“I’m taking my daughter trick-or-treating that night, and since I’m their favorite parental figure, I’m almost positive I’m going to be able to convince her to give me half of her candy.”
Carlos looked to the other man in surprise. “Really?” he asked. “Well, that’d be awfully nice of her. Heh, you sure you shouldn’t be carrying around your own bag?”
Tony’s eyes widened with instant curiosity. “Okay,” he said with an encouraging smile, “what’s your hypothesis?”
Carlos offered Stark a small smile back.
“It’s about you,” he said. They were alone in the lab at the moment – it was later and it had been a long day for everyone who wasn’t Carlos or Mr Stark – so Carlos felt like now was a good time to bring this up.
Now his face winced with a slight frown of puzzlement, but it relaxed again and Tony was smiling pleasantly. “Was there someplace you felt would be more suitable to discuss this?” he asked with growing curiosity.
“This is fine,” Carlos assured him. Carlos hoped that Mr Stark wasn’t too nervous. It wasn’t anything bad. “Mr Stark, you’re probably one of the best employers out there. You treat everyone with the same amount of respect and regard. That is… except for me.” Carlos dropped his gaze then, his nerves starting to waver a bit but he still smiled a bit. “I mean… not everybody has one-on-one coffee with you. Nor do I think you make it a habit to let employees fall asleep on you in meetings.” Carlos glanced up at him again. “So, uh… I get the idea that I’m different? Somehow? That’s – that’s my hypothesis.” Carlos hoped to God that he wasn’t reading things wrong.
Tony’s eyes widened with instant curiosity. “Okay,” he said with an encouraging smile, “what’s your hypothesis?”
Carlos offered Stark a small smile back.
“It’s about you,” he said. They were alone in the lab at the moment – it was later and it had been a long day for everyone who wasn’t Carlos or Mr Stark – so Carlos felt like now was a good time to bring this up.
Carlos’ shoulders were tense the moment that Stark touched them. This really seemed out of the blue. At first. Carlos supposed he had been working especially diligently lately, but he didn’t think anyone had noticed. Was today really going to be the day they had one of these sort of conversations?
It wasn’t that Carlos didn’t appreciate that Stark was concerned about him, but… it was just one of those things that Carlos wasn’t entirely comfortable talking or even thinking about (during work time, anyhow). And it was made worse if Stark was thinking about Carlos when there were other, more important things that Carlos thought he should worry about.
Carlos tried to let out a breath and relax, though despite Stark’s intention Carlos was anything but put at ease.
“I… I do trust your judgement, Mr Stark,” Carlos began slowly. He paused in his work for the moment, but didn’t turn to look at the other man. “I’m… I guess I’m just trying to be the sort of guy you think I am.” Which was true, because the absolute last thing Carlos wanted to do was disappoint Stark.
The Perfect Scientist 