Well, life is throwing all it can at me right now and this is how I'm dealing with it...By running away from them and writing. Priorities. But hey, you guys get a quick story out of it! It's a short little two-shot. :)

Disclaimer: IMAA doesn't belong to me. Nope.

He didn't talk. He didn't look up. He barely even moved. They said that was normal and to be expected of a person who lost somebody close. They said he'd be fine with time. But they didn't know him like they did. They didn't know that he was still barely recovering from the loss of his mother. They didn't know the close bond he had with his father. They didn't know how fragile his heart was; even before the implant. They didn't know how shattered his soul was. And they certainly didn't know that there were somethings that time could never heal.

He was in the hospital for a week before they signed his release forms to take him home. A whole week, and he was yet to have uttered a work other than "yes" or "no" since the news was broken to him. He just stared listlessly into nothing, only moving to bring the spoon to his mouth when he was given food.

Rhodey tried to talk to him. Tried to keep him occupied to distracted. And sometimes it actually worked. Tony wouldn't talk, but he'd be attentively looking at Rhodey and nodding along to whatever story the boy had to share. But eventually, even that stopped working and Tony would just end up falling asleep on him, no longer interested.

Though the toughest part to deal with wasn't his refusal, or incapability, to speak. It was the times when the blue-eyed boy secretly cried to himself‒be it from physical pain or the pain of loss‒but hadn't realized that he wasn't truly alone. Or the times he'd tap at the new, glowing circled that now resided uncomfortably in his chest with a look asking, why? Why me?

"Everythings going to be alright," Roberta would tell him as she held his hand. He'd tried to pull his hand away, trying to appear strong, but she would just hold tighter. "I promise that things will work out. We'll be here for you when you need a shoulder to lean on." That was the conversation that happened each day at the hospital, sometimes twice a day.

It was on the car ride home one night that Tony first spoke a full sentence.

"Where will I be staying at now?" his voice was soft and it wasn't clear if it was directed towards Rhodey or Roberta.

It was Roberta who answered. "You'll be coming home and living with us. Following your dad's wishes, we are your legal guardians now."

Tony remained silent for the rest of the way home.

The first night was the hardest.

With such a short notice, a room‒or at least a place to sleep‒wasn't available quite yet. Rhodey offered up his room for the night, or until other preparations could be made. Tony nodded his thanks and shuffled exhaustively into the room offered and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. The strew of medicine the doctor's had him on may have the side effects of drowsiness, but Rhodey strongly believed that the medicine nor the surgery played a significant role in Tony's fatigue. In all reality, it was the pain of loss and the unknowns ahead of him that were currently wearing him down like so.

Rhodey himself was depleted of any and all energy he had that day. Even if all he had done that day was clean a bit at home and sit and keep Tony company‒company Tony made clear he hadn't wanted‒he still felt mentally and physically drained. Because despite it all, he too felt like he had lost someone close; and he didn't just mean the CEO of Stark International.

He didn't need his mom to tell him that Tony wasn't going to be the same again. Not for a long time, if at all.

For almost a week, Rhodey hadn't seen or heard anything of his closest friend, especially when the home office got redone into a bedroom for Tony. The best he knew, the boy was only eating just enough to soothe hunger pains and only came out to use the bathroom. Once to take a bath. Other than that, the boy genius refused to accept company, even from Rhodey, or to leave the room. Despite Tony wishes to be left alone, Rhodey had taken days off from school to be nearby.

He knocked gently on the door to his friend's new room one afternoon. "Lunch is ready."

Later he would return to knock on the door again. "Dinner's ready." He held back mentioning the uneaten lunch in the fridge, as he's come to realize that Tony wasn't going to eat it anyway.

Though he had to try each time.

"Mom made French toast!"

"There's cookies!"

"Mom brought home that new movie."

"Do you want some pizza?"

"There's leftover French toast for once."

"Lunch is in the fridge."

"Dinner."

Each time, it felt like Tony was listening less and less.

"I know you want to help him and be by his side right now," his mom had started, pulling him aside one night when Tony had fallen asleep. "But that isn't so easy for him right now. And I don't think he's ready yet for that."

He nodded, wanting to assure her that he understood. Yet a part of him knew that he didn't. "I know."

His mother gave him a knowing look and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Give him some space. He needs some time to adjust to his new surroundings. He's in a lot of pain right now and I'm sure he's feeling scared, just like you"

So he left things alone. He let his mother handle anything Tony related until Tony was ready to enter the real world once more. After all, he would do anything for the inventor who he could now officially call his brother. He knew that he was going through a more than rough time, and on some level, he could understand and even relate. Yet, his dad going overseas was entirely different from Tony's case. And that was something Rhodey could never truly understand unless he's experienced it himself. And it nearly killed him to know that there was nothing he could do to make the pain any easier on him.

Oh, Tony, he silently said to himself every day when he went to bed, I wish there was something I could do.

It wouldn't be until a month later that Tony opens up enough to let him help. And all through the simplest words, too.

"Is there any more French toast?"

"You have good news?"

Rhodey eagerly watched Tony as the genius took a seat beside him on the couch. Rhodey shoved aside his history book and leaned back against the cushions in anticipation of Tony's news. It's been nearly three months since the accident and for the first time, there seems, to be honest excitement in Tony's eyes that day.

Tony shrugged, obviously trying to downplay his excitement‒for whatever reason. "I don't have to go to anymore check ups. The doctor said it should be stable enough now to be left alone. I can even charge it on my own now too."

Rhodey found himself smiling. Tony had hated those doctor visits with a passion, and Rhodey knew exactly why. A reason that wasn't even needed to be verbalized to anyone. "That's great!"

"Do you want to see?" Tony questioned. "He said it looks normal now."

He had to admit that it was pretty fascinating despite the circumstances. In the past three months, there have been several complications that have arisen due to the object of their attention. A couple infections and malfunctions here and there, and several doctor's visits later, it was understanding that Tony would be so happy to hear that it shouldn't be needing anymore attending to. Though, today was also the first day he's willingly offered to show it to anyone. Even Rhodey.

"If you're offering," Rhodey shrugged, trying not to show how truly intrigued the implant made him. But as soon as Tony lifted his shirt, he knew he failed to hide it.

Its glow seemed almost brighter than it had the last time Rhodey had seen it. Granted, that last time he saw it, it wasn't working properly, not to mention the surrounding skin and tissue weren't all that pleasing to look at either‒not that he'd told Tony. This time, everything looked normal. Well, as normal as Tony's chest would ever be after three months ago. There were no ugly, large bruises everywhere and the device in his chest looked almost natural, almost.

"It doesn't hurt anymore?" Rhodey wondered as Tony dropped his shirt.

Tony shook his head. "Only slightly, but I think that's not going to go away."

"Speaking of going away," Rhodey changed the subject as he remembered something from earlier that day. "A friend invited me to a movie downtown, you're more than welcome to come."

Tony hasn't left the house much other than for his doctor's appointments, so Rhodey has been trying to find ways to get him out and about. Tony's always found some sort of excuse to not go, but Rhodey knew the real reason for Tony's hesitation. He was afraid that he'd pass his father's company and Rhodey knew the constant reminder of the accident that resided in his own chest was hard enough to deal with. It went with the territory that his father's company, something that Tony held closer to himself than anything, would be too painful to even imagine looking at already.

For a second, Rhodey could see Tony considering it. But he quickly shook his head. "Nah, I...I should probably go get some rest."

To be honest, that was the closest he's gotten to a yes.

It's been five months now since the accident, and it was just like his mother said. It was getting better with time. Tony wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows‒in reality, he never was, to begin with‒but Rhodey consistently found moments where Tony seemed to actually be enjoying himself. He noticed it in the simplest of things. Like when he first started tinkering again. Or when he got himself a new computer to work on. Or even when he got tickets to the next science convention thing.

He heard the door open to reveal just the person of his thoughts.

"Where have you been?" he inquired, turning the volume down on the television.

Tony smirked and plopped down on the couch beside Rhodey. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Hence the question," Rhodey pressed.

"If you must know," the inventor began, "I was working on something. Something big."

"The armor?"

At the mention of the armor, Rhodey couldn't help but flashback to that day again. How could he not? It wasn't every day that his best friend showed up before him clad in a suit of armor, nor was it everyday that he'd have to rush that same friend to the hospital while also trying to hide the suit from any sort of officials. It wasn't a pleasant day to remember…

"Something like that," Tony said. He didn't seem at all phase, though certainly, the same thoughts ran through his head. "So," he suddenly said when Rhodey had not responded. "This school thing. Do I really have to go?"

"Yes, you do," came the stern voice of Rhodey's mother, startling both teens. "You're father wished for you to live a normal life, and that included school."

"Roberta!" Tony half-laughed and half-whined. "Did you get off work early?"

She nodded in response as she hung the keys up on the wall and her purse on a nearby table. "I did, now I can actually cook something tonight." She paused in response to the boy's unanimous cheers. "But back to your schooling, Tony. I'm in the process of getting you enrolled in the same school as Rhodey."

"Tomorrow Academy?" Tony inquired.

"Makes sense that you'd go to school with me," Rhodey shrugged, actually somewhat excited to be able to go to school with his closest friend.

Tony high-fived Rhodey despite not being all that enthused about the whole "school thing" as Rhodey could clearly tell.

"Don't worry about it," Rhodey said. "It'll be easy for you. Though, I think you'll have an interesting time with the physics teacher. I think he's a whole different playing level than Einstein."

Tony's eyes were instantly shining in interested. "Really?"

Rhodey chuckled. "No! But I still think the two of you will get along just fine. As well as plenty of other people in school."

Tony frowned both in disappointment and uneagerness. "Ugh, people."

"You'll get used to it," Rhodey assured him. "I'm sure you'll make a couple friends."

"None like you," Tony grumbled.

Flattered, Rhodey grinned in pride. "Aw, Tony, I didn't know you felt that way about me."

And for the first time in a while, Tony's laugh felt as real as it had before the accident.

And all the while, neither of the two would suspect that in only one month, Tony would meet the one person who could ever rival their relationship.

"What's this?" Tony asked, holding up the object in question that Rhodey had tossed into the genius' room.

"I believe they call it a 'backpack'," Rhodey teased, crossing his arms. "You know to hold your books in for school. The school you'll be going to in only a week."

Tony rolled his eyes. "I know that! I meant why are you giving me one. I don't need any books."

"Still," Rhodey sighed. "You're going to have homework and trust me, I know for a fact you haven't memorized Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet."

"What?"

"Exactly," Rhodey said at Tony's oblivious look. "You don't even know what they are. Anyway, I got you this to hold those kinds of books and your folders." He moved to go leave to finish an essay which was due, but Tony called him back. Surprisingly, he looked far more serious than the light mood just a second ago. "What is it?"

Tony reached up and traced the glowing circle beneath his shirt as he always did when he was feeling a little self-conscious. He mumbled out something incoherently. Rhodey had to strain to even tell if Tony and spoke at all.

"What?"

Tony sighed and looked up more firmly this time. "Thank you."

"Oh," Rhodey waved his hand with a light laugh. "For a backpack? It seriously wasn't that expensive...Okay, I'll admit, it's my old one from last year, but it still works."

"No," Tony shook his head. "I mean, thank you."

Now Rhodey was lost. He didn't remember doing anything to have Tony so sincerely thanking him. Let alone actually looking guilty about doing so.

"I..I don't think I ever said it," Tony continued when Rhodey was at a lost for words. "I never thanked you for being such a good friend."

"Tony," Rhodey stopped him. "You don't have to thank me for‒"

"No," Tony insisted. "I mean it. I never thanked you for being there. For helping me after...when…" his hand now gripped tightly against his shirt over the implant. "You don't know how much I wanted to talk to you that first night, but I hated to let you see me that way. So I...I just pushed you away. And every time you knocked at my door, I wanted you to come in, but I didn't want you to see my...me. But you kept trying and I finally saw someone worth...living for. So, thank you, Rhodey."

Rhodey was speechless.

Six months. It's been six months and this is the first time Tony's actually talked to him so sincerely about that night. He's talked about the implant and the injuries, and he's mentioned his dad a few times before, but never has he actually made an effort to talk about how he felt. And here he was, thanking him in the best way he knew how.

"Oh," Tony suddenly said as if he forgot something. "Thank you for a home."

Now Rhodey was smiling. "Anytime."

There you have it! I was thinking about the six-month gap between the accident and Tony's first day of school and wanted to explore the in-between parts. It's funny because I was going to make it longer and go more in depth, but I thought it'd be better fit cut in only 2 parts. Plus, it fits better with the aim of the story so there's that. So what'd you think? Worth the read? The second chapter is set more in the future but before the end of the series, answering another unanswered question of mine.

Book Suggestion: (Yes, I'm out of fun fact ideas again, so here's another book suggestion) Enclave by Ann Aguirre. Great book, the first book of the Trilogy, and great for fans of Hunger Games and Divergent.

How is everyone? This seems to always be the tough part of the year where we don't hear much out of each other. Or is it just that this fandom is dying out even more... :( Even so, I wish you all luck in whatever is going on! The tough times will be over before you know it!

Hugs and LOVE, Silverpedals!