Panic Button

[madimpossibledreamer]

look what I found
~dreamer~
((mr. fixit is totally a reference, huh?  most of the rogues' gallery i only know from armored adventures

Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Willow tries to help with the fallout from Glory....
Word Count: 685
Rating: Gen

         It’s the coffee that finally breaks through the haze of panic.  It’s probably not a good idea, given the whole caffeine thing, but he’ll manage.  It takes him about a minute to realize Willow or Star, one of them, turned on the TV and the stereo and the reassuring chatter almost sounds like it should—don’t go there, Stark, that’s not a place you want to be, because we’ve got experience with the whole PTSD thing and if you go there it’s totally breakdown palace.
         “Okay, summary time.  That whole thing about how Glory’s brain-sucking bad touch didn’t do anything?  Yeah, I kinda lied.  I had a headache, but I ignored it.  Probably should’ve worked on figuring out what was going on with me, but ignoring things wrong with me is pretty much an Olympic sport for me, plus I was worried about Tara.  We’ll fix that, I promise.  Because we’re very good at fixing things, and, ha, I’m talking in the royal we.  Rhodey’d be amused and despairing at the same time.  He’s good at that.  Don’t know why or how, but I’m kind of alone on this jaunt which hasn’t happened in years and it’s kind of freaking me out more than a little.  On the other hand, I won’t be any use that way, and I need to fix this, so I just gotta keep it together to be Mr. Fixit.”
         His hands are trembling but he’s—mostly—keeping this together, so it’s—what’s that phrase Xander likes to use—it’s of the good.  “I don’t see a reason any of this needs to be a one-way ticket.  If there’s anything I’ve learned from all of this, it’s a thing or two about magic.  Things are very rarely irreversible when it comes to waving your hands around and casting hocus-pocus.  You just need the right spell.”
         “You’re right!” Willow cheers, before handing him a donut.  That’s another thing that he and Xander have in common.  Donuts fix things.  Not everything, obviously, but things.
         Of course, he probably shouldn’t be indulging her magic addiction, but he’s risked worse for the people he loves, and he couldn’t just tell her no when she’s trying desperately to get back the woman she loves.  They’ll just have to deal with the fallout when it comes to it.  Because it’ll be his mess to clean up, so he will clean it up, whatever it takes.  He’s gotta take life one crisis at a time.
         “Well, I do make a habit of it,” he jokes, and sees her become more at ease.  Because that’s another thing they have in common.  Joking.  Particularly when it’s not appropriate.  Or maybe it is appropriate, since when morale is low is the perfect time for that.
         She hugs him tightly.  “You know, much as we like having Xander around, we don’t dislike having you, and I don’t know why now specifically, but I just now am realizing the whole you’re Tony freaking Stark thing and I’m super excited about meeting you even if you’ve been here for years…”
         He laughs and hugs her back, and that whole thing about hugging a woman without thinking about what she’d be like in his bed (partly because she seriously is too young for him)…yeah, look at this evidence, Pepper, he’s growing up, finally!  Well, it’s a thing that actually exists, and yeah, she’s still his best friend.  “You’ve been concentrating on seeing your Xander in all of this, it’s fine.  Besides, I don’t blame you for not being able to get your head around the awesomeness that is all of this,” he adds, gesturing at his body, and she definitely giggles at that.
         “Well, no matter what, you’re a Scooby.  Don’t even worry about that.  We’ll get him back, but in the meantime, you’ve got us, okay?” Oddly enough, that’s actually good enough to get him to smile again.
         “Same with Tara.  It’s a promise.”  He reaches out and fist-bumps her before starting to chuckle.  “I think we clearly need more caffeine for this, though.  For science.  And magic.”
         “We definitely do,” she agrees enthusiastically.