For the tony and rhodey prompt. MIT tony and rhodey where rhodey gets sick and tony is freaking out, doing his best to try and cook soup and read up on all good things to fight colds/flus.
“Jarvis, help.” Tony hissed into the phone.
“Tony, are you alright?” he said in alarm, dropping the usual Master Anthony in his panic and Tony cursed inwardly.
“I’m fine!” he said quickly, “But how do you make soup?”
“I’m sorry?” Jarvis said in utter confusion.
“Soup Jarvis, I need to make soup!” Tony said, glancing over to where his laptop was perched precariously on the sink. “Uh, apparently chicken noodle is the best? So how do I make chicken noodle soup?”
“Perhaps you should explain why you need soup?” Jarvis said, calmer now that he’d realized Tony had not been kidnapped again and was calling him from a payphone in Milwaukee like the last time.
“Rhodey’s sick.” Tony muttered. “And I don’t know how to help. I should, but I don’t. I don’t think scotch is the right answer.”
“No, scotch is the entirely wrong answer.” Jarvis said. “Okay, I’ll help you. Firstly, where is he?”
“He’s lying on the couch and swearing. He feels really hot and he says he has a headache.” Tony said, cracking the bathroom door to peek. “I searched the web, but everyone says that chicken noodle soup is the best but I don’t know how to make that!”
“Well, it’s more of a nostalgia thing I believe.” Jarvis said, “Why don’t you call Mrs.Rhodes after and ask her what type of things James likes to have when sick?”
“What if she laughs at me?” Tony said quietly, “Don’t people know this stuff?”
“Roberta will not laugh at you Anthony,” Jarvis said firmly, “For now, help James to bed, make sure he’s wearing comfortable clothing, and get him a few more blankets. Heat will help him fight off the infection faster.”
“But he was complaining about being hot!” Tony said anxiously. “What if he combusts?” He paused. “Okay I know he’s not gonna combust, but won’t it…be more uncomfortable?”
“It will, but he’ll get better faster.” Jarvis said with calm assurance. “Make sure he drinks plenty of water alright? You can handle this. Get him to bed, and then call Roberta. You’re not gonna help by hiding out in the bathroom and panicking.”
“Okay, thanks Jarvis.” Tony said and his fath-butler hung up. He squinted at the phone. “Wait how did he know I was in the bathroom?”
He shut his laptop and went back to the room. Bed, comfy clothes, blankets and then call Mama Rhodes. He could do this.
“Tony,” Rhodey slurred when he heard Tony approach the couch. He made grabby hands and Tony crouched beside the bed so his boyfriend could octopus himself closer. “I missed you, where’d you go?”
“Just had to make a call.” Tony said, surveying Rhodey’s sprawled position. He was already wearing fairly comfortable clothing, sweatpants and his large MIT hoodie that Tony would eventually steal to wear once again. That scratched comfy clothing off the list, so it was bed and blankets now. “Hey, DUM-E, get over here. No, not with with the fire extinguisher, that’s not how we’re supposed to cool him down. Just grab him-gently. There we go, we’re gonna go to the bed.”
“Bed,” Rhodey repeated dazedly. “I like bed. Tony, come to bed I wanna cuddle.”
“Lets get you there first.” Tony said, heaving up Rhodey as DUM-E wound his claw into the back of Rhodey’s sweatshirt and hauled him up at the same time. They managed to stagger over to the bed, which Tony hastily cleared of the aricraft engine schematics Rhodey had been working on. He had to perform some creative twisting (god bless that stripper who taught him how to move and told him where the best sushi in Boston was) so that Rhodey didn’t end up trapping him in cuddles.
Not that he was adverse to cuddles, but he had blankets and food to go, and Jarvis knew best.
“Okay, good job DUM-E.” Tony said, patting where he’d put the sensors so that DUM-E clicked in happiness. “Yeah you did good, now can you get blankets while I call Mama Rhodes?”
The bot sped off, and Rhodey seemed to be falling back asleep, so Tony dailed Rhodey’s mom and waited for it to connect. DUM-E was so used to draping blankets over Tony that he only had to make sure his son-he meant bot didn’t drop the blankets on Rhodey’s face twice.
“Tony!” Mama Rhodes said in surprise. “How are you doing?”
“I’m good,” Tony said, clearing his throat and then asking. “Uh, Rhodey’s sick. I don’t know how to make chicken noodle soup. Is there…something else I can give him?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that, James hates soup when he’s sick.” she said cheerfully, “You boys have that stash of trail mix and granola bars right?”
“Uh-huh.” he said, double checking the nearest stash.
“Good, just make sure he has some later on.” she said. “He doesn’t really like eating much at all when sick, so there’s no point in making anything else because its too much of a hassle to convince him. Make sure he drinks water, make him eat the granola, and if you’re sure you won’t get sick too, just sleep near him. He tends to get a little…affectionate when sick.”
“I’m the last person who would complain about that.” he teased, feeling some of his anxiousness drain away.
“I know,” Mama Rhodes said warmly. “Thank you Tony.”
“It’s no problem.” he said, feeling oddly shy. “I’m gonna go now.”
“Take care, and keep me updated.” she said and he hung up after saying his own goodbyes. He took a moment, stuffing a handful of granola bars in his hoodie pocket.
“DUM-E, lights.” he said, and the robot awkwardly smashed the light switch, leaving the single lamp and the glow in the dark stars Rhodey had insisted they put up after learning that Tony knew all the constellations by heart as the only light source.
He crawled onto the bed beside Rhodey, who opened his eyes to give Tony the sleepiest, dopiest smile and throwing an arm around him before instantly falling back asleep.
