[MCU] Repairs (Tony/Rhodey(/Pepper,) SFW)

[wallwalker]

Another new ficlet for fic_promptly.

Title: Repairs
Fandom: MCU (Iron Man)
Characters: Tony/Rhodey, background Tony/Rhodey/Pepper
Rating: SFW
Warning: Vague references to violence?
Summary: Rhodey fell into a trap, and now he's paying for it. (Set at some point between IM2 and Avengers.)

"Okay, but honestly. An EMP? How did you miss that?"

Tony was in rare form that evening. How he was managing to keep his focus on fixing the damaged Warmachine circuitry while talking the entire time was beyond Rhodey's understanding. He could barely hold a cell conversation without running into someone, at least if he got emotional about something... and Tony was, without question, very emotional about this.

Rhodey rolled his eyes for at least the tenth time since he'd arrived at Stark Manor. "I can't see things on approach from five thousand feet at high speeds, okay? I definitely can't distinguish a regular truck from a truck with some kind of trap in the back of it."

"Rhodey, look, you have to anticipate these things." Tony turned to look at him while still manipulating the holoprojection of the damaged circuits. Seriously, Rhodey thought, how did he do that? "They're starting to expect us, okay? They're learning. We have to stay ahead of the curve -"

"I do not need this," Rhodey muttered under his breath as Tony went on, hoping that they wouldn't hear him. He'd already had to get out of the suit after it went dead and go on his own, with only a scavenged pistol to protect him. He'd managed to find a supply truck that had still been working, hijack it, get it back to load up the suit without alerting anyone who could still talk - and that had probably been the hardest part, thank goodness he'd managed to find a semi-functional forklift - and then manage to drive back to patrol territory without getting himself shot. There had been lots of people who'd wanted to shoot him, as he recalled.

He'd really hoped to get back without incident. This was supposed to be the night he and Tony and Pepper had a nice, probably relaxing dinner, when he told them about the Government's new plans for him and the suit. He didn't think it would be too eventful - new name, new paint job, stuff like that...

"...bad enough your bosses let Hammer get his paws on it. That software was like a virus. Did he steal a virus for his UI? Wouldn't surprise me." Tony was still going. "I mean, I designed this armor, and just because you stole it -"

"Commandeered it," Rhodey said, "and if you hadn't coded it to me I couldn't have operated it anyway -"

Tony waved his objection aside. "No, no, your intent was the same, even if I proactively forgave you - but just because you took it doesn't mean you have the right to mess it up. What's next, spoilers? A new paint job?"

Okay. Maybe Rhodey wouldn't tell them about the Iron Patriot mess. Tony probably wouldn't appreciate the humor that night. "So... what?" He spread his arms apart, which he didn't mean as a gesture of surrender, but that was probably how Tony was going to take it anyway. "What's your suggestion?"

He looked up from the circuits and batted them aside. "Okay, that should do it - JARVIS, get onto fabricating that, okay? And fix the damage, it looks like he ran over it with that forklift a few times before he loaded it up." He walked up to Rhodey, looked him in the eyes. "Well, for starters, how about not nearly getting yourself killed before your dinner dates?"

"Tony," he said, closing his eyes. "I made it back, okay? I always make it back."

"Yeah, but if you didn't," he started, then coughed and looked away. He usually did when things were getting too serious. Must've been his natural impulse to avoid honest conversation, especially when feelings were involved. His feelings, anyway. "Look, I don't need to find out that you got yourself killed, okay? Neither does Pepper. I mean, who would she talk to about me if you were gone?"

"Doesn't she have that secretary or whatever?"

"Nah, she went back to her old job. Didn't have much choice - her old boss is a really scary guy. And don't change the subject, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone here."

"Okay," Rhodey answered, taking a deep breath. Not that he was much more comfortable with it, not yet - he liked the arrangement, all three of them did, but he could hear his mama clucking his tongue and shaking her head in her grave. "I'm sorry. I wasn't prepared and fell into a trap. Do you have any suggestions? Something to detect unusual power signatures?"

"Now you're talking." Tony grabbed him on the shoulder. "I'll get something put together tomorrow morning. But tonight, I'd bet what you do need is some food and sleep, right?"

Why did he ever try to say things so Tony wouldn't hear? He always heard them. Probably had JARVIS listening out for him, or something. "Yeah," he said. "Sounds good."

"Great." Tony patted him on the arm before turning away. "Let's go see if Pepper's got everything under control."

"Of course she does, Tony," Rhodey said, turning to follow him out of the lab. "She always does, right?"

Tony shrugged. "Apparently she likes to be asked. Shows we care."