Summary
When a certain billionaire wandered into Bruce's life he gave him something worth living for. But as the holiday season draws near the doctor can't help but wonder if he truly deserves happiness.
Authors note
Had a little idea for a fluffy one shot and here it is! My first pairing fic too, enjoy!
Don't look back
Bruce Banner shivered as he stepped out onto the roof of the newly built Avengers tower. A cold bitter wind cut through the thin fabric of his black long sleeved shirt as the winter temperatures assaulted his senses. He stepped forward and leaned against the thin metal railing on the edge of the building and the scientist began running his fingers over the cold metal bars absent-mindedly as he stared down at the bustling city far below him.
New York City was like a busy hive of activity; although it was dark the streets were swarming with people. Even though he could not see the people in detail Bruce could easily picture the scene below him, people wrapped up in thick coats and scarves carrying large handfuls of shopping bags as they hurried through the crowded streets, desperate to escape from the chilly weather.
There was seasonal music playing in almost every store and even from such a height the physicist was sure he could hear the ghost of faint melodies playing. Colourful bright lights illuminated every corner and lit up the city in a beautiful mixture of red, gold and green to celebrate one of the biggest holidays of the year.
Christmas.
A season for goodwill and a time for families and loved ones to come together.
The scientist sighed; he couldn't remember the last time he had given a thought about the holiday. For all these years to him it had just been another day. Most of the time he was travelling across the globe he had paid little attention to the days or months that passed by. Every day was the same, another day on the run, hiding in shadows and covering his footsteps, desperately trying to erase his existence.
He had never really celebrated Christmas, not even as a child.
After all there had been nothing to celebrate or look forward to, not after his father had destroyed his home and all meaning of the word family.
The doctor winced as he recalled a distant memory of his last Christmas as a child; it was one he'd rather forget.
A young Bruce Banner was happily opening his new toys Santa brought him. He couldn't suppress a squeal of delight when he unwrapped his first child's play chemistry set. He had never been more happy in his life when he opened the box eagerly and began examining every piece in curiosity.
His happiness was soon shattered however when a hard fist struck his small cheek with bruising force and there was a high pitched shriek from somewhere across the room as the small boy shielded his face uselessly with his thin arms.
'Brian no!'
A booted foot collided with the young boy's stomach before he fell to the ground limply.
'Freak!'
There was a loud crash and soon broken toys and sharp sharps of glass were scattered across the floor. The brown hair youngster crawled slowly across the carpet until he was hidden safely behind a sofa, where he curled himself into a small boy, shaking at the raised voices echoing in the small space.
'Brian He's just a child-'
'Bloody monster!'
Even when the shouting has stopped and his father had stormed out, he still continued to shake with silent sobs. The throbbing bruise on the young boys face would heal in time, but damage had been done. He and his mother glanced mournfully at the destroyed decorations strewn all over the room.
Christmas would never feel the same again.
His thoughts were interrupted when a chilly blast of air travelled down the back of his lose fitting shirt collar and reached his neck, causing him to shudder swiftly. Maybe he should go inside soon, the metal bar he was currently grasping between his hands was starting to make his fingers numb and Tony would probably come looking for him before long. After all it wouldn't be hard to guess where he was, the physicist had a habit of wandering to the roof when his mind was clouded with troubled thoughts.
To Bruce there was something relaxing about standing at the top of a tall building and looking down at the world. The view and the peace and quiet soothed his mind.
He couldn't help but smile at the thought of the billionaire scolding him for standing outside in the freezing temperatures. He let go of the metal and crossed his arms, hugging them against himself to provide some heat as he made a slow walk back inside. With any luck he could return to bed without the other man even noticing he'd gone.
When the sliding doors closed behind him he sighed in relief as his limbs tingled with pleasant warmth. Leisurely he stepped into the elevator and leaned back against the metal wall until the doors opened. Unsurprisingly he was greeted by a familiar face and suddenly all his thoughts seemed to disappear.
He smiled at the mechanic standing in front of the elevator, bare chested and dressed only in a pair of loose fitting pyjama pants that sat low on his hips. His short hair was tussled messily, sticking up at all angles.
How predictable.
'What y-doin out of bed Bruce?' he slurred, rubbing his eyes sleepily as he let out a loud yawn.
The philanthropist was clearly tired, unsurprising as he barely slept at all these days. Tonight was one of the rare occasions he had managed to drag himself away from work and crawl into bed with the scientist, only to be disturbed from his sleep when he'd rolled over and noticed a luke warm, vacant spot next to him.
'I just needed some air,' Banner smiled shyly under Tony's probing gaze, his face suddenly turned to one of concern.
The tiredness on the man's face almost made Bruce almost feel guilty for disturbing his sleep. The billionaire huffed and stepped forward to wrap his arms around his neck only to jump back in shock when he felt how cold Bruce's skin was.
'Please tell me you didn't go outside.'
'I uh- didn't go outside?' he smiled sheepishly.
'Are you crazy? Oh my god I can believe you ditched this sexy piece of arse to go and stand in the cold' he mumbled, pouting.
Before the doctor could form another response, Stark had wrapped a hand around his wrist tightly and began pulling him along.
'Am I really that lousy company?' the genius raised a brow. 'Second thoughts don't answer that.'
'Tony I-,'
'Zip it, keep walking green bean.'
Tony tugged him along the long corridor and into one of the largest rooms in the tower, Tony's bedroom. Bruce stumbled forward before he found himself being pushed forwards, he landed on the firm mattress with a small thud and instantly a thick duvet was pulled over him.
Despite his protests just a few minutes later he found himself holding a hot mug of tea, in the spot same spot he'd vacated little then an hour ago. Jarvis dimmed the lights of the room until there was little more than a faint glow of the fairy lights on the small tree in the corner. The physicist forced himself to look away.
However he nearly choked on his drink when he noticed the colour the lights had faded too.
'…Green?' his eyes widened in disbelief, that was a modification he had been made unaware of. It was unsurprising he hadn't noticed it, he turned the other way every time he entered the room to avoid looking at the decorations. He was surprised they were there at all, Tony wasn't a very festive man, he suspected that Pepper had suggested the idea.
'Brings out the colour of your eyes,' Tony smirked teasingly, he kicked off his lose pyjama bottoms to the floor he slipped into the bed in just his black boxer shorts and sprawled out under the covers, nestling himself close the curly haired man beside him. He frowned again at the coldness still radiating from the man.
He would have to do something about that.
'Move over blanket hog.'
Shuffling on his side of the bed, he shifted so that he was pressed against Bruce's side. He tugged on the thick duvet so that it covered both of them comfortably and leaned back. He smiled when he heard the physicist sigh in contentment and rest his head on his shoulder.
Much better.
The scientist discarded his empty mug on the bedside table and lay down, allowing himself to lean in close to the warm body next to him. There was a comfortable silence as the two men lay together, absorbing each other's heat, blissfully content with one another's presence. Stark closed his eyes after a short moment and began to doze whilst Bruce lay.
He titled his head and looked up to observe the face of the handsome man he was nestled against. The bright glow of the arc reactor was visible even under the thick layer of fabric. The dim light illuminated Starks fine face in great detail and the doctor couldnt help but admire his figure. The relaxed expression on his face and the way his slim cheekbones were shadowed in the light made him look captivating.
Bruce pressed himself closer to him and laid his head across his muscular chest, sighing in content as he listened to the faint whirring of the arc reactor beneath his ears.
He would never get used to this.
The doctor couldn't believe how much his life had changed in the short space of a year. If anyone told him a few years ago that in the future he would be living with Tony Stark and a bunch of random strangers who saved the world he would have laughed in there face.
The one thing he really couldn't believe was that he was in a relationship.
Bruce Banner was in a relationship with Tony Stark.
How on earth had that happened?
Every morning he woke next to him he had to resist the urge to pinch himself. It all seemed too good to be true. Good things never happened to Bruce and every day he wondered if he would wake up to find out that it was all just a pleasant dream.
The doctor couldn't quite pinpoint the exact moment that there new founded friendship had turned into something more. Pepper left Tony not long after the Chitauri invasion and so the two scientists had found themselves spending more and more time together, until one days changed. The smallest things like the innocent brushing of shoulders in lab soon turned into something more thoughtful and meaningful.
Despite the pairs differences in personality their relationship worked and for that Bruce was thankful. Tony's dazzling charm and bold confidence complimented Banners more withdraw nature and dry sense of humour. The pairs love for science and humour brought them together under strange circumstances.
Somehow they fit together snuggly like a two puzzle pieces.
The scientist pressed himself even closer to the mechanics and gently traced patterns on his chest with his index finger. Tony had given him so much, he'd shown him more generosity and understanding than anyone else ever had in his entire life and now that he thought about it he felt slightly overwhelmed. He had started out with absolutely nothing and then gained everything all at once.
Everyone had been sceptical of their new relationship. Most people thought that it wouldn't last, they thought Tony was using Bruce to fill the gap that Pepper had left behind, but they couldn't have been more wrong. What Tony saw in Bruce was more than anyone could have ever imagined. It was so much more than his usual casual, dating or playboy tendencies. He didn't want Bruce as just a bed partner or one night stand, he wanted companionship.
He was interrupted from his thoughts when he felt warm fingers combing through his short curly hair.
Bruce got to see a side of Tony that no one else did, and somehow he made living life more bearable.
'You gonna tell me what's keeping you awake?' Tony's husky voice rumbled in his throat as his fingertips began massaging Bruce's scalp.
'I thought you were asleep,' the doctor muttered quietly, burying his face deeper into Starks chest, almost as If he was trying to disappear.
'How can I sleep when I have such an attractive man lying so close to me?' Tony teased; Bruce could practically hear the man smirking.
The scientist took a moment too look up at the man, he sent him a short look of disbelief before looking back down.
'You're unbelievable' he muttered, letting out a loud sigh.
'Unbelievable, and also incredibly good looking, but you still didn't answer my question.'
'It's- it's nothing, go back to bed.'
'Nothing? You're trying to tell me that 'nothing' is the reason you got out of bed to go stand in the freezing cold?' Stark snorted. He wasn't surprised when he was greeted by a wall of silence.
Perhaps he needed to take a different approach.
The philanthropist wrapped his strong arms around his partner, and pressed his hands against his slim waist until they rested comfortably around his slim hips, pulling him closer comfortingly.
'Bruce,' the mechanic breathed, pressing the doctor for an answer.
The doctor lifted his head slowly in reluctance; he looked his lover in the eyes before turning away in reserve.
'Everything seems too perfect.'
Tony blinked in surprise at his words. For once in his life he chose to stay silent and let someone else do the talking. Instead he worked his fingers to the small of the physicists back and began moving them in small circles, urging him to continue.
'For the first time in my life, I finally have something worth living for and I-.' he took in a deep breath before continuing. '-I guess I'm just waiting for someone to pull the rug from beneath my feet.'
The physicist's words made Tony's heart ache; he couldn't help but remember what the scientist had said on the day they first met.
'I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out!'
Stark unconsciously pulled his partner closer.
'Bruce-' the mechanic didn't finish his sentence.
'I've hurt people Tony, I'm a monster an-'
'Stop right there!'
Stark sat up sharply, causing Bruce to slide down his chest.
'You're not a monster Bruce; don't put yourself down like that.'
'I've destroyed people's lives Tony.'
Bruce had never opened up to him before, which made him question; where was this coming from?
'- and I'm living in this amazing tower, and then there's us...' the scientist rambled, 'I'm happy for once and It- it makes me feel guilty.'
Tony blinked at his boyfriend owlishly.
'I'm happy.'
The billionaire would never admit to anyone how hearing those words made him feel. It felt strangely heart-warming to know that somehow him being around in Bruce's life made him feel somewhat happy. The effect Bruce had on him was mutual, but he'd never tell that to anyone. He wasn't the type to wear his heart on his sleeve but for Bruce, he made an exception.
'Hey.'
The playboy rested two fingers beneath Banners chin and gently pushed upwards, so that they were both making eye contact.
'Bruce, you are a genius and one of the most thoughtful, trustworthy people I have ever met,'
The salt and pepper haired scientist found himself lost for words.
'If anyone deserves to be happy, it's you.'
The philanthropist leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lover's forehead.
'Your amazing, and don't let anyone tell you any different.'
Starks words washed over Bruce like a tsunami and he felt a strange sense of overwhelming gratitude.
'Thank you,' the scientist smiled sincerely.
'For what?'
'… For putting me back together.'
Tony kissed his boyfriend once more and Bruce closed his eyes at the feeling of his lips pressed against his head. Finally he allowed all the emotions bottled up inside of him to disappear. Familiar calming warmth tingled deep within his chest; it took all of his might not to let a small tear escape.
The pair remind entwined in each-other's arms for the rest of night.
And for once Bruce found himself drifting into an easy sleep. He felt lighter, as if a huge weight had been lifted from him. This year the doctor had a feeling Christmas was going to be very different from the previous ones he'd been used to.
For most of his life Bruce had no one to lean on. No one to confide in or take care of him, or love him.
Until now.
Now Bruce had found love he didn't want to let go; his life was finally looking up and he wouldn't change it for the world.
As he fell into a deep slumber lying in the arms of the man who held him together there was only one thought on his mind.
He hoped this happiness would last.