Talkative

The thing is, Phil doesn't want to take Tony out now. He's sure it wouldn't change much, but he can't promise Tony would come back or have the proper time to rest that he needs. That and who he'd end up with, Phil would feel bad if Tony was dragged alone with him or one of the other three and not somewhere stationary. On the other hand, he wants to avoid putting any more responsibility on Tony and the team. Either way, it's a tough decision for Phil to make, so he might as well leave it up to what Tony wants to do. Which is likely not wanting to leave.

"Phil?" Bruce finally asks him, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Right, yeah," Phil says. He's still a little distracted, and only Tony knows why

"I'm not going," Tony says softly, the bottle dangling by the top from one hand as he takes another drag.

"I figured you'd say that." Phil sighs a little and stretches his neck from left to right

"Going?" Steve asks them, confused and getting used to being left out of the loop

"I have to be watched for 48 hours because I've had too many back-to-back," Tony sighs, getting agitated again. Still, it would have come out anyway, so it might as well have been from him.

"Oh," Sam says, feeling a little stupid. But it's not like this stuff is obvious- or that he really needs to be paying more attention in class.

"I assume night is the issue with him staying here," Natasha says, seeing as Tony would be out during the day as per the deal, though he might not be after this.

"Correct." Phil sighs a little, but he doesn't have much choice if it will only stress Tony out more right now.

After a bit more talking around Tony and to Tony, he finally agrees to move to the team's side for now. There are enough rooms, really more than enough, on either side to house him for the 48 hours. If it means he can stay, Tony will do it, and Phil notifies Cho of the arrangement and tells her to come to see him as soon as she can. Phil leaves soon after to bring Tony the things he needs if he has more attacks. Unfortunately, he needs to go to SHIELD to get them. While Phil leaves, Clint helps back a bag, and they move Tony's stuff over to one of the empty rooms. It's not next to anyone, but close enough that he can be reached in under three minutes if they need to.

Before Tony leaves and follows them, he showers to get off the sweat and blood. His muscles are tight and sore, so the hot water will help with that, too. He puts on a change of clothes and goes to the common room, still picking his chair over anything else. Still, he actually faces them instead of the other way. Since some time has passed, Tony isn't relying so heavily on the M.V. or what they've named the medical vape, as they have yet to get a real name for it. It's true; Tony wanted something that didn't look like medical equipment for a good few reasons, and this is much easier to use and hide anyway. But even with not using it much, Tony will carry it with him for as long as he feels it is needed. Probably into the morning, then he can start leaving it around. Still, he sometimes carries it like a security item, much like the ban. And he'll need it for sure for the night in case he has more trouble or something else kicks up as a consequence of having the attack. A couple of hours pass and Phil returns with two large zip-lock bags and hands them over to Tony. One is filled with pens, the others with cartridges for the M.V., and even a few more cases in case it gets broken or lost. Phil lingers for a while, hanging mostly around Tony before he feels like it's settled enough to leave them alone again. The team hangs around for a bit and doesn't expect Tony to interact much. Even though he was earlier, they actually expected him to be knocked out for a while. Tony hangs on, though, and doesn't sleep but keeps his head down and hood up. It soon starts getting well into the night by the time anything about the attack is brought up again. None of them truly feel like sleeping after something like that and leaving Tony up alone.

"Any better?" Bruce asks Tony, unable to hold it back any longer

"Enough," Tony grumbles around the M.V. He's not using it but holding it in his mouth, arms crossed over his stomach loosely.

Bruce shrinks a little but gets his answer, so the chatter picks up between everyone else to fill the silence. Bucky doesn't pay much attention to it either, though he's starting to figure out a little of each of Frost's points. But he still has a lot left to really say he's figured out the clues and put them away for good. But he's come to the conclusion that he doesn't want to rile Tony up to get answers. Sure, it's faster, but it doesn't or could lead to less favourable action. Sure, Bucky can start to see past the smoke and into the web of Tony's lies a little, but he can see just how content Tony is to stay in his bubble. There has to be so much more behind it all. Once he's past the smoke, he's sure to find much more hiding under, like each layer hides ten more things. Bucky just isn't sure how to get through it all in a timely manner, so he needs to figure out a way to get Tony to come out or meet him halfway. Plus, it's not like he's having to think about getting to know Tony like a complete stranger, either. He has an idea about who Tony is thanks to everything they've learned and what Tony has shown to them and everyone else over the years. Even so, there are a lot of missing pieces or two side pieces, making it a harder puzzle than he expected. When Tony glances over at him, giving Bucky an all-knowing kind of look, Bucky sighs a little. But Tony doesn't comment on it or do his usual dismissive actions; instead, he surprises everyone.

"Has anyone ever told you you stare too much?" Tony huffs as he gets up out of the chair, tired and blunt

"Too intimidating," Bucky shrugs off lightly, crossing his arms over his chest now.

"I don't see it," Tony scoffs a little as he walks right over to the loveseat Bucky and Natasha are sitting on.

"You're special," Steve says with an eye roll, making a few of them snort.

"That, I've been told," Tony says, amused, as he sits in the chair next to Bucky and takes out the M.V. to hold in his hand.

"Bucky does like to people-watch watch," Sam points out lightly, though most people think Bucky is glaring or staring them down.

"How many flavours did you have them make?" Bruce asks Tony, eyeing the bags that are now on the floor by Tony's original chair

"Six," Tony says after a puff, letting the vapours roll out of his mouth as he talks, the sweet smell filling the air again.

"Is it like your ban?" Bruce asks, wondering if they're connected as Clint retrieves the bags and brings them back to the coffee table.

"Not really. In a way, I guess, but hardly. This was purely made due to attacks and drawbacks. The ban is, well, something else." Tony shrugs a little. He doesn't really want to reveal anything, but he does answer.

"I know they said it's safe, but is it really?" Bruce asks him, fretting a little

"Go on then," Bcuky says after seeing Tony ponder the idea of what he wants to show them.

"I guess," Tony sighs and gets up.

"You sure you're the captain blondie?" Tony snarks over his shoulder as he makes his way out of the common room so he can get the ban from his room

"Most of the time?" Steve's laugh follows him before he's gone. Steve does have to admit that even he thinks Bucky would be a better captain a good amount of the time.

"I think I'm seeing it now, too," Natasha mutters her chin in her hand. She recalls what Bucky had told her a week ago during one of their nightly talks.

"What?" Sam asks attention to her now wondering what they weren't told

"You're right, he moves like we do, but he's definitely not trained or at least the way we were," Natasha mutters again, carefully uninterested, but aims her statement at Bucky.

"Well, I don't think it came from his dad 'cause I think I would be doing it too," Clint says, catching on, and Bruce nods, getting it too now.

"I only have more questions the longer he's around," Bucky agrees, leaning back into his seat and waiting and watching for Tony to return.

Tony comes back a couple minutes later with the ban hanging from one hand. Both Bucky and Natasha take an extra interest as they watch him walk back in. Luckily, he's used to stares because he doesn't pay them any mind and doesn't even blink an eye at the more intense gazes. There's a swagger to his steps, a sway of a little femininity in his stride. But the steps are carefully and purposely placed, almost robotic and too perfected, just like theirs. Trained to always be on guard and expect something from the people or things around him. Not a step placed messily or causally, not a gesture or movement that's not poised and perfect. A much bigger elegance and etiquette ingrained in him over them. A tall, straight posture, one that would have had to have been taught to the point he now can't relax at all. Even as he passes the ban to Bruce so the others can look and examine it and sit back in the chair, it never takes a break. He sits back straight and holds himself with a sense of royalty, drawing up one knee to his chest. His arm rests outstretched over said drawn-up knee, M.V. held loosely in his fingers. But it looks too perfect, too much holier than thou. Even the way he holds his head is regal, making him easily look down on anyone with such stupid ease. It must have taken him hundreds of hours to be able to make that his first nature. It's easy to see how people find it hard to look past everything and see what's underneath it all.

"Woah, this is amazing," Bruce breathes out. The ban is in his hands.

The ban itself is cool and metallic, but inside, it looks like something out of a comic or sci-fi. It only kind of glows thanks to a neon light blue fluid moving around the mask in some tubing. It's incredible and very high-tech, something Bruce didn't even think could be possible or fit in such a device.

"How long?" Natasha asks Tony, lifting her head out of her hand. She can now see where people get the snobbish mega-ego attitude up close without him even speaking.

"Huh?' Tony says he is disinterested and no longer paying them any attention. He might also be dealing with brain fog at the moment.

"And people think Bucky is intimidating." Steve hums a little, seeing the two beside each other now. They're both intimidating but in different ways, and Tony might actually be a little more.

"Wekk people thought your dad was a king," Sam offers, a little sad and still angry at the man.

"With a god complex. But I don't know if I could walk. I could do it," Tony shrugs, catching up to what they were asking.

"You don't help yourself either," Clint half-jokes, but Tony smiles a little and seems relieved that Tony reciprocated well.

"I am better than them," Tony says. He's clearly cocky, but it's playful too.

"Try it on," Tony says, seeing how enchanted Bruce is with the ban, though he's sure it would be awkward.

"Really!?" Bruce asks him, just glowing with what he kind of sees as a new toy

"I don't care, just don't open your mouth," Tony says. He doesn't need Bruce to gag on the thickened fluid or be shocked by it.

"Is it comfortable?" Steve asks as Bruce places it over his face like he's seen Tony wear it

"You get used to it," Tony shrugs a little "I've never had any issues with it, fucks sake, I like it," Tony says idly, watching Bruce.

"It's not bad, actually," Bruce says, golding it as an offering if anyone else wants to try it.

"The new one will be better anyway," Tony says as it gets passed around before coming back to him.

"Seems cool," Natasha says, all of them coming to the conclusion of liking it and finding it pretty cool.

"You said you liked it, why?" Clint asks him as Tony seems to admire the ban before putting it on his lap

"Why not?" Tony says, then blinks and sighs, knowing he'll have to explain it to them

"Fine," Tony tuts, taking a drag before sighing it out. "When manipulators come into the program, they get isolated while they go through tests and aren't allowed contact with anyone without some sort of block in case we do something. Once we get our device, they don't all get the ban. We can go out, be around people, and do normal people's stuff until we learn to control ourselves around others. Given I've been silenced before in less humane ways, the ban was the best gift I had gotten. I don't mind the ban. It's comfortable, it works, I can use it as an excuse, and people avoid me, which is fantastic," Ton explains in a sort of rant-like way.

"Makes sense," Steve says, a little lost in his thoughts about it.

"Uh, what is everything in there?" Bruce asks, meaning the inside of the ban

"Uh," Tony says, having to think through the brain fog.

"You know what? Don't worry about the topic for a later time," Bruce says quickly, and Tony is happy to stop trying to think.

They end up staying up all night, though Tony seems to nod off once or twice before he wakes himself up in less than a minute. They go on and off subjects, chittering through the night or playing games to pass the time. Normally, Tony wouldn't be this tired, but two attacks close enough together have worn his body out. Still, the team is highly impressed that he's so awake. Halfway through the night, Tony sticks the M.V. in his hoodie pouch, feeling better enough to no longer need it in his hand or mouth just because he's bored or wants to amp up the meds working. He doesn't seem bothered by Bucky's almost continuous observant gaze, sizing Tony up and taking in every detail he can. Tony can blame his celebrity status or whatever he's had to deal with to being so used to being taken apart like this. When Tony talks, his voice still shows quite big signs of the attack. It'll take a few days to clear up and leave his voice. Or if Tony lets this play out like always, but Bruce has an idea that might help and speed up the process.

"I'm making you some tea," Bruce says, standing up abruptly, surprising everyone since it's also like six am.

"What?" Tony asks, confused but sure it has to do with him

"Tea?" Clint adds, trying to catch up from where he's laid his head on the coffee table, arms in his lap

"Yes. Tea." Bruce says pointedly as he goes into the kitchen and flicks on the kettle

"I think it's about your voice," Natasha says and gets a few nods.

"That would make sense," Sam replies to her.

"You want to make me hot leaf juice?" Tony says slowly in his confusion and how ridiculous he thinks Bruce is being

"Make you feel better," Clint coos before laughing a little, almost delirious from being tired.

Tony just shakes his head a little at it, but it doesn't stop him. He just sits back against the chair and goes over the inventory in his head that Phil had brought him. Two large ziplock bags are about 40 pens, give or take a few, and a refill of each flavour was probably around 500 if they jam them in. Then he goes over the flavours, blueberry, which is the one he has now. Peach, kiwi melon, lemonade, coffee and honey. He'll probably have to switch out the one he has at the end of the 48 hours. He's had it long enough that it should be just about empty or on fumes. The migraine is starting to pick up again in intensity, and he's still tired and sore. His whole body feels the shocks of the attack, and this is what causes him to overlook the migraines in the first place. Tony has to hand it to them, though; they looked for the pen just because Tony had looked at Bruce and then behind him. He wasn't hinting at anything thing. He just happened to see Bruce and then wanted to see if the pen was in sight. Tony knows being up this close to Bucky lets him see more than he'd like, but it's better than being watched from afar.

"Here," Bruce's voice brings him back and offers Tony the mug.

"It's fresh. I grew the leaves just now," Bruce says eagerly as Tony takes it, a little skeptical of it still.

"That was really sweet of you, Bruce," Bucky drawls with a smile; he knows how much Bruce loves his powers.

"Lucky," Natasha hums. She does love Bruce's fresh blends.

"Anyone hungry?" Steve asks, getting up as Bruce sits back down and Tony takes a tentative sip

"Yup," Natasha says, getting up to help him.

"I can help," Bruce says, jumping up again, somehow hyper.

"Let us know if we can help," Sam groans as he slumps beside Clint on the ground.

"T.V.," Clint mumbles as he grabs the remote as if it weighed a hundred pounds

It's an otherwise quiet morning, and Tony drinks the tea, he has to admit it wasn't all that bad, but he still likes coffee better. By the afternoon, Bucky and Steve had gone to work out a bit, feeling restless. After a power nap, Sam and Clint took over the T.V. to play games. Natasha has brought out her stuff and gets to work on redoing her nails. In one of his books, Bruce is nose-deep, curled up on the couch. Tony has set the ban on the coffee table at the other end, where Natasha is doing her nails. Tony gets a text from Cho saying she won't make it today, giving him the heads up so he isn't waiting on her. He doesn't see the need to reply, and she doesn't need one from him either because he would have texted back if he needed something. With Bucky gone and wanting to stretch out, Tony moved over to the loveseat. His head resting on one arm and his feet braced against the other. One arm loosely draped over his stomach, and the other picked at the curls in his face. Tony is getting fucking tired though he really needs to sleep, and his head doesn't want to ease up at all. He doesn't like to take anything, hoping it will go away on its own, knowing down well it won't have. But Tony won't sleep. Instead, he checks on the progress of the new ban and surfs the web or anything else to keep himself awake.

It's been two hours before Steve and Bucky make their way back in, both freshly showered and changed. Training must have been hard then, and most of those two hours they'd been gone. Tony has hardly moved, only shifting and scooting up or down, but otherwise, nothing. At the moment when the two come back, Tony's phone is in his lap, one arm still over his waist while the other holds the M.V. for him to take a hit. It's the first time in quite a while knowing it'll ease his migraine just enough. Tony glances over at them when they walk in. The others don't even bother. Tony still has a habit of watching when anyone around him moves, even if it's just adjusting themselves. So people walking in get a longer, more detailed look. He gives them a quick up and down before looking away as he lets out the vapours and drops that hand down to hang beside the loveseat. As he knew it would, it eased the pressure a bit, letting him tip his head back in relief for as little time as it would last. But he keeps his eyes closed and, after a moment, tips his head back but to bow it down. His hood is up to block out more of the light, and he doesn't think anyone else has noticed it yet. But Bucky watched him and paid attention after Phil brought it up the first time. He can see the signs of Tony's migraines thanks to Phil and Frost and turns off the lights as they come in, making heads pop up at the sudden change in lighting.

"Seriously? What the fuck" Tony says, annoyed as he grabs at Bucky lightly

"I made a point to find them," Bucky says, unbothered by Tony's tone or attitude.

"Your head?" Bruce winces, feeling bad none of them had noticed yet

"It's not that bad," Tony grumbles, putting it back in his mouth as Bucky sits on the corner of the couch closest to him.

"Communicate, man," Sam huffs, pausing the game, but he's almost getting fond of the behaviour.

"Buck," Steve says, rolling his eyes, needing Bucky's information so they can watch for it, too.

"Eyes not fully open, His hood up, Head down, touches between his eyes, clenches his jaw and usually has an arm over his head or stomach or both," Bucky lists off for him.

"Dude," Clint says, impressed by how much Bucky has gotten.

"Good to know," Natasha hums while Tony tsks, dropping his head back and his hand down beside the couch again.

"But for real man. Tell us this stuff; we don't mind accommodating," Sam says more seriously.

"Maybe," Tony says, annoyed still, but it's clear he isn't going to be a complaint for a very long time.

"Tea?" Bruce offers Tony a little sheepishly, having a mix for migraines funny enough.

"Go ahead." Clint laughs a little as Tony just waves Bruce off, sulking by this point

"It'll help," Bruce promises lightly as he gets up.

It's hard to see what Bucky is seeing and looking for, partly out of wanting to stay within Tony's very clear boundaries. And it's a bit awkward since Tony is a person, after all. He's very aware of the fact he's being visually picked apart, whether it bothers him or not. But also, with as much intent and detail as Bucky is looking with, it's like he's trying to commit even the smallest detail of Tony to his memory. They don't doubt he has every single freckle on Tony checked and accounted for, like that type of stuff. But once again, being altered to something they missed by Bucky makes it obvious they need to try harder. Since it's not like Tony is offering anything, if they want to know something, they have to find and figure it out on their own. By the time the sun has started to set and they're packing up, Tony's the only one still lingering a little. He's only used the M.V. four times spaced out, which is a good thing they've noticed. If Bruce brought him a cup of tea, he would drink it, or if someone gave him an offering of food, he'd eat it. But he never asked or made any moves to do it on his own or suggest he wanted something.

Tony does come though using one of the used rooms in their wing of the compound. Knowing he's so close, everyone sleeps a little better; this time, everyone, including Tony, sleeps like the dead. Just because he sleeps like the dead doesn't mean it's easy for Tony. He twists and turns for most of the night. By five am, his body wakes him up, giving up on trying to make him sleep any longer. Knowing he should but not caring, Tony gets up and changes. He chooses a pair of forest green joggers and an oversized long-sleeved band shirt. He takes a drag of the M.V. as he pads down the hallway, going back to the common room. Before he makes it to the common room, Tony has taken another drag, but it helps ease off the pressure in his chest. He can breathe deeper, and it feels less tight. He thinks about returning to his chair in the far corner but settles for the one beside the loveseat. It'll be easier to find him and cause less panic from the others, at least. Now that Tony's there, it's just the same kind of feeling, really nothing to do but sit around, and he doesn't even have the energy to do something. This leaves him with no solutions. He's snapped out of his zoning out where his mind has been going in a hundred different directions at light speed when he hears someone coming. Whoever it is, is making their steps purposely making noise, so he deems it has to be Bucky.

Tony's right, of course. Only Bucky would purposely make noise when he moves, unlike the opposite of most people. When said person in question comes out of the hall, Tony confirms who it is before looking away. When he does that, Bucky notices yet again that even when speaking or just looking, Tony looks at either their face or something else, never the person's eyes. Even when confirming who it is, he doesn't need to nor meets the person's eyes. Bucky figures it could be a habit he got from his powers. If he remembers right, Tony's powers only take effect when he can see the person's eyes and are stronger withheld eye contact. So, like the ban, maybe Tony learned to not look people in the eyes to make them more comfortable. Hopefully, Cho comes, and they get this over with and can go back to normal. It's what everyone is starting to look forward to. Tony watches as Bucky putters about tidying up last night and turning on the kettle and coffee pot. The others must be waking up soon if he's doing that. Tony notices he'd left the ban on the coffee table and picks it up. Turning it over in his hands, Tony notes the wear in and on it, from being used for however long Tony has had this version. His throat suddenly burns, and he brings a hand up to it lightly. Of course, he notes Bucky has taken notice of it, too. But Tony doesn't seem to mind it much.