(A/N: This is becoming a trend. For those of you who wanted to see the recovery process for Tony, you will have it, mostly because I have finally figured out how to write it. I don't own the Avengers and I never will. This is still a Bruce/Tony fic, so don't think that there won't be some gay kissing and whatnot. I think that there will be another chapter or two for this, so I will put it under the 'In Progress' heading. Go ahead and put an alert on it or on me as an author since I don't know when I will be updating. Okay, on with the show!)

Part 2: Baby Steps

1 Month Later

Tony was recovering well, though it had only been a month his body was healing more quickly than expected. His bruises were only faded reminders and he had been cleared of the danger that the concussion had placed him in since there had been some brain swelling. After he had rigorously tested himself to ensure that his mind still worked at its old clip, which it did, he had gone back to the lab to work on plans. Bruce was there to keep him occupied when he started to get the itch to build something, lending a hand or even taking up the task himself.

The rest of the team figured that Bruce's involvement was the reason that Tony was not nearly as much of a handful as they had expected him to be. Even confined to a wheel chair and unable to stand or even lean to the side on his own, they had expected belligerence on a scale that would have put the old Loki to shame. None of them dare commented that he might be in too much pain to be his normal self, if there was one surefire way to make Tony Stark feel bad about himself, it was to imply that he had any sort of inferiority. And if he did get out of hand, they knew that they could just wheel him into a corner for half an hour and he would have to accept that he had been a jerk.

Clint Barton, otherwise known as Hawkeye had earned himself the additional title of 'that pompous bastard that left Tony at the supermarket'. Tony had been mocking him relentlessly but Bruce hadn't heard that part past Steve saying 'he was almost in tears when I finally found him'. That day Hawkeye had met Hulk and it had taken a full 20 minutes of chasing and smashing and Clint begging for his life before Thor took pity on him and dropped Mjölnir on Hulk's back.

There hadn't been a problem since, mostly because Clint had been scared straight, but also because the incident had turned Bruce, and the Hulk into a veritable pair of mother hens. Bruce refused to let Tony be alone with anyone except Steve or Loki. Steve because the Super Soldier had a moral compass that always pointed true north and not even Tony Stark could make it waver. Loki because the God of Trickery was someone that Tony could be an absolute bastard around and nothing bad could come of it. They operated on the same wavelength, sarcastic jackass, genius, insecure as all hell, and a sense of humor like a bed of nails. Sometimes Bruce wondered why Tony hadn't fallen for Loki instead. But then he learned that they were too alike and that too much time together had them tossing insults like five year old children.

"When are you going to sleep in our bed again?" Tony asked his voice sullen as he reached for Bruce's hand. They physicist calmly gathered Tony's fingers in his own and pressed their palms together. A small smile lifted his lips, serving to highlight the sadness that he felt at their forced separation.

"When the doctors say that I can. I miss you too Tony, I really do," Bruce pressed his lips against Tony's hand before leaning forward and kissing Tony gently on the lips. The billionaire closed his eyes and sighed, the recovery process had been far more taxing mentally than it had been physically.

"I'm sorry; I know that this isn't great for you either. I love you, and you've been fantastic, putting up with me the way you have," Tony said and Bruce stood up, carefully moving so that he could wrap his arms around Tony in the only sense of a hug that they were allowed to have. The armor had already been redesigned so that it would never again experience a crush injury, but the practical data shouldn't have had to come at such a cost.

"It's okay Tony, we've been together long enough, you can say that you miss being cuddled," Bruce said, trying to make a joke but not having the heart to laugh when he saw Tony's face. It was true. Tony was made to cuddle and Bruce hadn't been able to hold him properly in exactly 33 days and 13 hours. Running a thumb along Tony's cheek Bruce pulled out his cell phone and flipped through his contacts list.

"What are you doing?" Tony asked, leaning against the warmth of Bruce's hand.

"I am calling your doctors. I want to know when I can be close to you again. You aren't made of glass," Bruce said firmly, the stress of the distance between them cemented into the scowl marks on his face. Tony nodded slightly and picked up his Smart Pen once more, drawing out the modification blueprints for a few new arrow heads that Clint had been talking about. Ever since the supermarket incident they had both hesitantly been making it up to one another and the arrow heads were Tony's final 'I forgive you' gift.

Bruce walked away across the lab and though his voice remained low, it was obvious that he was frustrated. Being that Tony was around there wasn't much of a chance of a Hulk incident, but it certainly looked like there could have been. It was always a surreal experience for Tony whenever he realized that a man with rage issues as big and green as Bruce's had picked him for a partner. Their love was strange and interesting, but it was something that Tony would die to preserve.

Almost ten minutes later Bruce smashed the cellphone against the floor, taking a long moment to stare at the shattered mess of it and to have a few deep breaths. He walked quickly toward Tony and removed the pen from Tony's hand, wordlessly turning the wheel chair and making his way out of the lab. It only took a couple seconds for Tony to realize what was going on and then he was beaming.

Bruce got them to their room in record time, lifting Tony just as gently as ever from the chair and placing him under the covers of their bed. When Bruce climbed under the blankets as well, Tony's heart suddenly stopped aching. He laid his head against Bruce's chest and sighed with relief. It didn't hurt nearly so badly with his boyfriend there to hold onto him. He was certain that he would heal more quickly if he got to spend his nights snuggled up to the man he loved.

(A/N: And there it is. I hope you liked it, and I like to remind you that there will be more. So let me know what you thought and I will see you next time.)