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Tony stares at the phone in his hand, the one he’s been staring at for 20 minutes now. He knows he needs to call his two best friends and he can’t bring himself to do it.
It’s so fucked up, he thinks, that he’s never been shy about his multiple bed partners in the past, not that he ever told Pepper or Rhodey about them in specific. And the only really serious relationship he’s had before now was with Pep, anyway (and let's not discuss Kathleen Dare, shall we?), so why the fuck would he call her or Rhodey then? They both already knew.
And it’s not that he’s ashamed of what he’s got with Logan, it’s just... well, it’s different, that’s all.
That and he thinks Rhodey might freak out a little since he’s had a few run-ins with the Wolverine and kind of hates the guy.
And he should probably tell his friends before the gossip rags figure it out and blab it all over the place.
Pepper first because, even if things had ended between them, they still love each other. He’s smart enough to know that, and cherish it.
He catches her in between meetings, picking at a bagel for her lunch.
“If you’ve done something stupid, Tony, I don’t have time to spare,” is the first thing out of her mouth. She looks harried but beautiful, professional and put-together. Even after sex she’d looked unruffled, which had always bothered him; no one should look anything but wrecked and/or sated after that.
It wasn’t even an ego thing. It was just weird.
“Your faith in me is like a balm, Pep, truly. I don’t know how I manage not talking to you every day anymore, there’s a hole in my life, dear Pepper.”
She huffs a laugh despite herself. “Then why don’t you fix it, dear Tony?” she retorts. It’s not malicious, it’s just wordplay. He misses her something fierce suddenly.
And it’s entirely possible that the lack of a spark of pain is due to why he’s calling.
“As to that, uh, don’t fall out of your chair or anything, and you’re already sitting down so--”
“Tony,” she interrupts, her tone a warning.
“I’m seeing someone.”
One ginger eyebrow goes up. “How is that news? Is this something I’m going to see on TMZ tonight, Tony, I can’t keep cleaning up your messes--”
Tony interrupts her now. “It’s been almost two years since you, Pep, and there’s been no one else, okay? Just, uh. One.” He braces himself and says, “One guy.”
Pepper blinks. “Do I know him?”
Tony tries very hard not to wince. “You met him at the Avengers Christmas party last year. Logan.”
It takes her a few moments to parse that, to match names and faces and identities -- “Wolverine? You’re sleeping with the Wolverine?” To her credit, she isn’t completely flipping out. Just shocked. “I didn’t even -- I mean, I knew you were friends, but...”
He shrugs, shifting in his chair. “It kind of came out of nowhere, I figured it was just mutual gratification or whatever and then it just--”
She makes this soft, understanding sort of sound. “You love him. You’re in love with him, that’s -- Tony, I’m so happy for you.”
His first instinct is to deflect, deny, obfuscate. Tony Stark doesn’t fall in love, he has a piece of tech where his heart should be, it’s sex and it’s...
So much more than that.
And they both know it because he’s not denying it.
“Have you told Rhodey yet?”
Tony shakes his head. “He’s my next call, I wanted you to know first.”
“And the others? The Avengers?”
“They might suspect something, but we’ve been keeping it to ourselves.” He smiles, rueful. “I might be okay with the limelight but Logan is the antithesis of that. I haven’t pushed.” And that’s a pretty damned good indication of how far gone Tony is, that he’s concerned for his partner’s comfort.
Pepper makes that sound again. “I don’t know what else to say, Tony. You look so happy.”
Now he’s actually blushing, uncomfortable. He’s not good with open affection, even if it’s verbal.
“I’ve got to go, Tony, I’ve got a shareholders meeting in 15 minutes. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Sure thing, Pep. Love you.” It doesn’t hurt to say it, because it’s true.
“Love you, too.” Her face is gone, then, replaced with his usual desktop background of cars and motorcycles.
It takes him a couple tries to get Rhodey, this time on speakerphone but not video. Tony’s given him access to most of the tech that he himself uses but Rhodey’s still kind of a luddite.
“Hey, man, I was just thinking about you,” his other best friend greets him.
“Ah, is that why my nose was itching?”
“If that were true, you’d never get any sleep. You’re in the news like every five minutes.”
“Only every five minutes?” Tony scoffs. “I’m slipping. You got a minute?”
Rhodey makes a noise completely unlike the one Pepper made. “You never ask if I have a minute. What’d you do now? Am I gonna have to make excuses for you to the military again?”
Tony reflects on the fact that he never actually calls just to talk, he’s never been that kind of person. Even so, it stings a little, makes him feel like a burden. “Not unless ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has been put back in place and now applies to civilians.”
“I have no idea what that even means and I’m kind of afraid to ask. You’re not dying again, are you?”
“Come on, don’t be like that, baby, I only ever risk my life when Doom decides he wants to invade Manhattan for the millionth time. Like we haven’t kicked his ass back to Latveria and then some.” The only person he hates more than Reed Richards is Victor Von Doom, pretty much because the wacko has figured out how to combine magic with technology and that should be fucking impossible, Tony doesn’t care that Doom’s proved him wrong on pretty much every occasion the Avengers have gone up against him.
“I think he’s got a crush on you,” Rhodey teases. “Either that or you’re willing to give him the time of day when Richards won’t.”
Tony’s never been good at keeping secrets or at not blurting out the first words that pop into his head. “My, uh, boyfriend might take issue with that.” He’s grimacing as soon as the words are out of his mouth, and it’s then he hears a chuckle behind him, nearly drowned out by the sound Rhodey is making that is something like a record scratch without the record.
Tony turns to find Logan leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed over his chest, looking amused.
“Boyfriend?” Logan mouths, nearly in time with Rhodey screeching it over the phone.
“Tony, I swear to fucking God, if you are fucking with me they will never find the body. No one will even question me--”
“You don’t even know who it is!” Tony protests, watching Logan lope towards the couch where he sprawls with his usual carelessness. The bastard is still laughing, too.
Rhodey makes a sound very much like a growl, then audibly gets himself under control. “This isn’t exactly what I expected you to throw at me,” he says, his voice oddly modulated. He’s probably gone somewhere he won’t be overheard. “I’m guessing it’s serious or you wouldn’t be calling me in the first place. Is it someone I know?”
Tony tries not to wince and fails, making Logan chuckle again. “It’s, uh... Logan.”
He’s kind of glad he can’t see Rhodey’s face now or he’d be afraid his best friend was having a stroke. There’s silence for about ten seconds before Rhodey speaks again. “And he hasn’t killed you in your sleep yet?”
That sets Logan off again, laughing so hard he’s clutching at his sides and almost falling off the couch. “Ain’t for lack of tryin’,” he gets out in between trying to breathe.
“He’s there?” Rhodey asks. “Figured you’d call while you were alone.”
Tony rolls his eyes. “He just showed up. It’s one of his less-endearing habits.” He’s trying to glare at Logan and he’s failing, based on Logan’s smirk.
“I probably don’t need to threaten you, Logan, but if you hurt him, they won’t find your body, either.”
“Rhodey, for fuck’s sake! I’m right here!”
“Shut up, Tony.” Logan and Rhodey say it at the same time, and then they’re both laughing.
“No, no, this is not what’s supposed to happen, you are not supposed to bond over the care and feeding of Tony Stark.” Tony knows he sounds petulant but he can’t help it, this isn’t fair. He’s halfway to stomping his feet and holding his breath.
“Get over yourself,” Logan says, finally getting himself under control and sitting up. “And I’m more afraid of Pepper than you, Rhodes, sorry.”
Rhodey snorts. “That’s okay, I’m scared of her, too.” There’s another voice from his end, Rhodey’s muffled response, and then he says, “I gotta go, Tony. You spring shit on my like this again and I will end you.”
“Whatever.” He sits there in pouting silence as Rhodey disconnects, refusing to look in Logan’s direction.
“You’re fuckin’ ridiculous, Stark. You gonna come over here or do I hafta drag you?”
Tony lasts about a minute before he flops down on the couch, making Logan manhandle him into something resembling a one-armed hug.
“Sorry for comin’ home in the middle of that.”
Tony shrugs. “Needed to be done.” It’s difficult to stay cranky about it with that solid heat against his back, reassuring like so many things in his life aren’t. He isn’t sure when he began looking forward to that and finding it made him feel safe.
Logan swings his feet up onto the coffee table. “When you wanna tell the rest of the freak show?”
Another shrug. “I dunno, maybe we should just let them figure it out themselves.” A snort. “Or we could just make out in the kitchen, it’s not like they’d expect anything less from me.”
“When was the last time you slept?” There’s still amusement in Logan’s voice, coupled with affection.
“You actually expect me to know?”
“Thirty-six hours have elapsed since Sir last slept,” JARVIS helpfully provides.
“Tattle-tale,” Tony accuses, protesting when Logan shifts behind him, hauling him to his feet. “What are you doing?”
Logan huffs. “Draggin’ your stupid ass to bed. And no” -- he presses a hand over Tony’s mouth -- “not for that. At least not until you’ve had at least eight hours. I’ll fuckin’ tie you down if I have to.”
“Kinky old man.”
“I walked right into that one.” He hauls Tony forward, capturing his mouth in a quick, searing kiss. “Eight hours. Then I’ll do whatever the fuck I can to tire you out again just so you sleep some more.”
Tony is more than okay with that plan.