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They’d been working and living together—well not together together, Bruce had a few rooms in the tower—for only a few weeks. Despite destroying the Iron Legion, Tony couldn’t save his relationship with Pepper. She had left the tower only a few days after they came back. Bruce had been staying in the tower, which was undergoing renovation on most of the upper floors, since the Battle of New York. Bruce had dealt with and even caused major destruction before, so it didn’t affect him as much as it did Tony. When Tony and Pepper had left for Malibu, Bruce had stayed behind with his newfound safety and home with the Avengers, for once craving stability rather than escape. Besides, Tony had given him a permanent, “work whenever you want on whatever you want” research and development position at Stark Industries. But, when they came back for New Year's Eve, and especially after Pepper left, Tony was not the same man that Bruce had met that summer. He had retreated into himself, unwilling or unable to ask for the help he clearly needed. Bruce didn’t know what to offer beyond basic friendship, and even with that, Tony’s attempts seemed half-hearted, until Tony finally asked for his help as a doctor.

He opened up. Bruce, despite having fallen asleep in the impromptu therapy session, had been able to help him somehow. Tony came to life once more, resuming old projects, starting new ones with Bruce, and for a little while they were actually acting like the good friends they’d become since the Avengers’ first and only assembly. But, Tony soon became obsessive about one of their ideas. Bruce had been encouraging him and helping him develop it, but as Tony became more frenetic, Bruce retracted. Tony spent days and nights in the workshop, only stopping to have Jarvis send him food and drink through what Bruce eventually found was an automated dumbwaiter. Then Bruce finally caught him sleeping facedown on a desk, snoring lightly, a stylus still in his hand. Bruce let him be, figuring what little rest he got would be better than nothing. He regretted it. At 48 hours, Bruce tried to force Tony into going to bed, to no avail. At 65 hours, Tony started singing AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” at Bruce when he entered. Bruce ignored it, thinking he was hysterical, and convinced him to sleep on the hard couch in the shop. Then, 20 minutes later, he was digging scrap out of a bin, claiming he’d had a breakthrough. Tony had finally reached 90 hours without leaving the shop, and Bruce had had enough. It wasn’t good for him, and the project wasn’t nearly important enough for Tony to risk his health.

“I swear to god, Tony, if you’re sleeping down here again, I will carry you to bed myself.” Bruce called as he descended the stairs into the workshop.

Tony sat on a stool with his head propped on his hand, very nearly drooling on the blueprint screen, his left hand still tapping and waving lazily over it, drawing up the plans for god-knows-what-now. The man inhaled sharply through his nose as his hand stopped and he closed his eyes. “Promise?”

“Jesus, Tony please stop working. You haven’t had any real sleep in four days. The blueprints will still be here when you wake up.” Bruce gently laid a hand on his shoulder, hoping the contact might soothe him into complying this time.

He sat up, and Bruce almost thought he was going to come with him, but then he was motioning over the screen and dragging the blueprints up into the air. “Look at this.”

“Tony, please—” Bruce stopped. It was a satellite. There were compartments and launching mechanisms and it damn-near looked weaponized. The file name was Hulkbuster. When Bruce was still collaborating with him, they had been talking about creating some kind of reinforcement for the Hulk, in case he got out of control. Tony had suggested using remote deployment, but this was taking “remote” to a whole new level. “Tony this is—”

“And this.” Tony rose and dragged his feet to a small table, on which sat a 10 inch tall model of . . . something. It was an octagonal prism that was slightly narrower at the top than the bottom, and it was reinforced at the edges. “It’s only a markup, obviously miniature, but it’s a containment unit. The real thing will be able to hold the Hulk while the real help comes in from the satellite.” He grinned, “You still want me to stop working?”

Bruce raised his eyebrows. The man looked haggard, unshaven, dark purple bags under his eyes, and he blinked slowly, his smile wavering as Bruce delayed his response. “Yes. Seriously, Tony, you’ve got some great work done here, but you need to stop. You need sleep.” He said, stopping Tony from slinking back to a holoscreen. Tony looked at him the way Bruce imagined sullen teenagers looked at their parents, and Bruce decided he would need back-up. “Jarvis, please initiate protocol 6-33-75. Password: R B Banner.”

Tony’s face dropped and he looked around. “You programmed a protocol? You hacked Jarvis?” Bruce thought he’d be angry, but he lit up, watching as all of his work saved and the systems shut down. “Bruce, you are amazing. I have never met anyone who could—I could kiss you. Can I kiss you?” Tony approached Bruce in awe, only to be swept up in a wheely desk chair brought over by Dum-E.

“You’re delirious, Tony. Go to bed,” But Bruce smiled. The lights dimmed and Tony got up from the chair to follow Bruce out instead of being pushed along by his own robots.

“Take me to bed.” Tony grabbed Bruce’s arm. “Seriously, I’ll sleep, but come with me.” His face softened. “I don’t avoid it for no reason. Flirting and joking aside, I would honestly sleep better if you were just . . . there.” He wouldn’t meet Bruce’s eyes.

Bruce knew that Tony had nightmares, terrors even, and Bruce empathized with that. After their first few nights together though, he realized that there might be other reasons to sleep in Tony’s bed.

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Tony gasped and opened his eyes. His heart pounded in his chest, and he couldn’t get enough air. He bolted upright and tried to focus on breathing. That’s when he saw Bruce, curled into himself but soft and peaceful. Before Tony even realized what had happened, his breathing slowed and the panic subsided. Not completely, but enough, just from knowing the man was there. Bruce shifted on the bed as Tony laid back down.

“Tony? Are you alright?” Bruce mumbled sleepily beside him.

“Yeah, it‘s fine.” Tony whispered, still panting slightly. This was practically routine by now. Bruce had shared Tony’s bed for almost a week. It was strictly platonic; they even agreed to wear pajamas, rather than Tony’s usual preference of sleeping in his underwear. Getting to sleep was easier. Tony could follow Bruce’s controlled, even breaths, and the extra warmth and weight on the bed was a comforting reminder that he wasn’t alone, that he was alive, and so was Bruce and everyone else because of him. Almost every night, Tony would wake up in a full panic attack, and Bruce was there to calm him back to sleep. Bruce had nightmares too, but his weren’t cause for a panic attack. Tony would wake up to Bruce muttering and once even crying in his sleep. Bruce never told him what the dream was, but Tony could guess. Sharing a body with the Hulk wasn’t easy in itself, but Bruce’s tendency to ravage cities and terrify the townsfolk would give any man nightmares.

This time, Bruce broke the routine. “Come here.” Bruce lifted the sheet, indicating that Tony should move closer. Tony had flirted and joked about them getting together since they met, even when he was still with Pepper, but he had never thought about how it would actually feel to be in Bruce’s personal space. He could feel the warmth of Bruce’s body heat entwining with his own, and Bruce was still enveloped in the soft scent of soap from his shower before bed. This was intimate, more intimate than sex. He lay facing Bruce so that their knees knocked together, and their faces were mere inches apart. Bruce draped the blanket over him and hugged him. Tony had no choice but to return the hug, being that close. “You don’t have to pretend to be okay.” Bruce breathed in his ear. “It’s okay to need help. My sleeping next to you is a good start, but if you need more, even just a touch or a hug, I want to help.”

Tony stiffened in Bruce’s arms until Bruce let go; still, not wanting to back away, Tony laid his head on Bruce’s pillow. Bruce was, in that moment, the best friend that Tony had ever had. They locked eyes, and in the silver moonlight that shined through the window curtain, Tony saw Bruce flick his eyes to Tony’s mouth. In their closeness, they shared the air between them, and then, Tony did feel that he needed more. He returned the glance from Bruce’s eyes to his lips and back, expecting rejection or retreat but finding permission and even invitation.

Their lips met softly. Bruce laid his hand on Tony’s waist. Tony waited a moment to see if Bruce would continue. Then, he parted their lips together and slipped his tongue between them, and everything else was gone. Bruce's tongue followed his in soft, gentle touches, slowly becoming more and more passionate. Tony’s hand rested on Bruce’s cheek and felt the faintest hint of stubble. It had been a while since he’d kissed a man, but this was Bruce Banner, one of the most brilliant minds in this century, Tony’s friend, and the man with whom Tony felt safest despite his more dangerous side. When they finally broke apart, Tony was breathing heavily for a very different reason. He felt blood rushing south, and even though he didn’t want that right now, he was amazed at how turned on he was.

“That’s really not what I meant, but . . .” Bruce looked away, unable to hide his smile. “Do you feel better?”

Tony huffed a laugh, “Yes. Very much.” He kissed Bruce again. “Thank you.”

The next morning, they got up, had coffee, and made their way into the workshop just like any other day. They worked together and separately; Tony dealt with some Stark Industries business, and by the time they were crawling back into bed, neither of them had said a word about what had happened. Then, Bruce nuzzled into Tony’s side instead of shrinking into a ball on his side of the bed. Tony put an arm around him and kissed the top of Bruce's head. His hair smelled like honeysuckle from his shampoo. Bruce kissed his lips once and turned around so that Tony was spooning him. Tony tried not to think about what it meant that they didn’t talk about it.

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Bruce counted his breaths and pulled his knees into his chest. He was naked, exhausted, and cold, but he was still in the safe room with no new dents in the walls. There were scraps of sharp, crushed, and twisted metal strewn around the room. The new trap prototype hadn’t worked. He sighed and allowed himself another minute on the floor to muster his strength.

Bruce heard the chunk of the bolted door as Tony opened it and rushed inside with a blanket for him. “Easy Bruce, go slow. How’s your head?”

Bruce sat up and took the blanket. “Sort of pounding. Nothing unusual. Why?”

“The other guy, well, he kind of headbutted his way out of it. Ran straight into the wall. The wall’s not dented, so I figured your head . . .”

"I’m okay. Bullets, cars, walls, he can take a beating.” Bruce stood up slowly. “Tony, that one was sort of our last hope. I don’t think we can make this thing work. He’s too strong, too determined.”

“No. We’re not giving up. We’ll figure something out.” Tony said stubbornly. He pulled Bruce into a hug. Bruce, naked but for the blanket, awkwardly accepted the soothing gesture. “We’ll make it work, buddy.”

Bruce relaxed in Tony’s arms and held onto him, perhaps longer than necessary, but Tony didn’t seem to mind.

Chapter Text

Bruce focused the microscope, adjusted the light, and cursed. He saw what he always saw. No matter what solutions, mixtures, compounds, or magic fucking potions he tried, it didn’t matter. The cells always bubbled, turned green, and expanded, eating the new compound in a matter of seconds. Once, it had seemed to work, the few drops of solution resisted and even seemed to keep his sample cells from changing, but after a minute, the solution failed and was consumed by the cells, regenerating and expanding, destroying everything in their wake.

He disposed the dish and slumped into his chair. “Fuck.” He swore under his breath. That solution had taken 16 hours to prepare, for nothing.

“Hey,” Tony said behind him, a touch of sympathy in his tone. “No breakthroughs?” His hands came to rest on Bruce’s shoulders, solid and warm.

“I should be used to it by now.” Bruce admitted, tilting his head backward over the chair to look at Tony. He had a smudge of grease on the side of his nose, and he smiled sympathetically. “How are things going on your side? Any good news to cheer me up?”

Tony grinned. “I’ve been playing with some old suit designs, and I had an idea. Instead of a wearable suit that can be controlled remotely, I’m building AI robots.”

“Robots?” Bruce swiveled the chair so he could look at the man properly. “You’ve already built all kinds of bots. I just assumed you didn’t want any humanoid ones. Why now?

“Well, I’ve tried before. When I first made Jarvis, I tried to make him a body. The programming is tricky, to get the bot to function without commanding each individual movement. The less complex bots like Dum-E are easier. They understand and perform simple commands, and they can learn, like Jarvis, but the physical components are simpler. If I could get that kind of intelligence into complex bots like the Iron Legion, they wouldn’t even need the commands!”

Bruce was skeptical. “You want to rebuild the Iron Legion with Jarvis inside to control them? Without being commanded? I know you can do amazing things, but doesn’t that sound a bit too science fiction? Like, I, Robot? If they really are intelligent, there’s a lot that could go wrong.”

“Well, that’s why I’ve got you to help me. We can add in a failsafe in case it gets out of control. We just have to invent the failsafe first.” He smiled. Bruce cursed that smile sometimes. Tony could tell Bruce they were going to catch the moon in a fishing net, and if he smiled like that at the end, Bruce would help him do it.

“Alright, we’ll do it, but not tonight.” Bruce hid his amusement as he removed his glasses and scrubbed his face with his hands. “I’ve got a better idea for tonight.”

“Better than building life-like robots that will change the world?” Tony crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, skeptical that Bruce could have something better.

Bruce inhaled, made up his mind, and stood up right in Tony’s space. He worried it would make him uncomfortable, but on the contrary, Tony’s eyes widened and he seemed to lean even closer to Bruce. “Yes.” Bruce breathed, his slow grin challenging Tony to accept without knowing what Bruce was proposing. Bruce slipped his folded glasses into his pocket and reached up to Tony’s nape. The time between touching his neck and kissing him was slow and flush with longing. Tony was indulging him, letting him take his time. It was two weeks after they had had their first kiss in Tony’s bed. They’d shared many in that time, but this was the first outside of that space which now seemed nearly sacred, the place they could find solace together like nowhere else. But here, seven floors below that hallowed bed, Bruce was bringing that comfort into the rest of their lives.

Tony followed Bruce’s lead, easing into the kiss like wading into the shallows of a pool, and when Bruce dove in, Tony moved his hips against Bruce’s own and blatantly sucked his tongue as though it gave him life. Bruce hummed and let his hand wander to Tony’s ass as they feverishly rutted into each other. Then, Tony suddenly stopped.

He stepped back and held Bruce at arm’s length. “Bruce.” His eyes fixed on Bruce’s chest, and he was obviously fighting with himself over something. Bruce wondered if he’d stepped over an unseen line. “I’ve gotta ask a stupid question before we—before this.” He paused, and Bruce searched his face apprehensively. “You aren’t gonna turn green if you get too excited, are you? It’s got something to do with heart rate, right? I know we’ve talked about it, but not in this context and—”

“Stop.” Bruce sighed with an embarrassed smile, meeting Tony’s eyes. “Do you really think I would’ve shared a bed with you if I were? I had been afraid of that for a while, but it’s more to do with emotional and psychological triggers. That’s how I learned to control it better. When we get there though, I have to insist on condoms. For everything.” Bruce turned serious as he considered the consequences.

“Everything?” Tony quirked an eyebrow and made a show of eyeing Bruce up. His suggestive manner made Bruce wonder if Tony understood the severity of the consequences.

“You would have a higher chance of being poisoned or dying from contact with my blood, semen, or even preejaculate than you would of contracting an STI after having unprotected sex with thirty hookers. When I say condoms are necessary, I mean it. And, I can’t give insertive anal intercourse at all; it’s too big a risk. Sorry, if that’s too much to handle, or if that’s something you wanted, but . . . it could actually kill you.”

Tony’s expression went from skeptical to shocked consternation. Bruce couldn’t help but think he’d finally succeeded in shutting Tony up when he finally spoke. “Well, that put a dampener on the mood . . . Kissing is safe though, right?”

Bruce relaxed his shoulders and some of the tension lifted from his chest. “Yes. Any traces in my saliva are minimal and harmless as long as you aren’t exposed to radiation before your body breaks it down.”

“How the hell did you test this?” Tony was genuinely curious.

“Mixing samples in the lab.”

“This lab?”

“This one and another before it, yes. All the equipment has been thoroughly cleaned if that’s-”

“So, you jacked off in here?” Of course Tony would think of that.

“No, I brought a sample in a biohazard cup.” Bruce said seriously.

“Right. Anyway, you’re saying if I grab condoms, I can blow you?” Tony grinned.

Bruce’s heart raced. He thought the warning might have given Tony second thoughts. He considered what he’d said and realized that he hadn’t dissuaded him at all. If anything, Tony was relieved and excited. “Let’s not rush it.” He said, unable to stop the blush that crept up his face. “But, yes.”

Tony abruptly stepped forward and kissed Bruce again. Bruce wondered how he’d lived so long knowing that this man existed, yet he never imagined the firm press of his lips or the warmth of his embrace. He sucked kisses from Tony’s mouth down his neck until he got to the shirt collar. “Bed, now.” Tony said. “Jarvis, close up shop for the night. And, remind me, are there condoms and lube in my room?”

“There are, sir. Will you be needing anything else?” Jarvis answered teasingly.

“Cheeky. I think we’ll stick with those tonight.”

“Massage oil.” Bruce interjected. Tony raised an eyebrow at him, but Bruce just gave him a “you’ll see” look and led the way upstairs.

“Massage oil?” Tony questioned as they walked. “Jarvis do we have any? What are you plotting?” He raised an eyebrow, looking mischievous.

Bruce waited for Jarvis’ positive answer before he answered Tony lightly, glad that he could tease Tony for once. “What does one usually do with massage oil, Tony? Up until now, we’ve been doing this for comfort right? We can just keep doing that if you want,” He dropped his voice for effect and said, “But I would rather loosen you up until you’re begging me to touch your cock.”

“Oh baby, I’m already there. How long have we known each other? Six, seven months? I’ve been trying to get your hands on me since day one. Or, did you think I was kidding?”

“I knew you weren’t kidding, Tony.” Bruce lied. He put his arm around Tony’s waist so they walked hip to hip, warmed by the contact. By the time they reached the bedroom, Tony was rambling in circles about all the possible sexual uses of massage oil. Bruce pushed him against the door as it closed and shut him up with a kiss. He undid his own shirt buttons in record time and helped Tony pull his shirt over his head, so they could press skin to skin at last.

“Fuck, whatever you were gonna do, forget it; I’m begging you now.” Tony gasped. He grabbed Bruce’s ass and pulled him closer. Bruce could feel Tony’s hard length through the layers of straining fabric between them. It had been so long since he’d done this, and even longer since he’d done it with a man. He wondered if he would be able to hold off long enough to massage Tony like he’d promised.—No, he wouldn’t give in. He had more self control than that, and it would be worth it.

Bruce eased backwards, still kissing him as he did. “Get undressed and go lay down.” He whispered in Tony’s ear before stepping back to look for the oil. He pulled open drawers and checked all the shelves and finally found it, along with the condoms and lube, in the nightstand. The blue tinted glass bottle looked expensive, and the label was in French. Bruce forced himself to not look at Tony as he pulled down his pants, leaving his boxer briefs on, not just to hide his pulsing cock, which they did not, but to keep any precum from ruining their night. When he finally looked up, Tony was sitting naked on the bed and staring at him with such lust that Bruce had to remind himself to breathe. “Lie on your stomach first.” He whispered.

“Don’t be nervous, Bruce.” Great, now Tony was reading his mind. “This ain’t my first rodeo. Lay it on me. Actually, lay yourself on me.” He smirked as he lay down.

Bruce knelt beside him and uncapped the bottle. He didn’t trust himself to straddle the man’s perfectly curved ass. He tried to warm some of the oil in his hands first, but Tony got insistent.

“I’m serious Bruce, if you don’t hurry up, I’ll—” Bruce pressed his oiled hands to Tony’s back, and Tony’s mouth caught in a silent “Oh,” in what Bruce hoped was pleasant shock. Bruce had a surprising amount of experience in this, having had to massage a few patients in need of physical therapy while he was practicing medicine on the run; his patients never got what he had in mind for Tony, though. He worked Tony’s muscles gently, easing their tension. He moved from back to shoulders to neck, then back down until he reached his buttocks. Tony had been mostly quiet until then, but as Bruce pressed into the supple muscle, he moaned “Yesss.” Bruce’s dick, which had gone half soft in that time perked again at the sound. Bruce swung a leg over Tony’s thighs, kneeling in a straddle. He dragged a few more breathy moans out of Tony before the man began to push back, effectively alternating between the firm massage of Bruce’s hands and humping the mattress. Bruce stopped and sat up on his knees.

“Roll over.” He couldn’t hide his gentle smile as Tony, still uncharacteristically nonverbal, obeyed. Now face to face, he was harder to resist. Bruce leaned forward and kissed him softly, remembering that the purpose of this was more to relax the both of them. The sex was meant to be a bonus, not a goal. Tony’s tongue tantalized Bruce into lingering there longer than he intended, and Tony’s hips started rocking up against his still clothed cock. “Not yet.” Bruce sat back up, proud of his self control despite the growing ache in his balls. He warmed more oil and started this time with Tony’s shoulders.

Tony locked eyes with him and Bruce could swear he started moaning more on purpose. His pectorals were next, followed by the slow descent down his abdomen. Tony flexed and tensed his chest and abs every time Bruce released his pressure. That, combined with the man’s breathy moans, was testing Bruce’s patience. He moved his hands lower to Tony’s hips and thighs, and Tony was practically thrusting at him as he touched his inner thighs below his balls. Bruce still hadn’t touched his cock. It stood, pointing at him, and the longer he drew this out, the more Bruce wanted to take it in his hand and mouth and draw out Tony’s bliss with the caress of his lips and fingers. Bruce’s own muscles were tensed in effort to not rock his hips into Tony’s leg. He sat back, relieving some of his muscle strain as he bent Tony’s knees. Tony propped himself up on his elbows to watch Bruce switch from oil to lube.

“Finally. Not that I haven’t been thoroughly enjoying your hands, but I was thinking there might be other uses for them too. I swear I’m going to explode.” His voice strained in the last sentence.

Bruce chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of stopping without this.” With his fingers slathered in lube, Bruce moved his hand not to Tony’s visibly pulsing cock, but to his pert ass below. He hovered there for a second. “Is this okay?” He had to ask first. If Bruce did anything that Tony didn’t want, it would ruin the build, and potentially their relationship dynamic.

“Fucking shit, Bruce! Now, you ask?! Hell yes, it’s okay! I want your fingers in my ass, your hand on my dick, and your mouth literally anywhere you’ll put it. Please, for the love of science, fuck me!”

Bruce grinned and held eye contact with him as he slid in his finger in one smooth glide. Tony gasped but did not look away. In and out, Bruce fingered him, adding another and soon after, a third until Tony was thrusting with him, fucking himself on Bruce’s fingers. As Tony’s eyes started to close and his face turned from pleasure to hot, tense, bliss he keened, “Okay Bruce, I’m begging you. I need you to touch me. Let me come. Please!” He threw his head back. Bruce wrapped his hand around the base of Tony’s cock, and finally, finally, he bent over and covered the head of his cock with his lips. He was lying between Tony’s legs, fingering his asshole, sucking his dick, and rutting himself into the mattress. He licked the underside of Tony’s cock before taking it into his mouth. It was hot and heavy on his tongue. He bobbed his head, and knowing how close Tony was, he bent his fingers inside him, drawing out a yelp of pleasure. “Do that again!” Tony shouted. Bruce did, and he pulled back as he did, so when Tony jerked uncontrollably in his orgasm, Bruce had only the glans in his mouth to taste his come.

Tony shouted through his orgasm, calling Bruce’s name like a prayer. Bruce swallowed and gently withdrew his fingers as Tony came down. He sat up and watched Tony’s face soften to a smile. “Told you it would be worth it.” Bruce smirked, glancing down and back up at Tony’s face.

Tony laughed. “You did. Jesus Christ, that was amazing. You were right. Worth it.” Tony sat up and kissed him. “And now . . .” He palmed Bruce’s erection over his underwear. Bruce leaned into it and kissed him again.

“Condom.” He said. Tony reached for one as Bruce removed his underwear. Tony rolled it over his rigid cock and began stroking him in slow, firm movements, finally giving Bruce the friction he craved. Bruce drew him into a forceful kiss that matched Tony’s pace.

“Can I blow you now?” Tony whispered, licking the shell of Bruce’s ear.

“Yes, please!” Bruce laughed. Tony started with the head and slowly took him deeper into his mouth. It didn’t take long before Bruce’s hips started moving. Tony held him still and bobbed his head. He seemed more experienced than Bruce expected. His wet lips and tongue sent Bruce’s head spinning. He knew that most of the pleasure was from having waited so long, but he couldn’t help but suspect that Tony’s tongue was just that good. His orgasm built quickly, his balls pulling tight barely a second before he was coming. “Tony!” He couldn’t even give warning. Tony took it in stride though, lifting off of Bruce’s cock and jerking him through it with his hand. He came down feeling weightless and spent. “Tony.” He was rendered inarticulate, unable to find words for his physical and emotional eruption.

“Bruce.” Tony countered. He removed the condom for him, and Bruce surprised himself by trusting him to dispose of it properly. Tony came back with a damp cloth for him. “You are a wonder. Really, I never would have guessed.”

“Guessed what?” Bruce asked as he wiped his hands and softening dick. “Biohazard bag?” He stood up.

“In the bathroom. Guessed that you, one of the most brilliant scientists in the world, could not only suck dick but also give the sexiest massage ever.”

Bruce put the cloth in the same bag as the condom and sealed it before crawling back into bed. “I don’t know about ever, but thank you.”

“Thank you.” Tony repeated. Bruce pulled the sheets up and kissed Tony softly as they wrapped around each other beneath the sheets to sleep.

Chapter Text

Bruce remembered the change. It was the sudden crash and the subsequent fear and anxiety that had triggered it, but that didn’t matter now. His heartbeat had been pounding out of control, and then the pain burst through him, blinding as his skin tore and regrew, bones fractured and healed in a million places, muscles rippled and expanded to accommodate the escaping monster. The Hulk opened his eyes, and Bruce had blacked out.

There were only fragments, pictures of what happened: Natasha on the floor, Thor’s hammer, a plane. It wasn’t those that scared him. It was waking up. Unbelievable pain and the fear of himself and what he’d done overwhelmed every nerve in his body. He lay still. He knew that he could move, that the pain would subside quickly, but he didn’t want to see the damage, what he’d destroyed, who he’d killed, or where he’d landed once the Hulk had worn himself out. As the pain eased, he reluctantly opened his eyes.

The world around him was stone rubble, twisted metal, smoke, and blood. There was so much blood. Some of it was his own, he realized, and immediately worried about poisoning any nearby life, but there was none. He stood up and shivered; his skin was hot despite the chilled breeze, but Bruce barely registered his fever. In the rubble were bodies, hundreds of them. Some seemed only to have been hit by debris, but others . . . There were crushed skulls, limbs torn out of their sockets, a man only twenty feet from where Bruce awoke appeared to have been flattened, stepped on or crushed. There were law enforcement officers still strapped into the seats of their patrol cars which had been upended or thrown. There were soldiers in uniform who had been picked up and flung back towards their tanks. The gun on one of those tanks had been ripped off and smashed into the side of an office building. Bruce didn’t know where this place was, but whatever it had been, it wasn’t that anymore.

He walked, not feeling his own footsteps but hearing the crunch of glass and rubble beneath his bare feet, and he was not sure in that moment of his own existence when everything around him was dead. He drifted slowly through what used to be a street until he started to recognize some of the dead. There, on the ground, that was Clint, his bow splintered in his hand. Bruce looked away, unable to bear the sight of his friend’s bloody and broken body. Not far off was Steve, his own shield planted in his chest. There was Natasha, her face, so lovely in life, now frozen in anguish, visible beneath a crushed car. Thor was farther down the road, the demigod’s spine and neck broken, but his hammer lay just beyond the grasp of his outstretched hand. Bruce’s ever-present dread had been realized; everyone he’d come to care about was dead at his hand. He realized slowly that he hadn’t seen this before; this wasn’t his memory—a dream then, a nightmare—but it felt so real, and he wasn’t waking up.

He found Tony. His armor had trapped him, and a long steel bar had been driven into his abdomen. Bruce fell to his knees before him, and it didn’t matter that this wasn’t real because it could have been, and if this wasn’t real, then what was? He carefully removed Tony’s helmet. His eyes were still open in shock, and his lips were stained with blood. Bruce couldn’t do anything for him or the rest of them. Why wasn’t he waking up? He clutched Tony’s shoulders, the suit just as cold and lifeless as the man inside, and choked back the well of anguish in his chest. In his head, something stirred, not with anger or even anxiety but with something Bruce had never felt in the other guy: sorrow.

Bruce opened his eyes. They were sore and wet, and he realized he’d been crying in his sleep. He knew that what he’d seen in his dream wasn’t what had happened that day last May. He knew that his friends were alive and safe. Bruce turned his head, and there he was, still snoring peacefully beside him.

“Tony?” His voice cracked and made little sound. “Tony, wake up.” He tried again in a whisper.

“Hmm?” Tony blinked his eyes open. “Whazamatter?”

Bruce hugged him, putting his head on Tony’s chest. His heart beat steadily, and Bruce sighed. “Nothing. Nightmare.”

Tony’s arms wrapped around him. “I’ve got you. . . I’m alive. We’re all alive.”

“I know.”

“Do you wanna tell me about it?” Tony mumbled sleepily.

Bruce shifted and looked at him. His eyes were closed again. “No. Sleep.” He put his head back on Tony’s bare chest in the place where the arc reactor used to be, now only a scar. Bruce felt like that. The Hulk tore him apart, yet here he was, healed but still broken, sore, a scar.

Chapter Text

Tony was actually surprised that Natasha agreed to live in the tower when he offered her the space. He had only asked her about ten times before, and she always prefered a hotel or apartment. She planned to stay in New York for at least three months this time though.

“Sure, why not? Rent free, all expenses paid, access to your garage, it sounds pretty nice.” She said.

“It is pretty nice. You know the renovations include apartment floors for all the Avengers. Gonna change the name to Avengers’ Tower.” Stark told her.

“Bruce is already staying here, right? How many rooms are left while everything’s under construction?” She pointed vaguely upward.

“Most of the work is on the top twenty floors, so everything below that is clear for now. A lot of it is Stark Industries’ labs and offices, but we’ve still got three floors of living space for now. You’ll have four rooms for yourself. Bruce and I share six rooms plus the labs, and there’s plenty of shared space in the main living room and kitchen. ‘Course, it’s not as much as it once was given that these floors were originally for guests and events, and the nicer apartments were in the upper floors, but I’m sure you’ll be comfortable. It’s just until the construction is finished.”

“Sure.” She looked at Tony skeptically and then took in the rooms. Tony gave her a tour until they came across Bruce reading in one of the living rooms.

Tony and Bruce had agreed to keep their calming-sleeping-together-relationship-thing a secret, at least until they figured out exactly what it was they were doing. Tony was not jealous, then, when Bruce hugged her in greeting and only gave him a smile. He may have gotten accustomed to small displays of affection from him, but he wasn’t going to gripe about losing them.

It was late afternoon when they’d gotten home, and Bruce had planned to make dinner, so while Nat went upstairs to settle in, Tony joined Bruce in the kitchen. He leaned on the stainless steel countertop and plucked half a strawberry from Bruce’s cutting board.

“You are gorgeous today, you know that?” He purred before popping the berry in his mouth.

Bruce watched him, open-mouthed, as if trying to gauge his intentions before the corners his lips turned slightly upward. “Thank you. I’ll assume that has something to do with why you’ve been so quiet since you got home?”

Tony stepped around the counter and slowly took the knife from Bruce’s hand and set it down. With his hands on Bruce’s hips, Tony gently kissed him. Bruce’s lips parted, but Tony drew away and stepped back, lest Nat walk in and see them. Bruce dropped his gaze in disappointment. The feeling was mutual. “I don’t want to tell her. That’s not what this is. I just missed you.” Tony muttered. Then before he could reply, he jumped up to sit on the counter and asked “What are you making?”

Bruce hesitated. “Mahi mahi with strawberry vinaigrette salad. You missed me? You were gone four hours. Don’t shrug it off, Tony. Tell me.”

“It’s nothing.” He lowered his voice. “I just wanted to kiss you when we got home, and I couldn’t. It’s not a big deal.”

Bruce sighed. “If you want the Avengers to live with us, you’re going to have to get used to that. Quit pouting.” Bruce stepped between Tony’s spread legs and Tony leaned down to kiss him. He heard a door close upstairs and Bruce stepped back to resume cooking. Tony hopped down and moved to a barstool, so he wouldn’t be tempted to mess with Bruce.

“So, what are you doing in your time away from saving the world?” Natasha asked as she rejoined them.

“Oh, you know, just nerdy science stuff. We’ve been inventing. We’ve got some cool new projects up our sleeves, right Bruce?” Tony could have rambled about the Hulkbuster for days, but he thought it would be better to let Bruce decide what to tell her.

Bruce nodded. “We’re building a uh, suit. That can stop the Hulk in case of emergencies.” He looked uneasy, but he busied himself with preparing the fish.

Nat looked impressed. “Will that work? Fighting him, I mean. Shouldn’t the goal be to calm him down if you can?”

“Ideally, yes, but we haven’t worked that out yet.” Bruce put the fish in a skillet and didn’t look up at them.

Natasha raised an eyebrow at Bruce’s use of ‘we’.

“We designed a trap to deploy remotely.” Tony explained. “It will be able to contain him while we try to calm him down. The suit is for when that doesn’t work."

Natasha thought about that. “What about a lullaby type of thing? Get his attention, set up a routine to wind him down. Music, words, whatever works. Touch even, if anyone’s willing to get close enough. . .”

Bruce tensed and peered at them over his glasses. “I’m not sure it would be worth the risk.” He fidgeted with the spatula as he fried the fish.

Tony watched his movements. His fingers traced up and down the handle, feeling the textured rubber. He was anxious. Tony changed the subject for him. “If we could get the suit in stealth mode, it would be easier.”

Bruce looked over at him with mixture of relief and frustration. “You’re joking, right?”

“It is possible. If we set up the reflective panels inside the armor, it could easily be switched mid-flight.”

“You fly with repulsor beams!” Bruce took the bait to return to their week long argument. “How do you plan on making that invisible? Not to mention the noise!”

“You always go back to the noise. It’s not that loud.”

“You listen to music at 110 decibels, you’re desensitized; if not suffering hearing loss.” Bruce countered in exasperation.

“What?” Tony deadpanned.

They continued like this for a few minutes before Natasha spoke up incredulously. “I must have missed the wedding. Are you two married?”

Bruce dropped his grin and looked at her. “What?”

“You bicker like an old couple. It’s cute, but it’s weirding me out.”

Tony froze for a fraction of a second before he realized she wasn’t serious. He played along to stop himself from getting defensive. “We’re not— Are we married?” He turned to Bruce.

Bruce turned around to plate the fish, but Tony caught a light flush creeping up his face. “Well, you did give me a titanium ring last week.”

“Oh, well if that was it then we have to re-do it. That was a crap proposal. And, you’re not even wearing the ring!” Tony laughed. He saw Natasha’s point as they started up again.

“It was three feet wide! Can you imagine if I went around wearing that thing?” Bruce turned around with a grin.

“Ridiculous.” Nat snorted.

They settled down to eat, but Tony kept running Nat’s comment through his head. He noted every time he wanted to do something couple-ish to Bruce but had to restrain himself. By the time they were relaxing in their own living room, running over the next day’s work on Bruce’s tablet, Tony had reached 41 in his count. He put his arm around Bruce’s shoulders and kissed his temple for 42 and 43. Bruce looked up at him, his expression soft and light, and Tony suddenly felt like his chest was filled with helium. He forgot their work plans and was lost without thought in Bruce’s gaze.

Fuck.

Chapter Text

Bruce was definitely not drunk enough for this. He wasn’t drunk at all, in fact, unlike his friends. He, Natasha, Tony, Rhodey, and Clint were all sitting around drinking and having a good time until Clint initiated a game of Truth or Dare. Bruce was content to watch and listen as the others made fools of themselves, but then Natasha called on him. He couldn’t imagine any of his truths would be very fun, so he said “Dare.”

She barely gave it a moment’s thought. “Let’s see if your bromance with Tony has any romance in it. I dare you to kiss him.”

Bruce didn’t think Natasha was very drunk, so maybe she didn’t think he would do it. Everyone said “Oooo” and goaded him on, though. Bruce looked at Tony, who made a flirtatious and exaggerated kiss face, batted his eyelashes, and winked at him. Bruce couldn’t contain his laughter. Tony was definitely drunk enough for this. He knew Tony’s flirting was playful to suit the moment, and he also knew that this could seriously ruin his bet with him that their friends wouldn’t figure out that they were in a relationship until Christmas. Tony put a hand on Bruce’s knee, and despite his stakes in the bet, Bruce decided they could mess with their friends. He turned to face Tony and asked “You up for this?”

“Are you?” Tony countered with a raised eyebrow. Bruce braced himself with an arm on the couch and leaned in slowly. He tried to pretend he hadn’t done this a hundred times before. Tony closed his eyes and met him halfway with his lips closed. Natasha didn’t say how long they had to hold it, and Bruce didn’t want to push it. He was about to pull back when Tony put a hand on his neck and opened his mouth. Bruce followed suit and licked just inside Tony’s lips, pretending to test the waters, though he doubted anyone would believe this was their first kiss anyway. Tony met his tongue and they began to make out in earnest.

Bruce was starting to get lost in it when he heard a cough, and Clint said “Guys?” Bruce broke away immediately and looked at his hands in his lap. He could feel everyone, including Tony, staring at him, and his face burned.

“What was that?” Rhodey gaped.

“I didn’t know you had it in you, Bruce.” Tony smirked at him, leaning back on the couch.

“Seemed like you were pretty into it too, Tony.” Natasha backed Bruce up.

“Yeah, do you guys wanna tell us anything?” Clint suggested, leaning forward with an eyebrow raised and half a smirk. He almost looked hopeful.

Bruce gave him a challenging stare. “Yeah, I do Clint. Truth or Dare?”

“That was some kiss back there.” Tony said as he undressed.

“They didn’t say anything afterward though. I think our bet is still on.” Bruce crawled into bed.

“Oh, but you just upped the stakes, Brucie-boy. If we’re gonna play it like that, it’s gonna get fast and loose.”

“Yeah? I thought you liked it slow and tight.” Bruce quipped.

Tony collapsed into bed beside him and laughed. “I do, and I maintain that we should try out that dildo.” Tony grinned at him.

Tony was still tipsy, though he’d quit drinking after that kiss. Bruce kissed him once, twice, before saying “Another night, maybe. But, you still don’t want to just tell them?”

“About the dildo? I think that’s just for us, love.”

“About us! Being together.” Bruce laughed.

“Oh, no! That would ruin all the fun.”

Chapter Text

The noise from the tools was just barely matched by the riff of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” blaring through the workshop’s sound system. Tony had been working on the Hulkbuster’s weapons system for hours. As he finished up, he noticed the music had stopped. He turned around and Bruce stood just inside, with Pepper Potts in the doorway behind him.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” Pepper asked in that way that wasn’t really asking.

“Nice to see you too. I am ready. Everything’s packed upstairs. I wanted to finish this before we go.”

“I saw you packed for me too.” Bruce moved towards him. “You know I’m not going.”

Tony pretended he did not know this. “Why not? You don’t have to go to meetings; you can go to the Smithsonian. We can go to the Ontological Intersubjectivity Summit. It’ll be like vacation. Except without a beach. Or nice weather. Or cocktails. Okay, so not vacation, but we’ll have a nice suite. And, when I’m done with work stuff, we can do whatever you want.” Tony glanced at Pepper, who waited, arms crossed, in the doorway. She was the only person who knew the nature of their relationship. Tony hadn’t told her, he wouldn’t want to rub salt in the way that they had broken up, but Tony had once forgotten that she was coming over, so she had caught them in a compromising situation. Thankfully, they still had most of their clothes on at the time. She hadn’t exactly been surprised, but that didn’t make lunch any less awkward after that. Now, she just seemed impatient, not upset or jealous, just waiting for them, so they could catch their flight to DC.

Bruce stopped only a foot away and put his hands in his pockets. “Tony, I have my own work to do here. I’ve got that presentation I’m working on; I was about to start on that neutralizing serum; and someone’s got to make sure Jarvis stays on track with the Legion.”

“Ok, now you’re just making up excuses. Jarvis can handle himself and can call us if he needs us, and you’ve been ‘about to start’ that serum for weeks. Please Bruce,” He lowered his voice, “Don’t make me go to this thing alone.” He felt bad saying it. The vulnerability was real, and he knew he’d be miserable without Bruce there, but using it to persuade him to come was more manipulative than pitiful. Still, he watched Bruce’s face soften and knew it was for the best, for both of them.

Bruce sighed. “I guess I could use a break.”

“Yes!” Tony cheered. “Hey, can you set that sleep protocol to shut everything down? That’s so convenient, how did I not think of that?” He chattered to Bruce as they left.

When Bruce had gone to get his bag, Pepper suddenly turned on Tony. “Did he say something about the Legion? Are rebuilding your Iron Man army?”

“Uh, well, not exactly. It’s the same type of thing, but totally different principles. We’re working on intelligent systems that can run a complex body without a person inside or giving direct orders. It’s really not like the original Legion at all because those were suits and these are—”

“Robots. You’re making AI robots? That’s insane! It’s incredible, but it’s insane! What are they for?”

“Well, it’s funny you should ask that really because—”

“All set.” Bruce said, coming down the stairs. Tony could kiss him for his timing. He had no idea what he was going to say to Pepper. They were still in the early stages of planning. Sure, the prototypes were built and their programming was under way, but Bruce and Tony were still discussing the practical applications of them. Tony wanted them for protection, similar to the original Legion but not just for himself, for the Avengers, for New York, for the world, but there was no way he was going to tell Pepper that.

“Great!” Tony said, obstructing Pepper from pulling him back on topic. “Let’s go.”

Unfortunately, Tony had a “boring monkey-suit meeting” right after they landed, so Bruce went right to Steve’s. There was a new Captain America hall in the Smithsonian, so Bruce suggested they check that out. Steve admitted that he had already been, but didn’t mind taking Bruce anyway.

“It must be kind of weird, seeing yourself in a museum.” Bruce commented as they walked through the exhibit. Bruce hadn’t been to the Smithsonian museums since he was a kid, and the nerd in him was actually excited to see everything.

“No weirder than waking up in the 21st century as an idolized war hero.” Steve shrugged. “My whole life has been weird. Having it displayed in a museum actually puts it into perspective.”

They were just entering another exhibit when Bruce’s phone buzzed. “Tony?” He answered it.

“Hey, I’ve got a weird question, and it’s gonna seem like the wrong time to ask, but we have to talk about it because I’m trying to make a stock deal with this woman, and she’s flirting with me to get me to agree with her. It’s never been a problem before, half of SI’s deals came from me charming my way through—”

“Tony what’s the question?” Bruce interrupted.

“Are we in a relationship? An actual romantic dating thing?”

Bruce paused and leaned against a wall. He wasn’t sure how to answer. Whatever acknowledgement he gave here would have a good deal of finality. He lowered his voice; Steve was standing a little way away, but Bruce didn’t want him to overhear. “Well, we’re not-not in a relationship. . . We’ve been doing this since, what, January? February? I haven’t seen anyone else; have you?” Then he realized what it would mean if Tony had, and he wondered how they’d made it through nine months of flirting and sleeping together without actually talking about monogamy.

“No. I mean, I have that reputation but it’s not real. I think this is real, Bruce.” Tony sounded almost scared.

“I think so too. . .” He tried not to let his relief show in his tone. They would have to talk about this more later.

“So, can I tell her that I’m actually seeing somebody, so we can get through this stupid thing? Obviously, I won’t say who I’m with.”

“Yeah, whatever you need to do.” Bruce said lightly, now amused that that was all Tony had called for.

“Thanks. Okay, I’ll have to get the deal with actual negotiation, but it’ll probably be done in an hour or so.”

“Okay.” They hung up and Bruce went to tell Steve that Tony was nearly finished with the meeting.

They ended up meeting Tony at a beautiful and certainly expensive restaurant, which accommodated them almost immediately despite their lack of a reservation. Bruce didn’t know if it was because of Tony or because they were Avengers.

While they waited for their food, Tony drifted into boredom, shifting in his seat and fiddling with things on the table. For lack of anything better to do, it seemed, he started toying with Bruce. First, it was just a wink in conversation, then Tony appeared to be competing with himself for dirtiest discrete innuendo. It didn’t take long for Bruce to catch on that Tony was testing the limits of Steve’s ignorance of their relationship. It was something they did on occasion to their friends, seeing how close they could come to revealing themselves without actually saying anything about it. Bruce thought about playing along, but when he saw Steve’s confused face at Tony’s strange (sexual) way of wording mundane occurrences, he decided against it. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Steve to find out; he really didn’t mind either way, but Steve looked more puzzled at the innuendo rather than grasping Tony’s real meaning. Bruce knew Steve was a pretty smart guy, but he got the impression that Steve was lacking in sexual knowledge, and Bruce wasn’t going to tease him for it.

When their food arrived though, Tony’s flirtations became more obvious. He moved slowly and emphasized curve of his lips around his fork, practically moaned at the taste, and maintained eye contact with Bruce as his tongue edged around his lips. Bruce forced the corners of his lips not to raise, and ended up snorting quiet laughter into his soup. He found himself unable to resist returning the gestures, exaggerating every movement of his lips and tongue, and he enjoyed Tony’s clear attention on him despite the ordinary conversation topics.. The longer it went on, the more Bruce actually hoped that Steve would catch on and say something, if only to relieve Bruce from the burden of having to watch Tony’s pseudo-orgasmic expressions over his steak and potatoes. He kept his arousal in check and sincerely hoped Tony was doing the same, otherwise leaving the restaurant might be an awkward sight.

Steve said nothing. His part of the conversation was as pleasant and oblivious as ever. He gave some insightful opinions on the Smithsonian exhibit, asked Tony what he had previously seen and wanted to see of the city, and asked about the tower construction.

“I saw pictures on the news. It looks like it’s close to finished.” Steve said.

Tony nodded. “It’s taken some extra elbow grease, but we’re making it bigger than before, pumping it full of new tech, getting ready to take in all the Avengers and some of Shield, too.” He stared at Bruce and gave Steve a mere glance. His innuendos were running thin at that point, but he made up for it with a hand motion of wrapping his hand around something and pulling it up to indicate the new size proportions of the tower. He winked subtly, and went into his usual explanation of housing for everyone, with an added lustful glance at Bruce when he mentioned the labs connecting to their shared floors. Steve didn’t even bother to ask why they were sharing their apartment when everyone else would get their own. He probably just thought it was because they worked so closely together.

“I don’t know how often I’ll be up there.” Steve admitted. “New York doesn’t really feel like home anymore, you know? And, I like DC. I asked if Shield would take me in here, rather than up there.”

“Too many memories?” Bruce asked before Tony had the chance to say something insensitive.

“Yeah. A lot of it’s the same, but everything seems so much bigger. After working the relief effort through July, I just needed to be somewhere else. Natasha thought it was funny, that Captain America was drawn to the nation’s capital.” Steve chuckled.

“Fitting.” Tony said simply. He tapped his foot against the side of Bruce’s shoe.

Bruce raised an eyebrow but decided to cut him off before they ended up doing something stupid. “I’m gonna use the restroom. I’ll meet you outside.” He said since Tony had already paid the check.

A slow grin spread across Tony’s face as Bruce turned to walk away. He thought that Bruce had given up their game, that he’d won. Bruce decided he would have to prove him wrong when they got back to the hotel.

Chapter Text

Tony really wasn’t sure why Clint had called him over. On the phone, he’d sounded sort of panicked, but he looked fine when he answered the door. Over Clint’s shoulder, though, Tony could see that his whole apartment was in shambles. There were boxes and loose Christmas decorations coating the floor, a sad-looking Christmas tree in the corner, and Clint led him into the worst of the mess: a pile of wires, electronics, and—was that a VHS tape? Clint looked at him helplessly and sighed. “I’m kind of stuck.”

Tony looked uncertainly from the mess on the floor to Clint’s child-like expression. “I can see that.”

“Can you help me out, man? I just want to set it up so I can watch Dog Cops, and I got this neighbor, and I promised her kids, and I just. . .” He trailed off, sparing Tony the story. “I don’t care if it’s not perfect.” Clint picked up a few wires, and the rest clung to them in a massive knot.

Tony looked around and noted that the main set of AV cables took up most of the knot, but it was already plugged into the DVR. He picked up the clunky cable box, trying to follow the cord with his eyes, but he lost it because it wasn’t the only AV set in the tangle. “Well, it’s definitely not going to be perfect; you still have a VCR.” Tony smirked.

“What?” Clint said defensively. “I’ve got all of Star Wars and Indiana Jones and most of the James Bond movies on VHS. Are you gonna mock my movie-viewing choices or help me with this?”

Tony chose the latter, but after five minutes of frustrated cord pulling, Clint ended up cutting some of the wires to free the rest. Clint didn’t have a spare cord or the tools to mend the one he cut, so Tony gave up. “Let’s just throw this stuff out and start over. We’ll get you a whole new setup and you can watch the wrap-up of Dog Cops.”

Clint did not like that. He argued angrily that he had to fix what he had and seemed mad at Tony for threatening his junk, but Tony knew his words were covering something bigger that he really didn’t want to get into.

“I’m sorry, Clint. It’s not . . . It’s not that big a deal. Can I at least buy you a new AV cable?” This wasn’t really about money, but that was Clint’s excuse, and Tony wasn’t gonna make him admit to whatever was really bothering him if Clint didn’t want to.

Clint sighed and plopped onto the couch. “Yeah, I guess. Christmas isn’t usually the happiest time for me, if you couldn’t tell. I’m just trying to make this year better.”

“You and me both.” Tony nodded and sat down next to him to stare at the pile of electronics, moving boxes, and decorations strewn about.

Clint looked up at Tony. “Yeah, I’d forgot; last year certainly wasn’t good for you, was it?” He said it like a fact. He had seen the news. “The Mandarin. That’s a shit villain name. Makes me think of canned oranges.” Clint snorted in a half-assed attempt to lighten the mood.

“Pepper and I broke up right after Christmas, too.” Tony mumbled. It had been on his mind for a couple weeks. The reminder that it had been a whole year and that his Christmas fuck-ups had been the icing on the failing-relationship-cake had him anxious about his first Christmas with Bruce.

Clint shifted uncomfortably. “Are you uh, doing alright? Been seeing anyone else?” He asked as though he wasn’t sure he knew what he was doing or if they were friends enough to talk about this.

Clint had invited Tony over just to unknot some cords; Tony figured they could talk about their lives. “I’m good. And Pepper is too. I think she’s sleeping with my chauffeur.” He said anecdotally. He considered telling Clint about Bruce. He knew Bruce wouldn’t mind, and he was starting to get anxious about it. This was the first of Tony’s relationships since college that wasn’t public. If he was honest, that was both a huge relief and a headache for Tony since he had no idea what to expect. He wondered what Clint would say. Clint wasn’t homophobic, of course, especially if what Natasha said about him and Coulson was true, but neither of them was the sharing type, and they had already crossed a line when Clint brought up Christmas. He settled for a dry comment. “I don’t think there’s another woman in the world who could put up with me for as long as Pepper did.” It was true. There wasn’t another woman. . .

“Ha. You and me both.” Clint repeated Stark’s earlier phrase.

Tony didn’t stay long. In a pang of friendly affection on his way out, he invited Clint to come to the tower for Christmas. “It’s just me and Bruce over there anyway.” Tony said, hoping he didn’t sound like he was the lonely one. He really didn’t care if Clint came or not, but they were friends after all.

“Thanks man, I’ll think about it. I’ve got an apartment neighborhood party thing we’re doing on the roof, but to actually do something Christmas morning . . . that would be nice.” Clint nodded, and they said goodbye.

Tony knew he wouldn’t actually come. It wasn’t that he was saying he might to be polite or anything. Clint wasn’t like that. They all had issues with Christmas, though, and despite them both ‘trying to make this year better,’ they would still do what they’d always done on Christmas: plough through.

Chapter Text

The living room was filled with glittering snowflakes, which hung from the ceiling, and garlands of holly strung on the edges of almost every surface. One large Christmas tree took up a corner of the room with its white gold baubles and shimmering lights. A few small and professionally wrapped gifts sat beneath it in front of some larger wrapped boxes which Bruce knew were just empty decorations. Tony had, of course, hired someone to decorate, and the whole room had changed literally overnight. As Bruce ascended the stairs into the decorated main living floor on the morning of Christmas Eve, he thought Tony had overdone it. Bruce had asked about it the day before, and he got the impression that Tony was only going through the holiday spiel for him. Tony had thrown him a bright smile when Bruce asked, and said “It’s our first Christmas together. I want to make it good.” Bruce remembered Tony’s breakup with Pepper this time last year and wondered if that had something to do with it, but he knew better than to bring it up.

Tony was already in the kitchen across from the living room. Jarvis was listing off ingredients, and Tony gathered them from the fridge and pantry. “Are you making breakfast?” Bruce asked as he followed his nose to the coffee maker.

“Pancakes and omelettes.” Tony answered. “Good morning.” He stepped behind Bruce and brushed his lips over Bruce’s nape.

“Mmm, you’re in a good mood.” Bruce turned and captured his lips for a moment.

Tony nodded and grabbed the milk from the fridge. “I’ve got a plan for today.” With Jarvis’ list completed, the room slowly filled with holiday music. “After breakfast, we’re going to have a lazy sexy holiday. No work, no Hulkbuster, no legion, no code. Just you, me, and our bed.”

Bruce chuckled. “Didn’t you say yesterday that we had to finish that code for the legion, that that was our top priority and nothing else mattered until it was done?”

“No. I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s Christmas Eve, and we’re on vacation. Did you see the living room? It’s better than last year, isn’t it?” Tony set into making pancakes. Bruce shook his head in mild exasperation and amusement and kissed Tony’s cheek. He cracked some eggs and prepped the omelettes on the other side of the stove. Tony hip checked him in time with “Jingle Bell Rock” as they cooked together.

Bruce intended to hold Tony to his promise, so as soon as they finished eating, he backed Tony against the counter with a lascivious kiss. Tony hooked a finger into the waistband of Bruce’s sweatpants and urged Bruce closer. Bruce hadn’t worn a shirt to bed the night before, so his bare chest pressed against Tony’s soft T-shirt, and he felt Tony’s rising heart rate.

“Leave the dishes. Jarvis can call someone.” Tony panted.

Bruce marveled at how Tony could think of calling a maid service to wash their dishes. “I’ll do them later.” He countered, thinking of the poor people who would otherwise have to work on Christmas Eve.

Bruce led him with a hand on his lower back down the stairs, through their private living space, and into the bedroom. He kicked the door closed and tugged the hem of Tony’s shirt to indicate its unwelcome presence between them. Tony threw it off and did away with his shorts as well to allow Bruce full access as he lay back on the bed. Bruce gazed unabashedly at the soft lines of muscle down Tony’s abdomen and the short curls surrounding his rapidly growing erection. Bruce crawled over him, his legs straddling Tony’s thighs, and licked eagerly into his mouth. Tony responded immediately with a hand pushed beneath Bruce’s waistband to fondle his ass. Tony bucked up with a smirk. “Are you gonna fuck me, or what?”

“Dildo still needs to be cleaned from the other night, so I’m gonna go with ‘or what’ on this one.” Bruce mumbled as he pressed his lips to Tony’s chest and his clothed groin to Tony’s stiff cock. Bruce wasn’t as fond of the dildo as Tony was anyway. He loved seeing Tony come undone under his ministrations, but without getting to be inside him, Bruce felt the experience was lacking intimacy. Bruce discarded his pants while Tony procured two condoms from the nightstand.

“Lay on your back.” Tony requested after they were both sheathed in latex. Bruce spread his legs as he did what he was told. Tony sucked on his own finger before sliding into Bruce. It was tight, but Bruce was well used to the feeling and knew the pleasure that would soon follow. Bruce propped himself on his elbows to watch as Tony lowered his head and replaced the finger with his tongue. Bruce felt the warm, slick muscle probing him with tender licks. He tried not to think about the potential risk of the contact; he knew the chance of any harm here was less than 1%, and he let that calm him as he relished the heat of his lover’s tongue. Before long, Tony rose and pushed two fingers into him. He leaned forward and took Bruce’s cock with his free hand.

Bruce cupped Tony’s face in his hand. “Get inside me.” He said gently, like he was asking a favor.

“Gladly.” Tony slicked himself with lube in two strokes and pushed into Bruce’s ass for the third. Bruce couldn’t hold back a moan as he felt Tony’s cock fill him. Tony fell forward over Bruce’s heaving chest, and Bruce hooked his legs around him. Tony moved slowly, and Bruce found himself instinctively counting his heartbeats. He lost count as Tony’s movements worked him up, but the other guy remained quiet in his head. He was wondering why he was still concerned every time after doing this for ten months, but then Tony angled into his prostate and all thoughts were lost to the heat of that moment. His eyes closed and his hand found his cock to work with Tony’s thrusts.

Tony kissed him and panted, “Hey, look at me, gorgeous. I’m-” He paused and hummed a low moan. “I’m really close. Can you come with me? I want to see your face.”

Bruce grunted and nodded, jerking himself harder. Tony pulled out almost completely before slamming back in. Bruce let out a filthy moan when Tony brushed his prostate as he pulled back faster. Bruce pulled him in with his legs to drive him deeper, and he felt Tony pulsing inside him as he came with Bruce’s name on his lips. As if waiting for that signal, Bruce shuddered through his own orgasm not a moment later. He arched his back and nudged his prostate in the process. Tony’s mouth hung open as they rocked through the aftershocks.

Bruce barely heard Tony’s whisper of “So beautiful” as they came down, but it was there, just for him. Bruce’s legs dropped back to the mattress, so Tony could pull out. Bruce removed his condom and closed his eyes, allowing Tony to take it and drop it into a bag with his own.

Bruce felt the mattress dip when Tony returned to lay beside him. “How’s that for a lazy sexy holiday?” Bruce mumbled.

Tony’s arm snaked over Bruce’s stomach and held him possessively. “Perfect. Let’s do it again in the shower.”

“Nap first. That’s the lazy part.” Bruce turned and nuzzled into Tony’s neck. Tony hummed his agreement.

In the early afternoon of Christmas Day, Bruce and Tony were cuddled together in the living room listening to instrumental Christmas songs and enjoying each others company outside of the lab for once. They had already exchanged gifts, an indestructible custom StarkWatch for Bruce, and a blueprint for a stealth cover plate system for Tony’s latest armor, along with the plans for quiet and theoretically invisible flight stabilizers for Tony. Bruce had admittedly taken the base for the plans from Tony’s existing blueprints when Tony wasn’t looking, and he had left a few blanks in the equations for the flight stabilizers that he wasn’t quite able to work out on his own, but he knew Tony would pick it up and make adjustments everywhere anyway. The gift was less in the actual blueprint and more in the gesture of Bruce’s support of the idea of a stealth Iron Man after having half-jokingly argued against it for so long.

Bruce’s train of thought was interrupted when the music slowed and the song changed. He registered the song as a piano and saxophone rendition of “Let it Snow,” and it pulled back memories as he listened.

Bruce was never a very big fan of Christmas. He hadn’t actually celebrated since he was a kid, if one could even call hiding from his father under the tree a celebration. His mother always tried to soothe things over, and Bruce did get one or two—usually disappointing—gifts, but his father inevitably got drunk, and Bruce would ‘always have his nose in a damned book instead of playing outside like a normal boy’ which only led to fists and bruises. Those repressed memories only ever resurfaced when Bruce saw hints of ‘holiday spirit’ around him. It was one of the good things about being on the run; he didn’t have to deal with holidays.

“My mom loved this song.” Tony pulled Bruce from his thoughts.

“Really?” Tony had never talked about his mother much before.

Tony’s face softened and he looked away wistfully. “She always sang along when it came on the radio, and when I was a kid, she would pick me up and spin me around. This one and that other one . . . ‘Winter Wonderland.’” He nodded. Christmas music, despite its cheery sound, only reminded Bruce that his life was never as happy and normal as the songs.

“I didn’t used to like Christmas music.” Bruce admitted.

Tony thought about that before asking, “What changed?”

Bruce met his eyes and felt his face burn slightly. “You.”

Tony tilted his head and eyed Bruce skeptically. “I made you like Christmas music?”

Bruce chuckled and leaned in to kiss him. Tony’s tongue met his briefly before Bruce eased back. “I used to only think about . . . my past when I heard these songs.” He said vaguely. “Now, I can think of you, us, here and now.” He caught himself in a small smile.

“Bruce.” Tony looked at him straight on with a pensive look that he rarely had outside of the lab or garage. “You know I love you, right?” Tony asked. It wasn’t rhetorical either; he sounded as though he genuinely wasn’t sure.

Bruce furrowed his brow in concern. “Of course. I love you too.” The words were surprisingly easy to say, though Bruce had known it was true for at least a few months. Neither of them were very verbal about their feelings, preferring instead to show emotion with affectionate gestures and physical intimacy.

Tony brightened somewhat to hear Bruce say it, but he clearly had something else on his mind. “I know it’s kind of late in the game for that, but with everything we’ve been through . . . we were talking about shitty family experiences yesterday, and we’ve been to hell and back together, and I just needed you to know that, no matter what—and I mean that literally, whatever happens—you have me.”

At first, Bruce wasn’t entirely sure he could say the same. Despite his love and comfort and apparent safety, there was still a piece of Bruce that always felt like running. He couldn’t guarantee that if things went south with the Avengers or the Hulk, that he wouldn’t want to take off. He knew it would break his heart to leave now, though. He pushed that thought back with the knowledge that without his father, without General Ross, without Shield chasing him, he had nothing to run from anymore except himself, and Tony was helping him with that, too. Bruce touched Tony’s cheek and kissed him. Everything Bruce had, all the good he’d ever felt, all the holiday spirit he’d never had in past years, all the love he possessed, he pressed into Tony’s lips.

When they finally broke apart, Bruce felt a decision that he hadn’t consciously made. He could never leave Tony. If he ever had to run, he would run to Tony, not away.

“Merry Christmas.” Bruce whispered simply, and for once in his life, he truly felt that the sentiment was true.

Chapter Text

The day went by like any other. Tony hadn’t even looked at a calendar. As usual, he’d avoided SI business from Pepper, busied himself with Iron Legion blueprints, tinkered with his new suit’s stealth feature, and then collapsed on the couch in the evening with Bruce. He wouldn’t have known anything was different about the day if Bruce hadn’t given him that look.

Bruce sat facing him on the couch in their private living room with a half loving, half smug smile, and Tony knew he must have forgotten something important. Was he supposed to make dinner? It wasn’t Bruce’s birthday, not that Bruce would make a big deal out of that anyway. Tony stared back at Bruce blankly until his mind fell across the date. February 8th, 2014. Exactly one year since their ‘sleeping arrangement’ became more of a lovemaking arrangement.

Tony decided honesty would be best here. “Was I supposed to get you something? Please tell me you didn’t get me something.”

Bruce took Tony’s hand and gently rubbed the back of his palm with his thumb. “You didn’t have to get me anything, no. Honestly I only just realized the date an hour ago, but you’ve got to admit, it is pretty impressive.”

“What is?” Tony could think of a few things, but held back.

“That we made it this far. That we haven’t had any huge fights or problems with the other guy or ‘noise complaints’ from the gang. I’m impressed at us, and I’m happy.”

Tony looked sheepishly at their hands, for once keeping his mouth shut in fear of saying the wrong thing and ruining their moment. Then he said simply, “I’m happy too.” After a moment and a short, sweet kiss, he thought of the right thing to say. He picked up his beer and held it out until Bruce did the same with his glass of tea. “One year down,” they tapped their drinks together lightly, “and many more to go.”

"Happy anniversary."

Chapter Text

Tony’s heart was slamming in his chest and sweat poured from his brow, but he kept throwing punches. Natasha side-stepped and blocked them easily, letting him use her as a moving target rather than a sparring mate. Tony wasn’t sure if that was actually saving his dignity or not, but it kept him from getting his ass handed to him either way. A few times she had feigned a counter just to see his reaction. Even though he was able to dodge them, he stepped back and eyed her with distrust all the same. He remembered clearly the outcome of the first (and last) time she sparred with him.

Tony was in the middle of a jab lineup that he was sure would get her when Jarvis interrupted them. “Captain Rogers is calling, sir.”

Tony quickly decided that the interruption was for the best, judging by Nat’s sly expression, so he stepped back and caught his breath. “Put him through, Jarvis.”

“Hey Cap, you’re on speaker with Nat. Did you rethink my invitation?” Tony said after a moment.

“Hi. Uh, no, and I think you’re probably going to retract it. . . I’ve got a bit of a situation here. Remember what we talked about last week, and why I moved back to New York?”

Tony took a drink from a water bottle and looked at Natasha. She was Steve’s best friend, and she had been through the Hydra shit with Steve, so Tony figured she knew what he was referring to, too. “Yeah. Did you find your uh . . . friend?” Tony wasn’t sure if that was the right word for Barnes anymore, considering he nearly killed Steve less than two weeks ago, but that’s what Steve had called him when he talked to Tony before moving.

“Not exactly.” Steve paused suspiciously. “He found me.”

Tony froze. “Where are you?” He demanded. Natasha furrowed her brow and fixed Tony with a cautioning stare.

“I’m in my apartment. It’s okay. He’s not—well, he’s not Hydra’s anymore. I told you, he pulled me from the river, he’s confused, but he’s still Bucky. . . He slept here last night.”

Natasha spoke up. “Steve, I know he was your friend, but are you sure that’s a good idea? He could be planning something, or even if he’s not, we don’t know what his training was or what kind of triggers they put in his head. He could snap and attack you again.”

“I think if he were going to, he would have done it last night. I stayed up most of the night waiting for it. He just slept.” Steve said.

Tony sat on a weight bench, exhausted. “You realize that you’re harboring a wanted murderer, right? I mean, yeah, he was probably brainwashed, but he still killed all those people. Captain America is breaking the law.” Tony feigned shock, but he really didn’t expect much else. If this guy was so important to Steve, it wouldn’t matter what he did; Steve would try to help.

Steve sighed. “Well, that’s sort of why I’m calling you, Tony. I know you can access his files, and I was hoping you might be able to find something about what happened to him, maybe to help his case. As it is, he’s in hiding here. I guess I am too, technically. But, if we can exonerate him, no matter what Hydra did to him, he deserves a second chance.”

“Exonerate him?” Tony said incredulously. “He needs to go on trial for that. I mean, I’m not saying I can’t help, but if word gets into the wrong hands, there’ll be an uprising.”

“I know, but you should see him. He looks like a starving dog got dragged through a warzone. He’s got this journal; he’s writing out his thoughts and memories as they come back to him, and he seems to have gotten better every day. He may not be the same as when I knew him, but he’s still there. I have to do something. He’s my friend.”

“That all sounds good, but we need to be sure he’s not going to relapse or try to go back to Hydra.” Natasha said.

Steve was silent for a moment before saying, “I was actually hoping you could come see him tomorrow, Nat. It’s not like I can have Shield evaluate him, but you know all the procedures, and you know more about the kind of thing he’s been through. . .”

“You want me to be his shrink?” She looked doubtful.

“Yeah, sorry, I guess that was too much to hope for.” Steve admitted.

Nat looked at the floor and pursed her lips. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. Are you okay though, Steve?”

“Ha, I’m kind of a wreck, but that’s nothing new. Thank you, both of you.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow I guess.” Nat sighed.

“Take care of yourself, Cap.” Tony said before they hung up.

A heavy silence fell over them. “Do you really think you can dig up anything to help his case?” Nat asked quietly after a minute.

“Who knows? Getting the information won’t be too hard, but I don’t know if he’ll like what I find. Are you really gonna be able to give him a psych-eval tomorrow?” Tony countered.

“It’ll be weird, I’m sure, but what else can I do? It’s Steve.” She nodded and turned towards the door. “I’ve got to talk to Sam. Jarvis, is Sam done moving boxes around?”

“He is finished with the boxes and is now organizing his books. Shall I tell him you’re on your way?” Jarvis responded.

“Yes. Thanks for letting us stay here. I know Sam wasn’t exactly invited.”

Tony shrugged. “It’s nothing. If he’s gonna be one of us, he should be here too.” He wanted to offer up Bruce’s new and unused apartment, now that the tower was finished, but that would be an instant giveaway.

Tony left shortly after Natasha did, heading towards the lab. Bruce was engrossed in a bioengineering project aiming to build affordable neurologically connected prosthetic limbs. Tony suspected he’d been weirdly inspired by the news footage of the Winter Soldier. Tony had to admit, if the guy did turn out to be normal again like Cap said, he would be very interested in getting a look at his bionic arm. Considering it came from Hydra, which was well known for keeping tremendous scientific—not to mention alien—advancements under wraps, Tony wouldn’t be surprised if the arm was better engineered than his own work. He envied that tech, and he couldn’t help but want to get his hands on it.

Bruce didn’t notice him walk in. Tony thought about surprising him by embracing him from behind or kissing his neck, but he knew what it was like to be that focused on work and knew that Bruce wouldn’t appreciate being startled into misplacing something. He waited until Bruce finished dropping a bright blue liquid into a petri dish full of what looked like iron filings and straightened up before greeting him. “Hey handsome, got a minute?”

Bruce looked up in surprise and glanced between his work tables and Tony before responding. “Sure, what’s up?”

“I’ve got some news from Capsicle.”

“About the Winter Soldier, I assume?”

“Steve’s got him in his apartment.” Tony said matter-of-factly.

Bruce’s eyes widened. “Well, you’re not suiting up, so I’m guessing he has a handle on it. . . What happened?”

“Nothing, apparently. Steve found him last night, and I guess he’s gone soft or is pretending to at least because Cap said he slept in his guest room last night with no incident.”

“Well that doesn’t mean we can trust him. If anyone would be easy on him, it would be Steve. Has he told anyone? Other than you?”

“I don’t think so. Natasha’s going to have a look at him tomorrow though, psych eval sort of thing. I can’t imagine he’s got anything good going on in his head, but Steve seemed to think he was pretty normal. Called him ‘Bucky’ again.”

Bruce bit his lip. “Do you think he’s missing something? Steve knew Barnes better than anyone. If there was something wrong, he would know it . . . unless hope is clouding his vision.”

Tony suspected the latter. Steve wasn’t blind, but he had a tendency to see mostly good in the people he trusted. “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.” Tony leaned against a desk next to Bruce. “Cap wants me to dig up dirt on him and Hydra to help get him exonerated without a trial.”

Bruce leaned into Tony’s side and sucked his teeth. “Do you think you can?”

“I don’t know if there’s any good information to find.” Tony said honestly. “But, thanks to Nat, all of Shield and Hydra’s cats have been de-bagged, so whatever is out there, it shouldn’t be hard to find. I bet it won’t take long for the media to reveal his identity either. I guess I should make a few phone calls, pull a few strings.”

“It would be a lot easier if Hydra hadn’t taken Shield down with them.” Bruce looked up at him. “But, you helped them get Ross off my back, and I was previously known as a mass murdering rage monster, so this should be easy.” Bruce said cynically and kissed him on the cheek. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Tony nodded and walked to his own lab to get down to business.

Chapter Text

Tony shoved the push broom across the floor of the workshop, clearing out physical and holographic debris. He couldn’t believe the difference cleaning up his workspace had made. His files were newly sorted, all the clutter was gone, his old armor was shined and set against a wall for inspiration, along with a few prototypes for the new Iron Legion. The organized space gave him a clear head too, and looking around the room, he now felt that old familiar spark of inspiration.

“Hey, Dum-E, come help me with this.” He called to his bot. He strode over to one of the Legion prototypes and, with Dum-E’s help, moved it to a freshly cleaned stainless steel worktable. He grabbed an electric screwdriver and was about to start working when Bruce entered.

“Wow! So did you just build a whole new room, or...?” Bruce asked sarcastically.

“Funny. What’s up?”

“Steve and Bucky are here. Remember Steve said he might drop by?”

Tony furrowed his brow. “I don’t remember that, but okay. Why are they here?”

“Steve wants to show Bucky around, I guess give him other people to talk to besides him and Natasha.”

Tony deflated a little and set down the screwdriver. “Suppose I can give them a tour.”

Bruce followed behind Tony as they went up to greet their friends. When Tony was ahead of him on the stairs, he playfully smacked Tony’s butt.

“Oh so we’re going there now?” Tony asked teasingly.

“I wouldn’t mind turning in that direction.” Bruce poked Tony in the ribs and kissed his cheek.

Tony giggled but kept walking. “Not in front of the ‘grandparents’!” He grinned.

They turned the corner and Steve stood in the hall by the elevator with his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. The man Bruce could only assume was Bucky Barnes stood next to him with his shoulders turned in slight slouch, staring deeply at Steve, as though he was a wonder of the world, which he kind of was. Bruce wondered if that’s what he looked like when he looked at Tony; he sometimes felt like he did.

“Oh, look, it’s our favorite geriatrics!” Tony said.

“Tony, good to see you again. And you, Dr Banner.” Steve smiled politely. “This is my good friend, Bucky. Bucky, this is Tony Stark, Howard’s son, and Dr Bruce Banner.”

“He looks like Howard.” Bucky mumbled, and then louder, “You look like Howard.”

“I’ve heard. I’ve also heard that you were, excuse me, are one of the greatest marksmen in the world. Care to prove it?”

“Stark, can we not?” Steve said tersely.

“Not what? I’m offering him the use of our shooting range. I’m sure he’d enjoy it.”

Bruce noticed a slight twitch in Bucky’s right forefinger, an itch for a trigger? “Tony, why don’t we give them a tour and maybe save the weaponry for another time.”
Tony shrugged, “Sure thing. Everything’s new. This is our base living floor. The next two floors down are private workshops and laboratories, with an Avengers-only clinic in the center of both floors. On this floor, we’ve got common living space for the whole gang. Kitchen, dining room, living room, game room, and gym.” Tony guided them along, pointing at the doors and hallways leading to each room. He led them into the kitchen, which had a semi open floor plan, so that if they stood at the bar of the kitchen, they were right next to the huge dark wood dining table and could see the sunken living room on the far end of the room, with a half-walled ‘game room’ between. The gym was through a door on the left. The tall windows on the right meant the room was filled with natural light, so electric lighting was only needed at night.

Tony took them through the gym, and made more playful attempts to draw Bucky out.

“Everything in here is brand new; I designed some of it myself. There’s training programs in the room back there, holographic targets, hand-to-hand training, virtual reality superhero training, for if you ever feel like really joining the good side.” He winked at Bucky. “I heard you’ve never lost a sparring match. I’d like to see you go up against the holo sparring program.”

“You seem to have heard a lot about me, Stark.” Bucky smirked. Bruce fought a laugh at the snarky confrontation. He sensed that these two would become either best buddies or worst enemies. Bruce hoped for the former.

Tony just shrugged. “There’s a pretty big gossip train on you.”

“You read my file.” Bucky said, matter of factly.

“Forgive me if I want to know who’s shacking up with my fellow Avengers.” He glanced at Steve, then turned and continued the tour upstairs. “Next are the apartment floors. Yours is second, above Bruce, below Natasha and Sam.”

Tony and Bruce left them to chill out on Steve’s floor. “You were really holding back, there. I’m surprised you didn’t show him the armory.” Bruce deadpanned as they made their way back to the main floor.

“Was that a pun? Please tell me you meant that as a pun.” Tony laughed lightly.

Bruce sighed, having realized his mistake, but played it like he meant it. “Yeah, that’s a pun. I suppose it was a good way of gauging him. He seems pretty well adjusted.”

“You think so?” Tony’s tone suggested he disagreed.

Bruce slid into the corner of the sunken living room sofa. “Well he’s no more unstable than you or me, so yeah. ‘It’s a hard knock life.’” He said half sing-song.

Tony dropped onto the sofa next to Bruce, so that their legs were touching, but their bodies weren’t so close as to suggest anything if Steve and Bucky walked in. “Hmm. He’s pretty quiet. And we don’t know what’s going on in his head.”

“You could say the same of me, you know.” Bruce ran the knuckle of his forefinger up and down Tony’s arm. “I think you should re-invite them to move in.”

Tony turned to face Bruce. “You really think we can trust him?”

“I think we can trust Steve. And if anything does happen, we’re better equipped to handle it here than they are at Steve’s place in Brooklyn.”

“That’s true.” Tony pushed his bottom lip up like he always did before he avoided admitting he was wrong. “Alright. But you tell them. I’m gonna go back to the shop.” He gave Bruce a quick peck on the lips as he got up to go.

When Steve and Bucky came down a few minutes later, Bruce pulled Steve aside while Bucky went ahead to the garage. “Hey, now that you guys are pretty well settled together, we want to sort of remind you that, well, that apartment isn’t there just for looks. You guys can move in any time you want.”

“Thanks, Bruce.” Steve lit up and seemed glad for the offer, like he was hoping for it when they came. “We’ll see you around.” They clasped hands and Bruce barely escaped the roar of Steve’s motorcycle echoing through the garage.

Chapter Text

Tony slammed the last of his glass of water and collapsed on the bed. As he snuggled under the sheets, Bruce could still smell the booze on his breath despite Tony having brushed his teeth before the water. He figured Tony would pass out the second he hit the mattress, and after the long day they’d had, Bruce wanted to do the same, but Tony was still tipsy.

“Well, that all was unexpected.” Tony mumbled into Bruce’s shoulder. The mission that night had been a complete success with minor injuries for the Avengers and Shield, but as usual, it did not go according to plan. They were taking down a Hydra base, and Bruce had to let out the Hulk. According to Tony, they played rather nicely, with the other guy crushing anything Iron Man pointed to, with only a ‘perfectly good rocket launcher’ and a Jeep as unnecessary collateral damage. It apparently took a while to calm the Hulk down, but Bruce was back in time to ride the quinjet back to the tower. It had been a long time since Bruce didn’t feel guilty after a transformation, so he called that a win.

In the debriefing though, they found out that things hadn’t gone so easily with the rest of the team. The “big bad” of this faction had apparently done something to the Winter Soldier, and while they were in the bunker beneath the base, Barnes snuck around and gutted him despite their orders to take him alive. Fortunately, he was the only loss of the whole mission. A few of them had gunshot wounds, with the worst being a bullet in the thigh of one of the Shield agents. Nat, Thor, and a few others had injuries, but everyone made it out in one piece.

The real surprise was in the post-mission party. Bruce had had a throbbing headache since coming out of his transformation, so he hadn’t been paying much attention, but he still heard Steve practically shout “You’re dating Coulson?” across the table to Clint. Subsequently, Clint and Phil were forced to announce that they were dating, and Tony, being Tony, had to make a big deal out of it. Bruce tried to discourage him, but he was he was proud of himself for even being awake and present at the party, so he wasn’t trying too hard.

Bruce had to agree with Tony’s sentiment. “Have they really only been together for six weeks?”

“Tha’s what Clint said.” Tony shrugged.

Bruce looked at Tony and hoped he was sober enough for the coming conversation. “I think we ought to tell them about us. With them out now, we have no reason not to.”

Tony shrugged awkwardly as he lay on his side. “We never had a reason. It’ll be hell if we tell everyone how long we’ve been together. They’ll think we hid it.”

“We sort of did.”

“Two weeks ago, Clint walked in while I had you against a wall in the hall. I don’t think he had his hearing aid on, but that’s not our fault. You’d think spies and assassins would be more observant.” Tony scoffed.

“That doesn’t change our situation. I suppose we can act as though we thought they already knew, but we shouldn’t hide it anymore.”

The next morning, Tony was up and gone when Bruce woke. Bruce went down to the common floor’s kitchen where Steve was making scrambled eggs for Bucky, Phil, and Thor. Nat was usually doing an early workout at that hour, and Clint and the other Shield agents were probably sleeping in.

“Where’s Tony?” Bruce asked as he slid onto a barstool.

“Probably in one of the labs. He said something about ‘keeping things hidden.’” Bucky shrugged.

“I think he was gonna look around for more hidden Hydra bases.” Steve added.

“That’s not a bad idea, but he should eat some breakfast. He hardly ate anything last night.” Bruce had also been hoping to give him a good morning kiss in front of the others to spare him from actually have to tell them. He guessed there would be other chances, and they weren’t really in any rush.

Chapter Text

Tony knocked lightly on the doorframe of Bruce’s lab. He knew Bruce was in there, but the lights were dimmed, and he could only see the silhouettes of lab counters, microscopes, and chemical testing apparatuses. He stepped into the room and saw Bruce’s shape bent over an unlit microscope.

“Babe, come look at this.” Bruce waved him over without looking up from the lens. Tony raised an eyebrow and shoved his hands in his pockets as he did what he was told. Bruce stepped aside to let Tony look into the lens. In the closed petri dish under the scope, Tony saw what looked like some sort of organic tissue that was glowing bright blue. “It’s bone tissue, a sample from a child with osteosarcoma that required amputation of her arm. I was attempting to fuse the tissue to a scrap of stainless steel with a chemical compound that should mimic the muscle tissue around it. That would make it so that the manufactured muscles and nerves could seamlessly connect to the real living tissue. When I tested the compound on the tissue, it worked like I expected, but it also did that! It glows blue! I looked at the chemical makeups of the compound and the tissue, and I can’t figure out how it would cause bioluminescence. I must be missing something, but it’s incredible, isn’t it?”

Tony looked up and could only marvel at Bruce’s brilliance. He lay a hand on Bruce’s cheek and covered Bruce’s grin with his lips. “You are incredible. You’re gonna give kids glowing blue limbs. They’ll love it.”

Bruce chuckled. “What about adults?”

“Can you honestly tell me that it would not be super cool to have a blue leg?”

“Yes. Especially if it glows. Although, waking up to pee would be easier; I could see without turning on the light.” Bruce fumbled with a notebook for a second before sighing. “I’ll work it out later. Let’s go get lunch.” Bruce stored the sample and followed Tony out.

Tony’s steps bounced anxiously as he was finally able to get to his reason for interrupting Bruce’s work. “So, guess what Rogers just told me.”

“No idea.” Bruce casually linked his fingers with Tony’s while they walked.

“He and Bucky are actually doin it. He asked me what to do.”

Bruce looked bewildered. “Like, what to do with Bucky? . . . in bed?”

“No, I don’t think they’d have much trouble in that department. I told him they should come out when we do the Today Show on Wednesday.”

“Oh. Well, what about the Tonight Show? You’re still booked, are you gonna talk about us after all that in the morning?”

“Yeah. It’s big news, sure, but we’ve been holding onto it for so long. When’s the last time we had a date without worrying about cameras? I’m not having it anymore, Bruce. I’m not gonna enjoy it, but I’m gonna come out.”

Tony closed the door to the greenroom and wrestled with the urge to call Bruce. What if Bruce changed his mind? Maybe he hadn’t wanted to tell people outright because he just didn’t want people to know. They had talked about it enough, though. Tony was just anxious. He knew they both wanted this, he just didn’t want to have to do it. Not for the first time, he wished he hadn’t grown up in the spotlight. It at least gave him experience though, unlike the rest of the Avengers in the floundering Today Show interview that morning. Tony had done a thousand of these before without a sweat, but none of those had the pressure of revealing a secret like this. Even the famous Iron Man reveal hadn’t shaken him this much. That one wasn’t nearly as personal. He sat on the couch and put his face in his hands, willing himself not to run his hands through his perfectly styled hair.

He needed a drink.

He’d forced himself to stop stress-drinking when he realized how uncomfortable it made Bruce. It was something about growing up with an abusive alcoholic father, and Tony could relate to that. He stood up and grabbed a bottle of water instead. But in his nervous state, the cool liquid on his lips threatened to stir other anxious memories of a tub in a cave with his heart tethered to a car battery.

He gave up. He had his phone pressed to his ear before he could even finish the thought.

“Tony? Aren’t you filming?” Bruce’s smooth voice washed through the phone and Tony already felt himself calming.

“Hey Honey, I’ve got 20 minutes.” He tried to sound casual, realizing that he was being ridiculous, needing Bruce like this, but the tightness in his voice gave him away.

It’s gonna be alright. You remember what I said yesterday, right?” Bruce managed to sound soothing without being condescending, for which Tony was grateful.

Tony snorted, “If this doesn’t work out, we can liquidize our assets and move to Brazil.”

“No, before that.” Bruce said lightly, a soft smile evident in his tone. “You don’t need anybody to tell you what to say. You would ignore them anyway. Just say what comes to you. The truth, or whatever feels right, and if you decide not to do it, then just talk about Iron Man. You can do this, Tony. As much as I’d like to, you don’t need me to hold your hand.”

Tony sighed. Bruce was always right. “I love you.”

“I know. I love you too. Now, stop worrying, go tape a good show, and then come home, and we’ll watch our friends reactions. I bet Nat and Clint’s will be funny.”

Tony tried to latch onto that lightheartedness. “If Steve hadn’t just come out himself, I’d say he’d flip. Hell, he still might. Thanks Bruce.”

“Bye.” They disconnected, and Tony was left to fidget until he was called on.

The lights, the crowd, even Jimmy Fallon, Tony was prepared for. The only thing left was what he would say. As he sat down on the set, they exchanged greetings. Tony waved politely to the studio audience and the cameras and Jimmy started.

“So, you and the Avengers have been in all the gossip lately!” Jimmy said once the audience settled.

“I know!” Tony gave a sarcastic jaw drop, figuring he could give them the drama they surely wanted. “It’s like nobody has anything more interesting to talk about.”

“Well, I think it’s pretty interesting. I saw the Today Show this morning, that looked intense! And then, Cap and Bucky came out!” Fallon turned to the cameras. “Did you all see that? Captain America and Bucky Barnes announced they’re dating, and I’ve gotta say, it was a real treat to see you all together like that. You’re all really friends?”

“Of course,” Tony shrugged. It was hard to believe that the public didn’t know the Avengers were friends. They do live together, after all. “You know it’s kind of hard to save the world with a bunch of people and not be friends afterward.”

“That’s a good point. Before we move on, ‘cause I do want to ask you about some Stark Industries and Iron Man things, but this morning after the Today Show, you called us and gave us a warning.” Here it came. Tony knew he would bring it up this way, and he regretted having made the call. “You said you’ve got something big to tell us, but we’re not allowed to make a big deal out of it. Before you tell us, what do you mean by a big deal? Because you know, it’s not like we’re notorious for blowing things out of proportion or anything.” Jimmy faked a sheepish smile. “Is it a surprise? Is it gonna scare me? What is it? What shouldn’t I do?”

“Ha, yeah, pretty much what you’re doing right now,” Tony said flatly, following it up his trademark grin. He decided to combat Fallon’s false nervousness with casual confidence. Not that that was unusual for him anyway. “So last week, my good friends Clint and Phil announced that they’re together; this morning Steve and Bucky came out; so in the spirit of getting things out in the open—and I want to note that my secret keeping skills are way better than theirs,”

Tony felt as if time stopped for a moment. He could spit out any random secret here and no one would notice. If he said it, there would be no turning back. No way to claim it as a joke. His celebrity spotlight would forever be rainbow colored. The usual paparazzi would double. They might be attacked, and not just on twitter. But, what choice did he have? It was this or hide, and if they were ever found out later, they’d be labeled as cowards for not coming out when everyone else did. He had to say it. “Dr. Bruce Banner and myself have been an item for over a year now, and no one ever noticed.”

He heard some actual gasps. For a second, everyone was in silent shock. Fallon, doing his duty as host, exclaimed “No way. You’re joking!”

Tony sighed with a smile. “No jokes. We got together in February last year.” He had to pause because the audience suddenly erupted with applause. People seemed to be genuinely proud of him, just for saying those few words. He waited until they calmed and continued. “We didn’t really intend to keep the secret for so long, but nobody noticed, even the other Avengers didn’t realize we’ve been sharing a bedroom since before they moved in.” The atmosphere seemed to be lifting pressure off of Tony with every second, and he couldn’t resist poking fun. He winked into the camera. “Great observational skills guys. So, we just didn’t bother saying anything, figuring it would come up eventually, but one thing led to another, and we thought it was time.”

“So, Tony Stark is gay? Man, you really had us fooled.” Fallon gaped.

Now, this would be the real test. If he didn’t handle this right, he could be in trouble. “I’m not gay. Bisexual, pansexual, whatever you want to call it, I like all kinds of people.” He hoped it sounded smoother than he felt.

“Ok, so bisexual, but anybody who knows your name knows you as a ladies’ man. So are you a man's man too, or had you just not dated as many guys? Before Dr. Banner, I mean.”

Tony had to laugh. “Come on, Jimmy. Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. I’ve been pretty private in this, mostly out of necessity. Very few people knew. But, yeah, ladies’ man, man’s man, queer man, whatever.” This pretending to be casual was starting to work even on Tony. Maybe if he didn’t make it a big deal, other people wouldn’t either.

“Well it sounds like Bruce has had a lot of competition then. How did you two get together?”

Tony suddenly turned serious. “He hasn’t had any competition. I don’t do that anymore. I wouldn’t trade Bruce for anybody. He’s . . .” This would be hard. How much could he give away? “He sort of saved me from my own self destruction. He is everything to me. I wish everyone could see him the way I do. Honestly though, I liked him, wanted him, since the day he and I met. He’s a genius, probably smarter than me, but he’s incredibly humble and most people only see him as the Hulk. He does have that in him, but Bruce, the man he really is, is amazing.”

Tony stopped and only just realized how much he’d just said. The audience clapped and ‘aww’ed at him, and Fallon said “You’re really in love with him, aren’t you?”

“I am.” Tony nodded. He didn’t want that to take over the show, though. “Do you want to know what he’s working on? It’s incredible; it’ll blow your mind.”

“Yeah!” Jimmy perked up and the audience followed suit.

“He’s taken a break from nuclear physics to work on bioengineering advanced electronic prosthetics. The most challenging thing in prosthetics is connecting the mechanism to the nervous system so that it can not only move, but also receive sensory input, touch, temperature, pain, the same way a real limb would, and Bruce is doing that. Everything’s still experimental, but it is miles ahead of other projects in the bioengineering field. People have been trying to do this for years. You know, Stark Industries has always been a leader for scientific and inventive discoveries, but Bruce Banner is gonna change the world.”

“That is awesome. I bet he will, and I can’t wait to see it. Hey, we’re gonna take a break, but when we come back, will you tell us more about those amazing Stark Industries projects and your plans for Iron Man?”

“Sure.” Tony flashed another grin before the cameras cut out.

The rest of the interview was a blur. Tony only had to answer basic questions about SI’s public projects and give a mild confirmation that he was still working as Iron Man with a new set of suits built over the past year.

“I don’t think I could ever give up being Iron Man. You’ll still see me flying around when I’m 70.” Tony laughed before they wrapped his part of the show.

He was just thinking about going home to snuggle up with Bruce to watch their friends watch the show when one of the managers told him that there was going to be a post-taping party. Not wanting to appear rude, Tony agreed to hang around. He steeled himself for answering some more personal, less TV friendly questions about his relationship. He had done this kind of thing before, and there was always gossip.

Bruce woke up spooning Tony with an arm around his waist. He shifted carefully and got up to pee. Tony was still snoring when he came back. Bruce wasn’t quite ready to leave bed, so he lay back down and grabbed his tablet to pull up the interview from last night. He’d fallen asleep for most of it, but he still wanted to see it. When the video ended, Bruce noticed that Tony had stopped snoring.

Bruce put the tablet down and looked at him. “You said some really sweet things about me.” He whispered. Tony propped himself up to meet his lips.

“Mmhm, and I meant every word.” Tony replied. “Good morning.”

Bruce smiled. “Yeah, it is.” He leaned down for a better kiss and sucked on Tony’s bottom lip. Hearing Tony praise him so openly in the interview affected Bruce more than he expected. This man was his to love, and now the whole civilized world knew it. He pressed himself to Tony’s chest and slid his hands into Tony’s boxers. Tony moaned low and loud for him as Bruce squeezed his ass. Bruce felt his growing erection meet Tony’s between them.

“Too many clothes.” Tony mumbled. “You sleep in too many clothes.” Bruce agreed and removed his hands from Tony to tug off his shirt and sleep shorts. “That’s better.” Tony sat up, kissing Bruce’s happy trail just below his belly button. He somehow already had a condom open, and Bruce was only just hard enough for Tony to roll it on him.

“I love you so much. You are—” Bruce paused with a sharp inhale as Tony’s mouth engulfed the head of his cock. “I can’t . . . can’t imagine—” Bruce laughed at himself, unable to speak with Tony’s tongue on him. “I’m trying to say something . . .”

Tony pulled off and sat up to work Bruce with his hands. “Save it. Just love me, Baby. Fuck me, Baby.” Their new position allowed Bruce to sit back on his heels and gave him room to pull Tony’s cock from his boxers. Bruce leaned forward and they rocked together, pumping themselves and each other while Bruce planted soft, wet kisses on Tony wherever he could reach. Tony’s left hand found Bruce’s ass and squeezed, drawing out a groan from Bruce and spurring him to speed up.

“Yeah, Baby! Mmm harder, grip harder.” Tony pleaded. He was bucking up to meet Bruce’s hand, and Bruce rolled his hips in sync as they jerked towards climax. Bruce tightened his hold around Tony’s throbbing cock, and he let out a short moan with each breath when Tony loosened his own hand for softer faster strokes the way Bruce liked.

“Tony, To— Ohhh!” Bruce stilled in his orgasm and had to make a conscious effort to keep moving his hand for Tony.

Bruce opened his eyes, not remembering having closed them, to see Tony staring wide-eyed and breathing hard, still thrusting his cock in and out of Bruce’s grip. Tony’s unwavering gaze renewed the flush that had begun to fade from Bruce’s face. “I can’t imagine my life without you. I wouldn’t want to.” Bruce said gently. He watched Tony’s face slack and noted the quickening of his breaths. “You are my home.” Bruce said just before Tony’s hips suddenly spasmed and he came over his abdomen with a choked yelp. His breath shuddered and Bruce loosened and slowed his hand to let him down easy.

“Jesus, Bruce.” Tony panted. “Oh my god, forget dirty talk, that was . . . beautiful. Oh, that felt amazing! I can’t believe—!” Tony sat up and pulled Bruce into him, lavishing him with lips and tongue. Bruce beamed inwardly at having found another thing to tantalize Tony with in bed. “I love you. Holy crap, I love you, Bruce.” Tony said when their lips parted. “I can’t imagine living without you either, by the way. It would be hell, trying to go back to life without the company of my gorgeous genius lover.” Bruce followed Tony into their bathroom to clean up. “I honestly think that was one of the best orgasms of my life. And, that first time with you, the tantric sex massage, that’s pretty up there too.”

Bruce thought for a moment of what that meant, considering the many sexual partners Tony had in the past. “You know, every one of my orgasms with you is on my list of bests. I mean, you could probably guess that I haven’t had much before you. But, no one else, not even—” Bruce still wasn’t comfortable saying Betty’s name in that context. “No one has been as good as you.”

Tony paused, toothbrush halfway to his mouth, and stared solemnly at Bruce in the mirror. “You know why that is, right? It’s because you love me so damned much, you just look at me and you’re gettin’ hot.” He grinned and went on brushing his teeth like it was nothing. Bruce wanted to roll his eyes at Tony’s joking vanity, but he had to admit, Tony had a point about their love.

Chapter Text

Tony watched with satisfaction as Dum-E sprayed the second coat of red paint on the boots of the otherwise completed Hulkbuster armor.

He clapped his hands together. “Who’s ready for a test drive? Jarvis, call Bruce down here.”

A few seconds passed before Jarvis responded, “Dr. Banner has refused, sir.”

“What?” Tony furrowed his brow and looked towards one of Jarvis’ cameras. “I know he’s not busy; wasn’t he doing yoga 20 minutes ago?”

“He did not give a reason, and yes, he’s in the gym.”

“That’s enough Dum-E, thanks.” Tony turned and went upstairs. He found Bruce sitting on the floor of the gym, his eyes fixed on the wall a few feet in front of him. He was somewhat slouched and his hands fiddled idly with the drawstring of his sweatpants. “Hey Babe, are you finished uh, yoga-ing?” Tony said quietly as he walked in.

Bruce straightened and stood up before answering, “That depends, have you finished the new suit? I’m not helping you test it.”

Tony thought about arguing, but considered Bruce’s reasons. “Okay, I know you don’t like letting the big guy out. . . . But that’s the whole reason we built this thing. How will we know it works if it’s not battle tested?”

Bruce took two slow steps toward Tony. “Remember how well testing the trap worked? How many prototypes did he destroy before one of them worked?”

“Sixteen.” Tony looked at the the floor, sensing that he’d just lost the argument.

“Sixteen times I endured the transformation, knowing that it would be for the best if the trap worked. He tore most of them to shreds. If this armor isn’t tough enough—I can’t control him Tony, he’ll tear you apart too.”

Tony nodded. “That’s why the suit came after the trap; I used the same materials from the final trap model. The outside is protected by the strongest alloy possible for its weight. The inside is lined with kevlar, and it attaches to Mark 43, which is the safest suit so far. It’s armor, Bruce. It will protect me.

“I get the concern buddy, I do, but . . . if we don’t test it, we can’t be sure that it all works. And, I don’t mean whether the armor is sturdy enough to protect me because it is, but it has to be strong enough to hold the big guy off, if not take him down.”

Bruce sighed and looked at the floor, rubbing his forehead as he thought about it. “Is the suit put together? I need to look at it first.”

“Hey Jarvis, assemble the Hulkbuster armor please.” Tony called without taking his eyes off of Bruce. He held out his hand for Bruce to take, and turned slightly toward the door. Bruce nodded silently and put his arm around Tony’s waist, ignoring the offered hand. “You’re kinda sweaty.” Tony commented as they walked, but he didn’t pull away.

The Hulkbuster armor was assembled on its platform, and in all its 24 foot tall glory, it was probably as close an Iron Man suit could get to being a tank. Though that may not be the best comparison, Tony thought, as he remembered the video footage of Hulk once ripping the top off of a tank sent to subdue him.

“Shit.” Bruce whispered as they stepped into the workshop. “It’s taller than I thought it would be from seeing all the pieces. It’s gotta be, what, twice the size?”

“If not, it’s close. I measured the big guy’s height as close as I could based on videos. I wanted to have a size advantage, partly for padding. You know, the longer the arms, the less jarring I get on the inside.” Tony moved around the armor, gazing appreciatively at its mass.

“Your 43 armor fits in the center?” Bruce asked. He’d helped with most of the plans, but he didn’t have the engineering imagination that Tony did to picture how it all fit together.

“Yeah, the center body has a chamber for it to fit into. My feet fit about there,” He pointed to the hip/upper thigh region of the Hulkbuster. “And my arms have full range of motion inside the chest area, with plates pressed against the 43 that trigger the suit’s movement.”

Bruce walked to look at it from a different angle. From the side, he could see that the body was nearly six feet thick. He tried to imagine Tony’s comparatively small figure fit inside it and wondered if Tony ever felt claustrophobic. “Okay, and it’s got extra thrust to maintain flight, repulsors, punch-repeater, missiles . . . Am I’m missing anything?”

“The unibeam. It fires three feet wide with enough force to launch the space shuttle if it could be maintained that long, but it sucks power like a bitch, has it’s own arc reactor.”

Bruce was still skeptical, but he nodded. He knew Tony was right; they would have to test it before they could trust it. And, while they were still working on the satellite for it and the backup system Tony had nicknamed ‘Veronica,’ they would have plenty of time to play with upgrades and fixes if the suit didn’t hold well enough—unless the Hulk killed Tony first, Bruce’s anxiety reminded him. He sighed in resignation and let Tony lead the way to the safe room.

It wasn’t the first time Tony had locked into the Hulkbuster, but this time felt more complete. Maybe it was the paint job or seeing Bruce’s small half-naked form looking up at him fearfully. Tony wasn’t happy about this either. The concept of beating up his own boyfriend was not at all pleasant, especially when his boyfriend was big and green and likely to crush him. He focused on the engineering genius that was the armor around him, remembering all the care and work put into making sure this would save him.

“Whenever you’re ready, Bruce.” He heard his voice echo back through the suit’s inner speakers.

Bruce nodded and closed his eyes. A second later, his body shifted and grew, and Bruce clutched his head in pain as he turned green. The Hulk, still enormous even though Tony was taller, looked up at him and snarled.

Tony took a step forward and braced himself as Hulk launched a punch at him. Tony tried to block it, but he moved too slowly. He could feel the inside of the Hulkbuster adding resistance to his movements, so they timed with the actual speed of the outer armor. Hulk’s force had pushed him back a few feet, but Tony held his ground and countered the punch. Hulk caught his metal fist and pushed, so Tony added thrust to his arm and sent the Hulk staggering back. When he looked up again, he had a look like he was glad to have met his match, the first since the Abomination.

Before Hulk jumped back at him, Tony sent four small missiles out. They didn’t even slow him down. Tony was knocked on his back with Hulk on top of him, pounding at his metal chest. The impacts were jarring, but not painful. Tony tried the punch repeater on the right fist to knock Hulk off of him. Hulk slammed the arm to the ground after three hits. Tony used his size advantage to shift with Hulk’s movement and shove him away with his left arm. He followed up with a repulsor to force Hulk down. He then had to use the repulsors to lift himself off of the ground, and by the time he was standing, Hulk was at him again. Tony sent more missiles, this time ten of them, all at Hulk’s face. He was really glad that Bruce wouldn’t remember this.

Hulk covered his face with his hands and was clearly bleeding, but it only fueled his rage. Hulk ran back across the room in two steps and tackled Tony. His hands and legs clung to the Hulkbuster as he pounded Tony’s head. The shock absorption was weakest at the head, and Tony winced inside the armor, gaining a headache with each punch.

Sure, he had other options, but he didn’t want to take much more of this. Besides, he was barely holding his own. He fired up the unibeam. Hulk had been hanging onto Tony by the strength and grip of his legs around the suit’s chest, so the shot was perfectly aimed to send Hulk flying across the room. Tony took his few seconds’ chance and stepped out through the huge emergency door. The door closed, and then Hulk pounded against it.

Tony released himself from the Hulkbuster, then from the 43 armor. He sat, gasping, on the floor. He could still hear Hulk’s roars from the other side of the wall. He caught his breath and pulled up the video of the fight, watching it side-by-side with the live footage of Hulk wearing himself out. Before the video ended, Hulk collapsed and slowly shrunk back into Bruce.

It was only when Tony walked, unarmored, back into the safe room that he realized how much damage the room itself had sustained. Bruce lay at the edge of a small crater in the floor. There were similar dents all over the room. Were Hulk or Tony had been slammed into the walls, the panels were so badly dented that the edges were peeling away from the wall’s inner structure. Hulk had apparently dug his feet into the floor to push against the emergency door because those floor panels were crushed into the room’s foundation. Tony was glad he had at least had the forethought to keep the floors above and below this one empty.

Bruce groaned and sat up. Tony helped him to his feet and offered a hug that Bruce gratefully accepted.

“Let me get you some tea before you watch the footage.” Tony said.

“Clothes would be nice too.” Bruce added.

Chapter Text

Tony was lost in his memory of the previous night. He and Bruce had gone out on a real date, in public. They had done this once before, but Bruce had been so anxious about cameras that they didn’t get very far before turning in. This time was better. Bruce chose a small Greek restaurant that had likely never seen half as much attention as it received that night with all of the paparazzi, but the owner of the joint wouldn’t let the cameras in, so they actually got some peace.

After their delicious meal, Bruce asked if they could walk home. It was only four blocks, and there weren’t as many people out to bother them by then, so they walked hand-in-hand back to the tower. Two women stopped them for a picture about halfway there. They said they had been married for three years but that seeing celebrities, superheroes no less, come out like they had was still heartwarming and inspirational to them. Tony was feeling generous and let them take a selfie of the four of them.

When Tony and Bruce got home, they went straight to their bedroom and each took a turn massaging the other, followed by turns taking each other in the ass. Tony went first, pinning Bruce to the mattress with their foreheads pressed together, sharing breath as Tony came inside him. Bruce broke his promise of waiting to come until his turn afterward; Tony knew Bruce’s will was weaker after the massage, but he couldn’t resist stroking Bruce’s prostate and holding his pulsing dick while he fucked him.

For his revenge, Bruce later had Tony suck him off while he worked the dildo inside him. Tony’s neck and back moved against Bruce’s chest since Bruce was practically draped over him to have leverage at his backside, and Tony’s tongue at Bruce’s tip had him hanging on the edge. When Bruce came, he unintentionally held the dildo still in just the right spot so that Tony came again with Bruce still in his mouth and the dildo slipping out of his ass. That was a memory Tony would be saving forever.

Tony realized where his mind had gone and snapped back to work. He glanced at Bruce, asleep on the couch behind him. Tony was working on a 3D model of the Iron Legion bots, working out some kinks in the programming. He didn’t hear the footsteps coming up behind him.

“Stark, I need to talk to you.” It was Bucky Barnes.

Tony flinched and quickly closed the program. He wasn’t ready for the Avengers to know about the full capability of the Legion yet. He turned around and spoke without thinking, “Then, by all means, interrupt me without asking. It’s not like I was doing anything important.” He threw a quick smile to show he wasn’t actually mad.

“This is more important. I have to tell you something that I’ve been holding onto for a while, and you’re not gonna like it.” Barnes looked grim, well, more than usual.

Tony crossed his arms defensively. “You’ve been keeping secrets from me?”

“Not anymore.” He paused uncertainly but didn’t seem to change his mind. “You know how my memories have been coming back? I’m remembering things that I couldn’t control, horrible things. And one of them . . . your parents didn’t die in a car accident. I killed them to get something from their trunk, and the crash was a cover.” Barnes looked Tony in the eye, and Tony felt the shock hit him like a punch to the gut. He continued, “I didn’t know who they were or who you were; I was forced to do what they told me, but I remember all of it. I’m so sorry, Tony. I had to tell you. I didn't want you to find out somehow from somewhere else.”

Time seemed to slow as Tony processed what he just heard. He looked down, closed his eyes, and tried to force down his anger. He couldn’t just be mad, this was bigger than him, but rage was the only thing he felt. He slammed a fist backwards into the desk behind him, and while he knew that Bucky wasn’t truly responsible, he couldn’t help feeling it. When he finally spoke, he kept his voice calm. “You know what, Barnes? I’ve been keeping a secret from you, too.” He clenched his fists around the edge of the desk to stop himself from shaking.

All he wanted to do in that moment was hurt Bucky, to take what little revenge he could on this man who was part of his team, who was Steve’s lover, who had saved Steve’s life. It didn’t matter who Bucky was. He killed Tony’s parents. If Tony couldn’t hurt him physically, he would have to settle for this. “You know those freezers Hydra kept you in, all those years? It turns out, my father invented them. Dear old Howard designed the original cryostasis freezer to see if it would have been possible for Cap to have survived in the ice. The schematic was stolen by one of Hydra’s spies and was used to build the chamber that kept you alive for them. I guess my dad got to you first, but you didn’t even know that when you killed him.” Tony breathed heavily and stared Barnes down.

Bucky looked scared and sick. He walked backward out of the lab and slammed the door. Tony pushed a hand through his hair and looked at Bruce, who had only just woken up from the sound of the door.

“What happened?” Bruce looked confusedly at Tony’s tense stance.

“Nevermind.” Tony mumbled and walked quickly out of the lab and down to the garage.

Apparently, Bruce took that at face value because he didn’t follow. Tony paced around for a few minutes before his eyes fell on one of his dad’s old cars. It wasn’t the hot-rod they had worked on together but a more casual “family car” that they’d almost never used. It wasn’t the car his parents died in, but it could have been. His father had taken the newer model Cadillac and left this older one to his son. Tony wondered whether Hydra still would have called the hit if he had been with them.

Of course, they would have. Hydra didn’t care who was collateral damage.

Why had Tony kept this car? He never drove it, never even thought about it, tucked away in the corner behind the shining antiques. Tony strode over to the key rack and found the only unlabeled key, one of the few without electric locks, tucked behind the ‘65 Chevy key. Tony took it and went to start up the engine with a spark of nostalgia for his younger self. Now he remembered, this was one of the first cars he ever drove. He wasn’t supposed to, of course; it was one of the most expensive cars his dad owned back then, but he took it for a ride while he was home from college when he was 16. His dad grounded him when he got back, not that it mattered to Tony. He thought back to his relationship with his father and had to pull himself off of that mental track by focusing on the car.

The engine sputtered a bit before starting, and Tony immediately hopped out and popped the hood. He knew that after decades of gathering dust, there would have to be something to play with in there. He forced the memories down with the anger, trying to replace them with that nostalgia from a moment ago.

The thought of Bucky Barnes gunning down his father’s car, so similar to this one, kept crawling back up. It wasn’t his fault, Tony reminded himself; damn Hydra if anything. Except that Hydra was ancient and in the wind while Bucky was right here, living only a few floors away. He said that he remembered all of it. As much as it sickened him, Tony almost wanted to hear the Winter Soldier’s recount of it. That wouldn’t make anything better, though; in fact, it would make him want to hurt Bucky even more, but such was Tony’s morbid curiosity.

Then, there was the thing about the freezer. Tony had known about that since before he even met Steve. The schematic was stolen, along with a few other unique Stark inventions, apparently after Hydra had already made Barnes their asset. The cryo-chambers just made it easier.

After a while of tinkering and perseverating in his anger and frustration, Tony heard someone come in. He looked at his watch and was surprised to see that it was nearly nine PM. He’d been in here all day, and his foul mood hadn’t changed.

“Tony?” Bruce’s voice echoed on the concrete walls. Tony didn’t answer, but he knew Bruce would find him in a minute. “Are you okay? Steve and Bucky won’t come out, and nobody else knows anything. What happened?”

“I’m fine.” Tony snapped, a bit louder than he’d meant to. “Nothing happened.” He knew he couldn’t actually keep this from Bruce forever, but he just wanted to be left alone.

“You know that telling someone will make you feel better, whatever it is. It doesn’t have to be me, but I’m here for you, Tony.”

Tony looked up at him and scowled. Bruce meant well; he always meant well. Couldn’t he see that Tony didn’t want to talk about it? “I don’t need your support, doc. I am capable of handling myself, you know. I don’t need you for everything.” He knew these words would hurt Bruce, but right now, he didn’t care. It would make him go away, and that’s all he wanted. Let him stew his anger in peace.

Bruce looked like he wanted to say something back, but Tony went back to the car, turning his back on Bruce. He heard Bruce’s footsteps leaving the garage, and tried to refocus on whatever the dusty engine needed next.

Chapter Text

Bruce wanted to slam the garage door, but that thought itself was reason enough to close it with no more force than normal. He took a few breaths to steady himself. He knew better than to take Tony’s words personally although they had been directed at his person. Tony hadn’t even said his name, which was weird. He’d called him “doc,” like he used to do years ago when they’d just met. Worse yet, even though he said it out of anger, every word was true. Tony could handle himself, and he didn’t need Bruce. What Bruce didn’t understand was that, after so much time spent building their relationship on emotional trust, why didn’t Tony want Bruce’s support?

If Tony wanted to keep to himself for a while, Bruce wouldn’t stop him, but he sure as hell didn’t like it. Bruce went back upstairs and into the kitchen where Natasha and Sam were cleaning up dinner and waiting for Bruce to return with an answer.

“He wouldn’t tell me what happened, but it definitely has to do with Cap and Bucky’s silence.” Bruce told them when he walked in.

“I wonder if Bucky remembered something that has to do with Tony.” Sam said.

“Could be, though I can’t imagine what. Howard helped Steve become Captain America; they were probably friends.” Bruce shrugged.

Nat didn’t seem bothered. “Whatever their problem is, they’ll come around. Remember how it was before New York? Tony hated Cap, but they worked their shit out. They’ll do it again.”

Bruce nodded, “I just hope they don’t need another alien invasion to do it.”

Bruce went up to bed, sleeping alone for the first time in over a year. He’d slept alone for his entire life before that, so this shouldn’t be weird, but it was. He also suspected that Tony wasn’t going to sleep at all tonight, which made him feel worse. Tony chose this, Bruce reminded himself. It took awhile for him to fall asleep. He was used to the calming sound of Tony’s breathing beside him.

To his credit, Tony did try to sleep on the couch in the lab. That only lasted about ten minutes, but it was something. He had ditched the car around midnight and grabbed some food on his way to the lab. Four hours after his failed nap, he was pounding and pulling the dents out of the safe room wall panels. Bruce walked in with pot of coffee in one hand and two empty mugs in the other.

“Care to join me?” Bruce offered.

Tony looked up at him and remembered how he’d treated him the previous night. “Yeah. Hey, Bruce,” He paused as he stood up and followed him to a table in the corner of the lab. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

Bruce nodded and poured the coffee. “You’re right, and I forgive you. Will you tell me what was bothering you?”

Tony took the coffee as an excuse to procrastinate his answer. He’d been thinking about this all night. He drank some of the coffee, and then looked at Bruce as he set down the mug. “Barnes told me a secret yesterday.”

“Okay,” Bruce prodded. “What was it?”

“He told me that he remembered a mission that Hydra gave him. He killed my parents to take something from their trunk, and he made it look like a car accident.” Tony collapsed into a chair. Saying it out loud brought it all back, and he was exhausted. He felt tears coming, but couldn’t do anything about it. “The thing is, the man who murdered my parents is living here with me, and I’m not even allowed to be mad at him because he was fucking brainwashed! I know it wasn’t his fault, but he still did it! Fault or no, I am living with their killer.” Bruce sat and listened in shocked silence. Tony breathed heavily and looked up at him. “I’m just so angry, Bruce. I could kill him. I can’t, I wouldn’t, I won’t, but I feel it. I can’t be mad at him though. It wasn’t his fault. . . . You know, I hadn’t thought about my parents’ death in years. I never thought it was anything more than an accident. Naive. But, that’s how it is with us, right? Bad things happen to us; it’s who we are. We try to stop the bad guys, and they come after us. My father tries to bring Captain America back, and Hydra kills him for it. I grieved for them, and I accepted it, but this? I don’t know what to do with this. Help me.” Tony hung on the verge of tears, clenching and unclenching his fists.

Bruce wasn’t sure what to do. He stood up and pulled Tony up into a tight embrace. “I’ve got you. I understand, Tony. I really do. It’s okay.” Tony clung to him and let himself go. “It’s okay to be angry,” Bruce continued, “But you have to know that you’re not angry at specific people. You’re not mad at Bucky; you’re mad at Hydra. You’re not mad at yourself; you’re mad at your situation. It sucks, yes, but that’s how it is. You can live with anger if you have to, Tony, but you have to know what you’re angry at. Never lose that, or it will consume you.”

Tony nodded and sat back down, still shaking. “How do you do it? How do you just live with it every day?”

Bruce sighed. That was a bigger question for another time. “Can you forgive him? Not Hydra, not the killing, but can you forgive Bucky?”

Tony sat quietly for a minute, thinking. “Yes. It wasn’t really him; I get that.”

“Tell him that. It will make it a lot easier.”

“There’s another thing.” Tony remembered. “I wasn’t thinking, and I told Barnes that my father built the cryostasis chamber that Hydra used on him. I knew that long before I knew him, and I never planned on telling him, but I was upset. He’s probably pretty mad at me now, too.”

“How? How did your dad’s invention get to Hydra?”

“They stole it. They must have already started the whole Winter Soldier thing, but the freezers let them keep it up for so long.”

“Shit, Tony, no wonder he and Steve were so quiet all day. Well, you’re going to have to confront him then. Try to make amends. I bet that’s what he was trying to do in the first place when he told you.” Bruce put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m here for you before and after, but I’m not going with you for that talk.”

“Yeah, this is my shit. I have to clean it up.” Tony nodded. He wasn’t happy, but at least he was done wallowing.

Tony felt supremely awkward walking up to Cap and Bucky’s room. He almost turned back. He wished he had some excuse beyond needing to talk out their shit. He could have had Jarvis give them a warning, but it was a little late for that now. He knocked on the door.

Rogers opened it, looking concerned but not mad. “Tony.”

“Hey, Cap, can Bucky come out to play?” Tony joked.

“I don’t think he really wants to play with you, but you can come in.” Steve stepped aside, holding the door.

The apartment looked different from how Tony had set it up. They had moved some furniture and made it more like Steve’s old place. Barnes was on the couch, facing away from the door. He stood up and turned when Tony walked in.

Tony spoke up first. “So, listen. I don’t want to apologize for telling you about the freezer thing, but I am sorry that I only said it to get back at you. I want you to know that I’m not mad at you because I know you weren’t in control, but you can’t expect me to be happy knowing that you,” Tony stopped his rehearsed speech and swallowed uncomfortably. He took a breath and hoped Barnes might say something, but he didn’t. “I forgive you. Hydra is responsible, and I’m obviously still upset, but it’s not your fault.”

Bucky seemed surprised and started fidgeting. “That’s pretty big of you, Stark. Thanks. And, thanks for telling me about your dad. That’s not on you or him though, really. It’s all Hydra.”

“I think we’ll all rest easier when they’re gone.” Steve agreed.

Tony nodded and left as awkwardly as he came. Still, at least they didn’t hate each other.

Chapter Text

Bruce was clearing his and Tony’s lunch dishes when Jarvis interrupted their conversation. “Director Phil Coulson is calling you, sir.”

“Answer it. —You got something for us, Coulson?” Tony took the call through Jarvis’ speakers.

“Hey Stark, yeah. Call the Avengers to assemble in Portland, Oregon. There seems to be a giant humanoid creature created in a local lab experiment. Somebody was trying to create some kind of superpower potion. Obviously it failed. I’ll send you the news feed. Take the quinjet and everyone you have available. We’re not sure what this thing can do yet, but it’s big, and it’s threatening the neighborhood.”

“You got it, boss. Jarvis, call them in. Power up the quinjet from the workshop, and pull up whatever Coulson sends you on the screens in there. Portland, right, Coulson? Should be about 15 minutes.”

Coulson replied, “I’m sending you the coordinates. Police are already on their way. Ten bucks says you beat them there.”

“Nah, I’m not taking that. You’re probably right.” Tony hung up and he and Bruce ran for the stairs. Clint, Natasha, Thor, and Sam were already dressed in their body-armor running only one flight above them in the stairwell.

“Where’s Steve and Bucky?” Bruce asked as they crossed the workshop to the quinjet landing balcony.

Clint shrugged, and Nat suggested, “Suiting up?”

Tony huffed. “Jarvis, where are they?”

“They have decided not to go with you. They seem to believe that Bucky Barnes is likely to still be a target for Hydra, and they do not want to risk him being captured in battle.” Jarvis replied coolly.

“Unbelievable. Tell them that if this goes south, I’m blaming them. Let’s go then, guys.” Tony led the way up the ramp into the quinjet, which was already running.

“Seriously? What’s the point of being an Avenger if they’re gonna hide from the fight?” Nat grumbled.

Nobody had an answer to that, but Bruce understood Bucky’s reasoning. For a fight closer to home, they had the advantage to cover each other, but for a fight out west in unfamiliar territory, they would be vulnerable to ambush if Hydra was so inclined.

Clint took the cockpit while everyone strapped in, and Tony pulled up the live news feed from Portland on a projected screen. It showed helicopter footage of a 30 foot tall hairy creature stomping the streets of a neighborhood outside the city. It didn’t seem to be doing any intentional damage, but it caused a good deal of chaos for the people living there. They had just taken off when the headline on the feed changed to “The Avengers are on Their Way!”

“Great,” Sam scoffed. “Now we’ll have civilians purposely getting in the way to watch us fight it.”

Nat shook her head. “Police should clear them for us if they’re there fast enough.”

Fortunately, the police were there before them, and one of them actually directed Clint to an empty lot to land in. Bruce had kept a pair of custom made stretchy shorts on the jet to change into. He’d never worn them before, so he hoped they’d work. Tony donned his armor as they landed, and they ran out together. Bruce felt exposed running into a suburban street in what must look like boxer shorts; at least they weren’t purple. A frantic looking white woman with her hair in a messy bun came up to them and started explaining what had happened. She was the creator of the beast, which used to be her assistant.

“It’s no use though, he doesn’t seem to understand English anymore! I have something that I think will change him back, but there’s no way to give it to him or get him to drink it. Please, just don’t kill him!”

The police were already shooting at it, and it had one hand—or paw—raised over its face while swinging the other one wildly. Black Widow and Hawkeye raised their weapons but waited for Iron Man’s signal. Sam took off and got its attention from the air.

“Tony, the guns aren’t doing anything. It’s like the Hulk, impenetrable.” Bruce commented.

Tony nodded. “Right, we need to knock it out then, so —sorry, what’s your name?”

“Dr. Elisa Patton.”

“So Patton can try her antidote. Thor, don’t fry it, just try to bring it down. Widow, Bird People, the shots don’t go through, but they still hurt. I saw a field about one block east, so try to push it to go that way. We don’t want it to fall on any houses. Bruce, we need the Hulk. He’s our muscle.” Iron Man’s faceplate snapped shut, and he took off to fly toward the giant bearlike creature. He and falcon got its attention, and it swatted at them.

Bruce stirred up his buried anger and tried not to think about the people who lived in all these houses. His body tensed up in pain as he started to transform. His last thought was of Tony, who was nearly swatted out of the sky by one of the creature’s paws. Then, everything went dark, and the Hulk took over.

Iron Man flew in circles around the giant werebear, always just out of reach. Widow, Hawkeye, and Falcon continued shooting at its body and face, forcing it to walk down the street, like Tony had hoped. Its steps were far from cautious, and he and Falcon had to keep its attention in the right direction, lest it step on cars or try to climb the houses.

He heard the Hulk roar back down the road, and the creature suddenly turned around, knocking over a line of mailboxes. Hulk was shorter than the werebear’s waist, but that didn’t stop him from jumping straight up at its face to punch it. The face was scrunched and had a stubby, brown bear nose, and its short snout opened to bare its mouthful of enormous teeth at the Hulk.

Seeing that it was distracted, Thor threw his hammer at the thing’s legs to get it to walk again. It yelped in pain and tripped forward. Iron Man fired a couple of missiles at its shoulders to get its attention. It growled at Iron Man and swiped a paw at him so that Tony had to fly quickly to dodge it. They were almost at the field, but Hulk had latched onto its back and was slowing it down. The werebear reached backwards and slowly spun in a circle as it grabbed Hulk. With both paws, it managed to throw him to the field at the end of the street.

Tony could anticipate what Hulk would do once he got up, so he flew down there to meet him. Hulk had face planted in the dirt and was slow to pick himself up. Once on his feet, he immediately turned around to face the creature that was coming towards them. “Hulk, wait! Let it come to us!” Iron Man shouted, hoping that for once, Hulk would actually listen to him. Hulk glanced at Tony, braced himself like a linebacker, and growled. They watched the advancing werebear’s progress.

The whole team was relentless, forcing the beast to continue. It tried to step on Black Widow, but she rolled out of the way, and Thor hit its hairy, couch-sized foot with his hammer. It jumped once and stepped gingerly back on the hurt paw, proceeding down the road.

A power line was strung across the street, and it caught the line in its paws. It tried to tug the line off of the poles, but a small explosion from one of Hawkeye’s arrows distracted it. It ducked under the line and pulled on it once more, tugging one of the poles out of the ground. Tony jumped back into the air and fired at it, drawing its attention again before it could do any more damage.

It turned and charged at Iron Man, and Hulk jumped and punched it again, sending it tottering sideways onto the field.

“Alright, let’s bring this werebear down.” Iron Man called. He shot a repulsor beam at its face, Thor continued pounding its legs, and Hawkeye had gotten out his explosive arrows again to target its feet. Hulk jumped on the creature’s back again and pounded the back of its head. It fell to its knees, and a blow to the chest from Thor’s hammer brought it down. Hulk gave it a few more punches, and it stopped moving.

Iron Man and Falcon landed, and Hulk yelled at it to see if it would get back up, but it remained unconscious. Dr. Patton ran up to the werebear’s face and poured something into its slack mouth.

Tony watched Hulk pace around a bit, looking for another target. With nothing left to fight, he lost steam and started stumbling. Tony flew over to catch Bruce coming out of the transformation. Tony held him in the arms of his suit and opened his helmet. Bruce blinked up at him.

“Tony . . . did we get it? Is everyone okay?” He asked weakly.

“Hulk knocked it out. Everyone is fine.” Tony smiled softly. “No need for Veronica.”

“Great,” Bruce sighed in relief. He stood up, but still leaned on the body of Tony’s suit for support as they walked back to join the team.

The werebear was slowly shrinking and losing its hair. After a few minutes, it looked nearly human. Dr. Patton was arrested, and the man who had been the werebear was taken to a hospital.

On their way back to the quinjet, Bruce had an idea. “Tony, let’s stay and see the city tomorrow.”

Tony looked at him sideways, thinking about it. “Alright. Jarvis, book us a Mt Hood cabin for two nights. You know what I like.” He turned to address the team, which walked a few paces ahead. “You guys can take the jet back home. Bruce and I are gonna stay, check out Portland’s hipster tourist scene. Can I carry you?” His faceplate closed and looked down at Bruce.

“I—I guess so?” Bruce’s face grew hot at the mental image of himself in nothing but his shorts flying in Iron Man’s arms. A metal arm wrapped around his waist and held him close to the warm chest of the suit, pulling him off the ground before Iron Man lifted a few feet to fly them back into the quinjet. Bruce was let down, and he quickly pulled on his pants and shirt over the stretchy shorts, followed by his shoes. Tony rummaged through a couple of compartments to find a bag and some spare clothes for them both. Bruce took the bag and let Tony pick him up again. “Can’t we just rent a car?”

“What, you don’t like being carried like a prince by your shining knight?” Tony laughed. “How else are we going to get to the rental shop?”

“I used to take the bus when I was on my own. We could call an Uber or get a cab, like normal people.” Bruce suggested in vain.

The cabin Jarvis had booked for them was on a secluded forest road less than an hour from the city. Bruce fell asleep on the drive and woke up to see a small log cabin surrounded by trees, with a small creek running down toward the back. Getting out of the car, he caught the crisp scent of the pine trees and recent rain. It had been a while since Bruce had been able to enjoy a natural scene without the stress of being on the run. They ordered in for dinner and spent the evening on the back deck enjoying the view of Mt Hood National Forest.

After dinner, Tony squeezed into a reclining deck chair with Bruce, looking out at the mountains in the fading sunlight. “You were great today.” Tony said fondly.

With his arm slung around Bruce’s shoulders, he ran his fingers through Bruce’s hair and fidgeted with his curls. Bruce leaned into the touch and turned slightly in the chair to scan Tony’s face. “You mean the Hulk was great.” He said, matter-of-factly.

Tony’s brow creased as he frowned. “No. I mean, I get that you and he are separate, but coming in and out of that transformation, that’s really hard on you, isn’t it? I’ve seen your bad days, and sometimes you tough it out, but others, you seem like you’re going to fall apart from the strain. I see that, Bruce, and you looked strong today; I’m proud of you and happy that you’re feeling good after all that.”

Bruce thought about that and felt a small blow to his dignity at the realization that Tony paid attention to his reactions post-Hulk; he knew Tony was trying to be nice here though. “So, you’re proud of me for not passing out? Or feeling like shit?” Bruce’s lips quirked up, betraying him and showing that he was teasing.

Tony huffed and shook his head with a light smile. “I just can’t win with you.”

“No, I know what you meant. It is hard most of the time,” Bruce looked down at his hand, lain casually on Tony’s forearm, then brought his eyes back up and said, “But when I wake up with my shining knight holding me like today . . .” He trailed off and they both laughed. Tony kissed him through their giggles and continued playing with Bruce’s hair.

Bruce couldn’t believe his luck. How, after so many years of hiding from Ross and Shield, had he ended up working with Shield, becoming a superhero, and falling in love with one of the most brilliant men in the world? How was is possible for him to be cuddled up to Tony Stark, the man he’d previously only read about in scientific journals and celebrity gossip headlines, on a deck chair at an expensive private cabin in a beautiful forest after spending the afternoon saving a town from a failed superhuman experiment?

Of course, it didn’t last; Tony became restless after only a few minutes. He went inside and easily hacked and secured their complementary internet connection, so he could continue writing the code he’d started that morning. Bruce stayed on the deck watching the stars for awhile. At around twelve, he convinced Tony to take him to bed.

Once in the bedroom, Bruce kissed him slowly, caressing his back, shoulders, and biceps. Tony indulged him for a minute but grew impatient when Bruce grabbed his ass. Tony’s lips and tongue became more forceful, and he slid his hands up to Bruce’s abdomen and chest under his shirt. Bruce felt he could never get used to having Tony’s hands on him, his fingers in his chest hair and running over his navel. His blood rushed, following Tony’s hand down his pants. The fingers of Tony’s other hand ran over Bruce’s nipple, sending a shiver down his spine. Tony pulled Bruce’s hardening cock up, hot against his lower abdomen but still in his pants. Tony stroked him slowly, and as he withdrew his hand, he took half a step back to look at Bruce. Tony’s pupils were blown and his lips curled into an amused smile.

“You just gonna leave me like this? What’s your plan, Tony?” Bruce mumbled.

Tony took another step back, and removed his shirt. “Now, I can watch you getting hard for me.” He smirked.

Bruce shook his head in exasperation and toed out of his shoes and socks while he watched Tony undress. He removed his own shirt and saw that Tony was right; he looked down, and his erection was visible beneath his waistband, even in his pants. Tony was down to his boxers, his own dick just as visibly hard as Bruce’s. Bruce undid his pants slowly, watching Tony’s reaction. He was touching himself through his underwear and staring, mouth slightly open, at Bruce’s cock being revealed for him. With Bruce’s pants gone, Tony rushed forward again, pressing their groins together and kissing him hungrily. Bruce matched his enthusiasm and snapped the back of Tony’s waistband. He kissed down Tony’s neck and pulled his boxers down to take Tony's cock in his hand while he sucked a small mark into his left shoulder. Tony’s fingers threaded through Bruce’s hair, and Bruce felt Tony's hips twitch when he thumbed over the head of his leaking cock.

Tony had had the forethought to have condoms in his travel bag from the quinjet. When Bruce’s lips finally lifted from his shoulder, he stepped back to retrieve two of them. Bruce accepted one and finally discarded his underwear to put it on. Tony was distracted, watching him. While Tony rolled his own condom on, Bruce took the lube and lay back on the bed to finger himself.

“Wait, wait,” Tony stopped him. “I want to fuck you from behind. Let me do that.”

Bruce nodded and got on his knees on the bed and braced himself on his forearms. Tony worked his fingers inside him quickly and urgently. Bruce moaned his approval when Tony touched his prostate. When Bruce was open enough and groaning for want of touch, Tony finally pushed into him and rocked his hips behind Bruce’s ass. Bruce felt Tony’s lubed right hand caress his inner thighs, then his balls, and finally wrap around his dick. Bruce’s hips bucked involuntarily at the much-needed contact.

Tony lay his chest over Bruce’s back and slotted their left hands together before he began thrusting into him, tantalizingly slowly at first. Tony’s breathy moans vibrated in Bruce’s core. They could feel each other’s every movement, every thrust and twitch of muscle. Bruce leaned more on his left arm and covered Tony’s right hand with his own, guiding him to jerk him faster, and he felt his orgasm building. Tony lifted his hips slightly and thrust shallow and quick, aiming for Bruce’s prostate. Bruce groaned as he came, and his stuttering hips sent Tony careening over the edge into his own orgasm soon after.

Tony eased out of him, and Bruce gingerly removed his condom and tied it with clumsy fingers before passing it back to Tony, who disposed of it.

Bruce collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion, having already been tired before from the Hulk. Tony came back and lay facing Bruce to kiss him gently. Bruce snuggled into his arms and fell asleep feeling the rise and fall of Tony’s chest.

After waking up slowly, Tony grumbled about the poor quality coffee that was left by the owners of the cabin, and he insisted that they go out for breakfast. They spent the whole day wandering around Portland’s various local shops. Tony spoiled Bruce by buying almost everything that caught his eyes. He drew the line, however, when Bruce stopped them at a pet adoption event.

“We’ve already got Clint’s mutt running around. We don’t need another.” Tony said.

“I can’t believe you don’t like dogs. I mean, who doesn’t like dogs?” Bruce teased. He knelt on the sidewalk and scratched the ears of a beagle puppy.

Tony crossed his arms. “I like other people’s dogs. I can pet them and play with them and then, you know, they leave. It would be a pain in the ass letting it outside all the time, and they shed, and you have to clean up after them. It’d be like having a kid, except that a kid eventually grows up and moves out, but a dog just dies, and you have to get another one.”

“Relax, Tony. I know we’re not getting one. They’re just so cute, I had to pet them.” Bruce stood up and took Tony’s hand as they continued walking. Tony’s comments got him thinking, though. “I didn’t know you were so against having kids.”

Tony practically jumped in surprise. “Whoa, there. Okay, really? I mean, what with my previously promiscuous lifestyle and the drinking and the constant working, you really thought that I would want to have kids?”

“Well, obviously it would take some forethought, but I kind of thought you would be like your father; you’d need someone to carry on your legacy, your work.” Bruce shrugged. “Don’t get all flustered. I’m not saying I want that. I never thought I’d even have this,” he lifted their clasped hands, “but shouldn’t we talk about that? What our future is, even if it doesn’t include kids?”

Tony looked uncomfortable. “Sure, but not now. Let’s find a place for dinner.” He got out his phone and found a good place that was two blocks away.

The restaurant was small, but the weather was nice, so they sat outside and enjoyed the cozy, casual ambiance of the wooden deck-style tables and chairs and the fairy lights strung in a criss-cross pattern over the whole seating area. If the wait staff recognized them, they didn’t show it. Bruce was glad to be out of New York, away from the constant worry about paparazzi. Unfortunately, they were not away from ignorant, hateful people.

They were halfway through their meal when Bruce heard someone say, “Yo, is that Tony Stark?”

Bruce looked up to see two young men standing near the restaurant entrance, staring at them. The second one replied, “Oh, man, it is! Look he’s fagging out with his boyfriend!”

“Fucking queers. What are they doing here anyway?” Said the first one.

Bruce looked Tony in the eyes. He was thinking about doing something stupid, Bruce knew it. Then, the second one, who was shorter and wore his pants slung low, called out, “Hey, Iron Fag! What, did you get too gay for New York?”

The taller one swaggered a few steps forward and shouted, “What’s it like being fucked by the Hulk!?”

That one hit a nerve for Tony, and Bruce could see the switch flip in his body language. He sat up straighter and dropped his fork.

“Tony, don’t. They’re just trying to rile you up; don’t let them.” Bruce urged, but Tony stood up and turned toward them.

The short one sneered, clearly thinking that Tony’s reaction was a win for him and his friend. “I feel bad for you, Stark. You used to be such a baller! Now you just suck balls!”

Tony didn’t speak, didn’t wait, just stepped up to him and drove his fist straight into the shorter one’s face. Bruce stood up automatically, and before he knew it, he had a restraining hand on Tony’s shoulder.

The taller one grumbled as his friend reeled back, “Fuck, man, if you didn’t want people ragging on you, why’d you turn queer? You only get what you deserve, fags!” He reached behind him, and Bruce knew what would come next. He reacted without ever consciously making the decision to do so. As the man lifted the gun from the back of his pants, Bruce released Tony’s shoulder and felt his anger take over. He heard the gunshot before he blacked out.

Chapter Text

Bruce blinked once or twice, then his eyes shot open and he bolted upright. He was laying on the bed in the cabin they'd rented. Tony sat on the end of the bed with his cellphone pressed to his ear; he turned around when Bruce sat up.

“Tony! What happened?!” Bruce whispered urgently. Whomever Tony was talking to would have to wait. The last thing he remembered was the sound of gunfire after Tony punched somebody. He needed answers.

“Hang on, Agent. Bruce just woke up.” Tony pulled the phone away from his face. “Hey, everything’s okay. Alright? I’m handling it. They pulled guns on us when they saw you coming. The security cameras got it. We’re not to blame.”

“Blame for what?! What did I do? Did Hulk . . .” Bruce’s thoughts were suddenly clouded with terror. He voiced his fear in a barely audible whisper, “Did he kill them?”

“What? No! They’re fine. He gave them a decent beating, but they’ll live. Veronica’s trap worked, and police showed up in time to catch them. I mean, they should be grateful I called the trap at all, but I knew you wouldn’t like that.”

Bruce mumbled while he thought it over, “The police . . . How did we get back here? What time is it?”

“It’s about eleven. I flew us back to the rental car and drove. There were reporters, but they couldn’t follow us. Coulson is trying to handle that end of things for us. The police are going to come over to get my statement on what happened, but you don’t have to talk to them unless you want to. They won’t charge us with anything.”

“Right. I’ll just . . . I need a shower.”

Bruce rose slowly from the bed, noting that he was already nude. He hoped Tony hadn’t flown him across downtown Portland like that.

Tony resumed his conversation with Coulson, “Stark Industries’ PR isn’t exactly equipped to handle this. The Avengers should get a separate rep with all the shit we’re dealing with. I don’t suppose Shield kept the team we had after New York?”

Bruce closed the bathroom door, grateful that he had Tony to take care of that stuff. The shower was calming, but it couldn’t make Bruce forget what all of this meant. He felt that Tony wasn’t telling him the whole story, and Tony's having stopped the Hulk from killing those guys didn’t remove the fact that Bruce put everyone there in danger by reacting the way he did. Worse yet, he realized that if he was put in that situation again, with someone drawing a weapon against Tony, he would react the same way. Hulk could protect them from bullets, but in the process, he released his rage on everyone around him. The trap may have worked, but it was too close for Bruce’s comfort.

He shut the water off and shivered when he stepped out of the steamy bathroom. Tony was still on the phone in the next room. Realizing how tired he still was and not wanting to talk to Tony about this yet, Bruce pulled on clean underwear from the duffel bag and crawled back into bed.

He didn’t want to acknowledge the familiar feeling that was creeping into his gut. He loved Tony, and Tony was taking care of him in ways he didn’t feel he deserved, but this incident reminded him that he would never really be able to keep Tony safe. In the same moment that Hulk protected him, he endangered everyone else, and there was no guarantee that Hulk wouldn’t turn around and hurt Tony just as easily.

Bruce hated it more than anything, but the only way to keep people safe was to leave. He wished he could take Tony with him, but Tony had a real life and real work that he couldn’t leave, and it was too dangerous.

Bruce woke up to Tony shaking his shoulder lightly. He had already returned the rental car, and Clint had brought the quinjet to take them home. Bruce was quiet the whole flight back, and once they were in their own kitchen, he only spoke to answer Tony’s inquiries regarding breakfast.

Tony scrambled some eggs, and Bruce ate without tasting it. Tony was staring at him. He had to say something. He looked up when he finished eating and met Tony’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do this anymore. I was naive to think I could control the Hulk forever,” he said sadly.

“What are you talking about? Bruce, this is the first time this has happened since the Helicarrier. It’s been two years! You can’t suddenly start talking like living here is dangerous after one incident! You saved me! Sure, Hulk beat up some homophobic assholes, but if you hadn’t transformed in that exact moment, one or both of us could be dead! Don’t you dare regret that. I signed up for this. I am in love with you. The Hulk is part of this relationship because he is part of you; I knew that going in, and I will not let him be the reason you back out. You are not the bad guy. Neither is Hulk. You’re a goddamn hero.”

Bruce shook his head and furrowed his brow. “We got lucky because he had other targets. He could have turned on you. You’ve fought him; you know he wouldn’t stop for you. I don’t want to leave you, but you have to know that you’re better off without me. Please, don’t make this more difficult.”

Tony rose his voice and growled out, “It should be difficult to leave your boyfriend! Do you love me?” The way he said it did not connote asking for reassurance; it was a challenge.

Bruce glanced at him and dropped his gaze to the table. “Of course, I do. That doesn’t change that I—”

“Do you trust me?” Tony interrupted, only slightly calmer.

Bruce let out a short, bitter laugh. In some ways, he trusted Tony more than anyone, but he wasn't sure he could trust him with this. Tony’s judgment of Bruce had always been overly optimistic. On the other hand, in their few years together, every time Bruce had doubted him, Tony proved him wrong. Bruce glared at Tony across the table. “Yes.”

“Then, trust me on this. How could you think of leaving? You are worth the risk! What did we build Veronica and the Hulkbuster for, anyway? You don’t get it, Bruce. I am safer with you than with anyone else in the world. No one else could take a bullet for me like that. Rhodey might try, but he’s not as tough as Hulk. You are my partner, my protector, my boyfriend. I won’t physically prevent you from leaving if that’s what you really want, but you don’t get to tell me I’m better off without you.” Tony stood up and walked to their bedroom.

Bruce wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He didn't think Tony could ever understand the pain of knowing that you could kill your friends while only having the sheerest thread of control over it.

Tony was right about their relationship at least, but it didn’t make him feel any better about staying. How could Bruce make him understand? It didn’t matter that he didn’t want to leave. If the choice was between staying when he knew that the nature of their life could trigger moments like last night at any time or leaving to keep Tony and everyone else safe, their feelings for each other wouldn’t matter. . . . Except that they did. If they didn’t, Bruce would never have agreed to the relationship in the first place.

After a minute, he followed Tony into bed. “I won’t leave you. I’m sorry. I love you.” Bruce said as he wrapped his arms around Tony, spooning him and nuzzling his face into Tony's hair. Physical comfort was always better than words, and Bruce needed to give and receive as much comfort as he could.

Chapter Text

Tony had been watching Bruce over the last few weeks, and despite being busy with lab work, Bruce was clearly getting stir crazy. They usually worked separately unless they were doing a project together, but in the weeks since the fiasco in Oregon, Bruce had taken to calling Tony down to his lab several times a day for even the slightest problems. Even Jarvis seemed to be tiring of relaying Bruce’s pleas—okay, maybe not, but Tony imagined there was a change in the AI’s tone when, for the third time that morning, he interrupted Tony’s coding to say, “Dr. Banner is urgently requesting your assistance, sir.”

Tony sighed and picked up his tablet to go downstairs. Bruce had his back to the door but turned his head when Tony come in. “I uh, I could use some help here.” He said sheepishly and turned his head back to what he was doing without moving his body.

“What are you doing?” Tony scrunched up his face when he smelled something like vinegar and glue. He set his tablet down and hurried to Bruce’s side.

“I was about to cast sleeves for the prosthesis, and I dropped the mold.” Bruce explained, shifting his body so Tony could see. His right arm was up to his elbow in a bucket of thick powder blue goop, with the rolled up sleeve of his lab coat dropping dangerously close to the liquid with every movement. “I’ve got it in my hand, but if I pull my arm out, there will be liquid silicone everywhere. I need you to carry the bucket over to the wash station, so I can clean up before it starts to cure.”

“Why didn’t you just use the 3D printer? Where did you get so much silicone? What’d you reach in there for? Just thought you might make a new pair of gloves while you’re at it?” Tony teased as he obeyed. He had to walk backwards with the bucket between himself and Bruce, who was turning red from the confrontation.

“I know, I didn’t think it through. I have several molds to cast; I’m trying to find the best shape.”

“Maybe next time, you’ll ask for help before you’re covered in goo. God, this is why I get the bots to do the dirty work. You need a lab assistant.”

“Don’t start that again.”

Tony put down the bucket next to the emergency shower and watched Bruce remove his hand from the silicone. “You know, if you let that cure, you could cast your hand.”

“Why would I want to cast my hand?” Bruce scoffed.

Tony stared at him for a few seconds, his brain flooding with a hundred uses for a silicone cast of Bruce’s hand, about 50/50 between sexual and prankish. Bruce stared back, uncomprehending. “Fine, be boring.” He turned the emergency shower on.

While Bruce cleaned up, Tony wandered back to the table Bruce had been at that had half a dozen molds about ten inches long. He couldn’t see what the difference was between them from the outsides, but the prosthetic arm that was laid out of harm’s way on a different table looked not unlike a miniature of the forearm and hand of Barnes’ arm, except that its shell was thin clear plastic mesh. It was quite impressive, especially considering that prior to helping with Veronica and the Hulkbuster, Bruce had only ever dabbled in robotics.

Tony checked on Bruce, who was toweling off his arm and removing his coat. His shirt was wrinkled and rode up a little to show a sliver of his hairy midriff above the waistline of his pants. He caught Tony looking and flushed again, pulling his shirt down with an embarrassed smile aimed at the floor.

“I think I’d better work down here to keep an eye on you.” Tony said, pulling up a stool in front of his tablet.

Bruce chuckled, “Yeah, maybe supervision isn’t a bad idea.” He began setting up the bucket and the molds again.

“It’ll save you from calling me down every twenty minutes, too.” Tony smirked without looking up.

Bruce balked, “What? Have I been bothering you?”

“If you wanted company, you could’ve just asked. You didn’t have to coat yourself in silicone.” Tony said with a smirk.

“I wasn’t trying to—” Bruce stammered, “I’m just . . . I’m just frustrated with this project and with . . .”

“I know. Don’t worry about it. Hey, how about we go out when you’re finished? We haven’t had a date in a while.”

Bruce sighed, “Tony.” His back was turned as he filled the molds, but his shoulders slumped. “It’s not safe. We talked about this already. You’re not changing my mind.”

Tony waited a few minutes, typing a few lines of code while Bruce finished. “We gotta get you out of here though. You’re driving yourself nuts; you’re starting to drive me nuts. You can’t keep yourself on total lockdown.”

Bruce set the molds to cool and then went about washing the bucket, giving no indication that he’d even heard Tony. When he was done, he put his glasses on a table and rubbed his eyes with a finger and thumb.

“You know why I can’t leave.”

“Don’t give me that, Bruce. You won’t leave because you’re afraid. I get it; the fear is valid, but refusing to have a life because of it is not.” Tony rose and crossed the room but stopped short of embracing the man as he’d intended. He took a breath to steady himself; he really had picked up a lot of good emotional habits from Bruce; if only Bruce would pick up a little more recklessness from him. “I hate seeing you so tense. It’s just lunch. You need to loosen up.”

“I know. You think I’m not trying? I’ve spent the last five years trying to loosen up. I thought I was finally making some progress, and then . . .”

“Then, what? You had a bad night. It’s not like you fell off the wagon or anything! You didn’t even hurt anyone! You have made progress, and you haven’t lost that just from one transformation which, need I remind you, probably saved both of our lives. You live in the biggest city in the country; you’re prototyping an invention that will improve millions of lives; you have a team—friends—who care about you; you go to bed every night wrapped around a gorgeous man who will do anything to make you happy; and the one incident you’ve had in the last two years barely even bruised the dickheads that attacked us.” Tony placed a hand on each of Bruce’s shoulders, but didn’t embrace him, knowing from experience that to do so would be taken as an attempt to silence him.

Bruce leveled him with a dark glare, and Tony released his shoulders but did not step back. “Hulk broke several of their bones and nearly cracked one’s skull. . . I’m lucky that the police didn’t charge me with assault, or attempted homicide, or at least reckless endangerment. Next time, they might not be so forgiving; you might not be able to call Veronica fast enough; he might kill innocent people. It’s happened before. Don’t pretend I’m overreacting! I can’t take any chances. Another incident like that, and everything I’ve worked for will be gone.”

“If you’re not going to do anything, what’s the point in controlling it? You may as well lock yourself in the safe room for the rest of your life. I’m not having it, Bruce. We’re going out, just an hour, no crowd, no paparazzi—hell, we could just go for a fucking walk. I’ll even let you pick the place. It’s not good for you to hole up in here.”

“Really? Look who’s talking! You’ve shut yourself in your workshop for weeks before. Remember when I—” Bruce paused, and something in his tone shifted; he was quieter, softer, and all the heat was gone. “I dragged you out of the shop, and you asked me to sleep with you.”

Tony watched Bruce’s shoulders drop as he sighed. Tony took advantage of the mood shift with a half-step forward, edging into Bruce’s space. “It had been four days. You pulled me out of a hole. I don’t think I’ve ever told you how grateful I was to have you there. You’ve made me better. I’m just trying to return the favor, here.”

Bruce stepped around him and walked to the door. He opened it and then looked back. His face seemed carefully blank. Tony walked through the door and listened for Bruce’s footsteps to be sure he was following. He wasn’t sure what Bruce had decided, if he had decided, but he didn’t want to ruin it by saying anything else, so he led the way to the elevator and tried not to fidget too much on the way up to the penthouse.

At this point, Tony wasn’t sure of anything anymore. Maybe Bruce would change clothes and they’d go out. Maybe he’d lock himself in the bedroom or the library. Maybe he’d stirred up a romantic memory and would pin Tony to the door with frantic kisses and frottage; Bruce had only done that once before; whereas, Tony did it to him several times a month.

Maybe he’d decided Tony was pushing too hard, and he’d pull the pre-packed backpack, which he thought Tony didn’t know about, out of the closet and walk out and never come back.

Tony steeled himself when the elevator doors opened. Bruce brushed past without looking at him and walked briskly through the living room and into the bedroom. He left the door open. Tony stopped behind the couch and rocked on his heels. He could follow. He waited a few seconds before determining by the sound of a belt buckle that Bruce was undressing. He stepped in and hesitated just across the threshold.

Bruce’s back was turned, and as he bent to pick up his discarded pants from the floor, Tony got an eyeful of his blue-plaid boxer clad butt. Bruce tossed the pants into a hamper through the open closet door and turned to face Tony with his hands on his hips, apparently unselfconscious of his near-nudity.

Tony’s lips quirked, and he felt a light stirring of arousal despite the uncertainty of the moment. He searched Bruce’s face, but instead of invitation, he found annoyance.

“Where are we going, then?” Bruce prompted before turning around and walking into the closet.

Tony released a breath and said, “You pick. Maybe something heavy enough that we can work through dinner, finish your gloves.”

Bruce didn’t acknowledge the quip. He emerged from the closet in one of Tony’s concert Tees and loose-fitting jeans.

He picked a small diner in Hell’s Kitchen and convinced Tony not to drive them himself since a flashy car would just attract attention. Tony watched Bruce’s body language tense as they waited for their food.

“Alright, this,” Tony gestured at Bruce’s slouched shoulders, “anxiety lump routine is kind of counteracting the lighten-up-lunch I was going for. What are you thinking about? Vent at me.”

Bruce glowered at him across the table. He sat up straight and said, “This anxiety lump is your boyfriend, Tony. This isn’t new. I’m thinking that this place is crowded, and we should have stayed home.”

“Babe, you’re okay. It’s just lunch. The waiter barely even recognized us.” Tony took Bruce’s hand in his on across the table.

Bruce slouched again, and he allowed Tony’s thumb to rub back and forth over his palm. “Distract me, then. Take my mind off of everything that could go wrong here.”

“Okay. I’ve been coding the Iron Legion this morning. So far, I’m having trouble getting them to respond to civilian prompting without overriding their primary commands from us. They seem to think that someone telling them where a target is is the same as a command to take out that target.”

“You need to make it more specific, then. How do you get them to recognize suggestions?”

“Well, with Jarvis, he started out with taking them as secondary orders to be processed within or alongside the primary command, but he stretched that when I wasn’t looking. I gave him the ability to overwrite small portions of his own code, and that was one of the things he picked up on his own after a while. I’m not sure how to get the Legion to recognize when something is important enough to be inserted into the main task. Jarvis basically taught himself that by trial and error and by me telling him what to do. I don’t have time to let the Legion program itself that way, and I can’t just port the scripts from Jarvis because it’s different with each situation."

“Have you thought of giving the Legion simulations? Without having the bots active, run scenarios with the program, and add in secondary scripts as you go, pretending to be the civilians or whatever. You’ll have to do that eventually anyway to get it to respond to all of the Avengers.”

“Huh. It’ll take some work, setting up the scenarios, but I could write multiple at once with variations. What if I ga—”

Bruce interrupted him, “Would you make them able to call Veronica?”

Tony blinked. “What?”

“If things got out of hand, if the bots noticed something before you or the team, would they be programmed to call the Hulkbuster?” Bruce asked seriously.

Tony considered the question for a moment. “Would you want them making that judgement?”

“It would be better if they made a snap judgement and were wrong than to let the Hulk get out of control, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know; what if Hulk is kicking ass and we need him, and then Veronica comes and traps him?”

“Isn’t that better than if Hulk is killing the wrong people and no one stops him?”

“Is it? Then the monster of the week gets to kill people instead. When we really need Hulk, it’s because whatever we’re fighting is too strong or resilient for the rest of us. If Veronica holds him back, then we might lose. We might get hurt.” Tony hated guilting Bruce this way, but sometimes it was the only way to remind him that Hulk helps them.

“What do you want me to say, Tony‽ That Hulk is all sunshine and rainbows? His public catchphrase is ‘Hulk smash!’ He is destructive, and no matter how helpful that can be, he’s dangerous!” Bruce raised his voice, and when he stopped, the restaurant was nearly silent. Bruce’s face turned red as he looked around; people at the tables nearest to them were staring. So much for going unnoticed. Bruce folded inward and put his head down in his hands, elbows on the table.

Tony leaned forward with a hand on Bruce’s arm and whispered, “Babe, I know you’re okay, but they’re recognizing us now, and some of them look scared. Just sit up, so they can see you’re alright.”

Bruce dropped his hands and glared up at Tony. “What if I wasn’t alright?” He growled. Then, his voice dropped to mumble, “Fucking ‘anxiety lump.’ I can’t do this. It’s too much,” before getting up and walking out of the restaurant before Tony could object.

Tony dropped some cash on the table and followed him. Out on the street, Tony almost missed Bruce, walking fast several yards away already. Tony ran to catch up, but he knew better than to try to stop him.

“Bruce, we have a car.” Tony said, matching his pace.

“I’m walking.”

“Okay. When you said ‘I can’t do this’ . . .”

“Lunch. People. You can take the car. I need to think.”

“Hey, thinking’s good. Walking and thinking. It’s only a mile.” Tony mumbled to himself. As they walked, he pulled out his phone and ordered lunch to be delivered to the tower and then shoved his hands in his pockets. Bruce was slowing to a more normal walking pace, and Tony took that as a good sign. “Hey, sorry I called you ‘anxiety lump.’ I know what that’s like, and I shouldn’t tease you for it.”

“Yeah, but you were right. I can’t even go out for a normal lunch without getting all worked up. Not like I can’t handle it, but the anxiety certainly doesn’t make it any easier, mentally or physically.”

“Well, you did as much as I asked of you, and you didn’t let out the big guy, so I call it a win.”

“If you’re not going to let me think, can you at least talk about something else?”

That shut Tony up for a minute, but then he remembered something he’d been meaning to bring up, anyway. “Remember in Portland when you stopped to pet the dogs? And then you mentioned something about me not wanting kids?”

Bruce's pace faltered, and he looked at Tony. “Yeah?”

“What’s your take on that? Regardless of me, would you want kids if you could have them? Or adopt or whatever?”

“I don’t know. Before the Hulk, I’d thought about it, but I wasn’t in a serious relationship yet. After, I didn’t think it was possible. Once I had it somewhat controlled, I tested everything, like I told you, so now I know it’s not possible. Adoption, though?” He shook his head. “I couldn’t be a father, knowing what I could do. Legally, I’m sure no one would let me even if I wanted to.”

“Yeah, no, realistically, sure. I just wondered how you felt about it. You got me thinking about the future. I don’t think it could happen, but it might be nice to pass on some things. Maybe I’ll just get an intern or something, a protégé.”

“I think you’d be a good father. You wouldn’t repeat your dad’s mistakes. You wouldn’t let yourself.”

Tony shrugged. “Maybe that’s true for you too. Despite your angry half, I’ve never known you to be aggressive or abusive to anyone about anything. I can’t imagine you ever—” He trailed off with a vague hand gesture. He didn’t know the specifics of Bruce’s childhood abuse, and he didn’t want to say the wrong thing.

“Would you believe it if I told you I used to be more aggressive? Before the Hulk, I wouldn’t say I was hot headed or anything, but I was not nearly as calm. I had to learn to control it, to make peace with myself, afterward. But, maybe being aware of it now, maybe you’re right.” They walked in silence for a minute before Bruce continued, “As for the future? Our future? I have no idea. I haven’t really let myself think more than a few months ahead.”

Tony nodded. “With the Avengers and alien invasions and all, who knows if we’ll live long enough to bother planning anything?”