Parenthood, Bruce mused, was not the kind of science he was made for. Now, 51 weeks after the birth of his son, Bruce had collected enough empirical data to prove his theory that being a father was a far more difficult challenge than finding a cure for his big, green problem. Even the most devoted scientist could, at the end of the day, take his lab coat off and just relax and enjoy a few hours of peace. For a father, this wasn't really an option.
Bruce had tried to find logic in his son's sleeping pattern to somehow predict the times when he was most likely to wake up crying, but all attempts were utterly futile. Whenever Bruce was sure to be able to catch a few hours of much needed rest, his little boy would decide it was time to get daddy's attention and he was always making sure that there was no way you could possibly miss his needs. Little TJ wasn't exactly a quiet kid, and Bruce blamed it entirely on Tony's bad influence.
So now, at 2:45 am, Bruce was chopping carrots for his curry in the kitchen. He hadn't had time to eat in what felt like days and TJ had finally decided to have mercy on him and went to sleep a few minutes ago. It had been a hard week for Bruce, with Pepper and Tony both out of country to settle a deal with a Korean company, and his tremendous amount of admiration for single parents had even more increased.
The sound of footsteps, loud in the empty hallway, drew Bruce's attention away from his carrots. He didn't have to look up to know who it was. He'd memorized everything about Tony, from the distinctive sound of his breathing to the familiar hum of the arc reactor and the way he was walking. Tony was contradiction personified. Bruce had tried to study him like an object of scientific research, but like their son, Tony had proven most of his theories wrong. He was always full of surprises and there was no way Bruce could ever really control him. Trying to was fun though.
"I brought cake." Tony said, holding the cake on a plate in front of him like it was the Holy Grail. Turning around to finally face him, Bruce raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that TJ's birthday is next week? There's no need to buy a cake just yet. Put it in the fridge. I'm making curry in case you're hungry." His attention was back on the carrots, chopping the final ones before putting them into the bowl with the onions and sweet potatoes.
"Is this the way you greet your future husband and father of your son, Dr. Banner?" Tony murmured, suddenly standing very close behind Bruce. "The cake is not for TJ, it's for you. I know I should've called more often. I'm sorry." He put the cake down on the counter and wrapped his arms around Bruce's waist. Bruce wasn't exactly angry, it took more than that to piss him off, but he was tired and disappointed and he'd never before had as many doubts about being a good father as in this week.
"He took his first steps three days ago, you know. No, stop that smile. He fell while I was holding his hand and then his arm suddenly went limb. I've seen hundreds of dislocated elbows before but it's different when it happens to your own child. He screamed and wouldn't let me touch his arm. I had to get him to a doctor. I…couldn't even fix my own child." Bruce's voice was calm, controlled, not betraying any emotion, but of course Tony knew him all too well. "It's not your fault, Bruce. You told me this happens all the time with kids, remember? I know I should've been there to help you but hey, you handled it like a pro and our son walks now. That calls for a celebration!"
Bruce turned around, too quickly for Tony to react in time, and slammed him against the fridge. "No celebration"" he hissed "No cake! I'm tired and hungry and I missed you so bad." He kissed Tony but there was nothing gentle or loving about it. It was almost a fight, teeth grazing over lips and teeth painfully clashing together. "I'm not a good father, Tony. I told you I can't do this without you. He's so unpredictable and I don't want to break him, so don't you dare leave me alone with him again." Bruce's fingers were digging into Tony's shoulders. It must've been painful but neither of them said anything about it. Their lips came crashing together again, all the pent up frustration and fear finally breaking the dam Bruce had constructed in his mind. He was very close to letting the other guy take over, could practically hear the beast roaring inside of him, but there was no way he would give up that last bit of control he had. "You're not gonna break him Bruce. You're not gonna break anyone. Don't hold back now, I'm there for you. I'll make it up to you. And to him."
Bruce didn't need to be told twice to just let go. He left not-so-gentle lovebites on Tony's neck, tasting his salty skin that he preferred to any cake in the world. He nudged Tony's legs apart with his knee then, and rubbed it against his crotch until he got his reward in form of a very needy whine. "I don't need you to make it up to me. I need you to obey me!" Bruce growled as he ripped open Tony's button-down shirt, tearing off most of the buttons in the process. Things were different between them when it came to sex. "I take orders from no one, darling" Tony's cocky reply that was immediately answered with yet another bruising kiss. Bruce had Tony out of his pants and boxer briefs in no time and it hardly took him any longer to get rid of his own slacks. He was going commando, like most of the time, and it earned him an appreciative whistle from his lover. The smile on Bruce's lips was nothing short of dangerous. He leaned closer to Tony, and as his hand wrapped around the other man's cock, he whispered:" You're a pathological liar, Tony, but you can't lie to me. You're hard already because you like being put in your place." Tony's only reply was a drawn-out groan. He was like putty in Bruce's hands, practically melting into the touch. "You want this, Tony. We both do. Last week was…not so good, but maybe if we fuck each other's brains out, we can forget all about it." Bruce whispered into his lover's ear as he started slowly stroking him. "I love it when you talk dirty to me, Bruce. Goes straight to my cock."
Bruce let go of Tony for just long enough to collect a bottle of lube from their bedroom. When he came back, things progressed rather quickly. He had Tony prepped in no time. There wasn't any more foreplay than what they'd gotten before Bruce left for the lube and he just fucked his lover against the fridge, holding him up by his thighs. At times, Bruce was surprised by his own strength but in this moment, he had better stuff to think about. Tony's legs were wrapped around Bruce's waist and his fingers were digging into his soft, curly hair, giving it a pull every now and then. He'd pressed his open mouth to Bruce's shoulder, panting against it as he was being fucked, and biting the skin every time the sensation was getting a bit too much for him. Tony could get rather vocal during their lovemaking but tonight Bruce fucked him so hard, he couldn't even get a sound out.
"Please Bruce…god please let me come." Tony breathed against Bruce skin, his voice sounding husky and raw from the panting. Bruce had no mercy on him though, and fucked him so hard, he couldn't even beg anymore. Tony was the first to come (because Bruce wouldn't have it any other way) but his lover followed soon after. They were both sinking down to the floor, Bruce collapsing against Tony and trying to catch his breath. His arms were still shaking from holding Tony up for so long and he felt almost like after a hulk-out.
"Feeling better now, big guy?"
"Shut up and let me enjoy the post-coital bliss, Tony."
"Love ya, Bruce."
"Love you too."
