"I love you."
The confession was swift and sweet and out of no where. Tony stared silently at his companion and waited for a reaction. Usually words such as they would make even the most stingiest auditor bloom with euphoria. Before they stamp a $20,000 bill on your company and ask you to call them after you paid it off.
Bruce looked up from his notes, startled. He looked around to see whether Pepper or anyone else which wasn't him was nearby. But alas, it was just the two of them, aside from his robots every so often passing by with new equipment. Tony leaned in from his chair across from him, making sure the scientist knew exactly who he was talking too. One hand supporting his chin, the other laying gently across the table.
He didn't know what urged him to confess. I mean, there were definitely other, much more appropriate times to let the young scientist know about his feelings. For example: when he walked in on the young scientist changing, or when he walked in on the young scientist just out of the shower, or when he.. Okay, naked Bruce always got under his skin, but he decided that right at that moment was when Bruce looked exceptionally delicate.
Sitting down on a stool in his lab coat while looking through the formula's he jotted down and trying to make sense of them. Every so often he'd bite his pen in a fit of agitation. There was one thing that Tony found astounding while he was supposed to be looking through a copy of the report and that was that Bruce did not really take mind to his surroundings. When he was outside, especially around the avengers, his eyes would usually wander and when they did stay one place, he would always be alert and ready for anything. But when he was in the lab, he would remain focused and he wouldn't even notice a piece of metal hitting the ground. Or rather, he didn't seem to care and would only carry on working.
Perhaps that was what attracted Tony to Bruce, initially, but there was so much to him than that. He had the most amazing personality which not many had the privilege of seeing. Well, Tony much preferred it that way. Not that he minded the competition, but he could do without it for once. He didn't actually smile as much as the average person, but when he did, boy, Tony swore he fell in love all over again.
He had questioned whether it was actually love or whether he just had deep affection for this man which extended into wild wet dreams. When his conversations usually ended up with him blabbing about what the scientist did the day or month before which even Pepper took note, in the bed they initially shared. Wondering what the young scientist was doing even when Tony was, I don't know, saving the world from a deadly robot attack. But he had realized how far his feelings exceeded when he walked in on Bruce and Romanoff almost lip-to-lip. Now that was something he would never get out of his head. Even now it filled him with anguish, but Bruce assured him that night that there was nothing going on between them. Because he saw that Tony looked disturbed about something and wanted to clear the air since they were going to live together.
Though he wasn't quite expecting this. Bruce had no words to explain his feelings at the moment. Since when did Tony love him? Why did Tony love him?
... How could Tony love him?
It was a question that just didn't make sense to him no matter the answer. Natasha thought she had feelings for him, Bruce thought the same, but right after the kiss, they sat down and had a long talk about their feelings which they almost never did. They understood eachother's pain very clearly.. and yet, that was all there was too it. She would forever be an assassin, traveling the world on missions, and he'd still be the Hulk - Bruce Banner - and their worlds were just too different. He had more similarities with Tony, the man who had given him everything and he, in turn, would do anything for this man. Even give up his own life if he had too, if the Hulk had no say in it anyway.
He didn't know whether he had the same feelings for him, however, he surely loved him. Though when Tony did confess, even though he didn't know whether the confession was initially for him, he felt his heartbeat quicken so fast that he thought that the other man would come out at any moment. His cheeks reddened in shyness and his face morphed into so many emotions he couldn't properly deduce which ones they were. Because... come on, this was Tony Stark he was talking about and anyone would gladly drop their panties for him if asked, no matter the sex or gender.
He clenched his chest and cleared his throat, and replied, "Um.. thanks" before looking back down at his notes. But by then, the words looked like gibberish and he could no longer find it in himself to concentrate. And what shocked him even more was that when he peeked up at his companion's expression - curious on what was on his mind - and whether he was actually playing a joke on him (because with Tony, it wasn't unlikely) - there was no anger, regret, or sadness in his eyes. Rather, popping another blue berry in his mouth he scavenged out of no where, he smiled large when they caught eyes and offered him one (which confused Bruce even further because - which one was it?)
Because even though Bruce never expected his reaction, Tony sure did and loved him for it.
TBC.
Please follow this story instead if you like it. Because I post stories from so many different fandoms so it would be terrible if your email was spammed with ones you didn't like. I'm so excited for Age of Ultron, I can't even explain! If anyone has ideas or requests, please send them in but I can't assure you that I'll use all of them. Review if you like as well.