Author's Note- Yeah, seriously, this movie and its ships are essentially taking over my life. This isn't as good as my Thorki one and I'm pretty sure this is at least a little OOC, sorry. Reviews will be greatly enjoyed! And as usual, I don't own anything you recognize.
The sky was dark over the glowing New York City skyline. In the cover of night, the recent destruction was less visible. Above the shattered glass and cracked concrete, a lone letter 'A' rose from Stark Tower. Bruce Banner wondered if Tony Stark would ever replace the other four letters or if he would simply leave the 'A' as a tribute to the Avengers. Or he could leave the 'A' to stand for "arrogant" or "aloof" or "abnormal" or many other things that described him.
Not that Stark was necessarily all bad. Sure, he was a little bitch with no social skills, more money than some small countries (money that he wasn't shy about flaunting), and the tendency to be obnoxious at the worst possible moment. But he was brave (or just incredibly stupid), absolutely brilliant, and he had a pretty awesome car. Cars. He had an insane number of expensive fucking cars.
From the destroyed floor of Stark Tower, Banner contemplated Stark further. After the battle with Loki and his crazy minions, he'd allowed Bruce to stay with him, ostensibly for the purposes of science, but, Banner had suspected, had something to do with Fury wanting him to remain…available. (He'd had every intention of returning to India as soon as the fighting was done.) What Fury could possibly have done to convince Stark to actually be nice to someone, Bruce didn't know.
Plus, the Other Guy seemed to like Stark (judging by his need to rescue him a few days before, or so Bruce had been told. He could never remember exactly what the Other Guy did.) and Bruce wasn't sure he trusted anything the Other Guy thought. If the Other Guy could actually think.
"You want a drink?" Stark stood behind the minimally damaged bar, holding a bottle. Banner turned around to face him.
"I don't drink." He'd never been an angry drunk before the…accident, but he figured it was best to avoid anything that had the potential to amplify his emotions. People who drank could easily lose control and Bruce needed every bit of control he had.
"One drink's enough to get you angry?" Stark raised his eyebrows.
"I don't care to experiment."
"You're a scientist. Aren't experiments what you do?" The expression on Stark's face didn't change, but Banner heard the taunt in what he said.
"Would you want to experiment with your tendency to lose control?" Banner shot back. He was not approaching the threshold of anger necessary for becoming the Other Guy, but still, he could live without this.
"Define 'losing control'." Tipping his head back, Stark drained the glass.
"You've seen it. You know what 'losing control' means."
"So turning green, growing to at least three times your normal size, and being totally unaware of your actions." Stark mused. "Doesn't sound like a reason not to have a drink to me."
"That's because 'losing control' doesn't mean quite the same thing to you."
"Or that your definition of 'losing controlled' is determined solely by the Hulk." A smirk lit up on Stark's face. "Admit it, Banner. You're curious. You want to know what would happen. You're too much of a scientist not to be wondering."
Banner shook his head. "I have no desire to find out, even if I am a scientist."
Stark poured another glass, but didn't drink it. "Maybe you should let another scientist find out. After all, that's why you're here. To make science with me."
"Tony, I really-" But the smirk on Stark's face had grown and his eyes were lighting up.
"I propose a wager." He held up the glass.
"Absolutely not."
"Oh come on, Bruce. Where's your sense of adventure?" He was being sarcastic. He was being frustrating. He was just being damn obnoxious.
"I refuse to turn myself in a science experiment."
"Even for me?" Typical Stark, the fake-serious face, the mocking tone. "I'll let you pick the terms." Now he was wheedling. Banner sighed.
"No, Tony."
"You sure? This could be useful information, you know. What if alcohol means instant Hulk? You don't want to know that?"
"No." But Tony was looking at him with a calculating glare, and Banner knew that whatever came out of his mouth next wasn't going make this any better.
"You know what I think, Banner?"
"I strongly suspect you're going to tell me."
"You want to know what the alcohol could do to you. You just don't want to become the Hulk." Now he just looked triumphant. God, he could be so fucking infuriating.
"Which means I don't want to perform your little experiment. Even if I wanted to know what the alcohol did, I'm not willing to risk letting the Other Guy out to satisfy your curiosity, Tony."
"You're sure, Banner? If you drink and turn into the Hulk, I'll accept whatever damage you do, no blame, no questions asked."
"And if I drink it and nothing happens, what do I get out of it?"
"The satisfaction of being able to drink some of the most expensive liquor money can buy."
"Are that really it, Tony?" He narrowed his eyes, thinking of what could hit Tony hardest. "If I win, you need to show me how you would define 'losing control'."
"Deal." Tony didn't even hesitate. They shook on it, and vaguely, Banner thought that he was either typically stupid or typically arrogant or just both. Stark handed him the glass of amber liquid, and he backed up to the stand in the middle of the room, just in case. There were no guarantees where the Other Guy was concerned.
"Drink."
Bruce took a deep breath, then put the glass to his lips and downed the alcohol in one gulp. Clutching the glass, he waited, Tony watching him.
Nothing happened.
He didn't feel angry or happy or delirious or even buzzed, even after ten minutes of waiting. He was absolutely in control. The feeling was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Tony laughed sardonically. "See?"
Banner's mouth twitched. "This does mean that I won the bet. What do you have for me, Tony? What could 'losing control' mean for you?" He crossed his arms, unsure if now that he had what he wanted, Stark would actually deliver.
"Come here."
"What are you going to do, Tony? Beat me? Deliberately provoke the Other Guy?"
"No." Stark took a step towards him.
"You know that I don't trust you."
"I know." Banner almost wished Tony would stop smirking. They were less than a foot apart now, and the scientist in Banner was running every possibility, every variable in this situation, trying to form some sort of equation to predict what would happen next. He steeled himself for pain or assault , but it never came.
Instead, Stark's lips touched his. Bruce was suddenly very aware of every sensation, from the hands that were pulling him closer to the feel of Stark's goatee on his skin. Neurons connected, and he could suddenly think of more words the 'A' on the tower could stand for- "amazing" or "attractive" or "alluring" or "all of the above". He was absolutely certain that, although this particular situation was not what he had predicted, he would do whatever he could to make it repeat, or at least prevent it from ending.
When they finally separated, Bruce studied Tony through narrowed eyes. "That's all 'losing control' means to you?"
In response, Tony pulled him close, close enough so that Bruce could feel his erection pressed up against his thigh, so close that he was certain Stark could feel that he was equally hard. His breath was hot in Banner's ear.
"Why don't you come back to my room and I'll show you 'losing control'?"
There was only one thing for Banner to say.
"Absolutely."