sortinghat_logs | Friends are the roses of life;

Entry tags:

Friends are the roses of life;

WHO: Arthur Kirkland and Tony Stark
TONE: General - Introspection, probably snark, possible mild angst
RATING: G
WHEN: September 5th, night
WHERE: Slytherin common room
WHAT: Arthur wakes up after a nightmare, and finds Tony sitting up in the common room. Talking ensues.
STATUS: Ongoing

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Arthur woke up with a start and a choked off gasp, the kind that only someone well practised in holding in the first yelp after a nightmare can make. He breathed out slowly, rather glad to find that Eriq was, for once, sound asleep and not watching him, and when it became quite clear after a few minutes that he wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep, he shoved the covers back and got up, pulling on his dressing gown and quietly leaving the dorm room with a book in his hand.

The Slytherin dorms always had a strange chill and it was more noticeable at night. He was wishing he'd put on some socks as he padded near-silently up to the common room, intent on curling up next to the fire until he felt like he could sleep again. It was with no small amount of surprise that he realised he wasn't alone.

".. Stark? What are you doing up?"

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Tony sat in the middle of a large couch, cross legged with a large text and a note book in his lap. Wearing only a black plan t-shirt and jeans, clearly he hadn't even been to bed. He doesn't look up from the tome in his lap, his voice sounding distant. The reply was clearly not getting a large amount of his attention.

"I thought I would recreate the Mona Lisa using only kiwi fruit and an oxy acetylene touch. What do you think so far?"

He looks up at him. Clearly not doing what he claimed, then gave a quick glance to his watch.

"I'm not tired, why else would I be up?"

Edited 2012-09-05 16:44 (UTC)

"There might be any number of reasons." Arthur rubbed the heel of his hand against one of his eyes and glanced back over his shoulder. Lying in the dark waiting to go back to sleep, or sitting in here with Tony. Decisions, decisions..

He decided on the latter and moved into the room, closer to the fire. Having not thought anyone would be up, he'd made no attempt to make himself presentable and the only word to describe his hair would be 'wild', and he pushed one hand through it as he perched on the edge of a chair. Arthur blinked a few times, tiredly, before sliding back and drawing his knees up to his chest.

"I'm not sure I've seen you sleep this week, unless you happen to be a particularly early riser."

"For others maybe. I'm just not tired."

As Arthur shuffles into the room, Tony returns to the book. He flips through a page and then takes notes.

"I am an early riser, I only sleep maybe four hours a night... If I remember."

He doesn't take his eyes off what he's writing, keeping a tight focus on his pens movement.

He wrapped both arms around his legs and hugged them close to his chest, resting his chin on his knees as he watched the other boy from under an unruly mess of blond hair.

"Sounds taxing," he mumbled, his gaze straying to the movement of the pen. "... What're you reading? Or.. writing. Whatever. Both."

Eloquence failed under such conditions. He rubbed his eyes again.

"I've always been like this. It's really not a big deal."

He looks up and over at Arthur, as if actually looking at him properly for the first time tonight.

"Guide to Advanced Transfiguration. Nice dressing gown and jammies, how are you not on a runway in Milan?"

"I wouldn't want to make all the other models jealous with my figure. You know how it is."

He shrugged, met Tony's eyes for a moment, then looked over at the fire.

"They're David's. Well, they were David's. I suppose they're mine now."

"Well, sure. That just has to be the reason."

Tony watches him for a moment.

"Please tell me David is a brother, and this isn't some kind of creepy lost love thing. Because if it is I'm going to charm Bruce's clothes so he can't take them off outside our dorm room."

Tony, getting the feeling that talking is going to continue closes the book with the notebook inside.

Arthur snorted quietly. "Yes, David is a brother. I have three, he's the eldest."

And the only one of them who hadn't been in Slytherin, much to Arthur's personal displeasure. David wouldn't have fit in here, but it would have been nice to have him around.

"... You know, you can tell me to shut up if I'm bothering you."

"Still kind of creepy, but in a different way."

Tony drops the book down beside him and gets more comfortable in the couch.

"When you're bother, believe me. I'll let you know"

"I'm not seeing how hand-me-downs are creepy, but whatever you say."

He wasn't really in any mood to argue it, too tired, still too riled up by the bad dream he'd had and he shrugged, uncurling slightly to lean back.

"Ah, that's good to know. I would so hate to interrupt your creative processes."

"Well a shirt and jeans that's not so bad, but pajamas? Well, the question I should be asking is; do you wear underwear to bed? Did your brother?"

Tony watches Arthur lazily.

"What creative process? I'm reading a semester ahead."

"Do you not wash your clothes, Stark? As for whether or not I wear underwear, I don't think that's something you really want to know."

He snorted quietly, and spent a few moments making himself more comfortable on the chair.

"Ah.. I suppose I could benefit from reading ahead in Transfiguration."

"Just saying, there's a reason you don't find underwear in thrift stores. And you wash them like you wash pajamas. But hey, if you're comfortable with it, it's not like I can judge you for it or anything.

And technically no. I have people who do wash them, though."

Tony then looks a little curious.

"Aren't finding it all that easy?"

"Hmn."

He'd make no further comment on Tony's lifestyle - because really, he didn't care how much money the guy had - and the question had him clearing his throat and looking far too awkward. Well.

"You might say that."

"Well, what are you having trouble with. I could help?"

Tony stretches himself out on the couch.

"Oh, you know, turning one thing into another thing."

So, basically, the whole subject. He'd only barely managed to pass his O.W.L. in the subject and had almost put everything else in jeopardy with how much he'd concentrated on it.

"Oh, so just the whole topic. Anyone else, it would be hard to teach. Luckily, I'm not anyone else."

He sits up a bit, looking interested.

"You've got the basics down, right?"

"Of course. Passed my O.W.L. and everything. Just about."

It was frustrating, if he was entirely honest, and the only subject he couldn't seem to get a proper grasp on.

"My wand has a teapot fixation. Shinra's sure it's a psychological problem. Personally, I think the sodding piece of wood is fucking with me."

"Or, you're just mispronouncing something or not thinking straight when you do it. It's not like charms where you just need diction and a good wrist flick. You've got to be able to focus on what you're doing."

Tony shrugs a little

"Don't you think I've thought of those things, Stark? I'm not just going to blame something like this on the wand if I'm sure it's a problem with my concentration."

The wand had really been the last resort of blame.

"I can focus fine, but seven times out of ten what I want to happen just doesn't."

"Huh."

Tony sits there and muses.

"That's actually interesting. If you want during a free period we can work on it together if you want. Because I want to see that and well. I don't know how eager you are to practice in you're jimjams"

"... Are you actually offering to help me, or do you just want to be able to find some amusement in my fucking up?"

Or both. Arthur had a feeling it might have been both.

"Well. Both. I mean, how can I help you with your problem if I don't know where you're going wrong?"

Tony doesn't look like he's taking the mickey, because he really isn't for a change.

"I suppose you have a point."

He looked suspicious for another few moments, then he nodded shortly.

"Alright. I'll take you up on it."

"Just name a time and date. And I'll be there"

Tony cuts off quickly and thinks for a moment.

"Actually, tell Bruce. He doesn't lose track of time"

He scratches the back of his head for a moment.

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