Chapter 3: What Do You Want?
A piercing headache ailed his head when his eyes opened from his dreamless slumber. That was a first, he had yet to have a sleep without nightmares. It was a good change nonetheless, he made a mental note to drink himself to sleep more often.
His eyes blurred as he tried to sit up. He couldn't remember if he slept with someone last night but he must of had, otherwise he would recognise the bedroom.
A crimson red draped bed fit for a King in the centre of the room, wooden furniture, probably antique, and scattered ornamental pieces decorated the room. The only thing that made it seem homely rather than elegant was the thrown over clothes on the desk chair and the collage of pictures on the bare wall opposite the bed.
He stood up struggling in order to get a closer look. Brilliant smiles filled each photo, all of different people with the same man next to them. Over and over the same black haired emerald eyed man posed in each picture. Naturally, Tony assumed this was the man he slept with.
Tony had no qualms sleeping with either gender, or both at the same time or a three way with two of the same genders or more than three. Or anything really.
If he had slept with the man as previous experiences indicated, it was a right shame he didn't remember it.
"Hi stranger" a voice called out, and Tony looked over to see the man that started in all the photos. Ebony spun hair, olive skin and bright green eyes. A right shame indeed.
"Hey" Tony said weakly "uuh" he couldn't think of the name, the man must have said it at some point last night.
"It's Hadrian" the man smiled "Hadrian Black"
"Yes" Tony coughed awkwardly "I remember. Listen, Hadrian, last night was great and thanks for letting me spend the night, but I don't make this sort of thing permanent sweetheart, you seem like a wonderful guy but-"
"Mr Stranger, we didn't sleep with each other" Hadrian said firmly.
"Oh" Tony said at last before grinning "well if you ever did want to" he waggled his eyebrows.
Hadrian chuckled "thank you for the offer"
Tony grinned triumphantly "I'm Tony Stark by the way, I'll compensate you for everything as long as you don't go public about this, I don't have much of clean image but I do have an image you know, and collapsing on the streets would blow that. I'll pay you however much you want."
"Why would I go public about this Mr Stark?" Hadrian asked genuinely confused.
Tony winked "of course you wouldn't, how much do you want?"
Hadrian frowned "Mr Stark, I'm being quite serious."
Tony blinked about to protest his continuous high ground denial, but then he looked into the man's eyes, the stern and firm look he gave him, the way his body stilled in recoil from his accusation and the way his jaw stiffened in controlled anger.
"But I'm Tony Stark" Tony said still unable to process the idea of someone who wouldn't use him.
"And I am Hadrian Black" the man repeated "we have said our introductions Mr Stark, I don't see why you feel the need to do so again. Who you are matters little to me."
And Tony could see it, the honesty in the other man's eyes. But he couldn't understand- "I'm a billionaire, I'm a genius, you could literally have anything you wanted- I don't understand"
He looked almost pathetic, standing in front of the man shoulders hung in desperation, eyes sunk from late nights and hands trembling from the after effects of alcohol and nightmares or the fragile hope that there was someone who didn't want anything from him.
"I don't want anything from you Mr Stark" and Tony could feel his whole body shaking from the gentle sounding voice, flashes of his past terrorised his vision; his dad wanting him to be Steve Rogers; his mom wanting him to be the ideal son; Obadiah wanting him gone; the public wanting a role model; the military wanting his complacency; the terrorists wanting his weapons and even Pepper, sweet Pepper, wanted something from him; to be reliable, as a boyfriend, as a boss, in any situation, but he was unstable- the simplest thing she could ever ask from him was the only thing he could never give.
He was pulled and stretched so thin he couldn't become anything anyone wanted him to be, always fell short of ideal or simply fell off it completely. And now, here was someone who wanted nothing from him. He couldn't understand.
"They always want something" Tony snarled "everyone wants something from me"
Hadrian eyed him for a moment "okay" he said "I do want something"
Tony tightened his hands into a fist as he forced his body to relax inwardly scoffing, this was better, this was something he was used to, of course he wanted something, they all did, he was just putting up humble persona. That didn't stop, however, the feeling of disappointment welling up in his chest.
Tony plastered a smile and made waving motions with his hands "go on"
Hadrian smiled and stepped out of the doorway indicating Tony to follow him "I want you to have a cup of coffee Mr Stark, maybe some breakfast too, if you can stomach it" he said as they walked into down the stairs to the cafe.
The bar in the centre of the room had a plate with an English breakfast option ready and freshly hot alongside a mug made of intricate China.
The man smiled and Tony eased up. This was new and unfamiliar territory indeed. As he took a sip of the lovely vanilla mix cappuccino, he thought, maybe it wasn't so bad.
"I can do that" he said.