DNL: First multi-chapter on . Thanks a bundle to my best friend and almost-sister, RoaringLionheart101, for looking over it for me. Love you, dearie~
Disclaimer: DNL owns some small plastic Avengers toys, but not actual Avengers.
Bruce was finally starting to settle into the newly christened Avengers Tower. Tony had trapped him in the lab floors for the first few days–and he was right, it was like Candyland, so Bruce was never bored–just as a way of letting him know that Tony wanted Bruce in his tower. And Tony was very used to getting what he wanted. As it had become increasingly obvious that Tony wasn't just going to let Bruce wander off into the wilds of India again, Bruce made himself comfortable in a room above Tony's main lab, so he could at least send the genius to bed if he overworked himself.
Tonight, the labs were silent, which sent up all kinds of red flags in Bruce's mind; Tony had seemed progressively more agitated as the day had worn on. By this point, Tony should be in his lab, distracting himself the only way he knew how, but there was a distinct lack of ACDC blasting through the floor. If Bruce hadn't been worried before, that would've immediately clued him in, but it wasn't until Bruce tried to actually find Tony that he realized how bad it was.
"JARVIS, where's Tony?" Bruce asked. Privately, he always felt foolish talking to the ceiling until it talked back.
"I believe that he is on the roof." JARVIS paused, and when he went on, his voice was noticeably quieter. "…Do hurry, Dr. Banner."
For a second, there was nothing. Then, fear imbedded itself in his gut like a bullet. JARVIS was a marvel, no doubt about that; he was one of Tony's most advanced creations. As an AI, JARVIS had real emotions, though they didn't often show in his electronic voice. They were in the brief hesitation, the softening in the volume and the slow, deliberate words.
JARVIS was worried about Tony, and that was enough to petrify Bruce.
It was nearly midnight, but New York was an ocean of light and sound. Tony sat on the edge of the roof with a bottle of something Bruce didn't recognize, staring sightlessly out over the city. Deciding that sneaking up on Tony might not be such a great idea, Bruce approached from the side, making no attempt to muffle his footsteps.
"Hey, Tony," he said, trying not to let his thoughts wander too far into dark imaginings. That wouldn't help Tony, and maybe he was just paranoid, anyway.
Tony didn't move. "What's up, Doctor Jekyll? Did you leave Mr. Hyde at home?" And the words were right, but the voice was dead, distant, distracted, and his eyes were far away. JARVIS was right to worry.
"You're deflecting," Bruce said, his voice gentle and his mind whirling. "What's wrong?"
Tony's voice remained oddly empty. "Nothing."
Bruce scoffed. "Try again, Tony."
Tony smirked. "Nothing you can help with."
"Better." Bruce sat down at Tony's side with a soft grunt and peered at the clear plastic bottle in his friend's hands. It was filled with something white and opaque, with a blue label written in what looked like Japanese.
"I'm not drunk," Tony told him abruptly.
"I know," Bruce said. "Want to talk about it?"
"This?" Tony held up the bottle, smirk still in place, but eyes betraying nothing, betraying everything. Bruce just gave him a disappointed look, and Tony sighed. "Okay, okay. But it's not going to help."
"How do you know?" Bruce asked dryly. "Have you ever talked about it?"
Tony laughed, broken and sharp. "That's what got me into this mess in the first place."
DNL: This should have three chapters. I hope you enjoy it.