"I had no idea you were such a fan of Christmas," Bruce pointed out, nudging at the santa hat balanced precariously atop one of Dummy's connectors with a pencil. It fell to the floor, and the robot made a sound that bore an uncanny resemblance to disappointment.
"Of course I am," Tony admonished him, snatching the hat back up and replacing it on top of Dummy with a flourish. He winked at Bruce, letting his fingers trail over the other scientist's lower back as he did so, and so what if Bruce couldn't help smiling back and leaning into the touch, "Parties to go to, eggnog to spike, awful music to pretend to enjoy from Halloween to mid-January... Well, scratch the music, but hey, presents."
True to form, Tony had set up a gigantic tree in the middle of the living room, and the floor around it was already filling up with presents. They'd gotten a box from Clint and Natasha the other day - addressed from a location that Bruce wasn't entirely sure actually existed - and he'd spent plenty of time trying to locate the most out of the way places the world had to offer. Whatever they were doing, Bruce had the feeling that, officially, not even the cover-ups for it existed.
Steve and Thor had left their own presents there too before heading out; Steve on assignment, and Thor to visit his own family back in Asgard. Unlike Clint and Natasha, they knew exactly where Steve was, more or less. The media was having a field day with Captain America himself bringing some holiday cheer to the troops overseas, and Tony had made a habit of calling Bruce over every time Steve showed up on the news - "I mean, you could argue that it matches, but yikes - that uniform was not meant to be worn with a santa hat." He'd chuckled, and cardboard cutouts of Captain America wearing a santa hat (in various poses, no less) had been showing up around the tower in bizarre places ever since.
It made Bruce smile every time he spotted one of them (and he was almost positive there was a small army starting to amass in Steve's room), but he was beginning to think that his own holiday would be spent kicking around the tower with Captains Christmas, Cardboard, and Cutout. Tony had received an unthinkable number of party invitations - though to be fair, some were addressed to Tony and Pepper – and more arrived every afternoon like clockwork.
"Huzzah," Bruce teased, voice perhaps maybe a bit too sarcasm-laden, but Tony was on his fourth glass of eggnog already and that shit was strong.
"Aww, where's your Christmas spirit?" Tony teased him right back, proving himself to be much too observant even working on the most seasonally appropriate buzz this week. He wrapped his arms around Bruce's waist before Bruce could even react, chin pressing against his neck, and Bruce could smell the eggnog on his breath even before Tony spoke, giggling, "Or should I make you one?"
"I'm not used to this Christmas thing," He admitted instead, ignoring Tony's offer to make him a drink. (Not after last time. Whatever it was, it had tasted like a candy cane, and Bruce still had no idea how he'd ended up naked atop one of the fake reindeer adorning the roof.) "Wanted fugitive for the past few years, remember?" He laughed once, but didn't bother to go on to remind Tony that he'd never celebrated it as a kid either. They'd had the screwed up home life conversation already; it was water under the bridge.
"Yeah, well you're not going to be alone this year, so cheer up," Tony suggested, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. Bruce stiffened, but he didn't seem to notice, "Seriously, I could make you that candy cane thing again. You liked that, yeah?"
"But, what about – could you say that again?" Bruce asked, thoroughly confused now. Pepper had been over a few times this week, they'd gone through invitations...
"The candy cane thing? You know, the one, uhh - vanilla vodka, peppermint moonshine, a touch of-"
"I thought you were going out with Pep?" Now it was Tony's turn to be flustered. He tilted his head to the side, chin digging into Bruce's shoulder, and he seemed at a loss for words for a long moment.
"I'm not leaving you alone on Christmas," He protested, "Are you kidding me, Banner? Never mind; no more illegal moonshine for you, clearly it did a number on – come here,"
There was an awkward shuffle for a moment. Bruce allowed himself to be turned around so that Tony was hugging him properly now, but he wasn't expecting to be kissed square on the mouth shortly thereafter, Tony's arms tightening around him as the scent of liquored up eggnog filled his senses. There was really nothing to do but kiss him back, and Bruce did that eagerly at least, even as his mind went racing in every direction at once.
"So you're not party hopping all night?" He checked, when Tony seemed satisfied for the moment.
"Hell no," Tony assured him, "That's what I have Pepper for. I'm spending Christmas right here with you in my candy cane boxers, watching shitty old holiday movies, and making love to you all night." He held Bruce's gaze for a long moment, deep brown eyes twinkling, and then - "And maybe some drunk science," He conceded at long last, "I have a great idea involving the miniature particle accelerator... Go get Steve posing with the shield, will you? This is going to be great."