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WHO: Herbert West and Tony Stark
TONE: Awkward and goofy and confusing
RATING: PG-13, probably
WHEN: 10th
WHERE: Library
WHAT: Tony's love potion dose gets him fixated on a very unlikely target.
STATUS: Ongoing

Herbert barely noticed the two boys sitting at the next table over in the library. He was too busy composing a treatise on how physical fitness positively affected mental prowess (a new revelation to him, but one only had to look at the perfection that was Odinson to know it made the most sense), sucking on the end of his quill between bursts of furious writing. Anyway, it was only Rogers and Stark, and weirdly enough, a lot of his irritation at Stark lately seemed to have disappeared once he'd gotten a good look at the husky blond boy and ... well. That was probably not an appropriate thought to have in a library.

The small boy smiled to himself as he made another note, this time concerning human pheromones and their genetic advantages.

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"How about you've never once pandered to me, you've always been quick to give your opinion on anything and everything I do. And you actually look really adorable when you sleep."

He can see Herbert getting upset and really wants him to believe that he does care about him.

"Yes, and all those things could be said of Holmes, too- " Herbert starts, before he realizes all that Tony's said. It pulls him up short, and he looks up at the younger boy, startled and disarmed all over again.

"I'm not adorable," he protests faintly after a moment, color returning to his cheeks embarrassingly. "I'm not a damn kitten. Since when are you watching me when I sleep?"

"Sherlock does that to everyone, he doesn't ever count. And uh, really? I only sleep maybe 5 hours a night these days. I go to bed later than you and I'm generally awake before you. I've seen everyone in the room sleep. And I don't think kittens are adorable."

He slowly starts to grin charmingly again.

"I draw the curtains!" Herbert protests, though he doesn't, or at least not every time, and especially not when he's fallen asleep across his books. "Anyway, I think that's odd, you looking at me when I'm sleeping."

He sniffs and raises his chin in that haughty way he has when he thinks someone is being ridiculous, but whatever Tony's done is doing the trick - he's going back into normal I'm-better-than-the-lot-of-you mode instead of displaying the more unusual and slightly disturbing injured and bitter side of his personality.

"Except when you don't, and you're surrounded in books with your glasses slipping."

Tony smiles a little, because really it is a very sweet look for Herbert. To be honest, Tony would even vaguely admit to that when there was no potion involved. His smile widens when he notices Herbert's no longer looking affronted.

Herbert doesn't even know what to say to that, so he just goes even redder, and then turns to grab up his journal and stick it in his bag. This is so, so far outside his realm of normal experience. "I've got to go, I don't want to listen to this any more."

"Go?"

Tony raises his eyebrows as the rest of his face falls. Why was Herbert wanting to leave?

"Is what I'm saying really that god awful to hear?"

"It's stupid! It's stupid and fake," Herbert says, sniffing, shoulders hunching in. "And what am I supposed to say to it? I'm not some girl that's going to get all swoony just because you make eyes at me, Stark!"

"Maybe I don't want you swooning. Ever think of that?"

He licks his teeth as he shifts his footing. Huffing at him as he crosses his arms.

"Then what is it you want, exactly?" Herbert asks, looking aggrieved.

Tony replies with a completely straight face.

"You."

"Yes, but what do you want from me, since you can't just ... I don't know, own me, or whatever it is you seem to be trying for," Herbert counters in frustration.

"Well for starters. Kissing you more would be great."

He takes a quietly optimistic step forward.

"God! Look, even if I was going to kiss you, I certainly wouldn't do it here, in front of everyone in the library!" Herbert hisses. "Some of us are not enormous exhibitionists, thanks!"

"Well, I did suggest behind the one-eyed witch statue. No one looks back there."

Tony tilts his head in a manner to look endearing. Something he learnt quick while being around socialites and reports for attention.

Instead of endearing him to Herbert, though, the look just makes him blow out a breath between pursed lips, exasperated. Yes, all right, Tony is very good looking, but that seems so practiced, so coy, nothing at all like Thor's unfeigned enthusiasm and interest in things. But still.

Pinching the bridge of his nose under his glasses, unable to believe he's really going to do this, he says, "If I let you kiss me back there, will you leave me alone after that?"

His grin grows bigger.

"Well for a little while at least, yeah. So, we're going then?"

Tony tries to keep his excitement down, but hey, he gets to kiss Herbert again, and without people looking he might even be a really fun guy to kiss.

"Five minutes," Herbert snapped, shoving his books into his bag. "Five minutes, and then you leave off and let me alone."

Tony slips his hands into his pockets and rocks back and forth on his heels a few times.

"Agreed, ready to go? Because I am."

Herbert doesn't answer, just sweeps past Tony to head out of the library, and to find the one-eyed witch. Five minutes and he can be done with this whole farce, and go back to composing his epic treatise on the virtues of one Thor Odinson.

God, he hopes Tony's crap at it.

Tony heads out beside him, with a very pleased look on his face, like the puppy who has learnt to get into the kibble bucket.

They walk for a little while, before Tony yanks him behind the one-eyed witch statue, putting him up against the wall and grins at him.

"Well, hi."

"If you say 'Fancy meeting you here', I'm going to kick you," Herbert said frostily, glaring up at Tony, not liking the way he was boxed in. "Now get it over with."

"Actually, I was just going to say 'Your lips look lonely. Would they like to meet mine?'. But then, that's kind of cheesy"

And with that he leans into him a little and kisses him again.

The kisses catches him mid-protest, but he doesn't freeze this time - he's expecting it at least. He doesn't kiss back, though, either, at least not at first. He's determined to remain aloof from this whole process, though that's probably going to prove really difficult to stick to, if not impossible.

He moves in a little closer, his tongue flicking out to tease against his lips.