ROBIN STARK // iron man 1 a.u

Chapter 3

When the new wears off, and they get to getting old,
Sooner or later, time's gonna take its toll.

• • •

"I thought you weren't going to the rescue mission." Rhodey was well-aware that they're in a bird, amongst other troopers who are deployed, but he didn't hide the annoyance towards Robin, who was in the same rescue chopper with him.

"I said I'll help find him!" Robin glared back at him.

Tony Stark rescue mission was successful without casualties. Though Tony was supposed to be in the medevac helicopter behind, but Rhodey convince them that Tony will be in the front's. So instead of him in the medevac, two of Robin's men had to switch places because they needed a medic at the front helicopter for Tony. No one would look as healthy as ever after being kidnapped and trapped for three months and Tony was no exception.

Soon after they landed at Bagram Air Base, Tony was immediately brought towards their Military Hospital. He was force to stay there for a night and on the morning they were scheduled to fly back to New York, when Robin arrived at Tony's room, she found out that her brother was clean and fully dressed, ready to go back home, in which so unlike him. Not the clean part, but the early ready part. Tony was always fashionably late.

"You're ready. Afghanistan changed you that much, huh?" Robin smirked at her brother as she stood at the end of the hospital bed while Tony stood beside the window, foreseeing other patients in their hospital gown outside. His left arm was put in a sling.

"Yeah, there is– there's something needs to be done once we get to New York." He turned to Robin. "How're you? We didn't talk much yesterday. I– I figured that we can talk now. Or are you on duty so we have to be formal, Col– Colonel?"

Robin frowned at Tony's change of speaking pace, but she didn't remark on that. Maybe not yet, not now. "That's Rhodey. I'm a Lieutenant. You don't have to call me that. And to answer your question, I'm fine now that I see you."

Tony nodded his head, actually relieved to hear that from her sister's mouth herself. Though this might not be her first time being on a foreign land without knowing when she will come home, but it's his first time and seeing someone died. That put a permanent trauma in Tony's memory. "How– How's Pepper? Um, she must be worried not hearing from me for– for–"

"Three months." Robin finished it for Tony.

"What?"

"You've been gone for three months. Though Pepper had a hard time to run your company while you're gone, but she's doing it well."

"Glad to hear that."

Robin saw the shake at Tony's free hand and from her experiences and his friends' experiences, that doesn't mean well. She noticed the light on his chest flickering as if indicating his heart beating fast. She felt a sting at the back of her throat, a tear that fought itself to fall, but she blinked them away as fast as she felt them.

"Let's go, Tony. Let's go home." Robin grabbed Tony's bag and lead him out of the hospital room, meeting Rhodey at the main door of the hospital. He kept his eyes focus on the perimeter of the hospital, but as soon as he heard Robin's voice talking to Tony, his attention was changed to her– them.

He quickly grabbed Tony's bag in Robin's grip, his hand rubbed against hers and he made sure Robin knew it was intentional.

"Come on, let's get you home." He smiled at his best friend, walking with him, but didn't leave Robin alone behind. He glanced at Robin as if telling her to join them towards the black SUV awaited for them first thing once they descended the hospital's small steps.