hello, good morning, love -- for starknaked

[specification]

It was a month in on this job from hell, or so he was starting to mentally refer to it as, and there was a faint light at the end of the tunnel that he could faintly see. They were hardly to the point where Arthur would feel confident in saying they were ready but they were making progress.

As he had promised, Arthur sent a text at least once a week even if it was as simple as 'i'm alive', 'hey' and 'how was your day'. Something where Tony knew he was alive and well.

It was Friday and even Arthur, the workaholic that he was prone to be, wanted the evening off just as much as everyone else seemed to. Instead of hitting a local restaurant or bar with the others, Arthur decided to return to his hotel suite and order in room service.

With his order in front of him and a glass of wine, Arthur picked up his phone and thought about what time it would be in California. 7:15 in the evening in Paris was roughly 10 AM in California. If Tony didn't get back to him now, Arthur would be up for a while either way.

Alone and I want you. Oh, and good morning, love.

Comments

[specification]

He chuckled and allowed a grin to spread across his lips. "Mm, glad you did as well," he said, stretching his legs out in front of him with a sigh. "Glad I didn't go out with the others and instead texted you."

[starknaked]

"Wait, there was an option and you considered it," he asked with a snort. "I see where I rank," he teased, definitely amused by the very words. Deep down he knew better. He knew this was Arthur's only choice, just as he had waited for this call and glad it came when he wasn't busy and couldn't get away.

[specification]

"Mm, yup - exactly," Arthur teased and reached over for some tissues to clean off his chest. "You were number one and there was no place I'd rather be other than there, with you."

[starknaked]

Reaching for a towel himself, finding a tee shirt and figuring that would do as he cleaned himself off.

"Number one. I have always liked being there," he teased, huffing softly. "Got a few minutes to actually talk before I pass out?"

[specification]

"Have all night to talk," Arthur grinned. He was going to try resisting the temptation of doing more work and instead take advantage of the amount of sleep he could get. Knowing himself though, he would be up for hours regardless.

"How are you doing?"

[starknaked]

"Much better," he admitted, though it wasn't entirely the truth. Now that he was coming down off the high, he was panicking a tiny bit over some things they had said. Not that he was going let that stand in his way. "Parties. Dates. Annoying Pepper. How goes the job?"

[specification]

Arthur chuckled. "Ah yes, the fantastic dates of Tony Stark," he mused with a grin. He wasn't jealous -- not really. Despite all of their talk, he knew there were logistical reasons why they couldn't just come out and tell the world who they were to each other. He wasn't ashamed of being with Tony - far from it honestly. Just -- if the media found out who they were to each other, they would go digging and they would potentially find the dreamshare community. On the other hand, if he winds up on Tony's arm and there's photos taken, the media would be the last thing he'd have to worry about. People knew him and he didn't exactly work with the most respectable of people. He could count on one hand the people he trusted in this business and one or two of them were on this job with him. "How is Pepper doing? Keeping you out of trouble?" he teased.

"The job is the job. We're making progress but we're no where near ready yet. We know when we're moving in, just have to wait and be prepared."

[starknaked]

Tony considered what Arthur was telling him, and what he wasn't telling him. "Is it running on schedule?" He knew that Arthur couldn't tell him too much about the job, but that would tell him a lot about how things were ggoing.

"Pepper is threatening me with my life again," he admitted. "Same old same old."

[specification]

Arthur considered that for a moment. "For where we are currently - yeah, I'd say we're running on schedule." He didn't say a lot about the job but he knew Tony was intelligent that he would read between the lines and figure out what it is that Arthur wasn't saying.

He chuckled. "So just another day, yeah?" he grinned. It was Mal who had introduced them to each other - Mal who had opened those lines of communication and insisting that Arthur meet her very handsome friend...ex-fling.

[starknaked]

Considering the details, where it left Arthur, and wishing as he did with so much, if he could step in and help but he knew that this wasn't his world and despite what he did with the Avengers, he couldn't just step in and save the day here.

"You're not letting them pull you deeper, are you," he asked before chuckling. "And not in the ways you showed me in things," he added, never thinking he'd forget the militarization they had done to Tony's own mind to protect him from the very things that Arthur did for a living.

"Yes. So normal. Oh! I did save the world but that's kind of the same old same old too," he teased.

OH GOD, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW THOSE FIRST MEETINGS WENT. :D

[specification]

"I'm on the second level - I'll be fine," he said with a smile. He was a stable dreamer so he knew he could hold it just fine. Whether or not that's what Tony had meant, Arthur wasn't sure but either way, he didn't want the older man to worry about him...least more than he was already.

Arthur chuckled. "Yeah? Who was it this time? That bastard the Trix bunny," he asked, his tone teasing. Though in all seriousness, he worried about Tony as well. The man was brilliant but absolutely nuts sometimes and Arthur couldn't help but be worried.

Tony and Arthur meeting? We should so play them out eventually

[starknaked]

Second level. He considered that and what it meant for Arthur. Yet it made him frown, wondering just how much he could ask without asking too much. "How many are there," he asked softly, knowing Arthur might not answer him.

Tony laughed. "Fuck that bastard trying to steal my cereal," he admitted with a grin. "But no ears. All giant robots."

YES! We totally should!

[specification]

Arthur was silent for a minute or two, with his eyes closed. "Three," he finally answered." Three levels were dangerous in of itself. But Yusuf was confident that he can make them stable with the powerful sedative and if Eames stood by him, Arthur would trust in that. The forger was one of the few men he trusted in the business.

He couldn't help it, Arthur laughed. "Ah lovely - all soulless robots," he mused. "At least you saved the world from devastation once more. I thank you," he grinned.

[starknaked]

"Oh." Even with what he knew, he knew that wasn't a good answer. It was a risk and a big one. "Did you know that before you left," he asked softly. Not that he ha asked, and that was on him, but he was curious if he'd known this the entire time.

"Well, guided by someone bigger than the government wants us talking about."

[specification]

"No, I didn't," he answered. "Found out after we all gathered to talk about our strategy." Had he known before? Well, he knew they were performing Inception so he supposed had he even known before hand, he would still have gone through it. He was in this deep...in for a penny, in for a pound or so they say. Still, this wasn't improving their odds any.

"Ah," he mused. "So I shouldn't be worried about world take over yet?"

[starknaked]

"Ah. I see." That made him a little less concerned about it, that Arthur hadn't known he was going into things that deep and taking those kind of chances. It was definitely a risk that he could be losing Arthur in ways that he'd warned Tony about during his training.

"Me taking over the world, or others taking it over and me stopping them."

[specification]

Arthur had told Tony a lot of things during his training - the pros and cons and everything in between. This had been a main point he had told him - if you go down too deep, it was too unstable and you could lose yourself. It just wasn't safe.

"That is comforting," Arthur said with a smile.

[starknaked]

"Yes, you mention three levels and the fear of me taking over the world - and I might add it would be me doing it again - that worries you," he asked, not sounding as much angry or upset as he did worried. It wasn't something that Tony Stark revealed often, but he would here and now. Only for Arthur.

[specification]

Arthur was silent for what seemed like a long minute or five. He wasn't one to truly reveal how worried he was either but with that confession of Tony's, Arthur felt safe to admit the same back. "I am worried, Tony," he said, softly. "Not about world take over but about this job. But I'm trying to focus more on what I can do to stop it from being a giant mess."

[starknaked]

That was what he wanted to hear, and yet what worried him so deeply. Quiet a second before sighing. "There's nothing I can do, is there," he asked, knowing the answer. Not with this. Not for Arthur's sake.

[specification]

"No, there isn't -- except throw me a private party when I return," he said, smiling. He didn't even tack on the part about if he returned. "I'm still holding you to the part about your office and teasing me until you make me beg."

[starknaked]

That was what he had feared and yet had almost known before he asked. "I can make sure that's arranged. Maybe hold that party in my office," he said, though already he knew it would be more than that. Arthur deserved more than that if... WHEN he made it back.

That he even thought itmade Tony tense.

[specification]

Arthur's lips curled up even more and he breathed exhaled slowly. "I really do miss you," he said, honestly and openly.

[starknaked]

"Yeah, I know you do," he said with a smile. "How could you not." Despite the bright tones, he paused before adding. "I miss you too."

[specification]

"I should hope you did," Arthur responded with a smile. He was silent for a minute, just listening to Tony. "I should probably let you go so you can get some rest. Pepper will already hate me later this evening when you have to go to the event."