Tony waltzed into Coulson's office as usual and sat down on the other side of the desk.
"I need your help."
"Were you hit over the head?" Coulson asked, not even looking up.
"No", Tony answered bemusedly.
"Swallowed anything unusual? Possible contact with Loki or someone or something else that could alter your state of mind? Blurry episodes that indicate that you're actually a robot or a clone?"
"Stop being funny, Coulson. I really need your help."
"Stark, those words are so entirely out of character for you that I'm sorely tempted to bring you to medical to have you checked out."
"No, I told you I'm fine."
"Fine, then. I'm going to regret this but what exactly do you need my help for?"
"When you and Clint got married how did you do it?"
Coulson gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look. "Form 12B. It's valid in all countries that have some sort of same sex marriage. 12A is for opposite sex marriage."
"I meant the asking. Did you ask or did Clint?"
"Can I ask why my private life is of such interest to you?"
"You two are the only ones of my friends who are married and I need some advice on that", Tony blurted.
Coulson leaned back, an amused smile playing around the corners of his lips. "It's a fairly simple question, I'm sure your MIT education will be more than adequate for the task."
"Come on, Coulson", Tony wheedled, "tips, pointers, a manual, I'll take anything."
"Don't ask in a public space or during a mission and having a ring is usually seen as a nice sentiment." By Coulson's tone Tony would bet that it was Clint who asked, probably during a gunfight with the mob or something in a public space and without anything even resembling a ring in a ten miles radius. "But the most important thing is that you actually mean to go through with it. Everything else is just decoration."
"Thanks", Tony said and got up but when he was at the door, Coulson added, "Try not to do something too elaborate. Dr. Banner isn't really the type for that."
And that, Tony thought, was exactly the problem. Tony liked big flashy things, something of a shock and awe tactic with lots of distractions so that no one would realise how insecure Tony actually felt about the whole thing.
When he had first thought about it, it had seemed a good idea, a brilliant idea even. However for once he didn't know how to translate his idea into reality. The last thing he wanted to do was to scare Bruce into running again.
/
Clint later told him that no, it hadn't been him. Rather Coulson had, in the middle of a guns fight with the Albanian mafia on a plaza in Tirana, said "If we survive this I'm going to marry you."
"And what did you say?" Tony asked because this sounded seriously unromantic even for Coulson.
Clint shrugged. "I'm not really one for disobeying orders", but he had a fond look in his eyes as if that scene was one of his favourite memories.
"You are so not helpful", Tony huffed.
/
Betty was a little surprised to see Tony Stark walking through her office door. They had met a couple times through Bruce but that was it. She was happy that Bruce had found someone but there was still a sting in the thought that it hadn't been here. That despite everything they'd been through it hadn't been enough to save their relationship.
"Is there a biological way to ask for someone's hand?" Tony asked without preamble.
"What?" Betty asked back.
"You know, marriage for biologists", Tony explained.
"You and Bruce?"
"Yes. You know what forget it, this was a stupid idea and-"
"Just ask." She interrupted him quickly.
"I can't."
She raised her eyebrows at that answer.
"I want it to be something special. I can't just ask him", Tony explained. With every passing moment he looked more and more as if he absolutely didn't want to be here.
"If you really want to ask him to marry you then that's all you need. And Bruce doesn't exactly like being special", she felt obligated to point out.
"How would you have done it?" Tony asked suddenly.
"I just told you."
"No, come on, there has to be some special, insider biologist way of asking", Tony protested.
"I may have done it when my father would have been within hearing distance", she answered with a glint in her eye that made Tony re-evaluate her level of harmlessness instantly.
/
In the end Tony took a post-it-note wrote something on it and stuck it to Bruce's mug that Jarvis had just filled with coffee. Bruce was still talking about a new fuel for the Quinjets when he took the mug. He saw the note and gave Tony a quick, amused look before he read it.
Tony tried not to fidget too much while he waited for Bruce's reaction.
Will you promise to get engaged and marry me in the future? I love you.
Bruce looked up at Tony with disbelief his mouth slightly open. Tony would have loved to lean over and kiss him but he waited.
"You mean this?" Bruce asked carefully.
"When do I ever not mean something?" Tony asked back.
Bruce gave him a long that spoke volumes.
"Okay, but yes, I do."
"Are you really sure you mean this?"
"Bruce! Do you want to me marry me or not because I'm having a heart attack if you don't-" Tony's rant was interrupted by Bruce kissing him firmly.
"Was that a yes I'll-marry-you-kiss or a goodbye-and-thanks-for-all-the-fish-kiss?" Tony asked immediately.
"What do you think?" Bruce asked with a glint in his eyes that was not unfamiliar to the one Tony had seen Betty using.
"If I knew I wouldn't be asking you, would I?"
"Let me make it clear." Bruce buried his hands in Tony's hair and kissed him again, kissed him until Tony's knees became weak because…wow.
"You know I'd still rather have a-"
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes."