Curiosity Killed the Cat...

The private lounge was quieter now, a stark contrast to the chaos of the press conference. The group had reconvened here, away from the prying eyes of reporters, for a moment of peace and reflection. Tony sat on a plush couch, Stephen lounging in his lap, while Pepper and Happy stood nearby, their expressions carefully neutral. Yinsen sat across from Tony, a soft but determined smile on his face.

Yinsen cleared his throat, breaking the comfortable silence. "I wanted to let you all know… I've decided to return to my family. They're in Queens."

Tony froze mid-sip of the drink he was holding, lowering the glass slowly. "You're leaving?"

Yinsen nodded, his smile tinged with sadness. "Yes. I've been away from them for too long. After everything that's happened… I just want to be with them. To see my wife, hold my children. They're my reason for surviving all of this."

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of Yinsen's words settling over everyone.

Tony finally leaned forward, setting his drink down on the table. His usual bravado was absent, replaced by something softer. "I get it," he said quietly. "After what you've been through, you deserve that."

Yinsen's smile widened slightly, his gratitude evident. "Thank you, Tony. And thank you for everything—for keeping me alive when I had little hope."

Tony let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "If anything, I should be thanking you. You saved me, Yinsen. More times than I can count."

Stephen's ears twitched slightly, his blue eyes flicking between the two men as he remained curled up in Tony's lap.

"You know," Tony added after a moment, his tone more casual, "I've actually been thinking about moving Stark Industries headquarters to New York. Fresh start, new perspective—seems fitting, doesn't it?"

Yinsen raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "New York? That would be quite the change from Malibu."

Tony smirked faintly. "Yeah, well, it's got its charm. Besides, if I do make the move, maybe we'll run into each other. You never know."

Yinsen chuckled. "I'd like that."

Tony leaned back in his seat, his grin returning. "And don't worry, I'll make sure you have the best tech to keep in touch. Give me a little time, and I'll send you a brand-new phone. One I'll invent myself. It'll make anything else on the market look like a toaster."

"I don't doubt that, Tony. I'll look forward to it." Yinsen laughed, shaking his head, before turning his attention to Stephen, who had been unusually quiet during the conversation. "And what about you, Stephen? What are your plans now?"

Stephen blinked, his blue eyes meeting Yinsen's warm gaze. He stretched slightly before sitting up, his tail curling neatly around his paws. "In the short term," he began, his tone measured, "I plan to keep Anthony out of trouble."

Tony raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. "Good luck with that, buddy."

Stephen ignored the comment, continuing, "But eventually, I'll be heading to New York as well. There's a sanctum there I need to visit."

Yinsen tilted his head, curious. "A sanctum?"

Stephen nodded. "The Sanctum Sanctorum. It's a nexus for mystical energy, as well as a repository for ancient knowledge. I'm… familiar with its counterpart in my own universe. I'd like to see how it differs here."

Yinsen's smile softened. "Well, you're welcome to visit me anytime you'd like. My home will always be open to you."

Stephen inclined his head slightly, a rare hint of warmth in his expression. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

Happy, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "Are you sure you'll be okay, Yinsen? I mean… after everything?"

Yinsen's smile faltered for a moment before he nodded firmly. "It won't be easy. But being with my family again will help. And knowing that I've made it through… it gives me hope."

Happy, leaning against the wall, crossed his arms and nodded. "If you need anything, just say the word. Tony's not the only one with connections, you know."

Yinsen laughed, a sound that was light and genuine despite the weight of the conversation. "I appreciate that, Happy. Thank you."

The group fell into a comfortable silence again, the reality of Yinsen's decision settling over them. Finally, Yinsen stood, smoothing the front of his shirt. "I should start preparing. There's a flight to New York I can catch in a couple hours that Pepper has help me book."

Tony stood as well, gently placing Stephen on the couch as he stepped forward to shake Yinsen's hand. "You sure you don't want to stick around for a bit? Malibu's not so bad when you're not getting shot at."

Yinsen chuckled, clasping Tony's hand firmly. "As tempting as that is, my family needs me more."

Tony nodded, his expression softening. "I get it. Just… don't be a stranger, okay?"

"I won't," Yinsen promised.

Stephen hopped down from the couch, padding over to Yinsen and sitting at his feet. He tilted his head, his blue eyes glinting in the light. "Take care of yourself, Yinsen. And if you ever need help… you know where to find me."

Yinsen knelt slightly, reaching out to scratch behind Stephen's ears. "And you, Stephen. Try not to let Tony drive you too crazy."

Stephen huffed, his tail flicking. "No promises."

Tony leaned back in his seat with a bittersweet smile, not answering to the banter as he absently swirled the ice in his now-empty glass. Stephen perched on the couch beside him, his tail flicking lazily. The room had fallen into a lull, the kind that always followed big announcements and big decisions. But as Tony stared into his empty glass, a thought seemed to hit him.

He sat up slightly, glancing toward Pepper, who was seated across the room, flipping through emails on her tablet. "Hey, Pep," Tony called out, his tone casual but laced with curiosity. "Where's Rhodey? Haven't seen him since the press conference."

Pepper looked up from her tablet, her expression shifting slightly—something between sympathy and exasperation. "He left right after the press conference," she said. "He was on the phone with his superiors. From what I overheard… they didn't take the news about the weapons division well."

Tony winced, his bravado slipping for just a moment. "Ah, crap. I didn't warn him. Should've told him what I was planning before dropping the bomb in front of the whole world."

Pepper sighed, setting her tablet down as she gave Tony a pointed look. "Yes, you should have. He's your friend, Tony. He deserved a heads-up."

Stephen's ears flicked as he watched the exchange, his blue eyes glinting with faint amusement. "It seems accountability is harder than it looks," he murmured.

Tony shot him a brief glare before leaning forward, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't think it would blow back on him this hard. I mean, it's my decision, right? My company. Why are they giving him a hard time?"

Pepper crossed her arms, her tone softening slightly. "Because he's the military liaison for Stark Industries. Your decision makes his job a lot harder, Tony. The people above him are scrambling now, and Rhodey's the one caught in the middle."

Tony let out a frustrated sigh, leaning back against the couch and staring at the ceiling. "Great. Just great. Add that to the list of people I've pissed off today."

Stephen hopped onto the arm of the couch, his tail curling neatly around his paws as he looked down at Tony. "And yet, you don't regret it."

Tony glanced at him, his lips quirking into a faint smile. "You're right, I don't. It was the right call, even if it's going to make things messy."

Pepper nodded, though her expression remained serious. "Rhodey will understand. Eventually. But you might want to talk to him sooner rather than later."

"Yeah," Tony muttered. "Soon as I figure out how to start that conversation without him punching me in the face."

Pepper smirked faintly, standing and smoothing her skirt. "Good luck with that. In the meantime, I'm heading to the office to deal with the fallout."

Tony raised an eyebrow, his grin returning. "You mean to tell me you don't want to hang out with me and the magical talking cat?"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Tempting, but no. Someone has to keep the board from imploding, and unfortunately, that someone is me."

Happy, who had been leaning against the wall near the door, gave her a nod. "I can drive you there, Ms. Potts."

"Thanks, Happy," Pepper said, picking up her tablet and giving Tony one last look. "Don't blow anything up while I'm gone."

Tony smirked as he repeated Stephen's words, "No promises."

As Pepper and Happy left the room, the mood shifted again, quieter now with just Tony, Stephen, and Yinsen remaining. Yinsen stood, smoothing the front of his shirt as he glanced between the two.

"Well," Yinsen said with a soft smile, "I suppose this is goodbye—for now."

Tony stood as well, shaking his hand firmly. "Not goodbye. Just… see you later. And don't forget—I'm sending you that phone."

Yinsen laughed lightly, his warm gaze lingering on Tony for a moment. "Take care of yourself, Tony. And try to stay out of trouble."

Tony grinned. "I try."

Yinsen then turned to Stephen, his expression softening. "And you, Stephen. Don't let him get himself killed, will you?"

Stephen inclined his head slightly, his voice calm. "I'll do my best. But trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes."

Tony snorted. "Hey, I resent that."

Stephen hopped down from the couch, stretching gracefully before padding toward the door. "Shall we, Anthony? We've got a long drive ahead of us."

Tony groaned but followed, his grin softening as he gave Yinsen one last wave. "Take care, Yinsen."

"You too," Yinsen said, his smile lingering even as he turned and walked away.

Tony and Stephen left shortly afterward, piling into the sleek black car that was waiting for them outside. Happy was already behind the wheel, having returned after dropping Pepper off at the Stark Industries office.

The drive back to Malibu was quiet at first, the hum of the car and the faint sound of the radio filling the silence. Stephen sat curled up on the seat beside Tony, his blue eyes half-closed as he watched the scenery pass by.

"You know," Tony said after a while, his tone casual but thoughtful, "I wasn't expecting today to go the way it did. But… I think I handled it okay. What do you think, Steph?"

Stephen opened one eye, his gaze flicking to Tony. "You've made bold choices. Now you need to be prepared for the consequences."

Tony smirked faintly, leaning back in his seat. "Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that."

The rest of the drive passed in companionable silence, the two of them quietly reflecting on the day's events. And though the road ahead was uncertain, neither of them felt quite so alone anymore.