worried. "Mr. Hogan is requesting your assistance with Sir."

Rhodey didn't think he'd ran so fast since Pepper's phone call about Obadiah. He jumped most of the lab steps, nearly skidding into the wall before he caught his balance, and stepped into the lab, eyes immediately finding the two. Tony was hunched over, palms pressed against the work table and head down while Happy had an arm around his back, talking lowly. "Breathe through it, Tony." Rhodey heard as his heart skyrocketed. "That's it, just breathe."

"What happened?" He rushed over, getting on Tony's other side. His hands fluttered, unsure what to do, as Tony bit out: "I told J not to call you."

"And I overrided it." Happy replied, giving Tony a look that could rival Pepper's. "His chest is hurting him."

"I'm fine." Tony insisted even as his breathing started coming out in ragged gasps. "It'll be...over in a minute.

Rhodey finally rested a hand against his back, above Happy's arm. "JARVIS?" He prompted, not trusting Tony's answers.

"Sir is experiencing a flare up of chest pain due to the palladium. Recent bouts of it indicate it should be over soon." He explained. Rhodey bit back a curse, a pit of sadness opening up in his stomach. How many times had Tony rode out the pain by himself? "Getting him laying on his back would be best. The hot compress Miss Potts brought would also be of assistance to ease the muscles around the reactor."

"Nope, comfortable here. Not moving."

"Tony," Rhodey said calmly, leaning down to see his pained face, "you'll feel better laying down."

He shook his head. "Don't want to move, Rhodey. Please." Gosh, he sounded like that fourteen year old kid again, out of bravado and hurting in more ways than one. It broke Rhodey's heart into a million pieces, along with his resolve.

"Okay, okay, you can stay there. We're right with you."

It took an excruciating few minutes for the worst of the pain to pass. Tony straightened up, fixing on that dreaded mask. "Well, that wasn't fun." He didn't look at either of them, eyes fixed on the nearly-finished StarkPhone. "Recess is over. I need to finish this. Rhodey, be a dear and-"

"Nope." Rhodey pushed the phone away, then gripped Tony's forearm, steering him away from the table. "You're going to the couch for an hour. Happy, go get the compress. Heat it up if you need to." The other man sprinted off to do just that, taking the stairs two at a time.

"I'm fine."

He bit back a retort, electing to ignore him. Not wanting to push him physically, Rhodey started lowering himself to the couch, lightly tugging until Tony was forced to sit beside him. "What you're going to do is eat, drink, and rest. It still hurts a bit, doesn't it?" He asked, noticing how Tony was still tense, hand pressed against his chest. Reluctantly, the inventor nodded. "There's no shame in taking a break, Tones. We all need them."

Except this wasn't a normal break. This wasn't dragging Tony out of the workshop after three days. This wasn't catching Tony before he could collapse from exhaustion. This wasn't bringing him food and insisting on watching the latest Tom Hanks movie on the lab projector because it was so much cooler than the TV.

Tony was dying, his pain was just going to get worse, and Rhodey could do nothing to solve it.

Chapter Text

Tony couldn't remember when he fell asleep.

He only knew when he woke up against something solid and warm, the familiar feeling of a blanket wrapped around him along with the added weight of an arm holding onto him securely. Tentatively, he opened his eyes halfway, gaze surveying the area as he tried to remember how he got there. Rhodey and Pepper were in the kitchen, making the person propping him up to be Happy. They were on the couch, the end credits of a movie rolling on the TV, and he let his eyes fall shut again, breathing out a sigh that he didn't mean to sound so content.

Slowly, his mind pieced together recent events. He remembered sitting against Rhodey on the couch, grasping his chest as newfound waves of pain hit him. He remembered the distorted voice of his longest friend trying to get him to breathe evenly instead of the stilted gasps he was making. He remember Happy racing down with the compress before he had to squeeze his eyes shut from pain again. He remembered the warmth that pressed into him, gradually easing the pain until he could breathe again, and slumping into Rhodey's shoulder when it finally ebbed away.

He remembered them just sitting with him for a few minutes, Rhodey's arm wrapped around his shoulders while Happy rubbed his back, calming presences on either side, and briefly wondering why he hadn't told them sooner because it was so much better than writhing in the floor with Dum-E's claw spinning in distress and JARVIS, bless him, trying to talk him down without a body to bring him back to the present.

Then he remembered the looks on their faces, remembered that he'd wanted to keep his fate a secret so not to hurt them, and the pain became something mental.

Somehow, they'd convinced him to eat the stupid grilled cheese and soup. He stomached half of it before he couldn't anymore, washed it down with Chlorophyll, and begrudgingly admitted that, for sick people food, it wasn't bad. He remembered Rhodey throwing his head back and laughing, as if that would keep Tony from seeing the new worry lines in his face and the glassiness in his eyes.

He hadn't really gotten a choice in coming upstairs. One minute, Rhodey and Happy were talking in rapid fire over his head while Tony inwardly debated if there was a way to make Chlorophyll taste better - there wasn't, he'd experimented, it just got worse - and then he was being led up the steps and into the livingroom, Rhodey declaring that it was time for a Star Wars marathon despite it being about noon. (Look at him, actually knowing the time by himself, it was a miracle.)

It was blurry after that. He guessed he fell asleep at the halfway mark of the first movie, too spent from pain and prevalent exhaustion to stay awake, and ended up in his current situation. At least the headache he'd been trying desperately to ignore was gone - it had started shortly after using the suit, growing in magnitude until his chest pain dwarfed it. Despite telling them his condition, he was desperate to hide his symptoms so not to make them worry more, if that was possible.

(The looks Rhodey had kept tossing at him from the lab couch said he wasn't doing too good of a job.)

He circled back to the present, forcing himself to take stock of reality. If Pepper was here, then it was at least after five, though she tended to work late since he'd made her CEO, trying to establish herself more in the business world than just "Tony Stark's PA" and clean up his repeated messes. He knew making her CEO was a good idea, but he hated not seeing her as much. He hated that most of the time they did see each other, she was upset with him for one reason or another. He didn't like it when she was mad at him, but doing stupid, possibly irresponsible things seemed to be in his nature. Even his attempts at being responsible tended to end badly.

He didn't have enough time to make up for it. Even if he wasn't dying, he doubted he would ever have enough time to make up for all the crap he put her through.

Tony debated opening his eyes, letting them know he was awake rather than faking sleep. He found that he didn't want to. If he was awake, then he would see their looks, smiles that hid sadness, and the way they interacted around him - with him - in a way that only echoed normal. He hated it. He hated the difference from yesterday, after his stint in Monaco, to now.

Except there was a small part of him that was enjoying it, taking comfort in them sticking close, in them not being angry at his recent stunts, in them making a conscious effort to be around him even with their hectic lives. He liked not having to put up an energetic front all the time when he was exhausted. He liked being welcomed into open arms where he could rest. He liked when he was half-asleep and no one was judging him for curling against the nearest person. He'd been so lonely for so long, no matter how much he tried to ignore it, to justify that making them angry would make his death hurt less. He'd dealt with that empty abyss pulsing in his heart for months and now it was filling. Healing. He didn't want to dig it back out again.

Was it wrong to love having them here? They were only here because they were worried for his impending demise. It was hurting them, and yet he was happy because he got to spend more time with them. It sounded selfish. Maybe it was selfish. He always had been selfish. Everyone knew that. He didn't have a heart.

(Pepper seemed to think otherwise.)

He was pulled from his downward spiral of thought when a hand cupped his cheek. He kept his face lax as Pepper felt of his skin, thumb rubbing under his eye. "He's warm." She whispered.

"Fever warm or good warm?" Rhodey asked, voice coming from further away, still in the kitchen. A delicious smell was beginning to fill the air.

"Good warm, I think. JARVIS?"

"Sir is not running a fever, Miss Potts. He is, as Colonel Rhodes phrased it, 'good warm.'"

His friend snorted. "Sometimes it's very easy to tell who made you, J."

"I take that as a compliment, Colonel."

Happy's chest shook with silent laughter. It was pleasant, warming him in that internal way that suggested he did have a heart, and Tony soaked it up. Pepper's hand still hadn't left his face, thumb continually stroking his cheek.

"He's really out." Pepper murmured, and Tony prayed JARVIS wouldn't say a word because he would know Tony was awake based on his brain activity. He just wanted to enjoy it for a little longer. (Again, selfish.)

JARVIS didn't call him out on it, that amazing AI son of his.

"The food will be done in ten. We'll wake him then. He needs to sleep. JARVIS said that before yesterday, he hadn't slept well for a while."

Happy's chest rumbled again as he spoke. "At least this way he acts like an angel rather than trying to turn my hair grey."

Rhodey chuckled. "He always has been when sleeping. There were a million times at MIT when he would spend the whole day causing havoc and then be let off the hook at the end. I couldn't yell at him when he looks like that. Teachers didn't even tell him off for sleeping in class." He said. "Devil's spawn when awake, angel when asleep. It's his yin and yang, never changed."

Tony forced himself not to smile as everyone else laughed quietly. He liked being a part of this, even if they didn't know he was aware.

He let himself drift, poised on the edge of consciousness. He let their calm, soft conversation roll over him. The smell of dinner - alfredo, he was sure of it - got stronger as time went on, until the firm hand of Rhodey was prodding him into awareness. Forced to acknowledge he was awake, he opened his eyes, blinking at his friend's smiling face over him. "Like that's not creepy at all." He quipped as he pulled himself to sit up, Happy's hand against his back in silent support.

Rhodey rolled his eyes. "You've woken me up like that a million times before."

"Yeah, but I'm not creepy about it."

"I almost had a heart attack that first time in college-"

"Boys," Pepper scolded. She held a tray with a plate of alfredo, breadsticks, and a glass filled with what looked like diet coke, "you can argue later. It's time to eat." She put the tray down on the coffee table in front of Tony, giving him a small smile. "You're not the worst cook anymore. Rhodey almost burned the pan before I showed up."

"I got distracted!"

"You were right beside it and didn't notice the smoke until JARVIS told you," Happy interjected, unimpressed.

Tony laughed, patting his shoulder. "It's fine, honeybear, just don't burn down my kitchen."

"I wouldn't- seriously- ugh." He flopped backward into the seat of the couch, exasperated, and they all laughed at his expense.

As Happy and Pepper went to get their own food, Rhodey turned to him, talking quietly. "I tried to make your mother's recipie. She showed me once. I don't think it's right, but it's not poison either."

Tony ignored the burning sensation in his eyes. His mother. He'd be seeing her soon enough. (He'd missed her so much.) "Thank you, Rhodey." He grabbed the fork and scooped some noodles onto it. When he took a bite, he recognized the echo of his mother's cooking. Not exactly how she made it, but close enough that he could remember it vividly. "It's good," he said, covering his mouth as Pepper insisted on 'minding his manners,' even at home. The short comment was all he could get out around the lump in his throat, but Rhodey understood, because he was Rhodey, and his friend ruffled his hair before going to get his own plate.

Once they were all settled back on the couch and Rhodey was having JARVIS flip through Disney movies, a thought occurred to Tony. He squeezed his napkin in a fist, gathering his courage. It wasn't a big ask. A few phone calls and it would be done. People might be mad at him, but that was their problem. "Pep," he began, getting her attention. She was in the armchair adjacent to the couch as Rhodey and Happy had taken up positions on either side of him, "could you cancel my birthday party bash? I'd rather not do it."

She didn't miss a beat, didn't shoot him down like when they were in the jet leaving Monaco, just said: "Okay, I'll make the calls. What would you rather do?"

He shrugged, trying for nonchalance. He could tell Rhodey and Happy were listening, but kept his eyes on Pepper. "Something tiny, like this, just us, with pizza and donuts and that giant tub of ice cream that I like."

She smiled softly. "That can be arranged."

The tension in his chest that he'd been carrying for weeks eased somewhat. He wouldn't need to act normal in front of hundreds of people. He wouldn't need to be the infamous party king Tony Stark for his birthday. He could just be Tony. He nodded, more to himself than Pepper, and started eating his garlic breadstick, leaning into the couch. Happy lightly bumped his shoulder against his and Rhodey chose a movie Tony liked - National Treasure - before throwing an arm across his shoulders.

Tony soaked it all up - the love, the care, the goodness of tonight - and for just a minute, he could forget that he was dying and enjoy that he was breathing, that he was living, and had people who loved him.

For a minute, he could pretend everything was right in his world.

Chapter Text

Pepper was leaving her ten o'clock meeting when she heard the buzz - Tony Stark was at Stark Industries.

It hadn't exactly been unusual. Before Afghanistan, Tony was there, if not in his office most of the time. It was something that had made Pepper appreciate him when she worked in accounting: Tony wasn't a boss you never saw, he was a boss you saw a lot, in every department. He cracked jokes, helped where he could, and by the time he left the room, most, if not everyone, was smiling. Majority of the time, he would be found in R&D, working with anyone from his interns (who he actually paid, unlike other companies) to senior developers. Besides the Board of Directors when he did something they didn't like, Pepper didn't know of one person in the company who could hate Tony Stark.

But after Afghanistan, he came around less and less. He didn't let go of his employees, even when stock dropped over fifty points, and offered severance packages to anyone who wished to leave following the company's shift away from weapons. He built the Ironman armor and started doing his best to save the world - it was understandable that he didn't visit as much, and annonymous company surveys had respect for him at an all time high.

In the last three months, he hadn't come by at all. Pepper had been too preoccupied with becoming CEO and dealing with the fallout of his decisions and crazy stunts to ask him about it.

It was only when she found out he was dying that she understood why he'd disappeared. It killed her inside that she hadn't noticed, hadn't seen the cry for help behind donating so much of what he owned or putting his life on the line outside of Ironman. She was supposed to know everything about him - and yet she'd missed that he was dying.

Happy came up beside her, casting a glance her way before focusing on the chatter in the halls, excited employees whispering about Tony's arrival. It didn't take long to figure out where he was: R&D. No words had to be said as Pepper and Happy changed course from her office to the elevator, taking it down to the fifth floor. When it opened, they found the chaos that followed Tony Stark. The lab coats of excited engineers filled the main area, cheering, and Happy pushed his way through, Pepper on his heels.

Once at the front, they found Tony, dressed in jeans and a zipped-up blue thermal jacket rather than his normal suit, standing between two tables, each covered in parts and wiring and tools Pepper couldn't hope to understand. Interns surrounded them, working quickly and talking rapid-fire. Tony waved when he saw them before announcing, "Five more minutes! Show me what you can do!" He called, as if he were a TV host. "I'll be right back, looks like I gotta talk to my CEO, can't keep the boss lady waiting!" He gestured for them to follow as he strided to the far side of the room, away from the crowd.

"Tony, what's going on?" She asked once they were in a secluded corner, away from the more prevalent noise. She held up her clipboard, tapping her pen against it as if she were asking about the company.

"Just a little competition, Pep. I got the R&D interns together, gave them the same stuff, and told them to build something. Best device wins." He held up a finger, pointing at her. "And before you get mad, you're the one who let me watch seven episodes of Chopped yesterday."

"I'm not mad." She replied, and she wasn't. She wasn't mad at all. Tony looked happy, healthy, practically beaming when she'd seen him in front of everyone. He was in his element with R&D, having fun, and she wasn't about to put a stop to that. Friendly competition was good for morale, afterall. "I'm just wondering how you got here without Rhodey. You didn't escape, did you?" He couldn't have escaped Rhodey.

"Platypus got his first official mission this morning," Tony said, actually looking proud. "He's somewhere I'm not supposed to know about doing things I'm not supposed to know about."

"But you do know?"

He smiled and that told her all she needed to know. "Anyway, Rhodey's all trained up in the suit, so I figured I'd come by." The smile stayed on his face, but Pepper could tell he didn't just swing by on a whim. In the last two days since Tony revealed to her that he was dying, Rhodey had stayed at the house with him all day and night, never being more than a few rooms away. She'd seen how Tony leaned into touch, how he didn't chase his friend out of the lab when he wanted to work, how he didn't fight movie nights or Rhodey sleeping in his bed. The bots and JARVIS were his family, too, but they couldn't provide the same touch as Rhodey.

"What's the prize?" Happy asked, eyes on the interns. "They're working hard."

"Oh, I'm buying lunch for all of them. The winner gets to pick where it comes from. It's Pizza Team or Chipotle People." He glanced at his watch. "One minute!"

One intern yelped. Another cackled. Pepper wasn't sure she wanted to know what either team was making.

"We'll let you get back to it. Just..." she hesitated, "...be careful."

His smile turned softer, eyes going a little sad, and Pepper hated herself for bringing it up. "I know when to quit, Pep. I'll be fine."

She didn't trust herself to say anything else, giving him a curt nod. Happy followed her to the elevator, Tony's voice carrying behind them as he went back to being 'host' of his game. As the elevator shut, they heard the loud cheers for whoever he chose as winner, and Pepper smiled.

"Happy," she said, not looking at him, "when I go to my eleven o'clock meeting, please go shadow Tony. I know he said he'd be okay, but I don't..." He may have said he knew his limits. Pepper knew otherwise. He'd proven it too many times, and she didn't like the idea of him being by himself among rowdy interns.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "I know."

That was all that needed to be said.

.....

"Pep!"

Pepper looked up from her stack of paperwork to see Tony coming into her office, a smile on his face and a plate of pepperoni pizza in his hands. Happy followed him in and leaned against the closed door, guarding them both. "The Pizza Team won?" She asked, putting down her pen.

"Yep! I brought you some." He put it on her desk - formally his desk - and flopped down in the chair across from her. "Happy told me you were going to have a smoothie for lunch. As much as I like them, you need pizza. It's good for the soul."

"Good for the soul, huh?"

"I'll have you know I'm a genius in the wonders of pizza. Don't doubt me, Miss Potts." He joked. "What are you working on?" He leaned forward to read the current contract she was looking at, only for her spinning desk ornament to almost hit him. "Can I move this? It's annoying."

The fact that he even asked surprised her. "Sure."

He shifted it to the side and looked at the contract again, eyes scanning as if it was as easy to read it upside down as it was to read normally - which, he was Tony Stark, so maybe it was. It wouldn't surprise her. "Bryson Maufacturing?"

"They want to supply some of our materials for a better price, but something feels suspicious about it." She pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. She'd kept Tony Stark relatively on track for over ten years. She'd organized and cleaned up more than she could count. She knew Stark Industries and the business world inside and out, and yet she was struggling in the last few days to keep everything straight, ever since...

How was she supposed to think about Stark Industries, be its queen as Tony wanted, when all she could think about was every second she wasn't with him? Every second she missed of what little was left of his life? She had practically moved in with him, staying in one of the guest rooms, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

Wheels squealed, Tony rolling his chair around to her side of the desk. "If you think something's fishy, then something's fishy." He took the contract and leafed through it, eyes scanning the pages. "Ah, found it." He put the pages down and pressed his finger to a portion of text. "Twisty wording here, Miss Potts. They're trying to get one over on us."

Pepper read the section and saw what Tony meant. Convoluted wording, double meanings, more money Stark Industries would be required to pay until they were paying double in five years, not accounting for inflation. "I see."

Tony leaned back, tapping his fingers against the table. "You've been in here way too long, Pepper. You need a break. Happy said you stay here for lunch. That's not going to work."

"Tony, I need to run the company."

"You can't run the company if you run yourself into the ground. Eat your pizza, take a breather, I don't know - listen to jazz? I didn't think you liked jazz."

"I don't."

"Hm," he kicked his feet up on the desk, crossing his legs at the ankles. He rubbed his goatee, eyebrows scrunching up in thought. "Do you like milkshakes?"

"I do." She tried to force back a smile, watching, bemused, at the way Tony Stark's mind worked.

"Then we're going out for milkshakes - vanilla, cookies and cream, chocolate - flavors galore and it'll get you out of here for an hour." He got to his feet, thankfully not wavering. "Except for strawberry. No one gets strawberry because you're allergic." He grabbed her hand, pulling her up out of the chair, and grabbed her pizza plate with his free hand.

A laugh bubbled out of Pepper, half at the sheer joy on his face at the idea of milkshakes and half surprised he remembered she was allergic. "Happy can have strawberry if he wants. I'm not that allergic."

"I don't like strawberry," the bodyguard said, opening the door for them.

"That settles it. No strawberries." Tony let go of her hand and she found herself missing the contact. He handed her the plate of pizza as they made their way into the elevator. He hit the fifth floor button, stating, "I'm going to check on the interns, then we'll go. Hey, where's Rushman?"

"I sent her to get some files from accounting. I'll text her that I'll be out for a little bit." She pulled out her phone and typed one-handed. It was only after she sent the message that she saw the notification from the app JARVIS made: 'Sir hasn't eaten yet.'

She kept her expression neutral despite her heart jumping to her throat. They stepped off on the fifth floor - there were tables out, covered in enough pizza boxes to feed everyone in R&D. The interns were all conversing together, looking like a giant group of high schoolers. When they saw Tony, they opened their group to him, laughing.

Pepper tilted her phone, showing Happy the message. He frowned, not looking surprised. "He didn't eat any of the pizza," he said quietly, "not even pepperony." That was his favorite.

"He's got to eat something." They were going for milkshakes. He didn't need all that heavy milk and cream on an empty stomach.

The bodyguard shrugged helplessly. "We can't force it down his throat, Pepper." He glanced at her plate. "But I think he'd feel better if you ate some."

She looked at her piece of pizza, stomach churning. Finally, she picked it up and started eating. When Tony looked over his shoulder at them, he grinned, and it made her feel a little better.

She was throwing the empty plate in the trash when Tony came back over, and it got her thinking that it was exactly what he'd been waiting for - maybe he didn't want to sit in the car with food he couldn't stomach. "Ready?" He didn't wait for their affirmative, already walking back to the elevator. They followed.

If she hadn't known he was sick, she would have never known.

Soon, they were stepping out into the California sun. Pepper blinked against the harsh light, fumbling to get her sunglasses from her purse. It didn't take but a few seconds before she felt overheated. "Maybe it's too hot for milkshakes," she said, sliding them on. Tony walked beside her, red tinted sunglasses on his face.

"What do you think would be good?"

Pepper wracked her brain. Something lighter than a milkshake, but not food, and something Tony really liked. "Italian Ice?" She suggested. It didn't have dairy and was made with fruit. Tony loved it.

"That sounds perfect, Miss Potts." She wasn't sure, but his shoulders might have eased a little.

They got in the car, Happy driving while Pepper and Tony sat in the back. Pepper asked him about the competition and he spent most of the drive talking about it, about how they were all incredibly smart and going to do great things. He was thinking of showcasing their inventions at the Expo as a way to highlight the interns at Stark Industries, then investing a portion of the Stark Expo's revenue into funding their further education and future projects, which was something Pepper thought was a great idea. "I'm thinking of going to SI more frequently," he said, "at least when Rhodey's on missions. It would be great to spend time with them."

She swallowed down the knot in her throat, smiling through it. She'd had JARVIS give her a timeline. In a few weeks, he wouldn't have the energy for what he was planning to do. "That sounds like a great idea."

Happy parked them outside of one of the less popular yet still good Italian ice places. Rather than risk Tony being seen and causing a crowd - with what happened in Monaco, his canceled birthday party that had been set to be the biggest bash of the year, and the Stark Expo coming up, people were chomping at the bit to hear from him - Happy went in with their orders. He came out a few minutes later and then they were all eating in the car. Tony was slower than normal, smaller spoonfuls between rambles and questions, but he was eating something, and that was the best part.

"Hey Pep," Tony began as Happy started the car back toward Stark Industries. He had another spoonful of his blueberry ice before continuing, "it's a bit last minute, but..." He hesitated.

"But?" She prodded, worried. Tony never hesitated. Not unless something bad had happened, and even then it was usually with awkward rambles and bad jokes.

"I was wondering if you could organize an outing for us - me, you, Happy, Rhodey."

"What kind of outing?" He didn't know it, but she would do almost anything he asked. Anything to make his last days incredible. "Where would you want to go?"

He looked her in the eyes and said simply: "Disneyland."

She didn't miss a beat. "Do you want to go tomorrow?"

Tony blinked, clearly thrown by her easy agreement. "That's a Friday."

"And?" Her lips quirked up. "I think the boss needs a day off." She didn't. She really didn't. Things were so tense. Too many eyes were constantly on her, waiting for her to screw up. She shouldn't take a day to go to Disneyland. Neither of them should. The press would have a field day.

But she would.

Because the storm she would have to handle when she came back was well worth the happiness on Tony's face.

Chapter Text

Rhodey wasn't entirely sure how it happened. One minute, he had arrived back at the mansion after his first successful mission in Ironman armor - Tony called it the War Machine, the military wanted it to be Iron Patriot - and then the next, Tony was there, rambling about a day trip to Disneyland the next day. Happy was setting take-out on the dinner table and Pepper was sitting in the couch with her phone in hand.

"Disneyland?" Rhodey asked, gripping his friend's shoulders to get him to stay in place for a second. The last time he'd seen the genius, he was peacefully asleep at five thirty-seven that morning. This hyperactivity was unexpected, but also relieving, considering his... condition. If he didn't know something was wrong, Tony would look perfectly healthy.

"Pepper said yes!"

'To a marriage proposal?' He almost asked. He held his tongue, looking to the woman in question.

She met his eyes evenly. "We're all going to Disneyland tomorrow. No exceptions. We leave at six." She said. "We've got fast passes for everything."

Tony got out of his hold only to throw an arm across his shoulders. "Don't be a stick in the mud, Platypus. C'mon, it'll be fun."

A grin spread on his face. Disneyland. Of course Tony would want to go to Disneyland, and Pepper would make it happen. She'd move Heaven and Earth for him, even if she wouldn't say it. (Tony would, too. They all knew it.) "That it will be. What're we having for dinner?"

"Healthy crap."

"Boss, it's Subway," Happy said, rolling his eyes. "You like Subway."

"They put too much lettuce on it. It's rabbit food."

Rhodey laughed, pulling him along to the table. "Well then, Bugs Bunny, I guess you're eating rabbit food."

Tony gave him a look, somewhere between incredulous and impressed. "Rhodey, I am the one with the nicknames. Not you."

The man practically pushed him into a seat, Happy placing a sandwich in front of him. "Whatever. Eat your food."

Tony grumbled but unwrapped the sub. Pepper joined them at the table, drinks were distributed, and JARVIS turned on the TV so they could watch Incredibles from the dining room. Halfway through his own sandwich - made just how he liked it - Rhodey noted that Tony had only taken three bites of his, more interested in the movie than his favorite Subway sandwich. (They did not put too much lettuce. If anything, they put too little.) He looked to Happy and Pepper across the table, getting defeated faces in return.

He wasn't eating.

The knowledge churned Rhodey's stomach, making it hard to eat, but he did. They couldn't force Tony to eat anything, though Rhodey was willing to bet they had gotten something in his system. If Tony noticed they weren't eating, then it would turn bad for everyone.

"Sir, your assistance is needed in the lab," JARVIS chimed in. "Dum-E is chasing Butterfingers around with a fire extinguisher and will not stop."

"I'll go handle it." He stood and rushed for the stairs. It was some relief to Rhodey that he didn't waver in his movements. "Be back in a minute!"

As soon as Tony was gone, Rhodey spoke, "How has he been today?" He hadn't gotten the chance to look at the app or hear from JARVIS - he'd been on the phone with his commander for nearly the entire flight back.

"He's been okay, mostly," Pepper replied, picking a pickle off of her sandwich. "He organized a competition for the interns that was basically Chopped with electronics, and he's honestly been energetic. He's just not eating. We got him to eat a whole cup of blueberry Italian ice, so he isn't on a completely empty stomach."

"JARVIS?" He prompted.

"Periods of loss of appetite are normal at this stage," the AI answered.

"We'll see how he does tomorrow," Rhodey said. He took a bite of his sandwich. "What happened with the competition?"

As Pepper and Happy explained what they saw, Tony came up the stairs. "What'd I miss?" He asked, sitting back down beside Rhodey. At least he didn't try to escape. He was trying to eat, even if he couldn't, or maybe he was just sitting with them because he wanted to.

"Just talking about your escapades today." He raised a brow. "A Chopped contest? Really?"

He shrugged, unapologetic. "It was interesting. They had fun."

"I hear you got Italian ice without me." That had been a thing in college - after every big test, they went and got Itallian ice. Sometimes, they went and found a place at two in the morning.

"Sorry, honeybear. Pepper wanted it." He picked out a piece of teriyaki chicken from his sandwich, popping it in his mouth. It eased his nerves a little. Tony was trying. "But JARVIS can order some for the house."

"Already done, Sir."

"Have I ever told you that you're amazing, J?"

"Many times."

"What was going on between Dum-E and Butterfingers?" Happy asked. "There had to be a reason if he was getting chased with a fire extinguisher."

"From what I understand, there was a discussion over what exactly could go in a smoothie..."

As Tony told the story of a rare fight between two of his robot sons, Rhodey soaked up the scene. He didn't know how many more dinners he would get with Tony, with all of them as one mismatched friend group, and he wasn't about to forget one of them.

And dang it, he was going to enjoy every bittersweet second.

.....

Disneyland was incredible.

Tony had woken up before Rhodey, already dressed by the time the older man pulled himself out of bed at six in the morning, aching from his first strenuous use of the suit but smiling as Tony told him that he was "slower than a turtle" and "needed to hurry up before they left him behind." They gathered by the car at six-thirty, Happy and Pepper having slept in the guest rooms - they had all practically moved in, and though Tony didn't comment on it, Rhodey could tell he was happy about it - and Tony tossed Happy the convertible's keys for once before hopping into the backseat with Pepper, Rhodey being dubbed the 'navigator.'

It took two and a half hours to get from Malibu to Disneyland. They drove with the top covered for half the ride so Pepper could do paperwork and answer some emails - of which Tony actually helped her with without being asked - before driving the second half with the top down, wind going by as they took the freeway to what was called the happiest place on Earth.

When they got there, Tony was like a kid at Christmas, and Rhodey couldn't say he wasn't similar. Rhodey had never been to Disneyland and Tony, despite his billions, had never gone either. It had been too much of a risk for him as a kid, and he just became more and more recognizable over time. Pepper and Happy had gone as children and could hardly remember it, making it essentially a new experience for all of them. They wore plain, casual clothes, and people would have a hard time recognizing Tony with his tusseled hair and black thermal jacket.

They went on every ride - tall rides, short rides, spinning rides, fast rides, slow rides. Even as he and Tony raced from place to place, Pepper and Happy fast walking to keep up, they weren't recognized. It was a Friday, school was still in session, and it drizzled most of the time, meaning far less people than normal. If anything, the rain made it better.

Tony actually ate, which to Rhodey was the best part of the day. The genius bought the overpriced Disney food and they ate what they wanted. They ate pancakes for breakfast, barbecue for lunch, fried chicken for dinner, and so much sugar that Pepper was giving them a Look like they needed to cut back even as she enjoyed a Mickey themed ice cream. Which, to be fair, she had one thing while he and Tony had... more than he could keep count. Happy got in on the fun, actually smiling as he took pictures of them - Tony and Pepper looked honestly perfect when they posed together - and stole their food (he didn't dare touch Pepper's). They bickered back and forth about rides but ultimately chose whatever Tony wanted at that moment - though he kept circling back to whatever they suggested eventually - and Pepper kept them somewhat in line. (Rhodey could swear she memorized the map and ten contingency plans for the best experience.)

They bought souvenirs, too. By the end of it, they were all wearing Mickey Mouse ears and Happy was carrying bags full of the extremely overpriced trinkets. He didn't complain once, only stepped away shortly after dinner to put everything in the trunk of the car for them.

Still, Tony's body did eventually force him to slow down. Exhaustion combined with a sugar crash had him on Rhodey's back, half asleep by eight, as they walked out of the park. He hadn't protested when Rhodey easily scooped him up, just hooked his arms around Rhodey's neck and rested his head against his shoulder as the sun went down. In the last few days, the action had become as normal as back in college, and no one questioned it.

With a little bit of Happy's help, they maneuvered Tony into the backseat he'd taken on the way there. The bodyguard buckled him in and Rhodey spared a second to check his forehead - no fever, but his skin was cool. That was, sadly, becoming the new normal.

Drowsy brown eyes locked with his, awake enough to question. Rhodey smiled and ruffled his hair, making a mental note to turn up the heat in the car. "Go to sleep, Tony. We've got everything handled."

The fact that Tony didn't bristle, didn't fight sleep, didn't bat their hands away from him with what little conciousness he had left - it was a testament to everything that had happened in the last few days. Tony trusted them. He trusted Rhodey. He would let them handle things for him where he didn't have to. Rhodey watched him slip off into sleep, then shut the door as softly as he could while still getting it to lock.

For the drive back, Rhodey volunteered, and Happy took up the passenger seat. The roads were less crowded in the late evening, leaving them to ride under a bright moon with the radio playing faint rock music. Rhodey kept periodically glancing at Tony in the rearview mirror - Pepper had apparently thought to bring a blanket, stored under the seats, and laid it over him as soon as the car started moving. The woman herself was half asleep, head leaned against the window as her gaze switched from watching the outside world to Tony, peacefully sleeping where Rhodey left him.

(She looked at him like he was everything.)

Halfway home, the check engine light came on. Not wanting to risk anything, Rhodey carefully pulled them over as Happy grumbled about stupid new vehicles, already pulling out the manual from the dash.

"What's going on?" Pepper whispered.

"The check engine light came on. We're going to check it out." He undid his seatbelt, nudging open the door. "We'll be back in a few minutes. Shouldn't take too long."

That was the biggest lie of the century.

Rhodey had a degree in aerospace engineering from MIT. Happy's dad owned a car shop. They should have been able to figure out why the engine was freaking out in five minutes tops. Instead, they'd been staring at it for nearly forty, quietly arguing over the manual.

The fleeting thought of waking Tony crossed his mind, but he brushed it away. He told Tony that they had everything handled and he was going to keep that promise.

"We could try-" Happy paused, bringing Rhodey's full attention to him rather than the seemingly fine engine.

"What?"

He sighed, pinched his nose, and said: "Why didn't we just ask JARVIS?"

Rhodey could have slapped himself. JARVIS was in everything Tony owned. If there were something wrong with the vehicle, he would be able to tell them, and yet they'd shut the car off before he could and hadn't looked at their muted phones. The AI must have been laughing at them by now. "Right, yeah, we should... we should've probably done that."

He got back in the car, reaching for his phone, and decided to check on the two backseat occupants. When he looked, he found that Tony was free of his seatbelt, laying across the seats, head on Pepper's leg. Remarkably, her hand was rested in his hair as if she had been carding her fingers through it.

Before he could say a word, he met Pepper's eyes, and her look shut him up. It was shocking how she was being so gentle with Tony, and yet her eyes were made of steel, daring Rhodey to say one word.

So Rhodey did the smart thing - he grabbed his phone and retreated.

"JARVIS?" He prompted faintly, getting his wits back. Happy gave him a questioning look that Rhodey ignored. He would see for himself soon enough.

"Yes, Colonel?" Was it just him or did JARVIS sound amused?

"Is there something wrong with the engine?"

"As I have been trying to inform you, the fuel cap is loose."

Yeah, JARVIS was definitely laughing at them.

Happy tightened the fuel cap and they got back in the car. Rhodey saw the moment he looked back, saw exactly what the military man had seen, and faced forward without comment. They shared a single look, the smallest smile, and then they were back on the road.

The clock read just after ten.

Only two hours until Tony's fortieth birthday.

His last birthday.

(Rhodey was going to make sure it was a great one, even if it was the last thing he did.)

Chapter Text

Rhodey was worried.

The clock was ticking toward ten in the morning and Tony was still asleep. Most people wouldn't have considered that too late, especially for Saturday, but he'd never known Tony to sleep beyond eight, even with a hangover that should have taken out a man for at least half the next day. That wasn't the only thing either - he had woken at six thirty to JARVIS informing him that Tony'd been running a low-grade fever for half an hour. It hadn't broken, hovering right under an official fever, but it still deeply troubled Rhodey even as JARVIS reminded him that it was an expected symptom.

He stayed at Tony's beside, sitting with him as JARVIS played the news on silent with subtitles. His friend faced him, laying on his side and mostly buried in his blankets. His breathing was deep and even, no signs of pain on his face - it was a small comfort to Rhodey. He was a bit pale, his hair a mess, and he hadn't opened his eyes since Rhodey got him to bed at near midnight.

The news was talking about Tony's birthday - playing reels of past ones and discussing why exactly he would cancel his fortieth birthday bash. The reasons ranged from not wanting to celebrate entering his forties to the most outlandish things that he knew Tony would be laughing about if he was awake. He let out a small chuckle of his own, glancing down at the genius - only to find his eyes half open.

"Hey," he said quietly, touching his forehead. Still warm. Fever warm. "Happy Birthday, Tony."

Tony made a sound, something between a grunt and a "thanks," shifting onto his back. He rubbed his eyes with one hand, blinking drowsily up at him. "What're you watching?"

"Just the news." He waved it off. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

He raised a brow. "Wanna try that again?" He asked. When Tony gave him a confused look, he elaborated. "JARVIS has been keeping an eye on your temp. It's elevated. Not quite a fever, but getting there, and you've been sleeping for a while."

Tony shut his eyes, breathing out. "I don't..." He hesitated. "I'm not feeling too great, Rhodey."

He wanted to prod for specifics, but he was getting a stubborn Tony, and if he pressed too hard, he was going to clam up and try to push through it. "Okay, do you want some water?" Even as he asked, he grabbed the glass he'd prepared an hour ago. It'd been sitting beside the Chlorophyll that Dum-E delivered.

Tony managed to sit up by himself. When his hands didn't shake, Rhodey released the glass to him. "Do you want to eat anything?" He asked as Tony drained it.

"Not really," he answered, settling against the headboard. Rhodey took the drink from him.

"I'm going to refill this and go make you some waffles. You can choose if you want to eat them. JARVIS, put on something Tony likes, please." He got up and left the room, Tony's muttering and the theme of SpongeBob playing. There had to be an inside joke in that somewhere - he'd have to ask.

He found some Ego waffles in the freezer and popped them in the toaster. As he waited, he mulled on Tony's current state - and the causes. JARVIS may say it's symptoms of the Palladium poisoning, but Rhodey couldn't stop himself from thinking that the Disneyland trip was the catalyst. Even though Tony had gotten his recommended Chlorophyll intake and eaten (even if it wasn't completely healthy), they had done a lot of running around. Tony had just been so... himself. Tony. He had that bright eyed look that he got when he was genuinely happy and Rhodey hadn't thought to tell him to slow down a little.

Was that why he was exhausted? Why he was running a fever? Why he went from having a fairly good days to what was going on now?

He didn't regret the trip. He found himself putting it into the same category as Tony's last flight - something his friend needed. He hadn't seen Tony that happy in a while. Not even when he watched video of him opening the Stark Expo, he hadn't been truly happy. He was playing it up for the cameras while knowing he was dying.

(How had Rhodey missed it? The fake smile, the charm, the enthusiasm that was a touch too much to be real - when did he stop being able to read Tony like a book?)

He was cutting the waffles when his phone rang. His heart dropped when he saw the caller ID - his commander.

A quick, five minute phone call later had him walking back into Tony's bedroom, the words on the tip of his tongue to tell him that he'd been called out for a mission - except he didn't have to. In the time it took him to prepare waffles and more water, the genius had fallen asleep, sprawled out on the bed. Rhodey silently put the plate and cup on the table where he could reach them, fixed his blankets to be up to his neck, and hastily scrawled a note that he left by the waffles. It might have been a little redundant considering JARVIS would undoubtedly give him the details, but a note felt better, considering he'd be gone for an unknown amount of time.

As Plankton attempted to steal the Krabby Patty formula, Rhodey left, walking briskly down to the lab as he called Happy. Phone to his ear and JARVIS preparing the suit without being asked, he prayed for the bodyguard to pick up. Happy was with Pepper as she attended Saturday meetings that had been pushed from Friday - though no one recognized them at Disneyland, she still had to catch up on what she missed and the hailstorm she surely got for being out of office on a weekday.

The line clicked. "Hey, what's going on? How's Tony?" The worry in his voice was obvious. Of course they'd been keeping tabs on him too.

"Hey," he said, speaking quickly, "I've been called for a mission. Can you get over here to keep an eye on him? He's not... he's not doing too hot, and I don't want him trying anything while I'm gone. He woke up for a few minutes, hasn't eaten anything."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you. I'll call when I'm headed back in."

"Stay safe, Rhodey."

He slid his phone back into his pocket, taking a deep breath. He wasn't sure how he could fly with the anvil of guilt in his stomach. All he wanted to do was run back to Tony's side.

But duty called. He made a promise to America, and he was going to keep it.

He let the suit close around him, a protective shield against the world, something Tony built with his hands to keep him safe. In his mind, that was his way of keeping Tony close, in life and...

In death.

Fighting back the fresh burning sensation in his eyes, he took flight, shooting through the tunnel and up into clear blue sky.

"I'll be back, Tony," he whispered, not caring that JARVIS was undoubtedly listening. "Soon."

.......

This was shaping up to be the worst birthday ever.

No, not shaping up. It was the worst birthday ever. Even worse than his thirtieth disaster.

Tony groaned, resting his forehead against the tub. The cool porcelain eased his pounding headache somewhat, but that was his only comfort after throwing up half of what he ate yesterday. Logically, he knew it was the Palladium snaking through his bloodstream, but seriously, waking up with a horrible headache and nausea should not happen without alcohol. All he'd wanted to do was get a shower, to force his body and mind to wake up from the haze he was trapped in, and yet he was in a worse position than before.

He really should have stayed in bed.

"Sir, I advise you to let me inform Mr. Hogan of your current situation," JARVIS stressed for the third time.

"And I said no." He knew his friends were conspiring, getting JARVIS to notify them. He was okay with it - or he was trying to be - but when he'd woke up, found Rhodey had to leave fifteen minutes earlier, and he thought taking a shower and trying to rejoin the world would be best. He knew JARVIS would notify them the second he made a move for it, and forbade him from sending notifications until he was back in bed. He hadn't wanted to worry them. JARVIS had informed him that Happy was coming and he just... he wanted to not look as horrible and weak as he felt. He wanted a shower. He wanted his headache gone. He wanted to head to the lab and work without the risk of passing out halfway there.

He wanted to not be dying.

"Happy's driving," he continued, shifting himself to where his shoulder was against the tub and he was somewhat sitting up. "I don't want him breaking traffic laws getting here. It wouldn't look good if he got pulled over. I'm okay."

"None of this is okay, Sir."

Tony rolled his eyes, which was a very bad decision as his headache spiked. He reached out and flushed the toilet. "I'll be fine in a minute." He just needed to stand. He could do that. He was ninety percent sure his stomach wouldn't rebel over it - it had to be empty by now. His head was another issue. He gripped the tub with both hands, counted down from five, and hauled himself up to his feet. The world spun and he locked his knees, scrambling to grab the bathroom counter. Somehow, he did, and he stayed there, head down and eyes squeezed shut as he waited for the vertigo to end, vaguely aware of JARVIS talking to him.

"I'm okay," he said, more for himself than JARVIS. "I'm okay."

"Sir, I really must advise for you to wait for help back to bed."

"I can make it twelve steps," he argued. He glanced toward his bed with trepidation. Maybe it was more than twelve steps. It looked like a mile. He took a deep breath, prayed he wouldn't get dizzy again, and made it painstakingly slowly to the threshold of the bathroom, leaning on the counter the whole way. He made it to the doorway, the halfway point-

There wasn't a counter leading to the bed.

That was fine. This was fine. He could use the wall. No big deal.

Except he didn't make it but a step away from the door before the chest pain hit. Tony dropped to his knees, breathing out through his teeth as the pain came in waves. He settled against the wall, trying to breathe right. Like down in the lab, when Rhodey and Happy had been there. JARVIS was talking, fast talking, asking what he needed to do and advising him against further moving.

"How..." He stopped and restarted, JARVIS going quiet for him to speak. "How far is Happy?" California traffic was the worst on Saturdays, and the offices were nearly an hour out on a good day-

"Twenty minutes, Sir."

"Tell him..." He grimaced, forcing in a breath through lungs that didn't want to expand. He put a hand over the reactor, knowing it wouldn't do a thing yet finding comfort in the action all the same, "...I need a little help."

There was a moment of silence. "Message relayed, Sir."

He hated the relief that filled him even as the pain fought for control. He focused on breathing, on counting each precious second as his life ticked away, on the memory of when his best friends stayed beside him until the pain faded. He tipped his head back to rest against the wall, eyes shut as the waves gradually became less and less painful.

Tony wasn't sure exactly how long it was before he distantly heard the front door open and shut, Happy's fast footsteps following, and he opened his eyes halfway. The footsteps got louder and louder until his friend was at his bedroom door. "Tony!"

"Hey," he said, giving him a small smile as Happy dropped down to one knee beside him. "What's up?"

He frowned. "You, when you shouldn't be. Why did you get out of bed?"

Tony shrugged, only to flinch when the muscles around the reactor ached. "Thought I could."

"You're hurting."

He went to lie. Happy's face stopped him. There was too much pure concern there to lie. He was so tired of lying. He sighed. "Little bit. Can move, I think."

His friend's hand rested on his shoulder, light yet grounding. "How about we get you back to bed, I'll get the compress Pepper brought, and we'll put on some trashy movie that we won't admit to her that we watched?"

The warmth that bloomed in his chest nearly masked the pain. "That sounds like a plan."

He put an arm across Happy's shoulders and readied his legs to take the weight - only for Happy to scoop him up, one arm under his knees and the other behind his back. He moved slow, not jostling his chest, and settled him back into bed. He adjusted the pillows behind him before completely releasing him to sit back.

"Is there anything JARVIS hasn't told me?"

"That depends. What did JARVIS tell you?"

"Only that you needed some help."

Before he could respond, JARVIS cut in. "Sir is experiencing nausea, exhaustion, dizziness, chest pain, and a headache, Mr. Hogan. His temperature remains under 100.4 Fahrenheit. I have sent the status update to Miss Potts."

"J, I told you-"

"You told me not to send any messages until you were back in bed. You're back in bed."

Tony slumped against the pillows, glaring at the ceiling and ignoring Happy's disapproving look. "Cheeky, JARVIS."

"I learned from the best, Sir."

"Don't block messages, Boss. Especially when you need something."

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You guys don't need to come running every time something happens. You're worrying yourselves too much."

"You're our friend. We're going to worry." Happy said, looking the most earnest Tony had ever seen him. "We'll worry more if we think you're stopping alerts. Don't do it again. Please."

Tony hesitated, then conceded. "I guess because you asked nicely..."

Happy's lips twitched up in a smile. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He left, leaving Tony to pick through the list of movies JARVIS brought up on the television screen. He was choosing between a romantic comedy that Pepper would tease him relentlessly about if she ever found out or the most recent terrible horror movie when the man came back, carrying the compress, an extra blanket, a bottle of Tylenol, and a bowl of blue Italian ice. The bulk order of groceries had been delivered the same night he'd ordered them, containing several containers of the stuff.

He handed him the bowl first, then dropped everything else onto the foot of the bed. "JARVIS said it should be fine on your stomach." Even as he said it, Tony didn't fail to notice him shift the trashcan closer. Happy put the extra blanket on him first - an electric blanket - and then put the comforter back over him. Tony was too shocked to say anything until Happy pressed two pills into his free hand. "For the headache." He didn't mention the chest pain. For that, Tony was grateful. He didn't want to think about it.

"Thanks," he swallowed them down with a bite of the Italian ice, welcoming the taste on his tongue after throwing up. He hadn't exactly been in the position to rinse his mouth out.

He didn't fight it as Happy put a pillow in front of him and moved the blanket enough to fit the warmed up compress against his chest, propped on the pillow. When he was satisfied with all his fussing, he sat on the bed beside him, as Rhodey had.

"Which movie?" Tony asked.

"The funny one."

"You heard the man, J."

JARVIS put on the movie and dimmed the lights further - a blessing on his head. He stayed awake for the first half hour, slowly eating his Italian ice and picking at the dry waffle. He took a few drinks of Chlorophyll too - he didn't need to feel worse faster. The Tylenol eased the pain in his head and chest and once that was gone, the exhaustion started dragging him down. He hated it. He'd slept over ten hours. Why did he need more?

And yet he couldn't voice his displeasure when he was warm, holding down food, and could hear Happy's quiet laughter that he tried to hide. Gradually, Tony found himself leaning on him until his head was too heavy to hold up. His eyes fell shut on their own accord. He felt it when Happy removed the near-empty bowl from his hands, then shifted him to lay down. He almost opened his eyes when the contact left, unashamedly desperate to keep it, but Happy returned, moving Tony's head to rest on him.

As he finally drifted off, he heard Happy say quietly: "Happy Birthday, Boss."

He mumbled something he hoped sounded a little like a "thanks" before warm darkness completely enveloped him.

.......

Pepper was sure she'd never been so stressed out, so worried, so overwhelmed in her life.

Dealing with the paperwork and meetings where people hated being there on a Saturday - despite a generous bonus - was one thing. Knowing Tony was at home and ill was far worse. JARVIS had notified her of the fever that morning, assured her that he would keep watch as she rushed to get to work at seven - an hour earlier than her typical work day called for. The faster she got done at Stark Industries, the faster she could be back by Tony's side.

Except it hadn't worked out that way. The meetings ran longer. There were reporters calling and news outlets circling like vultures, waiting for the moment she would give in to the pressure of Stark Industries, asking why she hadn't been at work the day before. The paperwork and emails spun together in front of her eyes, the words unable to settle as she kept thinking of Tony, of everything he was going through. Happy joined her at eight, upset that she'd left without him but understanding, and read notifications from JARVIS whenever they came in so she would stop watching her phone anxiously.

Then Rhodey called, asked Happy to come watch Tony in his steed, and Pepper yearned to go with him as he ran out the door.

She tried to focus on the paperwork for another hour and managed some of it before JARVIS texted her of Tony's exacerbated symptoms - then all bets were off. She put her paperwork in a folder, gathered her things into her bag, and ran in heels through the empty halls of Stark Industries. She fumbled her keys into her hand, got in the car, and pushed the speed limit as much as she dared to get back home.

Home. When had her home become the Malibu mansion? She had an apartment, a large, tastefully decorated place that was her own, and yet she was rarely in it, even before she knew Tony was sick.

(Wherever Tony was? That was what her heart liked to call home, no matter how many times her brain corrected it.)

When she made it there - in forty-five minutes - she dropped her stuff off on the couch, kicked off her heels, and made her way to Tony's room. The lights were out and JARVIS didn't say anything besides "Welcome home, Miss Potts." It didn't completely ease her anxiety, but she moved slower, quieter, until she reached the open bedroom door.

She found Tony sleeping peacefully, curled up next to an awake Happy. Scattered on each of the bedside tables were various things a sick person needed, and if she imagined the Chlorophyll as a health drink, she could almost think of Tony as just that - sick with the flu, not dying from the one thing keeping him alive.

"How is he?" She asked in a whisper, approaching the bed.

"He's doing okay, by what JARVIS says." Happy replied, equally quiet. "He's almost back to a normal temperature, and he ate some."

Pepper settled on the edge of the bed beside Tony, facing him. Her hand ghosting over him before she pushed back sweaty hair from his forehead, the pads of her fingers touching his skin. Warm, but not too bad. His face scrunched up at the contact briefly, then smoothed, not waking.

"Mr. Hogan," JARVIS said, "Colonel Rhodes has returned and could use your assistance with the armor. It sustained some damage that is making it difficult to remove."

"On it." Happy shifted Tony's head to be more on the pillow, then got up, looking at Pepper. "You'll watch him?"

"Of course."

The bodyguard nodded, gave Tony one last look, then left. Pepper stayed where she was, stroking back Tony's hair repeatedly to try and provide some level of comfort. "Oh, Tony," she murmured. Worry was a tight ball in her chest, constricting her lungs. What were they going to do when he was gone? Why did he have to suffer like this? He hadn't done anything to deserve it. Even his life before Ironman hadn't warranted this. He was a good man with a good heart and it just - it wasn't fair.

His eyelids fluttered, and then tired brown eyes were looking at her. She pulled her hand away. "Hey," she said softly, "how are you feeling?"

"Better than earlier," he admitted, rubbing his face. "How'd SI stuff go?"

"Not too awful."

"But pretty awful?" He pulled himself up to sit, no assistance needed even as her hand hovered at his shoulder.

"I mean-"

"Pep, it's Saturday. No one wants to work on Saturday. You shouldn't be working on a Saturday. Do something else."

"Like what?"

He glanced at the television. "Watch the rest of this ridiculous movie with me."

She blinked at him, then turned in that direction - it was a quietly playing movie she vaguely recognized from commercials and not at all something she thought Tony would watch. "Happy's choice?" She asked as she moved to the other side of the bed.

"All his idea."

Pepper had a feeling that wasn't true. Smiling, she settled into the spot the bodyguard had vacated, legs stretched out as JARVIS turned up the volume where they could actually hear it. The movie was over halfway done - the couple was finally getting together after some cliche misunderstanding - and yet she didn't feel lost. She was grounded, that roar in her head quiet. No, she was right where she needed to be.

Their hands were so close, an inch apart on the mattress. Before she could think too hard about it, she took his and squeezed. It was calloused from all his years of work, warm and gentle as he squeezed back.

"Pep?" He asked. She brought her eyes up to his confused ones.

"Happy Birthday, Mr. Stark."

His face softened into a smile. "Thank you, Miss Potts."

They went back to the movie. Neither of them tried to pull their hands away.

(She only let go when Rhodey entered, not wanting anyone to ask questions. He was too focused on Tony to notice, and she slipped out of the room to go get what she could ready for Tony's birthday. Still, her hand felt warm with the memory of his. She didn't know what to make of it.)

(Except she did. She did know what to make of it. She just wasn't going to admit it.)

.......

Okay, maybe it wasn't his worst birthday ever.

Actually, Tony might place it at the top.

It was a surprise, considering how awful the day started, but it got so much better.

He was stuck in bed for the day as his body continued to demand rest it shouldn't need. No one made him feel bad about it. They congregated around him, someone always nearby, and it made him feel... warm. Warmer than any of the blankets could make him.

By dinner, he insisted his stomach was strong enough for pizza - and it was, though he only ate one piece of his favorite. Rhodey told him about the mission - short but insane, and 'seriously Tony you should have seen those guys faces when I flew in' - and Pepper brought in a cake that she'd spent an hour making. Happy lit the candles, they sang Happy Birthday, and he blew them out, his wish mingling with the whisp of smoke as they cheered.

(He wished for them to live long after he was gone.)

The day ended with him eating a small square of cake with another bowl of Italian ice. (The Chlorophyll was gone, consumed hastily where he wouldn't have to think about it anymore.) The others were gathered on his bed. Rhodey laid across the foot, debating with Happy about what movie to watch. The bodyguard had taken up his original place, insisting to Rhodey that The Goonies was a classic and no, they should not watch Die Hard. Pepper, sitting on his left with their fingers grazing, ended the debate by having JARVIS put on Legally Blonde, a movie Tony had never got around to watching.

No one complained.

'Yeah,' Tony thought, gaze going over them - all there, all willing to move Heaven and Earth for him, 'this was the best last birthday I could have asked for.'

With that, he settled in to watch, not caring if he fell asleep in the middle of it. Pepper's hand moved into his, Rhodey's back was against his socked feet, and Happy was a constant, protective presence. For the moment, he could focus on all of that, on the fact that he was still alive and breathing.

This was all he'd ever wanted.

Chapter Text

Blood Toxicity: 65%

Tony frowned at the screen, pressing his thumb into his dark jeans to stop the bleeding. It had been nearly a week since his birthday and it was the first time he'd been left alone long enough to bother even thinking about checking on how much the Palladium had invaded his bloodstream. He hadn't wanted to think about it. He hadn't wanted to think about the timer on his life, steadily ticking down far earlier than he planned.

Being Ironman was one thing. He knew he could die on those missions. It was in that line of work - expected. He wouldn't have been surprised if he'd died during his party days either. He hadn't made the smartest decisions.

But this was different. This wasn't him voluntarily risking his life, or even just the knowledge that a human could die at any time. This was a death sentence - certain death at an exact time. Knowing it was far worse than not knowing.

He never thought that he, the futurist, the one who wanted to know everything, would ever think ignorance was bliss. Maybe, in this case, it would have been.

Tony slid the device into his back pocket, forcing himself to focus on his actual intention when he went to his bedroom. After the bleeding had stopped and he'd wrapped his thumb in a bandaid for sanitary purposes, he grabbed a stool from the closet. He set up by his dresser and climbed. Balanced on his toes, he reached and grabbed the chest he had put up there forever ago. He only brought it down once a year for his mother's birthday. He wouldn't make it to her next one.

He put it on his bed, brushing off the small bit of dust that had accumulated on the outside. He ran his fingers over her name, etched into the side, and then popped the unlocked latch off. Inside was a bound book made of old leather, worn but well cared for. He brought it out and flipped through the faded pages of his mother's cursive English and Italian. He blinked back the tears as his eyes fell on what he was looking for - her recipe for homemade spaghetti.

He wanted to do something nice for his friends, after all they'd done for him. He wanted to make a memory. This was the first day he'd felt near one hundred percent since Disneyland, and he was not about to waste it.

What better way to give back than cooking the taste of Heaven his mother made?

Tucking the book against his chest, over his heart, he headed to the kitchen. He'd had the ingredients delivered that morning after everyone left and had laid out all of it on the counter. Knowing it was about to be a complete mess, he put on his Ironman themed apron - a gag gift from Pepper for Christmas last year - and some gloves to be safe, and got to work.

It took hours, and it wasn't perfect in appearance. He'd never had his mother's skill in that, but he was able to get the taste right. He'd almost burst into tears when he tried it, instantly reminded of her. He grinned through it, stirring the pot with the heat on low. When he felt comfortable leaving it, he took off the gloves and grabbed his tablet from the one spot on the counter that wasn't covered in flour, empty containers, or scraps from his first bad attempt. Leaning against the counter, he flipped through what he'd been looking at over the last few days while he was still on most of the day bed rest, enforced by all three of his friends. (He'd been allowed to go to Stark Industries to mess around in the labs for five hours total. It wasn't much, but he had to admit he was exhausted by what little he'd done.) He'd looked over Stark Industries contracts, double checked his will, and started looking into attempted infiltrations of JARVIS's code.

Since he was actually rested, he could focus on it, unlike when he'd been in that haze of lack of sleep and self destruction.

As he followed the trail - it was relatively easy with how his mind calculated the code, how the trail was essentially JARVIS's own system but broken down to try and make him glitch - his eyebrows drew together. "JARVIS," he asked, voice steady even as rage began to simmer underneath his skin, "are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"That I am, Sir."

He followed the code straight into SHIELD, into their network, into their plans-

Tony put the tablet down, glaring at it. "J."

"Yes, Sir?"

"Could you please call Rushman over here?"

"She's already headed this way, with your suit for tonight."

Right, the Charity Gala that Stark Industries was hosting. His idea, actually, from two months ago. Pepper, as always, worked it into the schedule. "Don't tell her anything then. I'll see her when I see her."

"Understood."

He was at the stove when she arrived, his back to her. He kept his shoulders loose, partially for the sake of the Arc Reactor but also to not give anything away. He had learned the art of the poker face years ago. He learned how to form his face, how to give people the emotions they wanted even if he didn't feel it, how to ease people into telling their secrets unknowingly even when they made Tony uneasy.

"Mr. Stark?" She called. He glanced over his shoulder to find her standing at the edge of the kitchen, garment bag in hand. He could see it now, in her face and eyes. The same kind of faces he could make. He couldn't believe that for even one second he fell for it - but had he really? When he thought back on it, he didn't like having her close to him. "I have your suit for you."

"Yes, thank you. What color?" He grabbed a Tupperware container from his meticulously organized cabinetry. He barely ever touched it and had no clue who organized it. Honestly, it might have been Pepper.

"I'm not sure. I didn't open it."

"Did Pepper pick it?" He asked, moving three big scoops of spaghetti into the bowl.

"I believe so."

"Then it's fine." He dropped the wooden spoon back into the pot and snapped the plastic lid into place before he finally faced her, wipping his hands on his apron. "Great, actually. Now, how about you tell me why exactly you're here, playing assistant?"

"Mr. Stark?" There was confusion in her voice, so close to genuine sounding that it might have been real under the facade.

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, leaning against the counter again. "I'm dying, not dumb, Agent Romanoff. Tell Fury or whoever it is that trying to hack into JARVIS was the biggest mistake of their lives." No one messed with JARVIS.

He saw her face shift, from the competent and calm assistant that came from his legal team to the professional of a spy. She hooked the garment bag to the back of the nearest dining chair. "I was unaware of that."

"Cut the crap. You knew." Did she really think he was that stupid? His body was giving up against the Palladium. His brain hadn't. Not yet. "And I bet you and Fury know about this-" he guestured to his reactor, his life support that was killing him, "-and that's why he sent you." She said nothing, observing him. "Honestly, he could have just asked. He has my number."

"We both know that wouldn't have worked."

"Really? You know me that well? Sorry, Romanoff, but only Pepper can read my mind. I don't even know what I'm going to do most the time." He said. "I've got half a mind to fire you right now."

"You can't fire me. I don't work for you."

He tilted his head, pretending to think about that. "Last I checked, it wasn't Fury's name on my company." He stepped forward, putting his hands flat against the island and leaning forward. She didn't flinch. "If I wanted you out, I very well could, and JARVIS would make sure you never came back."

"It's-"

"No." He cut her off. "I'm not done."

She shut her mouth.

"I could fire you, but Pepper is my CEO. That is her decision, and I'm not about to undermine her. She'll make the choice - after I tell her what's going on." He dropped his voice, low and threatening. "But if she keeps you - which she might - and you hurt her or let her get hurt, I will be coming after you. I'll come after you, Fury, SHIELD, everyone." He eased back, not breaking eye contact. "But if you protect her, I won't do any of that. Am I understood?"

She was silent for a beat. "Understood."

"Make sure you do." He stepped back, going to the opposite counter. He let his back face her, knowing JARVIS would intervene if she tried something, and the second chance he so graciously offered would be gone. She wouldn't risk it, not with her mission on the line. Threat understood threat, and if she was any good at her job, she would recognize he was dangerous when he wanted to be. "I and everyone else in this house will be gone from seven to ten, most likely. Whatever SHIELD needs to do here, they can accomplish it in that time and no more. If anyone tries anything, JARVIS will restrain - I'm not going to tell you how, but it's not pleasant - and call the police. Since it's why you're here, if Fury has any ideas for this mess," he guestured to his reactor again, "I would like to know."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark." Her footsteps were silent despite the heels, but he could tell she was leaving.

"Hold it." He held up a finger, looking over his shoulder at her once more. She paused. He grabbed the Tupperware container and walked to her, holding it out. When she didn't take it, he rolled his eyes again. "It's not poisoned. I would never stoop that low."

The 'unlike you' was left unsaid. They both knew it. He'd read her file.

She took the container. "Since when do you know how to cook?"

"Family recipe." He shrugged, folding his hands behind his back. "You're dismissed for the rest of the day. Go home - or wherever you're staying. Pepper will let you know if you still have a job on Monday." She'd have the whole weekend to think about it without Romanoff's presence. He returned to the stove to stir the pot, not bothering to watch her leave. "Close the door when you go out. I don't want flies."

The only sound she made was just that - shutting his door a little louder than she could have. "J, I'm updating you when this is done. I've got to make garlic bread. Happy loves it. I bought garlic, didn't I?"

"I put it on the list, Sir. It's to your right."

"I couldn't live without you, buddy. You're the best." He grabbed the pan from the oven. "How's Rhodey's mission going?"

"Very well, Sir. He will be able to attend the gala."

"Perfect."