For my Thunder Sis who gave me the idea.
Oreos
"This is impossible." Tony thought out loud, scratching at his unique facial cut.
"It's not all that hard. Just pick one." Bruce commented leaning on the cart. His fingers tapped the handle impatiently.
"YOU pick one. There are too many different kinds. Why can't they make Oreos of every flavor into ONE nice assorted pack?"
"Do it yourself and make millions, Tony."
"I already have millions. And that just wouldn't be practical."
"Why? Cause the Oreos wouldn't blow anything up?"
"Now THAT'D be awesome. But who says in order for me to sell something it has to explode? I'm into clean energy now. I don't do death and explosions and-"
"You don't pay much attention to yourself when you're working on your suits do you?"
"HEY! Those were necessary and you know it."
Bruce smiled and rolled his eyes, "Sure Tony. The easily fixable malfunctioning toaster had it coming."
"That thing wasted half a loaf of pitas! No more I say!"
"Mint."
"What?"
"Mint Oreos." Bruce said resting his head in one hand and pointing at the shelf to the right of Tony with the other.
"Fine." Tony grabbed a pack and threw them with annoyance into the cart with two packs of pita bread. "But don't think you can get out of an argument that easy."
"What argument is easy with you?" Bruce replied starting to walk to the vegetables.
"Exactly." Tony replied pulling out his phone and starting to scroll through their list. "And whose idea was it to do our own shopping again? We could be paying someone to do it for us and instead we could be blowing stuff u- working on science." The billionaire casually continued walking after Bruce, grabbing a head of lettuce as they passed and adding it to cart.
"Well after commenting how much time we've been spending in your basement, you suggested we do an activity." Bruce said poking through some tomatoes.
"...Shopping wasn't anything close to what I had in mind though, Bruce." Tony said looking bored and putting his phone away.
Bruce put two bagged tomatoes by the lettuce and glanced at Tony. "Yea I know what you had in mind."
Tony pulled at the sleeve of Bruce's green button up shirt. "Oh come on now, Doc. You know it'd be fun."
"I said 'no' and still mean it." Bruce said turning the cart away from him and towards the check out.
"Oh come on now. It's a cruise. It's not like I'm asking for sex or-"
"Tony we're in public." Bruce muttered with a growl and looking around for innocent ears.
Luckily there were none, but Tony decided to behave anyway and continued rambling, "It'd be a nice week of bingo, shuffleboard, and other dull things you'd likely be interested in doing, then a few days at a nice hotel and swimming at the beach. What could be more fun for an activity?"
"That's not an activity, Tony. That's a vacation. And a rather pricey one at tha-"
"Billionaire, Bruce." Tony said pointing at himself in his Saturday best of AC/DC t-shirt and jeans. "And money is no object when it comes to spoiling you." He leaned on the edge of the cart and against Bruce's shoulder.
"That's playing dirty. I may have to get you back for that." Bruce groaned but smiled as he nudged Tony away and started putting their items on the conveyer belt.
Tony ignored the threat and instead replied, "Don't make me beg now." He said as if in warning with credit card in hand as he waited for a red haired young lady to ring up their total.
"That wouldn't work anyway." Bruce said adjusting his glasses. "Tony... if it's a date night you want so bad, why don't we just start small? Like a simple dinner and movies on the couch."
Tony Stark has always done things big and flashy. Expensive meals at expensive restaurants, then into one of his expensive cars to an expensive place for the evening. Bruce on the other hand was quiet and simple. He was content with a sandwich and some notes on nuclear energy to occupy his evening. It was one of the times that Tony realized that he and Bruce were quite different in ways. But he could try simple. It sounded rather nice actually, being able to curl up on the couch with his partner in the lab and life and just relax for an evening.
"What movie?" He asked while swiping his card for $12.50.
"How about I'll make dinner and let you pick the entertainment." He suggested holding up the two bags for Tony to see before setting them in the cart. "Just no war films or excessive violence."
"And I was going to suggest 'Lord of the Rings'."
Bruce smirked at his fiancé's suggestion. "I suppose I can make an exception."
"Excellent. I'll see you at your place at 6."
"My place is your place and we're driving home together."
"You're ruining my moment, Bruce."
A
Tony glanced 5:40 at the clock when he strolled into the kitchen that evening. "Do I have to wear anything fancy to this?"
Bruce gave a small laughed as he finished cutting up some tomato. "No, what you're wearing now is fine."
"What are you making anyway?"
"Lemon chicken and a salad."
"Salad? Do I look like a rabbit to you?"
"I don't know. You're about as adorable as one." Bruce said casually as if talking to himself while mixing the greens together in a bowl.
"I'll have you know I'm way more adorable than any rabbit." Tony argued picking a grape off a bunch sitting on the counter.
Bruce pulled the purple fruit away from grabby hands, "Hey now! Those are for the salad." He started plucking them and adding them to the mix.
"Fruit in salad?"
"Trust me." Bruce threw the remaining grapes and a handful of what looked like chopped almonds into the bowl and mixed again.
Tony half rolled his eyes and turned to walk off, "I'll get the movie ready. Food almost done?"
Bruce checked the timer before replying, "Salad's done. Chicken should be in about ten minutes."
"Where did you learn to cook anyway?"
"It's a relaxing hobby. I'm not the best but I make do with some good instructions." He held up his phone that Tony gave him some time ago, recipe on the screen.
"Know what else is a relaxing hobby?"
"We're not blowing anything up, Tony."
"Suit yourself." Tony retorted starting to stalk off.
"You're the one who suits yourself." Bruce commented pulling plates out of the cupboard, not seeing Tony's gesture behind his back.
A
Their meal was eaten slowly over pleasant conversation. Most of it provided by Tony, who loved to hear himself talk, Bruce was sure. But he didn't mind. He chewed in silence nodding or adding a bit of opinion here and there. "You know this salad's actually not bad."
"See. Didn't I tell you to trust me?"
"Now, Bruce when do I not?"
"Is that a real question?"
"Oh, aren't we the smart one." Tony poked at a slice of tomato and some lettuce with his fork as he was obviously deep in thought.
"You're suddenly too quiet." Bruce observed stabbing a piece of chicken.
"You make me sound like I never stop talking."
"You said it, not me."
"I think I'm starting to rub off on you a bit much."
Bruce just smiled and shrugged.
They finished their meal in mostly quiet, save for the occasional clank of silverware on plates or glasses onto the ceramic table when Tony ignored the coaster Bruce set out for him. Soon the food was all but gone as the couple started gathering things to put away or set in the sink. And as Bruce did the dishes, Tony turned the TV on and played then paused the film when it got past the previews.
Bruce was setting the last plate into the dish drainer when a thought suddenly occurred to him. What was on Tony's mind earlier? He didn't want to be nosey or pushy, but the billionaire shared everything with him. When he kept something to himself, that was usually a bad sign. Grabbing the pack of Oreos they bought earlier, he went to join Tony on the couch.
Legs up on the coffee table, arms spread across the back of the couch, light from his arc reactor glinting off his ring and chain around his neck and those intelligent brown eyes, Bruce was a bit dazed by the sight before him before he could sit down. He rubbed his eyes under his glasses with one hand before tossing the pack in his other hand onto Tony's lap. "Your cookies."
Tony looked like he was about to object, but Bruce caught him off, "I didn't hand them to you. I tossed them to you." The scientist turned and sat in the grove of Tony's side. An innocent smile spread across his face.
"Yeah I'll let you get away with it this time." He ripped open the pack and offered one to Bruce.
"No thanks. I really only like the centers."
"Works for me." He twisted one in half and expertly peeled the pastel green cream off one of the sides of cookie and handed it to his green center. "I only get them for the outside."
Bruce smiled and accepted the treat. "Are you making that up?"
"You'll never know." Tony answered and bit into both halves with a grin.
Bruce laughed warmly as he sunk further into Tony's side. The billionaire returned the gesture and brought his arm down from the back of the couch in a half hug around Bruce's shoulders.
A sudden thought occurred to Bruce just then before Tony had the chance to reach the remote, "Hey, Tony, before we start, can I ask you what was on your mind at the table earlier?"
Tony's face suddenly grew serious, "I was just wondering... we have the rings, we're official, but we never really talked about a date."
"Aren't we on one?"
"No, I mean... A wedding date."
Bruce sat up so he could better look his fiancé in the eye. "Oh... That's a good question actually. Why haven't we discussed a date yet..." He added wondering out loud.
"My point exactly. I don't even know what kind you want. Small with close friends or big and elaborate. I can do big and elaborate. I'm good at that."
Bruce chuckled, "Yes I know you are at that." He pondered the choices and his face suddenly fell.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"No, I just... I don't have a lot left to invite... I don't really have family left, and you're about my only friend."
"Oh come on now. We could invite the team. And Ross. I'm sure he'd be delighted to see you again."
Tony was joking on that last bit of course (or at least Bruce hoped), and it did make him smile again, but he couldn't help but feel a little empty at not having anyone to tell about his big day.
"We could elope."
"Now I never really found that romantic."
"Small and simple then?"
"In the fall. October preferably so we can have it outside."
"Why then?" Tony was a bit taken aback by the sudden suggestion. That time of year got really chilly and was more known for Halloween. Not a very romantic time of year.
"I like the colors. And it's symbolic." Bruce passed his golden ring through his fingers several times as he put words together in his head. "These past few years have been such a big change in my life. In more ways than one. I feared it at first, but I've coped, and learned to love it." He peered into Tony's eyes, "Because I found someone to love. Who loves me for all my faults and changes. Fall is the season of change. And let's just say I've grown to appreciate it."
Tony smiled warmly, "October it is then." He met Bruce halfway to kiss him, and as their lips met, the scientist wrapped his arms around Tony's neck and pulled him down on top of him as he lay back onto the couch cushions. Tony followed eagerly, tongue working to get every taste out of Bruce's mouth that he could as he wrapped one arm around his shoulders and the other further down his back. The two were so intertwined it was almost as if they were one being, and neither noticed that they had started the movie by laying on the remote.
Tony started getting to hot and heavy into their kiss, that he started to grind his hips into Bruce's, but was denied as kindly as possibly by a knee pushing him away. Tony groaned in protest against Bruce's mouth, and Dr. Banner only smiled as he welcomed Tony's tongue and returned the gesture, tasting the other man's lips and having to fight back the desire for more.
"Tony..." He whispered against his fiancé's lips. "We should probably..."
"Yeah..." But neither stopped, or neither wanted to stop, but Bruce had to put an end to it before he got himself too worked up. He was still uneasy about sex, and he didn't fancy the idea of ruining their date night by 'Hulking out'.
He tiled his head so that it disconnected him and Tony's lip lock. "We're missing our movie."
"It's on DVD." Tony argued running a hand through Bruce's mess of wavy curls.
"Tony."
"Ugh. Fine. But can we stay like this?"
Bruce smiled and rolled so Tony fell off and behind him, making the billionaire hug him with his body. "Yes."
Tony wrapped an arm around Bruce's chest and whispered into his ear as he stared at the second act of the movie starting on screen. "That was dirty."
"Told you I'd get you back." He grinned staring at the screen. "I will agree to a cruise and the Caribbean for the honeymoon though."
"So I still win." Tony said with a smirk and kiss to the back of Bruce's neck.
Bruce just closed his eyes, smiled wider, and inhaled deeply as he savored this perfect moment. This best date ever. He wasn't even paying attention to the film. As far as he was concerned, it was just Tony, himself, and a pack of Oreos.
A
And in October you may get your wedding. I've never written one before, only ever been to one that I can remember, and I don't even watch romances as a genre preference, but for my sciencebros, you may get one yet. I may depend on your encouragement to get off my butt and write it.
I may have been slightly under the influence while writing the ending for this. Gawd I almost wrote porn. Thank Odin I made Bruce too shy for sexin'. I don't think I'd survive it.