About Damn Time, a Batman + Ironman Crossover fanfic

Title: About Damn Time
Author: sorion
Fandom: Iron Man / Batman
Pairing: Tony/Bruce
Genre: slash, romance
Rating: PG
Word Count: 8,500+
Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to DC and Marvel, respectively. No harm intended, no profit made.
A/N: Part of the Awesome Twosome universe. Set the morning after When I Knew.
Summary: What's in a wedding?

About Damn Time

Cuddling in the afterglow was not something Tony Stark was used to or interested in. But, and so he was learning, he had been rapidly getting used to and interested in it, in the more recent times.
He didn't really know why. Well, he knew why he'd never been interested in it, before. The girls (and every now and then guys) he took to bed were fun to spend some hours with, and that was it. He probably should have felt bad about the fact that he'd never considered any of them worth his time beyond that, but it wasn't like it was his fault that they couldn't keep up and sooner rather than later drove him out of bed and either into a drink to get at least some mental kick or into his workshop if he happened to be at home. Possibly both.

That was just the way he was. He needed to keep his mind busy or it continually threatened to drive him to madness. Lying around for some mindless caresses wasn't his thing. He would get restless; his fingers would ache to do something more elaborate than running up and down a back or the likes; his thoughts would go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, usually going through some schematics of his suit, until he jumped up and out and had to follow this idea.

That was him. Always busy, always restless. Which sounded a lot worse than it was; he didn't mind having a brain like his. It was also a lot of fun being able to do what he did and having the means to realise them.
It had the downside of nobody keeping his attention and interest for longer than a few hours. Nobody could challenge him. Pepper knew how to deal with him, but – as much as he loved her – she couldn't keep up, either. She didn't have the background to understand, didn't grow up with a family name and company and fortune, didn't know what it was like to have a mind that wouldn't quit, didn't really know why he did the things Iron Man needed to do. She stood by him and always would; he knew that and was incredibly grateful he had her. She was there for him, but she wasn't there with him. Nobody had ever been able to be…

So why was it that he could lie here for hours after sex, just holding Bruce Wayne in his arms, doing nothing but running mindless fingers up and down the man's back and through his hair, feeling him breathing against his collar bone, hearing him hum contently and saying a soft word every now and then? How was it that, with him, he could actually sleep?

Back when they had started out, it both confused and frightened him. And while it still amazed him, it didn't frighten him, anymore.

He moved his left arm that Bruce was half lying on from the man's back and into his hair, smiling as he saw the red and gold glisten slightly on his finger in the constant light that his reactor projected into the room.

"You're doing it, again," Bruce mumbled into Tony's neck, sounding amused.

Tony smirked and rolled his eyes. "Fuck you." He felt Bruce's grin widen against his skin and squinted down, catching Bruce doing the exact same thing with his own ring that was gracing the hand lying on Tony's chest. "Like you're any better."

"Hmm," Bruce hummed and tilted his head a bit to nip at Tony's neck. "Of course not."

Didn't change the fact that Tony didn't like it when he was being caught at being sappy. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I was thinking," Bruce answered.

"Uh-huh." Tony didn't sound particularly impressed, which made Bruce swat his chest.

"Shut it. We can't all be geniuses."

Tony smiled. Not at the compliment, but because he knew that Bruce was far, far from stupid. He even had a smart enough brain to challenge him into mindless cuddling and the likes. Which basically was the answer to Tony's personal riddle. Bruce intrigued him as a person, kept him on his toes by his presence alone. Complemented him. Fit him. Was right there with him.
"So, you were thinking?" he urged.

"Yes, I was." He lightly ran a finger over Tony's stomach, making him tense just enough to show Bruce that he was ticklish but good at hiding it. He smiled. "Remember how I said that Batman can do more as a symbol than as a man?"

Tony raised an eyebrow. He usually didn't like it if the bat made an appearance in the bedroom, and Bruce usually also kept it well out, but this sounded like it didn't have to do with Batman per se.
Tony frowned. It had better not. They'd just got engaged, dammit.
"So, now you decided to make him a gay symbol and give him a rainbow striped cape."

Bruce chuckled and raised his head to put it on his hand to look at Tony. "Actually, I thought Bruce Wayne could be that symbol. Without the... rainbow cape."

Tony blinked at him sceptically. "You going political on me, cupcake?" He didn't think he could stomach yet another goal that kept Bruce from him. Batman was more than enough, thanks.

Bruce snorted. "No way. I'll leave that to other people. No, I was thinking..." he averted his eyes and frowned, "... Do you have any idea just how much we pay in taxes?"

"Nope," Tony said, not caring one bit that he actually had no idea how much he had to pay, much less Bruce.

Bruce shrugged, lopsidedly. "Neither do I, but I guess we can assume that it's a lot."

"Agreed."

"And we're paying for other people's right to get married while we can't."

Tony blinked.

"It kind of pisses me off, actually."

Tony considered that. He didn't really care about marriage; it was just a slip of paper, and he and Bruce already had the rings, which to them meant all there was, anyway. But when you put it that way, it was kind of annoying. It made him want to get married in some huge, elaborate affair just because he couldn't.
"The one thing you can't buy for money, I guess."

Bruce smirked. "Oh, I don't know. Make a disgustingly large donation here and there, set it off against tax liability..." his smirk widened.

Tony smirked back.

"Get married without the paperwork in one of those media-effective ways that we're so good at, and then see if Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark can be enough of a symbol without the superhero touch to get things moving."

Tony returned the smile for a moment, then he sobered. "And what if we're not?"

Bruce shrugged. "Then I will take my billions... and my husband and his billions... and move to Europe or something."

Tony snorted. "No, you won't." Bruce loved his town way too much. And while Tony himself wasn't as bound to one spot like Bruce – even if he did like his place in Malibu – he would never leave the country.

Bruce grinned. "No, I won't. But it makes for a good line in front of a camera."

"Hit them where it hurts?"

"Nothing gets politicians going more than the threat of losing a shitload of taxes and jobs."

Tony chuckled. "You are evil."

"I am also a spoiled billionaire who wants to get his way." He put on his most clueless expression that he sometimes used and nodded, seriously.

Tony snickered. "I'd say that I'm not buying your act, but I guess just this once, that is exactly what you're doing."

Bruce smiled benignly. "Well, not only." Though he had to admit silently that just this once, he was being selfish. But he figured he deserved it. Just this once. "I mean, it is unfair."

Tony conceded with a tilt of his head. "I guess. I never really thought about it." Marriage was such a... foreign concept to him. He had never really understood why people would be so hell-bent on doing it.
Now that he did understand, he still hadn't really thought about it. He had Bruce; end of story.

"And you could have fun playing with the press..." Bruce taunted.

Tony smirked. "You don't have to sell me the idea of having a huge-ass wedding. You know I like to show off."

Bruce grinned at him and then kissed him, teasing the other's tongue with his a little.
Playing the spoiled billionaire did have its entertaining moments, just as Alfred had predicted. Though, nowadays, he didn't have fun accidentally; he had Tony.
"So, uh, Pepper's doing a press plan?"

Tony nodded, pulling Bruce's head down for another kiss. "We'll probably have it by morning," he mumbled between kisses.

Bruce moved to lie on top of Tony. "So why don't we have some more of that very personal," kiss, "and private," another kiss, "wedding night?"

Tony never got to answer that one...

When Alfred opened the curtains the next day around noon, they'd had a lot more of said wedding night and were not too happy at being woken up.

"Good morning, gentlemen."

The only answer he got was twin groans.

"Miss Potts has arrived," Alfred continued, waiting next to the bed for a little more of a reaction.

Tony lifted his head at that. "Pepper's here?"

"Indeed."

Bruce now turned his head to look at Alfred, too.

The butler nodded at him. "And she would like to give out a press release that Bruce Wayne will present his fiancé at tonight's art opening."

Tony's head dropped back on the pillow with another groan.

Alfred looked amused. "Miss Potts seemed to be of the opinion that the public should be informed before rumours start spreading." He cleared his throat. "And seeing as you're both wearing rings, it would have to be soon."

Bruce rubbed his face, trying to wake up. "She doesn't want to announce both our names to the press, beforehand? Just mine?"

Now, Alfred definitely was amused. "Miss Potts thinks, and I concur, that you would both prefer to... make an entrance for the press."

Bruce smirked and Tony snickered.

"Seeing all their faces does sound like fun," Bruce said.

Tony batted his eyelashes at Bruce. "You can show me off on your arm."

"Oh, I will show you off, alright."

Before the look they sent each other could get any more heated, Alfred interrupted. "I can give Miss Potts a green light, then?"

"Very green," Tony said, absently, still looking at Bruce.

Alfred nodded, decisively. "Very good. I must ask you to come downstairs, then. She has several things she would like to discuss with the happy couple."

Bruce sighed, while Tony – who had seen this coming a mile away – grinned at him.

"Shall I prepare a lunch?" Alfred added, making sure that they understood that he expected the both of them to leave their bedroom, soon.

"Give us half an hour," Bruce said.

Alfred nodded and left them to it.

Tony rolled onto his side to look at Bruce. "That is enough for a joint shower. Wouldn't you agree, Mrs Stark?"

"Absolutely, Mrs Wayne."

Bruce wandered into the kitchen on his own, half an hour later. It still amused him to no end that more often than not, the kitchen was where they ended up eating, nowadays (unless they had guests), even if Alfred had tried to relocate meals to a more appropriate setting. Though Bruce was sure that Alfred didn't mind as much as he had initially implied.

They were a family after all. A family that currently was missing not only Tony, but Dick, as well.

Bruce found Pepper talking to Alfred and then smiling at him when she saw him.

"Good morning," she said right away and stood to greet him. The moment she took his hand, her eyes flickered to his other one.

Bruce grinned. "Good morning." He reacted to her trying to be subtle, anyway and lifted his left hand. "Take a look?"

She smirked and cleared her throat, completely ignoring that she had been caught. She held the offered hand in her open palm and her breath stopped just for a moment, before she gasped. She let go of the hand and stepped back, smiling widely.
"I'm going to cry, again." She held up her hands in some unnecessary defensive stance and sat back down, hiding behind her coffee.

Bruce chuckled and sat in his usual spot near the door. "You cried before? Tony didn't say..."

Pepper sniffed, once, and cleared her throat, again. "After he left," she admitted, making Bruce grin. "But you should have seen him. He was beaming."

"He still looked pretty pleased when he got here," Bruce answered. His voice held both the love and the amusement at the teasing.

Pepper laughed, lightly. "Bruce, I just wanted to say... that I'm really happy for you two." She bit her lip. "I didn't think it was even possible, actually," she rushed out and laughed, nervously and then sobered but still smiled. "Not before you."

Bruce had to avert his eyes. "I'd say that I didn't see it coming, but he pulled me in so fast that I never stopped to wonder where we were headed." He smiled, ruefully.

"He does that," Pepper agreed. "Where is he, anyway?"

Bruce pulled a face. "On the phone. The Colonel called. Tony was not happy."

Pepper's face immediately fell. "Oh, not now."

Alfred turned from the stove where he was cooking and brought Bruce a coffee, too. "That would be Colonel Fury, I take it?"

Bruce accepted the coffee. "Thank you. Yes, it is."

That was when Dick came rushing in, as well. He slipped out of his leather jacket, slung it over the back of the chair between Bruce and Pepper and patted Bruce on the shoulder with his other hand.
"Good morning and congratulations, Bruce!" he declared, exuberantly. He let himself drop in his chair and grinned at Bruce.

"Good morning and thank you." He raised an eyebrow.

"I just took the bike to the gallery," Dick said, making a general gesture with his thumb over his shoulder. "And you won't believe this, but there's press there, already."

Bruce looked at Pepper, again. "When did you release the statement, again?"

"Half an hour ago."

Dick leaned back in his seat and grinned. "There's also press in front of the gates, here..."

"Well," Bruce said and sipped his coffee. "At least they'll get something for their efforts."

Dick's grin turned downright evil. "I so want the best spot to watch them when they see you." He snickered. "They'll probably burst a vessel or something."
His eyes flickered to the door when he saw a movement. "Mom! There you are!"

Tony stalked into the room and pointed a warning finger at him. "Watch it, young man, or you're grounded until you're fifty."
He apparently didn't even feel like waiting for Alfred who would have loved to bring him his coffee and made one, himself.

"Impatient, Master Anthony?"

"I need this, right now," he grumbled and downed half the cup in one go. Then he shook himself and blinked. "And hello, Pepper."

"Good morning."

"It's not morning. It's well into the afternoon," he protested and sat on Bruce's right side.

Bruce looked at him oddly. "Everything okay?" he asked, cautiously.

"Oh, yes!" Tony said, mock cheerfully. "I told him that I would hang up on him if he called my fiancé derogatory terms, again."

Bruce lifted an eyebrow. "And?"

"And then I hung up on him ten seconds later."

Bruce chuckled. "And he didn't call back?"

"Dunno." Tony shrugged. "Left the phone upstairs."

Dick snickered, Bruce grinned and Pepper looked like she wanted to disapprove but couldn't make herself.

"What did he call me?" Bruce wanted to know despite himself.

Tony pretended to think about it and then said, "over-priced boy-toy."

Bruce looked amused. "You still haven't told him about Batman, have you?"

"Nope."

"Would it help?" Bruce asked. Because the Colonel breathing down Tony's neck because he didn't like Tony spending time with his partner was getting tedious.

"Probably," Tony admitted. "But it's none of his damn business."

Bruce knew that only part of that attitude was actually because Tony was angry at Fury. Another part was Tony protecting Bruce's secret identity, even though Tony didn't really relate to the idea, but since it was of concern to his lover, he would support that.
It wasn't the first time Tony did or said something like that, but Bruce smiled at him without even realising. Tony stared darkly into his coffee and didn't notice, either. The other three, however, very much noticed.

The land-line phone that helpfully had a receiver in the kitchen rang, and Tony groaned, hitting the table with his fist. "I am going to take that phone and..."

"I'll take it," Bruce said, interrupting him. He stood to pick up the phone and already returned to his seat while answering. "Bruce Wayne."

Tony studied Bruce, interested, and gave him a look that clearly said, 'What are you up to?'

Bruce was much angrier than he had let on, earlier. He didn't care about insults; he didn't even care about Fury digging into their private life... but he was getting tired of the man hanging out 'the Colonel' when he was the one who wanted something from Tony, wanted him on the team.
"I'm sorry, but for some reason he doesn't really want to talk to you right now."

Tony leaned his chin on his hand and got ready to enjoy the show.

"Colonel, Tony and I just exchanged rings, yesterday. I'm sure you understand that breaking it to the press tonight requires both our attendance as well as some preparation." He paused. "Yes, I am quite serious. And if you would let Tony finish a sentence that is non-work related, you'd know that."

Tony didn't yet really know where Bruce was heading with this, but looking at the mischief in his eyes, he was only getting started.

"Look, I know you're a good guy, or Tony wouldn't put up with you. But it's like this, you recruited him, you wanted to have him on your team. So now you better deal with what you got."

Tony crossed his arms and frowned at Bruce, looking insulted.

Bruce just smirked back. "Well, yes, he spends a lot of time in Gotham, but look at it this way…" now the imp truly shone through, and Tony appeared almost worried.

Pepper knew that look well, Dick blinked confusedly, and Alfred would have searched for the nearest fallout shelter had he not been too interested in finding out what the next move would be.

Bruce continued: "… Had Tony not been here two weeks ago, it would have taken him a lot longer to get to New York and help Parker with that little tight spot of his."

"You are getting me in so much trouble," Tony whispered almost inaudibly, but he grinned widely, apparently thinking that the show he got in return was worth it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't Tony inform you that he tells me everything?" Bruce said innocently. After that, he held the receiver a little farther from his ear and let Fury let off some steam in one long rant.
"Yes… absolutely. Yes, sir." He huffed a small laugh and pointedly looked at Tony. "I will let him know that there are superheroes who can keep a secret, yes."

Pepper was biting a finger, and Dick covered his face in both hands, trying to laugh as silently as he could. Alfred sighed a long-suffering sigh, mumbling, "kids," under his breath.

Bruce sobered a bit. "It's possible that this is one reason why Batman is hard to contact even for you…" He locked eyes with Tony. "Personally, I think it's just because I was never much of a team player."

Tony's eyes widened.

"You heard me, Colonel," Bruce said, calmly. The voice on the other end got calmer, too. "Because, quote, it's none of your damn business, unquote." He smiled warmly. "You see, he can keep a secret."
The warm smile suddenly froze, and Bruce remembered why he had been angry, earlier. "Why should that change anything, must less everything? Tony has every right to be with someone, and, no, that someone does not have to be as nuts as him, trying and trying to make a change and mostly failing. No! You listen! Do you know what happens to people like us who fight for a better world but don't remember what a better world is even supposed to be like, anymore?" His jaw set. "Because I know what happens. I was there. You forget why the fight is worth it, but you keep going, anyway, because it's all you know." He forced himself to breathe. "I was reminded of what a better world can be like when I met Tony. I know why it's worth it, again."
Bruce startled when Tony was suddenly right in front of him and took the phone out of his hand, holding it out to Dick.

"Kid, take this. Entertain him or something," Tony said, slid into Bruce's lap and kissed him.

Dick looked at the phone in his hand and blinked before he held it up to his ear. "Uh… hello? … Dick Grayson, sir, I… Guys! Not in the kitchen!"

At first, Tony and Bruce just ignored the complaints, but it only took them seconds to get lost in the moment and not notice anything, anymore, altogether. They didn't notice Dick giving the phone to Pepper to talk to the Colonel, and they didn't notice that Alfred put their lunch on the table for them, while he took the one for himself, Pepper and Dick out of the room, the other two following him.

When Tony and Bruce broke apart, it was quiet in the room. They were alone.

Tony looked around. "We have to stop doing this."

Bruce didn't appear like he agreed. He grinned and waggled the fingers of his left hand at Tony. "Well, we just got married, yesterday, if we're ignoring the formalities that neither of us cares about, anyway. We're entitled to a bit of…." He shrugged.

Tony returned the look and after a while gave a confirming nod. "Right you are, Mrs Stark."

Bruce knew that if they kept this whole beaming at each other thing up, he'd probably burst, but like he had said: he was entitled to a little bit of… well, he supposed it was happiness. "We're both nuts, right?"

"You got a problem with that?"

"Nope." He kept looking at Tony for a bit, then nodded towards the table. "Lunch?" He thought it better to not get back into what he'd been telling Fury, before. He had meant every word, and Tony knew that. They both knew that. But actually saying it out loud, much less to someone he hadn't even met and in front of an audience… well, Bruce didn't think it needed further discussing.

Tony groaned and climbed off Bruce's lap. "Let's," he agreed, indulging Bruce's attempt to lead the way out of their 'moment'.

"Think the Colonel stopped yelling at some point?" Bruce asked, slightly amused. Not that it had sounded like Fury was yelling, anymore – Bruce had surprisingly successfully reprimanded him into silence – but it helped to lighten the mood considerably.

Tony smirked. "Pepper can deal with him, don't worry." She could, too. And had on several occasions previous to this one.

Their twosome lunch turned out to be uncharacteristically quiet and companionable. No more emotional outbursts or doom hanging over them. It was… refreshing.

"Miss Potts! What a surprise!" Lucius Fox walked towards her, already holding out his hand, mirth radiating off him in waves.

"Mr Fox, always a pleasure." She took his hand and accepted a kiss on the cheek. "Are you expecting Mr Wayne, today?" she asked.

"Indeed. He should be here shortly."

"What a coincidence."

Lucius couldn't contain a chuckle. "This night should prove to be interesting." He looked around the gallery and all the guests that were already present, amongst some journalists who tried to look like they were no more than guests. "How much longer now?"

Pepper locked at her watch. "Five more minutes." She lifted her head to see Dick wandering around on the upper floor that consisted of three bridges across the whole room and small platforms along the sides. His eyes kept trailing to the window.

Lucius followed her line of sight. "Ah. Mr Grayson found an advantageous point to observe, I see."

Pepper cleared her throat to keep herself from laughing out loud. "He wanted the best spot to see the press reaction." She nodded towards the window wall facing out front. "I will join him in a bit. I don't think I want to miss that, either."

Lucius smiled, amused. "I'm going to stay down here and... catch them when they come in." He nodded at her. "Excuse me, I should get into position, now."

She laughed a bit and headed for the stairs when a voice interrupted her.

"Pepper Potts, I didn't expect you here."

Pepper recognised that voice immediately. "Miss Everhart," she greeted her. My, this could be fun. "I thought business was your area of expertise, not art."

Everhart looked like she didn't know whether or not that was an insult and just chose to ignore it. "I was here for a presentation at Wayne Enterprises and supposed to leave again tonight. Something came up, as I'm sure you're aware, and I was sent here on short notice."

"Oh, yes. I heard about that." For some reason she either felt inexplicably generous, or this was just an opportunity to make Everhart lose her composure that she couldn't let pass... "Do you have a photographer outside?"

The answering look was suspicious. "Yes. Why?"

Pepper bit her lip. "You're gonna need him." She tilted her head towards the stairs. "Follow me."

Everhart crossed her arms. "Are you now getting paid to keep journalists off Wayne's back?"

Pepper smirked. "No. They won't be answering any essential question when they come in, trust me on that."

Everhart blinked for a moment and then followed Pepper. Her eyes widened when she saw who was already upstairs. "Is that...?" She looked at Pepper, accusingly. "You know who the fiancée is, don't you?"

"Of course." She purposefully strode to Dick. "Christine Everhart, Dick Grayson," she introduced.

Dick took her hand. "Miss Everhart. Pleasure."

Pepper leaned forward to look out the window. "No sign of the car, yet?"

"Nope. Won't be long, now, though," Dick answered, moving back to the window.

Pepper grinned at Everhart. "Best seats in the house."

Everhart looked out, seeing the cars delivering more or less well known celebrities being welcomed by photographers who only really waited for one guest to arrive.
"And why are you sharing this spot with me?"

Pepper smiled at her benignly. "Maybe I was just feeling generous."

"Right..."

"Or maybe I thought that since your appearance usually heralds doom and despair I should keep you out of the way."

"That was not my fault!"

The true reason would have been, 'I really just wanted to see your face when they get out of the car,' but Pepper didn't want Everhart to figure that one out, before the happy couple actually arrived. Her being here was already enough of a hint, really.

Dick's announcement, "Car's here!" made all of them end the conversation and stick to the window, so it didn't matter. Wayne's car was now only second after the one that had people exit at the moment whom Pepper had never before seen in her life but the photographers took pictures of anyway.

"They took the Lamborghini," Pepper noticed.

Everhart raised an eyebrow. "Darkened windows. Subtle."

"Makes the rise of the curtain much more effective," Pepper said.

Dick snickered.

Everhart was already surprised when she saw both the doors open at once; she had expected Bruce to either open the door for his fiancée or at least let a porter do it...
Then her eyes widened in surprise and narrowed in confusion when she saw the two men exit with sure steps.
Then her jaw dropped and her breath hitched as the realisation set in and the world pretty much stopped dead.
"You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope," Pepper and Dick said, unison.

Everhart wanted to look at the people with her to see if they were making fun of her, but she couldn't take her eyes off the two men outside. Finally, while Bruce handed over his key to be parked and walked around the car, Tony held out his hand and... Bruce took it without hesitation but instead with a smile.

Dick laughed. "The flashes must be blinding out there."

They watched on as Tony and Bruce obligingly stood still for a moment and smiled into various cameras.
They watched on as Tony grinned in a reaction to something a photographer apparently said, while Bruce looked at his fiancé, sporting an expression somewhere between amused and inviting.
Only Pepper and Everhart watched on as the men outside kissed for the cameras.

Dick groaned and rolled his eyes. "Not again."

The kiss ended and they headed inside.

Everhart kept staring outside at the spot that had previously been occupied by Misters Wayne and Stark. "They're serious," she managed to say after a long moment, because that one was obvious from seeing Tony and Bruce. They were serious.

Pepper smiled at her, this time more genuinely. "They are."

"I didn't think he had it in him," Everhart blurted out. "The going steady, I mean, not the..." She cleared her throat when she realised exactly what she said and how she phrased it.

Pepper laughed. "Yes, well... neither did he."

As he had intended, Lucius 'caught' the two most sought-after and eligible but no longer available billionaires right at the entrance and tried to make sure that they survived the event relatively uninjured.

While Dick had decided to stay well out of the way, at least until the worst of the shit storm was over, Pepper directed Everhart towards Tony and Bruce. She wasn't entirely sure why she so readily brought the woman along, probably facilitating some interview questions for her as well, but she had a feeling it had something to do with wanting to show her that she was wrong about Tony's morals as well as his personal attitude. Her protective streak had apparently been taken to a whole new level.

The women caught the last snippets of a conversation the men in question were having with the artist whose art opening it actually was.

"Oh, you do?" the woman asked Tony, sounding surprised. "I was not aware of that."

Bruce looked at him oddly.

Tony raised an eyebrow at him. "I can't blame you that you never noticed. The painting is in the bedroom." He smirked. "It's the orange one."

That revelation made the artist laugh, lightly. "I remember now," she said. "I believe it is one of the chakra paintings, and I assure you that it suits both of you as well as the location you chose for it, perfectly." With that, she excused herself.

Tony made a mental note to google the shit out of orange chakras, while Bruce tried to remember what he already knew.

Bruce smiled slightly when he remembered some part of it and blinked in surprise when Tony held out a glass of champagne for him that he had taken off a waiter's tray.
"My hero," he grinned.

"It's what I'm here for." Then Tony noticed Pepper arriving with… "Oh, God," he complained. "You know, whenever you show up, something bad happens."

Everhart rolled her eyes and held out her hand to Bruce. "Christine Everhart. A pleasure, Mr Wayne."

Bruce took the hand. "Likewise, Miss Everhart."

Tony looked at her darkly. "Don't even think about it. He's taken."

She sighed (while Pepper bit her lip) and said, "I'm not like you, you know," hinting broadly at his tendency to take home everything that wasn't screwed in place – pun only partly intended.

"And a good thing, that, too," Tony said. "Or you could have him."

"No, she couldn't," Bruce disagreed immediately. "One of you is more than enough."

"Charming," Tony replied, dryly and then got lost in the look Bruce sent him for a second.

Everhart leaned forward a bit. "Congratulations, by the way." The men turned to look at her. "What I was going to say before you greeted me so nicely," she added directed at Tony, accusingly.

Tony's hand went to his chest. "I am traumatised, you now."

He had meant it jokingly (ignoring the truth to the statement), but Everhart refused to take it that way. "I know," she said, nodding once.

Tony blinked at her.

"So, like I said. Congratulations. Seriously."

Tony still merely looked at her, as if he was unsure whether or not she was insulting or at least teasing him, so Bruce answered for him: "Thank you."

This startled Tony out of his reverie. "Yeah. That. Thanks."

Pepper looked satisfied at the development of the situation and Everhart joined her after a second. "So," she changed the topic, though not really, "when's the big day, then?"

"We have no date, yet," Bruce said, smoothly, but Tony appeared to have other plans.

"The formalities and party should be soon," he said. "We're practically married, already, anyway."

Everhart tilted her head. "Are you taking care of those 'formalities' out of the country?"

"Don't see why we should," Tony said, and he was well back in the mood from that morning when he had realised that, goddammit, if he wanted to get married, the country should fucking well let him. "Won't mean a damn thing the moment we cross the border again."

For some reason, she understood what he was really saying. "You're trying to set an example," she said, sounding surprised while knowing that she shouldn't be. She had underestimated that man more than enough already.

"His idea, not mine," Tony replied, nudging Bruce with his shoulder. "I'm really just pissed off."

Bruce grinned at him. "That is a marvellous reason to get married," he said, sarcastically.

"You know where I stand in this, cupcake," he said, quietly, not really looking at anyone. "I'm wearing your ring, ergo we're married." He turned to look at Everhart again. "You have my permission to call him my husband in that article you're dying to write just now."

Everhart startled. "I wasn't..."

Tony just smirked at her, leaned closer and towards the small purse she was carrying, speaking into it. "That thing turned on, Miss Brown?"

She held her purse hiding the small recording device closer to herself. "I wasn't going to use any of that," she bit out, angrily.

Tony sighed, dramatically. "What do you think, darling?" he asked Bruce with the same playful air as the sigh.

"Well... I guess we can trust Miss Everhart with this... extremely sensitive material."

Tony snickered. "Use whatever you want," he told her.

She narrowed her eyes at him, challenging. "Alright. Any interesting modifications your respective companies will have to expect?"

"No," Tony and Bruce said at the same time, and Tony bowed courteously, letting Bruce answer the question.

"An official press release will be out," he checked his watch, "right about now. Basically, there might be more joint projects, similar to the ones that have been done already. Other than that, no merging or fusing or the likes. We both like our babies just the way they are."

"Bruce and Pepper get everything, should something happen to me, though," Tony threw in.

Bruce took a step closer to Tony, partly playing the worried billionaire fiancé and partly actually being worried. "And Tony and Dick get everything, should something happen to me." As well as Alfred and to a part Lucius, but that was not something that he needed to be public knowledge. Partner and son was enough and made the most sense, nobody would question it or ask for more information that he did not intend to give.

Tony smiled at him, something between cheekily and lovingly. "Nothing will happen to either of us."

"It had better not," Bruce replied immediately and leaned in for a small, close-lipped but still unmistakably intimate kiss.

Everhart's lip twitched and she squinted at Pepper who returned the look with a meaningful one of her own.
She cleared her throat when they ended the kiss. "In light of the recent revelations and in relation to the first joint project between Wayne Enterprises and Stark Industries... when did the nature of your relationship change?" She consciously put it in a way so that she could use it as a direct quote.

Bruce tilted his head at Tony. "Do you remember the exact date?"

"Are you kidding? The only date I don't forget is my own birthday, and that's only because that's the best excuse for a big party." They were both lying, and they both knew it. They remembered the date they met, the date of the first official meeting as CEOs, the date they had designed the rings, and now the date they had exchanged them. But that was none of anyone's business.

"Anyway," Bruce added, "the nature of our relationship changed within hours of meeting, to be honest."

Tony grinned. "At which point we had agreed to a business meeting, but it was still one whole day until it took place."

Bruce chuckled. "It did make the meeting more interesting."

"It's much easier to deal with someone I already know gets me." That was a surprisingly serious answer. It was also pretty much Tony saying that he didn't like to deal with people. As he and everyone else were well aware, hardly anyone understood him. And most people didn't mind one bit...

Pepper snorted. "The first time he actually wanted to work."

"Thank you. That will be all, Miss Potts," Tony complained, making everyone hide their laughs more or less successfully.

The recording device kept serving its purpose.

That was how Christine Everhart ended up staying close to the pair all evening without really intruding, already seeing the article about the two billionaires writing itself, word for word. In return for the courtesy, she fully intended to create the article in Wayne and Stark's interest. Which, she was perfectly aware, had been one of the reasons she was now here and not kept at distance by a horde of guard dogs.

At one point, however, Tony uttered an exasperated, "Oh, hell," and downed his drink in one gulp. He shared a look with Bruce and directed him away from everyone around them and towards the man who had just entered.

"Colonel!" he greeted Fury loudly, stalking towards him with Bruce in tow. "What a surprise!"

They shook hands, formally, and finally Fury said, "I came to offer my congratulations, personally. And possibly some help...?" he made the latter part sound like a question. When Tony and Bruce didn't seem to know right away what he was talking about, he elaborated: "I'm not sure if you two are aware what broader implications an event like the one you plan could have." He sent them a meaningful look.

"So, basically, what you're saying is..." Tony started, "a wedding like that could be something of an all-you-can-eat buffet for Doctor Evil."

Bruce grinned at Fury's exasperated look. "We did think about that, actually," he assured the Colonel. "You might want to talk to Alfred. We already sketched something in that direction."

"Ah, yes. Your... butler," Fury reacted to the name immediately. "I did a background check on him. Impressive."

"I'll let him know you think so," Bruce replied, not surprised in the least that Fury had dug deeper. He wouldn't even have been surprised if he'd done that way before the revelations of some hours ago, either.

Fury's offer to help was probably as close to an apology they'd ever get, but Tony was in too good a mood to not accept it, so he slung an arm around Bruce's waist and kissed him on the cheek.
"Alfred is a smug little bugger, I'm sure his ego can take it."

As the night winded down, Tony and Bruce managed to sneak out (on their tenth attempt, give or take a little), leaving photographers with pictures, journalists with headlines and other guests with stories to tell.

WAYNE AND STARK MERGE!

That headline – or any given other of similar (un-)originality – the next morning was accompanied by a picture of the two billionaires kissing in front of the gallery. This particular one happened to be prominently on the Gotham Gazette cover.

Dick threw it onto the table when Bruce and Tony entered the dining room.
"Aren't you two the cutest?" He smirked at them.

Indeed they were in the dining room and not the kitchen that day. Not because Alfred had insisted on it, but because there was hardly any room for any food on the large table as it was, what with a huge number of newspaper strewn all over it, Pepper and Dick leafing through them.
It was also indeed still morning. Much to Bruce and Tony's chagrin, Tony had to leave for New York before lunch, meeting the board, and then he had to head to Malibu, doing some more explaining in his home territory. It had been unavoidable, and even Tony had realised the importance, but that didn't mean that they had to like it.

The two men joining the reading party were much more interested in the coffees that had been put on the table for them by Alfred the moment they had walked in than in the papers. Still, they couldn't help but grin at the headlines.

They both drank their coffees and skimmed a newspaper or other, until Tony tilted his head.
"Do you think Batman in a rainbow cape would make the front page, too?"

Bruce pretended to give this some serious thought. "Well, in light of recent events I probably shouldn't do that. It could link them back to me." He smirked when Tony snorted. "But why don't you get a rainbow paint-job for Iron Man? You're the latest gay superhero, after all."

"If I keep wearing purple shirts, do you think people will hold it against me?"

Bruce put his elbow on the table and his chin on his hand. "You look good in purple."

"I look good in everything."

Pepper cleared her throat. "As much fun as you two seem to be having, both your PR departments get bombarded with questions as to when the big day is going to be, amongst… other questions."

"Soon," Tony said.

Bruce agreed. "Yes. As soon as can be managed without being too much of a security risk."

"Less time for the baddies to prepare. And the press shouldn't be informed before the actual date." He considered that. "They will find out, anyway, but we shouldn't make things too easy for them."

Pepper nodded. "The Colonel called, earlier. He seemed to share that view."

"Will he drop by, later today?" Bruce wanted to know.

"He might come if he would," Alfred said, stacking some papers that had already been read. "One can never quite tell with him."

Dick closed another paper and handed it to Alfred. "That still leaves the question of the location..." he said.

Bruce and Tony shared a look.

In the end, they decided to have their special day in Gotham. If he was needed, Batman would be close by; the manor could at the same time host a lot of people and keep unwanted guests out at the estate's gates; and the weather forecast insisted that it would be sunny and warm on their chosen date, making Tony so much more agreeable to the idea.

The other question that had to be answered was who they should ask to officiate. It might not have had any legal weight, but at the same time, the person would give the ceremony (and therefore the point Bruce and Tony wanted to make) more impact if they were of some official importance.
And while Jim Gordon did have some reservations, he accepted. Reluctantly. Ceremonials had never really been part of his world.

As for the ceremony itself... they would stand before Gordon, all three of them saying some important words, have witnesses (but no ring exchange, because Tony had flat-out refused to take his off, arguing that there was bound to be some sort of emergency that would make either of them lose it beforehand, and he was keeping that ring and no other), their respective lawyers who would recite with a flourish that the couple had chosen the other to hold the power of attorney and to be the main beneficiary in case of death or possibly something less permanent, and then they would sign some copies of those papers symbolically.
To sum up: a lot of grand words that shouldn't really have meant all that much to either of them, at that point.

Yet, Tony ripped his bowtie off the collar for the umpteenth time in frustration.

Bruce tried his best not to laugh at him. "I did warn you that it would feel like something more than a signature on a redundant piece of paper when the day came around." He walked towards Tony to help him with the tie.

Tony didn't deign this with an answer. "Are you sure it's not bad luck that we see each other before the whole show?"

With secure fingers and within a few seconds, Bruce adjusted Tony's bowtie to his satisfaction. "The bride isn't to see the groom before the wedding. This is not a real wedding, and as much as I love you, I refuse to be the bride, so..." He grinned. "Even Pepper and Alfred agreed on that."

Tony huffed. "Stop making sense. Why do you always make sense? I never make sense."

"You make sense to me," Bruce said calmly, and kissed Tony. "Always did."

Tony breathed deeply, his forehead against Bruce's. "I can do this."

"You can do this."

"Even though I still have no idea what I'm going to say for that personal vow we're supposed to do."

Bruce chuckled. "I'm not entirely sure what I'm gonna say, either."

Tony looked at him, tortured. "You're supposed to be the guy with the plan," he whined. It was hard enough to make declarations of undying devotion like that to Bruce while in private; this time, it would have to be something of a similar nature, but in front of an audience and the assembled press that would print every damn word he said.

"You are a horrible influence on me." Bruce smirked. "I have a basic idea," he admitted, "but I want to be able to say what feels right at that moment."

Tony pointed a finger at him. "You're going, first."

"I'm going first," he agreed again.

Their following kiss was interrupted by a knock on the door and a young man carrying a camera poking his head in.
"You're up," he said, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

Tony scowled at him. "Parker. Out."

"We'll be right there," Bruce said, grinning. Once the door closed, again, he turned to Tony. "How old is he?"

Tony sent him a look. "About the same as Dick, so don't even go there."

Bruce sighed. "What is the world coming to?"

"As soon as they're old enough, we'll retire and let the kids take over," Tony said, decisively, not meaning a single word he said.

Bruce chuckled.

Tony, apparently over his breakdown for the moment, took Bruce by the hand and pulled him out of the room. "Let's get hitched."

In the end, once Gordon came to, "And now I believe you gentlemen have your own vows," not even the beautiful weather and the picturesque manor in the background could ease either of their nerves.

Bruce held onto Tony's hands, he himself now trembling slightly, too, and breathed.
"I was told that I had to go first," he started, making some guests laugh a bit. "So, here goes."

Tony's fingers tightened reflexively around Bruce's.

"Tony Stark appeared on my personal radar for the first time with his kidnapping, to which my initial reaction was something along the lines of 'you reap what you sow'. Don't run away!" he added quickly, only half-joking.

Tony just smiled ruefully.

"Nevertheless, I was of course glad he got rescued. Spectacularly rescued." He looked into the near distance. "I kept an eye on him after that first press conference, and both eyes after the second." He smirked. "I then decided to do business with that crazy man and his company, should the opportunity arise." He looked at Tony, his eyes sparkling. "Once I managed to trick him into a meeting, he..." Bruce shrugged, helplessly. "I was his within the first few hours," he admitted, freely. "And I never regretted choosing that path."

Tony looked at him dubiously but still smiled.

Bruce grinned as an answer. "No, I don't regret it. You sometimes drive me insane, but I never wished for something else since I met you." He nodded in a way that remarkably looked like a 'so there', making Tony bite back a laugh. Most guests didn't even try.

"Tony Stark. You are known to get what you want." Bruce's lip twitched. "And so am I." He looked straight into Tony's eyes. "You got me this far. I accept your challenge of a life with you."

Tony smiled widely. That he could answer.
"That's it. Right there." He shook his head and shrugged a little. "I could go way back to where I first heard about that young billionaire taking over the business world, or to the fact that we both have a father and his name to live up to, or that we both try to move things… in our own respective way." He grinned, just this side of mischievously. "I could go back to when we first met and give a render of that, even though it would pretty much sound like yours. But the point is… You get me. You don't even have to challenge me, you are my challenge. And I love it. You." He tried to stop, there, he really did. He tried to remember the crowd and the press and the world, but… "I love you."

"I can live with that," Bruce said, dryly, then laughed at Tony's indignant expression. "I love you, too."
He then decided that they had talked enough, negotiated enough, declared enough… and framed Tony's face with both hands and pulled him into a kiss, sealing said talks, negotiations and declarations.

Tony smiled into the kiss at first, before returning the embrace and losing himself in it for the long moments it lasted, the cheers of their guests accompanying them.

And when they parted they both thought that maybe… their little scheme wasn't only for their audience, after all.

END
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