[trek-verse]

[myheartglows]

Most of Starfleet's weaponry are supplied by a single company -- or, really, if they're honest with themselves, a single guy, so it stands to reason that when Tony Stark needs an escort, he gets an entire ship dedicated to his safe arrival on whatever planet.

So they're there at some docking station and exchanging pleasantries and conditions, and Tony Stark is behind a few bodyguards as the Captain, Jim Kirk, works out any remaining kinks or concerns with Tony's keeper, a Colonel James Rhodes. Rhodes's concerns, it turns out, are mostly warnings for Kirk's benefit, as the Colonel takes him aside with conspiratorial whispers like "You don't let him distract you," and "He's got a way about things, don't fall for it."

It's not until after the bustling of crates to be delivered (weaponry, for a demonstration) and Tony's personal belongings for the trip, men and women in grey Stark Industries uniforms coordinating with the golds and reds and blues of Starfleet officers, that the man himself, wearing a high collared suit that spoke of money and importance buttoned over his left breast, approaches the captain of the Enterprise with a smooth smile, one right out of any new hologram and pictures past and says to him, "Careful, I'm precious cargo," while offering a handshake.

Comments

[original_fine]

Jim Kirk offers his hand, but one eyebrow is slightly raised. "Every being on this ship is," he says. He doesn't mean to be rude, exactly, but Tony Stark has held them up already with his theatrics. And yes, it's his current mission to get the man and his supplies where he's going, but it's not his only mission, and frankly, almost all of them are more important to Jim than ferrying a would-be capitalist around on the Federation's flagship. You'd think he was royalty, Jim thinks wryly to himself. And, all right, the man's a genius. There's no denying that. As well as handsome, if trying to hold onto boyhood as long as possible. Jim, youngest captain in Starfleet's history, can't quite relate to that. He's had to prove himself mature enough for the post time and again.

If there are few left with any connection to regular media outlets who haven't heard of James T. Kirk, there's no one who hasn't heard of Tony Stark. This is the first time Jim's met him, but it's not the first time he's met someone important. In addition to his more physically demanding duties as captain of the Enterprise, Jim is forced into diplomatic duty more often than he'd like. Stark doesn't intimidate him. Jim's met Spock's father, after all. No, this is just another milk run, a spoiled kid playing out the sort of privilege that went out centuries ago, but crops up from time to time when merit and heritage combine to allow it.

It's narrowly possible Jim's benefited from something similar, if to a lesser degree.

"I trust you'll find your quarters to your liking. For a vessel primarily engaged in exploration, that is. I'm afraid we're not equipped as a pleasure cruiser."

[myheartglows]

"Don't worry, I'll bring all the pleasure with me," Tony counters, his handshake firm on the Captain's, but when they release it, Tony's hand doesn't quite open all the way, choosing instead to linger and brush across the skin. The touch happens for only a brief, unnoticeable second, the sort of touch that has become ingrained into him, thoughtless yet leading. As soon as it happens, though, it's gone, and Tony's already leaning toward Rhodey. "You sure you don't want to come, honey bear?" and it dissolves into a fast-paced argument, Tony running over Rhodey's words with his own, all "I got duties, Tony," and "I thought you idolized our dear Captain here?" and "Shut up. Right now."

The movers finish piling the cargo in, the suitcases (some hard-cased and burdensome, storing technology instead of everyday necessities: it's quite known that Tony doesn't travel without his A.I.) into Tony's assigned quarters, and they send the signal that things are a go. Tony claps his hands together and talks about getting on the space-road and steps up the boarding ramp as directed, but before Kirk can follow, Rhodey grabs his arm and looks at him in the eyes, officer to officer.

"Take care of him," he says, like the great Tony Stark ever needs taking care of, or ever allows anyone to. Tony, oblivious at the top of the ramp, turns to them and lowers his shaded visors expectantly.

because a month is a totally reasonable time to wait :|

[original_fine]

Sunglasses are very rarely necessary in space. They're an affectation, as, Jim suspects, much of Stark is. He would blame the guy's upbringing, but he's at least Jim's age if not older. At some point, people have to grow up. Even if they're heads of multi-planetary corporations. Especially then.

But then Rhodes takes Jim's arm, and Jim leaves off speculation to give him his full attention. He's well aware of the colonel's record, of course, and respects it. And him. So while he's never understood whatever it is between Stark and Rhodes, in the other man's eyes he can see that for him, at least, Stark is something more than playboy genius.

Jim does not think Stark needs anyone taking care of him. Or at least, not in the way Rhodes probably means. But he respects the sentiment, and he nods.

"That's my job, Colonel Rhodes," he says. "It's a routine mission. And he's got the best ship in the fleet."

It's a waste, but since it has to happen, Rhodes might as well gain some comfort from the fact. "You sure you don't want to come?" he asks with a little smile, knowing the answer is no but unable to resist fantasizing a moment about Stark being kept distracted.

god, kris, how dare you make someone wait a month, that's atrocious

[myheartglows]

Rhodes pursed his mouth so tight a thin pale line appeared in his dark mouth, eyes peering over Jim's shoulder and up at the towering expanse of the Enterprise. Then, he shook his head. "Not all of us get the privilege of regular space travel, Captain," he said sincerely, and up on the ramp Tony's voice drifted down to them: "Is he mother-henning me? Tell him to stop."