Butterflies and Loose Wings (page 1)
Story Info
Title: Butterflies and Loose Wings
Author: Del Rion (delrion.mail (at) gmail.com)
Fandom: The Avengers (MCU)
Genre: Drama
Rating: MA / FRAO
Characters: Bruce Banner (Hulk), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), J.A.R.V.I.S., Steve Rogers (Captain America), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Tony Stark (Iron Man), Thor
Pairings: Bruce/Tony, Steve/Tony, Bruce/Steve/Tony
Summary: Magic and a shattered butterfly effect leave Bruce, Steve and Tony struggling to piece their lives back together. Two simple choices create two similar, parallel paths - alternatives that are fused back together to resume a single continuity. The trio is faced with a painful choice: hold onto their partner with whom they have forged a relationship over the last month, or let go in favor of their friend and teammate.
Complete.
Written for: Polyamory Big Bang’s (polybigbang) round 5.
Warnings: Sexual content (m/m, m/m/m (polyamorous relationship), barebacking, blowjobs, double penetration (spit-roasting), anal fingering, fisting, hand-job, plug), language, brief canonical violence.
Disclaimer: Iron Man, Avengers and Marvel Cinematic Universe, including characters and everything else, belong to Marvel, Marvel Studios, Jon Favreau, Joss Whedon, Shane Black, Kenneth Branagh, Joe Johnston, Louis Leterrier, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Universal Pictures. In short: I own nothing; this is pure fiction created to entertain likeminded fans for no profit whatsoever.
Beta: Mythra (mythras-fire)
Feedback: Very welcome
About Butterflies and Loose Wings: There is not enough Stark Spangled Banner in the world.
Also, this might be one of the weirdest get-together threesome ideas ever (although I’m certain it’s been done already in the past; if not, let this be the first).
The idea behind the title is loosely based on the whole concept of a ‘butterfly effect’; one flap of a butterfly’s wings across the world is capable of creating a much greater chain of events somewhere else.
Story and status: Below you see the writing process of the story. If there is no text after the title, then it is finished and checked. Possible updates shall be marked after the title.
Butterflies and Loose Wings
~ ~ ~
Written for Polyamory Big Bang’s round 5.
Butterflies and Loose Wings
There was a kid with a magical wand; an actual, honest-to-God magical wand.
Tony would have opted not to believe it, but Thor had been adamant that the thing held power, the suit’s scanners were going nuts and seeing the skies turning into something that resembled a 1960s LSD trip… Tony supposed he had to swallow it for now and take it on faith that they were dealing with magic.
No wonder he was already getting a headache.
Of course the headache may have been connected to the possibility of a concussion he was dealing with, in the aftermath of being tossed around, down, against and into things several times during the last few hours. The armor had taken the brunt of the abuse but it still hurt.
Currently, the Voldemort wannabe was busy creating a magical storm around himself on top of a high-rise where he had set up shop. Clint and Natasha were long since out of the game, unable to withstand the fucked up elements battling against them, and Thor…
“Where the hell is Thor?” Tony shouted into the comm.
“We don’t have time to wait for him,” Steve replied, voice tight. He wasn’t doing so good either, but Captain America was the leader of the Avengers and from how he had been tossed around, much like Tony, throughout the fight, Tony knew the man was looking for that one chance to hit the kid in the head with his shield.
The Hulk was currently working on creating an opening for Cap, roaring, grunting and slamming against the protective shield that kept them from getting to the kid. All around them pieces of the roof and nearby buildings were being scraped off and tossed into the air, and it had to look like a gigantic floating column of rubble above Harlem. Tony hated to think of the moment when all that mass would come crashing down, but he trusted that Clint and Natasha had managed to evacuate the area.
“Come on, big guy,” Tony cheered the Hulk on. “You can do it! What’s some magic barrier going to do to you?”
The Hulk didn’t hear him - they were yet to devise a communication apparatus that would withstand the transformation and the destruction the green rage-monster often wrought and withstood - but it seemed his teammate agreed with Tony’s thinking because the Hulk pushed even harder, roaring and pummeling one giant fist against the rippling barrier.
“Get ready,” Steve ordered, inching closer.
A television antenna tore off the building next to them, jerked around like a leaf in the wind and came crashing towards Cap. Tony aimed his right hand and fired, blasting the antenna into pieces with a repulsor blast, and Steve gave him a brief look of thanks.
The Hulk pushed harder, feet sinking into the already torn rooftop, seeking purchase. His neck and shoulders were tight with tension, huge leg muscles strained in the effort to push against the barrier. Something had to give, soon, and Tony was yet to see the Hulk go down.
With a roar of pure determination, the usual rage taking a backseat, the Hulk hauled off and punched at the barrier, which shattered in a spectacular rain of rainbow-colored lights. Only seconds after that the barrier burst in all directions - inwards as well as out; Tony blinked and almost missed seeing the kid being shoved off his feet, flying across the rooftop.
“Sir,” J.A.R.V.I.S. tried to warn him before the shockwave from the exploding barrier hit them: it was as if it grew in momentum the further it spread, simply forcing the Hulk off his feet, but Cap and Tony, who were a little further off, were swept away like small rocks, sent flying backwards - along with the rooftops of all the nearby buildings.
The armor’s repulsors tried to compensate against the sudden magical current. It didn’t help that Tony got half a sundeck in the face as he tried to regain control of his armored body. He knew that the worst that could happen if he fell at this height were a couple more significant bruises. The others, however…
Steve!
Tony forced his body to still and stop rotating, even if he got another chunk of a roof in the head for that. The scanners searched for his missing leader, spotted him falling as gravity finally began to take over, and Tony rocketed down after him, shoving objects out of his way until he saw a flash of blue and grabbed at the first limb that he could reach, pulling back up before they both went splat into the sidewalk.
Steve grunted at the sudden jerk but didn’t complain.
While debris was raining down all around them, Tony took a second to reach down and grasp Steve’s arm, instead of dangling him upside-down by his ankle. It was clear Steve had taken a couple hits from the flying objects as well, his grasp a little shaky, but he grinned at Tony’s faceplate once he was upright, one arm around his shoulders, feet balancing atop Tony’s armored boots.
‘Any sign of the Hulk?’ Tony saw Steve say - either Steve or Tony’s comm must have taken a hit.
Tony shook his head then flew back up to the rooftop they had been standing on; they found their green teammate groaning and getting to his feet as they landed. Seeing as the magical storm was over, Tony popped open the faceplate and grinned at the Hulk. “Nice going, big guy! Tonight’s round is on me.”
The Hulk merely grunted, then glanced towards their fallen enemy. The wand lay shattered near the unconscious kid’s hand, sparkling still, and Tony was loathe to touch it in case all this started again from the beginning. Where the hell was Thor? They didn’t deal with magical villains every day, so it seemed ironic that the Asgardian took off when he was most needed.
Steve straightened beside him, preparing to step away from the awkward embrace, and Tony let him, retracting his arm from around the Captain’s waist. Almost at once Steve began to fall over, and Tony reached out to stabilize him, just as the Hulk reached out a hand - or rather, two massive fingers - to catch their leader before he fell.
“You okay, Cap?” Tony asked.
“I think I need a minute,” Steve admitted. There was blood on his face but he didn’t look like he was dying.
“Take two,” Tony offered and helped him sit down. Steve carefully slid his precious shield from his arm and set it down beside him, then looked around slowly. It was a disaster zone around them, and they could hear police and fire department sirens in the distance. Other than that, it was eerily quiet. No screams, shouts, or cries for help…
“Must have evacuated,” the Hulk grunted.
“I sure hope so,” Tony agreed, cringing to think of anyone being caught under the fall of debris.
The flap of a heavy, red cape heralded the arrival of Thor, who landed on the destroyed rooftop, looking as clean and godly as ever.
Without warning, the Hulk punched the Asgardian right in the face, sending him stumbling back. “Where the fuck were you?” the monster demanded.
Tony tried to hide his grin as Thor wiped blood from his nose and blinked at the Hulk, knowing better than to test his post-battle ire.
“Mission accomplished,” Steve sighed from his seated position.
“Verily,” Thor murmured and cast a look at their defeated villain. “I was seeking aid elsewhere, to gain victory in our battle, but it would seem that yet again the Hulk’s might triumphed.”
The Hulk gave an appreciative huff at the carefully phrased compliment.
Tony simply patted the giant green arm. “Thor, would you mind handling our unconscious friend and his sparkler of wonders? I think the rest of us deserve to go home, grab a hot shower and hit the hay.” Now that the magical light-show was over, the sky was rapidly darkening. The new moon was barely visible.
Thor nodded and shifted Mjolnir in his grip, then strode over to their defeated villain, inspected his wand and proceeded to pick both up and fly them over to the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D. containment facility. At least that’s where Tony hoped Thor was taking the two, but frankly, he was too tired to make sure.
“Ready to go?” Tony asked his remaining companions.
The Hulk nodded, braced himself and then took a giant leap that took him across several blocks, continuing like that towards the Avengers Tower.
Tony looked down and offered Steve one armored hand. The blond took it, hoisting himself up, then picked up his shield, slid it on his arm and stepped into Tony’s personal space, bracing himself for the flight.
Sliding an arm around him, Tony took off, snapping the faceplate shut for the duration of the flight. Steve, when Tony next looked at him, was simply hanging on, face pressed against the curve of Tony’s armored neck, perhaps to shelter himself from the wind or hoping they would just be at the Tower already, that much closer to their own showers and bedrooms.
- - -
As soon as Iron Man’s boots hit the landing pad, J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice appeared in Tony’s earpiece: “The Hulk has safely reached the premises, sir. Dr. Banner is currently getting his bearings in the Zen garden.” Constructing an indoors Japanese rock garden had mostly been a joke on Tony’s part - one that Bruce played to full extent by regularly using the place to meditate and try to relax after a mission where his big, green alter-ego was needed.
Tony loosened his hold on Steve’s body and waited for the other man to find his feet and balance after the quick flight.
“There is residual energy floating over the city,” J.A.R.V.I.S. went on in Tony’s ear.
“Anything dangerous?” he asked, not at all in the mood to go back out there to sort it out, but he would if he had to.
“I am unable to analyze it at this current time, sir,” his AI told him. “However, the readings are minimal at best and do not seem to pose any danger - seeing as you, Captain Rogers and Dr. Banner are all covered in it.”
Tony cringed. He supposed it had to do with the shattering of the magical field and the explosion that followed. “Analyze it, run the regular tests. Send copies to S.H.I.E.L.D. - Fury will ride my ass if I don’t let him into the loop.”
“Very well, sir.”
“If there’s something alarming, tell me. Otherwise, I’m going to catch some Zs.” He looked at Steve again, who was pulling his cowl back with a somewhat shaky hand. If there had been wounds on his face, they were all closed by now, leaving only bloody smears to remind of their existence. “You okay, Cap?” Tony asked, snapping open the faceplate.
Steve looked at him and nodded. He looked exhausted, beaten up and ready to crash. “Yeah. Just battered and bruised - nothing that will be there in the morning,” he added with a small grin he had started using only recently around Tony. Since their first meeting, it had been a rocky road to get this far, but they were a team and Tony, albeit grudgingly at times, was glad about that. More than glad. “How’s the Hulk?”
“Landed. Bruce is in the garden.”
Steve nodded. “Go check on him,” he said. It wasn’t an order, really, but they all knew that a post-Hulk-out Bruce was easily triggered, and Tony, strangely enough, kept any lingering, hostile thoughts from surfacing. For all of his abrasive behavior, he actually made Bruce relax and feel safe enough to curl up and sleep off the transformation’s effects.
“Yeah,” Tony nodded and then ordered the armor to disassemble. He would have to work on it later, but for now he wanted to get out of it, check on his teammate, take a shower and go to bed.
Steve slowly picked a path across the room while the armor opened up and Tony stepped out. His gait was slower and stiffer than usual, but he would be fine by morning; Tony had seen that happen before.
After wiping his face - sweat and half-dried blood made for an unattractive mix - Tony went to the zen garden. Sure enough, Bruce was still there, sitting Indian style in the sand with a somewhat dazed expression on his face. He was naked, too, which was nothing new and Tony didn’t comment on it.
“The other guy did good today,” Tony noted. “I’m fairly sure he saved Harlem, too.”
“You sure about that?” Bruce asked, looking up at him. “J.A.R.V.I.S. showed me images…”
“Collateral damage. Trust me, it would have been a lot worse without him - just like the first time you visited the place, to be honest,” Tony noted. Bruce opened his mouth to protest, but Tony cut him off with a quick shake of his head. “I know what happened with the Abomination. I’m smart enough to know how things would have turned out without the big guy stepping up and fighting.”
“There wouldn’t be an Abomination without the Hulk,” Bruce murmured, lowering his face. He looked at his hands which were in his lap, palms up. There wasn’t any blood there, not this time - just the grime of the battle.
“There wouldn’t be a lot of things without something else,” Tony deadpanned and crouched down in the sand beside the other man. “Go to bed. Get some rest. It will all be better in the morning.”
“Will it?” Bruce asked him, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s what they say,” Tony hedged, because he knew from personal experience that didn’t always happen. Not even most times.
Bruce nodded slowly and picked himself up. He looked small and frail, compared to the raw power of the Hulk, but Tony didn’t hesitate seizing his shoulder and guiding him to the door of the garden, then to the elevator that would take Bruce to his own floor.
The elevator doors opened promptly and Tony prepared to let go of Bruce so he could step into the lift, but the other man’s hand rose to his wrist before he could, holding his hand in place. Their eyes met, Bruce’s dark and deeply troubled, exhausted yet restless like a wary animal tired of running.
Tony offered him a small smile.
Bruce’s thumb caressed the sensitive area in the crook of his hand, between his forefinger and thumb. Tony didn’t mistake it for anything that it wasn’t - not when Bruce turned to face him and moved both his hands to touch Tony’s face, pulling him into the elevator and into a kiss. The doors closed behind Tony’s back and the elevator car began its descent. Bruce’s lips were desperate, his fingers pressing into Tony’s scalp, and Tony could tell he was in a hurry for some reason.
Like this was going to be snatched away from him, or that reality would catch up if Bruce took his time.
Tony pulled away from the kiss, instantly feeling Bruce’s fingers digging in harder, and it was easy to imagine them crushing his skull if the Hulk came too close to the surface. “Hey,” Tony breathed, to break the silence and give Bruce something to focus on. “There’s no reason to rush.”
“You have no idea,” Bruce said - panted - face a little flushed, chest rising and falling, and Tony’s eyes involuntarily continued further down, finding Bruce’s cock dark and heavy between his legs, stiff in anticipation.
“You know you can’t outrun the beast,” Tony teased, lifting his eyes back to Bruce’s face, and instantly the reality hit Bruce. It was something he usually said, not Tony; Tony was all for running, for taking the chance, however unlikely.
“I’m sorry,” Bruce started.
“No, you’re not,” Tony corrected, knowingly, and reached out blindly for the buttons of the elevator. “J.A.R.V.I.S. My floor, please.”
“Of course, sir,” the AI responded and the lift halted, then resumed in the opposite direction.
“Tony…”
“Bruce,” Tony cut him off. “No backsies. You kissed me first, remember?”
“That doesn’t mean -”
“What does it mean, then?” Tony demanded. “That you get to kiss me, but that’s it? What if I hadn’t pulled back? Would you have mauled me right here in the elevator?”
Bruce looked deeply embarrassed, which wasn’t really working for Tony, but they arrived on his floor at that very second and Tony pulled Bruce along and out of the elevator, no matter the soundless protestations. “I can’t do this, Tony,” Bruce finally spluttered, finding his voice again. “It’s not safe. Not so soon after, and…”
“I think the big guy got a pretty good workout tonight,” Tony argued. “He’s not going to make an appearance unless he really has to. Now, do you want to get cleaned up first? Do I need to get cleaned up first?” he added as an afterthought.
Bruce looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time. Tony was clad from neck to toe in his dark undersuit, which hugged every curve of his body. It hadn’t been created for sex appeal, but clearly it worked for Bruce, who licked his lips. He opened his mouth to speak.
“If the next words out of your mouth are either ‘can’t’, ‘won’t’ or ‘shouldn’t’, I’ll personally toss you out the window,” Tony warned him quickly.
“Stripping would be a good start,” Bruce said, a small smile playing on his lips. “Do you have condoms?”
Tony tried not to roll his eyes. “Yes. And lube. And -”
It was Bruce’s turn to cut him off: “We’re not going the whole nine yards here. Not tonight. I’m still too worked up.”
“Then why the condom?”
“You know my blood is poisonous. I’m not taking any chances.”
Tony was okay with playing it safe. He reached for the hidden zipper at the neck of the undersuit and tugged it down, unceremoniously; no reason to put on a show when all Bruce needed was probably the basic things. The earlier desperation was back in the other man’s eyes, like he was looking at something he couldn’t have. “Hey, Banner,” Tony said in a whisper, like he was telling him a secret. “This ain’t going anywhere…”
Bruce met his eyes, briefly, then looked a bit lower as Tony started tugging off the skin-tight clothing. Even though he soon got his arms free and continued pushing the undersuit down, Bruce’s eyes remained higher than the progress of his undressing. If Tony didn’t know better, he might have thought Bruce was being chaste, but he knew what the man was looking at.
“Shower?” he suggested once he had kicked himself free of the undersuit.
Bruce nodded slowly. “Grab the condom?” he offered.
Tony had no complaints to form, so he went to one of the bedside drawers, took a couple from the box and followed Bruce into the bathroom. The lights were turned on low when he entered: enough to see around, but not too bright to break the mood. Bruce had also started the water, standing beneath it, and Tony could see lines of dirt in the water, disappearing down the drain. He stepped closer, setting the condoms down on a shelf and approached the other man, careful not to startle him. Bruce must have heard him come in, though, because he tilted his head away from the water, opened his eyes and looked at Tony again.
At his chest, to be exact.
“I keep… looking for it,” Bruce admitted, raising his right hand a little and then stopping before it could actually touch Tony’s skin.
“You’re not the only one,” Tony admitted, then caught Bruce’s hand with his own and guided it to the smooth expanse of his chest where the arc reactor had sat, not too long ago. There were no scars left; not a single sign of the horror Tony had endured. Sometimes he still woke up at night, frantic when he couldn’t find the familiar light.
Bruce gave him a small smile and then tugged his hand down from Tony’s grip. Tony planned on moving after him, but Bruce’s fingers kept tracing his skin, lower and lower, and he had to take a step closer to reach down far enough to grasp Tony’s cock. His fingers were strong, not as careful as Tony had expected, and the squeeze he received a moment later made a shudder run down his spine and his skin tingle.
“Fuck,” Tony murmured.
Bruce’s fingers relaxed a little, delving lower, giving his balls a firm tug. Water was starting to get everywhere, running down their bodies in uneven rivers. “Would you like that?” Bruce asked, voice low. One of his fingers pushed further, across sensitive skin to his asshole. He didn’t press in, but Tony had a feeling he would, if given permission. He was starting to get a whole new look at Bruce’s years of ‘self-searching’.
“Well, it depends,” Tony said, remembering that he had been asked a question. “Can you? Things can get a little overwhelming…”
Bruce met his eyes again. His face was clean now, free of the signs of battle if you didn’t count the overall weariness. Whatever they got up to, it wasn’t going to take very long. “I can tell you, with certainty, that I won’t bottom,” Bruce told him after a bit. “It’s too…”
“Invasive?”
“I wouldn’t have used that word, but yes,” Bruce admitted. “I wouldn’t mind the opposite, but… I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”
“We’ve got condoms,” Tony reminded him.
“I might get a little too excited.”
“That’s generally the point.”
“Oh, Tony…” Bruce gave him a small, almost sinister smile. “There’s so much more than excitement when it comes to sex. Intimacy and closeness I can do. Trust… I would like that.”
“I trust you, and you trust me, so we’re good on that front,” Tony nodded eagerly, then caught his breath as Bruce angled his hand and poked one finger at his entrance. The few rivers of water that were making their way down Tony’s backside eased the way, taking away most of the friction, but still allowing him to feel every small shift against his skin. He widened his stance, to make it easier.
“I’m not sure you really trust anyone,” Bruce argued, which was a weird statement considering that he was currently burying a finger to the hilt inside Tony’s ass.
“That’s… not entirely true,” Tony defended as he placed one arm on Bruce’s shoulder to steady himself.
“No?” Bruce breathed out teasingly and leaned closer, kissing Tony’s neck. Thinking that the water could minimize most threats, Tony slid his hand over and carefully fisted Bruce’s cock, starting to jerk it with a slow, steady pace. He heard a faint grunt, right beside his ear, and Bruce’s hands shifted; the one between his legs remained, but the other moved around, curling around Tony’s hip and joining its friend by squeezing Tony’s right ass cheek, pulling it aside a little. At the same time, Bruce started working another finger in beside the first. “I’m thinking…” Bruce started.
“Think faster,” Tony ordered, and Bruce’s hand gripped his ass a bit harder. He hadn’t known he had bruises there from the battle, but it hurt a bit, making him groan and jerk Bruce a bit harder.
“You’re liking this,” Bruce observed.
“Find my prostate and I’ll be loving it,” Tony countered, leaning his head against Bruce’s shoulder and biting the flesh teasingly, with barely enough pressure to leave any marks at all.
Bruce chuckled appropriately. “How much can you take?”
“As much as you can give,” Tony replied instantly, then drew his head back a little, in an attempt to catch Bruce’s eyes. “But we’re not talking about the Hulk, right? I’ve seen the big guy naked -”
Bruce’s eyes didn’t glitter green, but it was a near thing. “No, and if you try to bring him out to play here, we’re done. For good.”
“Got it,” Tony nodded. “Just checking, because you made it sound like - Oh fuck!” he yelped as Bruce rotated his fist, a little, and stuck a third finger in him. Tony was really starting to feel the stretch. “I would suggest actual lube if you’re trying to cram any more in there,” he informed his partner.
“But you’re okay with more?” Bruce asked, and he was definitely going for something there.
“Just take it easy, it’s been a while. Plus, maybe not tonight; I’m feeling bruised as it is.” Not for long, of course, because Extremis would take care of that. He just hadn’t had time to settle down and…
Bruce’s hips bucked towards his hand and Tony resumed moving his fingers around the flesh that had flushed a much darker shade. It was obvious Bruce was starting to chase his climax and Tony tried helping him along without crossing any invisible lines that could be considered as ‘too much’.
“That’s… good,” Bruce agreed and shifted his own fingers; he slipped them all out, then pushed back in with two, because it was easier considering the cramped angle and lack of real lube. “I’ve been working on this theory about you…”
“Yeah?” Curiosity killed the cat, but Tony had always lived hard and fast.
“You’re such a pliant person; you absorb and give and compromise. How people don’t see that… You want to do well, and you want people to notice. You brag about the insignificant stuff, the things that don’t matter…”
“I thought you weren’t that kind of doctor,” Tony had to crack at him.
Bruce pulled at his ass cheek a little harder and pointedly found his prostate, as if he had known where it was all this time. Tony’s knees jerked a little. “We’re not that much alike, but like so many people whisper behind our backs, you’re the successful version of me, in so many ways.”
“That’s a load of crap,” Tony informed him.
“It’s not, and you know it,” Bruce breathed hotly in his ear. “I don’t mind it. I know I think about it, every time we work in a lab together. I like it. I also may have decided, a fairly long time ago, that I knew I was going to screw up our whole arrangement some day, by doing exactly what I’ve been doing for the last fifteen minutes.”
“It’s not screwing up if it’s an improvement,” Tony countered. He circled the head of Bruce’s cock with his fingers, and maybe the other man was already on edge after the fight and transformation, because he came hard and fast, groaning against Tony’s shoulder until he was coherent again.
“Wash your hand,” Bruce ordered once he had enough air in his lungs, and Tony pointedly stuck his hand under the spray of the shower - all the while rather conscious that Bruce’s hands were still present, in and on his ass, the fingers of his right hand resuming their movement from earlier now that Bruce’s brain was back online.
“You know, we could do this the easy way,” Tony suggested.
“Did it take all your genius to figure that out?” Bruce asked and pulled back his hands.
Tony felt like swatting him, but shifted his hips from side to side instead, joints cracking a little. “How do you want me?” he asked instead, flashing Bruce a quick grin, covering up the momentary uncertainty now that the mood was somewhat broken.
“Turn around,” Bruce told him and gently directed Tony to rest his upper body against the shower wall. “Do you want to jerk yourself off, or do you want me to?”
“If I do it, what are you going to do?” Tony asked.
Bruce replied by drawing Tony’s hips back, just slightly, and spreading his ass cheeks a bit before moving his right hand back where it had been before they moved.
Tony dropped one hand to his own cock, not bothering with a verbal answer. He would have preferred a nice, soft bed, but as Bruce started carefully then picked up the pace and force behind the thrusts of his hand - and added that third finger back into the fray - Tony supposed the setting worked nicely, with hard shower tiles and somewhat uncertain footing.
“Does it hurt?” Bruce asked after a bit, not slowing down. His free hand caressed up and down Tony’s lower back before moving back to open his ass a bit.
“Nope,” Tony told him. “Just… Oh, right there,” he almost whined, toes curling as Bruce’s fingers bumped against his now-sensitive prostate. It wasn’t going to take much longer. His hand on his cock felt almost secondary, an extension of the pleasure from Bruce’s fingers - a tour guide directing his pleasure in the right direction.
“One day, maybe…” Bruce leaned his forehead against Tony’s shoulder-blade, probably staring down at his relentlessly working hand.
“Spit it out,” Tony groaned, so fucking close.
“One day, I’ll talk you into letting me push my entire hand inside you,” Bruce whispered, and Tony’s entire body froze as he came, his last breath uncomfortably trapped in his chest before he managed to let it out. Bruce’s fingers stopped to press against his prostate, slowly rubbing back and forth over it.
Tony blinked, moving both his hands onto the shower wall to steady himself.
He felt Bruce’s lips curl against the skin of his shoulder. “Your skin is glowing, did you know that?”
“Only when I come really hard,” Tony admitted. “It… just happens. It’s not dangerous. Mostly.” He had made sure his bedclothes were as non-flammable as possible, just in case.
Bruce kissed his shoulder again. “Was that…?”
“Awesome.” Tony slowly turned around, resting his back against the wall. Bruce looked almost awkward, standing there. “We’re doing it,” Tony told him. “Definitely. Never done that one before…” He dropped his eyes to Bruce’s hands, then forcibly moved them back to his face. “Is that your secret kink?”
“With you, mostly,” Bruce confessed almost sheepishly. “You have a great ass,” he shrugged, as if that explained it. It didn’t, but Tony also didn’t care. He showed that by dragging Bruce into another long kiss, but both of them were tired now and Tony eventually moved to finish showering in order for them to get some rest.
After they had toweled off, Bruce was hesitating again - as if he didn’t know where his place was. Tony solved the riddle for him by taking his towel, placing it on the towel drying rack in the bathroom and then beckoned Bruce to follow him into bed. “We’ve come this far,” Tony noted. “Might as well go the rest of the way. Unless you’re in this just for the sex, which is…” Tony tried not to sound disappointed.
Bruce gave him an almost relieved smile, which didn’t help - not before he opened his mouth to talk: “I didn’t want to expect too much. We haven’t really… talked about any of this.”
“Other than you shoving your fist in my ass, which is actually further than most of my relationship discussions have gone in the past,” Tony joked and settled down on the bed. Bruce followed him, less tense now, and chose the spot closest to the door. Tony lay down beside him, arranging the sheets for a bit, and Bruce’s hand slid up his flank and his side, briefly settling on his chest before sliding over his body.
“There’s more to it than that,” Bruce finally said.
“I’m sure,” Tony smiled at him. “We’ll figure it out.” He reached out to touch Bruce’s still-damp hair, and watched as the other man slowly relaxed and drifted off.
Tony wanted to follow him, but he felt uneasy suddenly, and he kept hearing… If he didn’t know better, he would have thought there was trouble with the plumbing or air conditioning. Also, there was a ghost sensation of something brushing against his skin, but as he turned to look, there was nothing on the empty side of the bed; even with the two of them, there was still room left on Tony’s large bed.
He looked at the empty spot and for a moment thought he heard something like distant whispers. Just as well, it was probably the rush of blood in his brain. In the deep shadows of the room, the shapes easily played tricks on his mind…
Shaking his head, Tony settled back down - but not without getting a strange feeling that there was something missing.
- - -
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Title: Butterflies and Loose Wings
Author: Del Rion (delrion.mail (at) gmail.com)
Fandom: The Avengers (MCU)
Genre: Drama
Rating: MA / FRAO
Characters: Bruce Banner (Hulk), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), J.A.R.V.I.S., Steve Rogers (Captain America), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Tony Stark (Iron Man), Thor
Pairings: Bruce/Tony, Steve/Tony, Bruce/Steve/Tony
Summary: Magic and a shattered butterfly effect leave Bruce, Steve and Tony struggling to piece their lives back together. Two simple choices create two similar, parallel paths - alternatives that are fused back together to resume a single continuity. The trio is faced with a painful choice: hold onto their partner with whom they have forged a relationship over the last month, or let go in favor of their friend and teammate.
Complete.
Written for: Polyamory Big Bang’s (polybigbang) round 5.
Warnings: Sexual content (m/m, m/m/m (polyamorous relationship), barebacking, blowjobs, double penetration (spit-roasting), anal fingering, fisting, hand-job, plug), language, brief canonical violence.
Disclaimer: Iron Man, Avengers and Marvel Cinematic Universe, including characters and everything else, belong to Marvel, Marvel Studios, Jon Favreau, Joss Whedon, Shane Black, Kenneth Branagh, Joe Johnston, Louis Leterrier, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Universal Pictures. In short: I own nothing; this is pure fiction created to entertain likeminded fans for no profit whatsoever.
Beta: Mythra (mythras-fire)
Feedback: Very welcome
About Butterflies and Loose Wings: There is not enough Stark Spangled Banner in the world.
Also, this might be one of the weirdest get-together threesome ideas ever (although I’m certain it’s been done already in the past; if not, let this be the first).
The idea behind the title is loosely based on the whole concept of a ‘butterfly effect’; one flap of a butterfly’s wings across the world is capable of creating a much greater chain of events somewhere else.
Story and status: Below you see the writing process of the story. If there is no text after the title, then it is finished and checked. Possible updates shall be marked after the title.
Butterflies and Loose Wings
~ ~ ~
Written for Polyamory Big Bang’s round 5.
Butterflies and Loose Wings
There was a kid with a magical wand; an actual, honest-to-God magical wand.
Tony would have opted not to believe it, but Thor had been adamant that the thing held power, the suit’s scanners were going nuts and seeing the skies turning into something that resembled a 1960s LSD trip… Tony supposed he had to swallow it for now and take it on faith that they were dealing with magic.
No wonder he was already getting a headache.
Of course the headache may have been connected to the possibility of a concussion he was dealing with, in the aftermath of being tossed around, down, against and into things several times during the last few hours. The armor had taken the brunt of the abuse but it still hurt.
Currently, the Voldemort wannabe was busy creating a magical storm around himself on top of a high-rise where he had set up shop. Clint and Natasha were long since out of the game, unable to withstand the fucked up elements battling against them, and Thor…
“Where the hell is Thor?” Tony shouted into the comm.
“We don’t have time to wait for him,” Steve replied, voice tight. He wasn’t doing so good either, but Captain America was the leader of the Avengers and from how he had been tossed around, much like Tony, throughout the fight, Tony knew the man was looking for that one chance to hit the kid in the head with his shield.
The Hulk was currently working on creating an opening for Cap, roaring, grunting and slamming against the protective shield that kept them from getting to the kid. All around them pieces of the roof and nearby buildings were being scraped off and tossed into the air, and it had to look like a gigantic floating column of rubble above Harlem. Tony hated to think of the moment when all that mass would come crashing down, but he trusted that Clint and Natasha had managed to evacuate the area.
“Come on, big guy,” Tony cheered the Hulk on. “You can do it! What’s some magic barrier going to do to you?”
The Hulk didn’t hear him - they were yet to devise a communication apparatus that would withstand the transformation and the destruction the green rage-monster often wrought and withstood - but it seemed his teammate agreed with Tony’s thinking because the Hulk pushed even harder, roaring and pummeling one giant fist against the rippling barrier.
“Get ready,” Steve ordered, inching closer.
A television antenna tore off the building next to them, jerked around like a leaf in the wind and came crashing towards Cap. Tony aimed his right hand and fired, blasting the antenna into pieces with a repulsor blast, and Steve gave him a brief look of thanks.
The Hulk pushed harder, feet sinking into the already torn rooftop, seeking purchase. His neck and shoulders were tight with tension, huge leg muscles strained in the effort to push against the barrier. Something had to give, soon, and Tony was yet to see the Hulk go down.
With a roar of pure determination, the usual rage taking a backseat, the Hulk hauled off and punched at the barrier, which shattered in a spectacular rain of rainbow-colored lights. Only seconds after that the barrier burst in all directions - inwards as well as out; Tony blinked and almost missed seeing the kid being shoved off his feet, flying across the rooftop.
“Sir,” J.A.R.V.I.S. tried to warn him before the shockwave from the exploding barrier hit them: it was as if it grew in momentum the further it spread, simply forcing the Hulk off his feet, but Cap and Tony, who were a little further off, were swept away like small rocks, sent flying backwards - along with the rooftops of all the nearby buildings.
The armor’s repulsors tried to compensate against the sudden magical current. It didn’t help that Tony got half a sundeck in the face as he tried to regain control of his armored body. He knew that the worst that could happen if he fell at this height were a couple more significant bruises. The others, however…
Steve!
Tony forced his body to still and stop rotating, even if he got another chunk of a roof in the head for that. The scanners searched for his missing leader, spotted him falling as gravity finally began to take over, and Tony rocketed down after him, shoving objects out of his way until he saw a flash of blue and grabbed at the first limb that he could reach, pulling back up before they both went splat into the sidewalk.
Steve grunted at the sudden jerk but didn’t complain.
While debris was raining down all around them, Tony took a second to reach down and grasp Steve’s arm, instead of dangling him upside-down by his ankle. It was clear Steve had taken a couple hits from the flying objects as well, his grasp a little shaky, but he grinned at Tony’s faceplate once he was upright, one arm around his shoulders, feet balancing atop Tony’s armored boots.
‘Any sign of the Hulk?’ Tony saw Steve say - either Steve or Tony’s comm must have taken a hit.
Tony shook his head then flew back up to the rooftop they had been standing on; they found their green teammate groaning and getting to his feet as they landed. Seeing as the magical storm was over, Tony popped open the faceplate and grinned at the Hulk. “Nice going, big guy! Tonight’s round is on me.”
The Hulk merely grunted, then glanced towards their fallen enemy. The wand lay shattered near the unconscious kid’s hand, sparkling still, and Tony was loathe to touch it in case all this started again from the beginning. Where the hell was Thor? They didn’t deal with magical villains every day, so it seemed ironic that the Asgardian took off when he was most needed.
Steve straightened beside him, preparing to step away from the awkward embrace, and Tony let him, retracting his arm from around the Captain’s waist. Almost at once Steve began to fall over, and Tony reached out to stabilize him, just as the Hulk reached out a hand - or rather, two massive fingers - to catch their leader before he fell.
“You okay, Cap?” Tony asked.
“I think I need a minute,” Steve admitted. There was blood on his face but he didn’t look like he was dying.
“Take two,” Tony offered and helped him sit down. Steve carefully slid his precious shield from his arm and set it down beside him, then looked around slowly. It was a disaster zone around them, and they could hear police and fire department sirens in the distance. Other than that, it was eerily quiet. No screams, shouts, or cries for help…
“Must have evacuated,” the Hulk grunted.
“I sure hope so,” Tony agreed, cringing to think of anyone being caught under the fall of debris.
The flap of a heavy, red cape heralded the arrival of Thor, who landed on the destroyed rooftop, looking as clean and godly as ever.
Without warning, the Hulk punched the Asgardian right in the face, sending him stumbling back. “Where the fuck were you?” the monster demanded.
Tony tried to hide his grin as Thor wiped blood from his nose and blinked at the Hulk, knowing better than to test his post-battle ire.
“Mission accomplished,” Steve sighed from his seated position.
“Verily,” Thor murmured and cast a look at their defeated villain. “I was seeking aid elsewhere, to gain victory in our battle, but it would seem that yet again the Hulk’s might triumphed.”
The Hulk gave an appreciative huff at the carefully phrased compliment.
Tony simply patted the giant green arm. “Thor, would you mind handling our unconscious friend and his sparkler of wonders? I think the rest of us deserve to go home, grab a hot shower and hit the hay.” Now that the magical light-show was over, the sky was rapidly darkening. The new moon was barely visible.
Thor nodded and shifted Mjolnir in his grip, then strode over to their defeated villain, inspected his wand and proceeded to pick both up and fly them over to the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D. containment facility. At least that’s where Tony hoped Thor was taking the two, but frankly, he was too tired to make sure.
“Ready to go?” Tony asked his remaining companions.
The Hulk nodded, braced himself and then took a giant leap that took him across several blocks, continuing like that towards the Avengers Tower.
Tony looked down and offered Steve one armored hand. The blond took it, hoisting himself up, then picked up his shield, slid it on his arm and stepped into Tony’s personal space, bracing himself for the flight.
Sliding an arm around him, Tony took off, snapping the faceplate shut for the duration of the flight. Steve, when Tony next looked at him, was simply hanging on, face pressed against the curve of Tony’s armored neck, perhaps to shelter himself from the wind or hoping they would just be at the Tower already, that much closer to their own showers and bedrooms.
- - -
As soon as Iron Man’s boots hit the landing pad, J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice appeared in Tony’s earpiece: “The Hulk has safely reached the premises, sir. Dr. Banner is currently getting his bearings in the Zen garden.” Constructing an indoors Japanese rock garden had mostly been a joke on Tony’s part - one that Bruce played to full extent by regularly using the place to meditate and try to relax after a mission where his big, green alter-ego was needed.
Tony loosened his hold on Steve’s body and waited for the other man to find his feet and balance after the quick flight.
“There is residual energy floating over the city,” J.A.R.V.I.S. went on in Tony’s ear.
“Anything dangerous?” he asked, not at all in the mood to go back out there to sort it out, but he would if he had to.
“I am unable to analyze it at this current time, sir,” his AI told him. “However, the readings are minimal at best and do not seem to pose any danger - seeing as you, Captain Rogers and Dr. Banner are all covered in it.”
Tony cringed. He supposed it had to do with the shattering of the magical field and the explosion that followed. “Analyze it, run the regular tests. Send copies to S.H.I.E.L.D. - Fury will ride my ass if I don’t let him into the loop.”
“Very well, sir.”
“If there’s something alarming, tell me. Otherwise, I’m going to catch some Zs.” He looked at Steve again, who was pulling his cowl back with a somewhat shaky hand. If there had been wounds on his face, they were all closed by now, leaving only bloody smears to remind of their existence. “You okay, Cap?” Tony asked, snapping open the faceplate.
Steve looked at him and nodded. He looked exhausted, beaten up and ready to crash. “Yeah. Just battered and bruised - nothing that will be there in the morning,” he added with a small grin he had started using only recently around Tony. Since their first meeting, it had been a rocky road to get this far, but they were a team and Tony, albeit grudgingly at times, was glad about that. More than glad. “How’s the Hulk?”
“Landed. Bruce is in the garden.”
Steve nodded. “Go check on him,” he said. It wasn’t an order, really, but they all knew that a post-Hulk-out Bruce was easily triggered, and Tony, strangely enough, kept any lingering, hostile thoughts from surfacing. For all of his abrasive behavior, he actually made Bruce relax and feel safe enough to curl up and sleep off the transformation’s effects.
“Yeah,” Tony nodded and then ordered the armor to disassemble. He would have to work on it later, but for now he wanted to get out of it, check on his teammate, take a shower and go to bed.
Steve slowly picked a path across the room while the armor opened up and Tony stepped out. His gait was slower and stiffer than usual, but he would be fine by morning; Tony had seen that happen before.
After wiping his face - sweat and half-dried blood made for an unattractive mix - Tony went to the zen garden. Sure enough, Bruce was still there, sitting Indian style in the sand with a somewhat dazed expression on his face. He was naked, too, which was nothing new and Tony didn’t comment on it.
“The other guy did good today,” Tony noted. “I’m fairly sure he saved Harlem, too.”
“You sure about that?” Bruce asked, looking up at him. “J.A.R.V.I.S. showed me images…”
“Collateral damage. Trust me, it would have been a lot worse without him - just like the first time you visited the place, to be honest,” Tony noted. Bruce opened his mouth to protest, but Tony cut him off with a quick shake of his head. “I know what happened with the Abomination. I’m smart enough to know how things would have turned out without the big guy stepping up and fighting.”
“There wouldn’t be an Abomination without the Hulk,” Bruce murmured, lowering his face. He looked at his hands which were in his lap, palms up. There wasn’t any blood there, not this time - just the grime of the battle.
“There wouldn’t be a lot of things without something else,” Tony deadpanned and crouched down in the sand beside the other man. “Go to bed. Get some rest. It will all be better in the morning.”
“Will it?” Bruce asked him, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s what they say,” Tony hedged, because he knew from personal experience that didn’t always happen. Not even most times.
Bruce nodded slowly and picked himself up. He looked small and frail, compared to the raw power of the Hulk, but Tony didn’t hesitate seizing his shoulder and guiding him to the door of the garden, then to the elevator that would take Bruce to his own floor.
The elevator doors opened promptly and Tony prepared to let go of Bruce so he could step into the lift, but the other man’s hand rose to his wrist before he could, holding his hand in place. Their eyes met, Bruce’s dark and deeply troubled, exhausted yet restless like a wary animal tired of running.
Tony offered him a small smile.
Bruce’s thumb caressed the sensitive area in the crook of his hand, between his forefinger and thumb. Tony didn’t mistake it for anything that it wasn’t - not when Bruce turned to face him and moved both his hands to touch Tony’s face, pulling him into the elevator and into a kiss. The doors closed behind Tony’s back and the elevator car began its descent. Bruce’s lips were desperate, his fingers pressing into Tony’s scalp, and Tony could tell he was in a hurry for some reason.
Like this was going to be snatched away from him, or that reality would catch up if Bruce took his time.
Tony pulled away from the kiss, instantly feeling Bruce’s fingers digging in harder, and it was easy to imagine them crushing his skull if the Hulk came too close to the surface. “Hey,” Tony breathed, to break the silence and give Bruce something to focus on. “There’s no reason to rush.”
“You have no idea,” Bruce said - panted - face a little flushed, chest rising and falling, and Tony’s eyes involuntarily continued further down, finding Bruce’s cock dark and heavy between his legs, stiff in anticipation.
“You know you can’t outrun the beast,” Tony teased, lifting his eyes back to Bruce’s face, and instantly the reality hit Bruce. It was something he usually said, not Tony; Tony was all for running, for taking the chance, however unlikely.
“I’m sorry,” Bruce started.
“No, you’re not,” Tony corrected, knowingly, and reached out blindly for the buttons of the elevator. “J.A.R.V.I.S. My floor, please.”
“Of course, sir,” the AI responded and the lift halted, then resumed in the opposite direction.
“Tony…”
“Bruce,” Tony cut him off. “No backsies. You kissed me first, remember?”
“That doesn’t mean -”
“What does it mean, then?” Tony demanded. “That you get to kiss me, but that’s it? What if I hadn’t pulled back? Would you have mauled me right here in the elevator?”
Bruce looked deeply embarrassed, which wasn’t really working for Tony, but they arrived on his floor at that very second and Tony pulled Bruce along and out of the elevator, no matter the soundless protestations. “I can’t do this, Tony,” Bruce finally spluttered, finding his voice again. “It’s not safe. Not so soon after, and…”
“I think the big guy got a pretty good workout tonight,” Tony argued. “He’s not going to make an appearance unless he really has to. Now, do you want to get cleaned up first? Do I need to get cleaned up first?” he added as an afterthought.
Bruce looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time. Tony was clad from neck to toe in his dark undersuit, which hugged every curve of his body. It hadn’t been created for sex appeal, but clearly it worked for Bruce, who licked his lips. He opened his mouth to speak.
“If the next words out of your mouth are either ‘can’t’, ‘won’t’ or ‘shouldn’t’, I’ll personally toss you out the window,” Tony warned him quickly.
“Stripping would be a good start,” Bruce said, a small smile playing on his lips. “Do you have condoms?”
Tony tried not to roll his eyes. “Yes. And lube. And -”
It was Bruce’s turn to cut him off: “We’re not going the whole nine yards here. Not tonight. I’m still too worked up.”
“Then why the condom?”
“You know my blood is poisonous. I’m not taking any chances.”
Tony was okay with playing it safe. He reached for the hidden zipper at the neck of the undersuit and tugged it down, unceremoniously; no reason to put on a show when all Bruce needed was probably the basic things. The earlier desperation was back in the other man’s eyes, like he was looking at something he couldn’t have. “Hey, Banner,” Tony said in a whisper, like he was telling him a secret. “This ain’t going anywhere…”
Bruce met his eyes, briefly, then looked a bit lower as Tony started tugging off the skin-tight clothing. Even though he soon got his arms free and continued pushing the undersuit down, Bruce’s eyes remained higher than the progress of his undressing. If Tony didn’t know better, he might have thought Bruce was being chaste, but he knew what the man was looking at.
“Shower?” he suggested once he had kicked himself free of the undersuit.
Bruce nodded slowly. “Grab the condom?” he offered.
Tony had no complaints to form, so he went to one of the bedside drawers, took a couple from the box and followed Bruce into the bathroom. The lights were turned on low when he entered: enough to see around, but not too bright to break the mood. Bruce had also started the water, standing beneath it, and Tony could see lines of dirt in the water, disappearing down the drain. He stepped closer, setting the condoms down on a shelf and approached the other man, careful not to startle him. Bruce must have heard him come in, though, because he tilted his head away from the water, opened his eyes and looked at Tony again.
At his chest, to be exact.
“I keep… looking for it,” Bruce admitted, raising his right hand a little and then stopping before it could actually touch Tony’s skin.
“You’re not the only one,” Tony admitted, then caught Bruce’s hand with his own and guided it to the smooth expanse of his chest where the arc reactor had sat, not too long ago. There were no scars left; not a single sign of the horror Tony had endured. Sometimes he still woke up at night, frantic when he couldn’t find the familiar light.
Bruce gave him a small smile and then tugged his hand down from Tony’s grip. Tony planned on moving after him, but Bruce’s fingers kept tracing his skin, lower and lower, and he had to take a step closer to reach down far enough to grasp Tony’s cock. His fingers were strong, not as careful as Tony had expected, and the squeeze he received a moment later made a shudder run down his spine and his skin tingle.
“Fuck,” Tony murmured.
Bruce’s fingers relaxed a little, delving lower, giving his balls a firm tug. Water was starting to get everywhere, running down their bodies in uneven rivers. “Would you like that?” Bruce asked, voice low. One of his fingers pushed further, across sensitive skin to his asshole. He didn’t press in, but Tony had a feeling he would, if given permission. He was starting to get a whole new look at Bruce’s years of ‘self-searching’.
“Well, it depends,” Tony said, remembering that he had been asked a question. “Can you? Things can get a little overwhelming…”
Bruce met his eyes again. His face was clean now, free of the signs of battle if you didn’t count the overall weariness. Whatever they got up to, it wasn’t going to take very long. “I can tell you, with certainty, that I won’t bottom,” Bruce told him after a bit. “It’s too…”
“Invasive?”
“I wouldn’t have used that word, but yes,” Bruce admitted. “I wouldn’t mind the opposite, but… I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”
“We’ve got condoms,” Tony reminded him.
“I might get a little too excited.”
“That’s generally the point.”
“Oh, Tony…” Bruce gave him a small, almost sinister smile. “There’s so much more than excitement when it comes to sex. Intimacy and closeness I can do. Trust… I would like that.”
“I trust you, and you trust me, so we’re good on that front,” Tony nodded eagerly, then caught his breath as Bruce angled his hand and poked one finger at his entrance. The few rivers of water that were making their way down Tony’s backside eased the way, taking away most of the friction, but still allowing him to feel every small shift against his skin. He widened his stance, to make it easier.
“I’m not sure you really trust anyone,” Bruce argued, which was a weird statement considering that he was currently burying a finger to the hilt inside Tony’s ass.
“That’s… not entirely true,” Tony defended as he placed one arm on Bruce’s shoulder to steady himself.
“No?” Bruce breathed out teasingly and leaned closer, kissing Tony’s neck. Thinking that the water could minimize most threats, Tony slid his hand over and carefully fisted Bruce’s cock, starting to jerk it with a slow, steady pace. He heard a faint grunt, right beside his ear, and Bruce’s hands shifted; the one between his legs remained, but the other moved around, curling around Tony’s hip and joining its friend by squeezing Tony’s right ass cheek, pulling it aside a little. At the same time, Bruce started working another finger in beside the first. “I’m thinking…” Bruce started.
“Think faster,” Tony ordered, and Bruce’s hand gripped his ass a bit harder. He hadn’t known he had bruises there from the battle, but it hurt a bit, making him groan and jerk Bruce a bit harder.
“You’re liking this,” Bruce observed.
“Find my prostate and I’ll be loving it,” Tony countered, leaning his head against Bruce’s shoulder and biting the flesh teasingly, with barely enough pressure to leave any marks at all.
Bruce chuckled appropriately. “How much can you take?”
“As much as you can give,” Tony replied instantly, then drew his head back a little, in an attempt to catch Bruce’s eyes. “But we’re not talking about the Hulk, right? I’ve seen the big guy naked -”
Bruce’s eyes didn’t glitter green, but it was a near thing. “No, and if you try to bring him out to play here, we’re done. For good.”
“Got it,” Tony nodded. “Just checking, because you made it sound like - Oh fuck!” he yelped as Bruce rotated his fist, a little, and stuck a third finger in him. Tony was really starting to feel the stretch. “I would suggest actual lube if you’re trying to cram any more in there,” he informed his partner.
“But you’re okay with more?” Bruce asked, and he was definitely going for something there.
“Just take it easy, it’s been a while. Plus, maybe not tonight; I’m feeling bruised as it is.” Not for long, of course, because Extremis would take care of that. He just hadn’t had time to settle down and…
Bruce’s hips bucked towards his hand and Tony resumed moving his fingers around the flesh that had flushed a much darker shade. It was obvious Bruce was starting to chase his climax and Tony tried helping him along without crossing any invisible lines that could be considered as ‘too much’.
“That’s… good,” Bruce agreed and shifted his own fingers; he slipped them all out, then pushed back in with two, because it was easier considering the cramped angle and lack of real lube. “I’ve been working on this theory about you…”
“Yeah?” Curiosity killed the cat, but Tony had always lived hard and fast.
“You’re such a pliant person; you absorb and give and compromise. How people don’t see that… You want to do well, and you want people to notice. You brag about the insignificant stuff, the things that don’t matter…”
“I thought you weren’t that kind of doctor,” Tony had to crack at him.
Bruce pulled at his ass cheek a little harder and pointedly found his prostate, as if he had known where it was all this time. Tony’s knees jerked a little. “We’re not that much alike, but like so many people whisper behind our backs, you’re the successful version of me, in so many ways.”
“That’s a load of crap,” Tony informed him.
“It’s not, and you know it,” Bruce breathed hotly in his ear. “I don’t mind it. I know I think about it, every time we work in a lab together. I like it. I also may have decided, a fairly long time ago, that I knew I was going to screw up our whole arrangement some day, by doing exactly what I’ve been doing for the last fifteen minutes.”
“It’s not screwing up if it’s an improvement,” Tony countered. He circled the head of Bruce’s cock with his fingers, and maybe the other man was already on edge after the fight and transformation, because he came hard and fast, groaning against Tony’s shoulder until he was coherent again.
“Wash your hand,” Bruce ordered once he had enough air in his lungs, and Tony pointedly stuck his hand under the spray of the shower - all the while rather conscious that Bruce’s hands were still present, in and on his ass, the fingers of his right hand resuming their movement from earlier now that Bruce’s brain was back online.
“You know, we could do this the easy way,” Tony suggested.
“Did it take all your genius to figure that out?” Bruce asked and pulled back his hands.
Tony felt like swatting him, but shifted his hips from side to side instead, joints cracking a little. “How do you want me?” he asked instead, flashing Bruce a quick grin, covering up the momentary uncertainty now that the mood was somewhat broken.
“Turn around,” Bruce told him and gently directed Tony to rest his upper body against the shower wall. “Do you want to jerk yourself off, or do you want me to?”
“If I do it, what are you going to do?” Tony asked.
Bruce replied by drawing Tony’s hips back, just slightly, and spreading his ass cheeks a bit before moving his right hand back where it had been before they moved.
Tony dropped one hand to his own cock, not bothering with a verbal answer. He would have preferred a nice, soft bed, but as Bruce started carefully then picked up the pace and force behind the thrusts of his hand - and added that third finger back into the fray - Tony supposed the setting worked nicely, with hard shower tiles and somewhat uncertain footing.
“Does it hurt?” Bruce asked after a bit, not slowing down. His free hand caressed up and down Tony’s lower back before moving back to open his ass a bit.
“Nope,” Tony told him. “Just… Oh, right there,” he almost whined, toes curling as Bruce’s fingers bumped against his now-sensitive prostate. It wasn’t going to take much longer. His hand on his cock felt almost secondary, an extension of the pleasure from Bruce’s fingers - a tour guide directing his pleasure in the right direction.
“One day, maybe…” Bruce leaned his forehead against Tony’s shoulder-blade, probably staring down at his relentlessly working hand.
“Spit it out,” Tony groaned, so fucking close.
“One day, I’ll talk you into letting me push my entire hand inside you,” Bruce whispered, and Tony’s entire body froze as he came, his last breath uncomfortably trapped in his chest before he managed to let it out. Bruce’s fingers stopped to press against his prostate, slowly rubbing back and forth over it.
Tony blinked, moving both his hands onto the shower wall to steady himself.
He felt Bruce’s lips curl against the skin of his shoulder. “Your skin is glowing, did you know that?”
“Only when I come really hard,” Tony admitted. “It… just happens. It’s not dangerous. Mostly.” He had made sure his bedclothes were as non-flammable as possible, just in case.
Bruce kissed his shoulder again. “Was that…?”
“Awesome.” Tony slowly turned around, resting his back against the wall. Bruce looked almost awkward, standing there. “We’re doing it,” Tony told him. “Definitely. Never done that one before…” He dropped his eyes to Bruce’s hands, then forcibly moved them back to his face. “Is that your secret kink?”
“With you, mostly,” Bruce confessed almost sheepishly. “You have a great ass,” he shrugged, as if that explained it. It didn’t, but Tony also didn’t care. He showed that by dragging Bruce into another long kiss, but both of them were tired now and Tony eventually moved to finish showering in order for them to get some rest.
After they had toweled off, Bruce was hesitating again - as if he didn’t know where his place was. Tony solved the riddle for him by taking his towel, placing it on the towel drying rack in the bathroom and then beckoned Bruce to follow him into bed. “We’ve come this far,” Tony noted. “Might as well go the rest of the way. Unless you’re in this just for the sex, which is…” Tony tried not to sound disappointed.
Bruce gave him an almost relieved smile, which didn’t help - not before he opened his mouth to talk: “I didn’t want to expect too much. We haven’t really… talked about any of this.”
“Other than you shoving your fist in my ass, which is actually further than most of my relationship discussions have gone in the past,” Tony joked and settled down on the bed. Bruce followed him, less tense now, and chose the spot closest to the door. Tony lay down beside him, arranging the sheets for a bit, and Bruce’s hand slid up his flank and his side, briefly settling on his chest before sliding over his body.
“There’s more to it than that,” Bruce finally said.
“I’m sure,” Tony smiled at him. “We’ll figure it out.” He reached out to touch Bruce’s still-damp hair, and watched as the other man slowly relaxed and drifted off.
Tony wanted to follow him, but he felt uneasy suddenly, and he kept hearing… If he didn’t know better, he would have thought there was trouble with the plumbing or air conditioning. Also, there was a ghost sensation of something brushing against his skin, but as he turned to look, there was nothing on the empty side of the bed; even with the two of them, there was still room left on Tony’s large bed.
He looked at the empty spot and for a moment thought he heard something like distant whispers. Just as well, it was probably the rush of blood in his brain. In the deep shadows of the room, the shapes easily played tricks on his mind…
Shaking his head, Tony settled back down - but not without getting a strange feeling that there was something missing.
- - -
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