Apartment Above Stark Industries, Sunday Morning

[heroic_jawline]

So Jan had taken Steve suit shopping yesterday without so much as asking for permission, so it meant there hadn't been much time for anything more than ordering in pizza, drinking a few beers and then letting Jan tell them about how she was going to redecorate the guest room while Rhodey beat a hasty retreat back to the hotel.

But today there would be brunch, complete with the good bagels Jan had brought with her and coffee that Rhodey had helped liberate on a secret op but that Steve privately believed he'd just bought.

Steve was in the kitchen making waffles and not burning them. He was horribly proud of himself.

[OOC: For the guests!]

Comments

[imafuturist]

Tony was taking advantage of that coffee, secret ops or not. "How many stores did she take you to?"

Or was it designers she decided he needed to patronize?

[heroic_jawline]

"All of them," Steve said quietly. "Every store in the world."

[callmequeenbee]

"I heard that!" Jan called as Tony hid his grin in his cup of coffee. She joined them, leaning into Tony's side like he could understand her plight here. "Steve doesn't understand the work it takes to look good."

[heroic_jawline]

"I really, really don't," Steve admitted easily.

[imafuturist]

"Just be glad it wasn't Fashion Week," Tony said helpfully.

[callmequeenbee]

Jan made a happy little squeal. "You can come with me! Carol gets bored after two days of it, so you can be my tall, blond, military escort once she's done."

Carol making it through two days was an act of superhuman endurance.

[heroic_jawline]

"I think I might be busy that week?" Steve tried.

[warmachine_rox]

Rhodey snorted from behind his coffee. "Never knew you to back down from anything, Rogers. I'm learning a lot this weekend."

[imafuturist]

"You underestimate Jan's drive," Tony informed Rhodey seriously.

[callmequeenbee]

"I'll get JARVIS to check your calendar," she promised sweetly. Because, oh, she knew.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve sighed. "Okay."

He never really stood a chance.

[imafuturist]

"So, bagels?" Tony asked. Because he was safe from the fashion shows by virtue of already owning nice enough clothes by Jan's estimations.

[heroic_jawline]

"Bagels," Steve agreed, pressing a kiss to the top of Tony's head as he went past to get the lox out of the fridge.

Rhodey's eyes went slightly bug-eyed for a second before he recovered himself.

[callmequeenbee]

Jan side-eyed Rhodey for a moment before humming and continuing on like it was business as usual. Because it was. "Waffles for me, please!"

[imafuturist]

"So, Rhodey. This is almost weirder than meeting the other me," Tony admitted with a winning smile.

[warmachine_rox]

"Yeah," Rhodey agreed with a little smile in reply. "I don't know what blackmail works on you, man."

[imafuturist]

"None of it," Tony replied immediately and incorrectly.

[warmachine_rox]

"That sounds fake," Rhodey told him. "Guess that means I have to air all the dirty laundry and see what sticks--"

He smirked. "Should I start with college?"

[callmequeenbee]

"Now, now. Let's be nice here," Jan said. Then, once Tony's guard was down, pointed at her hair and mouthed the word 'perm' because of course she did.

[warmachine_rox]

Rhodey's eyes lit up with glee. "The perm thing is universal?"

[imafuturist]

"Janet!" This betrayal would not stand!

[heroic_jawline]

Steve looked like Christmas had come early. "That's amazing."

[imafuturist]

"Oh, shut up. I'll get stories out of Sam or Natasha next time." His pain was so real. You cruel, cruel people.

[heroic_jawline]

"I'm a paragon of virtue," Steve said, "and have never done a single thing wrong."

That got a bit of an eyeroll from Rhodey.

[imafuturist]

Which Tony caught and cleared his throat. "Jan, want to join me in getting some coffee?"

So Steve and Rhodey could talk. Maybe?

[callmequeenbee]

"But we already have---oh. Ohhh." Jan was loathe to leave Steve to the wolves, but if Tony was asking...

[heroic_jawline]

Steve gave them both a tight little smile before turning his attention to Rhodey.

"So, I guess this is the part of the weekend where you say why you're here?" he said. "I'm happy to see you, of course, but you're Tony's friend."

And not Steve's.

[imafuturist]

Tony gave him a quick arm squeeze and a look before he and Jan left them to it. While not at all anxiously waiting for the awkwardness to be over.

[warmachine_rox]

Rhodey watched as Tony and Jan left, then turned his full attention to Steve. "How often have you tried to contact Tony since you dropped your little bomb, detonated his life, and came back here?" he asked, frowning.

[heroic_jawline]

"A lot!" Steve said. "I've gone to a full voicemail every time."

A furrow formed between his eyebrows. "Is he okay?"

[warmachine_rox]

"You're not a stupid man, Rogers, so I'm not going to answer that," Rhodey said, sipping from his cup. "But I wouldn't be here if I wasn't worried about his coping techniques right now."

[heroic_jawline]

"Drinking?" Steve asked, biting his lip.

[warmachine_rox]

"Some of that," Rhodey had to admit, "and there's a thing he's doing that he doesn't know I know about with interactive memories, but I'm mostly worried about the giant army of robots he's making for himself."

[heroic_jawline]

"Army of robots?!" Steve repeated, eyebrows skyrocketing.

[warmachine_rox]

"He calls it the Iron Legion and talks about how it'll solve the problem of ending wars before they begin," Rhodey said. "It also--and I'm sure this is entirely a coincidence--means that when there's an emergency, he doesn't have to call you for back up."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve ran a hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath. "Well, dammit."

Language.

[warmachine_rox]

"Yeah," Rhodey said. "That's why I'm here. The question now becomes: what are you going to do about it, Cap?"

[heroic_jawline]

Steve swallowed hard and glanced away because he had absolutely no idea.