The pounding on the door was so loud it woke the neighbor — Skye — from next door.
"You can't wake up someone who's pretending to sleep, Mr. Stark," she sighed, walking over with a key in hand.
She unlocked Lucas's door and pushed it open. "When he's asleep, not even the sky falling will wake him up. He says he's sealed by the blanket, and we just have to wait until the seal lifts itself."
Skye sounded helpless — as if she'd said this too many times before. Aside from her and Gwen, no one could wake Lucas up once that so-called 'seal' was in place. Well… except Helen — Lucas and Gwen's mom — the first person ever to forcibly break the blanket seal.
Sure enough, Lucas was fast asleep. Tony marched straight in and, with zero hesitation, yanked the blanket off. If this kid wanted to play sealed cocoon, Tony Stark was going to unseal him himself.
"Ahhhh!"
Skye let out a shriek, covering her face with both hands. She had no idea Lucas slept completely naked.
Through the gaps between her fingers, she risked a peek — and instantly turned crimson. Lucas's lean but sculpted frame was on full display — not bulky like Western athletes, but every muscle clearly defined. Her eyes flickered downward and—
Yeah, she was definitely blushing now.
Tony blinked, dumbfounded for half a second. Then, unexpectedly, he grinned. "Huh. Didn't peg the kid for a fellow enthusiast. Naked sleeper — just like me. I knew we were kindred spirits."
Click.
A gun barrel suddenly pressed against Tony's forehead — the cold metal of the Punisher gleaming under the light.
"Whoa, hey! Easy there, buddy!" Tony threw up his hands instantly. "It's me! Tony Stark! You might wanna watch where you're pointing that thing — it doesn't have eyes, you know!"
He stepped back, hands raised in surrender. That black muzzle staring him down made his heart pound like crazy. If he hadn't known better, he'd think he was about to become the world's first man ever shot for pulling off a blanket.
If Tony had realized that weapon couldn't actually hurt him at all, he'd have been in his suit blasting away already.
Hearing Tony's voice, Lucas finally stirred. He blinked groggily, then froze when he realized half the building — including Skye — was staring at his very naked self.
"Crap!!"
He grabbed the blanket and covered himself in a panic, tossing the gun aside.
Tony turned to Skye with a smirk, then back to Lucas. "Come on, kid, no need to be shy. We're all friends here. Look at me and Pepper — perfectly natural!"
Tony was delighted — another similarity! Both of them had complicated dynamics with their assistants.
"Get out!" Lucas barked, glaring. "I'm getting dressed. You people seriously planning to just stand there?"
He lifted the gun again for emphasis. Everyone except Tony wisely retreated into the living room.
Tony leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially, "So, when are you planning to make a move on that cute assistant of yours? You know, if you're nervous, Uncle Tony's got plenty of experience — and contacts."
Lucas shot him a look that could kill, saying nothing as he pulled on his clothes.
He knew what Tony meant — but there was also Gwen. In his past life, he'd been terminally single; now, he had no idea how to juggle a love triangle.
Tony just grinned as Lucas disappeared into the bathroom. He wandered around the apartment, hands in his pockets, examining the décor.
"Not bad. From the outside, this place looked ancient, and from the inside — yup, even older. Very consistent. Need me to send a renovation team? Guarantee a full transformation."
The place was styled in European retro chic — the exact opposite of Tony's futuristic, tech-saturated taste.
"No thanks," came Lucas's muffled voice from the shower. "I like it this way. The neighbors do too. No need to mess with it."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Yeah, the neighbors — probably as antique as the furniture."
He sat down on the couch, patting the armrest. "But I'll give you this — this sofa's incredible. Where'd you get it? I should just buy the whole company and have them make one just for me."
The suede cushions were unbelievably soft.
Lucas, of course, couldn't tell him it came from his system. So he ignored him and kept showering.
Tony shrugged. Whatever. He was Tony Stark — if he wanted something, he got it. A sofa company? Consider it bought.
---
"By the way," Lucas asked when he came out, toweling his hair dry, "who are all those people you brought with you?"
"Oh, them?" Tony pointed casually toward the kitchen. "My chef team. International lineup — French, Italian, Japanese. I skipped breakfast, so I figured I'd come over and share a meal."
Lucas blinked. "You brought chefs just to eat with me?"
"Of course! And also so they could study your recipes. I still dream about those dishes I had here last time."
Lucas sighed. "They can't learn it."
"Why not?"
"Because," he said with a straight face, "magic."
And technically, it was true. His ingredients were supplied by the system, and his dishes came from his cooking skill — no traditional recipe involved.
Tony slumped, disappointed. So much for daily gourmet meals. Still, he had to admit — nothing compared to Lucas's cooking.
"Fine, fine. You guys can go," Tony told the chefs with a wave. They packed up and left, leaving him to enjoy the feast Lucas whipped up.
By the time Tony put his fork down, the plates were empty — and he looked like he might explode.
"Were you starving?" Lucas asked, wide-eyed. "Pepper not feeding you these days?"
"Shut it," Tony said, wiping his mouth elegantly with a napkin. "Your food's just too damn good. Lost control for a second."
"Want a job as my private chef? Name your price."
"Forget it," Lucas snorted. "I'm the owner of a detective agency — and a shareholder in your company, by the way. Why would I work for you? You want to eat, just come over."
Tony chuckled. "Fair enough, business partner."
Then he leaned back, pulling out his phone. "Oh, right. You see the news today?"
Lucas looked up. "What news?"
"A big green guy just tore through Columbia University."
He grinned. "Guess the Hulk's out of the bag."
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