So off his game he hadn't even noticed the subtle light pulsing on the interface, warning him of the Doctor's arrival, Tony's head snapped up at the familiar voice. Mouth already open to quip back — that was sort of what they did — he found himself struck silent again for one long moment, then another. Strange, Stephen, wasn't decked out in his medical gear for once, and it was exceedingly distracting.
Distracting enough that he apparently stood there, unspeaking, mouth still open until Rhodey snorted audibly from behind him and Tony jolted, finally managing to gather himself enough to snark back.
"Excuse you, I'm the actual definition of fine. The finest, you might say. Voted Hottest Man Alive seven years running until an actual god stole my spot. Unfair by any mortal metrics, but them's the breaks."
The grin he'd summoned by then wasn't diminished at all by the muffled laughter that rose up behind him and Tony winked at the Doctor before turning back to regard his best friend. "You okay, sugarplum? You sound like you might have some kinda sinus thing going on. Maybe he should tuck you in and check back in another week."
"Ha, you wish. Hell no." Rhodey stood alone with visible care, hands braced lightly on the back of the lounger as he steadied himself with way less effort than it had taken a few weeks back. "You've been mother-henning me so bad you're lucky I stayed this long. Hey, Doc—" Lifting his hands from the chair, he stepped out into the open, arms a little stiff at his sides, but his balance obviously night and day from what he'd had at the beginning of the physical therapy sessions.
"Pretty good, right?" Turning in place, he lifted one foot from the ground and balanced with no apparent effort before switching to the other side. "What do you say, can you cut me loose? Before Tony decides to wrap me in bubble wrap and shove me in a closet for my own good?"