A lot of people want to take Bruce away and use him as a weapon. Tony will be damned if he lets anyone harm his bro. After a close call in which Hulk is almost captured, Tony realizes he has feelings for Bruce (and Bruce has always felt the same way but thought Tony was out of his league). Sex happens. Bruce is still physically exhausted from hulking out and Tony is desperate because Bruce was almost taken away from him but they still enjoy it a lot.
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"Hey, Tony", Bruce walked into the workshop. He was the only one besides Pepper and Rhodey who Tony had given access to it. Well, Coulson had access too but that was because Jarvis and Pepper liked him, traitorous friends they were.
"Hi", Tony grinned, "here to give me a hand with waterproofing Shield's firewall?"
"I'm here to get to into bed."
"Why, Dr. Banner, did you finally succumb to my charm?" Tony replied flirtatiously but as usually Bruce shot him down. "You've been here the whole night and Pepper says you have a board meeting at three."
"Come on, I've done board meetings when I was drunk", Tony protested.
"Yeah and she told me how these turned out", Bruce relentlessly dragged him away from his workbench. "Tell you what. If you get some sleep, I'll cook tonight."
"Curry?" Bruce was an excellent cook even if he wasn't above using that fact to bribe Tony into doing what he wanted him to do.
"Whatever you want."
"Did I ever tell you that you're the best roommate I could have wished for?"
"Once or twice", Bruce said amused.
"Want me to drop you off at the hospital?" Bruce had started to volunteer there right after Loki's attack on Earth.
"Thanks but I'd rather see you in bed than behind a wheel."
"It's really no bother-"
"Tony, bed, now. And Jarvis?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Make sure he doesn't go back to his workshop unless he had six hours of sleep."
"Of course, sir."
"Hey, Jarvis, stop favouring other people over me!" Tony complained.
"I'm sorry sir but they're much more sensible than you. I only have your best interest in mind."
Tony grumbled something about donating Jarvis to a primary school but he did walk towards his bedroom.
"I'll see you tonight", Bruce said, stepping into the lift.
"Curry!" Tony reminded him before the lift door's closed.
He did sleep. And he even made it to the board meeting although with an hour delay but board meetings were mind-numbingly boring and attending it had not actually been included in Bruce's condition for curry.
His phone rang and for once tony was quite happy to take Coulson's call even if Pepper shot him an annoyed look.
"Phil, what's up? Does the world need saving again? Or did you just miss me?"
"Tony, I need to talk to Dr. Banner."
"He's at the hospital. You should get him there."
"He never turned up for his shift." At Coulson's tone Tony sat up a little straighter.
"What's going on?"
"Shield was notified that General Ross got his hands on a serum that suppresses Dr. Banner's alter ego."
"I'll be there."
"Tony, this isn't-"
"I'll be there", Tony repeated and hung up. On the way to Stark Tower he texted Pepper that something had come up to which she replied that he'd better be dying or else she would not be happy.
Five minutes later he was in his suit and standing on Shield's New York base doorstep.
"Stark", Coulson greeted him calmly, ever the professional.
"Tell me you've got Ross."
"We're working on it."
"You're working – that's not good enough, Coulson! Bruce should have been at the hospital eight hours ago."
"Get a grip on yourself, Stark", Barton was between them before Tony could do something drastic.
"You know how far Ross will go", Tony pleaded with Coulson. "They could torture him. I know how that feels."
"Think that makes you special?" Barton asked, still standing between Tony and Coulson.
"Clint", Coulson said and Barton stepped aside. "I need to know you can focus on this Tony. Don't let yourself be distracted by anything your imagination cooks up."
Tony nodded jerkily. "What do you have for me?"
"That's a top-class security system", against his will Tony was impressed. He had tried to hack the system once or twice but hadn't gotten very far.
"The US military isn't bad but Shield's better", Coulson shrugged.
"Always knew you guys were the height of modesty", Tony commented while Jarvis ran a decodification algorithm on the exposed data.
"Just like you", Coulson replied with a quirk of his lips.
"Sir, it appears that General Ross is about to move Dr. Banner to his base in Virginia", Jarvis announced.
"Show me where", Tony demanded.
"You can't attack a military convoy", Coulson told him, but Tony only closed the visor of his suit.
"Watch me."
"Jarvis, which car contains Bruce?"
"Unfortunately I don't know, sir."
"Stark!"
"What?" Tony asked impatiently when Coulson's voice came over the radio.
"Wait until you have back up or you'll risk Dr. Banner's life."
"He's right, sir", Jarvis reminded him. Tony took a deep breath and asked, "how long?"
"Three minutes. Just keep watch."
"If they do anything-"
"Understood."
"Jarvis, something easier. Where's Ross?" One small window on his screen zoomed in on the third humvee. "Gotcha bastard."
"Tony?"
"Phil, where are you guys?"
"Look up." There were three quinjets hovering in the air above Tony.
"General Ross, this is Shield. Stop the convoy immediately. I repeat stop the convoy immediately."
Ross did as he was told and got out of the car to meet Coulson.
"General Ross, I'm Agent Coulson of Shield. You have one of my men and I need you to release him immediately", Coulson said without preamble.
"Your men?" Ross asked sceptically.
"Dr. Bruce Banner."
"Dr. Banner is property of the US army, Agent Coulson."
"You can't own another human being."
"But Banner isn't human. Not when he turns into that monster."
"That's an issue for the ethics commission. As for now Dr. Banner is a member of Shield and you have no right to seize him."
"But as he's part of the Super-Soldier project he belongs in army custody. Shield agreed to that, remember?" He said so smugly that Tony had heard enough. He landed right next to Ross and opened his visor.
"Remember me? Asshole." And punched him right in the face.
That was when the shooting started.
With Coulson bitching him out in his ear Tony ripped one car after the other open to look for Bruce. In his suit he didn't need to care about bullets and he certainly didn't care about the soldiers.
He found him in the back of the fourth car, strapped down and unconscious. Tony unceremoniously hit the guy who was training his weapon on Bruce with one of his mini-rockets and ripped away the IV-lines that were pumping some dark purple liquid into his veins.
"Bruce?" A bullet pinged off the backdoor and Tony automatically shifted to out himself between Bruce and the projectiles. "Bruce, answer me." Tony shook his shoulder, trying to wake him up. "Come on, Bruce. You promised me curry. I need you to fucking wake up for me."
"Tony?" Bruce whispered, eyes still closed.
"Hey", Tony smiled, stroking through Bruce's hair as softly as he could with his repulsor gauntlets.
"Coulson, I've got Bruce. He's awake but he's pretty out of it. They drugged him with something."
"Stay where you are until the situation's under control."
Underneath Tony's hands Bruce began to shiver involuntarily.
"Coulson, I can't. Whatever they got into him, it's bad."
"Which car?"
"Number four."
"I'll see that Agent Barton gets you out."
"Tony, stop hovering, I'm fine", Bruce complained hours and hours later.
"You went into seizures after being pumped full of a medically suspect substance. You're not fine", Tony insisted and continued to hover.
"I had this serum before. Ross just overdid the dose a bit. It keeps him from joining the party as you'd say."
"What does that mean for the big guy?" Tony asked curiously. "You're not going to get all green and big?"
"Needs a pretty big shock. The last time I jumped out of a helicopter to get him back."
"No, absolutely no"; Tony decided. "I hate how you just throw your life around as if it means nothing."
"Put a bullet in my brain and it didn't stick, remember?" Bruce said sardonically.
"I'm trying not to. That image is horrifying", Tony replied quickly. "But you need some kind of shock Something big. Like this?"
And with these words he took Bruce's face into his hands and kissed him. He felt Bruce's hands brush over his shoulders as if he wanted to pull Tony closer or push him away but in the end he did neither.
"Apparently not", Tony concluded when nothing happened.
"You didn't need to do that", Bruce said quietly without looking at Tony.
"No, I didn't but I wanted to", Tony tried to catch Bruce's eyes and added "for a long time."
"Tony-"
"No, it's fine. I'm an adult. I can totally control my feelings around you. Mostly. I'll probably keep flirting with you but I do that with everyone so-"
"I didn't think you'd go for a guy like me", Bruce interrupted Tony's babbling.
"Are you kidding?" Tony asked with completely honesty. "You're brilliant. I don't say this too often but you are."
"Thanks", Bruce said, obviously not believing him.
"Would it help to convince you that I mean it if I kissed you again? Because I can totally get behind this sort of arguing and-"
Bruce kissed him, a little desperate like he had wanted to do it for a long time. Tony could sympathise with that and pulled Bruce closer, running his hands through Bruce's hair.
"You're believing me yet, Dr. Banner?" Tony asked against the soft skin of Bruce's neck.
"I might need-", Bruce moaned when Tony sucked on a spot right beneath his jaw, "more convincing."
Tony was more than fine with that.