A/N I do not own any part of the Avengers franchise. I do not make any money off posting the results of playing in Stan Lee's sandbox. If i did, I'd have a huge house on a private island. As it stands, I live in a friends basement...if wishes were fishes...

Also, don't mind me slipping a second song into a song-fic. Brain couldn't help it.

~INITIUM~

"Team bonding."

At least, that was the excuse one Tony Stark had given the rest of the Avengers for his usual random sugesstion of an outing. This time being to a karaoke bar somewhere downtown.

Steve and Thor were, of course, all for it. Albeit for different reasons. Steve agreed with the team excuse, although for him it wasn't an excuse. Thor mainly agreed because he had never heard of or been to karaoke and still found himself fascinated by these Midgardian customs.

Neither Clint nor Natasha had showed much outward enthusiasm, but, soon started trying to outdo each other by dramatically performing the cringiest, sappiest love songs they could find.

And Bruce?

Well, Bruce was a quiet man by nature. Soft-spoken with an even softer step. Tony often found it impossible to resist trying to rile up the man. Not that he ever tried to resist...

Which is why, as Clint and Nat (dont tell her he calls her that) were goofing off and Steve and Thor watched laughing, Tony was spending his time badgering the bashful scientist about participating.

"Come ooon, Bruce, live a little!" he whines as he prods the man in his ribs. " I bet you have one hell of a set of lungs. Why are you hiding it? I'll even pick the song for you! You dont have to do anything else. I promise not to try to sign you for a record label even though I'd be, like, the greatest agent ever!"

Bruce, of course, simply rolled his eyes. Again. After all, this had been going on for nearly two hours straight now. He held out for a couple minitues more before quietly saying " Fine, Tony. If it'll shut you up."

"And another thing," Tony continued, not realizing he'd already won, "I know you said you used to go to kara..o..ke..." Finally registering the words of his favorite science bro his words trailed off.

"I said fine, Tony. One song. only one. And I am going to choose it." came the soft reply.

Tony immediately began babbling his enthusiastic agreement. Bruce just ambled away mid-sentance to add his choice to the list and calmly returned to await his turn.

All too soon (in his opinion. Tony thought it took forever and was absolutely dying by the time they called the brunettes name!), Bruce was making his way on stage. Looking around at the crowd, his gaze swepd over the Avengers briefly (perhaps lingering just a touch on one) before, with a sigh, he began to sing in a clear tenor-

"There's a lovin' in your eyes all the way..."

Staring, frozen, at Bruce who's eyes had closed, Tony felt a bit like he couldn't breathe. Did he know? No...how could he know. He doesn't know.

A memory flashed across his mind: Sitting next to Big Green in a special room made just for him to Hulk out in, talking to him about his hotter half.

"Big guy," he'd said "I'm lovin the duality. I mean, the two of you are just so different. It's a thing of beauty, really! Of course, to look at Brucie-boy you'd never guess he was hiding a big green smashing machine and yet, here you are!"

Hulk just grunted as he shifted

forward to grab yet another large rock to crush into pebbles and dust, "Tinman love Bruce."

"What?? No. Of course...no! Just no," he had yelled as he nearly landed back on the floor with how hard he'd launched to his feet. Practically stumbling over his words he hastened to continue his denial, "Hes my science buddy! My best friend! He's great but love? Tin-I mean I don't do love big guy. Love Bruce. Just...no way!"

"Tinman love Bruce." The reply was firm; stated as if it were an obvious fact. No matter how hard Tony tried convincing the green giant otherwise the only response he'd got in return was a repeat of those same three words.

Quite possibly because it was true...

The stunned genius wasn't sure if Bruce is making fun of him or not. He does suppose being called out in a karaoke bar, in front of the rest of the Avengers could be considered "karma" for the amount of time he spends picking on the shy man singing.

And, frankly, he has been disappearing alot lately. After his little "heart-to-heart" with the Other Guy, he'd been avoiding seeing Bruce as much as possible. Mainly in the hope that he could just forget anything was ever said out loud, let alone directly to him by (kind of) the guy he definitely, probably didnt feel scary things for.

Tony had thought he was doing a great job of playing keep-away with the shorter man until that one day when the whole crew had indulged in some Asgardian mead...

Some months ago, Thor had brought a couple barrels of mead from from his home on Asgard. It had been so strong that it actually got Steve (who's metabolism is so enhanced that he isn't effected by alcohol) and Bruce (who hadn't been able to get even the slightest bit tipsy since the accident) drunk enough that they, along with Tony, had agreed to the need to be very, very, careful with it in the future.

Tony had already been half gone on it when Bruce had plopped next to him on the couch.

"Brucie! Oh, I've missed your face! Have a sip. Have a glass. Have a barrel!" And because Bruce had wanted to question Tony about his recent absence, he had poured himself a large drink.

It had been about halfway through his third glass before he'd gotten the courage to ask, "Tone...Tony. I gotta know, what did I do?"

"Do? Drank mead Doc-tor Bannnner. And very well too. I do believe you are tiiiipsyyyy! That's what you did. That's what i did toooooo!" Tony's singsong voice trailed off into a string of giggles.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" came the hurried exclamation, "I ment, why dont we talk or hang out anymore? We used to be best buddies and now we're not. I wish you would tell me why!"

Getting to his knees on the cushion, Tony began,still giggling, "Brucie babyyyyy! Thats an easy answer!" He leaned across the couch till he hovered right above the other man's ear and half-whispered, "It's because I love you. A bushel and a peck and a hug around the nYAHH-hmmm!"

Before he could finish his badly whispered declaration, Tony lost his precarious balance and fell onto Bruce. Or, more specifically, onto Bruce's lips.

It was sloppy. It was messy. It was...so very perfect! One open-mouthed kiss led to another and another till, somehow they were laying together on the (very expensive!!) leather couch. Cothes having been mysteriously vanished and forgotten.

The sound of their sweat-slicked bodies and moans and whimpers filling the air as exploratory hands mapped every inch that the had been denying themselves untill they passed out from either lack of air or (more likely) over indulgence of the too-strong mead.

Bruce had woken first., too early, but had smiled at the still sleeping Tony before quietly slipping away to shower. he had expected things to change then, but Tony...well Tony had spent another week avoiding him before just pretending nothing had happened at all.

It had hurt Tony to avoid his favorite scientist, but after dreaming about finally, finally, making love (on his favorite sofa no less!), Tony couldnt bear to look at the man. After a week, however, he had forced himself to try to act normal around him, afraid his odd behavior would give something away. So he pretended for nearly a month before the tension had gotten to him and he had blurted out the suggestion for a karaoke night.

It had hurt Bruce too. Although, afraid of seeing pity in the beautiful brown eyes, he did everything he could not to show the effects of what was obviously a rejection. But, when Tony had spontaneously announced his idea for "Team Bonding," he had agreed, a plan immediately forming in his mind.

He had locked eyes with Tony at this point. Belting the phrase "Everyday is like survival" directly to the genius. He was doing his best to put everything he was feeling into the music. The love, frustration, annoyance, patience and care coating every word and surrounding Tony until he could almost feel the stunning tenor's voice piercing his soul.

As the song came to an end, the eyes of the men were still locked on one another. The rest of the bar melted away. They floated in their own world as Bruce completed the fade out. The moment the last note fell from his lips, he bagn making his way back to Tony.

He couldnt hear Thor's booming praise (Well done, friend Bruce! A ballad fit for a Warrior's Hall, indeed!) or Clint's surprised "Didn't know you had those pipes, Banner!" or any of the comments from the other patrons. The only voice that he could hear clearly was Tony's strangled half-moaned, half-sobbed whisper of "Bruce!" before they fell into each other in a kiss so heated even Natasha looked away to give them privacy.

The roaring applause snapped them back to reality as the entire bare celebrted with them. Startled, they glanced around remembering, quite suddenly, just how public their display had been.

Looking back at their team, they watched as Clint slipped Natasha a wad of bills, rolling his eyes at her pleased smirk and Thor beaming at them in obvious support. Only Steve gave no indication of his opinion. However, at the clearing of Bruce's throat, he merely said what the rest of the team were thinking.

"About time!"

Bruce smirked slyly and whispered to Tony, "Guess what?" At the raised eyebrow he received in response he merely said, "Tinman love Bruce."

Chuckling, Tony's only comment was, "Bruce love Tinman."

~FIN~