"Tony-"Bruce started but Tony mustered an encouraging smile despite their situation.
"We'll be fine."
"You know Anthony, I don't think you will be", Justin Hammer said as he appeared on screen.
"Are you still trying to show me up?" Tony asked in a bored tone. "Because that's not going to work."
"Oh I found something sweeter than that: revenge."
"He's really a cliché villain", Tony muttered to Bruce. "You're a loser and nothing you do will change that. You don't have it in you to torture me."
"That's the beauty of it, Anthony. I don't need to torture you. All I need to do is to unleash the monster you love so much", He laughed.
"Your triumph over me is my death?
"No, Anthony, your death will be my revenge. My triumph will be to see the look on your face when your beloved beast rips you apart."
"Big mistake here because that's not gonna happen."
"I'll give you two minutes to say your goodbyes." He disappeared from the screen.
"I'm sorry", Bruce said quietly after a moment of silence.
"No, don't apologize. We'll both walk away from this."
"I was really glad that we met", Bruce continued, not listening to Tony. "Because you treated me like something else than a monster and I'm sorry it's going to end like this."
"Fuck it Bruce! We're not going to die here", Tony yelled.
"One minute", came Hammer's voice through the loudspeakers.
"Look at me", Tony said determinedly, "tomorrow we'll laugh about Hammer's pathetic attempt with the others. You are not going to hurt me."
"I can't control him."
"I've learned two things about the Hulk: he protects you and he protects the people you love."
"Are you that naïve?" Bruce pressed out through gritted teeth. "I nearly killed Betty. You'll be collateral damage." He looked away from Tony quickly, ashamed.
"Bruce-"
"Ten."
"I'm-"
"Nine"
"Sorry-"
"Eight"
"-and I-"
"Seven"
"No."
"Six"
"Whatever you-"
"Five"
"want to tell me"
"Four"
"You can"
"Three"
"tell me"
"Two"
"later."
"One"
"I love you"
/
Bruce woke up in a hospital bed. Someone was sitting near his bed but he was too exhausted to open his eyes properly.
"Tony", he murmured before he remembered.
It hit him like a fist in the stomach.
He had killed Tony.
"I'm afraid not"; he heard Steve say. "The nurses here are so scary that even Tony obeys them."
"You might want to rephrase that", Tony replied only he couldn't because Tony was dead.
"What are you doing?" Steve asked with some concern. "You should be in bed."
"Nah, boring. I have better things to do."
Bruce forced his eyes open and saw Tony standing there, bruised and bandaged but alive.
"Hey", Tony said, sitting down at the edge of his bed and tangled his fingers with Bruce's.
"How are you?" Bruce whispered. His eyes fell shut again despite his best intentions but the feeling of Tony's hand around his was just as comforting as seeing him.
"You know I had an electromagnet put into my chest in a cave in Afghanistan, right? Being protected by your alter ego was a walk in the park compared to that."
Bruce brushed his fingers over the bandage around Tony's hand. "I hurt you."
"Please, I've had worse in college. Ask Rhodey. Actually you're worse off than I am. Seems even the Hulk has a limit. You pretty much tore that bunker apart."
"Hammer?"
"Mr. Hammer unfortunately had an accident", Coulson said, walking into the room. Bruce liked him. He was unfailingly professional unless Steve was around or he bantered with Clint and Natasha. "Those ultra-light planes have a high fatality rate."
"Coulson you amazing bastard", Tony said proudly.
"Compliments from you, Stark? I'm afraid you got hit over the head too much", or if he traded insults with Tony, come to think of it.
"I just told Bruce that I survived worse."
"And I'm sure there's a measurable difference between your IQ now and when you build Dummy."
"And yet I'm still a certified genius which should show you just how big my intelligence is."
"You're confusing your intelligence with your ego."
"As if you have ever respected humble men."
"Dr. Banner and Captain Rogers among many others", Coulson deadpanned.
"But I'm like the cherry on top."
"Sorry, Stark but that's Barton's position."
"You wound me", Tony exclaimed dramatically, "deeply."
"You just pointed out that you lived through worse."
"But my ego didn't. It's a fragile thing that needs a lot of care."
"I'm sure Dr. Banner will be more than happy to stroke it for you once both of you recuperated."
"Is that what Clint does for you?"
Without opening his eyes Bruce knew that the look Coulson gave Tony was so unimpressed that it counted as having the last word.
"I'll debrief you later."
"Wait, I'll come with you", Steve said to Coulson and Bruce could force his eyes open long enough to see the usual blush spread over Coulson's neck.
"Sometimes I wonder if Coulson will faint when Steve finally gets over himself and kisses him but I guess he'd risk Clint's wrath with that", Tony said as soon as the door was closed.
"Sometimes I wonder whether you and Coulson are secretly brothers", Bruce replied.
"Not that I know", Tony grinned. "Scoot over."
Bruce did before he even thought about it and Tony slipped under the covers next to him. "They wouldn't let me do this while you were still unconscious."
"I'm so sorry", Bruce said, running his thumb over a bruise on Tony's cheekbone.
"That wasn't you. One of Hammer's mooks punched me in the face. Big Kermit wasn't happy about that. It was a thing of beauty. I mean it was gruesome and bloody but beautiful. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it."
Bruce shook his head affectionately. "Only you would see slaughter as something romantic."
"I'd accept poetry too but I think the Big Guy is more of an action than words type. And saving my life is very romantic as any action flick will tell you."
"I still hurt you."
"No, oh no", Tony propped himself up on one elbow. "You're not using that one as an excuse to leave me. There'll be no speeches about the bigger picture and how it's not me, it's you and all that rubbish. Yes, I got a few scrapes but Hulk would never deliberately hurt me unless I give him a very good reason. And neither would you. You know that, right?"
"I'm getting better at believing you."
"Good enough for now." Tony said, lying back down and resting his head on Bruce's chest.