It has been a month since Tony Stark returned from Afghanistan and he held that fateful press conference. He sees the news reports that Pepper tries to hide from him, the speculation at how he’s coping after being held hostage for three months. No one knows any details of what happened, considering Tony had destroyed the cave and any traces of what his time in captivity looked like, but he knows that he has both Rhodey and Pepper on edge. He barely sleeps, doesn’t really eat, and has been spending a lot of time in the lab. He assures them that he’s fine, he’s just busy and trying to make up three months worth of time with his work, but beyond that it’s almost as if he just traded the cave for his lab. This time, at least, there isn’t anyone holding a gun to his head on a regular basis. He’s not dunked in water barrels whenever he says something stupid as they ask for updates on his work. Obadiah has left him alone, letting him process while he handles the company, and Tony doesn’t think anything of it.
After crossing the month mark, though, Pepper and Rhodey have an intervention, of sorts, trying to get him to at least spend a few hours outside of the lab. They encourage him to go surfing (he doesn’t want to because of the paparazzi), or to go for a drive (no), or maybe just to grab something to eat (too many people). They go back and forth between Tony insisting that he’s fine, and his friends insisting that he’s not, and somewhere along their ‘discussion’ Tony finds himself agreeing to trying yoga. At the house, with a private instructor, and no other people. Pepper insists it’ll be good for him, that maybe he’ll be able to sleep better, and maybe it can help him learn better breathing techniques considering the metal casing that now protrudes from his sternum, but Tony just leaves the room with excuses of work, and not having time for this.
True to her word, though, Pepper sets up the lessons and manages to corral him enough to get him to shower, change, and actually walk out of the lab. It isn’t easy, and Tony almost turns back to the lab on a few occasions, but eventually he’s all but shoved out to the backyard of his house in Malibu so that he can meet his instructor. He feels ridiculous in the jogger pants he’s wearing, the t-shirt that feels too loose on him considering the weight he has lost in the last four months, and he’s all too aware of how he can’t quite hide the glow of the reactor, but Pepper had assured him that it was fine. The instructor had signed a nondisclosure agreement, had excellent references, and she had personally handpicked him so they wouldn’t have any issues.
As he walks over to the spot in the yard where he’s waiting for him, under the trees and with the perfect view of the Pacific Ocean, Tony just sighs under his breath as he wills himself to keep walking. He knows if he doesn’t do this, Pepper and Rhodey will find a way to drag him to see someone else, someone with a ‘M.D’ attached to their name considering they look at him as if he’s cracked, so he has to do this. Or he has to at least give it a shot, just so he can say he tried it even if he has no intention to really stick with it for long.
As he walks closer, though, and the instructor turns around, Tony pauses for a moment as recognition slowly dawns on him. He remembers him, of course, from the party he had attended before going to Las Vegas for the award ceremony, right before he left for Afghanistan. He remembers their time together, their laughs, the way Klaus kept up with him in a way that he never expected out of anyone. It all feels like it happened lifetimes ago, considering how many things have changed in four months, but he after a brief pause he plasters on the usual Tony Stark smile that he’s so used to using. It feels foreign against his lips, considering how long it has been since he has used it, but the old habit kicks in like this is normal. Like he doesn’t have dark circles under his eyes, like he hasn’t lost weight in the last four months. Like the look in his eyes doesn’t look darker than the last time Klaus had seen him, with shadows and ghosts from all the shit he has lived through in the last four months.
“Klaus Hargreeves, right?” He smiles, all charm as he offers a hand in greeting. His hands are calloused from how much he has been working the last few months, a few small scars and burn marks scattered throughout his arms. Most of them are from the cave, but there’s a bright red mark on the side of his left hand that seems relatively new.
“My assistant mentioned she hired someone, but I didn’t realize it was you.”
When Pepper first contacted him, Klaus admittedly screened the call and let it go to voicemail. He'd been in a grueling match of hide and seek with a little girl who, for all intents and purposes, had claimed to be the champion of all things hide and seek. Klaus naturally had to put her to the test, and by the time the day had come to a close, he'd all but written off the call in favor of sharing dinner with Claire, Allison and Patrick.
But when the same number rang him the follow day, he finally answered. The phone call lasted longer than he'd anticipated, and after a quick coffee meeting with Pepper Potts, Klaus had signed away his big mouth and gained a client. A client who, by name alone, hadn't been unfamiliar to him. That night spent with Tony Stark would have been enough for him to agree to take the man on as a client, but Klaus has seen the news, he'd watched as questions about the missing man popped up in headlines on nearly every station. A wealthy tech giant suddenly silenced. It was sobering.
Which makes walking into the Malibu house a little strange, considering the last he'd seen this place they'd been nothing but a flurry of snarky commentary and playful limbs. And from what he can remember, it'd been a fun little romp for the time they had, and Klaus had easily seen himself out before the sun rose too far into the sky. This time, he'd been welcomed in and guided to the backyard, and with a wiggle of fingers to Pepper he turns his back, soaking in the rolling waves and the clear air.
He's barefoot, two mats laid out in the dappled shade and he's stretching an arm over his head while he enjoys the view. While Tony might feel silly in his joggers, Klaus isn't in anything fancy himself, save for colorful, form fitting yoga leggings and a sleeveless, flowy gray top. Better to relax, let himself enjoy the weather, than to try and determine just how he'll tackle a client like this. Klaus gets the feeling that Pepper desperately wants Tony to be fixed, or better in some sense of the word, and while he might not understand the trauma of an overseas kidnapping, he and Tony had spoken a similar language before: maybe there's some of that left.
He turns when he hears his name and grins, offering his hand like a lady might, for the back to be kissed, but he'll shaky Tony's hand anyway. "Oh, you're that Stark guy, right?" He taps fingers against his chin, looking up thoughtfully. "I think I remember you. Here I thought I proved how flexible I was the last time we met, but by all means, if you want to see more, I'm not here to judge. And with a view like this," a vague, sweeping hand gesture that may or may not playfully include Tony himself, "I could work on my mantras all day."
Tony looks like he's lost some weight, though he's not entirely sure considering the t-shirt, but he does notice the light set into the man's chest. He doesn't let his eyes linger— Pepper's told him all about it, anyway— but he can't help but wonder how painful it is. "But your assistant has decided she'd like to see you attempt yoga. I'm going to need you to at least pretend to be a little excited, I promise I won't make it too painful for you."
Considering Klaus is the first person he has talked to outside of his very small, very intimate inner circle, some part of him is bracing himself for what the reaction might be at seeing him. He knows he doesn’t look like himself. He knows the world has been speculating about him ever since he went missing. He went from possible hostage victim, to presumed dead, to miraculously alive, to deranged person with PTSD all in a matter of four months, after all. Not to mention that Klaus had been one of the very last few people that saw and spent time with Tony Stark before going missing, so he knows that, as good as his facades and masks are to pretend to be okay, he’s rusty at this whole interacting with people thing. Even just being outside in actual sunlight makes his eyes squint very slightly, because his house may have the best window treatments in California, but it’s different being out in actual sunlight for the first time in a month.
There’s no kid gloves, though, no hesitation in Klaus’s part as he calls him ‘that Stark guy,’ and talks about his flexibility, and for the first time in ... hell, he doesn’t even know how long, he finds himself letting out a laugh under his breath. He hates how foreign it feels, like his vocal chords are making a sound like he hasn’t made in a while making him feel rusty and raw, but he just smiles. This time, it’s a little more sincere.
“What can I say, maybe I needed a refresher.” He walks over to where the mats are set up as he tucks his hands in the pockets of his pants, thankful for the shade.
“I’ll be honest, I can’t remember the last time I did yoga so you’ll need to ease me back in.” He smiles faintly, looking over to Klaus. “So is this your main job? I thought you worked with your sister.”
"Oh, there's no easing back in. I'll have you doing a scorpion all on your own within the hour, even if you feel like you might be broken by the end of it." He winks at Tony, smirking, the sarcasm thick in his voice.
Klaus wanders over to his mat and takes in a deep breath as a light breeze filters through the trees. He's jealous of the man's house, how peaceful it is. Other than the fact that the property clearly costs a lot of money, he'd be happy with a tiny square of grass for the view alone.
"I started doing this for fun a little while after I moved here. Had to do something to fill the time and I figured if I took yoga classes I could at least meet some pretty people," he grins. "No distractions, Mr. Stark, but nie try. You can't avoid your beating today, so sorry. Go ahead and stretch your arms."
He demonstrates for the man, a slow sweep of his arms from the center of his chest up overhead, with a slow descent back to the sides. "Started going to fancy parties with her and it all fell into place. Turns out rich people want to feel like they're being athletic at home, even if most only hire me to try and see what I'm about."
He shrugs a shoulder before he demonstrates another stretch, this time bringing his hands all the way to the mat, palms flat as he lets his head hand loose. Hindsight, he should have tied his hair back. "But I help with my sister's styling on occasion. I can't let her go out looking like a mess. Whatever will that do to the delicate family brand?"
For the second time in the day, Tony finds himself laughing when Klaus calls him out so easily, seeing right through him that he was trying to distract him. Because, well, he's not wrong; generally he's good about steering the conversation in a way that he can adjust it to what he needs it to be. Klaus sees right through it, though, and he doesn't know if it's more amusing than terrifying that he can see through him better than Pepper. No wonder she liked him, he can't help but think.
With a sigh under his breath, he mimics the way that he stretches his arms. And, while he can feel tugs and pulls that he had never really felt before the arc reactor came into his life, it's not terrible. Especially as he busies himself listening to him while they stretch.
At the next move, though, he stares at him for a moment before he actually stretches. He's not flexible enough to reach the mat, but it's partially because bending like that feels odd with the added machinery in his chest. After a moment he finds himself a little woozy, and he stands as he tries to keep his breathing normal, as if they're just talking and nothing has been happening.
"Well, you do a great job. Pretty sure last awards season she kept being voted as one of the best dressed, if I remember correctly. So, good job, Hargreeves."
While it might appear Klaus is focused on his stretches, he’s keenly aware of the way the man beside him moves. He always spends the first session doing basic moves, trying to see just how well his client moves and exists in the world. The way the man finishes the last stretch doesn’t go unnoticed, but he keeps his expression even as he rises with a satisfied little sigh. He’ll take the laugh as a win.
“Well of course I do,” Klaus muses, a laughing lilt in his voice. “I don’t just wake up looking like this, darling, it takes work.” He snorts at himself, a sign that indeed, he does just sort of roll out of bed and throw a haphazard combination of clothes on before he rolls out the door.
“Though I have to say some of your looks have been to die for. You do know how to pick out a suit. Or was that all Pepper’s doing?” He laughs a little bit and moves to sit on his mat, which is just a few feet from Tony’s. “Join me on the mat, as they say. We might as well relax and enjoy the weather. Unless sunlight makes you shrivel up and turn to dust.”
He sits back, using his arms to prop himself up with his legs stretched out in front of him. “So the name of the game is you tell me what hurts, what you hate, what you could live without, and the rest is gravy darling. I’d say I want to see how you move but I’m not completely out of touch with that. Does Pepper know you’ve hired a pretty party favor as your yoga instructor, or should I keep that one to myself?”
Tony smirks, shaking his head slightly. “Blend of both. Pepper does have impeccable taste, but I love some good shopping sessions, too.”
He bites back the comment that he really might turn into dust at this point with the sunlight, considering his aversion to going outside the last few weeks, but he just sits on the mat. It’s... not terrible, he notices, just sitting here. Talking. The breeze is comfortable, the shade of the tree they’re under making the sunlight less unbearable, and well, the company isn’t too bad, either. While initially he might have been apprehensive about his instructor being Klaus, considering their evening together, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t actually enjoying this.
Until he mentions he wants to learn what hurts. He understands why he needs that information, of course, especially considering what he’s here to do. It’s just something he hasn’t quite shared even with Rhodey, or Pepper, even if he has a feeling they already know, anyway.
He focuses on his question first, though, and he breathes out a soft chuckle. “I don’t think she knows, but I’m sure she’ll find out at some point. Pepper has a way of knowing everything, so. It’s best if you resign yourself to that fact now.” There’s nothing but fondness in his voice as he says it; Pepper may be his assistant, but he trusts her like she’s family.
He pauses for a moment before he shifts back to Klaus’s original request. He remembers how much Pepper had told him about the nondisclosure agreement, how he should be open to the instructor so that this could work, but he doesn’t know how much he knows about it. The public had only seen him during the press conference, the reactor buried between an undershirt, the button up, a tie, and the strap of the sling his arm had been on, but no one had seen it up close.
With a sigh, almost hesitant, he taps on the glowing circle under his shirt. Now that he’s not standing in direct sunlight, Klaus would be able to see the glow a little better, and he may be able to make out the way the casing around it as well, and how it’s not flush against his chest. It’s protruding from his sternum instead.
“I came back with another little party favor. I’m not sure if she told you about that, but this may make some poses difficult. I’m not sure to what degree,” he admits begrudgingly, even if there’s a small sort of smirk on his face that disappears almost as quickly as it settles on his lips. “I haven’t exactly been testing that out. But figured I’d let you know now, so that it’s not a surprise later.”
"I'm an open book. I'm sure she could dig up my whole life story and my growth chart if she felt so inclined. The joys of being in the public eye as a wee child," he sighs, shaking his head so that his hair falls back over his shoulders and out of his face. This would be an excellent back yard to sunbathe in, he notes, but it's a pity it isn't his own.
But color him surprised when Tony actually fesses up about the little glowing disc in his chest. "She told me a little, but I didn't ask for details. Don't need them," he shrugs a shoulder, a thoughtful noise escaping his lips. But the thing does look painful, the way it's protruding from his chest like that.
"But for your information, it takes a great deal to surprise me, so kudos if you actually manage to slip one by me," he laughs softly. "Anything we do that feels uncomfortable or painful, just tell me and we'll switch it up. I'm very flexible, you know. And while I believe that a good stretch is good for the mind and the body, I'm not going to be making you chant or do any of that other meditative shit that some of my other clients get into."
He blows a raspberry in the air and rolls his eyes. "Somehow I think you're a man a little too scientific for things like that. I mean, unless you'd really like to think about becoming one with a pile of dirty, by all means, I'm happy to play pied piper and sing you a lovely little ditty to lull your brain into shanti bliss. But I figured for today we'd take it easy, unless you're really only here to ogle me while I do all the hard work. Trust me, I've worked with all types."
Smirking, he waggles his raised eyebrows at the man, keeping the conversation light and easy even when they're talking about difficult things. "Am I fired yet?" He winks.
Now it's Tony's turn to be surprised when Klaus tells him that he didn't ask for details and doesn't need them. It's probably a bad thing that the response is both something that fills him with relief while simultaneously makes him suspicious, because he's used to all sorts of follow up questions about everything in his life. But, he decides to take it for what it is, and settles with relief at the fact that they don't have to stick talking about it, especially when sitting here with the damn thing glowing between them is enough exposure as far as he's concerned.
"Well that's good to know," he responds with a laugh when Klaus tells him that he won't be making him chant. This time the laugh sounds a little more relaxed, almost natural. "You're right, I am not the meditation type. Yoga is pushing it, actually, so I'm glad you're not trying to convert me into what your other clients are more used to. We'd be having some creative differences if that's the case."
At the wink, he smirks back at him. "No, not yet. If anything, I think you've successfully sold me on at least actually trying, so. Congratulations. You managed to surprise me, too."
"What, you don't want to quit your job at your big fancy company to become a yoga instructor? Well why not?"
Klaus shifts on his mat and flops backward, stretching and simply enjoying the dappled sun through the leaves of the tree overhead. He turns his head to look at Tony, however. "Besides, creative differences can be sexy. Think of all the angst and tension you could work out. I mean in choosing difficult poses, you know, get your head out of the gutter." He points a feigned accusing finger at Tony before he lets out a sigh, his arms falling back to his sides.
"This pose shouldn't hurt. Lie back and enjoy the day a little. Especially since I need to celebrate this victory. Pepper told me you'd probably quit on me thirty seconds in, that you can be doggedly determined when you put your mind to it. So I'm already breaking a Tony Stark World Record as he speak. But I have to say I'm absolutely relieved to still have a job. I really should make people sign a non-disclosure as well. Would hate for all of my nefarious practices to leak to the public. God forbid I surprise a man sometimes."
He takes in a deep breath and lets it out in a slow sigh. "So here's the deal," he says when he rolls over onto his side to look at Tony on the mat a few feet from him. "Well do some stretches every day, whatever you're feeling, and if you're not, then we'll spend the time in idle chit-chat and I'll gush over every detail. I'll even tell Ms. Potts all about the excellent progress you've made and maybe, just maybe, it'll release some of that tension you're holding onto for dear life. It's making me tense and that's impressive. Kind of somewhere between like... deciding which cake to have for dessert or casually tearing the world apart. That kind of tension."
Tony watches him lay down, and for a brief moment he can only watch him. The way he moves, how his eyes look in this light. Klaus’s eyes had been striking from the first moment that they met, he remembers that so clearly that it immediately comes to mind, but it’s different right now. It’s as if he’s seeing him again for the first time, and—
No, he tells himself. He’s not going down this path. He supposes it’s a good thing, to want to hit on Klaus since it’s the first ‘normal’ thing that he has found himself wanting to do since finding himself in a cave in Afghanistan, but no. Pepper would probably murder him for turning this into something else, especially when it’s actually going pretty well.
When Klaus suggests to lay down, Tony gives him a look despite the fact that a smirk quirks at his lips, and with a playful sigh he complies. “Oh, you mean I could have been live-streaming this whole thing from the beginning? I think I remember someone from that boring party that would love to see you in yoga pants.”
He’s teasing, and the way his smile turns playful is almost too easy.
As he listens to Klaus speaks, he considers what he says before he nods slightly. Until he mentions tension, and Tony looks genuinely surprised. Not at the fact that he looks tense, but that it’s bad enough to make it that obvious to someone who he has barely interacted with. “That’s quite the range there. But...yeah, alright. I guess it’s worth a shot.”
Despite his initial apprehension, though, he knows it’s already working. Just laying down here, under the tree and with the sounds of the ocean at a distance, it’s relaxing him enough that he’s managing to breathe a little easier. Now that he’s not wrapped up with his project and all the work he has been pouring into it, it’s as if the exhaustion he has been trying to outrun is slowly creeping in, but he tries to ignore it as he turns his head to turn to Klaus again.
“So, tell me. Did I miss any good parties while I was gone, or have they been just as boring?”
Klaus knows what eyes feel like when they follow him across a room and it's no different here, when he settles down on his yoga mat. He doesn't acknowledge it; they've slept together already, after all, but there's a tiny little victory in there still. He'd expected a complete mess, from what Pepper had said, and to see there's something of that playboy still beneath a guarded surface? Well, well, well.
But he doesn't bother to move, either, once he rolls to face the man, head leaned into one palm. "I like to keep my options open to the various levels of despair one might face in life. Even if your despair for the next month is nothing but a yoga-induced hell, I take great delight in it. After thirty days, you can be free of me without charge, you know. Your little friend, Pepper? She can write a contract sharp enough to slay a man."
The afternoon weather holds up, clear skies and balmy breeze. Again, Klaus finds himself envious of the view. To have a slice of a beach that close, private and tucked away? He'd love to bring Claire here, let her splash in the waters and collect shells that tourists and vacationers haven't yet gotten their paws on.
"Any party I attended was a party you should not have missed. No party can be boring so long as I'm there, didn't you learn that last time?" He laughs softly, plucking a blade of grass and tossing it at Tony before he rolls onto his back again, tipping his face up into the sun, arms stretched over his head in the grass. It's easy, keeping up the playful tone, digging into the soft spot of conversation between them. They've acknowledged the pain, the tension, but now he wants to bring some levity to Tony Stark, the human being. Klaus knows what it's like to wake up every day feeling like a shell of yourself, and sometimes the normalcy of those around you can help fill that tank.
"You missed very little. But all that means is we can make up for it with parties of our own. I've been known to do a little spicy mix of dancercize and yoga if that will really get the blood boiling."
He smirks at the thought. "But I have the feeling the only one really wanting to see me in my yoga pants has the good fortune to be doing live sessions on the reg with me now. In fact, I think your little Pepper has me booked twice a week. Whatever will you do but pine for me in all your free time."
“I’d say I’m surprised, but she can be more ruthless than I am with contracts, so... But don’t worry. You’ll be compensated either way.”
Trying this out for thirty days doesn’t feel too bad, though. Or, well. This part isn’t terrible, at least. He’s still unsure about the yoga portion, but at least Klaus has already managed to get him in a better mood then what he had been when he walked out of the house.
With a chuckle, he gives him a ‘oh really’ look when he talks about the parties, unable to hide the smile on his face. He had forgotten how easy it was to do this, getting lost in conversation with Klaus, but he’s finding the rediscovery pretty damn comforting.
“Dancercize, huh? That...sounds a little terrifying but I guess we’ll have to wait and see how that goes.”
Twice a week. He gets to see Klaus twice a week? He may have dismissed that fact when Pepper was filling him in about the sessions, but he finds himself not minding it. “Lucky me. Guess we’ll have to have some fun, then.” He stretches out his legs, his body suddenly relishing on the fact that he’s not sitting or standing anymore after...hell, he can’t even remember. As he stretches, he looks up at the tree above him, the blue sky beyond it. For a moment he stays still, just observing everything before he breathes out a chuckle.
“You want to know something ridiculous? I’ve lived here for years and I think this is the first time I’ve ever done this. Hanging out here like this, I mean. It’s...admittedly, not terrible.”
"That wasn't an outright rejection on the dancercize and I have to tell you that is a very dangerous road to go down, darling," Klaus laughs softly at the thought and lets himself fall back onto the mat, eyes closing as he tips his face toward a patch of sun. It's warm, disarming in a way, but even with his defenses down, there's little that Klaus can't handle. "We'll just have so much fun."
He stills if only to listen to the waves in the distance, which seem suppressed by the sound of that chuckle. Klaus opens his eyes and turns his head to look at the man on the ground across from him, a faint smile on his lips. It's a good sound, and with Tony distracted, he takes a second to admire the man in the dappled light. The dim light of the bar back then did little to dull his features, and even though Klaus can see the shadows of whatever it is the man saw in Afghanistan in the lines of his face, Tony Stark is handsome. No wonder he's a lady killer, after all.
Klaus shifts to prop himself up on an elbow. "Is that so? That's a real shame, I was just thinking if I'd had a yard like this I'd bring my niece here to do all the sight seeing and digging her little heart could desire, landscaping bedamned. Which I'm sure has cost thousands to upkeep, but what's a yard and garden with a view if you don't use it?"
Sitting up, Klaus draws his knees against his chest, tilting his head to rest against the tops. "Sounds like we'll be doing a lot of outdoor yoga, if only so I can live vicariously through you. Maybe when you're feeling especially bendy I'll even get you down on the beach. I mean, who wouldn't want to see this," he gestures once to himself, fingers wiggling, "Rolled up in sand. And don't even get me started on you. Ugh. But we'll start with shade and grass for now, can't progress too quickly. Can't have all those good looks getting to your head."
Tony chuckles, shaking his head slightly as he closes his eyes for a brief moment. “Call me morbidly curious. I’ve never even heard of dancercize, although my initial thought on it is hell no. But if we gotta try it, then...we’ll see.”
As Klaus props himself up, now it’s Tony’s turn to glance over to him but not moving from his spot. For the first time in way too long he’s actually comfortable, and it’s obvious in his even his features seem a bit less tense than when he had originally stepped out.
“How old is she?” Allison Hargreeves may be extremely famous, and her family by association in addition to the old game their name carries with it, but Tony doesn’t pay attention to those type of details. The paparazzi and their intrusive reporting has always bugged him, especially since he has been on the kid’s side of that equation, so he ignores those type of interviews or spreads. “You can bring her one day, if you want. You don’t even have to come up here, we can give you the code to go to the beach. Trust me, no one will bother you guys.”
It’s said so easily, like he and Klaus have known each other forever and this is common between them. But, considering how Klaus has managed already to accomplish the impossible by getting him to relax, the offer is out without even a second thought. And, well. While Tony may have the reputation of being a narcissist, and selfish, and an egomaniac to boot, what people don’t really realize is that he’s more generous than he ever tends to publicly share. This is a glimpse to the other side of Tony - the side that doesn’t get publicized or exposed.
Tony chuckles again about doing yoga down by the beach, shaking his head slightly. “I vote for sticking with this first. I’ve had enough sand to last me for a good while, so. I’m good.” It’s said casually, almost too easily as he rolls over and props himself to face Klaus with a smile. “But hey, if you want to roll up in sand, you can do it. I’ll just admire the view.”
"She's five going on sixty. She turns six next month and I think she'll have taken over the country by then. The world by seven. The universe and beyond by seven and a half. I'd warn you, but I think the kid's got a good head on her shoulders."
Klaus smiles when he speaks of Claire, and he might as well be talking about his own kid for all the fondness in his voice and his expression. But in a way, Claire saved him from himself, long before she could speak, long before he knew her.
"So you be careful. Give me the code to the beach and she might have your whole house on command after that." He snorts, picking idly at the grass with his free hand, pleased to see Tony propping himself up. There's something more relaxed about him, and while Klaus can't help but admire the view, he's glad to see the man letting down a defense or two. The sand comment doesn't go without notice, though, and he laughs.
"No sand, got it. To be honest, it's so uncomfortable and it's like glitter, the shit just gets everywhere. So maybe we'll stick to grass and greener pastures for now. I'll let you do all the difficult yoga work and I'll go have myself a nice little suntan. I'll conduct class anywhere, so long as we've got room to breathe."
Small spaces make him antsy, remind him a little too much of a childhood spend in dark, looming mausoleums and cramped graves. "But by all means," he shifts to sit up, but not without arching his back and tossing his hair dramatically, "Admire the view all you please. But that's a two way street, mister, and I think there might be some kind of sexual harassment clause in the contract. Though I think Ms. Potts was more worried about you. Jokes on her, hm?" He smiles as he draws up into a cross legged sit.
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this hell feels better with you;
After crossing the month mark, though, Pepper and Rhodey have an intervention, of sorts, trying to get him to at least spend a few hours outside of the lab. They encourage him to go surfing (he doesn’t want to because of the paparazzi), or to go for a drive (no), or maybe just to grab something to eat (too many people). They go back and forth between Tony insisting that he’s fine, and his friends insisting that he’s not, and somewhere along their ‘discussion’ Tony finds himself agreeing to trying yoga. At the house, with a private instructor, and no other people. Pepper insists it’ll be good for him, that maybe he’ll be able to sleep better, and maybe it can help him learn better breathing techniques considering the metal casing that now protrudes from his sternum, but Tony just leaves the room with excuses of work, and not having time for this.
True to her word, though, Pepper sets up the lessons and manages to corral him enough to get him to shower, change, and actually walk out of the lab. It isn’t easy, and Tony almost turns back to the lab on a few occasions, but eventually he’s all but shoved out to the backyard of his house in Malibu so that he can meet his instructor. He feels ridiculous in the jogger pants he’s wearing, the t-shirt that feels too loose on him considering the weight he has lost in the last four months, and he’s all too aware of how he can’t quite hide the glow of the reactor, but Pepper had assured him that it was fine. The instructor had signed a nondisclosure agreement, had excellent references, and she had personally handpicked him so they wouldn’t have any issues.
As he walks over to the spot in the yard where he’s waiting for him, under the trees and with the perfect view of the Pacific Ocean, Tony just sighs under his breath as he wills himself to keep walking. He knows if he doesn’t do this, Pepper and Rhodey will find a way to drag him to see someone else, someone with a ‘M.D’ attached to their name considering they look at him as if he’s cracked, so he has to do this. Or he has to at least give it a shot, just so he can say he tried it even if he has no intention to really stick with it for long.
As he walks closer, though, and the instructor turns around, Tony pauses for a moment as recognition slowly dawns on him. He remembers him, of course, from the party he had attended before going to Las Vegas for the award ceremony, right before he left for Afghanistan. He remembers their time together, their laughs, the way Klaus kept up with him in a way that he never expected out of anyone. It all feels like it happened lifetimes ago, considering how many things have changed in four months, but he after a brief pause he plasters on the usual Tony Stark smile that he’s so used to using. It feels foreign against his lips, considering how long it has been since he has used it, but the old habit kicks in like this is normal. Like he doesn’t have dark circles under his eyes, like he hasn’t lost weight in the last four months. Like the look in his eyes doesn’t look darker than the last time Klaus had seen him, with shadows and ghosts from all the shit he has lived through in the last four months.
“Klaus Hargreeves, right?” He smiles, all charm as he offers a hand in greeting. His hands are calloused from how much he has been working the last few months, a few small scars and burn marks scattered throughout his arms. Most of them are from the cave, but there’s a bright red mark on the side of his left hand that seems relatively new.
“My assistant mentioned she hired someone, but I didn’t realize it was you.”
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But when the same number rang him the follow day, he finally answered. The phone call lasted longer than he'd anticipated, and after a quick coffee meeting with Pepper Potts, Klaus had signed away his big mouth and gained a client. A client who, by name alone, hadn't been unfamiliar to him. That night spent with Tony Stark would have been enough for him to agree to take the man on as a client, but Klaus has seen the news, he'd watched as questions about the missing man popped up in headlines on nearly every station. A wealthy tech giant suddenly silenced. It was sobering.
Which makes walking into the Malibu house a little strange, considering the last he'd seen this place they'd been nothing but a flurry of snarky commentary and playful limbs. And from what he can remember, it'd been a fun little romp for the time they had, and Klaus had easily seen himself out before the sun rose too far into the sky. This time, he'd been welcomed in and guided to the backyard, and with a wiggle of fingers to Pepper he turns his back, soaking in the rolling waves and the clear air.
He's barefoot, two mats laid out in the dappled shade and he's stretching an arm over his head while he enjoys the view. While Tony might feel silly in his joggers, Klaus isn't in anything fancy himself, save for colorful, form fitting yoga leggings and a sleeveless, flowy gray top. Better to relax, let himself enjoy the weather, than to try and determine just how he'll tackle a client like this. Klaus gets the feeling that Pepper desperately wants Tony to be fixed, or better in some sense of the word, and while he might not understand the trauma of an overseas kidnapping, he and Tony had spoken a similar language before: maybe there's some of that left.
He turns when he hears his name and grins, offering his hand like a lady might, for the back to be kissed, but he'll shaky Tony's hand anyway. "Oh, you're that Stark guy, right?" He taps fingers against his chin, looking up thoughtfully. "I think I remember you. Here I thought I proved how flexible I was the last time we met, but by all means, if you want to see more, I'm not here to judge. And with a view like this," a vague, sweeping hand gesture that may or may not playfully include Tony himself, "I could work on my mantras all day."
Tony looks like he's lost some weight, though he's not entirely sure considering the t-shirt, but he does notice the light set into the man's chest. He doesn't let his eyes linger— Pepper's told him all about it, anyway— but he can't help but wonder how painful it is. "But your assistant has decided she'd like to see you attempt yoga. I'm going to need you to at least pretend to be a little excited, I promise I won't make it too painful for you."
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There’s no kid gloves, though, no hesitation in Klaus’s part as he calls him ‘that Stark guy,’ and talks about his flexibility, and for the first time in ... hell, he doesn’t even know how long, he finds himself letting out a laugh under his breath. He hates how foreign it feels, like his vocal chords are making a sound like he hasn’t made in a while making him feel rusty and raw, but he just smiles. This time, it’s a little more sincere.
“What can I say, maybe I needed a refresher.” He walks over to where the mats are set up as he tucks his hands in the pockets of his pants, thankful for the shade.
“I’ll be honest, I can’t remember the last time I did yoga so you’ll need to ease me back in.” He smiles faintly, looking over to Klaus. “So is this your main job? I thought you worked with your sister.”
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Klaus wanders over to his mat and takes in a deep breath as a light breeze filters through the trees. He's jealous of the man's house, how peaceful it is. Other than the fact that the property clearly costs a lot of money, he'd be happy with a tiny square of grass for the view alone.
"I started doing this for fun a little while after I moved here. Had to do something to fill the time and I figured if I took yoga classes I could at least meet some pretty people," he grins. "No distractions, Mr. Stark, but nie try. You can't avoid your beating today, so sorry. Go ahead and stretch your arms."
He demonstrates for the man, a slow sweep of his arms from the center of his chest up overhead, with a slow descent back to the sides. "Started going to fancy parties with her and it all fell into place. Turns out rich people want to feel like they're being athletic at home, even if most only hire me to try and see what I'm about."
He shrugs a shoulder before he demonstrates another stretch, this time bringing his hands all the way to the mat, palms flat as he lets his head hand loose. Hindsight, he should have tied his hair back. "But I help with my sister's styling on occasion. I can't let her go out looking like a mess. Whatever will that do to the delicate family brand?"
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With a sigh under his breath, he mimics the way that he stretches his arms. And, while he can feel tugs and pulls that he had never really felt before the arc reactor came into his life, it's not terrible. Especially as he busies himself listening to him while they stretch.
At the next move, though, he stares at him for a moment before he actually stretches. He's not flexible enough to reach the mat, but it's partially because bending like that feels odd with the added machinery in his chest. After a moment he finds himself a little woozy, and he stands as he tries to keep his breathing normal, as if they're just talking and nothing has been happening.
"Well, you do a great job. Pretty sure last awards season she kept being voted as one of the best dressed, if I remember correctly. So, good job, Hargreeves."
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“Well of course I do,” Klaus muses, a laughing lilt in his voice. “I don’t just wake up looking like this, darling, it takes work.” He snorts at himself, a sign that indeed, he does just sort of roll out of bed and throw a haphazard combination of clothes on before he rolls out the door.
“Though I have to say some of your looks have been to die for. You do know how to pick out a suit. Or was that all Pepper’s doing?” He laughs a little bit and moves to sit on his mat, which is just a few feet from Tony’s. “Join me on the mat, as they say. We might as well relax and enjoy the weather. Unless sunlight makes you shrivel up and turn to dust.”
He sits back, using his arms to prop himself up with his legs stretched out in front of him. “So the name of the game is you tell me what hurts, what you hate, what you could live without, and the rest is gravy darling. I’d say I want to see how you move but I’m not completely out of touch with that. Does Pepper know you’ve hired a pretty party favor as your yoga instructor, or should I keep that one to myself?”
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He bites back the comment that he really might turn into dust at this point with the sunlight, considering his aversion to going outside the last few weeks, but he just sits on the mat. It’s... not terrible, he notices, just sitting here. Talking. The breeze is comfortable, the shade of the tree they’re under making the sunlight less unbearable, and well, the company isn’t too bad, either. While initially he might have been apprehensive about his instructor being Klaus, considering their evening together, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t actually enjoying this.
Until he mentions he wants to learn what hurts. He understands why he needs that information, of course, especially considering what he’s here to do. It’s just something he hasn’t quite shared even with Rhodey, or Pepper, even if he has a feeling they already know, anyway.
He focuses on his question first, though, and he breathes out a soft chuckle. “I don’t think she knows, but I’m sure she’ll find out at some point. Pepper has a way of knowing everything, so. It’s best if you resign yourself to that fact now.” There’s nothing but fondness in his voice as he says it; Pepper may be his assistant, but he trusts her like she’s family.
He pauses for a moment before he shifts back to Klaus’s original request. He remembers how much Pepper had told him about the nondisclosure agreement, how he should be open to the instructor so that this could work, but he doesn’t know how much he knows about it. The public had only seen him during the press conference, the reactor buried between an undershirt, the button up, a tie, and the strap of the sling his arm had been on, but no one had seen it up close.
With a sigh, almost hesitant, he taps on the glowing circle under his shirt. Now that he’s not standing in direct sunlight, Klaus would be able to see the glow a little better, and he may be able to make out the way the casing around it as well, and how it’s not flush against his chest. It’s protruding from his sternum instead.
“I came back with another little party favor. I’m not sure if she told you about that, but this may make some poses difficult. I’m not sure to what degree,” he admits begrudgingly, even if there’s a small sort of smirk on his face that disappears almost as quickly as it settles on his lips. “I haven’t exactly been testing that out. But figured I’d let you know now, so that it’s not a surprise later.”
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But color him surprised when Tony actually fesses up about the little glowing disc in his chest. "She told me a little, but I didn't ask for details. Don't need them," he shrugs a shoulder, a thoughtful noise escaping his lips. But the thing does look painful, the way it's protruding from his chest like that.
"But for your information, it takes a great deal to surprise me, so kudos if you actually manage to slip one by me," he laughs softly. "Anything we do that feels uncomfortable or painful, just tell me and we'll switch it up. I'm very flexible, you know. And while I believe that a good stretch is good for the mind and the body, I'm not going to be making you chant or do any of that other meditative shit that some of my other clients get into."
He blows a raspberry in the air and rolls his eyes. "Somehow I think you're a man a little too scientific for things like that. I mean, unless you'd really like to think about becoming one with a pile of dirty, by all means, I'm happy to play pied piper and sing you a lovely little ditty to lull your brain into shanti bliss. But I figured for today we'd take it easy, unless you're really only here to ogle me while I do all the hard work. Trust me, I've worked with all types."
Smirking, he waggles his raised eyebrows at the man, keeping the conversation light and easy even when they're talking about difficult things. "Am I fired yet?" He winks.
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"Well that's good to know," he responds with a laugh when Klaus tells him that he won't be making him chant. This time the laugh sounds a little more relaxed, almost natural. "You're right, I am not the meditation type. Yoga is pushing it, actually, so I'm glad you're not trying to convert me into what your other clients are more used to. We'd be having some creative differences if that's the case."
At the wink, he smirks back at him. "No, not yet. If anything, I think you've successfully sold me on at least actually trying, so. Congratulations. You managed to surprise me, too."
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Klaus shifts on his mat and flops backward, stretching and simply enjoying the dappled sun through the leaves of the tree overhead. He turns his head to look at Tony, however. "Besides, creative differences can be sexy. Think of all the angst and tension you could work out. I mean in choosing difficult poses, you know, get your head out of the gutter." He points a feigned accusing finger at Tony before he lets out a sigh, his arms falling back to his sides.
"This pose shouldn't hurt. Lie back and enjoy the day a little. Especially since I need to celebrate this victory. Pepper told me you'd probably quit on me thirty seconds in, that you can be doggedly determined when you put your mind to it. So I'm already breaking a Tony Stark World Record as he speak. But I have to say I'm absolutely relieved to still have a job. I really should make people sign a non-disclosure as well. Would hate for all of my nefarious practices to leak to the public. God forbid I surprise a man sometimes."
He takes in a deep breath and lets it out in a slow sigh. "So here's the deal," he says when he rolls over onto his side to look at Tony on the mat a few feet from him. "Well do some stretches every day, whatever you're feeling, and if you're not, then we'll spend the time in idle chit-chat and I'll gush over every detail. I'll even tell Ms. Potts all about the excellent progress you've made and maybe, just maybe, it'll release some of that tension you're holding onto for dear life. It's making me tense and that's impressive. Kind of somewhere between like... deciding which cake to have for dessert or casually tearing the world apart. That kind of tension."
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No, he tells himself. He’s not going down this path. He supposes it’s a good thing, to want to hit on Klaus since it’s the first ‘normal’ thing that he has found himself wanting to do since finding himself in a cave in Afghanistan, but no. Pepper would probably murder him for turning this into something else, especially when it’s actually going pretty well.
When Klaus suggests to lay down, Tony gives him a look despite the fact that a smirk quirks at his lips, and with a playful sigh he complies. “Oh, you mean I could have been live-streaming this whole thing from the beginning? I think I remember someone from that boring party that would love to see you in yoga pants.”
He’s teasing, and the way his smile turns playful is almost too easy.
As he listens to Klaus speaks, he considers what he says before he nods slightly. Until he mentions tension, and Tony looks genuinely surprised. Not at the fact that he looks tense, but that it’s bad enough to make it that obvious to someone who he has barely interacted with. “That’s quite the range there. But...yeah, alright. I guess it’s worth a shot.”
Despite his initial apprehension, though, he knows it’s already working. Just laying down here, under the tree and with the sounds of the ocean at a distance, it’s relaxing him enough that he’s managing to breathe a little easier. Now that he’s not wrapped up with his project and all the work he has been pouring into it, it’s as if the exhaustion he has been trying to outrun is slowly creeping in, but he tries to ignore it as he turns his head to turn to Klaus again.
“So, tell me. Did I miss any good parties while I was gone, or have they been just as boring?”
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But he doesn't bother to move, either, once he rolls to face the man, head leaned into one palm. "I like to keep my options open to the various levels of despair one might face in life. Even if your despair for the next month is nothing but a yoga-induced hell, I take great delight in it. After thirty days, you can be free of me without charge, you know. Your little friend, Pepper? She can write a contract sharp enough to slay a man."
The afternoon weather holds up, clear skies and balmy breeze. Again, Klaus finds himself envious of the view. To have a slice of a beach that close, private and tucked away? He'd love to bring Claire here, let her splash in the waters and collect shells that tourists and vacationers haven't yet gotten their paws on.
"Any party I attended was a party you should not have missed. No party can be boring so long as I'm there, didn't you learn that last time?" He laughs softly, plucking a blade of grass and tossing it at Tony before he rolls onto his back again, tipping his face up into the sun, arms stretched over his head in the grass. It's easy, keeping up the playful tone, digging into the soft spot of conversation between them. They've acknowledged the pain, the tension, but now he wants to bring some levity to Tony Stark, the human being. Klaus knows what it's like to wake up every day feeling like a shell of yourself, and sometimes the normalcy of those around you can help fill that tank.
"You missed very little. But all that means is we can make up for it with parties of our own. I've been known to do a little spicy mix of dancercize and yoga if that will really get the blood boiling."
He smirks at the thought. "But I have the feeling the only one really wanting to see me in my yoga pants has the good fortune to be doing live sessions on the reg with me now. In fact, I think your little Pepper has me booked twice a week. Whatever will you do but pine for me in all your free time."
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Trying this out for thirty days doesn’t feel too bad, though. Or, well. This part isn’t terrible, at least. He’s still unsure about the yoga portion, but at least Klaus has already managed to get him in a better mood then what he had been when he walked out of the house.
With a chuckle, he gives him a ‘oh really’ look when he talks about the parties, unable to hide the smile on his face. He had forgotten how easy it was to do this, getting lost in conversation with Klaus, but he’s finding the rediscovery pretty damn comforting.
“Dancercize, huh? That...sounds a little terrifying but I guess we’ll have to wait and see how that goes.”
Twice a week. He gets to see Klaus twice a week? He may have dismissed that fact when Pepper was filling him in about the sessions, but he finds himself not minding it. “Lucky me. Guess we’ll have to have some fun, then.” He stretches out his legs, his body suddenly relishing on the fact that he’s not sitting or standing anymore after...hell, he can’t even remember. As he stretches, he looks up at the tree above him, the blue sky beyond it. For a moment he stays still, just observing everything before he breathes out a chuckle.
“You want to know something ridiculous? I’ve lived here for years and I think this is the first time I’ve ever done this. Hanging out here like this, I mean. It’s...admittedly, not terrible.”
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He stills if only to listen to the waves in the distance, which seem suppressed by the sound of that chuckle. Klaus opens his eyes and turns his head to look at the man on the ground across from him, a faint smile on his lips. It's a good sound, and with Tony distracted, he takes a second to admire the man in the dappled light. The dim light of the bar back then did little to dull his features, and even though Klaus can see the shadows of whatever it is the man saw in Afghanistan in the lines of his face, Tony Stark is handsome. No wonder he's a lady killer, after all.
Klaus shifts to prop himself up on an elbow. "Is that so? That's a real shame, I was just thinking if I'd had a yard like this I'd bring my niece here to do all the sight seeing and digging her little heart could desire, landscaping bedamned. Which I'm sure has cost thousands to upkeep, but what's a yard and garden with a view if you don't use it?"
Sitting up, Klaus draws his knees against his chest, tilting his head to rest against the tops. "Sounds like we'll be doing a lot of outdoor yoga, if only so I can live vicariously through you. Maybe when you're feeling especially bendy I'll even get you down on the beach. I mean, who wouldn't want to see this," he gestures once to himself, fingers wiggling, "Rolled up in sand. And don't even get me started on you. Ugh. But we'll start with shade and grass for now, can't progress too quickly. Can't have all those good looks getting to your head."
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As Klaus props himself up, now it’s Tony’s turn to glance over to him but not moving from his spot. For the first time in way too long he’s actually comfortable, and it’s obvious in his even his features seem a bit less tense than when he had originally stepped out.
“How old is she?” Allison Hargreeves may be extremely famous, and her family by association in addition to the old game their name carries with it, but Tony doesn’t pay attention to those type of details. The paparazzi and their intrusive reporting has always bugged him, especially since he has been on the kid’s side of that equation, so he ignores those type of interviews or spreads. “You can bring her one day, if you want. You don’t even have to come up here, we can give you the code to go to the beach. Trust me, no one will bother you guys.”
It’s said so easily, like he and Klaus have known each other forever and this is common between them. But, considering how Klaus has managed already to accomplish the impossible by getting him to relax, the offer is out without even a second thought. And, well. While Tony may have the reputation of being a narcissist, and selfish, and an egomaniac to boot, what people don’t really realize is that he’s more generous than he ever tends to publicly share. This is a glimpse to the other side of Tony - the side that doesn’t get publicized or exposed.
Tony chuckles again about doing yoga down by the beach, shaking his head slightly. “I vote for sticking with this first. I’ve had enough sand to last me for a good while, so. I’m good.” It’s said casually, almost too easily as he rolls over and props himself to face Klaus with a smile. “But hey, if you want to roll up in sand, you can do it. I’ll just admire the view.”
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Klaus smiles when he speaks of Claire, and he might as well be talking about his own kid for all the fondness in his voice and his expression. But in a way, Claire saved him from himself, long before she could speak, long before he knew her.
"So you be careful. Give me the code to the beach and she might have your whole house on command after that." He snorts, picking idly at the grass with his free hand, pleased to see Tony propping himself up. There's something more relaxed about him, and while Klaus can't help but admire the view, he's glad to see the man letting down a defense or two. The sand comment doesn't go without notice, though, and he laughs.
"No sand, got it. To be honest, it's so uncomfortable and it's like glitter, the shit just gets everywhere. So maybe we'll stick to grass and greener pastures for now. I'll let you do all the difficult yoga work and I'll go have myself a nice little suntan. I'll conduct class anywhere, so long as we've got room to breathe."
Small spaces make him antsy, remind him a little too much of a childhood spend in dark, looming mausoleums and cramped graves. "But by all means," he shifts to sit up, but not without arching his back and tossing his hair dramatically, "Admire the view all you please. But that's a two way street, mister, and I think there might be some kind of sexual harassment clause in the contract. Though I think Ms. Potts was more worried about you. Jokes on her, hm?" He smiles as he draws up into a cross legged sit.