Welcome Back [Heart in a Knot] - for Starknaked

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It had been two months since Arthur had seen Tony. Two months of text messages, phone calls and stolen moments over web cam while Arthur worked a job in Moscow. It was supposed to have been done weeks ago - simple extraction but of course, it never goes the way it should go despite his every precaution. Sometimes, the mark just doesn't want to do what you mentally will them and expect them to do.

He was finally in Malibu again without a tail on his trail and at least a week before he was off to the next job. It was 5:30 in the morning (5:34 a.m. to be exact) and he knew that when he walked into Tony's house, Tony would be asleep. Instead of entertaining himself for the next several hours, he knew he would rather be at Tony's Malibu mansion and in the man's arms than anywhere else. And he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, Tony would prefer the same.

It was 5:50 when he pulled up to the house in the rental car and it took hardly any time to get inside with what he needed (PASIV, messenger bag and suitcase), using the key Tony had given him so many months ago on that first job. He left everything resting inside of the doorway (he wouldn't be needing them right away) and locked the door before heading up the steps to Tony's room - keeping silent as he did so as to not wake anyone else.

Arthur felt a smile tug on his lips when he stepped into the older man's bedroom and shut the door gently behind him. Not completely silent so as to completely startle Tony but still keeping it quiet.

Fuck, but he had missed him.

He toed of his shoes and socks, removed his suit jacket and rested it over a chair before undoing the buttons on his waist coat. The entire time, he kept his gaze on Tony's form underneath the blankets. Knowing him, he had probably only been asleep for only an hour or two at most. They were very much alike in that regard.

Before long, Arthur slid underneath the blanket next to Tony with only a pair of boxers on.

Comments

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Arthur felt Tony shift and move after he said that. He sighed softly and opened his eyes slowly to look at the other man, turning his head away some so he could yawn into his shoulder. "I've slept. A little --," he started before really looking at him. "Forty two hours ago -- give or take," he said this time, seriously. Before that -- he'd had a few hours to sleep, four to five hours per night depending on the night and how much work he had to get done.

"Couldn't sleep on the plane from Moscow to Tokyo and definitely didn't sleep on my layover or on the flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles..."

[starknaked]

Staring down at him, he could imagine the answer he was going to get. They were cut from the same cloth in that regard. Neither slept, neither took care of themselves like they should have. "Sleep, Arthur. You're worse than I am," he said, kissing him softly. "I won't even ask before that." He could guess, after all.

"Just stay here and sleep," he murmured, snuggling in against him once more.

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He would protest that he wasn't worse than Tony but they were very much the same - they hardly ever slept like normal people. And besides, Tony kissed him and he liked that. Arthur gave him a soft kiss in return and nodded. "Best not ask -- it wasn't much even on the job," he admitted.

"I can do that," he said softly and curled up into him, allowing his eyes to drift shut again. "You'll sleep too," he murmured, formulating it into a question but it wasn't really. Tony probably needed the sleep as well.

[starknaked]

"So I want you to sleep," he murmured, leaning down and tenderly kissing Arthur's brow. Gathering him close as he settled in beside him, stroking his side with a light touch.

"I will. Not going anywhere because you're right here," he admitted, and right now this was what he wanted. To be with him.

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Arthur fell asleep not long after with a small little smile on his lips. He'd probably never admit it out loud but it was times like these that Arthur found himself yearning for when they were separate. As it was, they were never likely to take care of themselves - never eat properly or sleep properly but if there was one thing they did, it was taking care of each other.

It was verging on late afternoon when Arthur shifted and allowed his legs to stretch out with a soft sigh. He slowly opened his eyes to take inventory of where he was, where Tony was and what time it was.

[starknaked]

Asleep Tony dreamt of Arthur, things much more wicked than their shared snuggling, moments more romantic than he often felt safe sharing, and odd things like somehow flying with the other man.

He came to though with the thought of falling, jerking away with his chest aching as if there was a hole through the middle of it.

He fell back against the bed, panting no with a sensual moment but panic.

"Arthur," he whispered, reaching for him, suddenly panicking that he wasn't sure he was actually there or not.

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When Arthur felt the sudden movement next to him, Arthur sat up a little only to watch Tony fall back onto the bed. He rest a hand on his chest. "Hey, I'm here," he whispered, frowning a little at the panicked look on Tony's face. "You ok?" He laid back down next to him and propped himself up on his elbow.

It had only taken a split second to clear his mind of the fuzziness that sleep had left him with; concentrating more on Tony than he was of himself. He didn't like that panicked look - didn't like the clenching in his chest as a result.

[starknaked]

His chest heaved with each rapid pant, eyes wide but unseeing for a moment. Trying to think, to clear his head and yet remind him where he was and yet what the dream had been at the same time.

"I just... I was dreaming and then I was falling, that's all," he said, hand moving to curl around Arthur's wrist. "Sorry about that. They happen from time to time," he admitted. "Just... You know that moment when you're falling and then you wake up just before you hit? Just that," he said, though his free hand rubbed at the center of his chest once more.

[specification]

Arthur nodded silently. The funny thing was, he could completely relate to that. It was the very real physical action of falling that could make a dreamer wake up. "Like a kick," he nodded and watched him, sliding his thumb over a patch of skin.

Every once in a while, Arthur would have a dream or more commonly, a nightmare, but they were few and far between. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Tony's lips before laying down on his stomach. He left his hand where it was on Tony's chest and allowed his breathing to calm down. "Have no reason to be sorry - it's normal. Just glad you're okay," he said, that it hadn't been anything else.

[starknaked]

He nodded, thinking about the things he'd learned about it. "Yeah." He frowned, not liking that at all. "But it wasn't, was it," he asked softly. "I mean, you wouldn't let that happen unless I was up for it, right," he asked in a low voice, definitely not sounding the least bit thrilled by the idea of coming out of a dream like that he wasn't aware of.

Sighing, he reached to put an arm around Arthur as best he could. "Right. Course you wouldn't. Why you're here."

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"No, it wasn't a literal kick," Arthur said, softly, watching him. "It's a natural occurring phenomena in dreams. We just use it to our advantage when we need it." Arthur would never do something like that to Tony unless they had discussed it before hand. Arthur moved in closer and allowed his finger tips to trace irrelevant patterns on the other man's chest.

[starknaked]

He frowned at that, shaking his head. "Doesn't happen often to me," he admitted. "I mean, the falling in dreams. I actually don't dream that often," he added, though he could imagine why. Alcohol and passing out. It was likely the main reason. Or that he didn't sleep deep enough, not without Arthur there now.

"So not training and cheating me out of time?"

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Without Tony needing to say anything, Arthur knew why Tony didn't dream often and the alcohol played a part in it he was sure. "No, doesn't happen to me much either. But for those who do dream, it does and can happen." Arthur felt his lips curl up as he shook his head. "No, not training and cheating you out of time. If I was, Jarvis would have alerted you."

[starknaked]

"I don't know," he said, smirking as he fell back into his regular behavior and attitude. He recovered quickly. He'd had to in his life. "I think he likes you better than me. Same with Pepper."

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Ah and there was the self assured attitude that Arthur was used to seeing. He felt a grin tug on his lips as he pressed his lips to his chest. "Well, can't blame him for liking me a little better," he teased. Though he could certainly see where Jarvis would like Pepper more.

"Probably should get up so we can get ready for that party." He paused. "Jarvis, what time is that party supposed to start?"

[starknaked]

"Oh can't I," he asked, arching a brow. "I made him. What does he know of you? That you make me not do things he hates," he asked, laughing with a small grin. He definitely liked teasing him.

"Ms Pepper expects Mr Stark to be there by seven."

He rolled his eyes.

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"Mm, he probably knows just as much about me as he does you because you've had him look me up," Arthur grinned, teasing him in return. He liked how they could dish it back and forth to each other without the other coming to the wrong conclusions.

"So we have a few hours. Where is the party being held?"

His lips curled up when Tony rolled his eyes. At least they had both gotten some extra sleep and for that, he was pretty thankful. "I'll have to get one of my suits ready to go." Even though he agreed to stay in the conference room that no one normally would enter other than Tony - he was still determined to look his best.

[starknaked]

"Nownow. Are you accusing me of spying," he asked, trying to sound stunned as he put the nightmare behind him. "I see how this is. How dare you be right," he said with a snort.

"I notice you point out our time," he said with a smirk. "And Stark Enterprises. Not far from here," he assured him.

He made a pout at that. "So many layers to get rid of."

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Arthur snorted. "Course I'm wright - know you too well. Besides, he did admit to you watching for my flights under my known aliases."

He smirked and shrugged a shoulder. "Well we did agree that I'd go and stay hidden," he said, moving in closer to him. "Just for you, I'll leave off the waistcoat -- then it's one less layer," Arthur said with a teasing hint to his tone.

[starknaked]

“What? Am I supposed to let you arrive without being welcomed? Or take chances with you,” he asked, mostly serious. “I would like to note this is not a reason to get new aliases either,” he pointed out, serious in that.

Tony smirked, though his expression warmed as he watched him. “Why does that make me think that, with you, that is practically being naked?”

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Arthur's lips curled up into a smile and shook his head. "No. You wouldn't be Tony Stark if you did," he said. To be honest, Arthur did the same thing when it came to Tony too - kept track of where he was and what he was doing as much as he possibly could. "What, you're saying I shouldn't get new aliases to surprise you with," he asked with a teasing smile. He wasn't in the market for new aliases though - his current ones were all clean, relatively speaking.

"Because it might as well be," he asked with a smirk. Though to be honest, he didn't always wear a waistcoat -- just when the situation warrant it or he felt like wearing one.

[starknaked]

Keeping track of Tony though was so much easier. He was a larger than life man who made sure the world knew who he was and where he was. That was part of what he enjoyed as part of being who he was. "I don't know. Surprises mean you never know who you might catch me in bed with."

Except, that was the thing, he hadn't had anyone there. Not in a lot more weeks than Tony was entirely comfortable thinking about. It meant thinking about how much he'd changed.

"Such a wicked thing then, aren't you?"

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It was much easier than it was in Arthur's case where his alias changed dependent on the job he was working and where he was. His eyebrow quirked up as he smirked. To be quite honest, he couldn't remember the last time he slept with anyone who wasn't Tony. It had been quite awhile. While they never exactly said out loud that they were monogamous, Arthur hadn't even looked at another man or woman since they started this. Course - Tony was Tony but he knew, somehow, that Tony hadn't been with anyone lately either. "Mm, is that right? I'll just have to keep that in mind," he mused with a teasing little smirk.

"Always. It's one of the things you like most about me."

[starknaked]

He said it, not thinking about how it sounded. Yet then, as he lay there, silent and comfortable, he worried he'd said the wrong thing. Where did they stand? What was it? They hadn't talked about it. It just happened and they had something. What it was though, he wasn't sure what to think about that.

That Arthur didn't seem upset by it made him feel better than he suspected it should have.

"One of them. Shows that sharp, wonderful mind you have," he noted, realizing the compliment he was giving him.

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Arthur felt the smirk slide into a genuine smile when Tony complimented him on his mind. Coming from the billionaire genius, it was a compliment that Arthur didn't take lightly. He was pleased that Tony thought so and felt that way. "Coming from you, I will take that as a high compliment," he said, pressing a kiss to his chest softly.