The Final Blow

Bruce looked away, feeling his face flush involuntarily. He inspired and expired slowly twice, before lifting his face again. And then, while staring into Tony's eyes, he repeated the process again.

It wasn't much, he was just breathing. But they were so close, and now Tony was so overcome by desire that it was impossible to resist. Before Bruce finished the third breath, he pulled him towards him and kissed him.

It would have been a kiss full of passion and the perfect start to their relationship if only Tony had chosen a slightly better moment. Having almost no air in his lungs, Bruce began struggling to breathe after only ten seconds, needing to push Tony away for air.

That wasn't the reaction the engineer expected, and it made him rethink everything he had done. Had he misinterpreted the signs? But the confusion didn't last long, because as soon as he got his breath, Bruce wrapped his neck with his arms and pulled him into a kiss, but this time, completely passionate.

Bruce didn't understand how he had the courage to do it, but he was happy to have taken the chance. And that was the closest to a rational thought that his mind could come while Tony's tongue eagerly explored his mouth.

They spent a few minutes like that, stopping occasionally to breathe, until Tony's hands began to go to dangerous places and Bruce had to interrupt him.

"Tony." Bruce started pulling himself slightly away from the other one. "We need to talk."

"Talking only complicates things." said Tony against his neck, and then began to deposit a series of kisses there.

"Tony." he repeated in a voice a little more serious, without causing great effect. "There's something I need to say about the Other Guy."

That seemed to get a least some attention from Tony, but not enough to make him move away.

"Now?" he asked almost in a protest.

Bruce felt himself blushing violently as he prepared for what he would say next. He feared getting ahead of things, but it was something he needed to say.

"I don't know if I would transform... Well, I don't know if... Do you know? If I would... "

"If sex would make you Hulk-out?" Tony suggested raising an eyebrow.

Bruce would like to be able to dig a deep hole to hide, preferably one that go to the center of the earth. He began to think that perhaps Tony wasn't planning to sleep with him. He felt even worse when Tony added: "You turned the other times?"

It was clear that Tony was talking about the other times he had sex since he turned into the Hulk. And he didn't know how to answer.

"I didn't... Since the accident I haven't... I thought it would be too dangerous and that no one would want to be with me, so... I haven't slept with anyone since the accident."

This statement seemed to genuinely shock Tony, who looked at him as if someone had just told him that all the puppies and kittens in the world would be transformed into hamburgers.

"This is absurd! We need to fix this immediately!" and then he returned to kiss Bruce eagerly, as he sought to take his belt without moving away their bodies one inch.

It wasn't the reaction he expected, and he allowed himself to take a moment before realizing that they hadn't discussed the risks.

"Tony, wait. I'm serious, I can transform and end up killing you."

Tony rolled his eyes theatrically. "The Hulk is triggered by anger, right? I can make it work without anger. If that's what you need, we will make sweet sweet love so gently that pink hearts will spontaneously start flying around us. "

It was a strange mental image, but Tony wasn't used to be rejected. And that was his way of saying he could be gentle.

"It's not just a matter of anger." he said ignoring the rest of the proposal. "There is also the question of acceleration of the heartbeat."

"Ok, got it. I can work with that, sweet sweet love like a ninety years old couple. Your heart rate won't go over eighty. Ninety, maximum. "

Bruce raised an eyebrow, surprised by Tony's creativity. He was still worried, but it was difficult to find arguments when their bodies were so close. When Tony pulled away just enough to catch a mini heartbeat meter of a drawer and put it on one of his fingers, he gave up protesting and smiled.

"Nothing above ninety beats." he said, giving in.