[Video]

[hashtagparkerluck]

[ Peter looks... rough. His eyes are blood shot and there's red blotches all over his skin. It looks like he might have fallen into a pit of poison ivy if that were a thing here and he's been itching. He probably shouldn't. ]

So I uh.. I need a roommate. I guess.

It has to be someone close-ish in age with me and it's a weird request but it can't be anywhere near the mint.

...

also I.. probably need to see a doctor. maybe.

...

Or someone similar.

Comments

[in_extremis]

That metabolism was a problem that Cap had, too, so Tony pouted thoughtfully, trying to work out what he would have done to help a supersoldier with hives. Maybe Jon was clever enough to foresee the problem, but in the meantime Tony abruptly got to his feet to head for the washroom.

"And you've been working on that..." he asked as he went, with a finger circling around his own beard, "For, what, three years? Almost as old as you are." He was gone and running water by the time his teasing smirk broke through.

"You could think of it like that, sure. If you like it, it grows around here when it's hot, a lot around the forge, it looks like these cucumbers that grow upright and you can squeeze the gel out of them, like sponges. I thought maybe they were edible. That was a mistake. What is it that Reed says? Science is exploration." He appeared again with a dripping towel. Hopefully, Peter didn't have plans to use that.

[doubled_speed]

Dude, I'm the annoying one. So don't even go there, Petey.

[hashtagparkerluck]

I think as long as limit my exposure to it, it'll be okay.

I already feel less like I'm gonna combust.

[ ... ]

n-not that, that's how I felt before. Just really itchy.

I was being dramatic.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter just watches Tony move around, he'd learned from talking to the Tony in his universe that sometimes you had to run the things he says through a mental sieve and not take it all at face value.

He looks a little closer at the stuff Tony had brought. "Oh, so it's kinda like Aloe Vera?" He asks, turning it over in his hand. He wonders if it'll feel about the same as when you apply aloe to sunburns. He'd be okay with that. Is it rude if he tries some now or rude if he doesn't? Whatever, he's gonna test it. He pulls the lid off and scoops some out and applies a a very small mount to-shit he's still wearing his sweat shirt. Rather then apply to his arm he applies it his neck.

And it is soothing. That's nice. While Tony is doing whatever Peter pulls his sweatshirt off, revealing his now slightly tattered 'y'all need science' tee shirt and a lot more hives. He looks up at the towel and make a face.

"Why'd you drown that towel?"

[hashtagparkerluck]

I don't find you annoying.

Persistent.

But not annoying.

[hashtagparkerluck]

yeesh, that makes Parker Luck sound like... well, I don't know.

but, I'm sorry. That's a lot to deal with.

[Video]

[itsamysterio]

Tsk.

[Beck turns his head.]

Now that's not fair. Who helped you out before, hmm? Who talked you down? Are you forgetting about that?

[in_extremis]

"Aloe, yeah, a lot like that," Tony agreed, snapping his fingers for the connection made. The experience wasn't quite as tacky as aloe, but it did have a similar, green scent and hydrating effect that had been helpful in more than a few applications singing, slicing and shaving himself in the forge.

He stopped in the doorway where he could see Peter again, staring briefly and openly ignoring Peter's question with a raised lip that could have been concern. "Jesus, you look like you got into a fight with the Wasp. Or several toddlers. Very tiny fists." That couldn't be comfortable, and suffocating the hives under the sweater could not have been helping. There, Tony finally lifted the towel to reply, "To help." The opposite of sweating out the problem. He flicked one finger in the air for Peter to...do something, the breadth of the problem was honestly overwhelming to look at and Tony wasn't sure of the most effective place to start. Starting to circle him to get a 360 view of the problem was not really helping, but Tony persisted, suddenly snatching at his shirt to check under the hem and see how far down Peter's back the welts had spread. Too far. Tony pressed the cold towel there, stuffing it under the ratty t-shirt, where he found a new thing to complain about; "You're not going to find a roommate dressed like that. A tie can go a long way."

[Video]

[hashtagparkerluck]

[ Peter sucks in a breath. Was he really trying to pull the same trick again? ]

[ ...Was it working? ]

I don't-I can't-

[ he lets out another groan because this really isn't a great time and is skin feels like it's on fire. He scratches furiously at the hives on his arm. ]

I don't fucking feel like dealing with you.

please. Just.

Leave me alone.

[Video]

[itsamysterio]

If you really meant that, Peter, you'd just stop answering.

You're a smart boy, don't act like I'm making you talk. You want this. You're in control here.

You need the distraction, is that it? [He nods towards Peter's desperate scratching.] Trade one pain for another for some momentary relief?

[usedtobesmoller]

[Now you have sad puppy Steve. Good job.]

Oh, geez. I really am sorry, Peter. You're sure I can't do anything to help you out?

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter's well aware he's not looking his best and that it's.. it's bad. He still manages to feel offended.

"It's not that bad!" He argues, maybe pouting a little. Nevertheless when Tony motions for him to... come here? That's what Peter's taking it to be anyway as he moves over. He feels a little self conscious and just watches Tony circle him. "Hey! What are you-!" Peter immediately tries to step away when Tony messes with the hem of his shirt. "Oh."

Well, it does help, a little. He's big enough to admit that. And then Tony's making comments about his wardrobe. Did every Tony Stark in every universe just need to find something about him to disapprove of?

"Oh yeah, That's really gonna tie my whole outfit together."

[hashtagparkerluck]

It's okay. I know it was an accident.

I'm not mad.

[ Just miserable. ]

Re: [Video]

[hashtagparkerluck]

[ Was he in control? It didn't really feel like it. ]

And what's gonna stop you from continuing to try to mess with me? It's not like I can send you to voicemail.

[beholding_archivist]

Hm. It's alright now. It's... All in the past. And we are here now.

[ And Tony is here. ]

[hashtagparkerluck]

Just because it's in the past doesn't make it not suck.

[doubled_speed]

Awwww, you're so kind Peter. Come over. Crash on the couch tonight. We'll work on it tomorrow.

[Video]

[itsamysterio]

Would you rather I focused my attention on someone else? I can do that. Plenty of people to choose from.

[Video]

[hashtagparkerluck]

What? No!

That's not what I said!

[ God, why is it so easy to fall into Beck's hand. But he's got a point-just like with Flash if he's occupying the bully's attention then it's not on someone else. Someone that couldn't handle it. Although, Beck is a little more extreme than a high school bully. ]

...

[ SIGH. ]


What do you want?

[hashtagparkerluck]

Mmkay, but anti-itch cream first. I seriously think about about to spontaneously combust.

...

which wouldn't be all that spontaneous at this point.

[in_extremis]

That did earn Peter a snort, that Tony tried to cover soberly with a disapproving shake of his head for the lack of appreciation of his wisdom. "Hold that," was the only warning Peter got to stop the towel from splattering to the floor and soaking into his threadbare carpet as Tony released it and made to snatch the cream Jon had made away from him instead. "We can make more, if its helping. Hey, that could be a good use for this shirt, tear it up, you're right, good thinking hanging onto it," Tony proposed, and continued his impatient fussing right up until he was about to touch Peter's face with an unappealing, grey dollop, where he hesitated only long enough to raise his eyebrows inquisitively.

Meanwhile, he was still talking, "I wore a tie almost every day when I was your age. I decided when I went to college that it would make people take me more seriously, even if I was a foot shorter than all of them, so I was this gangly kid in a full three piece suit sitting in the lecture hall, like clockwork. It did the opposite, if you can imagine, absolutely beefed the cool factor calculation on that one. I'd even be in a windsor knot at the bar at some robotics convention while the rest of my classmates where doing body shots. I figured out the beard eventually."

[hashtagparkerluck]

He can try and hide it with disapproval but Peter definitely heard that and he's counting the fact he at least got Tony to snort at his comment as a win. His reflexes are still pretty second to none and he grabs the towel just as Tony lets it go.

"What? No! I like this shirt." Peter protested, taking a protective stance to shield it from any destruction Tony had in mind. He tunes out most of the fussing and since he's currently in charge of the towel he doesn't stop Tony from bringing the gray goop to his face. It doesn't stop him from making a weird face though because it's not a smell he was expecting. At least it does its job and he doesn't feel quite so much like scratching his skin off.

"And point of information I don't have a suit- I mean, I do. But it was technically my uncle's and it's still in Queens. Not really something I want to be wearing on the daily. Besides, I'm really sure if I wore a suit to Midtown Tech Flash would actually hit me with his car rather than just pretend. He's already got a personal vendetta against me for being poor."

[doubled_speed]

[Tommy didn't snicker, he just nodded.]

That's from Billy. Or that talented kiddo Omega. She's done some good shit before. I'll try and wrack my brain for plants good for itches in the greenhouse.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Mr-Tony's on his way over. [ Don't get onto him for scratching it's the only form of relief he'll have for the next few minutes. ]

also, speaking of Omega- she mentioned she's never had cake before. Do you think the replicator could handle like a mix or something?

[in_extremis]

It wasn't immediately clear to Tony if it was ideal to spread the cream around, or rub it in, so it was with a faint grimace that he cautiously patted around the worst of the hives on Peter's face, leaving him with new, grey splotches where the red ones had been. He had to force himself to stop wrinkling his nose so they weren't making the same uncomfortable face at each other.

"Okay, first of all, that's tragic on so many different vectors, we've got to get you a proper suit," he declared. It was possible that wearing a suit to lunch at the post-apocalyptic diner was as misguided to wearing one to Differential Equations at 8AM, but Tony was in his half the time and it did improve his confidence. "And I guess we should get you a suit," he finally acknowledged, since Peter was taking his embarrassing school stories so literally, even if he kept his focus very pointedly on his delicate itch-solution dabbing as he did so. "You know, eventually."