Title: Baby When You're Gone.
Fandom: The Avengers, Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Characters: Bruce Banner, Tony Stark.
Relationships: Bruce Banner / Tony Stark. Past Tony Stark/ Pepper Potts.
Summary: Tony makes a few startling realisations while alone in the penthouse and wishes there was some way to bridge the gap between them. Turns out he really didn't need to try that hard.
Additional warnings: Some minor abuse, M/M relations, swearing, mentions of prostitution.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or intellectual property used in this story and am using them in a purely non profitable way. So no suing... I'm poor and I need my money.
Notes: I am annoyed, I'm meant to be writing the next Chapter of 'Thicker than water' and all my brain wants to do is write Science Boyfriends fluff. How is this my life? Also I had an abundance of THE FEELS I need to exorcise so this is what happened.
I've been wandering around the house all night
wondering what the hell to do
I'm trying to concentrate but all I can think of is you
well the phone don't ring cuz my friends ain't home
I'm tired of being all alone
got the tv on cuz the radio's playing songs that remind me
of you.
Baby when you're gone - I realize I'm in love
The days go on and on - and the nights just seem so long
Even food don't taste that good - drink ain't doing what it
Should.
Things just feel so wrong - baby when you're gone.
Lonely.
That wasn't exactly a word that Tony Stark would generally use to describe himself. After all he was a billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist he had people lining up to spend time with him, if he could be bothered with all of the bullshit they produced. For a while Pepper had filled the role nicely but slowly over time they had just drifted apart for one reason or another.
Something about not being one another's top priorities anymore which was nonsense because who was more important to him than her? She had just given him a sad, pitying 'Are you really that stupid Tony?' look, kissed him on the cheek and walked out the door. He spent the next few days in a drunken haze and when he finally came too he was lying in his bathtub with a quietly concerned Bruce hovering close by. Bruce had stayed for a short while after that before claiming wanderlust and fleeing from the tower.
Strangely enough that had hurt more than Pepper leaving because at least he knew he could still see Pepper and when he'd tried drinking to try and numb the pain this time it had just tasted like ash and made him feel worse; an odd reaction to say the least.
So Tony Stark was alone, lonely, what-the-fuck-ever.
And while there was plenty he probably could do about it there was very little he actually wanted to do about it. Going out and having a one night stand made him feel kind of dirty, laughable he knew considering his reputation, drinking just made him feel ill and he couldn't go down to the lab because it reminded him of Bruce.
The ache in his chest intensified at the thought of the other man.
A light bulb switched on in his head.
Because it was Bruce's company he missed not Pepper's, huh. Not the sexy, sassy red-head who had at one point literally blown his socks off but the quiet self-effacing man who could capture his attention for hours talking about everything and nothing, had the bitchiest sense of humour and the snarkiest comebacks when he really got going. A man who had seen Tony at his worst and helped him through without wanting anything for himself. Someone who had seen just Tony and not his money or Iron Man and who had the most beautiful smile Tony had ever seen when he chose to use it.
And there was that Eureka moment.
Well fuck. It looked like Pepper had been right.
How the hell had he missed... this?
Had he been so caught up in science and Pepper and Iron Man that he'd been completely oblivious to the fact he'd been developing feelings for his friend? Apparently so and wasn't that just hilarious... and pathetic but Tony was already having enough of a pity party that he didn't want to compound it any further.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, tugging slightly to try and clear his head of thoughts. There was nothing he could do about it right now, probably not even ever because he was pretty sure Bruce didn't swing that way and even if he did why the hell would he swing for someone as volatile as him?
Ugh, so much for not compounding his misery.
Fuck it he thought and reached for the bottle of whiskey, he could deal with his emotions tomorrow.
I've been driving up and down these streets
trying to find somewhere to go
Ya I'm lookin' for a familiar face but there's no one I know
This is torture - this is pain - it feels like I'm gonna go
insane
I hope you're coming back real soon -cuz I don't know what
to do
Tony blinked drunkenly and staggered forward, after polishing off the bottle of whiskey he'd had the sudden urge to go out of the tower and since JARVIS had locked down the garage (the traitorous bastard) he was stumbling around on foot. He admittedly hadn't made it far, his head spinning wildly as soon as the cold night air had hit but far enough that Tony didn't immediately recognise the area. Not actually all that unusual as Happy usually drove him most places and Tony wasn't exactly the most attentive of passengers.
"Hey there sugar, what's a good looking guy like you doing hangin' around here?" A feminine voice asked.
Tony turned his head to the side to follow the sound of the voice and found himself staring at a seductively dressed woman. She was a bit younger than him and undeniably pretty but there was a worn edge to her than spoke volumes and made something squirm unpleasantly in Tony's gut. She stepped forward and placed a hand on Tony's bicep smiling sweetly.
"Want me to help take away the pain?"
The billionaire didn't respond just stared at the blankly and did nothing to stop the woman as she leaned forward and sealed her lips over his. The kiss was nice, sweet almost and it felt so fucking wrong to Tony. Not because she was a hooker because lord knew how many he'd been with over the years but because it wasn't what he wanted.
He wanted... Fuck he wanted Bruce.
And it had never been more apparent than in that moment.
He pulled away sharply, sending an apologetic look to the woman.
"I'm sorry... I can't... "
The woman smiled and sighed softly in return the rejection clear in her eyes, clearly used to this scenario and it made Tony feel strangely guilty.
"It's fine sugar, don't worry about it."
Tony grimaced, damn alcohol making him fucking feel and open up "It's not you because hot damn you're hot ... or what you do because that would make me the biggest hypocrite ever, it's just there's this person and I... I don't... "
The woman took pity on him and nodded "You don't want to mess it up."
"Right!" Tony gabbled in excited drunkenness.
"Then sugar I suggest you go find them and tell them how you feel."
Tony flinched slightly because telling some random stranger he kinda liked, maybe loved someone was fucking easy. Telling Bruce those things had the potential to be the Worst. Thing. Ever and that was not an exaggeration. The woman seemed to notice his reaction and laughed softly.
"Let me guess, it's complicated."
Tony couldn't help the grin forming on his lips "You got no idea."
The woman nodded again and turned to leave. "I wish you luck then."
Again Tony felt kind of guilty for wasting her time and pulled out his wallet, leafing through a few hundreds before calling out to the woman. She turned looking confused.
"Here..." he held out the money "... For your time. And if you ever get sick and tired of your current line of work..." Here he held out a business card. "Give me a call sometime, I might be able to find you something a little better suited and a lot safer..." Tony waved his hand in a prompting gesture.
The woman stared wide eyed at the money and card before taking both reluctantly.
"I... Estelle, my name is Estelle Mr. Stark."
Tony flashed her a bright, somewhat sloppy grin. "Well then Estelle, I hope to hear from you soon."
And with that he sauntered off back toward the tower; away from people who could read too much far too easily and away from the wretched feeling trying to crawl it's way through his chest.
"Sir I must inform you..." JARVIS began but to silenced him with a quick 'mute'.
He was so goddamn tired.
On the way back to the tower Tony had hit up a liquor store and purchased their cheapest, nastiest, most potent liquor and promptly downed a sizable amount before passing the rest off to a nearby drunkard. His head was swimming and his stomach was roiling and all he wanted to do right now was go to fucking sleep and pray that the sensation in his body and mind was dulled enough that he actually could.
What he wasn't expecting however was to find Bruce sprawled across the penthouse couch sound asleep. Tony gaped slack jawed and glared at the ceiling with a 'you could have told me' kind of look. The lack of reply from his AI reminded him exactly why he hadn't, oh right, mute.
Clearly the billionaire hadn't been as stealthy as he'd thought he'd been as the man on the couch began to stir, gingerly raising himself into a sitting position. He blinked sleepy eyes at the man stood in front of him and it was then Tony noticed how worn Bruce looked, haggard almost as if he hadn't slept properly in weeks and it made something sharp twist in Tony's gut. He stumbled forward to reach the other man, to make sure he was okay and nearly ended up flat on his face.
In fact the only thing stopping him from falling flat on his face was a certain physicist, who spotting Tony's decent to the floor had moved far more quickly than the billionaire had thought possible and caught him in his arms. Tony just went limp and buried his face in the fabric of Bruce's shirt while the other man took the strain and lumbered them both toward the couch in an ungainly manner that practically ended up with Tony in Bruce's lap, not that Tony was particularly minding that at this point.
"You're drunk." Bruce said bluntly and Tony could see the look of concerned disapproval despite his face still being buried in the other man's shirt.
"Mnmng." Was all Tony managed to mutter in reply.
Bruce chuckled softly with a hint of sadness the motion causing Tony's head to bob up and down slightly.
"Tony..."
Tony burrowed deeper into the other man's chest mumbling a bunch of nonsensical words under his breath and trying his damndest to hang onto Bruce like a fucking limpet. It was the calmest, most balanced he'd felt in weeks and Tony wanted to hold on to that feeling for just a little bit longer.
There was another long drawn out sigh as Bruce shifted beneath him, trying to get comfortable under Tony's weight pinning him down and Tony admittedly took a small amount of perverse pleasure in that even as his eyes began to slip shut.
"Tony you need to go to bed. You're drunk and sleeping on the couch will be hell for you in the morning."
"M'not sleepin' on c'ch, sleepin' 'n you. Missed..."
Bruce went to reply, a blush rising up his neck but stopped at the sound of the snores rising from the man below him. Shaking his head in fond exasperation he settled down attempting to make them both as comfortable as possible. It wasn't long before both men were sound asleep.
The sunlight pierced Tony's eyelids and he let out a groan of pain, fuck sunlight, fuck nature, fuck everything he was going to find a way to blot out that goddamn eyes sore.
"No you're not Tony, that would be a bad idea and besides you're not the Mr. Burns type."
Huh, had he said that out loud? And who was that talking to him?
"Yes Tony you did, also that and it's Bruce by the way."
There was a moment of horrified silence in the billionaire's brain before he practically leapt backwards and fell off the couch in a heap. Bruce was immediately at his side helping him back up and holding a stylish bin in front of him.
"Y'know, just in case." Bruce had said wryly.
It was a good job too because the second Tony thought about his hangover his stomach roared into life and he was overcome with nausea. A few embarrassing minutes later the billionaire was wiping his mouth on a handkerchief and Bruce was passing him a bottle of water. He took it gratefully and drank some to wash the God awful taste out of his mouth before shooting a guilty look at the other man, he knew how much Bruce despised seeing people drunk.
"I... "
"Just don't Tony, I understand it's part of who you are... I just don't like seeing you destroy yourself."
Tony stared at the floor feeling wretched.
"I'm sorry... I was just... I missed..." The billionaire struggled to find the words, his brain was still pretty fuzzy.
"I know breaking up with Pepper was hard but..."
The billionaire didn't hear the rest of the sentence, his mind had latched onto 'Pepper' and rebelled a bit and before he knew what he was saying his traitorous mouth was blabbering.
"I didn't get drunk because I miss Pepper..."
Bruce gave him a skeptical look and Tony barrelled onwards not thinking about the words spilling from his mouth.
"...I got drunk because I missed you!"
Tony froze as his brain caught up to what he was saying and he looked at Bruce who looked, well Tony couldn't quite get a read on him but there was definitely shock there and a hint of something warm lingering in his eyes but other than that that the man was a fucking closed book.
"Tony..." Bruce's voice was soft, gentle like a caress.
Tony began to panic and tried to pull away from the other man because this was going to involve talking about feelings and Tony was no way in a fit state to do that right now but Bruce had a firm grip on his arm and wasn't about to let him escape.
"Tony... " Bruce repeated, his hand squeezing gently and reassuring.
Tony didn't know what to do, his brain was just failing him on so many levels and the panic was all encompassing and he just reacted in the only way he was pretty certain that would get Bruce to let him go. His lips connected with his friends in kiss that was surprisingly chaste by his standards but instead of pulling away like Tony had expected he leaned into it and it sent odd tingles down the billionaire's spine. After a few moments they broke apart both men looking a little bashful.
"Well that was unexpected... " Bruce said plainly.
And wasn't that the understatement of the century?
"I... yeah... I'm sorry... I shouldn't... have..."
And God now he was freaking out even more because he'd gotten an actual positive reaction and didn't know what to do with it. And why wasn't Bruce freaking out? He normally would be going a little green at this point and trying to run away but he was just sitting there smiling embarrassedly AND WHY WASN'T BRUCE FREAKING OUT?
"Tony... breathe, come on Stark take a deep breath. That's it breathe for me."
Tony sucked in a breath the air almost burning his lungs and he felt some of the tension leech from him. Slowly but surely he managed to regulate his breathing and soon the billionaire was almost physically fine, mentally however he was a wreck.
"So... that was horrible..." Tony croaked out.
A brief flash of hurt passed through the physicists eyes and Tony mentally slapped himself for not being more specific.
"I meant the panic attack, not the kiss, the kiss wasn't horrible at all..."
Bruce smiled sadly "It's fine Tony, I understand, I do."
Tony saw red "You don't understand, I wanted to kiss you. I wasn't kidding when I said I'd missed you, I really fucking missed you and I wanted to fucking kiss you and I freaked out because I thought I'd chased you off after just getting you back and not for any of the bullshit self-depreciating reasons your brain just came up with. Okay?"
Bruce sat silently for a second before looking the other man square in the eye.
"Tony, why do you think I came back?"
Tony looked at him for a moment confused before the physicist continued.
"I came back because I missed you too...
"Oh..."
"Yeah, Oh. At first I thought it was just people I was missing so I went and lived in a commune for a bit, made a few new friends but I still felt twitchy, like something was missing so I left before I had an incident. Then I was travelling around and I saw you giving a TV interview and it was if something clicked into place and I realised it was a specific someone's company I missed..."
The blush that rose on his cheeks was kind of spectacular and Tony grinned widely, well this was something he could work with.
"So you came back...?"
"Yeah I came back." Bruce parroted.
"And you kissed me..." Tony teased.
There was an indignant snort. "YOU kissed ME Tony."
Tony just grinned, his heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks.
"Okay fair point but you kissed back and that means you didn't... mmphh."
Tony melted into the kiss allowing Bruce to take control and relishing the feeling, responding when needed. When Bruce pulled away this time there was a cocky grin on his face like he'd just found the God particle or something and Tony fucking loved it.
"Tony..."
"Yeah Bruce?" He replied voice husky.
"Your breath stinks."
He couldn't help himself, Tony burst into hysterical laughter and flopped back on the couch holding his aching stomach. Seconds later Bruce joined him and the two men laughed themselves silly for at least a good five minutes and fuck how Tony had missed this and hopefully this time he'd be able to get Bruce to stay.
"Bruce?"
"Hmn?"
"It's good to have you home."
Bruce gripped hold of his hand and gave a small squeeze. "It's good to be home."
And those were the sweetest words Tony would ever hear from the other man's mouth even years down the line when the idea of home had become the norm for both of them.
~The End~
End Notes: Ugh... sorry for the nauseating fluff, I had reasons, ALL OF THE REASONS. Leave some love if you enjoyed, it's appreciated.