Handling Pointy Things; Chapter 13: Breathing Out
Title: Handling Pointy Things
Author: Del Rion (delrion.mail (at) gmail.com)
Fandom: The Avengers & Iron Man (MCU)
Era: Post-Avengers movie, after “Blue Glow” fic.
Genre: Drama
Rating: M / FRM
Characters: Bruce Banner (Hulk), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), Jane Foster, Nick Fury, Happy Hogan, J.A.R.V.I.S., Darcy Lewis, Pepper Potts, James “Rhodey” Rhodes (War Machine), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Thor, Tony Stark (Iron Man)
Pairings: Bruce/Tony, Happy/Pepper, Jane/Thor (, Clint/Natasha, implied past Pepper/Tony)
Summary: It starts with a dream and ends with something that resembles strutting more than tiptoeing; in other words, Bruce has a new-found obsession with Tony, Tony finds that endearing and wants to take it further while everyone else - including Bruce - seems to think it might actually be a very bad idea.
Work in progress. Part of the “Turquoise” -series.
Warnings: Slash (m/m relationship) and some sexual content, past and current het (f/m), superheroes vs. villains violence, language.
~ ~ ~
Chapter 13: Breathing Out
The morning after his talk with Steve Rogers, Tony was still mad. He wondered if actually screaming would help - some people saw it as an effective form of therapy - but he guessed Bruce might not understand.
Bruce…
Tony turned his face to one side of the large pillow, guilt and a horrible myriad of unsorted feelings filling his chest to the brim until it turned into a physical pain. All throughout last night Bruce had been a silent support beside him, as if he knew what had transpired between Tony and their leader. Rogers had been quiet but not uncharacteristically so; he gave no one a reason to bring up what he and Tony had talked about - or everyone just knew not to open that can of worms.
When it had come time to go to bed, they hadn’t talked; Tony had brushed his teeth extra carefully, to banish the last taste of alcohol. Bruce had hung around, doing his evening routine and then had pulled Tony onto the bed, their bodies touching and giving Tony comfort he’d felt like he didn’t deserve.
Bruce blinked opened his eyes as Tony debated whether that was true or not. It looked like Bruce hadn’t actually been asleep for a while, but he hadn’t left the bed either. “What did Steve want?” he asked, voice not at all sleepy, confirming Tony’s suspicion that the other man had simply been waiting for him to wake up.
“I gotta take a leak,” Tony replied, rolling over and struggling to get off the bed smoothly. Sheets clung to his body but he pushed them off to rise to his feet and make his way to the bathroom. He emptied his bladder, washed his hands, then returned to the bedroom. Bruce was still in bed, as if waiting for him. Tony guessed it might not be a lost cause to seek out some of that intimacy he had so been looking forward to before Capsicle wanted to have a word with him.
He got back onto the bed, moved over to Bruce on his hands and knees, and began pressing his lips against an exposed shoulder.
“What did Steve want?” Bruce asked again, voice still soft but unwilling to be ignored.
Tony closed his eyes and resisted the temptation to bite the skin in front of him; he knew that would set Bruce off and although it would make him forget his annoying question about Cap - which Tony had no desire to answer - Tony would rather not go down that road where they weren’t even allowed to kiss for days because Bruce was reminded of all the reasons why this was a bad idea.
Tony was so tired of hearing that from everyone else; he didn’t need it from Bruce, too.
“He joined the peanut gallery,” Tony finally replied.
Bruce wasn’t pleased with his answer, Tony could tell that without looking at him. He sighed heavily, trying to convey his unhappiness in such a simple sound, then rolled over onto his back on the bed, half-missing the pillow and landing a foot away from the other man.
“Why can’t anyone be happy for us?” he mused out loud after a moment, staring at the ceiling. “Not a single person has actually come up to me and said, ‘Hey Tony, nice work! You got yourself a genius for a boyfriend, who’s also kind of hot, and you’re doing a very good job with him’.”
Bruce chuckled and shifted. Tony turned his head to look at him, watching Bruce prop himself up on one arm, lying on his side. “At least they care,” he pointed out. “If they said nothing…”
“You can’t honestly believe that,” Tony complained. “And how come I’m the one they’re talking to? When is it going to be your turn to hear what a disaster we’re going to be, according to everyone? The only thing that varies depending on the person is whether it’s me or you that causes the problems in this relationship.” He let out an angry breath, feeling it all coming back. “Is it too much to ask for them to either be positive or say nothing at all?”
“If I may interrupt,” J.A.R.V.I.S. started suddenly, “I am happy for you, sir.”
Tony blinked. “What?”
“I’m happy for you and Dr. Banner, sir,” the AI repeated.
There was something to be said in response to that, a reply of some kind, but all Tony could do was blink and feel a bit of a burn behind his eyeballs. It figured that of all the people around him, his AI would be the only one who could calculate the outcome the way Tony did, yet it wasn’t supposed to make him feel so… emotional.
“Thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Bruce smiled softly, glancing up in the general direction of the ceiling and then inched a bit closer to Tony. “See? Someone’s happy.”
“He doesn’t count,” Tony argued but his words didn’t carry much weight.
Bruce heard that and settled down to lie beside him, breaths warm against the side of Tony’s chest. “At least they care,” Bruce said again, as if that was supposed to make it all better.
It really didn’t.
to be continued…
Story Info
Author: Del Rion (delrion.mail (at) gmail.com)
Fandom: The Avengers & Iron Man (MCU)
Era: Post-Avengers movie, after “Blue Glow” fic.
Genre: Drama
Rating: M / FRM
Characters: Bruce Banner (Hulk), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), Jane Foster, Nick Fury, Happy Hogan, J.A.R.V.I.S., Darcy Lewis, Pepper Potts, James “Rhodey” Rhodes (War Machine), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Thor, Tony Stark (Iron Man)
Pairings: Bruce/Tony, Happy/Pepper, Jane/Thor (, Clint/Natasha, implied past Pepper/Tony)
Summary: It starts with a dream and ends with something that resembles strutting more than tiptoeing; in other words, Bruce has a new-found obsession with Tony, Tony finds that endearing and wants to take it further while everyone else - including Bruce - seems to think it might actually be a very bad idea.
Work in progress. Part of the “Turquoise” -series.
Warnings: Slash (m/m relationship) and some sexual content, past and current het (f/m), superheroes vs. villains violence, language.
~ ~ ~
Chapter 13: Breathing Out
The morning after his talk with Steve Rogers, Tony was still mad. He wondered if actually screaming would help - some people saw it as an effective form of therapy - but he guessed Bruce might not understand.
Bruce…
Tony turned his face to one side of the large pillow, guilt and a horrible myriad of unsorted feelings filling his chest to the brim until it turned into a physical pain. All throughout last night Bruce had been a silent support beside him, as if he knew what had transpired between Tony and their leader. Rogers had been quiet but not uncharacteristically so; he gave no one a reason to bring up what he and Tony had talked about - or everyone just knew not to open that can of worms.
When it had come time to go to bed, they hadn’t talked; Tony had brushed his teeth extra carefully, to banish the last taste of alcohol. Bruce had hung around, doing his evening routine and then had pulled Tony onto the bed, their bodies touching and giving Tony comfort he’d felt like he didn’t deserve.
Bruce blinked opened his eyes as Tony debated whether that was true or not. It looked like Bruce hadn’t actually been asleep for a while, but he hadn’t left the bed either. “What did Steve want?” he asked, voice not at all sleepy, confirming Tony’s suspicion that the other man had simply been waiting for him to wake up.
“I gotta take a leak,” Tony replied, rolling over and struggling to get off the bed smoothly. Sheets clung to his body but he pushed them off to rise to his feet and make his way to the bathroom. He emptied his bladder, washed his hands, then returned to the bedroom. Bruce was still in bed, as if waiting for him. Tony guessed it might not be a lost cause to seek out some of that intimacy he had so been looking forward to before Capsicle wanted to have a word with him.
He got back onto the bed, moved over to Bruce on his hands and knees, and began pressing his lips against an exposed shoulder.
“What did Steve want?” Bruce asked again, voice still soft but unwilling to be ignored.
Tony closed his eyes and resisted the temptation to bite the skin in front of him; he knew that would set Bruce off and although it would make him forget his annoying question about Cap - which Tony had no desire to answer - Tony would rather not go down that road where they weren’t even allowed to kiss for days because Bruce was reminded of all the reasons why this was a bad idea.
Tony was so tired of hearing that from everyone else; he didn’t need it from Bruce, too.
“He joined the peanut gallery,” Tony finally replied.
Bruce wasn’t pleased with his answer, Tony could tell that without looking at him. He sighed heavily, trying to convey his unhappiness in such a simple sound, then rolled over onto his back on the bed, half-missing the pillow and landing a foot away from the other man.
“Why can’t anyone be happy for us?” he mused out loud after a moment, staring at the ceiling. “Not a single person has actually come up to me and said, ‘Hey Tony, nice work! You got yourself a genius for a boyfriend, who’s also kind of hot, and you’re doing a very good job with him’.”
Bruce chuckled and shifted. Tony turned his head to look at him, watching Bruce prop himself up on one arm, lying on his side. “At least they care,” he pointed out. “If they said nothing…”
“You can’t honestly believe that,” Tony complained. “And how come I’m the one they’re talking to? When is it going to be your turn to hear what a disaster we’re going to be, according to everyone? The only thing that varies depending on the person is whether it’s me or you that causes the problems in this relationship.” He let out an angry breath, feeling it all coming back. “Is it too much to ask for them to either be positive or say nothing at all?”
“If I may interrupt,” J.A.R.V.I.S. started suddenly, “I am happy for you, sir.”
Tony blinked. “What?”
“I’m happy for you and Dr. Banner, sir,” the AI repeated.
There was something to be said in response to that, a reply of some kind, but all Tony could do was blink and feel a bit of a burn behind his eyeballs. It figured that of all the people around him, his AI would be the only one who could calculate the outcome the way Tony did, yet it wasn’t supposed to make him feel so… emotional.
“Thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Bruce smiled softly, glancing up in the general direction of the ceiling and then inched a bit closer to Tony. “See? Someone’s happy.”
“He doesn’t count,” Tony argued but his words didn’t carry much weight.
Bruce heard that and settled down to lie beside him, breaths warm against the side of Tony’s chest. “At least they care,” Bruce said again, as if that was supposed to make it all better.
It really didn’t.
to be continued…
Story Info