He doesn't hold it against Bruce. The flight back to New York from where ever shithole part of the world he'd been staying in had to be a long one. That doesn't mean that he won't be giving the other man hell for the indecent for many years to come. It just feels nice to finally have someone around that at least somewhat understands how his brain works. To have someone he completely and openly trusts. Someone that he can open up too.

He's tried to develop that with his other teammates, but Steve is Steve. Steve keeps expecting to be dealing with Howard. Night and Day. He can't be what the good Captain wants. Then there is Natasha who is scary as hell when she wants to be. He can't see the two of them freely hanging out like buds do. That only leaves one more..

Clint's great, but Clint is still SHIELD. It means that he isn't around all that much for fun time. The guy isn't stupid. Tony in no way thinks that. It's just that he can't exactly do the kind of things that Tony does.

"Are you all rested up now? Not going to fall asleep on me in the elevator, are you?"

His voice is teasing as he speaks, no real malicious in his tone. Tony is too goddamn happy to see him for that. He's been going through a private hell with AA and then the whole public TMZ thing, but suddenly the world doesn't burn that much anymore.

"So...Candyland? I did promise you."

It’s been quiet lately though Tony isn’t quite sure if the bad guys have actually taken a vacation of if Fury has secretly grounded him for the whole nasty stunt with the Mandarin. It hadn’t been one of his brightest moments, but in his defense he was pretty much running off of caffeine and nearly losing a member of his little misfit family had sent him over the edge. He’d acted out. He’d called out a supervillian and terrorist on national television and given him and everyone else his home address. Mansion was gone and lessons were learned the hard way.

And damn New York was a lot colder than he remembered it this time of year…or maybe that was just the ice pack he was holding to his shoulder after a mild (really it wasn’t /that/ bad) incident while calibrating his newest edition flight regulators.

Note for the future….need softer ceilings.

Old and half empty pizza and take out boxes were piled high on one of the back tables along with the remnants of way to many sodas and red bull cans to keep them company. A fresh pack of menthols sat beside him as several holographic projections surrounded him in his seat.

“Let’s reduce the power by ten percent and rewire…”

As he spoke the suit plans on screen slowly modified to follow his directions.

“Sir, Agent Barton is in route…should I allow him access?”

Tony leaned back in his seat, lips pressed together as he shrugged his shoulders. Maybe this would be the revilement from boredom he was looking for. An end to the quiet.

“Sure why the hell not…open up, J! Please tell me that you brought me something good from..that secret mission in that secret place I'm not suppose to know about."