specification | [Heart in a Knot] We're on the cusp of something (w/ Tony)

The Avengers have come to be. Agent - First name is not Phil - Coulson has died for the efforts and now Loki is opening a portal to bring in an alien race to destroy Earth. Of course the Avengers are not letting that happen.

Tony, whose Diva Tower is being used in this effort, finally has discovered how to stop the invasion but it has one downside. He is likely not going to survive the efforts. He's not going to let that stop him.

"Sir, shall I call Mister Arthur?"

Taking a deep breath, he gives a small nod of his head. "Call him."

The phone rang and rang. In his head he counted the rings, waiting to hear the other man's voice. If he was on the plane, he might not answer but there was a chance he could catch him before the group went under.

The answering machine picked up.

"Hey. I just wanted to call you. Look, I don't know how to say this okay but just know that you are the best thing to come into my life since Pepper. I never thought I'd feel this way but... I do."

He sighed, watching the missile zoom towards the target. Inhaling he found it almost impossible to take a breath. Exhaling, he tried to say the words, those three words. He isn't sure if he said them before he lost consciousness.

***

A roar. Yelling as he came to, choking back Arthur's name as Tony realized he was alive and not a crumpled, fiery mess. Or lost in space. He was alive. Alive and... they'd done it. Holy shit.

He sat up, blinking, stunned.

"Shawarma. We should get shawarma."

They were done.

It was over.

Four levels and three planes later, they were finished with the hardest part of Inception. All was left was to wait and see if it took.

The last to wake, of the primary team, was Cobb and Saito.

Arthur had to admit, he hadn't been one hundred percent certain that they would wake up but wake up they did and he let out a relieved little sigh.

That and a 'fucking hell, we did it' smile.

He shared a look with Eames, one of the only team members that he could truly and honestly say that he trusted and gave him a little nod. He could see the forger was relieved as well even if he tended to hide his emotions with the best of them.

Ariadne looked alive and well and perhaps a lot relieved. First job in this business and it had been Inception. He had to give it to her, at least she hadn't cut and run.

Saito looked...well at a complete loss of words, to put it lightly. That is, until he picked up the phone to make a phone call that would undoubtedly get Cobb back home to his kids, and the rest of them into the country.

Arthur settled into the seat with a silent sigh until he was given the forms to fill out by the stewardess. It was only a matter of time before he was back with Tony after a little over five months.

When they stepped out of customs and made their way, separately and quietly mind you, to baggage claim, Arthur started to hear the whispers and chatting about something happening in New York City. It wasn't until he had seen Fischer Jr head off with his car service, Ariadne off in a taxi, Cobb meeting with Miles, Eames and Yusuf departing that Arthur knew -- or had at least grasped the most of it.

A group, The Avengers had stopped an invasion in New York City just hours before and of course Tony Stark was amongst them. He was just checking his voicemail when a man walked up to him and handed him an envelope and walked away.

The voicemail had been from Tony and the envelope, more surprisingly, had been from Saito with a note and information regarding a waiting private plane to take him to New York City, set to take off when he was ready. After the voicemail, it took him hardly any time to take his luggage, PASIV and walk to where the private plane was waiting. He would have to make some enquiries later about how exactly Saito knew but for now, he was thankful to just be returning to New York City.

It was right before take off when Arthur called Tony's phone, unsurprised (though a little disappointed) when it went straight to voicemail.

"-- I swear to whatever higher being there is, you better be alive. [pauses] I'll be there in what the stewardess swears will be less than five hours. I'll -- see you soon. I better see you soon."

His phone was destroyed. Jarvis was offline. Tony wasn't even thinking straight. He just wanted to eat, and sit in that small place and not think about the destruction to the city and the lives lost.

Except suddenly he jerked in his seat, panicked. "Phone! I need a phone!"

Barton snorted. "Fury said he'd call Pepper." He was really the only one of them with family that needed contacting, after all.

"I don't care. Give. Me. A. Phone."

It was the lady who ran the place that brought over a cordless phone, handing it to him with a smile before she went back to sweeping. He dialed the last number he had for Arthur.

By the time Saito's plane arrived in New York City, it was a little past midnight and Arthur could say for certain that he was absolutely exhausted despite 'sleeping' ten hours for the Inception job.

He thanked the crew profusely before stepping down the flight of stairs and heading toward the car that would be waiting for him, according to the note left by Saito. He would have to contact the Japanese businessman about how exactly he knew but for now he just wanted to find Tony and know that he was alive.

When he turned his phone on, it was to a few text messages from a couple of people (particularly Eames telling him he would no longer work with Cobb, retirement or no retirement) and a missed call from an unknown number. Still, nothing from Tony. For the first time in longer than he can admit, he felt nervous that maybe something had happened and that he didn't get there in time - or that there wasn't anything he could do. He wasn't superhuman after all - not like Tony or the rest of the Avengers.

Before he gave thought to what he was doing, he called Tony's phone again - hoping that there would be something on the other end this time. It would be a while before the driver made it to Arthur's flat what with detours and the city being in disarray more than normal for New York City.

"Come on, Tony...," he muttered.

If he didn't get ahold of Tony this time, he'd call Pepper.

This time the phone was answered, though the calls were being rerouted by Jarvis and still not showing the caller identification. Many were trying to call, trying to get appearance with the new hero, so it was a very harried Pepper Potts that answered.

"Mr Stark's phone, Ms Potts speaking. Mr Stark is not receiving calls at the moment, nor making personal appearances. How may I help you?"

He couldn't exactly name all of the emotions that he was feeling at the sound of the ring on the other line and Pepper's voice. Relief was one of them and as such, Arthur exhaled slowly.

"That at least tells me that he's alive," he said, sliding a hand up to his face to rub at his forehead. "Thank you, Pepper." He probably sounded like absolute shit (and perhaps looked it as well, if he were honest).

"Arthur. Oh God, I'm glad it's you," she said, relief ringing in her tones, and a smile as well. "Yes, he's alive. In one piece. He..." She sighed. "Physically, he's fine. Mentally, I don't know. He's with the team, having schwarma. Don't ask, I don't know what that's about. Jarvis was offline for a time, but he's back. Let me transfer you over."

She didn't hesitate, having her orders from Tony.

"This is Stark," he said, coming on the line, sounding harried and tense and worn out.

"Thanks," he said, resting his head back on the seat as he waited for the other man to get on the line. When he did, he felt a relieved little smile tug on his lips.

"You sound as bad as I feel," he said by way of response. "It's fucking good to hear your voice." His voice sounded just as tense and worn out than he would likely admit to.

"You better be in New York -- I'm tired of planes for at least the next twenty four hours."

"Arthur."

He breathed out the name, sighing heavily as he slumped then. "You didn't answer your phone," he accused, never one for showing emotions well. Accusations and humor always worked better.

"I am. I'm here. We have debriefing or some military I won't show and they'll make me or something thing in the morning. Wait, you're here and not Paris? Where?"

And if he was in New York, that meant one thing. "Did it... Do you know if whatever you were doing worked?" He knew it was something tough, something no one had done but that was all he knew.

"Neither did you," he accused in return but feeling a little lighter knowing that Tony was alive and on the phone with him.

He nodded as Tony explained what was going on for the moment and near future. "As far as we can tell so far it worked," and that was all he was going to say on the subject for the moment. After all, the driver was employed by Saito and he wasn't going to let too much out just now. "Arrived in LA five - six hours ago and got on another plane for New York when I heard that you were here. On my way to my flat now."

He paused, watching buildings pass. "Where are you? I heard something about schwarma."

"In fairness I kind of fell out of the sky and was unconscious and I landed on my phone. So when you see the phone shaped lump on my ass, you know what it is," he said, trying to sound lighthearted and playful, despite the falling from the sky thing.

"Good. I'm glad. Means you're mine now. Cobb comes looking for you and I'll put him through the next vortex to another world."

He laughed, nodding though he couldn't see him. "I'm heading back to the tower now. I want to see how much of it's ruined and plan on what I'm going to do with it. Meet me there? I kind of have to walk currently."

Arthur was silent for a long, long second. "Jesus," he muttered, now thinking about Tony falling out of the sky. He lifted a hand to scratch at the back of his neck.

Regardless of how thrown he was at the comment 'falling out of the sky', he couldn't help but crack a smile at Tony's next words.

"Where are you? I can have the driver change directions and pick you up on the way to the tower."

"Hey now. Don't do that. It happens. The world was saved. That's what matters." It was what he'd keep telling himself without thinking about it because when he closed his eyes, he saw the world rushing to him, that other world floating away as he fell to Earth.

"I'm... Just off Broadway? Look at that. Me just off Broadway. I should be up in lights," he said, pausing. "How did you get here so fast?"

Arthur's eyebrow rose though Tony couldn't see it. "It happens? For most, it doesn't happen, you realize," he said, though Tony wasn't just most. Neither of them were for that matter.

"Too many planes to count," he said before leaning toward the front of the car and giving the driver directions of where to go instead of his flat like originally planned. "If you want to be picked up, then you'll have to stop in one place long enough to do so. Or I can just meet you there."

"Yeah well, since when am I most? I thought that my uniqueness is part of what you loved about me," he teased, sounding more like himself. He could do this. He could fake normal. Well, as normal as normal was for Tony Stark anyways.

"Well, see the thing is... I'm in the suit. The suit currently doesn't fly," he admitted. "Something about pressure and atmospheres and crashing to Earth. Jarvis says I abuse it."

There was a sound. "He does abuse it, Mister Arthur. As well you know."

"And now I'm standing here, walking along in the suit, and my AI is giving me hell."

"It's a good part," Arthur admitted with a laugh and settled in again while the driver changed directions toward the tower instead of Arthur's flat.

He shook his head and rest his head back on the seat, not able to help but smile at the familiar banter between Tony and Jarvis. It almost felt reassuring, almost normal, dare he say it. "I would imagine crashing down onto the surface would do wonders to a suit like that. Gravity and everything."

Arthur paused and looked out the window. "Meet you at the tower then?"

Tony continued on, not even sure what to think about this. Life had just changed, violently, but things that mattered remained the same. "Yeah, it's done it's damage. I'll have it back up and running by tomorrow, though."

There was a crackle. "I would say another three days minimum, Sir. Five with Mister Arthur in town."

"Fine. Five. The tower it is. I warn you. It's missing... a large chunk."

"Three floors, Mister Arthur."

"Same difference."

"So, it'll be back up and running as soon as you can given the circumstances," Arthur surmised. It was Tony Stark and Arthur had become less shocked by what the man could do with his share brilliance.

His eyebrows rose. "Is there at least a bed somewhere that isn't damaged," he asked with an amused tone. He slept for a living, sure, but even he was reaching his limit on how much he could take. Especially knowing that soon, he'd get to see the one man that he had been thinking about for months.

Tony snorted. "Come on. It's three floors out of the largest tower in the city."

"Which was what made it a target, Sir."

"I can shut you down for the remainder of the day, Jarvis."

He shook his head. "There's plenty of rooms. It was the living spaces that were damaged but I can get the lab rooms set up in an hour to work as bedrooms for now."

Arthur bit out a laugh and shook his head to himself. "Then we are set," he said. It didn't matter to him where, so long as there was a comfortable place and they were safe.

Throughout the entire ordeal that was getting off airplanes and getting back onto other airplanes then being transferred to private cars, Arthur sincerely hoped all of his baggage had made it. If it didn't, he would be making some phone calls.

Normally in New York City, it would take a half hour or more to get to the location they needed just with the sheer number of people and cars on the road. This time though, it still took a while but it wasn't so much the traffic as it was the lack of traffic, and instead the cop cars and the detour signs. It was weird, growing up in the city, to see it like this - where hardly anyone was out on the streets. Tomorrow, people would gather together to start the clean up process but for now, it was as though everyone agreed to stay in doors. Or, as he realistically knew, the officials were telling everyone to stay in doors for the time being and let them do their jobs.

Finally, they made it as close as they could to the tower and Arthur got out, thanking the driver (and his boss) for the transportation. He found all of his luggage (including bags and PASIV(s) in the trunk and hauled them out before shutting the trunk and turning to look at the tower. He knew how hard Tony and Pepper (and the massive amount of people/crews) were on the project and to see it in the state it was... well, according to reviews about the disaster, it could have fared much worse.

"Anyone home," he called out as he walked through the doors, setting his things down onto the floor next to him.

It wasn't Tony that Arthur first sees though as he comes in the door. It's someone more imposing with an eye patch over one eye and leather jacket wafting behind him as he strode across the lobby.

"And who the hell are you," he demanded, before holding up his hand. "You know what, I don't want to know. You're the friend. Right. Coulson told me about you. You get him in trouble and I'm down one Iron Man suit and you'll find yourself in SHIELD safe keeping," he said, not giving Arthur a chance to talk before he was out the door.

In his wake was one Pepper Potts.

"Ignore him. Fury's caught in a media nightmare and it's all on him because he won't let the Avengers deal with it," she said, sweeping him into a hug.

He had heard of Fury of course but it was nice to finally have a face to put with the name. Even with all of his own research, it was one thing that he hadn't been able to come across. Still he blinked and raised an eyebrow, not even having time to answer before the man was out of the building.

"He has met Tony right? He hardly needs me to get himself into trouble," he said, looking at Pepper with an amused look. He returned the hug after a split second. "It's good to see you, Pepper."

And he meant it, too.

"Has he come in yet?"

She laughed at that, nodding. "But you're not an Avenger. You don't have the suit. He puts up with a lot from Tony for that suit, and now that he's a member of the Avengers, he plans to take advantage of that. You may well become the scapegoat."

She didn't even hesitate, hugging him tight. "Tony tells me your mission went well too. I'm glad. Everyone back safe," she asked, nodding at his question and nodding towards the elevators. "Come on. He's up on the floor where he got thrown out the window," she said, nose wrinkling up. "I think he's wallowing over his tower," she admitted.

"But the elevators still work so at least we don't have to walk," she said, pushing the button. The doors opened automatically.

Although he knew Pepper didn't mean to, Arthur inwardly bristled at the idea of being anyone's scapegoat again. "We'll see about that," he said by means of response.

He nodded and picked up his bags before walking with her toward the elevator. "It went well and everyone is where they should be," he said and sent her a little smile. "Of course he would be. It was a tower with his name written on it, literally."

Arthur walked inside and leaned against the back of the elevator. "How are you holding up?"

She laughed then. "Oh trust me, Tony won't let that happen. He likes being his own scapegoat after all. He works hard at making it a career. You know, because he doesn't have enough of them."

She laughed then, glancing sidelong at him. "He plans to make it worse. He started with it last night. They're going to love it." They being the team and not the government, or the city, or the Asgardians.

"I am..." She turned to face him, her expression faltering only a moment. "I'm carrying on. It's what you do when you live in this tower. Try and remember that. It makes it easier to get through," he admitted.

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