Tony couldn't believe it. The person who wrote the letter, the person who left it for him, the person who wanted to talk to him now was his love rival Bruce Banner! What right did he have to decided when Tony should talk to him? Tony was the one grieving the most. He wanted to be left alone to do his own thing. And if he did want company, the last person he wanted it to be was Banner. Yes, Banner might be able to understand the pain of losing the person he loved, but even Steve Rogers would be better than Banner. Steve wasn't Tony's first choice of friend, and sure they argued a fair bit, but Steve wasn't complicated like Banner.
Tony even reckoned Banner was socially inept. He kept that to himself, though.
Tony had failed to get something to occupy himself with. No film, no CD, not even a good book. He didn't want to do anything now. Certainly didn't want to watch a film. Certainly did not want to talk to Bruce Banner. He drove back to the tower, numb.
Bruce noticed the note was gone from Tony's car later the same day. He also noticed it had moved parking space. Usually, Tony's space was one away from Bruce's, but Tony had taken the trouble to hijack Steve's space, three spaces away from Bruce's. When Steve got back, there'd be trouble, Bruce reckoned. However, Tony must have got the note. Bruce knew that much. He'd not come to see Bruce though, so Bruce reckoned he'd have to go and see the grieving man instead. As he walked up to Tony's door, Bruce hesitated, thinking that this wasn't such a good idea after all.
Still, they had to talk. Bruce ambled around outside Tony's door, wondering what the best approach would be. He'd try to be caring, understanding, a friend. Yes, that would work. Still, he wasn't sure about it when he raised his knuckles to knock on the door.
There was no reply from within. Bruce wondered briefly whether Tony was on someone else's floor.
He knocked again.
Silence.
Bruce tried the handle of the door. It was unlocked, but Bruce didn't go in. That would be rude, barging into Tony's space like that. It would send the wrong impression.
"Tony?" Bruce said.
"… Banner, that you?" Tony was in there. His tone was unwelcoming.
"Yes… you got-"
"Got your letter? Oh, yeah, that was nice of you."
Bruce paused. Tony didn't sound happy with him. He tried again, "Do you want to talk?"
"Not to you," yes, it was clearly anger specifically towards him.
"You'll have to talk," pressed Bruce.
"Not to you."
"Tony…"
"Just go, Banner!"
Bruce stepped away from the door, a frown on his face. Stepped up again, "Tony, it's not that you have to talk to me, it's that I have to talk to you!"
"You're talking to me now, say what you want!"
"Face to face, Tony," said Bruce. Inside, he heard Tony moving around, coming closer to the door. At first, Bruce thought that Tony was going to let him in but then he heard the key in the lock, turning. There was a click. Then Tony moved away.
His voice was still strong, "Go away, Banner. I don't want you to talk to me."
Nicey nice wasn't working, clearly. Bruce thought about what the next plan of action would be. He knocked on the door again, harder.
"Banner, would you just-"
"Anthony Edward Stark, you open this door right now!"
Clearly, Bruce's tone shook Tony because he stopped. No sound came from within though.
Bruce continued, still shouting, "Stark, me and you are talking now and that's all there is to it!"
The key clicked the lock open slowly, and Tony appeared, opening the door.
"No need to get dramatic about it," he muttered as he let Bruce in.
Tony didn't want to talk to Banner. Didn't want anything to do with his love rival. It was clear by the way Banner shot him looks before he sat down that he was screwed. Something big was going to happen. Tony tried to put it off for a long as possible, saying he wanted to make himself a drink. Didn't offer one to Banner, though.
He didn't actually make himself a drink so when he came back to the sofas without a beverage, Banner asked, "Where's your drink?"
"I… it's cooling down…"
Banner saw through the lie and sighed, "Look, Tony, you don't want to talk to me but I need to talk to you."
"Why?" Tony said, making no move to sit down.
"Because…" Banner shifted, uncomfortable. "Look, I know you're upset about Pepper. Anyone in your position would be, believe me."
"Oh, I believe you all right."
Tony's tone was so icy that Banner flinched before looking up at him, "Why do you say that?"
"Oh, come on! You wanted her! Every time it was us three in a room, you would try to impress her!"
To his delight, Banner looked guilty.
"You wanted to look better than me. You wanted to be the one to get her. Well I'll tell you something, I got her. She wanted me. But you never stopped loving her, did you?"
Banner was quiet.
"That was why you stayed at her… her…" Tony swallowed, "her grave… after I left."
"Tony, that's not what-"
"Bullshit, don't lie."
"Sit down, Tony," Banner said calmly. Tony sat and stared hard at his colleague. It was a little while before Banner continued, "That's not why I stayed there. I stayed there to make sure you were okay. And… you thought I wanted her? That's not true."
"Yes it is."
"No, Tony, believe me, it's not."
Tony looked into Banner's eyes. He couldn't see any evidence of a lie.
"Then why did you always fix your hair and stuff when she came in the room?"
Banner chewed this one over carefully, looking embarrassed, but never taking his eyes from Tony. He ran his hand involuntarily through his dark hair, just like he did when Pepper made herself present.
"Tony-"
"If you say my name one more time I'll throw you out that window."
Banner blinked. He cleared his throat and stared again, "Right. Look. It's hard for me to say this, but hear me out."
Tony thought this would be best. He nodded.
"When Pepper… when it was us three, me, you and her, I didn't know I was doing that stuff. I didn't know I was fixing my hair," he said. He pointed at it, "It's never beautiful is it though? But, in all honestly, if I was doing that stuff… it's because I… wanted to impress… I wanted to look better than… than her."
Banner looked away and Tony took a moment to work out what he was saying. When he did understand, his eyebrows raised.
"I wanted to look better than her. I wanted to impress…" said Banner, trailing off in anxiety.
"… me?" finished Tony and Banner nodded slightly. Tony was stunned. He sat back in the sofa, staring blankly at Banner.
"Are you serious?" he asked hoarsely.
Banner didn't look at him. Kept his eyes on his knee which was obviously fascinating him. Neither spoke for a bit.
"Then…" Tony said, finding his voice again, "Then why did you stay at… with Pepper?"
"I was watching you," said Banner, admitting with a shrug. "I wanted to stay with you. But you went. I watched you go."
"Why did you…?" Tony was sick of asking questions. "What do you want?"
Banner squirmed, "You can probably guess," he said. "You're smart."
"I'm… I can't. No. Just… no. Could you…"
"I'll go," Banner said, standing up and scurrying to the door. He let himself out before Tony had even risen to his feet. The door closed and Tony just stared at it. Fifteen minutes ago, he'd had less to think about. He'd just had his grief to live through. Now he had this. It was amazing what simple words could do; the ones Banner had said, what he had admitted, that was powerful. It almost made Tony lightheaded.
He sank back onto the sofa. What was he supposed to do? Run after Banner? Try out what Banner wanted to do? Never speak to him again? To Tony, the latter seemed the best cause of action. At least, at the moment. He went to bed, even though it was still light out. He had to rest. He had to think.
At about quarter to three in the morning, Tony peeled his eyes open. He'd forgotten to put the heating on and his chest was cold under the covers. The cold often woke him. His bed was comfortable, so comfortable it was a wonder Tony didn't just fall right asleep again. The bed was lonely. He had a king-sized bed all to himself. He still wasn't used to it. He snuggled down in his quilt sadly, pulling it right up to his chin to get warm. It was caught on something behind him so he tugged it with a grunt.
Something tugged it back.
Tony froze. His heart was beating fast, pumping against the Arc Reactor. It glowed crazily, and Tony moved his eyes to everywhere the blue light was shining. Nothing was there. Experimentally, Tony tugged the duvet again. Nothing pulled back. Yanked it, harder this time. Nothing.
Tony doubted it was just his imagination. Tony took a breath to calm himself, then threw his body around so he was lying on his other side. At first, he couldn't see anything, but then the glow from the Arc Reactor illuminated a shape that certainly wasn't there when he went to bed. Something sparked in him and he thought, quite irrationally he knew, that it might be Pepper. Perhaps it was Pepper!
Perhaps.
Tony reached out, hand shaking, and touched the shape. It was warm.
Perhaps.
He moved his hand down what he reckoned was an arm, found a hand and explored it with his fingertips.
Perhaps!
Tony moved his hand up to where he thought the face would be and he could feel long breaths breeze over his palm.
Pepper!
Warm tears spilled down Tony's cheeks. He felt silky hair when he touched the forehead. He felt soft skin when he touched the cheek. He felt his voice threatening to escape in a strangled scream as he moved the duvet and the blue light from the Arc Reactor illuminated the sleeping shape in front of him. For a second, he saw Pepper, that strawberry blond head resting on the pillow. But then that image faded and the slumbering beauty revealed itself to be Dr. Bruce Banner.
Tony jerked awake instantly, pulling his hands away from his colleague. His first instinct was to shout, to yell and wake the doctor from his sleep but he couldn't. Quietly, still fighting the urge to physically attack Banner, he unthreaded himself from the duvet, patted it down so the sleeping man would be comfortable and left the room to the quiet sound of low breathing.
Tony despaired. What was he to do? He was only wearing pyjama trousers and, as he stared out over the city, he found himself about to cry both with anger and confusion.
It wasn't Pepper there beside him. Banner had taken her space! The bastard! His hands curled themselves into fists and he let loose a strike into the wall with the side of his hand, growling, cursing Banner.
Tony went back into his room, a dark scowl corrugating his forehead and his mouth pulled up in a snarl. How dare he steal Pepper's space! Tony stalked around to Pepper's side of the bed where Bruce slept, his back facing the edge of the bed. Tony grabbed Bruce's shoulder and yanked it over.
"Wakey-wakey Brucey-boy!" he screamed as he slammed the other man's shoulder into the corner of the bedside table. Banner's eyes opened at the sudden pain and he gasped, unable to comprehend the situation, Tony above him, fist raised, his upper body supported by his hand which was pressed onto Banner's shoulder. The corner from the table was digging in.
"To-"
"Bruce!" Tony looked like he was going to punch, but the fist was hesitant. Banner brought his hand up fast, pushing Tony away, giving him space to get up. The two men stood facing each other, Tony in pyjama trousers, Banner still in the clothes he'd been wearing earlier, a purple polo neck and beige trousers. Tony was snarling like a wild beast, furious eyes locking onto his colleague.
"Ton-"
"Why?!" Tony roared. "Why were you in my bed?!"
There was a silence. When Banner was satisfied Tony wasn't going to charge him, he said, "I… well, I couldn't just leave you, Tony," he spoke carefully, like every word had been measured out and prepared beforehand, like a good meal. "I just meant to… lie down with you for a bit. I would have left."
"How did you get in?!"
"Tony, you didn't lock the door after I left."
Tony's anger drained as he realized his stupidity. He didn't lock the door. He didn't instruct Jarvis to lock it, either. Idiot! He tried to bring it back, tried to intimidate Banner again… but, actually, Banner didn't seem to be too scared. Tony snorted and straightened – Banner was the Hulk. Who'd be scared of a little man with no comparative superpower except being a smartarse if they were the Hulk? Besides, Tony didn't have a suit on. He was completely defenceless if Banner got angry.
The other man stood there, looking tired, but peaceful. Didn't even look guilty.
He coughed awkwardly, "See, I just wanted to know what it would be like… t- to… well, sleep with you."
"Sleep with me?!"
"Just, yes," Banner shrugged, "Sorry."
"Sorry…? Sorry? That's all you have to say?"
"What do you want me to say? I love you? I couldn't help what I did? It's heart over head?"
Tony stared, "'Heart over head'? Who's ever said that before?"
Banner shrugged again. Tony hated how he was being so casual. He was just shrugging. He turned away from his fellow scientist and stared at the wall, stealing occasional glances at Banner, who was just gazing at him across the gap between them.
"Get out."
Banner didn't move. Just as Tony opened his mouth to say it again, the other man started to move, purposefully crossing over to the door. He opened it, then looked back at Tony.
"Good night," then Banner left, closing the door behind him. Tony waited until he heard the door to his apartment close before sighing forcefully and putting his hands over his face. He raised his covered face and his sigh grew into a scream of rage. He took his hands away slowly, breathing in, letting his breath out shakily. He felt a bit better, at least.
"God in Hell…" he murmured, close to tears. "At least he's gone…"
Tony moved back to the bed. Then remembered something.
"Jarvis?"
The artificial intelligence's voice piped up, "Yes, sir? How can I help?"
"Lock the door."