"Come on, Bruce. Pack your things; we have a great weekend ahead of us! I know you've wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and there's no better time than your birthday. Hurry that sexy body of yours up," Tony slapped Bruce playfully on the ass as he packed the last of his toiletries away in his suitcase.
Bruce simply sighed in response and zipped up his luggage; he was used to Tony's impatience and flirtatious nature, but he tried not to encourage it. When he stood up and looked at Tony, however, he found it hard to resist giving in. He couldn't get enough of Tony's cocky smile, toned body, and most of all, the engineer's mind. Nothing was more attractive to Bruce than intelligence, and Tony had more than enough to satisfy him. Bruce was so in love with Tony for so many reasons, but his superior intellect is what drew him in.
"Getting that starry look in your eyes again, Brucey baby… Can't get enough of me, I know. I'd say I'm pretty Godlike, but you need to hold your horses Bruce; you can't make out with me right now since Happy's waiting for us in the limo," Tony walked over to Bruce and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before pointing at his watch, driving the point home that they needed to leave the Tower.
"Can you at least tell me where you're taking me for my birthday weekend? You know I hate surprises… Or at least you should by now. You do remember, right?" Bruce asked with a slight frown as he picked up his suitcase.
"Bruce, I may forget some things… Most of the time on purpose, but it's never anything that has to do with you. Besides, keep in mind that I DID remember your birthday. And come on, we've been together for almost three months and the butterflies are still here, so I'm trying my best! I'll continue of course; I could never get tired of my precious rage monster," Tony teased and completely ignored his question.
He knew Tony wasn't going to answer, so Bruce simply sighed and accepted it. As much as he hated when Tony wouldn't tell him things and referenced the Hulk, Bruce wouldn't have it any other way. Bruce understood that no harm was meant by it, after all. Even though Tony could get testy and incredibly snarky at times, he rarely ever took it out on Bruce. Tony loved Bruce with all he could find in himself to give and that was more than enough.
During the limousine ride, Bruce placed a sleep mask over his eyes and put his ear buds in to keep from getting anxious. Before Bruce went to sleep or needed to calm down, he always listened to his StarkPod MP3 player to relax. It only contained one song, but it was the only one that put him at ease. Long ago he associated it with thoughts of death and suicide, as he tried to end his life with a gun in his mouth as it played. The Hulk spit out the bullet, however, so Bruce lived another day. He was thankful for that ever since he met Tony, and when Bruce shared his favorite music with Tony this was his personal favorite. Tony originally had no idea that Bruce associated the song with ending his life; instead, the billionaire saw it as a calm song that represented their relationship and how it made him a better person overall.
Ever since Tony told him that the song made him think of their life together, Bruce began to see it in the same light. For the first time in years, the tune made him feel safe and secure, rather than euphoric from the thought of impending death that never came. Now Bruce listened to it every single night and on trips, and it brought a smile to his face knowing that it was their love song. He never told Tony how often he listened to it, however, but in his mind it wasn't something important to mention. With a content smile, Bruce slowly drifted off to sleep, holding his boyfriend's hand the entire time.
"Bruce, wake up… It's time to get on the ferry. We're almost to our destination!" Tony whispered excitedly after he pulled out Bruce's right ear bud.
He slowly opened his eyes, took off his sleep mask and looked over at Tony. His boyfriend was right next to his face, and without warning Tony gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. The gesture made Bruce blush; he loved Tony's little displays of love. Bruce had never been with anyone who cared about him the way Tony did, and it warmed his heart to know that his love was finally requited. When Bruce became fully conscious, Tony led him out the limo door by his hand. After they got out, Happy grabbed their bags, took them to the ferry and the two men boarded, waving goodbye to their driver as they set off for their destination.
As they approached the island, Bruce had to keep his excitement in check. Tony was taking him to a place he'd always dreamed of going but he never thought he'd get to. He rarely made time to relax and enjoy himself, but the fact that Tony actually listened to him when he expressed where his dream vacation would be instantly perked Bruce up. The kind gesture assured Bruce that Tony was the person he'd been looking for all his life. Tony wrapped his arms around Bruce's waist as he looked in the direction of the island, and he placed his head on the smaller man's shoulders.
"I'm sure you know where we are but to clarify, yes we're spending the weekend on Nantucket Island. Now if it were me I'd want to go to some big city like Miami or San Francisco, but since this is for you and not me I wanted to make sure we did things your way. I rented out a little cabin called 'Gone Native'; yes, I'm aware it sounds silly but whatever. Anyway it's located in Siasconset, just a short walk from Sconset beach. It's small but it has all we need; I know you're not big on the whole 'livin' large' thing, so this'll be a nice break from that. Also, I have no idea if you want to do this or not but I rented a tandem bike so we could bike into town and have dinner. It sounds pretty fun, though I've never used one before. We'll just see how it goes," Tony rambled on and on, though Bruce hung on his every word.
Soon the two men were at their destination, and a tall, slender blond man was waiting for them when they stepped off the boat. He carefully placed their bags in a small SUV, and Bruce and Tony got inside. The blond drove them as close to the cabin as possible and the three men hauled their bags the rest of the way. It wasn't all that far, and Bruce and Tony were so excited about the weekend ahead of them they didn't even care. Normally Tony would be whining about having to go an extra mile over carrying his bags, but today he was incredibly calm. Bruce loved when he was in these moods and couldn't wait to enjoy their two days on the island.
Tony and Bruce unpacked their things and dressed in formal clothing before going outside and surveying the surroundings. The beach was absolutely beautiful in the evening; the sun was going down, and the clouds were gorgeous shades and tints of purple, orange, blue, and red. The waves were mild and a cool, but pleasant, breeze washed over them. Tony went inside for a moment, grabbed their blazers and helped Bruce into his. Bruce thanked him and gave him an intimate kiss on the lips in gratitude. Tony gave him a smug smirk in return, led Bruce over to their tandem bike and the two hopped on and took off for town.
Much to their surprise, using a tandem bike was more difficult than they thought. Even though they were in sync on many things, biking was not one of them. Every time Bruce would pedal, Tony would stop and vice versa. The two fell over several times on the way, but instead of getting frustrated the lovers simply laughed it off. Tony was on his best behavior and wanted to make Bruce's birthday weekend perfect.
"Well I've already made reservations for The Chanticleer. It's French cuisine and I've heard great things about it… And you know it probably wasn't the best idea to bike here… Here, let me wipe the sand off of you," Tony said as he dusted Bruce off, his lover returning the favor.
After they wiped themselves off, Tony and Bruce walked into the restaurant hand in hand. Bruce was thankful Tony planned ahead, because it was packed. That was always a positive sign, however, so Bruce was all the more excited about the dinner that was in store for them. A kind waiter seated them at a table in the corner, giving them some privacy; Tony asked for it on Bruce's behalf, which the scientist greatly appreciated. Much to Bruce's surprise Tony also picked out the food they were going to eat in advance so they wouldn't have to fiddle with menus. Sometimes Bruce could be a bit indecisive, and he appreciated when Tony took steps to alleviate it.
"Bruce, I have to say this's definitely been the best three months of my life… You know, I'm really sorry about what happened before we got together. The weeks before February 7th were a bit… Testy and I know I hurt you. I didn't mean to, and I hope that I've made up for it," Tony said in a matter-of-fact, yet apologetic, tone of voice.
"Tony, it's okay. I'll admit it did hurt when you went on a date with Steve, but it made me realize how much I cared about you. You know me though; I never would've said anything and I'm glad you changed your mind about Steve. Just the fact that you called me afterward to talk to me meant a lot, though it's not exactly romantic that our relationship started over text messages… But I still can't believe you said my name when you were in bed with him and that's how you realized you wanted me; I'm still a little horrified by that, but I guess I should be flattered since it came from you," Bruce rolled his eyes and sighed as Tony held his hands, intertwining their fingers.
"He wasn't too upset about it; he actually told me he knew I was interested in you not long afterward. Honestly, he didn't even expect our relationship to go anywhere anyway; he's been out for Thor the whole time apparently. Steve just wanted my dick… Imagine that. But I don't blame him. Being stuck in the ice for so long must've given him some major blue balls," Tony deadpanned, to which Bruce chuckled softly so as not to disturb other diners.
The two continued their banter, finished their dinner and indulged in some lava cake for dessert. Bruce managed to get some on his tie and there was a little on the corners of his mouth, but Tony leaned over the table and took care of the chocolate sauce that was on his lips. Tony always knew that was the way to get Bruce flustered and blushing like a teenager. They hadn't had sex yet, but Tony was okay with that; he knew Bruce wanted to wait until they established a strong emotional connection beforehand. He was a demisexual, Tony discovered, and he was actually relieved by this admission on Bruce's part. For once Tony felt like sex would actually be something more than a means to an end, and as aroused as he got from time to time he would wait for Bruce as long as necessary because he loved him with everything he had.
When they finally finished their dessert, Tony paid the bill and the two lovers went out into the night and hopped back on their tandem bike. It was much easier the second time around, much to their delight; they were absolutely stuffed, and the last thing they wanted to do was get jostled around too much and make themselves ill. Tony was in front, and as they peddled in unison Bruce looked up at the midnight blue sky. It was a relatively clear night, and he could see all of the stars in the vast expanse of seemingly endless sky. Bruce couldn't remember a more beautiful day, or night, in his life up to that point. Not even the day that they became a couple was he this happy.
"I hope you enjoyed today, Brucey-bear. I'd think all in all it was a success. Maybe the tandem bike was a bit romanticized and we looked kind of stupid with my Gucci dress clothes and wherever the hell yours came from… T.J. Maxx I assume. Anyway it doesn't matter. I just-" Tony was cut off when Bruce gave him a kiss on the lips as they put their rental bike away together.
"Tony, this was the best day of my life. Thank you for everything. Now I'm pretty tired, let's get some sleep. Knowing you I'm sure you have a lot planned for tomorrow," Bruce said as he wrapped his arms around Tony in a loving embrace, and he felt his partner pull him closer.
Tony and Bruce stayed in their affectionate embrace until the cool night breeze forced them inside their small, but perfect, cottage. When they got inside, Bruce grabbed Tony gently by the tie and led him to the bedroom. Tony of course did not protest, and he felt himself growing hard at the thought of taking off Bruce's clothes. He didn't know if sex was to come or if they were just going to kiss, but it didn't matter; as long as he was with Bruce everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.
As soon as they reached the master bedroom, Bruce removed Tony's clothes with trembling fingers; he was incredibly nervous and scared that he would disappoint Tony, but he couldn't wait any longer. The bond they had was intense and better than anything he could've imagined, and Bruce knew in his heart that it was time. He brought condoms, latex gloves and water-based lubrication for sexual contact if he decided to take their relationship to a deeper level. Bruce was thankful he planned accordingly, and he prayed that Tony hadn't done the same; the last thing he wanted was to find out that Tony planned this whole trip so he could get laid, though he knew it wasn't the case. He was simply anxious and nervous, and as a result he wasn't thinking as clearly as normal.
After Tony's clothes were removed, Bruce gently lowered his lover onto the bed before taking off his own clothing. He didn't want Tony to help; Bruce needed to move at his own pace and Tony respected his boundaries. When Bruce was finally undressed, Tony took in the sight in front of him. While Bruce was thin and nowhere near as muscular and picture-perfect as Steve was, it didn't matter; his heart and intelligence more than made up for his physical shortcomings. He gave Bruce a look filled with love and devotion, and the scientist felt all the surer of himself. He walked over to his bag, pulled out the items he brought for sexual intercourse and set them down on the bed next to Tony.
"Bruce, do you want to top or bottom? I'm fine with either; I'll do whatever you want me to do," Tony whispered into Bruce's ear as he lay down alongside him.
"I-I don't really want to risk becoming the… 'Other Guy'… So I think it's best if I'm on top. I can control it then," Bruce responded, gave Tony a long, deep kiss as he put on a latex glove.
It wasn't the most romantic thing to watch Bruce pour lubrication on an ugly white latex glove, but Bruce looked at almost everything in life in a scientific manner. He knew that it was essential to take precautions, and the last thing Bruce wanted was for his nails to accidentally snag and injure Tony's insides. When his glove was prepared, Bruce spread Tony's legs apart, allowing him access to his lover's hole. He proceeded to make out with Tony as he gently inserted his sheathed index finger, moving it in and out methodically as he kissed his lover. Bruce added fingers when Tony directed him to, and when he was able to fit his index, middle, and ring fingers inside of the billionaire's body he knew his lover was ready.
"Bruce… If you're ready I am… If you need more time I'll wait…" Tony panted into Bruce's ear, desperate to feel his partner's cock inside of him but mindful of Bruce's nature.
Bruce didn't answer with words; rather he kissed Tony one last time and moved between his legs. The scientist opened the condom wrapper with his fingers, as ripping it open with his teeth could tear the condom by mistake. Tony sat up, took the condom out of Bruce's shaking hands and put it on his lover's cock himself; he wanted to ease Bruce's nerves in any way possible. When the rubber was finally on Bruce's erection, Tony poured some lubrication onto his hand and put it on his lover's sheathed dick.
When everything was prepared accordingly, Bruce removed the glove and set it beside them. As Bruce carefully removed the glove, Tony spread his legs as far apart as they could go and raised himself up a bit to give his partner better access to his lubed up asshole. Bruce looked at Tony hesitantly to make sure that he was ready for intercourse, to which his partner whispered "yes."
With a moment's hesitation, Bruce lined his cock up with Tony's asshole; he was still incredibly shaky, and Tony wanted to make a joke about him having Parkinson's but decided against it. The last thing Tony wanted to do was ruin the moment for Bruce. This was really important to him, and he'd only had a few partners in his life, though he was only sexual with one of them long ago. When Bruce looked into Tony's beautiful blue eyes, the scientist managed to steady himself and he slowly pushed himself inside.
Tony moaned Bruce's name out loud as his partner eased his way inside, taking painstaking care not to injure him. When Bruce was completely inside, he was in complete shock at how amazing Tony felt; he was tight and warm around his condom-covered erection and Bruce knew he wouldn't last long. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had sex with anyone, and certainly not lovemaking. As Bruce slowly began to move inside of Tony, he wrapped his arms around Bruce's shoulders and pulled him down for a kiss.
They continued to kiss as Bruce took his time, making sure to stimulate Tony's prostate as he pushed himself in and out of his lover's hole. Tony was shocked at how attached he felt to Bruce; never in his life had he experienced lovemaking before. It was always a simple "wham, bam, thank you ma'am" kind of ordeal, but not with Bruce. There was actually love between them, and Tony was grateful that he was patient enough to wait for Bruce to be ready. He wished he would've found a demisexual earlier on, but he couldn't be happier that it was Bruce, a man who he shared so much in common with that it was almost impossible to imagine.
"I love you so much, Bruce. You're the best thing that ever happened to me," Tony whispered in between kisses, and the declaration of love sent Bruce over the edge.
When Bruce began to shake with his orgasm, Tony came as well, sending his semen splashing onto his hairy stomach. They were so in sync that it felt as if they were one entity, which felt oddly comforting to Tony. Never could he have dreamed of a meaningful sexual experience, but the love he felt for Bruce was so strong that he knew he couldn't live a day without him. He knew that no one would ever love him more than Bruce did, and Tony felt the exact same way about his partner.
The two men laid together for what seemed like hours, holding each other close and continuing to kiss even though their bodies were extra sensitive after their orgasms. Tony and Bruce didn't want to pull away from each other; they wanted to stay in that moment forever. After a while, however, they were beginning to stick together from their cooling sweat and the semen on Tony's stomach and they had no choice but to separate.
Bruce carefully got up off of Tony, pulled off the condom, tied it up, grabbed the used glove and got off the bed to throw it away in the bathroom. When he was finished, Bruce leaned out from the bathroom, crooked his finger in a "come here" motion, and without hesitation Tony got up and hurried to join Bruce. The two lovers took a long, hot shower together, taking breaks every now and again to kiss and hold each other. They stayed in the shower until the water turned cold, and after Bruce and Tony kissed one final time under the icy water raining over them the billionaire turned it off, led Bruce out of the shower and dried him off.
After they were thoroughly clean, Bruce and Tony realized just how exhausted they were. Bruce and Tony walked back into the bedroom, and the scientist hopped into the bed before his lover. Tony didn't get into the bed right away, as he was grabbing Bruce's StarkPod to help him fall asleep. When he retrieved it from Bruce's jeans pocket, Tony turned it on, gently placed the buds in Bruce's ears for him and cuddled up behind him. Within minutes the two men fell asleep, Bruce wrapped up in Tony's strong arms as he listened to the song that brought him the peace he never dreamed he'd have.
Bruce woke up in the early afternoon when the sun's bright rays entered the cottage bedroom. He slowly rolled over, sat up and rubbed his eyes. Even after their activity last night he felt incredibly rested. When Bruce moved to wake up Tony, however, his anxiety instantly kicked in; much to his surprise Tony wasn't next to him. He instantly snapped into full consciousness at this realization and rushed out of bed. He quickly put on his green three-quarter sleeve long sleeve shirt and grey jeans before searching the house. Tony was nowhere to be found, and he felt a mild panic-attack coming on. The thought of becoming the "Other Guy" after such a perfect night gave him the strength to calm himself, however, and he decided to go outside and check the beach.
Much to his relief, Tony was standing out on the beach, looking out at the beautiful view. Bruce was happy to see that Tony was wearing the cream and pale brown striped long sleeve shirt he'd knit for him and the worn light blue jeans that the engineer often wore while he worked. Bruce walked down the steps to join him, and as he did so he started to hear music. It sounded familiar, and as he got closer he realized what it was. His heart skipped a beat, and Bruce was instantly filled with a warm feeling. Bruce began to move faster, and Tony turned around and had a small box in hand.
"I made these a while ago, Bruce, I just wasn't sure when the right moment would be to give this to you though. Come here, Brucey-bear," Tony waited for Bruce to walk up to him before opening the box.
When Bruce looked down in the box, he was surprised to find two bracelets inside. In the center of the leather band was a small compass; on each bracelet was only half a compass, however. When the bracelets were brought together the compass was whole again. As Tony put on Bruce's bracelet and Bruce put on Tony's, the billionaire began to speak.
"I know I took the title of this song 'Halving the Compass' literally, but when I listen to it I just think about the fact that without you, my life really wouldn't have any direction. Sure, I have Iron Man and I'm in the lead for clean energy systems, but my personal life would be meaningless. You give me more than anyone else ever has, and I know when we're together I'll always know where my life is headed. You make my compass, metaphorically and literally speaking, whole. I love you, Bruce," Tony said in the sweetest, most sincere voice Bruce had ever heard, and he felt as if his heart would melt.
Bruce, incapable of finding the words to say to Tony, responded with "I love you too," and Tony took his left hand in his right. The two men stood together, hands clasped tight as they looked out at the beautiful water and sky in front of them. "Halving the Compass" continued to play on loop, and Bruce and Tony felt their souls completely intertwined in that moment. Bruce and Tony were truly soul mates, the halved compass keeping them together always and forever.