[The lack of helmet, unfortunately, doesn't really help. It reminds Tony that it's Gene inside the armor, not some faceless nemesis, but... it reminds him that it's Gene inside the armor.
Without the helmet, there's no way to avoid the painful truth that Gene and the Mandarin are one and the same. Sometimes Tony can maintain a little mental separation, however artificial, between them, and that makes Gene's betrayal a little easier to live with. Seeing him in the armor without the helmet eliminates that comforting barrier.
Tony's glad he's in his own suit again, because it disguises his sudden discomfort. He doesn't say anything. He knows Gene was trying to be considerate, and Tony doesn't want to discourage him.
There's a blinding flash of light, and when it fades, they're in front of Tony's suite. It's disorienting, and a little unpleasant. But:] Yeah, [Tony admits. It certainly is faster.
There's a few seconds of silence.] Do you... want to come in...? [Tony offers uncertainly.] I could make some hot chocolate...? [(It's not really hot chocolate, but it is a surprisingly acceptable approximation.)
Wow. This is so, so awkward. It's like the end of a first date, except they're both in power armor and they're each others' super-arch-nemeses, and they just had an intense heart-to-heart in the middle of the jungle on an alien planet in a foreign dimension.
...So, not at all like a first date, really. Except in the awkwardness.]
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Without the helmet, there's no way to avoid the painful truth that Gene and the Mandarin are one and the same. Sometimes Tony can maintain a little mental separation, however artificial, between them, and that makes Gene's betrayal a little easier to live with. Seeing him in the armor without the helmet eliminates that comforting barrier.
Tony's glad he's in his own suit again, because it disguises his sudden discomfort. He doesn't say anything. He knows Gene was trying to be considerate, and Tony doesn't want to discourage him.
There's a blinding flash of light, and when it fades, they're in front of Tony's suite. It's disorienting, and a little unpleasant. But:] Yeah, [Tony admits. It certainly is faster.
There's a few seconds of silence.] Do you... want to come in...? [Tony offers uncertainly.] I could make some hot chocolate...? [(It's not really hot chocolate, but it is a surprisingly acceptable approximation.)
Wow. This is so, so awkward. It's like the end of a first date, except they're both in power armor and they're each others' super-arch-nemeses, and they just had an intense heart-to-heart in the middle of the jungle on an alien planet in a foreign dimension.
...So, not at all like a first date, really. Except in the awkwardness.]