New Beginnings, a Bruce Banner/Tony/Pepper story
Title: New Beginnings (Sequel to IM3)
Pairing: Tony/Bruce B./Pepper
Rating: PG 13
Word Count: 4085
Written for this prompt: “Just an idea I can't get out of my head: Bruce moves into Stark Tower shortly after IM3 and everything is fine and science-y and Bruce helps Tony figure out how to cure Pepper. And then Tony gets his heart fixed and gets the reactor out. And then Bruce can't speak to Tony for a month. (Not out of anger or anything. Bruce just has a hard time dealing with the change and has no idea how to talk about it with Tony largely because of their "terrible privilege" conversation in Avengers and how much that conversation meant to Bruce.)
+1 Tony is ALSO having a hard time dealing with life without the reactor (because it is a HUGE part of his identity and suddenly it's gone and how is he supposed to cope with that?).” http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/16019.html?page=15#comments
A/N: This starts directly after the cute IM3 tag scene. I’ve only seen the movie twice and in my opinion, Pepper still has the Extremis inside of her. I could be wrong, though.
I wrote this in June and had completely forgotten to post it in my own LJ! Thanks Indigo_Angels for the beta :D
Bruce stirs in his sleep, his back aching. Why is he so uncomfortable?
Something is hitting him. Something soft…like paper?
“Hey.”
A voice is in his ear.
“Hey Banner…”
A very familiar, somewhat pissed voice. Sleep slowly leaves him and he tries to stretch his legs but can’t, something is blocking the way.
Anger starts to rise within him and in a conscious thought he instantly opens his eyes.
To look straight into another set of dark brown ones, mocking him. That voice saying, “How dare you, Banner, falling asleep on me while I tell you my life story?”
“What? Wait!” Bruce feels the anger turn into relief and he sits up more straight in the chair. ( Of course that’s where his back ache came from). “I told you, Stark, that I am not such a doctor…”
There is a light slap on his shoulder, “How dare you fall asleep on me while I’m talking to you anyway?” Tony is right in his personal space now, leaning in, noses inches apart, the corners of his eyes crinkling up, but his expression dead serious.
Bruce can hardly suppress the laughter that starts up inside of him and he takes hold of Tony’s forearms, “You were talking for hours…”
“Well, everybody around me keeps telling me I should talk about it, including you.” Tony’s eyes show true hurt and Bruce stops the laughter before it comes out, realizing that Tony isn’t in a joking mood.
“Yes, yes, of course, I’m sorry.” Bruce sits up even straighter, to bring some distance between them, Tony’s very close proximity totally unsettling him.
Suddenly the billionaire moves away, bending down to pick up all the little paper balls he’d thrown Bruce’s way off the floor, “I’m not going to see some shrink. No.”
“I didn’t say you should.” Bruce states, catching the paper that gets thrown at him yet again, already used to Tony’s strange habits during the weeks he’d moved into Stark Tower.
“You know what?” Tony turns towards the door, “We need to check if Pepper is still sleeping properly.”
Bruce shakes his head at Tony’s abrupt change of topics. He mentally slaps himself for not listening to what Tony had to tell him from his past. Maybe he’d have gotten an idea how to help his friend with the panic attacks. Bruce still felt absolutely guilty that neither he or any other Avenger were at Tony’s side when the terrible “Mandarin” accident happened.
Of course they should have a look at Pepper. But Jarvis was monitoring her and Bruce had learned that the always present computer system really was a big and accurate help in Tony’s household. Never failing, always up to the tasks it was told to do. Bruce felt uncomfortable at first with the voice out of nowhere but soon got used to it.
When Bruce got the call from Tony, that he needed his help with Pepper’s health, he was wondering at first why they wouldn’t call a local doctor. Tony just had said, “No. Not a local doctor. I need you . Please.”
Tony Stark begging had made him curious, and he’d hesitantly answered, “Okay.”
In an instant Iron Man appeared, lifted him up and flew him, loudly protesting, back to New York.
The two scientists had worked with the Extremis in her body day by day since then. Tony terribly afraid she’d turn into a Rage-Monster too. But she remained herself, to her own and his relief. She was very willing to work with them and did test after test after test, learning her new strengths, freaking out more often than not but also getting braver and braver, sparring with Tony in his suit after the third week.
She even asked if she could try the Hulk but Bruce lifted his hands in shock, shaking his head vehemently.
+++
As Bruce catches up with Tony, the other man gently strokes red- blonde hair off his girl friend’s forehead, sitting cross legged beside her on their bed.
“Sleeping beauty…” he mutters to himself.
“Yes, she is,” Bruce says, watching from the doorway. “You should get some sleep too,” and before Tony can protest, he adds, “your doctor’s orders,” and smirks.
“My…naaa…” Tony wants to jump up again but Bruce already stepped closer, lifts up the duvet and throws it over Tony.
“Yes.” Bruce’s voice is firm, not allowing any discussion. When the other man looks really miserable at him, he murmurs softly, pulling a chair towards Tony’s side of the bed. “I’ll wake you when the nightmares start and we can talk, okay?”
“You’ll fall asleep on me anyway again…” Tony huffs but pulls the blanket towards his chin, snuggling closer to Pepper who turns right into his arms.
“No, I won’t.” Bruce takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes, then puts them on again, snatching a magazine from the huge stack on the night stand. “I’m really sorry about that.”
Tony frowns, gives the doctor a last doubtful look but finally gives in to sleep that heavily pulls at his eye lids. Having a compliant and healthy (under the circumstances) Pepper in his arms is the best sleeping pill.
+++
Pepper wakes from a soft snoring in her ear and from the sunlight that’s streaming into the large bedroom. Also to a scratching noise like someone is scribbling something very fast on paper with a pen. She hadn’t heard that sound in ages, being surrounded by robots and Jarvis everywhere. So she’s very slowly moving out from under Tony’s embrace, kissing him gently on his scratchy cheek, thankful that he’s sleeping so peacefully.
When she looks over his shoulder, she sees the source of the scribbling noise. Doctor Banner, sitting on a chair, legs propped up on another one, magazines spread all over Tony’s side of the bed, sheets of paper as well. Bruce’s glasses have slipped down on his nose and he looks as if he’s concentrating very hard. Concentrating so hard that Pepper holds her breath so as not startle him.
Suddenly Tony starts to thrash in his sleep, grunting and making inarticulate sounds. Legs and arms kicking until he loudly yells, “NO!!”
Bruce instantly lets the notes slip from his lap, reaching out for the other man to shake him lightly. Pepper does the same but Tony doesn’t come out of it. His tossing gets more and more violent and the calls turn into, “Not Earth! Not my people! We’ll destroy you!”
One of his kicks sends Pepper out of bed. She hasn’t learned yet how to use her strength in a sudden situation. So she sits on the floor for a moment, rubbing her head, feeling dizzy.
Bruce doesn’t think, just reacts on instinct. He straddles Tony and grabs his arms, talking loud and firm, “Stark, come out of it. You are safe. So are we. We defeated them.”
Tony’s movements get weaker but don’t stop, “They’ll come again…” He sobs, freeing one hand and clinging to Bruce’s biceps. His eyes open wide.
“Tony, wake up,” the doctor says firmly again, “We’ll be ready. We are stronger. We have help. Wake up now.”
Pepper’s heart hammers in her throat and she scrambles on the bed again, laying her hand on her lover’s cheek just as Bruce does the same. “Please,” the doctor adds in a very soft murmur.
Suddenly Tony sits up straight, “What? Where?….” and falls back into the rumpled pillows again, looking at them both in turn, blinking, “Pep’? Banner?”
“You with us now?” Bruce asks. And when Tony hesitantly says, “I think so.” Bruce realises where he’s sitting, clearly feels embarrassed and moves out of the bed as fast as he can, blushing, gathering his notes from the floor.
Tony looks at Pepper questioningly and she takes his hand, kissing the knuckles, “He just got you out of your nightmare.”
“Oh he did?”
“Yes he did.” A voice confirmed from the ceiling just as Pepper wants to answer.
“Jarvis. Stay out of the bedroom.” Tony orders, already his normal self.
“But you told me to monitor…”
“Yes, while she was alone. Is she still alone?”
“No, Sir. But I thought…”
“Jarvis!”
“I can give you the readings from your dream…”
“Yes. Later, thank you.” Tony gestures at the ceiling and when there isn’t any answer he looks at Bruce, murmuring, “Thank you,” as well.
The other scientist nods shortly, “Do you want to talk about it?”
Tony stares at his friend for a long while and then shakes his head, “Maybe later.”
Bruce accepts the answer and gets ready to leave the room when Tony reaches out a hand, gesturing towards the stack of notes in his hands, “What’s this?”
“Oh that’s…that’s nothing, just some research while you two were asleep.”
“Banner. There is no nothing in your head. Show me that.”
Bruce hesitates for a moment, but knowing that they think alike anyway and that Stark would come to this conclusion sooner or later - if he set his mind to it that is - he hands the rumpled sheets of paper over.
Tony settles back in the pillows, pulling Pepper into his side and starts to skip through the hand written notes.
Every so often he squeezes his eyes shut, murmuring, “Shitty handwriting,” but keeps on reading.
Then he looks up, dark eyes boring straight through the doctor, who uncertainly stands by the door. “Why are you standing there?” Tony frowns, “I thought we’re supposed to work together?” He pats the other side on the bed, indicating for Bruce to sit down.
“Well, I thought you two…”
“Nonsense. Pep’ knows how I work, been my assistant for ages.” Tony kisses said assistant fully and gently on her beautiful lips. “So would you sit down now, doctor? You can’t hand me something like this and then leave.”
Bruce, feeling very odd, steps closer and sits gingerly on the edge of the bed.
“So you want to take my little reactor out.” Tony states, confusion obvious in his voice.
“Well, I thought it might help with the nightmares and you might generally feel better.”
Tony stares at Bruce for a very, very long moment then nods hesitantly.
++++
five weeks later
They haven’t talked in weeks.
Pepper doesn’t know what to do.
Tony seems to be his usual self again after the surgery. Bruce had done it himself, after they’d both sat for days on end in Tony’s lab and experimented with the Extremis and other things she doesn’t want to know about. They were like Siamese twins during those weeks before the procedure.
Pepper was worried sick during the hours of the surgery but trusted Bruce with Tony’s life. He saved him once before.
Tony had fixed his last remaining Iron Man suit to work without the arc reactor before he put himself beneath Bruce’s scalpel. And it worked just fine.
So everything was all right on the surface but nothing deep underneath. She could see it in the men’s dark eyes. She felt it herself inside.
All three of them were struggling.
Badly.
While Tony and Bruce spoke to her in a normal way, they never spoke more then a few polite words.
Where was the time when she had to look for them in the lab, day and night, heads stuck together over one more experiment? Staring at huge computer screens and holographs of one “Mandarin-bombing” or another, trying to read heat signatures and helping Pepper adjust to her own new superpowers. Using words she’d never heard before, clearly enjoying each other’s level of intelligence, each other’s company.
Tony had never before accepted someone in his workshop. But with Doctor Banner there, he’d never been happier. Bruce was finally someone who understood his science language.
And now all there is, is silence.
“Guys…” Pepper hesitantly starts after Pizza one evening, “Please can we have a talk?”
Both men look at her in surprise, almost shocked. Tony stands immediately, muttering something about needing to be in the garage, Bruce mentioning an interesting science documentary on TV, both avoiding her glance.
“I can’t live like this anymore.” She grabs for her almost-husband’s hand, holding on tight. “It’s like I’m living with two strangers.” Pepper whispers, willing Tony to look at her and not squirm out of her grip.
Out of the corner of her eye she sees how Bruce nervously takes off his glasses and rubs at the bridge of his nose, sighing.
“Tony, please.” She’s begging and is surprised when he let himself be pulled down again.
Awkward minutes tick by, without anyone talking.
Pepper has a very, very uneasy feeling the longer she’s watching Bruce. He’s swallowing more and more often, clearly fighting his inner demon. Pepper can’t let the Hulk come out. She doesn’t want to renovate the living room yet again.
“Bruce,” She’s reaching for the other man’s hand across the table, still holding Tony’s fingers tightly, “What’s wrong?”
The utter sadness in the doctor’s eyes startles her when he looks back briefly, then he shakes his head, pulling back and standing up, “I should be going.”
“No.” That’s Tony’s voice, firm and strong.
Bruce turns and looks at him questioningly, “No?”
“I’ve been an ass, sorry.” Tony is actually apologizing out of the blue.
“No, you haven’t.” Bruce stops, rooted to the spot, “But I don’t belong here anymore. Good bye.”
“Come on, Banner, that’s bullshit.” Tony suddenly stands too, taking a few steps towards the other scientist, “Maybe I don’t belong here anymore.”
“What?” Both Pepper and the doctor ask simultaneously. Pepper’s eyes widening in fear.
“Well,” Tony gestures between them, “you two are different now. I’m normal again.” He awkwardly clears his voice, “And you know how I am when I’m normal, Pep.”
Pepper stares at him for a moment, trying to comprehend what he had just said, slowly realising that that must be the reason for the terrible silence between the two men over the last weeks.
“Tony,” she slowly gets up from the couch, “You are not like you were before.” She waves towards his chest, more than aware that there wasn’t a glowing circle in the middle of it anymore, “I know how you were before. You’re nothing like that. You are still Iron Man.”
“No, I’m not.” He sounds terribly flat and is out of the room within seconds.
Bruce and Pepper look at each other.
“Should I track him, Miss Potts?” Jarvis suddenly quips in.
“Yes, please. Tell me when he leaves the house.”
“Yes, Ma’m.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything…”Bruce starts but Pepper shakes her head.
“No, it’s my fault.” She sighs, “Jarvis what’s he doing?”
Jarvis says nothing but projects the image of the bedroom into the living room. Tony’s sitting on the bed, head in his hands half empty bottle of Scotch on the night stand.
“Tell me how he was before he had to put that reactor into his chest.” Bruce says lowly, not leaving his eyes from the sad man.
Pepper thinks a few moments, until she just says, “An arrogant ass.”
As Bruce looks surprised at her, she smiles and adds, “But I loved him anyway…” Her glance becomes distant, when she remembers all the women he had, how he was impossible to her as her boss, always missing appointments, leaving her to deal with it, never responsible, never available…
“Damn.” Bruce’s upset voice brings her abruptly out of her thoughts and she looks at the holograph again when Bruce runs out of the room and an earth shattering noise makes her jump.
Tony had started yelling and throwing things around, including the Scotch bottle and his glass, smashing it into the mirror which had covered the whole wall opposite the bed. Thousand tiny pieces of glass covering the thick plush carpet and the large bed all around him now, just as the glass walls had in his work shop two years back when he started to construct the Iron Man suit.
Pepper freezes, shocked. He must have downed the Scotch all at once.
“Pep, love you,” and, “Banner, come down here, now,” are yelled loudly in turn.
As Bruce enters the room, Pepper witnesses the most unexpected action she’d ever seen.
Tony is in front of Bruce with two big strides, grabs the lapels of his jacket, and smashes his mouth against the other man’s.
“You wanna know why I’m not talking to you?” He breaks the violent kiss while Banner tries to regain his stance and not fall to the floor, into the shreds of glass, all the while holding Tony away from him at arm’s length.
“You took my identity away! You destroyed Iron Man!” Tony gasps but despite the angry words, he tries to kiss the other scientist again, overpowering the other man’s grasp.
Pepper is still unable to move, not believing her eyes and ears.
“Stark, come to your senses.” Banner tries to soothe the billionaire, clearly struggling, “You agreed to my idea. You worked with me on this. You wanted this. You figured out how it would work best!”
“No, noooo… you…you tricked me.”
Pepper shakes her head, knowing it was the other way round. Tony was adamant at using the Extremis that runs through her veins to close the hole in his chest, to coax all the shrapnel out of his body, and after that wanting to help Bruce to manage the other guy in him to their advantage, to put Bruce’s brain in charge of Hulk and not let him be the out of control monster he used to be but already wasn’t in New York anymore.
Pepper feels her own insides start to boil and takes a few steadying breaths, finally able to move, making her way down the stairs. She can’t see the men anymore while she’s running but clearly hears them.
Tony’s unsteady voice gasping and slurring, “And you know…you kn…know what the fucked up bullshit is in this, Banner?”
“No.”
“As much as I hate you, I…I want you…” A pause. “ I want you in my…my bed… as much …as I want Pep there.”
Pepper’s eyes grow wide when she hears this, rounding the corner to their bedroom.
Banner had managed to drag Tony away from all the glass, both of them standing in the hallway. Bruce supporting Tony with one arm, leaning him against the wall, looking at Pepper wide eyed, knowing she must have heard.
“Stark, you better sleep this off and then we talk, okay?” Bruce tries, but gets pulled down from Tony’s weight because he doesn’t let go. Both slide down the wall and onto the floor. Pepper can see how Bruce first resists but then eagerly responds to the kiss Tony again lures him into.
And she’s doesn’t mind.
To her surprise she doesn’t feel any jealousy at all.
All the weeks Bruce Banner had lived with them she’d grown to like him too, very much so.
He is a shy but very kind man, very smart, very helpful and considerate and not bad to look at either. She had woken once or twice to exactly that image she had in front of her right now, both men kissing, kissing passionately. It must be her own different body structure to letting her feel like that and like the idea. Or maybe it was just the alternative to losingTony. She couldn’t live with losing him, but she surely could share him with Bruce.
“Pep, don’t… don’t…stand there.” Tony looks at her with glassy eyes, “Come here, here…” he gestures at her, padding the spot on the floor, never letting go of Bruce, whose eyes are wide and it looks like he’s holding his breath, kneeling awkwardly beside Tony.
As soon as she also kneels beside her lover, he pulls her towards him and plunges his tongue into her mouth, devouring her, tasting like alcohol and peppermint.
As fast as he’d started the kiss, as fast Tony stops it and looks from Bruce to Pepper demanding, “Now you two kiss.”
But they both shake their heads, like an inner understanding growing between them, “No, Tony, you’re drunk. You’re not thinking straight.” Pepper suddenly finds the strength to say. But she instantly regrets it because Tony pushes both of them away, staggering to his feet.
“Jarvis…suit.” He commands holding out his arms.
Bruce looks at her confused, the whole situation clearly getting to him. She sees how he starts to shake and only mutters, “Outside,” his shirt already ripping apart at his biceps.
They meet again on the roof of Stark Tower.
Iron Man and the Hulk.
Pepper all glowing from the inside but not wanting to interfere, her powers raging but she controlled them, just standing by.
Tony needs to fight on his own.
As soon as Tony is inside the suit he’s sober. He’d altered the armour during the last weeks to be able to do that, to clear his system from the poison of the alcohol.
The Hulk stares at him. And all he can see is Bruce’s eyes. They are hard and determined. Determined to give him a lesson. Tony looks at Pepper, feeling ashamed all of a sudden, clearly remembering what he’d just said and done.
“Fight.” The Hulk says, throwing him from the tower.
Tony uses the suit’s thrusters and is back up and on Banner’s back within seconds. They just kind of wrestle, since throwing each other around very far isn’t possible on the small space compared to the super powers they have. Destroying other buildings is out of the question as well.
Pepper observes the ongoing fight, losing track of time. She’s scanning them, sensing that neither of them are holding back. Tony in his suit might be smaller, but he’s much more agile then the Hulk. He’s faster, flying around his head, making his eyes cross.
Time flies by. After a while the Hulk catches him but Iron Man burns his fingers and he lets go, changing into Bruce immediately, falling to all fours, gasping.
“Jarvis, take it off.” Tony orders, clearly out of breath himself.
And as he’s free of his armour, he falls down beside Bruce, muttering, “Lesson learned. Thank you, Banner. You staying?”
Bruce looks at him oddly, still panting, glancing at Pepper briefly.
She’s still not able to move, just watching them.
“I meant that, you know,” Tony gestures at her to join them, then looking at Bruce. When she kneels awkwardly beside them, he elaborates, “I do want you both in my bed, IF that’s okay with you two.” He looks from one to the other, his eyes unusually soft.
“Pep, I love you.” He pulls her down and kisses her as tenderly as she was ever kissed by him. Then he gently licks her lips one last time and turns towards Bruce, “Doc, I couldn’t talk to you anymore, because working with you day and night, being so close…I wanted…”
“I know what you want.” Bruce interrupts Tony’s sentence huskily, “likewise. That’s one reason I avoided you…” he leans down and brushes his lips across Tony’s in a chaste kiss then looks at Pepper and asks, “But what do you want us to do?”
“As I said before, kiss. Why wouldn’t you? I can see how you two look at each other secretly, you know.” Tony’s old smug smile comes through for a second, “We’re different from normal people, why shouldn’t our relationship be different?” Lost in thought he pulls both of them down to cradle their heads against his chest, fingers buried in red and dark hair, fully aware that he had just admitted that even without the reactor in his chest he isn’t a normal man.
He’s Iron Man, an Avenger. And Pepper might be one soon too.
As he stares at the stars, his thoughts not disturbed by alien/panic attacks but with hopeful thoughts about his allies Thor, Clint, Nat and the Captain plus a luckily alive Phil, he smiles, feeling his fingers slip out of soft and sweaty hair since the two people that mean the most to him in his life move, and gently kiss finally, leaning onto his healthy chest.
“That’s hot.” He simply says and strokes his hands down one back that’s slender and female and very familiar, covered in a silky blouse and the other, nude, sweaty, muscular, definitely male and pleasurably unfamiliar.
This is going to be the best night ever in their lives.
F I N
Pairing: Tony/Bruce B./Pepper
Rating: PG 13
Word Count: 4085
Written for this prompt: “Just an idea I can't get out of my head: Bruce moves into Stark Tower shortly after IM3 and everything is fine and science-y and Bruce helps Tony figure out how to cure Pepper. And then Tony gets his heart fixed and gets the reactor out. And then Bruce can't speak to Tony for a month. (Not out of anger or anything. Bruce just has a hard time dealing with the change and has no idea how to talk about it with Tony largely because of their "terrible privilege" conversation in Avengers and how much that conversation meant to Bruce.)
+1 Tony is ALSO having a hard time dealing with life without the reactor (because it is a HUGE part of his identity and suddenly it's gone and how is he supposed to cope with that?).” http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/16019.html?page=15#comments
A/N: This starts directly after the cute IM3 tag scene. I’ve only seen the movie twice and in my opinion, Pepper still has the Extremis inside of her. I could be wrong, though.
I wrote this in June and had completely forgotten to post it in my own LJ! Thanks Indigo_Angels for the beta :D
Bruce stirs in his sleep, his back aching. Why is he so uncomfortable?
Something is hitting him. Something soft…like paper?
“Hey.”
A voice is in his ear.
“Hey Banner…”
A very familiar, somewhat pissed voice. Sleep slowly leaves him and he tries to stretch his legs but can’t, something is blocking the way.
Anger starts to rise within him and in a conscious thought he instantly opens his eyes.
To look straight into another set of dark brown ones, mocking him. That voice saying, “How dare you, Banner, falling asleep on me while I tell you my life story?”
“What? Wait!” Bruce feels the anger turn into relief and he sits up more straight in the chair. ( Of course that’s where his back ache came from). “I told you, Stark, that I am not such a doctor…”
There is a light slap on his shoulder, “How dare you fall asleep on me while I’m talking to you anyway?” Tony is right in his personal space now, leaning in, noses inches apart, the corners of his eyes crinkling up, but his expression dead serious.
Bruce can hardly suppress the laughter that starts up inside of him and he takes hold of Tony’s forearms, “You were talking for hours…”
“Well, everybody around me keeps telling me I should talk about it, including you.” Tony’s eyes show true hurt and Bruce stops the laughter before it comes out, realizing that Tony isn’t in a joking mood.
“Yes, yes, of course, I’m sorry.” Bruce sits up even straighter, to bring some distance between them, Tony’s very close proximity totally unsettling him.
Suddenly the billionaire moves away, bending down to pick up all the little paper balls he’d thrown Bruce’s way off the floor, “I’m not going to see some shrink. No.”
“I didn’t say you should.” Bruce states, catching the paper that gets thrown at him yet again, already used to Tony’s strange habits during the weeks he’d moved into Stark Tower.
“You know what?” Tony turns towards the door, “We need to check if Pepper is still sleeping properly.”
Bruce shakes his head at Tony’s abrupt change of topics. He mentally slaps himself for not listening to what Tony had to tell him from his past. Maybe he’d have gotten an idea how to help his friend with the panic attacks. Bruce still felt absolutely guilty that neither he or any other Avenger were at Tony’s side when the terrible “Mandarin” accident happened.
Of course they should have a look at Pepper. But Jarvis was monitoring her and Bruce had learned that the always present computer system really was a big and accurate help in Tony’s household. Never failing, always up to the tasks it was told to do. Bruce felt uncomfortable at first with the voice out of nowhere but soon got used to it.
When Bruce got the call from Tony, that he needed his help with Pepper’s health, he was wondering at first why they wouldn’t call a local doctor. Tony just had said, “No. Not a local doctor. I need you . Please.”
Tony Stark begging had made him curious, and he’d hesitantly answered, “Okay.”
In an instant Iron Man appeared, lifted him up and flew him, loudly protesting, back to New York.
The two scientists had worked with the Extremis in her body day by day since then. Tony terribly afraid she’d turn into a Rage-Monster too. But she remained herself, to her own and his relief. She was very willing to work with them and did test after test after test, learning her new strengths, freaking out more often than not but also getting braver and braver, sparring with Tony in his suit after the third week.
She even asked if she could try the Hulk but Bruce lifted his hands in shock, shaking his head vehemently.
+++
As Bruce catches up with Tony, the other man gently strokes red- blonde hair off his girl friend’s forehead, sitting cross legged beside her on their bed.
“Sleeping beauty…” he mutters to himself.
“Yes, she is,” Bruce says, watching from the doorway. “You should get some sleep too,” and before Tony can protest, he adds, “your doctor’s orders,” and smirks.
“My…naaa…” Tony wants to jump up again but Bruce already stepped closer, lifts up the duvet and throws it over Tony.
“Yes.” Bruce’s voice is firm, not allowing any discussion. When the other man looks really miserable at him, he murmurs softly, pulling a chair towards Tony’s side of the bed. “I’ll wake you when the nightmares start and we can talk, okay?”
“You’ll fall asleep on me anyway again…” Tony huffs but pulls the blanket towards his chin, snuggling closer to Pepper who turns right into his arms.
“No, I won’t.” Bruce takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes, then puts them on again, snatching a magazine from the huge stack on the night stand. “I’m really sorry about that.”
Tony frowns, gives the doctor a last doubtful look but finally gives in to sleep that heavily pulls at his eye lids. Having a compliant and healthy (under the circumstances) Pepper in his arms is the best sleeping pill.
+++
Pepper wakes from a soft snoring in her ear and from the sunlight that’s streaming into the large bedroom. Also to a scratching noise like someone is scribbling something very fast on paper with a pen. She hadn’t heard that sound in ages, being surrounded by robots and Jarvis everywhere. So she’s very slowly moving out from under Tony’s embrace, kissing him gently on his scratchy cheek, thankful that he’s sleeping so peacefully.
When she looks over his shoulder, she sees the source of the scribbling noise. Doctor Banner, sitting on a chair, legs propped up on another one, magazines spread all over Tony’s side of the bed, sheets of paper as well. Bruce’s glasses have slipped down on his nose and he looks as if he’s concentrating very hard. Concentrating so hard that Pepper holds her breath so as not startle him.
Suddenly Tony starts to thrash in his sleep, grunting and making inarticulate sounds. Legs and arms kicking until he loudly yells, “NO!!”
Bruce instantly lets the notes slip from his lap, reaching out for the other man to shake him lightly. Pepper does the same but Tony doesn’t come out of it. His tossing gets more and more violent and the calls turn into, “Not Earth! Not my people! We’ll destroy you!”
One of his kicks sends Pepper out of bed. She hasn’t learned yet how to use her strength in a sudden situation. So she sits on the floor for a moment, rubbing her head, feeling dizzy.
Bruce doesn’t think, just reacts on instinct. He straddles Tony and grabs his arms, talking loud and firm, “Stark, come out of it. You are safe. So are we. We defeated them.”
Tony’s movements get weaker but don’t stop, “They’ll come again…” He sobs, freeing one hand and clinging to Bruce’s biceps. His eyes open wide.
“Tony, wake up,” the doctor says firmly again, “We’ll be ready. We are stronger. We have help. Wake up now.”
Pepper’s heart hammers in her throat and she scrambles on the bed again, laying her hand on her lover’s cheek just as Bruce does the same. “Please,” the doctor adds in a very soft murmur.
Suddenly Tony sits up straight, “What? Where?….” and falls back into the rumpled pillows again, looking at them both in turn, blinking, “Pep’? Banner?”
“You with us now?” Bruce asks. And when Tony hesitantly says, “I think so.” Bruce realises where he’s sitting, clearly feels embarrassed and moves out of the bed as fast as he can, blushing, gathering his notes from the floor.
Tony looks at Pepper questioningly and she takes his hand, kissing the knuckles, “He just got you out of your nightmare.”
“Oh he did?”
“Yes he did.” A voice confirmed from the ceiling just as Pepper wants to answer.
“Jarvis. Stay out of the bedroom.” Tony orders, already his normal self.
“But you told me to monitor…”
“Yes, while she was alone. Is she still alone?”
“No, Sir. But I thought…”
“Jarvis!”
“I can give you the readings from your dream…”
“Yes. Later, thank you.” Tony gestures at the ceiling and when there isn’t any answer he looks at Bruce, murmuring, “Thank you,” as well.
The other scientist nods shortly, “Do you want to talk about it?”
Tony stares at his friend for a long while and then shakes his head, “Maybe later.”
Bruce accepts the answer and gets ready to leave the room when Tony reaches out a hand, gesturing towards the stack of notes in his hands, “What’s this?”
“Oh that’s…that’s nothing, just some research while you two were asleep.”
“Banner. There is no nothing in your head. Show me that.”
Bruce hesitates for a moment, but knowing that they think alike anyway and that Stark would come to this conclusion sooner or later - if he set his mind to it that is - he hands the rumpled sheets of paper over.
Tony settles back in the pillows, pulling Pepper into his side and starts to skip through the hand written notes.
Every so often he squeezes his eyes shut, murmuring, “Shitty handwriting,” but keeps on reading.
Then he looks up, dark eyes boring straight through the doctor, who uncertainly stands by the door. “Why are you standing there?” Tony frowns, “I thought we’re supposed to work together?” He pats the other side on the bed, indicating for Bruce to sit down.
“Well, I thought you two…”
“Nonsense. Pep’ knows how I work, been my assistant for ages.” Tony kisses said assistant fully and gently on her beautiful lips. “So would you sit down now, doctor? You can’t hand me something like this and then leave.”
Bruce, feeling very odd, steps closer and sits gingerly on the edge of the bed.
“So you want to take my little reactor out.” Tony states, confusion obvious in his voice.
“Well, I thought it might help with the nightmares and you might generally feel better.”
Tony stares at Bruce for a very, very long moment then nods hesitantly.
++++
five weeks later
They haven’t talked in weeks.
Pepper doesn’t know what to do.
Tony seems to be his usual self again after the surgery. Bruce had done it himself, after they’d both sat for days on end in Tony’s lab and experimented with the Extremis and other things she doesn’t want to know about. They were like Siamese twins during those weeks before the procedure.
Pepper was worried sick during the hours of the surgery but trusted Bruce with Tony’s life. He saved him once before.
Tony had fixed his last remaining Iron Man suit to work without the arc reactor before he put himself beneath Bruce’s scalpel. And it worked just fine.
So everything was all right on the surface but nothing deep underneath. She could see it in the men’s dark eyes. She felt it herself inside.
All three of them were struggling.
Badly.
While Tony and Bruce spoke to her in a normal way, they never spoke more then a few polite words.
Where was the time when she had to look for them in the lab, day and night, heads stuck together over one more experiment? Staring at huge computer screens and holographs of one “Mandarin-bombing” or another, trying to read heat signatures and helping Pepper adjust to her own new superpowers. Using words she’d never heard before, clearly enjoying each other’s level of intelligence, each other’s company.
Tony had never before accepted someone in his workshop. But with Doctor Banner there, he’d never been happier. Bruce was finally someone who understood his science language.
And now all there is, is silence.
“Guys…” Pepper hesitantly starts after Pizza one evening, “Please can we have a talk?”
Both men look at her in surprise, almost shocked. Tony stands immediately, muttering something about needing to be in the garage, Bruce mentioning an interesting science documentary on TV, both avoiding her glance.
“I can’t live like this anymore.” She grabs for her almost-husband’s hand, holding on tight. “It’s like I’m living with two strangers.” Pepper whispers, willing Tony to look at her and not squirm out of her grip.
Out of the corner of her eye she sees how Bruce nervously takes off his glasses and rubs at the bridge of his nose, sighing.
“Tony, please.” She’s begging and is surprised when he let himself be pulled down again.
Awkward minutes tick by, without anyone talking.
Pepper has a very, very uneasy feeling the longer she’s watching Bruce. He’s swallowing more and more often, clearly fighting his inner demon. Pepper can’t let the Hulk come out. She doesn’t want to renovate the living room yet again.
“Bruce,” She’s reaching for the other man’s hand across the table, still holding Tony’s fingers tightly, “What’s wrong?”
The utter sadness in the doctor’s eyes startles her when he looks back briefly, then he shakes his head, pulling back and standing up, “I should be going.”
“No.” That’s Tony’s voice, firm and strong.
Bruce turns and looks at him questioningly, “No?”
“I’ve been an ass, sorry.” Tony is actually apologizing out of the blue.
“No, you haven’t.” Bruce stops, rooted to the spot, “But I don’t belong here anymore. Good bye.”
“Come on, Banner, that’s bullshit.” Tony suddenly stands too, taking a few steps towards the other scientist, “Maybe I don’t belong here anymore.”
“What?” Both Pepper and the doctor ask simultaneously. Pepper’s eyes widening in fear.
“Well,” Tony gestures between them, “you two are different now. I’m normal again.” He awkwardly clears his voice, “And you know how I am when I’m normal, Pep.”
Pepper stares at him for a moment, trying to comprehend what he had just said, slowly realising that that must be the reason for the terrible silence between the two men over the last weeks.
“Tony,” she slowly gets up from the couch, “You are not like you were before.” She waves towards his chest, more than aware that there wasn’t a glowing circle in the middle of it anymore, “I know how you were before. You’re nothing like that. You are still Iron Man.”
“No, I’m not.” He sounds terribly flat and is out of the room within seconds.
Bruce and Pepper look at each other.
“Should I track him, Miss Potts?” Jarvis suddenly quips in.
“Yes, please. Tell me when he leaves the house.”
“Yes, Ma’m.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything…”Bruce starts but Pepper shakes her head.
“No, it’s my fault.” She sighs, “Jarvis what’s he doing?”
Jarvis says nothing but projects the image of the bedroom into the living room. Tony’s sitting on the bed, head in his hands half empty bottle of Scotch on the night stand.
“Tell me how he was before he had to put that reactor into his chest.” Bruce says lowly, not leaving his eyes from the sad man.
Pepper thinks a few moments, until she just says, “An arrogant ass.”
As Bruce looks surprised at her, she smiles and adds, “But I loved him anyway…” Her glance becomes distant, when she remembers all the women he had, how he was impossible to her as her boss, always missing appointments, leaving her to deal with it, never responsible, never available…
“Damn.” Bruce’s upset voice brings her abruptly out of her thoughts and she looks at the holograph again when Bruce runs out of the room and an earth shattering noise makes her jump.
Tony had started yelling and throwing things around, including the Scotch bottle and his glass, smashing it into the mirror which had covered the whole wall opposite the bed. Thousand tiny pieces of glass covering the thick plush carpet and the large bed all around him now, just as the glass walls had in his work shop two years back when he started to construct the Iron Man suit.
Pepper freezes, shocked. He must have downed the Scotch all at once.
“Pep, love you,” and, “Banner, come down here, now,” are yelled loudly in turn.
As Bruce enters the room, Pepper witnesses the most unexpected action she’d ever seen.
Tony is in front of Bruce with two big strides, grabs the lapels of his jacket, and smashes his mouth against the other man’s.
“You wanna know why I’m not talking to you?” He breaks the violent kiss while Banner tries to regain his stance and not fall to the floor, into the shreds of glass, all the while holding Tony away from him at arm’s length.
“You took my identity away! You destroyed Iron Man!” Tony gasps but despite the angry words, he tries to kiss the other scientist again, overpowering the other man’s grasp.
Pepper is still unable to move, not believing her eyes and ears.
“Stark, come to your senses.” Banner tries to soothe the billionaire, clearly struggling, “You agreed to my idea. You worked with me on this. You wanted this. You figured out how it would work best!”
“No, noooo… you…you tricked me.”
Pepper shakes her head, knowing it was the other way round. Tony was adamant at using the Extremis that runs through her veins to close the hole in his chest, to coax all the shrapnel out of his body, and after that wanting to help Bruce to manage the other guy in him to their advantage, to put Bruce’s brain in charge of Hulk and not let him be the out of control monster he used to be but already wasn’t in New York anymore.
Pepper feels her own insides start to boil and takes a few steadying breaths, finally able to move, making her way down the stairs. She can’t see the men anymore while she’s running but clearly hears them.
Tony’s unsteady voice gasping and slurring, “And you know…you kn…know what the fucked up bullshit is in this, Banner?”
“No.”
“As much as I hate you, I…I want you…” A pause. “ I want you in my…my bed… as much …as I want Pep there.”
Pepper’s eyes grow wide when she hears this, rounding the corner to their bedroom.
Banner had managed to drag Tony away from all the glass, both of them standing in the hallway. Bruce supporting Tony with one arm, leaning him against the wall, looking at Pepper wide eyed, knowing she must have heard.
“Stark, you better sleep this off and then we talk, okay?” Bruce tries, but gets pulled down from Tony’s weight because he doesn’t let go. Both slide down the wall and onto the floor. Pepper can see how Bruce first resists but then eagerly responds to the kiss Tony again lures him into.
And she’s doesn’t mind.
To her surprise she doesn’t feel any jealousy at all.
All the weeks Bruce Banner had lived with them she’d grown to like him too, very much so.
He is a shy but very kind man, very smart, very helpful and considerate and not bad to look at either. She had woken once or twice to exactly that image she had in front of her right now, both men kissing, kissing passionately. It must be her own different body structure to letting her feel like that and like the idea. Or maybe it was just the alternative to losingTony. She couldn’t live with losing him, but she surely could share him with Bruce.
“Pep, don’t… don’t…stand there.” Tony looks at her with glassy eyes, “Come here, here…” he gestures at her, padding the spot on the floor, never letting go of Bruce, whose eyes are wide and it looks like he’s holding his breath, kneeling awkwardly beside Tony.
As soon as she also kneels beside her lover, he pulls her towards him and plunges his tongue into her mouth, devouring her, tasting like alcohol and peppermint.
As fast as he’d started the kiss, as fast Tony stops it and looks from Bruce to Pepper demanding, “Now you two kiss.”
But they both shake their heads, like an inner understanding growing between them, “No, Tony, you’re drunk. You’re not thinking straight.” Pepper suddenly finds the strength to say. But she instantly regrets it because Tony pushes both of them away, staggering to his feet.
“Jarvis…suit.” He commands holding out his arms.
Bruce looks at her confused, the whole situation clearly getting to him. She sees how he starts to shake and only mutters, “Outside,” his shirt already ripping apart at his biceps.
They meet again on the roof of Stark Tower.
Iron Man and the Hulk.
Pepper all glowing from the inside but not wanting to interfere, her powers raging but she controlled them, just standing by.
Tony needs to fight on his own.
As soon as Tony is inside the suit he’s sober. He’d altered the armour during the last weeks to be able to do that, to clear his system from the poison of the alcohol.
The Hulk stares at him. And all he can see is Bruce’s eyes. They are hard and determined. Determined to give him a lesson. Tony looks at Pepper, feeling ashamed all of a sudden, clearly remembering what he’d just said and done.
“Fight.” The Hulk says, throwing him from the tower.
Tony uses the suit’s thrusters and is back up and on Banner’s back within seconds. They just kind of wrestle, since throwing each other around very far isn’t possible on the small space compared to the super powers they have. Destroying other buildings is out of the question as well.
Pepper observes the ongoing fight, losing track of time. She’s scanning them, sensing that neither of them are holding back. Tony in his suit might be smaller, but he’s much more agile then the Hulk. He’s faster, flying around his head, making his eyes cross.
Time flies by. After a while the Hulk catches him but Iron Man burns his fingers and he lets go, changing into Bruce immediately, falling to all fours, gasping.
“Jarvis, take it off.” Tony orders, clearly out of breath himself.
And as he’s free of his armour, he falls down beside Bruce, muttering, “Lesson learned. Thank you, Banner. You staying?”
Bruce looks at him oddly, still panting, glancing at Pepper briefly.
She’s still not able to move, just watching them.
“I meant that, you know,” Tony gestures at her to join them, then looking at Bruce. When she kneels awkwardly beside them, he elaborates, “I do want you both in my bed, IF that’s okay with you two.” He looks from one to the other, his eyes unusually soft.
“Pep, I love you.” He pulls her down and kisses her as tenderly as she was ever kissed by him. Then he gently licks her lips one last time and turns towards Bruce, “Doc, I couldn’t talk to you anymore, because working with you day and night, being so close…I wanted…”
“I know what you want.” Bruce interrupts Tony’s sentence huskily, “likewise. That’s one reason I avoided you…” he leans down and brushes his lips across Tony’s in a chaste kiss then looks at Pepper and asks, “But what do you want us to do?”
“As I said before, kiss. Why wouldn’t you? I can see how you two look at each other secretly, you know.” Tony’s old smug smile comes through for a second, “We’re different from normal people, why shouldn’t our relationship be different?” Lost in thought he pulls both of them down to cradle their heads against his chest, fingers buried in red and dark hair, fully aware that he had just admitted that even without the reactor in his chest he isn’t a normal man.
He’s Iron Man, an Avenger. And Pepper might be one soon too.
As he stares at the stars, his thoughts not disturbed by alien/panic attacks but with hopeful thoughts about his allies Thor, Clint, Nat and the Captain plus a luckily alive Phil, he smiles, feeling his fingers slip out of soft and sweaty hair since the two people that mean the most to him in his life move, and gently kiss finally, leaning onto his healthy chest.
“That’s hot.” He simply says and strokes his hands down one back that’s slender and female and very familiar, covered in a silky blouse and the other, nude, sweaty, muscular, definitely male and pleasurably unfamiliar.
This is going to be the best night ever in their lives.
F I N