Movie Night, an avengers fanfic

Tony Stark opened his door to find Bruce Banner standing sheepishly outside with a bag slung over his shoulder and his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Sorry I'm late," he said, "I left early but there was traffic and-"

Tony grinned, cutting him off, "Come on in Banner, I'll make popcorn and then Movie Night can begin!" inviting him in with an extravagant bow. Bruce laughed softly and stepped inside.

Tony led the way upstairs to the living room, "I have a room set up for you down the hall, first door on the right. Throw your stuff wherever and make yourself comfortable. I hope you like extra butter popcorn!" he said over his shoulder as he headed to the kitchen.

Bruce took his shoes off, leaving them by the doorway, before carefully setting his bag by the wall so it would be out of the way. He crossed the room to the large couch, and hesitated, Where should I sit? He shoved his hands back into his pockets, as was his habit when he felt nervous. Well there are five cushions that are roughly the same size... If I sit on the far right or left, Tony might think that I want distance between us, and sit on the other side. But if I sit in the middle, it might be too cramped and...

After some deliberation, he eventually opted for the cushion to the left of the very middle, deciding that it gave Tony the decision to sit as close or far as he wanted. He sat at the edge of his strategically placed cushion and tried to not fiddle with his glasses, clasping his hands in his lap nervously instead.

This was their first 'Movie Night'; Tony had suggested that they try to set up some sort of recurring event where they could casually coexist outside of a laboratory- Bruce had been so excited to spend some quality time with Tony, that he had immediately agreed. He laughed softy, remembering the look of pleasant surprise on Tony's face. All day he had been getting more and more anxious, hoping that he wouldn't make a fool of himself or breach some protocol of etiquette that would lead Tony to discontinue Movie Night. He looked down at his hands and sighed, I hope I don't screw this up.

Tony put the popcorn in the microwave, set the timer, and leaned back against the counter. When Bruce first agreed to Movie Night, Tony had felt his heart leap. He truly enjoyed the time they had spent together in the lab, it was good to have someone to talk to who understood his work and could keep up with him on an intellectual level- he had found himself staying at the lab later so that he could talk to Bruce after everyone else had left. They mostly discussed their current work and various projects they planned to pursue- but occasionally they would branch out beyond science and talk about books they had read or places they'd been. On those nights, Tony would stay up an extra hour or two, going through their conversation over and over in his mind before finally going to sleep.

He ran his fingers through his hair, clasping his hands behind his neck. He had been so fidgety all day, counting down the hours until Bruce arrived. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, he had been successfully navigating difficult social situations his entire life- this was just a casual night with a friend and fellow scientist, piece of cake.

The microwave beeped, Tony took the popcorn and emptied the bag into a large bowl. He took a deep breath before starting towards the living room. I hope I don't screw this up.

Tony walked over to the couch, handing Bruce the bowl of popcorn, and grabbed a handful before going over to his extensive movie collection on a bookshelf next to the massive flatscreen.

Bruce set the bowl on the coffee table, "Can't you put all of your movies onto your network so that you can just pull them up and browse through titles on the screen?" he asked.
Tony smiled back at Bruce, "Yes, well, I suppose I could do that, but I like picking out my movies the old fashioned way. Hmm..." He surveyed the shelves, "What do you want to watch?"

Tony threw a piece of popcorn above his head and expertly caught it in his mouth.

Bruce laughed, "Nice catch. And I don't know, we can watch whatever you want."

"Oh come on Banner," Tony teased. "Pick something, anything you want."

Bruce answered, "I have no idea, just pick whatever you want and we'll watch that."

Tony gave him a withering look to which Bruce responded with a shrug and a sheepish smile. Tony playfully rolled his eyes and said, "Jarvis, what do you think we should watch?"

Over the intercom Jarvis answered, "Well what are you in the mood for?"

"Mmm, not sure- surprise us. And dim the lights, would you?"

"Of course, sir."

"Goodnight Jarvis."

Tony left the bookshelf as the lights slowly dimmed. He sat in the very center of the couch, catching a small smile on Bruce's face out of the corner of his eye. Tony smiled too, moved the popcorn bowl to his lap, and leaned back into the couch. He managed to throw and catch one more piece of popcorn in his mouth before the room was completely dark and the movie started.

Bruce paid very little attention to the start of the movie. It was a title he remembered seeing a commercial for, and it had gotten great reviews, he just hadn't taken the time to watch it.

He breathed an inward sigh of relief that Tony had sat so close to him. In the dark, he smiled again- he felt the muscles of his shoulders relax as he fell into the comfortable silence and tried to pay attention to the movie.

Tony could not keep his attention focused on the opening scene. He was keenly aware of how close Bruce's body was to his; he felt a sudden urge to take Bruce's hand, but took a handful of popcorn instead.

He sensed Bruce's previously tense posture loosen as he leaned into the couch. Tony grinned, relieved that they had fallen into their easy chemistry as quickly as when they worked together in the lab.

Bruce was vaguely following the plot of the characters on screen, but he couldn't focus. He didn't really want to; spending time with Tony was enough for him. He let his mind wander to the nights they had spent together in the lab.

Bruce was a night owl and habitually stayed up late working well into the early hours of morning. Tony usually went home shortly after everyone else did, but one night, he came back for some forgotten file and had found Bruce hard at work in the empty building. The next day, Tony stayed at the lab for a few hours after he normally left. They only talked about work, but after he got home, Bruce realized just how much he had enjoyed Tony's company. Each day after that, he found himself hoping that Tony would stay late so that they could spend time together while the rest if the world was asleep.

Bruce closed his eyes- there was nowhere he'd rather be than right here with Tony, watching a movie without actually watching. He felt happier than he had in a long time.

Tony followed the movie's dialogue for a minute or two, and then gave up- he had already seen this movie. It was good- one that he guessed Bruce would like; he was glad Jarvis had chosen it. Tony offered the last of the popcorn to Bruce, who declined so Tony could have it, and then put the bowl back on the coffee table. Now that there was no popcorn bowl to occupy his hands, he held them in his lap, doing everything short of sitting on them to keep from fidgeting.

Finally he couldn't stand it, he had to do something. He shifted slightly so that his leg was barely touching Bruce's knee. Tony felt him stiffen slightly, but after a short pause, he felt Bruce's leg hesitantly push into his. He felt a surge of happiness and grinned in the darkness.

Bruce had been trying to figure out what was going on in the movie and jumped when he felt Tony's leg against his. He felt a warmth in his chest and after a pause, he pushed his leg into Tony's reassuringly. He completely gave up on the movie and let himself relax completely. In a moment of boldness, he put his arm on the back if the couch behind Tony.

Tony was wondering what else he could do to move closer without seeming too forward, when he felt Bruce put his arm on the back of the couch. He was momentarily stunned, but happily so, and returned to watching the movie.

Once he reestablished where in the story they were, his mind began wandering. He thought about everything in his relationship with Bruce that had led up to this night, he thought about all the future Movie Nights they could have if Bruce wanted to, and he thought about how happy he was that Bruce was here with him.

Tony guessed that there was another third of the movie left, and he felt his eyes drooping slightly; he drew his feet up into the couch and leaned so that his head was resting on Bruce's chest, just underneath the top of his shoulder. After a few minutes, he felt Bruce sigh contentedly- Tony smiled, and began to nod off.

Bruce loved having the weight of Tony resting against his shoulder. He had gotten so used to feeling that he had to keep people away from him so they wouldn't get hurt- but with Tony here, leaning so trustingly against his chest, Bruce felt like he could protect him from the world. He felt a weight lift from his heart, so grateful to have Tony there that he felt like smiling, crying, and laughing all at the same time. A few happy tears fell from his eyes and a wave of relief washed over him.

When the credits started rolling, Bruce realized that both Tony and his right arm were asleep. Bruce didn't want to wake him, so he sat still for a while- listening to Tony's even breathing and his own steady heartbeat. After a few minutes, Tony shifted in his sleep just enough for Bruce to extricate himself and lay Tony down on the couch without waking him. He carefully made his way behind the couch where there were a few blankets folded neatly; he took the top one and gently laid it over Tony. Then Bruce bent down and softly kissed him on the forehead. He stood up and smiled. He went to get his bag where he had left it, and walked towards his room. Before he entered the hallway, Bruce looked back at the couch. Thank you Tony Stark he thought, for making me feel safe.

Tony heard Bruce go into the hallway and a sleepy smile played across his face. He gathered the blanket around him, breathing in Bruce's subtle smell of fresh soap and cologne that lingered on the couch. His eyes brimmed with tears and he began to drift off. Thank you Bruce Banner he thought, for making me feel safe.