Working Off A Debt [CLOSED]

[highprofilerichkid]

Characters: Tony Stark and Raine Sage
Date: 10 February
Location: The Healer's Guild
Situation: In return for seeing his future back home, Tony has promised Milyn that he will help out Raine at the Healer's Guild.
Warnings/Rating: None yet.



It's been almost a week since Tony went with Gene to see Milyn, and now that he's mostly? kind of? got himself sorted out, he's holding up his end of the bargain and going to offer his services to Raine.

He decides to go see her at work, rather than knocking on her door and risking another encounter with Solomon. But he hasn't been to the Healer's Guild before, so when he gets there, he's not sure where to actually find her.

He homes in on the first official-ish-looking person he sees. "Hey, I'm looking for Raine. Is she around?"

Comments

[highprofilerichkid]

"No," says Tony, too quickly. "We'd probably both just be happier if we didn't. Do that. Run into each other unexpectedly, I mean, yeah."

It's very obvious he's avoiding eye contact with Raine. Wow, those ducts sure are fascinating! It's definitely time to change the subject! "Do you know what the building's average monthly power and water usage are?"

[ruinsprofessor]

Tony. Tony, she may be a little rusty about dealing with teenage bullshit but she sure knows what it sounds like. "Remember that I can simply return home and ask Solomon if there's likely to be a problem," Raine points out. Not necessarily why, because that may not be entirely her business, but certainly if. There's also the implication that Solomon's account will probably be less favorable to Tony. "Ensuring the two of you never meet sounds right now like more trouble than it's worth simply to avoid some discomfort, but if you have some reason to believe the results would be genuinely bad..."

She shakes her head at him. A more transparent dodge she's rarely seen. "I don't have those figures to hand, no, but I can give you what data I do have and you should be able to extrapolate from there."

[highprofilerichkid]

"Please don't," Tony says - and it's very nearly pleading. He knows he screwed up that last conversation with Solomon, but he doesn't want Raine to think any worse of him than she already does. "It's nothing. It won't be a problem."

And he makes a promise to himself that it won't be. He won't let Solomon get under his skin again. He's here to do a job, and he'll act like a professional, no matter how unbearable Raine's boyfriend decides to be.

[ruinsprofessor]

Raine gives him a long, level look. She wants now very much to know what happened to inspire that tone of voice, but-- he did say please. As long as it doesn't become an actual problem that she later has to deal with, though perhaps unfortunately for Tony her definition of a problem she has to deal with does cover some of Solomon's problems, as well.

"All right," she says at length. "I won't press the issue." A beat, then, "I trust you, Tony."

Which is only a little bit of a guilt trip. It's true, though, and while she maybe wouldn't trust him with her deepest secrets, she's pretty sure she can rely on him in most situations.

HEY LOOK I FOUND ONE OF THOSE MISSING TAGS /facepalm

[highprofilerichkid]

No you don't want to know, Raine. You really don't.

"Thanks," Tony says again, and his shoulders slump: a little from relief, and a little from embarrassment. It's nice to hear Raine say that she trusts him, but he's not sure he's earned it. All he ever seems to do around her is screw up.

All the more reason to focus on the job, and focus on doing it well.

"Where's the boiler room for this place? I should probably start there, especially if it needs major repairs."

[ruinsprofessor]

Raine almost always wants to know. She eyes him sidelong for another moment or two, then just nods before turning her attention back to the building and the halls. That seems to have had the desired effect for now. She hopes.

"Let me show you," she says, electing not to comment any further, and starts leading him that way. It seems a sensible place to start, and it will redirect any lingering awkwardness, with any luck.