runs_on_batteries | IC Inbox/ Interactions 2.0

"So far as I know, none of that." His lips twitched and then curved into a grin as he set a plate down to drip dry on the rack. "Way ahead of you. I set a bed up in one of the rooms. Even made it for you. Aren't I great?" As for the rest. "There's a little place in town, I think the idea was to make that a library. But you're welcome to make the other rooms into whatever you want. Knock a wall down and make one big workshop if you'd like." Gladio was pretty easygoing when it came to this. He didn't plan on spending most of his time indoors anyway. And once he was situated enough he wanted to get himself involved more. There was several people already who had expressed interest in training so his thoughts were leaning toward finding a space of his own where he could do that. Some had mentioned starting up a gym. It was a thought that was at the back of his mind as a viable option for the future. And a good way to earn some money.

Tony's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Wow, that is nice of you. You must be buttering me up for something," he joked. Either that or Gladio really wanted to keep him out of his space again. He wondered briefly if he should apologize for that or just continue to pretend it didn't happen. It had been really stupid and put his friendship on the line. It was best to just keep ignoring it and hope Gladio would just forget it.

However, he was surprised at the reaction about the library. "I thought you loved books." Did Gladio think he'd forgotten? He wanted to do something with the other rooms that supported both of their interests. With Gladio's size, he didn't think putting a gym upstairs was a good idea.

"I'm a nice guy, asshole." He grinned over his shoulder then turned back to his dishes. "Just wanna make you feel welcome here is all. Having a space of your own means somethin now." After so long being squashed together, a place where privacy was a precious commodity, he though Tony would appreciate having somewhere he could run off to if he needed peace.

"I do. Love books, I mean. But... that place, I think I'd prefer to build that up." He paused, frowning a little. "There was a kid here. Vianca. You'd have loved her. That place was her's. A cosy place with flowers and books. But she left recently. I think adding to that collection'd keep her memory alive here." Gladio glanced over his shoulder again, smile softer now. "Make sense?"

"Yeah we'll see," Tony bantered playfully back. The truth was, he was flattered. The gesture had been something Pepper or Ignis would've done and he missed things like that. He didn't know how to express that kind of gratitude, so it came out in jokes. He got up and made some tea and sighed when he got tea in a cup with a handful of raisins next to it. Well at least it wasn't a potato in the tea.

He frowned unsure why they were still talking about this other place, but then Gladio explained it. "Ahh, yes. That.. I didn't know. So, it's a library and a florist?" That was an odd combination, but if it was run by a kid it was rather sweet.

"More like a place to sit and read with flowers in it. But you can take books, so long as you bring em back. So as close to a library as we can get." He grinned. Much like the shelf of books in the corner back on the Voidtrecker, it was makeshift as can be, but this one was definitely built for comfort instead of practicality.

"I'll take you tomorrow if you want? Should show you around this place at some point." He grabbed a dish towel to start drying the dishes, falling quiet for a moment before he laughed. "Think you'd see more if you do that flying thing though."

"I see," Tony said thoughtfully. It sounded like the perfect place for Gladio to spend all his free time. That and the guy probably could use a massage. When was the last time that guy actually did anything relaxing?

"Hmm?" He heard something about flying. He definitely wasn't sitting there thinking about rubbing those hard muscles down with massage oil. Nope. "Yeah, flying. I did earlier.. um, you haven't used all the hot water with the dishes have you? I think I have some chocolate I'd like to get out of my hair before it gets too late."

Gladio was never truly relaxed, sadly. He'd come close, but never quite all the way. But it didn't matter much to him.

Once the dishes were dry, Gladio turned to lean back against the counter and smile. He dried his hands and nodded toward the stairs. "Have at it. Plenty of hot water. Should be clean towels up there too. And there might be some clean clothes in your room. It's not much, the fashion here is lackin since robots don't need clothes, but I did the best I could." Simple pants and shirts were good enough, right? Even a jacket. As well as an umbrella of his own. A nice, bright green umbrella.

Tony laughed and got up. It was amusing to think of these robots trying to figure out fashion. Still, he got that same feeling as before that Gladio was reminding him of home. He hadn't realized how much the younger man fussed over people. It was sweet.

As he headed for the stairs, he tossed back. "Are you my roommate or my wife? You keep this up and I might end up in your bed again."

Shit.

Just keep walking.

He hurried up the stairs faster than necessary and was in the bathroom staring at the mirror in seconds. Wow. He was a giant idiot. He'd left the door cracked open in case.. he wasn't sure what. In case it set Gladio off and he came up here angry or demanding answers? In case his friend came bursting in and wanted to make it with him right against the bathroom counter? Tony was a fool. He shook his head and stripped out of his clothes and got the water going.

Thankfully Gladio hadn't been lying about the hot water. The pressure and temperature were perfect. It only took a couple minutes before he was sudsy and temporarily putting his idiotic remark out of his mind. He looked down at the bathtub and promised himself he'd enjoy that the next day. How long had it been since he got to enjoy a bath? Years maybe..

Gladio had started to cross his arms over his chest when Tony laughed, his smile widened and he was about to say more when his friend decided to up the ante. His brows rose as he watched the older man scurry up the stairs like he was on fire.

He'd thought he was just being a good friend honestly. But he supposed he could see how his actions would look like something more if he wasn't used to it. Maybe Gladio needed to hold back some... It was just that he'd been out and remembered that Tony had asked about clothes. So he'd grabbed some. He needed a room so he'd set something up. It was all reasonable stuff to him...

Though that parting shot was something of a surprise.

Just for tonight, he'd said. Just this once. Was it just an offhand comment or did he actually...

No. No way. Gladio frowned and after a minute of being lost in thought, he shook his head and pushed away from the counter. There's no way that's what Tony wanted. Why would he? It was just this world, wasn't it? Just Tony feeling lonely. Just that idle flirtation that he'd always dabbled in. Gladio dismissed the thoughts and decided it was time to lay down and just try not to think.

And that would have gone amazingly well if, when he got to the top of the stairs he hadn't had to walk passed the bathroom. And if Tony hadn't forgotten to close the door. And if he hadn't have glanced that way...

Without meaning to, Gladio had stopped walking. His body had just frozen on the spot, his eyes on the shape beyond the crack in the door. It wasn't open much. The figure moved in and out of his line of sight. But what he saw... There was absolutely no doubt that Tony was an amazing looking man. Clothed or not, apparently. He remembered how that body had felt against his own. Warm, solid, soft in all the right places, not nearly as hard as he would have liked him to be.

... Gladio's eyes widened a bit and he made himself reach out and quietly close the door before he hurried his ass to his bedroom. That door was closed behind him before he dropped onto his bed and covered his face with his hands. No. No thoughts like that were bad. So bad. It couldn't happen, right? It was impossible. It was... not the first time thoughts like that had popped into his head. Idle thoughts, nothing he would ever have acted on. Gladio was sure he wasn't alone in that either. He'd wager that almost everyone Tony encountered wondered what it would be like to spend the night with the man. Was he all talk? Or did he have the skills to back up his flirtations? Maybe Gladio had a passing interest to find out, but with Tony engaged to Ignis and his own relationships, he would never have muddied the waters. They had been harmless thoughts. 'Look but don't touch'.

Only now he could touch. But did he dare? Could he...?

Tony had just gotten here. If they did do anything it would make things awkward. Gladio wasn't someone who liked to sleep around. Generally he slept with people he cared about. And he did care about Tony. Gladio just wasn't sure what that actually meant...

Tony was unaware anything had happened. If he'd known, he most likely would've given the younger man a better show. He no longer had that ugly scar on his chest thanks to healing he'd gotten on the train, so he had nothing to be self-conscious about.

He used the products Gladio had in the shower, pleased it was something better than the crap he'd been using. If he'd been told he'd get this kind of treatment to go be a porn star for a god, he might have come here willingly.

After drying off and borrowing a few other things without asking, he picked up his clothes and left the bathroom with a towel around his waist. He paused as he saw Gladio's door was closed. He was tempted to stop and actually thank him for the clothes, but he decided what he'd already done was good enough. Besides, he was going to find a way to treat his friend before the end of the week. He didn't know how yet, but he was sure he would figure it out.

Getting fresh underwear on and crawling into bed, he laid there in the silence. It was deafening. He strained to hear Gladio snore, but couldn't. At least not yet. He wished he could return to where he'd slept last night, but he couldn't- wouldn't- no couldn't was right.

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