"It felt assumptive to ask if you were going to give it away like you're going to give away the phone case. I'm sorry about that," he answers with a smile. It's a good thing that he's doing and Matt likes that he's so willing to hand over a technology like that to help people. "It's the sort of thing everyone should have in case of the worst case scenario. Job sites, construction companies, factories. There are a lot of uses."
Though one part of the remark does catch his attention. "Once it's safe. So you're treating yourself like a lab rat?" he asks with an arch of his brow. He's not sure he necessarily loves to hear that but he supposes he can understand the why of it.
When Tony takes his hands, he does his best to hide the brief spark of pain that comes from the broken bone there.
Having assumed those knuckles bruised and not broken, Tony is surprised to feel how easily the bone slides around. At least he doesn’t have to cough up just how much self testing he does or lie that he puts protocols in place to keep himself safe when he also just immediately turns them off anyhow.
Tony pulls Matt’s hand up towards his face. “I’m not a medical doctor but you should have gone to the hospital. Something is moving around in there.”
He isn’t going to ask about it. He promised that he wouldn’t pry. But he can still care.
"Hm?" he asks before reaching to press his hand over his knuckle. He's a little caught off guard by how much Tony notices beyond just the bruise. He has broken his knuckle so many times that it doesn't really register as a difference between a break and a bruise since there isn't much to be done about either one.
He knows what Tony is referring to and he faintly smiles. "Oh. Yeah, I felt that too. I don't know that there's really much to do with a broken knuckle like that. It all eventually heals. They just wrap it up and put ice on it. Boxer's knuckles, you know? It happens."
Except he said that it had been caused by a car door. He's distracted and not keeping his lies as straight as he might otherwise.
Tony wets his lips with a flick of his tongue and releases Matt’s hands entirely. “This is just me, but I’d rather you leave the whole thing a mystery than lie.”
The lying bothers him. It bothers him more than being stabbed in the back by the people he cares about. Usually, that’s because it happens before the backstabbing commences.
“If you don’t want to answer something, just say it. If you don’t want to tell me something, don’t. But the lies are giving me some PTSD here.”
Matt faintly nods after being called out. He recognizes the error as soon as he makes it and it bothers him that Tony pulls back, even though he deserves it. "Yeah. I'm sorry."
And he is. It's not that he enjoys lying. It just becomes a necessity because of the parts of his life that he can't share.
"There are just things I can't tell you. I promise that it has nothing to do with you. For whatever that might be worth. I think you're great and I'd tell you if I could but it's just…one of those things." It sounds like Stark has been betrayed in the past, which would be in line with the comment about PTSD and if nothing else, Matt can assure him that the lies and the omissions aren't anything to do with him. "I still promise I'm not a spy or targeting you or whatever you might have initially thought."
Nodding, because Matt’s told him this before, Tony waits for the excuses. “You don’t owe me explanations. Whatever you’re doing that gets you that hurt— I get it.” He understands the reasoning behind it al least if not anything else.
Matt could be in a real life Fight Club. Maybe he competes at an underground bare knuckle boxing ring. Maybe he’s dabbling in doing vigilante work. Could be that he’s a serial killer that channels his bloodlust on bad guys who get away. Tony doesn’t know and it’s none of his business. Not even if it’s illegal.
Tony has done some really terrible stuff too.
“If you’re a spy, you’re at least a sexy one. And good at covering your tracks. I don’t know if I’d be disappointed if you ended up trying to honeypot me. I’d just have to give you credit for a good game played and see if we couldn’t work out a deal to keep us going before we had to fight each other. Tragic almost-love story. Tabloids would eat it up.”
"Here," he says, reaching for Tony's hand. He presses it over Matt's neck on his pulse point so he'll be able to feel his heart. "A deviation in my heartbeat would suggest a lie," he explains. Tony obviously can't hear it like Matt can but he's putting him in a position to feel it. "Close your eyes and focus on nothing but the sound of my voice and the feel of my pulse."
Cutting all of the other sensory stimuli is enough so Tony can pay close attention.
"I promise that I'm not trying to honeypot you or run a con on you of any kind. I got a fake number from an asshole and ended up getting something pretty good out of the deal. I'm not looking to fuck it up with the things I can't tell you. I am also not looking to fight you--and not just because I would kick your ass," he says with a smile. That part isn't a lie. "I'm just here because I like you a lot and I want to see where it goes. Nothing more, nothing less."
His heartbeat doesn't falter or change. For whatever it might be worth.
Steve Rogers can lie without a noticeable psychological change. But they’re not here to talk about Steve Fucking Rogers, are they? No. Tony keeps his eyes closed throughout. Matt can do amazing things, of course, and one of those things happens to be making him feel at ease. That shouldn’t have been possible with the way their last date had almost gone. Tony should have cut it off right there.
Matt had been convincing. And Tony didn’t want to cut it off. Two strikes against him there.
With his eyes still closed, Tony smiles. “You’d kick my ass unless I was in my armor,” Tony says. Just to be clear. Matt is a lot stronger than he is. He’s probably a better fighter too.
Tony really hopes he’s just doing real boxing and isn’t a serial killer now.
“Just don’t lie,” he presses. His eyebrows bunch up on his forehead and his voice sounds almost pinched. “Keep your secrets, but just don’t that.”
"I can't compete with armor, no. I did inherit my dad's right hook though," he answers with a smile. That part isn't a lie. What he uses it for is something that is better omitted from the conversation as a whole and he's learned quickly that he can't lie. He does wonder if there are going to ever be questions to things he can't answer and what a deflection will mean, but that's a bridge to be crossed later. Tony hasn't asked about the nature of his scars or his bruises. He just accepts that they are things that are there, or if he does wonder, he doesn't voice it.
"I won't. It's hard for me because a lot of my life is a lie because it's a constant hiding of what I can do," he explains with a shrug before leaning forward to press a kiss to Tony's forehead to indicate that he can open his eyes now. "You make me slip in my pretenses and my half truths. It's an impressive skill. I've been more honest with you than I have been with a lot of people."
This is not the time to have feelings. You can’t change people, though Tony himself has changed a great deal. He simply has not seen that capability in anyone. Not even himself. Liking Matt, fucking Matt, those things are fine. Anything else? He can’t have it. He can’t lose someone again the way he lost Pepper. He’d rather be alone.
Thats what he tells himself, at least, even as Matt is tender with him. “It’s not a superpower,” Tony says to cover up the way he clears his throat in discomfort for those intrusive thoughts.
“It’s how I’ve been successful.” Fifty percent brain power. Fifty percent ability to charm people. “But I’m pretty sure there’s a commandment in there about lying. So I hope you go to confession a lot.”
What? He did some cursory reading up on Catholicism.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Though one part of the remark does catch his attention. "Once it's safe. So you're treating yourself like a lab rat?" he asks with an arch of his brow. He's not sure he necessarily loves to hear that but he supposes he can understand the why of it.
When Tony takes his hands, he does his best to hide the brief spark of pain that comes from the broken bone there.
no subject
Tony pulls Matt’s hand up towards his face. “I’m not a medical doctor but you should have gone to the hospital. Something is moving around in there.”
He isn’t going to ask about it. He promised that he wouldn’t pry. But he can still care.
no subject
He knows what Tony is referring to and he faintly smiles. "Oh. Yeah, I felt that too. I don't know that there's really much to do with a broken knuckle like that. It all eventually heals. They just wrap it up and put ice on it. Boxer's knuckles, you know? It happens."
Except he said that it had been caused by a car door. He's distracted and not keeping his lies as straight as he might otherwise.
no subject
The lying bothers him. It bothers him more than being stabbed in the back by the people he cares about. Usually, that’s because it happens before the backstabbing commences.
“If you don’t want to answer something, just say it. If you don’t want to tell me something, don’t. But the lies are giving me some PTSD here.”
no subject
And he is. It's not that he enjoys lying. It just becomes a necessity because of the parts of his life that he can't share.
"There are just things I can't tell you. I promise that it has nothing to do with you. For whatever that might be worth. I think you're great and I'd tell you if I could but it's just…one of those things." It sounds like Stark has been betrayed in the past, which would be in line with the comment about PTSD and if nothing else, Matt can assure him that the lies and the omissions aren't anything to do with him. "I still promise I'm not a spy or targeting you or whatever you might have initially thought."
no subject
Matt could be in a real life Fight Club. Maybe he competes at an underground bare knuckle boxing ring. Maybe he’s dabbling in doing vigilante work. Could be that he’s a serial killer that channels his bloodlust on bad guys who get away. Tony doesn’t know and it’s none of his business. Not even if it’s illegal.
Tony has done some really terrible stuff too.
“If you’re a spy, you’re at least a sexy one. And good at covering your tracks. I don’t know if I’d be disappointed if you ended up trying to honeypot me. I’d just have to give you credit for a good game played and see if we couldn’t work out a deal to keep us going before we had to fight each other. Tragic almost-love story. Tabloids would eat it up.”
no subject
Cutting all of the other sensory stimuli is enough so Tony can pay close attention.
"I promise that I'm not trying to honeypot you or run a con on you of any kind. I got a fake number from an asshole and ended up getting something pretty good out of the deal. I'm not looking to fuck it up with the things I can't tell you. I am also not looking to fight you--and not just because I would kick your ass," he says with a smile. That part isn't a lie. "I'm just here because I like you a lot and I want to see where it goes. Nothing more, nothing less."
His heartbeat doesn't falter or change. For whatever it might be worth.
no subject
Matt had been convincing. And Tony didn’t want to cut it off. Two strikes against him there.
With his eyes still closed, Tony smiles. “You’d kick my ass unless I was in my armor,” Tony says. Just to be clear. Matt is a lot stronger than he is. He’s probably a better fighter too.
Tony really hopes he’s just doing real boxing and isn’t a serial killer now.
“Just don’t lie,” he presses. His eyebrows bunch up on his forehead and his voice sounds almost pinched. “Keep your secrets, but just don’t that.”
no subject
"I won't. It's hard for me because a lot of my life is a lie because it's a constant hiding of what I can do," he explains with a shrug before leaning forward to press a kiss to Tony's forehead to indicate that he can open his eyes now. "You make me slip in my pretenses and my half truths. It's an impressive skill. I've been more honest with you than I have been with a lot of people."
no subject
Thats what he tells himself, at least, even as Matt is tender with him. “It’s not a superpower,” Tony says to cover up the way he clears his throat in discomfort for those intrusive thoughts.
“It’s how I’ve been successful.” Fifty percent brain power. Fifty percent ability to charm people. “But I’m pretty sure there’s a commandment in there about lying. So I hope you go to confession a lot.”
What? He did some cursory reading up on Catholicism.