Takes place after Captain America: The Winter Soldier
"Bruce, our dear leader is here. He looks like a kicked puppy. Can you please go cheer him up while I go wrangle some sensitive information off the internet? Love you!" Tony breezed through his lab and was out the other door by the time he finished his sentence.
All Bruce could do was open his mouth to try to get a word in before the door slid shut.
Maybe it was for the best that Tony was the only one capable of doing damage control on the info dump. No one would be able to stop the forces of evil from using those information if he garrotted Iron Man.
He made his way to the kitchen and found Captain America looking not especially chipper. If the crumpled brochure Steve was smoothing out on the counter was anything to go by, it had something to do with Sgt Barnes.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" He pushed a mug of tea to the kicked puppy formerly known as Captain America. The younger yet technically older man shook his head but took the mug with both hands. He was also worrying his bottom lip and glancing over at Bruce every once in awhile.
"Um... Well... Can I uh..." Steve took a deep breath and slung his arm over to give Bruce a side hug. Or rather, to take a side hug from Bruce. "Sorry. I should've asked first... I should just go now. Sorry Dr. Banner."
Somehow, he didn't even feel like throttling Tony anymore. He hoped it was because Steve looked like he needed it and not because he was getting used to it.
How did the hardest person to write for end up with the longest chapter?! Goddamnit Steve.