Prompt (page 14, round 24, Avengers Kink Meme):
"Okay, so I read the phrase "star spangled banner" and something misfired in my brain and all I could see was BRUCE DRESSED IN CAPTAIN AMERICA'S UNIFORM. Can someone make this happen? I don't even care.
STAR SPANGLED BANNER PEOPLE. We need jokes about this."
"Star Spangled Bruce Banner"
It wasn't an exact copy of Steve's uniform, but the costume hire place had done a good job, and even provided a shield made of hard plastic. Bruce shuffled from side to side in the boots, clingy blue fabric outlining his muscles – not nearly as impressive as Steve's or Thor's – virtually cinched in at the waist by the wide belt. The gloves were less cumbersome than the real ones, but still made of the same leather as the boots. Last of all, the hood was bunched up at the back of his neck. It drove him crazy to have his face covered, and he kept shoving the material off.
"Why am I doing this again?" Bruce muttered, staring at himself in the mirror. "Oh yeah. Because my 'science bro' thought it would be funny." He shook his head, and then glanced at Natasha's reflection. She arched an eyebrow.
"He's your science soulmate," she said.
"The one time I lose a bet to him, and I have to dress up like this for a Halloween party."
She shrugged. "It could be worse. He could have chosen a Barbara Eden-style costume. Although I'm sure you'd look lovely dressed for a harem."
Yes. There were definitely worse outfits Tony could have forced him into. Nevertheless, Bruce tugged nervously at the belt, and Natasha slapped his hands away. Then she pulled the cowl down over his face again, and Bruce was forced to shift it into place. At least if he blushed, it would mostly be hidden.
And if it made their handler notice him, even if it was just for a few seconds, then he guessed it would be worth it.
"If you had told Coulson how you felt months ago, you wouldn't be going through this," Natasha said, picking up the replica shield. She handed it to Bruce. "He's the only one who doesn't see how you feel."
"Because he doesn't look," Bruce said quietly. Before Natasha could reply, he continued. "You'd better go get ready. I'll see you there."
By the time he looked over his shoulder, she was gone. Feeling like an idiot, Bruce tried to strike a few heroic poses in front of the mirror. They looked much better when done by the real Captain America. Bruce was no Steve Rogers. And, considering the expectations that came with being a super soldier, Bruce had come to appreciate that he wasn't the type of person who could handle that pressure.
When trying to get Phil Coulson's attention, however, Bruce couldn't help wishing that he was a bit more buff, and a lot less socially awkward.
"An hour," he reminded himself. "Tony said it just had to be for an hour. I can do this."
Ten minutes in, Bruce wasn't sure he could do this. Phil hadn't arrived yet, and there were more people than he thought there would be. Or maybe it was just that everyone was in costume, making it hard to recognise most of them at first. Another five minutes passed, and Bruce finally identified the last person (Darcy Lewis as Dracula). He relaxed when he realised that there were no strangers, only people he knew.
Five minutes later, Bruce was talking to Clint and Steve, who'd both ribbed him for his outfit, when their handler finally arrived. If it wasn't for Tony's hard gaze from across the room, Bruce would have gladly hidden out of sight. He ducked his head when Phil looked at him, steadfastly keeping his eyes on the orange juice in his hand. If Phil joined them, it would be because Steve was there. Hell, being dressed up like this would have drawn Phil's attention for all the wrong reasons.
Damn it, Tony, he thought. You and your stupid ideas…
He noticed the shoes as they came into his line of sight, and inwardly sighed, waiting for the comments to start.
"I heard you lost a bet," Phil said. Bruce glanced up, and saw that Phil was looking straight at him. "Was this the condition?"
Only one of the conditions, Bruce thought. "Yes," he said. "And I have to stay for an hour."
"Really?" Phil took a sip of the drink he must have picked up on the way. "I'm sorry to have missed part of it."
"Oh, just twenty minutes."
"Still. Would've loved to have seen your entrance," Phil said. Clint choked on his drink, and if Steve hadn't elbowed him, Bruce would have. Phil's cheeks turned pink. "You know what I mean."
"Yes, I do," Bruce said, fully aware that he was blushing underneath the cowl. "It involved Tony calling me Star Spangled Banner, and taking more pictures than I'm comfortable with." Phil chuckled. "Uh, so does it look okay?" He indicated the Captain America suit. "On me. We all know it looks great on Steve."
"That one wouldn't," Steve piped up. "It's not my size." Clint poked him hard.
"You look great," Phil said, ignoring their antics.
Bruce smiled shyly. "Really?"
"Yes."
"So do you."
Phil looked down at his khaki pants and purple shirt. "Stark said to come as someone we admire."
Bruce glanced at Steve. "In my defence, I didn't have a choice. You're a great guy, Steve; but I probably would have come as a physicist, not a super soldier."
"I'm sure you'll come as a physicist again," Clint said, waggling his eyebrows, and he patted Bruce on the upper back. Bruce scowled at him, but Clint just smiled blithely and dragged Steve away, leaving the two of them behind. Subtle.
"So what else did the bet involve?" Phil asked. In a contrast to his blush, the blood disappeared from Bruce's cheeks.
"Uh…"
"When I asked you about it, your face said there was something else." Phil took another sip, his eyes never leaving Bruce's. "What is it you're not telling me?"
Bruce's mouth opened and closed a few times. He wiped a sweaty hand on the side of his costume… and remembered what he was wearing. The courage associated with the man who wore this iconic uniform gave him the boost he needed, and he exhaled slowly.
"I'm supposed to tell you," he said. "That was Tony's other condition."
"Tell me what?"
Bruce ducked his head. He had to do this. "That…" He looked around, and noticed that the others were watching them. Frowning again, he grasped Phil by the elbow and led him out of earshot. "That I… like you. In a non-platonic way."
Phil's expression didn't change. "Non-platonic?"
"I've kind of…" Bruce placed his cup aside. "Fallen. In love. With, uh… with you. In the last seven months or so." When he realised that his hand was still cupping Phil's elbow, he let go, and took a step back. He'd done what Tony told him to do. Now he could go and hide for a couple of years. Calcutta was still an option, and now he could afford to give the poor even better care. Desperate for something for his hands to do, he pushed the cowl down behind his head again. What was the point in hiding his blush any longer?
"Stark… made you tell me that you're in love with me?" Phil asked. "That was the other part of the bet?"
"Yes," Bruce said. "I think he was doing it for everyone's sakes. I wouldn't have told you how I felt, ever, if I wasn't forced to."
"You mean… you really feel that way?" Phil said, eyebrows rising. "It's not one of his jokes?"
"Of course not. I'd never want to make you feel uncomfortable."
Phil rested his cup beside Bruce's, and glanced up at him. "I wouldn't say that it makes me uncomfortable."
"What—"
Then a hand was in Bruce's hair, fingers scrunching up the damp curls, pulling him into a kiss. A kiss with Agent Coulson. Phil.
Phil.
He mumbled something unsavoury when Phil broke the kiss – who really needed breath, anyway? – and yanked the agent into his arms. Their lips met again, and this time it was Bruce's hands roaming. Again, Phil ended things before they got interesting. When he registered the cheers and applause from their friends, Bruce acknowledged the wisdom in this.
"I'm cutting out early!" he informed Tony, and slipped his hand into Phil's. He tugged him over to the elevator, which JARVIS opened without being prompted. Once inside, the door closed with a quiet whoosh, and Bruce pressed himself against the opposite wall from Phil. He needed to get a grip.
"We don't have to do anything," Phil said, respecting Bruce's wishes by staying put. "I like the kissing. Kissing is good." He kept watching Bruce, who was trying not to have a panic attack. "I feel I should inform you that your feelings are requited."
"Got that," Bruce said. "Phil, I'm not good at this."
"Neither am I. In my line of work, maintaining a friendship outside of SHIELD is difficult; romantic relationships are, in my experience, impossible. And as a physicist, you don't realise when people are flirting with you."
Bruce raised his eyebrows. "Have you been flirting with me?"
"I thought you were straight."
"Apparently I'm bi."
"Me, too."
They were silent until the doors opened on Bruce's floor. Phil followed him out, and perched beside him on the sofa. Bruce fidgeted, one of his legs bouncing, and his fingers twisting around each other. He looked anywhere but at Phil.
"This isn't how I pictured tonight going," Bruce said.
"How did you picture it?"
"Me leaving the party after a humiliating hour of post-rejection pain, and then hiding in my lab for the foreseeable future."
"You have such a cheerful outlook on life," Phil said dryly. Then he reached over and gently squeezed Bruce's wrist. Bruce met his serious gaze. "I know why, and I'm sorry we couldn't have found each other some way that didn't involve gamma radiation and aliens from another dimension. But… will you have dinner with me? Not now. I'm too nervous to keep anything down right now. Maybe tomorrow?"
Bruce nodded slowly. Then he shuffled closer and leaned into Phil's side. Phil slid an arm over his shoulders, and they curled up together on the cushions. Phil's touch was light, and Bruce appreciated it. He nuzzled Phil's cheek until he got a kiss, sinking into it as he exhaled through his nose.
Come morning, they were tangled together, Phil's hand buried in Bruce's hair once more, pressed against the back of the sofa. It showed a great deal of trust that Phil, a seasoned agent of SHIELD, allowed Bruce to sleep on the outside, effectively caging him in.
When Phil woke, his face pressed against the star on Bruce's chest, he startled back, eyes widening when he could barely move. His head snapped up, and he froze when he saw Bruce. Then, after a moment, he relaxed.
"Costume party, remember?" Bruce said.
"Thanks," Phil said. "For a second, I thought I was cuddling up to Rogers." He traced the outline of the star, and his small smile gave Bruce butterflies. "I'm happy it's you."
"Just happy?" Bruce teased. He hadn't felt light-headed like this for a long time, and it was going to his head.
"I'm just waking up. I need coffee before I can be effusive."
"Hmm." Bruce rubbed Phil's side, taking a minute to drink in his appearance. "I never asked. Who did you come as?"
"What do you mean?"
"The person you admire."
"Oh." Phil blushed, and pressed a hot cheek against the blue and white of the infamous costume. "Don't you remember what you were wearing when we were introduced on the Helicarrier?"
Bruce's gaze slipped down Phil's form, and he smiled wickedly.
"Gotta say, I like the idea of you being in my clothes," he said.
Phil huffed, and buried his grin in Bruce's chest.
I suggested to the original prompter that Bruce might be dressed as Captain America for Phil. Since I have a love of getting together fics, I went with this instead of smutty role-play. Although that's still a possibility.
We need more Coulsmash in this world! And I've started work on chapter three of the sequel to 'Nights of Wine and Roses'. I'd prefer to have it finished, or mostly finished, before I start posting. Anyway. Please review!