Hello! This is the first chapter of an RP I am doing with my friend. We thought we might as well let everyone else enjoy our fun. I play the part of Bruce Banner (for he is adorable) and my friend is Tony Stark. Hope you enjoy!
Edit: Thank you to Skykeiro for spotting some mistakes. Apparently fanfic didn't like the spacing and then just deleted names all together. Should be all good now :)
We do not own Marvel or its characters, but you would be damn sure we would if we could.
Chapter 1- Aftermath
It had not even been twenty four hours after the invasion of Manhattan and the cleanup had already begun. S.H.I.E.L.D. had already sent agents to help out on the job. The Avengers had gone to the remains of Stark Tower in order to rest up while holding Loki captive under reliable supervision.
The next day, Thor had taken Loki back to Asgard and the rest of the Avengers were left to do as they pleased, out of the watchful eye of Fury. Natasha and Clint went off to god-knows-where, Cap left on his motorcycle to venture into the new world, and the Doctor was invited to Stark Tower's R&D before the attack, where the offer still stood. Well, after the attack, Stark offered the tower to become Avengers Tower where they could all stay at and allowed for some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to work and operate from there. Only first, the Tower needed to be cleaned and rebuilt, just like most of Manhattan at that point.
had thought long and hard about his decision to go. He knows the potential dangers he causes. The very likely potentially lethal rage dangers, but Stark had previously shown he didn't care, or seemed rather enthralled with the idea of these risks and encouraged him to come around. In all honesty, Banner wanted to come to Stark's R&D desperately. It had been years since he had last set foot in anything classier than a rundown hut or mud shack. The thought of getting to do research again was exciting. It also held the possibility of finding a cure for him with the help of the genius that owned the place.
Banner, you know what you're getting into. If you have any problems, or any reason to think that I will do ANY harm to ANYONE there, you will GET OUT OF THERE. There's no reason to hurt these people more. They're the first thing to friends or intelligent contact you've had to in years. You'll get on the first plane to the first wherever and you'll go back to doing what you're good at: Helping people. He thought to himself. Reviewing his own plan mentally, trying to make it seem like he was doing the right decision even though he knew he should just stay away.
After seeing all the other Avengers part, Banner climbed into Stark's Acura NSX after a quick pat on the shoulder that felt too foreign to the socially deprived man. They drove off together, wind blowing through their hair, not that the good doctor saw that. He had been training himself for years before his accident to avoid people's eyes. His incident only enforced his training due to his own fear of being thought of what he truly was: a monster, a freak, a horrible mistake. He controlled his breathing in fear of working himself up, another natural ritual in his life now, as he prepared himself for the new environment that he would be staying at.
Stark had a large, proud smile on his face as he drove quickly to what was left of Stark Tower. How he wished Thor would have let him punish Loki himself. How dare he ruin Stark Tower. I hope he receives the worst torture the entire universe can conjure, he thought to himself as he pulled into his personal parking garage under the tower. On the upside Loki's attack did make it so he not only got meet the infamous Dr. Banner, but now he also got to work with him and hang out with him when they weren't working...for now.
Tony turned to the genius and smiled "Welcome to my humble abode, or what remains of it. The lab equipment should still be intact, but no promises. I still haven't had a chance to ask JARVIS about if it's still all okay," he grabbed the doctor's bag and headed to his private elevator, which somehow Pepper had messed up with the security, well this time he'd fix that and she wouldn't get a say in the design. He waited for the other man to get in the elevator before beginning to check on the status of his home and workplace. "JARVIS, is the guest room on the same floor as mine intact enough for Dr. Banner to reside in?"
"Yes sir, the top 3 floors are damaged to the point of being uninhabitable."
"And the lab equipment?"
"All equipment below those floors are safe."
"Good, good. Well big guy would you like to rest in your room first, or would you like a tour, or to get right to work?" Stark was trying to be a good host but he really just wanted to get to work fixing Stark Towers.
"Ah well...Since I've become a chronic insomniac, I don't think resting is going to do me much good right now...," he said looking around at the tight surrounding of the elevator while fiddling with his hands, making the already small man, even tinier, "I guess it would be appropriate for me to learn about my surroundings if I'm going to be staying here for a while..." The good doctor said this as if a suggestion, not wanting to be assertive in someone else's domain. He was after all, just a guest.
For the duration of the elevator ride, Dr. Banner managed to step away from the billionaire, as if he could blend into the wall. The elevator shot up surprisingly fast, but there were many floors to this giant tower. Soon enough, they were up at the first Research and Development floor of the tower. Dr. Banner waited in his corner, still avoiding any sort of eye contact with the other man, but his body language read, "if he led, he will come."
"Well this is the first Research and Development floor of the tower. If there's any research floor that has nothing damaged it'll be this one." He said stepping off the elevator. As he turned his head to give the doctor a smile he noticed the doctor's body language. "Come on man loosen up, you don't need to be shy around me. How's a drink sound? JARVIS how's my wine collection?"
"The bottles in the cellar are intact. Collection on the top floor destroyed."
"Thank you, JARVIS. Big guy, how does a glass of 1959 Chateau sound?" He asked hoping to make the man relax a bit. He shrugged the man's bag up a bit higher on his shoulder, "Or perhaps some brandy?" He wanted to show the man the rest of his home with the man not as stressed as a finger about to pull a trigger.
Banner let out a chuckle and gave a weak smile at the notion. He tried to bring his shoulders down slightly and looked at the taller man. "Thanks, but that's not the smartest idea for me. Elevates the heart rate, can't control one's self, and all that jazz. Nothing really beneficial for me, the other guy would have a party..," he sighed.
Still he managed to avoid his eyes and tentatively he stepped out of the elevator and into the much wider research area. He did loosen up as he started to turn around and look in awe at all the gadgets, computers, chemicals, burners, etc. Even when he was working for General Ross, he never got nearly this much equipment and this was only one floor out of ten.
"Wow...And this is only the first floor. This is very impressive Mr. Stark. You were right, this is like candyland," he let out another chuckle as his gaze turned around to the devices sitting on lap tables.
"Then may I offer you soda? Water?" Stark asked trying to be a good host. He sat in a computer chair as he let the man look around the lab. It made him smile how relaxed Banner looked being around the equipment, well relaxed for Banner. He was quite excited to begin their work, after he fixed his home of course. He looked at his equipment with a small smile as if remembering when and where he bought each piece. It made him feel a bit sad thinking of how little he had been using his first lab his other floors were equipped with newer stuff and his other projects. His first projects were built here. How nostalgic he thought to himself.
As he watched Banner he couldn't help but chuckle out loud at what the possible reaction would be from the other man when he saw the other labs. He might just go Hulk from the sight he thought to himself with another chuckle. "Well I know you're having fun but there are nine more floors and frankly I'd like a drink myself."
Banner turned around with almost an embarrassed look for getting so worked up about some lab equipment. It had been so long since he was near his area of expertise in such a wide array it's practically too good to be true. He gingerly walked back with a sideways smile on his face and hands still wrapped around one another.
"R-right, I'm sorry. It's just been a while…Oh and water is just fine. Thank you," Banner said in a collecting tone, still trying to get his brain to wrap around all the new toys, "Lead the way tour guide."
Stark nodded and skipped to the floor with his bedroom the guest rooms and a lounge with a very well stocked bar. He dropped off Banner's bag in a guest room near his. He wanted the doctor to be close so if anything went wrong he'd be the first to know. "Here's your room, mine is just a little ways away. I hope it's to your liking. If not there are others." He said this with a cocky smile. Giving little time for room exploration, he figured Bruce would have enough time for that when he went to bed, Tony led the way to the lounge on that floor.
"Please make yourself at home" he said gesturing to the couch. Going behind the bar he poured two cups of scotch and a glass of water. placed the extra cup of scotch on the coffee table by the couch and handed Bruce the water. "The scotch is there if you want it." he said sipping his own. Drinking alone wasn't very fun and even if Bruce wasn't going to drink it, it made it a bit more fun to know the man had the option.
Banner let out a small laugh and sat on the leather couch. He eyed the glass of scotch carefully and instead downed the water next to it. He balled up a fist and placed the thumb of which to his brow, which he proceeded to lay his head back against the cool leather surface and closed his eyes.
"Didn't get to sleep last night after all the excitement from yesterday. Gave me a blistering headache. But, in all honesty, thank you for letting me stay here. It's been...awhile since I've gotten to relax in anything, but a shack," he let out a long sigh and started to run his hand over his forehead to see if it would provide any sort of relief.
"This is going to take some time to get used to though," he smiled genuinely for what seemed the first time in years. Not only that, but managed to smile and turn his head to the other man next to him. The look was easy to read, it was complete thanks for this opportunity that the other man next to him provided. There was even the possible trace of trust that could be seen in his eyes, but that wasn't seen long for he quickly closed them once again and rolled his head to face the ceiling.
Stark smiled at the man's sincere words "Any time. We can wait to finish the tour tomorrow if you like. You shouldn't push yourself so hard, " Tony wanted nothing more than for the man next to him to feel at home and relax a bit more. It warmed his heart to know that the man trusted him enough to at least give him a smile. He held out a hand for the man's glass to refill it.
"How 'bout another glass of water?" He asked wanting to get himself another cup of scotch. "Tomorrow we can start on some of our research after you get a full night's rest tonight" He said with a smile. He felt like a mother trying to raise a child. In a way he was. How long had it been since Dr. Banner had been around humans that weren't from a third world country? How he wanted to help this man become accustomed to being around so many people without making him feel like a monster...
"You already got me a scotch. I'd feel bad for wasting it. If anything, it'll knock me out," he took a tentative sip from the glass after reaching for it with the hand that was previously on his temple. The alcohol burned his mouth and caused him to go into a small coughing fit. Finally, he manages to choke it down his first sip and turns to the other man.
"I t-think I could use a-another water...D-Do you normally d-drink stuff that s-strong...?" Banner managed to spit out in a combination of coughs or moans. He sent the drink down on the table in front of him and managed to get up. He was a little dizzy from the combination of his headache, choking, and the minimal amount of alcohol in his system that he wasn't used to. This caused him gripped the side of the couch for support and focus on his breathing. The doctor didn't want to get too worked up over something so little. Especially after having not one, but two Hulk outs the previous day. An argument could be made for one. Since the other was to save the planet after all. Eventually, he managed to straighten himself out and stand up with his usual tight composure, while fiddling around with his hands as if to distract both himself and others.
"S-sorry," he said meekly out of embarrassment.
Stark chuckled to himself hearing the man choking. He got him another glass of water and put it on the coffee table. "Sorry, strong drinks just work best. I suppose I should stick to the light wines and champagnes for you then huh?" His questions held a slight teasing tone yet somehow a bit of apology. Obviously he wouldn't outright apologize for anything, ever.
Tony watched as the man fought with "the other guy" it really wasn't his favorite pass time to see Banner have to fight for control, even though the concept of him Hulking out fascinated him. He looked at the man's fiddling hands.
"There's no need to apologize, you said no. I shouldn't have pushed you, " He admitted in a rare occasion of humility. "Need help to your room?" He asked a bit concerned.
Bruce gratefully took the water to wash down the burning in his throat. He finished with a sigh of relief and a light laugh at how gullible he just was. The man set the glass down on the table and walked his way around heading for the room Tony had previously showed as his own.
"Thanks, but no thanks for both. But if you are going to try and poison me again, that would probably be for the best," he calmly stated with a weak smile. He still was curious about his surroundings currently and kept glancing about while walking towards the designated room.
Banner peeked his head inside the massive bedroom which seemed to be a master bedroom if anything. There was a massive king sized bed with green, statin-looking sheets and cover. To the right there was an equally massive bathroom complete with shower and a tub big enough for four. He spotted his bag of belongings, consisting of some clothes that he was provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. since he only decided to pack a toothbrush back on the helicarrier.
The small man turned to the billionaire with the a skeptical look. "This...," he pointed with his right index finger while it was intertwined with his other hand, "Is this... seriously a guest bedroom...?" Each 'this' said as if the room it was referring to was nothing more than a fantasy as the rest of the tower seemed to him.
Tony looked in the room as if inspecting it for any imperfection. "Yeah, why?" He asked with looking for the issue. It then occurred to him how long it had been since Banner had stayed in anything nicer than a mud hut or a shack. Jumping from that to five star hotel room was probably not the easiest thing to get accustomed to.
"I can set you up a less...extravagant room when I rebuild the upper levels if you like." He said a bit embarrassed that he hadn't realized sooner that this would be a bit difficult for his guest to be comfortable with all this. Come to think about it, if this is going to be the headquarters for the avengers I should rebuild the rooms on the upper floors to suit each avenger...he thought to himself as he began thinking of new blueprints.
"Well if you feel like an insomniac tonight feel free look around or play with my toys. JARVIS map of the towers, please."
"Yes sir." up came a holographic map of the Stark towers from a projector on the desk.
"Labeled, please" Words popped up next to each room labeling the room and the objects in them. "Just take a look at this if you need some help. Ask JARVIS if you need anything and if you have any questions I'm just down the hall." He explained with a small smile. "JARVIS see to it that all the big guy's needs are sought to."
"Yes sir."
"Well big guy I will see you in the morning. Sweet Dreams." With that Tony turned and headed to the master bedroom just down the hall.
"Goodnight," Banner mumbled to himself in the vast room which he stood. The man felt lost in such a luxurious place to stay.
Might as well try to sleep. Maybe I'll surprise myself, the doctor thought to himself as he started to unbutton his yellow dress shirt, which was part of his attire that Stark had given him along with the pants. His pants were the next thing to go and they were placed neatly on the desk next to the bed along, leaving him in his boxers and unbuttoned shirt. The yellow shirt hung off of Bruce's small frame as he looked out the large window composing the entire back wall out of the room.
Banner gazed out down the street which seemed to be at least thirty stories below him. Light was becoming dimmer and started to change its hues. The lights in the buildings around and street lamps were starting to come on. Looking around it was very evident that the alien attack was recent. Some of their bodies still littered the streets below, along with some parts of Stark Tower and other buildings nearby that were hit in the attack. Some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents working tirelessly seemed to have just arrived to this street to take away the foreign evidence of a war that happened less than a day before. He looked out in front of him to see some giant pieces of building missing, along with Chitauri bits scattered about in each of them.
The good doctor let out a sigh, unable to recall the damage he did when the destruction was obviously from his own accord. He looked to the corners of the widow to see if he would pull a drape in front of him so he didn't have to think about what he harmed, even if it was for saving the planet. Looking befuddled a voice activates overhead as if on cue.
"If there is anything you need, sir, please feel free to ask me about the Tower's operations," JARVIS stated over an intercom that seemed to emit from everywhere in the room.
"Ah right...," Bruce said nervously, still nowhere near accustomed to such a place to stay or for use as laboratory. Not sure how to phrase what he wanted since blinds didn't seem to exist in the room, he manages to ask, "Um...Is it possible to...cover the window?"
"Of course, sir," JARVIS stated clearly and at which an electronic panel covered the enormous window of the room and blacked out the view to the outside. "Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?" the human-like, robotic voice asked politely like any other servant.
"N-no, that's all. Thank you, JARVIS," he said awkwardly. The thought of having a computer servant now felt as odd as the rest of the Tower.
Banner turned around to cross the wide room to the light operating system which seemed to have way too many functions. He played around with the controls until the room was dark. There was a small light that turned on near the bed, so that the doctor could find his way there without hunting for it. Finally, he made his way over and slipped under the statin covers and noted his previous observation was correct. Bruce laid his aching head against the pile of pillows behind him and succeeded in the most amount of sleep he had obtained in years, which wasn't much considering he woke up at two in the morning.
He lay in bed with his eyes wide open. His surroundings slowly become more and more aware to him. On his wrist he saw the time and let out another one of his sighs.
At least your headache is gone, Banner. Might as well explore now.
"Um, JARVIS? Which lap has the most equipment to work with blood testing?" he inquired remembering that he was there for help, a big step in the right direction for the man who normally lived in third world countries.
"Sixth floor of R&D, sir. Do you care for me to turn on the lights in this room, sir?" JARVIS asked.
Remembering how long it took for him to fiddle around with the controls last night, Banner let out an immediate yes. He also thanked JARVIS for his help and the light flooded the room. Bruce buttoned up the shirt that still hung around him and put on the pants he folded the day before. And soon enough, he was heading towards the elevator for the sixth floor of Research and Development.
After walking into his bedroom Tony slipped into his red satin pajamas. His bed was red with gold trimming. The headboard and frame a shiny gold color to match. in the center of the room a large Persian rug matching the color scheme. He walked over to the mini bar that of course he had in his room. He poured himself a glass of brandy. Sipping at his beverage he went to sit at the desk in his room.
"JARVIS pull up the damage reports on Stark Towers, and a blue print with the damaged floors erased."
"Yes sir. Shall I also pull up the original blueprints?"
"Sure, I want to see where I can make improvements." He explained though it was unnecessary considering JARVIS was a machine, he probably didn't care. Once the images popped up, he took one look and began working on floors individually. The bottom most of the damaged floors he started making rooms for the other Avengers.
Hawkeye's room would have a bed that was set up high. The room would be decorated like a forest. Since the hawk saw all it seemed perfect to put the team's personal Hawk in a position where everything was visible to him. Perhaps make the bed looks like a nest. He laughed to himself a bit. Hawkeye would kill me if I made his bed a nest. It'd be worth it to see his reaction.
For Captain definitely a red, white, and blue theme. Captain America posters on the wall and a bed with an American flag blanket. A showcase for Phil's collector cards would probably make the old man feel good. Maybe some vintage propaganda posters as well. As much as he hated to admit it, the Captain probably didn't love himself as much as Tony did. So the posters probably shouldn't have his picture on all of them.
Black Widow would naturally have a room next to Hawkeye's. Her room could be centered around her name as well. Perhaps a black blanket with the red hourglass that's on the spider's thorax. The room should be equipped with places to hide her guns with easy access. Three gun cases and holsters under every surface possible.
For Thor, if he should return, a room with a lightning theme. There could be holographic storm clouds and maybe lightning and thunder that could be controlled by a remote and/or JARVIS. If Thor could get a picture of his sleeping quarters on his home planet Tony could probably recreate it if he wanted.
But what for my brother in science? What would Bruce probably like? He thought carefully about it. Perhaps a simple twin bed with a green comforter and an elevator that leads to all the labs. Perhaps even make his room a mini lab. Nothing would be wrong with having a high-speed computer and a few Bunsen burners in one of the bedrooms. I'd have to have JARVIS remind him to eat. He thought to himself with a laugh.
The floor above the rooms would be another lab. A lab for working with gamma radiation, for finding a cure for Bruce. It'd have to be set up as to not allow contamination in the other floors.
The top floor would be the meeting room. A large table with enough chairs for every Avenger, including Fury, with a large 'A' in the middle. It should have projectors surrounding it so they could see different information and news reports that were happening. Their uniforms would be accessible from every room of the house. Once he finished drawing out the blueprints he smiled to himself. I wonder if Bruce is awake, I'd like his opinion on this.
"JARVIS is the big guy still awake?"
"Yes, sir, he's in the sixth floor R&D lab."
Tony went straight to the elevator and went to the lab. "Hey big guy, check this out I think you'll like it." He said excitedly "JARVIS the new blueprints, please."
"Yes, sir." The blueprints came up enlarged
"Labels, please" The labels appeared and he smiled. "So what do you think?"
Banner looked about the giant lab before him once the elevator opened. Before him were dozens of computers and equipment perfect for what he needed.
"Wow...," he said to no one, but himself, "You really need to get used to things, Banner. Might as well get to work. It's been awhile since you've been able to get a reading of yourself."
The doctor walked around the room and spotted a box of syringes. After taking a seat on a nearby stool, he gently pulled one out of the box and rolled up the sleeve of his yellow shirt. With one hand he applied pressure to his bicep and with the other he slowly pushed the needle into a visible vein. He then proceeded to retract the pump and red blood poured into the syringe.
Bruce was always one to be deep in thought when he was working, but when Stark came out of seemingly nowhere, he practically fell off the stool he was perched on. The sudden movement caused the needle to come out with a gush of blood to follow.
"S-stay back!," he frantically warned with a scared look in his eye. His radioactive blood was lethal to anyone else and his panic was only exceedingly evident. He dropped the syringe onto the counter and used a nearby rag to clean up his bloody mess of an arm. In his pocket, he fumbled to grab the super glue he always carried in case of emergencies and quickly applied it to the nick on his arm.
"I'm sorry...At least super glue is useful for everything," he chucked morosely to himself. "Sorry you must have been talking for a bit. I tend to get...engrossed in my work to say the least. What are these blue prints for?" he asked finally addressing the topic at hand.
Stark stopped dead in his tracks after hearing Bruce's frantic warning, the last time he had seen the man show that much emotion was when he was going to Hulk out on the helicarrier. While Bruce cleaned up his blood, Tony took the time to relax and regain his composure a bit. He chuckled a bit at the man's comment about super glue. "There's no need to apologize. As long as you have super glue all is forgiven." He joked
"I had a stroke of genius and made the blueprints for the upper levels that were damaged during the fight. See here's Hawkeye's room, Black Widow's, The Captain's, Thor's, yours, the meeting room for the group, and this " He paused "Is a lab specifically for the study of gamma radiation and finding a cure for you, big guy." With that he gave a big smile showing his excitement for the new blueprints and his sincerity for wanting to help his friend.
"Of course until all this is set up you're welcome to work here and stay in the guest room." he clarified. He didn't want to give the man any other excuse to leave other than he absolutely didn't want to stay; not felt like he should leave to protect people, only wanted to leave. "So big guy, what do you think?"
"Poor Hawkeye is gonna flip when he sees what you planned for him," he managed to give a normal laugh at the thought of the man sleeping in a nest. "The plans look very elaborate, very...big. And the lab...It looks perfect. Thank you, I really appreciate it, Mr. Stark."
Bruce went over to where he left the syringe and found a test tube to collect the contents within it. Blood flowed in steadily as he applied slight pressure to the pump and then capped the contents immediately. A toxic waste basket was in the corner of a lab counter which he threw the syringe and the rag into. Little to his knowledge, JARVIS automatically disposes all of those wastes into an incinerator and caused him to jump yet again when the automated voice went on the intercom to announce its actions.
Banner smiled while looking at the little bin. Toying with his own hands, the doctor turned back to Stark. He shook his head and teased saying, "I'm never gonna get used to this."
Tony laughed at the man's comment. Whenever the doctor laughed or gave a genuine smile, Stark felt as if he was allowed to be in on a big secret. Somehow it made him feel special and sad at the same time. The other man's smile shouldn't be so rare that Tony felt the government should pay him every time he made it happen.
"I'm glad you like them, but please call me Tony. We're teammates no need to be so formal." He said patting the man on the back. His smile only grew when the other man teased him. "You sure? I mean there are some nice toys here it'd be a shame if you gave up on trying to get used to all this before getting to play with each and every one of them. "
Stark looked around at his equipment, finally he had someone to share it all with. It got boring doing research constantly alone. No matter how hard he tried Pepper could only understand so much and frankly only Dr. Banner has the ability to play with his toys with him. Everyone else would just break them or stare at them dumbly trying to figure out just how to turn it on.
"It...may take some time," the doctor jested back, a smile still resting on his face comfortably. He unfolded his hands to pick up his own vile of blood where he used a probe to get a drop to use to with a radiation tester nearby. The rest he saved for other planned tests and experiments.
"It's been awhile since I've had any sort of reading on myself. It's hard to come by radiation equipment down in Brazil," he stated while watching the readings on his blood that JARVIS displayed on a monitor that lit up from the ceiling right in front of him. "So when do you plan on rebuilding, Mr. Stark-err. I mean, Tony," the foreign word hung from his lips. Felt odd to say, but it felt nice none the less.
"Well, I'd be surprised if it was easy to find radiation equipment easy in most places of the world." He said with a chuckle knowing he was being a snarky, smartass. "Here at least we can keep an eye on your radiation levels. Have them increased or decreased at all? "He asked with a hopeful look.
"I want to start building tomorrow. The sooner it's all built, the sooner we can start doing intensive research on gamma radiation." Tony purposefully avoided saying they were going to be doing intensive research on 'find a cure for your condition' or anything stupid like that. It wasn't that it made him uncomfortable to talk about the 'other guy', quite contrary he loved it, but speaking as a disease just wasn't something he wanted to do. It was already obvious Bruce had enough self-esteem issues when it came to Hulking out, he really didn't want to add to that. He decided to stir the topic a bit. "Was there any details you wanted added to your room?"
"Radiation levels look about the same...," he sighed and hand his hand through his messy, dark brown hair. It's not like it was going to change miraculously, yet he still clung onto that hope that the last cure would have had some lasting effect. But it only reversed the Hulk out they induced and that was only evident by what the information the computer held on the screen.
"But the room you came up with, it looks nice. I like how it's connected to all the labs. I'm probably not gonna leave for a long time then. Thank you, ," Bruce turned to the man after prying himself away from the monitor which only was chipping away at his hope for a cure every time he reread it. He looked up to the taller man who was holding some glass of alcohol and noted the pajamas he was sporting. Tony had a tired look on his face, which probably wasn't aided by whatever drink he was consuming. However, Bruce saw that he still looked pretty handsome. Not that he wasn't, there were reasons he was a playboy. Just more so considering Tony was in his evening wear and alcoholic aroma. Which reminded him, "Shouldn't you be asleep? Also, how many glasses of alcohol have you had this evening? You seem a tad worn out."
Tony was disappointed to hear that the radiation levels were remaining constant. He knew that the likelihood of the levels improving was slim to none, he still felt empathy for the man when they never did. Though it did make him feel a bit better to know that the man enjoyed the room he designed for him.
"Great, because you needed more encouragement to stay in the lab all day," he said with obvious sarcasm. "And like I said before, call me Tony. It makes this place seem too professional if you call me 'Mr. Stark'. We're supposed to have fun with this stuff. Remember fun?" he teased to try and get the man to see he didn't want their relationship to be like those between scientists at an uptight research center.
He watched as the man ran his hand through his hair. Though he was sure Banner couldn't see it, he looked very attractive to Tony. Especially when wearing his clothes, of course he'd never admit that out loud. "I can never sleep when an idea pops into my head. And this is only my second glass," he said a bit defensive.
"Sorry sorry, Tony," Banner put great emphasis on the name to hope he'd commit that way of speech to memory. "I'm not one who should be talking about that anyways. I'm sorry."
He continued to run his hand through his hair until he pulled it forward over his face and started to knead his other hand in it. Facing the computer screen one last time as if to change the stats that were before him, he sighed once more.
"Well, I guess in the meantime since you don't really have a gamma radiation lab set up yet, we can tinker around with your suit. It looked well worn out after the Chitauri attack once I got a hold of myself." Bruce thought back to the bits of the battle he could remember. There was the faces of Chitauri that were smashed in here and there, the whining voice of Loki in the back of his mind, and then there was a brief moment where he thought he had total control of his actions. He remembered a falling red metal man that didn't seem to be stopping. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground with the man in his arms.
Maybe I am getting better at keeping some of my mind...he thought to himself, but at the thought shook his head and went back to raking his hands through his hair. As if to comb out any silly notions of 'being in control' out of his mind.
Tony smiled and nodded. "It took a pretty hard thrashing with me falling from space and all" he said with a chuckle. The suit had not only been beat up in his fighting with the numerous aliens attacking all the people but going into space had destroyed the suit's wireless systems. He'd have to reformat the entire system to get it reconnected to JARVIS and to give it all the capabilities it had before, not mention get out all those damn dents. Damn it Loki, I swear I'm going to make Thor give me every detail of your punishment when he gets back. He once again found himself thinking about the punishment of the demi-god that almost caused his death. On that note he realized he had never thanked the scientist next to him for saving him.
"Oh and um thanks for catching me." He said a bit awkward. It wasn't often that he said those words or thanked people for much of anything, but this was a situation that really called for it. "I was also informed that you gave my heart the jump start it needed, so thanks for that too. I guess in short I should just say thanks for saving my life." He held a hand out to the man for him to shake.
Bruce stopped stroking his hair in his tracks at what he heard. Utter amazement went across his face as did a blush that was fairly visible. "So that was real...D-don't mention it," the doctor managed so say in a voice no louder than a whisper. He took Tony's hand in his own after he managed to free it from its hold on his head. It was warm, and firm. A trusting grip was met with equally trusting, caring eyes that he could only hold for a second before having to avert his gaze and turn his head to hid his blushing embarrassment.
Even in his own embarrassment, Banner noticed that the mighty, cool Tony Stark even had a soft spot. Fascinating, the good doctor thought to himself. But what was even more fascinating was the fact that he apparently did have some control, or at least for a few moments. He not only saved Tony from falling, but apparently woke him from the dead too.
It took him a little bit to realized he was still making contact with another person and quickly retracted his hand after coming to himself once again. Nothing made him feel more awkward than was when he was complimented or thanked. No one thanked a enormous, green, rage monster. That was something you shoot to kill, and why he had ran.
"So, um...s-shall we get started on the suit then...?" Banner asked as awkwardly as he sounded at arriving at the Tower, if not more so. His habitual controlled breathing took over, and the hand fiddling commenced once more.
Don't mention it? Tony thought to himself How can I not mention it? He saved my life. Even as the Hulk he managed to not only catch me as I was falling from space without harming me, but kickstart my heart. Stark was utterly amazed at the man's new found control over the monster within him. He wondered if he'd ever be able to find a new way to keep the shrapnel from making it's way into his heart. Preferably a way that wouldn't shine a light through every shirt he wore.
Stark noticed the blush that had spread across Banner's cheeks. How cute... He almost had to visibly shake the thought from his head. He was not thinking another man was cute. And he especially didn't enjoy the extended contact that he and had shared during their handshake. Tony nodded at the man's question.
"JARVIS, the suit please."
"Yes, sir." The machine responded opening a cabinet that had come out of the wall. Naturally it had to be hidden, but easily accessible.
"Well because of the interference from the wavelengths given off by that aliens ship, the suit won't just reconnect with JARVIS, it basically has to be rebooted. And now that I'm working on it I might as well add the spinning rims that I had to skip. I've got some great ideas for some new modifications that will give the suit some more kick. " He said laying the suit on the table. "Also we have to buff out all the dings and shit like that. I have to be presentable when in the suit," he finished with a cocky smile.
Dr. Banner nodded along with the billionaire next to him that pulled out a weaponized suit of armour like it was nothing. The doctor had the curiosity of everyone else who has come into contact with it. How does it work? Where is everything located? How does he see? All those questions and more running through his mind. He hovered over the equipment wanted to dive in and answer every question his mind was throwing at him.
The two then went to work at fixing the machine. They hooked up tons of wires for rebooting the system and to recharge the suit. The equipment for fixing the exterior was on the third R&D floor so they quickly relocated in the middle of their progress. Bruce had been utterly enthralled with the device and couldn't help but explore, disassemble, reassemble, test and do everything else he could with the suit.
All in all, he couldn't help but relax a bit when getting back into the zone of work and also realize the man next to him really is a genius. Turning to the genius he sees a tired look in his eyes, yet they seemed dead set and determined to finish through. He looked at his watch and saw that they had been working into the wee hours of the morning.
"Maybe we should get some rest. If you want to finish your suit and start working on the Tower tomorr-er-today, then I think some amount of rest is in order," the small man offered as the other was absorbed in his work.
"You're probably right, I just wanted to get this done. You go ahead there's only a little more work and the suit should be good as new. "He said not wanting to be caught off guard without his highest technology suit ready to fight. He hadn't even felt how tired he was until the Doctor had mentioned how late it was. He looked at his watch and sighed "Actually I'll be going too; I can use my older suit to help with the repairs to Stark Tower anyway."
He gave a long yawn while stretching his back. Tony looked at the Doctor beside him. That brown hair, those tortured brown eyes, his perfectly pink lips. Tony just wanted to touch the man again for some reason, feel his gentle handshake again. Not to say the handshake was loose, it was plenty firm, but it had a gentleness to it. People say you can tell a man by his handshake and if he judged Bruce just by his handshake, he'd assume Bruce was a kind man that worked hard, and he'd be right. Once again, he stretched his hand out for the doctor as he spoke his next words, only this time it was purely for the fact he wanted to touch Bruce again.
"Well big guy, thanks for your help we got a lot more done than expected."
"No problem," Bruce said quietly nodding to himself. He noticed the outstretched arm in the corner of his eye, causing him to tense up again. Stark had a strong and firm shake, yet soft and welcoming. Nothing more than that, but the thought that someone actually welcomed him and encouraged him made him feel uneasy. The feeling coming from a rather attractive man that seemed enamored with him didn't help either.
Banner unfolded his hands that always seemed to be playing with one another and returned the gesture to the other man. Again he felt the soft and warm touch of Tony Stark, and he can't say he didn't like it. Far from it. He loved it. But having contact with another person still made him feel uncomfortable. Thus, his head was turned towards the suit and he could feel a slight blush crawl up his cheeks yet again that night. He knew where the sensation was leading and remembered much faster than last time to let go of the other man's hand.
"Um, I guess this is good night then," he said nodding to himself yet again. His hands returning to their normal position which was resting at his naval. Bruce still couldn't turn to fast the other man, his blush was much more evident and he could feel it burning on the sides of his face. He wouldn't be able to handle Stark staring at him intently like he normally does. Just to watch his every move for a better understanding of the complex man. He noticed, but that was evident on the helicarrier where they worked before together.
Ugh, get it together, Banner! Calm down, he's just curious. Hell, you would be too if you were staring at someone would could Hulk out whenever, he thought to himself. Remembering his breathing, it helped bring down his temperature and lighten the blush on his face, but some still remained.
"Well our rooms are on the same floor so we might as well take the elevator up together, unless you want me to wait here while you go up." He teased. He walked over to the elevator waiting for it to come down. He really is adorable; I wish he wouldn't hide himself from me. His cheeks redden a bit at the thought, but blushing was too uncool so he had to stop that shit. When the elevator came he kept the doors open for Bruce to go first. "After you, big guy."
Tony began going over plans in his head. If Stark Tower could be fixed before the others returned it'd be a great surprise. Maybe instead of making Bruce's room from scratch I could just adjust the guest room a bit, I'm sure he wouldn't mind being on the same floor as me rather than on the same floor as everyone else. It'd also make more sense since we'd probably be working late a lot anyway; he wouldn't wake anyone walking if his room was on the same floor as mine. "Hey big guy, how would you feel about your room being on the same floor as mine? Your's only requires a few modifications to the one you're already in, and this way if we work late you won't wake anyone going back to your room."
"Sounds like a good idea. Hopefully I won't disturb you too much. Put some toys in that room and I doubt I'll come out though," Banner said as he walked around Tony to get into the elevator. Another thing he was good at, trying to avoid unnecessary contact. But here it was so Tony wouldn't feel how warm he had gotten just over a little handshake.
Control your breathing. Inhale. Exhale. The monks would be disappointed in you right now. He through, his attention turned the the display of buttons inside the elevator. It was ridiculous how many floors there was to this place.
When the elevator doors moved aside, Bruce stayed in his corner of the elevator like he did before when he first entered the establishment. Waiting for Tony's lead, he still managed to avoid looking at Tony for his reddened cheeks still prevailed.
"Naw, it takes a hell of a lot more to wake me than those light footsteps of yours," he teased. Getting in the elevator he looked over to the in the corner where the man was standing. It hurt him how far the man stood from him. He had thought they had made real progress as far as the whole trust thing went. Guess I'll just have to take it very slow, he thought with a bit of a frown.
Tony really wanted to be seen as a friend to the doctor, not just a science partner. He smiled at the thought. Once the elevator reached their floor Tony took the lead once again heading to Bruce's room. "Thanks again for your help."
Feels kind of like dropping him off after a date, he couldn't help but blush a bit and outwardly laugh at the thought.
Bruce adjusted his glasses and spun his head to the unannounced laughter. He stepped forward towards the surprising chortle, completely befuddled. First the man thanked him, and the next he was laughing.
What did you do, Banner...? He thought genuinely concerned, over analyzing Stark as a blush crossed his face. Is the Tony Stark...embarrassed...?
"I'm sorry. You're welcome for the help, I should be thanking you again really, but what's so funny?" he sounded overly worried about what the billionaire was thinking in his head. Bruce knew that he was one of the few people he could talk to intellectually and yet he could hardly read him at all. Someone he could consider a friend and he wanted to keep that for now.
Tony blushed a bit realizing he probably should have tried to hold that laugh in a bit. He didn't really want to tell Banner his thoughts, but he also didn't want the man to think it was something he did wrong. He'll probably see the humor in it. Maybe he'll even laugh. He thought to himself with a small smile.
"Well standing out here with you like this, it kind of feels like I'm dropping you off after a date." He laughed a bit more at just the thought of Banner letting him get all the way to his door after a date. He'd probably say something about how it'd get him to worked up. It embarrassed him to be thinking this kind of thing about a man, but it just seemed to fit the situation.
A mix between a sigh of relief and a snort came out of Bruce that surprised even himself. He let out a light laugh after that just to calm him down. His tight shoulders relaxed and had to look at the other man straight in the face. Tony had quite a handsome face, even though it was definitely showing signs of tiredness at that point. It looked perfect, the kind of face a playboy, which he indeed was, would have. Seemed odd to that a man like that would have nice dates. Ones that weren't just taking out the trash in the morning.
"And here I thought I was gonna be the butt of the joke. But if you're going to drop me off after a date, a goodnight kiss is in order. Still need to be a gentleman and all," he teased, but in a manner that seemed awfully serious.
Tony smiled at the man's words. He would never make fun of him, tease him yes, but never make fun of him. Is he serious? Does he really want me to kiss him? Tony thought for a moment. He had been looking at Bruce's pink lips. They looked soft and in all honesty irresistible.
"How rude of me. Allow me to be a proper gentleman and correct that." Without missing another beat Tony took the man's chin gently and kissed him. It was a gentle kiss, only a peck-which wasn't what he generally did-but it sent sparks in his mind.
Stark pulled away slightly, only far enough for their lips to be apart. He didn't release the man's chin.
"Good night," he whispered knowing he was still close enough for the doctor to feel his breath.
"T-Tony..." Bruce managed to whisper after a long pause and the realization of what actually happened. He was kissed, oh god, how long has that been? Their hot breath mixing together. Tony's face was so close he couldn't avoid it, even if he tried. His eyes locked on to that of the other genius' in the room and suddenly realized that they were the same colour as his own. Stark had definitely forced Banner to stop his game of diverting his eyes away from him, the man's hand still kept his head in place. In doing so, however, poor Banner looked like a deer in the headlights, trapped underneath the bigger man.
If Stark couldn't see the obvious blush that had come across Banner's face, he could definitely feel it against his lightly stubbled skin. It felt cooling against his skin and didn't feel unwelcomed. The kiss, even though brief, still lingered on his lips. His own body wanted to betray him and taste what the other man left behind, but he still held control over his actions. A tease, a tease for something his body craved, but he knew he could never divulge into. That was only proven with Betty. Another thing his 'condition' took away from him.
Bruce didn't need to know that his heart rate had elevated, if he heard the familiar beeping of his heart monitor, then he would have to worry. Still, he still regulated his breathing like he was taught and managed to act pretty calm, even though his face gave away his startled demeanor. He knew how wrong it was for him to think about wanting more, but he couldn't help but lead to the different possibilities. His over analytical mind driving him crazy.
Then the other realization: Stark was still holding him. Is this what he wants...the smaller man pondered slightly intrigued and disturbed. Only way to find out was to ask.
"T-Tony...w-what are you doing...?" the smaller man managed to ask while staring at Stark's handsome features, partially out of curiosity now, but also due to the fact his head was pinned right in front of him.
Tony watched as the man's face turned red. He smiled a bit. He's so cute. He knew he was playing with fire surprising Bruce and in such a sensual way. He was surprised that Bruce hadn't just pushed him away. Perhaps his "always angry" technique worked out well even in these kinds of surprises.
Stark looked into the man's eyes for the first time. The dark eyes resembled his own, but still mesmerized them. They were just beautiful, there was no other word to describe them. He found his eyes trailing to the man's lips again. He had his lips pressed to the other man's only for a small moment, yet he could still taste him. Now that he had a taste he wanted more, but that would have to wait for another time. A time when Bruce wouldn't Hulk out and a time Tony was sure he wanted the same thing.
"Why Bruce, I am just being a proper gentleman and kissing you like you suggested." He answered like a smartass. "I didn't realize I did it so bad you couldn't tell what it was. Perhaps you'd like me to try again?" His tone was obviously teasing.
"O-once is good enough...," he stuttered hiding what he wanted. But his wants and want he should/could do were two different entities in itself. As much as he pushed physical and emotional contact with others away, he truly craved it. This was more than he had in all his years running around combined, and it was clearly getting him worked up. Not that he wanted Stark to know that.
"Um...could you, err, would you, um...mind moving off of me...?" Banner managed to ask while his brain was in overdrive and causing his words to crash around. Stark was obviously strong, and he felt that while he had his grip on him. He was strong, but still seemed caring. It made him feel like he was potentially not a monster. Although, that was thought was lost in the bombardment of his mind reminding him what he has done.
"Of course." He said letting go of the man's chin and backing away a bit. He was quite impressed by the man's forwardness in his request. Usually Bruce just grinned and bared it. Tony reluctantly took another tentative step back to give the man more space. It was obvious by the blush on his face that Banner was working on controlling himself.
"Sorry big guy, I just couldn't resist teasing you, but if it makes you feel any better it was a pretty damn good kiss." He said with a wink teasing him once again. A damn good kiss indeed. Tony thought to himself, he wondered if he do it again if given the chance. He was reluctant to bid Bruce good night once more, he longed to find out if he would repeat his actions if given the chance, because in all honesty he really didn't know.
"T-thanks, but knowing someone of your stature, I'm positive you'd have more fun than that on a nightly basis," the small man said regaining enough composure to fool around. It was clear that he was still riled up, but looked more confident than before. He looked at Tony longingly, but was luckily saved by the opening of the elevator door.
"Um...I guess this is goodnight then...," he said returning the other man's greeting. In his mind the thought of returning the gesture Tony had given him briefly came up, but was quickly shoved to the back so Bruce wouldn't have to get any more embarrassed for the night.
"Sweet dreams big guy." with that Tony walked to his room in an attempt to salvage any form of comfort the man might have with him. He was quite glad that Bruce was able to joke with him again, but it stung a bit. He was definitely going to take playboy out his description of himself. He had never felt bad about his promiscuity before, at least not like this. With one teasing comment the doctor had made his opinion of the man's activities clear.
Fuck! That small man got into my head way too quick there. He crawled into bed grateful for the way the silk sheets comforted him. "JARVIS set an alarm for eight o'clock."
"Yes sir, shall I have Dummy have breakfast prepared by then?"
"Yes that sounds good, breakfast for me and the big guy too." With that Tony fell into a slumber thinking of tomorrow's breakfast with Bruce.