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Tom walks around the vehicle and opens the door, holding out a hand for his date to take. The novelty of a date hasn't yet worn off even after the last few months of living together. Ryland takes his hand allowing Tom to escort him as the driver pulls away. Tom can tell Ryland is jittery and nervous. Ryland's other hand is up by his sternum fidgeting with the collar of his jacket.
He gives Ryland's hand a reassuring squeeze before turning to him, “Don't worry, Ry,” Tom steps in closer. “Just follow my lead. You'll do great. You can let me do all the talking.”
Ryland nods, “You're sure about this? Being seen with me at..?” he tapers off and gestures vaguely around with his available hand.
It’s a film premiere. Red carpet and everything. For a sci-fi fantasy thriller that Tom had taken a supporting role in. One of his few films with no involvement from Gail. Ryland had been able to offer consulting remotely for the film while maintaining his career as a teacher. It's also one of the few times his role hadn't required anything extensive for stunts, leaving Colt out of the picture. Tom found Ryland's advice invaluable for his role as a lab scientist, even picking up some of his mannerisms for the role. All that work had resulted in them both being invited to the premiere. No plus ones required.
“Ryland. You look great,” Tom smirks. “The second most gorgeous man here.”
In Tom's actual opinion Ryland is THE most gorgeous man here. All the same, an attempt at lightening the mood feels more appropriate. He had helped Ryland find and pick an outfit. A striped charcoal sport coat with matching dress pants and a maroon button up with a matching pattern. The top couple buttons are left open exposing Ryland's clavicle. Tom's gaze pauses there for a moment. Maybe if all goes well he'll get to expose a little more than that later tonight at their hotel.
“I suppose that makes you the most gorgeous man here, then,” Ryland quips, pulling Tom from his less than innocent thoughts. He has an eye brow raised just slightly.
“Of course it does, sweetheart,” He lets go of Ryland's hand in favor of placing it on the small of Ryland's back. He had chosen his own outfit to compliment Ryland's. Black pants, a silky button up and a burgundy velvet jacket. He had accessorized a bit more with a couple necklaces and a few rings but nothing too crazy. He's not dressed to the nines by any means. As a supporting role, he sees no reason to outshine the main cast. People will notice him regardless.
He starts guiding Ryland with him down the red carpet. They pause briefly at a step and repeat backdrop for a couple shots. Tom answers some questions. There are the basics like asking about his character or what he's hoping to see from the audience reaction. If it's noisy for Tom it must be overwhelming for Ryland. He decides to allow a couple more questions.
“You two have been seeing each other for a while now, but we barely know anything about you, Ryland. Can you give us a fun fact to share?” It's an innocent enough question. Tom glances at Ryland to see if there's any indication that he is specifically uncomfortable about the question. It seems more like he's unsure how to answer such a broad question. Tom leans in to whisper into his ear.
“It doesn't need to be complicated or even deeply personal,” he advises.
That seems to help as Ryland brings up his love for a foggy day at the beach. The journalist nods enthusiastically before turning to Tom.
“And what do you think of Stark Industries sudden involvement with sponsoring films such as this one?” She asks.
Tom can't say what he actually thinks. That it's a PR stunt to garner goodwill. A bit of fluff to cover up for the many ways in which Tony Stark and by proxy Stark Industries have failed in recent years. The shady weapons dealings, followed later by a slew of incidents involving Iron Man all leading up to the destruction that took place in New York. He knows Iron Man isn’t solely to blame and in fact many consider him a hero just like with the rest of that superheroing gang. There's just as many that feel the opposite however. That's where using Iron Man as a mascot and a bit of superfluous PR like sponsoring a movie, in exchange for some product placement, comes in.
His answer is just as benign, “I think it's great to see such a well-known titan of industry take an interest in the arts by sponsoring films like ours.”
Tom is about to bid the journalist a farewell when the devil himself makes his entrance. The sound of repulsors slowly shutting down as he lands pulls plenty of attention. It matters little to Tom as he steers Ryland away and inside. Tom certainly doesn't feel any amount of jealousy as Ryland's attention lingers in the direction of Tony Stark. He knows it's more about the exterior mechanical suit than the man within. Ryland stumbles. Tom steadies him with a chuckle. It forces Ryland to return his attention back to Tom with a flush on his face as they make their way inside the large theatre.
The premiere went well. The producer, director and a few of the lead cast do some introductions and short speeches. The film follows. People clap and cheer and laugh. Overall it seems reception is positive. There’s a few closing statements from the producer and director after the credits finish out. Tom and Ryland hang back for the theatre space to clear out a little. After a bit they make their way out to go to the after-party.
It’s a short ride to the venue, a large ballroom space that has been decorated to correspond with the film. It’s dimly lit with accent lighting in reds, purples and ambers. Several of their fellow cast and crew are already here, mingling in small groups. Ryland quickly finds a familiar face and waves. He looks over at Tom briefly to check in.
“Go on, I’ll get you a drink,” Tom watches as Ryland bounds away, before turning toward the open bar. One of the producers, John Tull, is over there chatting it up. Tom plans to make an appearance and have a quick chat. A little networking here could definitely be worthwhile. Gail has done wonders for his career, but he needs to branch out a bit if he doesn’t want to stagnate.
Tom approaches, extending his hand for a shake. The producer is having none of that instead pulling him in for a sideways hug. Friendly. Friendly is good. It makes it easier. He’ll just have a brief conversation before getting drinks for himself and Ryland. It can't possibly take that long.
Ryland joins a small group of his fellow crew members. Some he knows better than others, but they have all been more than accepting of him. Even now not a single one bats an eye as he joins them. The one he is closest with both physically and emotionally, Gabi, slides over slightly to make space for him to join their circle. The conversation starts off with the film they just premiered. A lot of stress has been relieved by getting to this point and getting a good reaction from the audience. Ryland feels the same. As they transition into talking about future plans, Ryland peers over his shoulder. Tom should’ve been back by now. Oh he’s talking with Tull. Okay nevermind that makes sense. He’s going to be stuck there for a while. No big deal. The group around him starts to dwindle as they see other people across the party or arriving. Soon it's just him and Gabi, but he can tell Gabi is just sticking around out of courtesy. Ryland pretends to see someone else to talk to, giving her an out. He’s about to walk away when the void she left is filled. He turns back surprised to find Tony Stark standing in his vicinity.
“Dr. Grace,” Stark greets with a quirk of his eyebrow. It’s odd enough hearing the title without thinking about who is saying it.
“Ryland, please,” he corrects. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Dr. Stark.”
“You can call me Tony, here,” he holds out a hand, in which is a short tumbler, offering Ryland a drink. He isn’t entirely sure what it is, could be any of the dark liquors. None of which are his favorite, but he isn’t about to turn it down. Ryland takes it with a thank you. “I could hardly resist finding the second smartest person in this room, now could I?”
“That must make you the…first?” Ryland ends the phrase feeling slightly out of sorts. This feels familiar. The realization that this is eerily similar to how Tom sometimes flirts and banters with him fills him with uncertainty and confusion. There’s no way right? There is no way that Tony Stark could be hitting on him. It’s just a joke, nothing more.
Ryland takes a sip to give himself a moment of breathing room. The burn in his throat tells him it's definitely whiskey. He winces a bit. He feels a hand on his shoulder. It pulls his focus away from the spiral in his head and the burn in his throat. Before he even has time to think about it his feet are moving. Tony steering.
“Uh, where are we going?” Ryland asks apprehensively.
“Not far, don’t worry, just somewhere a little less crowded,” Tony gestures off toward a more secluded corner of the venue. It's definitely less crowded. “I want to pick your brain about a few things. Maybe I’ll let you do the same, hmm?”
Ryland feels conflicted. He takes one last glance at where Tom is still wrapped up now including the director. It’ll be fine. Tony just wants to “pick his brain.” Ryland also can’t help himself. That Iron Man suit is an engineering and scientific marvel. The opportunity to ask questions about it isn’t something he should squander. Maybe Tony’s threshold for friendly interaction is higher than his own. Ryland doesn’t need to be making any more poor impressions in the scientific community.
They exchange questions and theories. Some banter. It’s nerve-wracking at first before they get a flow going. They even argue a little. Tony looks amused. Smirking at him. One drink turns into two when a staff member comes around with a tray. Ryland feels himself loosen up. He doesn’t know if he should attribute it to his anxiety settling or to the alcohol in his system. The conversation shifts to something a little more personal but not invasive. Ryland is talking about his class when he feels Tony’s hand drift upward to the crook of his neck. A thumb brushes over his collar bone. His mind blanks for a moment.
“Wh-what are you doing?” Ryland stutters, unease slams into him full force. He clearly missed or ignored some queues on the way here. He had suspected a bit, but had pushed aside those instincts. Unfortunately poor judgement on his part.
The hand by his neck pulls him forward and down slightly. Tony leans in close, right by his ear, “You wanna get out of here?”
“I…uh I’m not really interested,” Ryland takes half a step back. His face feels hot. He knows he is blushing. He places his own hand on Tony’s chest to the left of his sternum. Carefully avoiding the arc reactor in his chest. He gives a gentle shove. It does little to provide distance. Tony is quite strong outside of the suit. That and Ryland is not trying to create a scene. His stomach feels like it's flip-flopping. “I have a boyfriend.”
“Oh the movie star,” Tony dismisses. He stays well within Ryland’s space, allowing him to keep his voice low. “That’s quite the excuse you’ve given, sweetheart. He might be a bigger playboy than me.”
Ryland really doesn’t appreciate where this is going. Or the use of Tom’s chosen petname for Ryland. He feels the embers of something angry growing inside him. When it comes to defending himself he’s lost a lot of his bite. Tom’s honor on the other hand is a whole different issue.
“It’s not an excuse,” Ryland asserts.
“Doesn’t add up. At least not seriously,” Tony smirks. "Didn’t peg you for the type to go for someone like that.”
“Someone like what, exactly?” Ryland narrows his eyes.
“Arrogant, self-centered, two-timing, asshole,” Tony lists flippantly.
“Sounds like you might be describing yourself,” He pushes Tony’s hand off his right shoulder with his opposite hand.
Tony holds his hands up in a shrug, “At least I have the brain to back it up, Not like that imbecile.”
That’s about all Ryland needs to hear. No one insults Tom like that and gets away with it, except maybe Colt. Maybe. Colt still gets an earful from him when he does it. Tony doesn’t get the same leeway. He doesn’t even fully realize what he’s about to do before it's happening.
By the time Tom finally gets away he decides to ignore getting drinks and see if he can locate Ryland first. He isn’t where he left him or anywhere close by. That’s fine, Ryland is an adult. He can handle himself. Tom keeps his head on a swivel anyway as he wanders through and around groups of people. He reciprocates some greetings as he goes.
He freezes in his tracks when he spots Ryland from a fairly large distance with a very unwelcome companion. Ryland doesn’t seem to be paying much attention to anything else. He doesn’t even notice Tom approaching. Tony Stark has his hands on Ryland, that’s all Tom needs to see. The lean in and whisper into Ryland’s ear makes Tom see red. He can tell easily that Ryland is stunned and uncomfortable even at this range. He starts to b-line it over.
Tom finds himself standing about 8 feet away when Ryland, looking irritated, slaps Stark fully on the face. Tom's worries about retaliation die quickly. Stark looks surprised but also amused. Maybe even a little giddy. Tom closes the distance. He places himself between Stark and Ryland, shoving Ryland carefully back a little. He glares at Stark before gently grabbing Ryland’s hand. Turning slightly, he can see the panic that has taken hold of Ryland's features, replacing any bit of anger or disgust. The realization of what he had just done seems to have shocked even himself. Tom tries to pull him out of it by giving his hand a squeeze. That seems to have Ryland coming back to the present.
They can talk about whatever happened here later. They already lucked out that it seems like no one else noticed the exchange. If they did they are at least being courteous enough to stay out of it. He gives one more disparaging look to Stark. Stark for his part doesn’t even look angry or upset. He’s smirking. Like this is all fun and games for him. It’s almost enough to make Tom reconsider leaving without a fight. He meets Ryland’s gaze and gives a small tug to his arm. Ryland follows beside him as he makes for the exit.
"Maybe next time, Dr. Grace," He hears Tony call behind them. It's extremely tempting to turn around and give Stark a piece of his mind. And maybe a bit more than that. The way Ryland jumps at the unwanted farewell keeps him from doing so. Ryland's wellbeing outweighs his pride any day.
“You okay?” Tom asks gently.
“Yeah, yeah. Can we talk about this at the hotel?” Ryland takes a deep breath. Tom can tell by the little bit of a glossy look to his eyes that he’s stressed out and overwhelmed. Possibly frustrated as well.
“Of course,” he escorts Ryland away to their hotel. They had planned well enough ahead to have their hotel within walking distance.
15 minutes later they both enter their hotel room. Tom waits to see if he’ll have to prompt Ryland for answers. Turns out that won’t be needed. Ryland toes off his shoes and shucks off his jacket, draping it over the back of a chair. Tom follows suit.
Ryland takes a seat at the foot of the bed. He rubs his hands up under his glasses to his eyes with a frustrated sigh, “I didn’t even really think he was hitting on me till he grabbed me. Or I did, but I didn’t want to believe it? I’m not sure it’s all a jumbled mess.”
“Is that why you slapped him? ‘cause he was hitting on you?” Tom takes a seat next to him. He eyes the spot where he had noticed Stark's hand. It wasn’t anything extreme, obviously. Tom still wants to lay claim to the spot anyway. Erase that man’s touch. For now he just reaches over and runs a hand through Ryland’s hair.
“No. It was annoying and he was a bit pushy, but that’s not why,” Ryland leans into the hand in his hair. He’s fiddling with his fingers in his lap. “He insulted you.”
Tom pauses for a moment. That’s unexpected. Shocking even. He didn’t think he could possibly love this man any more than he did. Hearing that Ryland had acted in such a way on his behalf makes Tom’s heart flutter in his chest. He brings a hand up to cup Ryland’s face turning it slightly to face him.
“I don’t think I can even remember the last time someone did something like that for me,” Tom admits. “You really are amazing, sweetheart”
“You deserve so much more than that,” Ryland responds, meeting his eyes. He reaches a hand up to the nape of Tom’s neck.
It's unclear who pulls who in first or if somehow they did it together. Their lips meet briefly. It's short and simple. Ryland pulls away before scooting further up the bed and pulling Tom up with him. Tom kisses a bit more aggressively from above him. He bites Ryland’s lip as he feels the buttons of his shirt being undone. Ryland parts his lips allowing Tom to explore. He reaches one hand up and under Ryland’s shirt, keeping the other for balance. Ryland finishes off the last button on his shirt as he starts to peel it back down Tom’s shoulders, Tom pulls away to help remove it. He reaches down, taking off Ryland’s glasses and placing them on the nightstand. He feels goosebumps begin to form as Ryland runs his fingers down his side. Tom lets himself be pulled back in but chooses instead to go for the very collarbones he was staring at earlier. The very one that Stark had dared touch. He kisses gently then bites and sucks on the skin there a little. He leaves a red mark there then on the other. He goes for the buttons on Ryland’s shirt. Turns out he’s going to get exactly what he was hoping for from the start of the night.