A/N
This is my very first piece of fanfiction, so I would very much appreciate feedback. I am happy to hear constructive criticism or any suggestions:)
This story may be triggering to some. Contains cannon suicide attempt and some discussion of suicide in later chapters (this is not the focus of the story), as well as other grown up topics.
Enjoy the story!
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Tony was on his way down to Bruce's lab, ready to entice, or if that didn't work, force his friend to lunch. Tony had just been working on a new interface system for his suit when a jolt of pain in his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten for over sixteen hours. With Pepper being away Tony could get lost in his work for days at a time without interruption. Much to the detriment of his health. He was well aware that Bruce was just the same. Obsession and genius usually went hand in hand. So that was why Tony, the philanthropist that he is, decided to drag the good doctor out to fill his stomach.
Bruce had been losing weight recently, but Tony wasn't overly concerned about that. He wasn't on the verge of death so he was probably alright in that respect. What did have the billionaire concerned was the slow but sure change in Brucey boy's temperament over the past few months. At first when Bruce came to live in Stark tower, after the whole Aldrich Killian debacle which apparently made Bruce decide that his need for companionship outweighed his fear of staying in one place for more than a few weeks, he seemed happy. He spent a few weeks hanging out with the team, Steve being a fellow resident of the tower and the others dropping in and out as they pleased. He had spent a few weeks getting acquainted with his new lab and high-tech equipment, doing lots of little experiments often resulting in not so little breakthroughs.
Things had started to change, just a little, when Bruce had turned his focus to fixing himself. After Loki it had seemed that he was almost ready to accept the other guy. With the right facilities and the enthusiasm garnered by being in a lab again, Bruce just couldn't resist. His optimistic side drove him forward, desperately believing that he could find a cure for his condition and actually go back to being happy again. Tony had given up the idea of trying to make him stop, deciding that Dr Banner just needed to work it out of his system. He was beginning to think he might be wrong, which was something Tony rarely felt. Bruce was not progressing very well, and as time past he became more withdrawn. He seemed depressed and on edge sometimes, then, more alarmingly, he often seemed distant, with this strange yet false air of happiness around him that Tony was sure was all for show, and something else he couldn't pinpoint and didn't want to. The mood swings were unnerving to say the least. Bruce was still joining him in joint research projects from time to time, but much less than he used to.
Tony had arrived outside Bruce's lab. He entered totally unannounced as usual. This was how he came to find his friend, his science bro, slumped against a cupboard on the floor, seemingly unconscious, with a needle sticking out of his arm.