Touching Base
Touching Base
Author: enigmaticblue
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters; too bad, so sad.
Spoilers: Through Captain America: Winter Soldier, and a sequel to That Kind of Lonely
Pairings/Characters: Gen, team fic
Word Count: ~2500
Summary: The Avengers answer to no one but each other now, but that means they actually need to spend time together.
A/N: Written for
jesterlady .
“You want to what?” Bruce asks, certain that he hadn’t heard Tony right.
Tony smirks. “I know you heard me.”
“I heard you, but I’m pretty sure I heard wrong,” Bruce replies. “Because there is no way a team dinner doesn’t end badly.”
Tony points at him. “Hey, you signed up for this.”
“No, I signed up for Candyland,” Bruce counters. “And for some odd reason, I actually like you, so I signed up to do what a friend does.”
“Run interference?” Tony asks. “Protect me from those who would take advantage? This is why your presence is required.”
Bruce sighs and takes off his glasses, rubbing his eyes. “Fine. Team dinners it is.”
Tony grins. “Great! I’ll put the word out.”
Bruce really doesn’t see how this is going to end well, but Tony is right; he’d sort of signed up for it. He still doesn’t see himself as part of the team, but he’s Tony’s friend, and for that reason alone, he’s going to see this through.
Besides, as Tony has said more than once, if they ever need the Other Guy, they’re really going to need him.
Part of Bruce doesn’t actually believe that they’ll ever get the whole team together for dinner. They all have rather hectic schedules, and Thor isn’t even on the planet half the time. Steve stays busy with missions to distract himself, especially when Bucky disappears for weeks at a time. Clint and Natasha are rarely around as they try to pick up the pieces that SHIELD’s collapse had left behind. Sam has his work at the VA.
Sometimes, thinking about all of those people makes Bruce’s head hurt, because the more people he knows and likes, the more people stand to get hurt when his control inevitably breaks.
He shoves that thought aside and gets back to work. With any luck, Tony will either drop the idea, or it just won’t work out.
~~~~~
Of course, this is Tony, and once Tony gets an idea into his head, he doesn’t let it go. That’s how Bruce ended up coming back to New York, and how he wound up living in the Tower, and now why he’s actually considering himself as part of the Avengers.
And it’s also why, when Tony tells him that the team dinner is a go, Bruce clears his schedule.
“You got Thor to come, too?” Bruce asks.
“I think he felt a little left out,” Tony replies. “You know, after everything that happened.”
Bruce raises his eyebrows. “What exactly are we feeding everybody?”
Tony grins approvingly. “I like your use of ‘we,’ Big Man. If you don’t want to cook, we can order in. Hell, I’ll get it catered.”
“How many people are we talking?” Bruce asks. He can feed eight people easily, but more than that, and it’s more trouble than he really wants to deal with.
“Just the core group this time,” Tony assures him. “You, me, Rogers, Romanoff, Barton, and Thor. I’d ask Rhodey, but he’s out on a mission, and Pepper is traveling that week. Very low key, I swear.”
Bruce thinks about the chill in the air, and says, “I’ll make a pot of soup and sandwiches.”
“I knew you’d get into the spirit of things,” Tony says approvingly.
Bruce rolls his eyes. “Don’t push your luck, Stark,” he orders, but he’s mostly joking.
Tony has pulled Bruce into a world where he actually feels as though he belongs. Is it any wonder that Bruce would do anything to protect him?
~~~~~
Predictably, Steve shows up early with an offer to help. “You can help me put together the sandwiches,” Bruce replies.
The soup is simmering nicely on the stove, the rich smell of beef and vegetables fills the living area. “Where’s Tony?” Steve asks.
“Finishing something up in the lab,” Bruce replies. “He’s been working on a few new toys. How have you been, Steve?”
Steve shrugs. “Good. I’ve been staying busy.”
“And Barnes?” Bruce asks.
Steve grimaces. “He’s gone again, but last time he only stayed away a couple of weeks.”
“He can take care of himself, and he knows he can come back here,” Bruce replies. “It might take him a while to decide he’s going to stick permanently, but I believe he’ll get there.”
Steve smiles. “You’re really good with him, you know.”
“I know what it’s like to be on the run,” Bruce replies. “And I don’t look very threatening.”
Steve gives him a look. “You can be plenty scary when you want to be.”
Bruce hitches a shoulder. “When I have cause.”
They have a platter of sandwiches ready to go by the time Thor shows up. “My friends!” he says, his voice just a little louder than it needs to be. “It is good to see you.”
Steve shakes his hand and then accepts a manly embrace. “Good to see you, too.”
“Dr. Banner,” Thor says. “You are looking well.”
“I’m feeling pretty good too,” Bruce replies. “How long have you been in town?”
“Only a few days,” Thor replies. “I’ve been helping my lady Jane move.”
Bruce knows Jane Foster by reputation. “Yeah? Where is she moving?”
“Here, in the city,” Thor replies. “I will be able to come to your aid.”
Bruce and Steve share a grin. “That will be great,” Steve says.
Clint is the next to show up with a six-pack of beer. “Where’s Stark? I thought this was his party.”
“Still in the lab, putting the finishing touches on a couple of things,” Bruce replies, being deliberately coy. Tony’s taking his role of godfather to the Avengers very seriously.
“Where’s Natasha?” Steve asks.
“Running a little late, is what she told me,” Clint replies. “Cap, Thor, beer?”
“You know we have plenty of things to drink,” Bruce says.
Clint shrugs. “I hate showing up empty handed.”
Bruce tosses him a bottle opener. “Thanks. I’ll take one.”
Clint removes the caps from four bottles and hands them around. “So, when does this party get started?”
“Jarvis, tell Tony that dinner is ready and he’s expected,” Bruce says.
“He’s on his way up, Dr. Banner,” Jarvis replies.
The elevator opens and Tony emerges with a large cardboard box in his arms. “And now the party can start!”
Bruce rolls his eyes. “Natasha isn’t here yet.”
“She can be fashionably late,” Tony replies, setting the box down on the floor.
“What’s in the box?” Steve asks.
Tony grins. “Party favors.”
“Was I supposed to bring something?” Thor asks. “I was not aware that it was customary.”
Tony pats Thor on the chest on his way to the wet bar. “Just your presence is enough, Blondie. When you start hanging around here more often, then you can start bringing things.”
“What kind of things?” Thor asks.
“Beer, food, gifts, pretty much whatever you want,” Clint says. “Don’t worry about it. We don’t stand on ceremony here.”
The elevator doors chime, and Natasha walks through, looking way too classy for the likes of this crowd in a red dress and heels, which she steps out of right inside the door. “I’ll take one of those,” she says, looking at the bottles of beer.
Clint uncaps another one and holds it out to her. “Have a good chat with Fury?”
She glares at him. “Fury’s dead, remember?”
Clint grins unrepentantly. “So?”
She rolls her eyes but also looks impossibly fond. “He’s fine. He’s working on a few angles, but nothing he needs us for.”
“Dinner is ready,” Bruce calls.
He hasn’t had a lot of experience with family dinners, or with dinners with the whole team present, but that’s what this feels like. They dish up bowls of soup and pass around the platter of sandwiches. Clint and Thor have a second beer, although Bruce and Steve switch to water after the first one. Natasha joins Tony for something harder.
They sprawl out on the couches and chairs, and Bruce relaxes by degrees, his shoulder bumping Tony’s companionably.
“So, where’s Pepper?” Natasha asks, taking a sip of whiskey.
Tony waves a hand. “Some business trip to somewhere.”
“To London,” Bruce inserts with a wry smile.
Natasha smirks. “I can’t believe you didn’t know that, and that Bruce did.”
Bruce grins wryly. “Pepper and I are friends, and we can’t gang up on Tony if we don’t know where the other person is.”
“You mean Pepper asks you to manage Tony when she’s gone,” Steve says with a raised eyebrow.
Tony glares. “I get no love around here.”
Bruce pats his knee, far more comfortable with physical affection these days. “No, this is an expression of our concern for your well-being. I think it’s time to bring out the box.”
It’s a way to change the subject, and a successful one, because Tony lights up. The thing about Tony is that while he can be a self-centered asshole, he’s also one of the most generous people Bruce knows. It’s a paradox.
“I wasn’t really sure I could top your armor or the hammer, so I didn’t try,” Tony says with an apologetic look at Thor. “But if there’s anything you need that you think might help you, let me know, and I’ll see what we can come up with. “
“I am quite content with the tools I have,” Thor replies. “And to be with my friends once again.”
“Steve, this is yours,” Tony says, handing him the small black box that he and Bruce had been working on. “For the record, Barnes knew what we were doing, and he was cool with it.”
Steve frowns. “What is it?”
“We lo-jacked his arm,” Bruce admits. “With his permission, of course. You’ll know where he is or if his arm has been damaged, just in case he needs the assist.”
The relief that crosses Steve face is payment enough. “And Bucky was okay with it?”
“Well, we brought it up, and he seemed to think it was a good idea, so we went with it,” Tony replies. “Plus, I’m pretty sure that Bruce could talk your friend into anything.”
Bruce shrugs. “I can’t help it if he likes me.”
Tony rolls his eyes. “Everybody likes you, Banner.”
Bruce looks around the room, expecting someone to disagree, but everybody shrugs in implicit agreement.
“Dr. Banner is very likable,” Jarvis says.
“Case closed,” Tony announces. “Natasha, I have a few things for you, too.”
“You shouldn’t have,” she says, but she leans forward eagerly.
“Improvements to your Widow’s Bite, and a few more masks,” Tony says, handing her a bag. “Have fun.”
Natasha looks as pleased as Bruce has ever seen her. “Thanks.”
“And Clint, we haven’t forgotten you,” Tony continues, pulling out a tray. “I’m not sure how you feel about your arrows, and we weren’t entirely sure what kind of fletching you’d prefer, so we stuck with arrowheads. They’re all labeled.”
Clint pores over the labels and grins broadly. “A net? And more explosive arrows?”
“Plus a few others that pull neat tricks,” Tony replies. “Bruce and I have been working on some options.”
“This is perfect,” Clint exclaims. “With my quiver, extra heads work better. I prefer to use my own shafts.”
Tony smirks, and Bruce rolls his eyes. “It was our pleasure,” Bruce says. “And if you can think of anything else that could help, just let us know.”
“What about Bruce?” Clint asks. “You didn’t get anything for him?”
Tony smirks. “Oh, ye of little faith.”
Bruce frowns. “What? I didn’t think you had anything.”
“I lied,” Tony says bluntly, and pulls something out of the box. “Behold, your emergency pants. Still working on an expandable suit.”
The pants look like an ordinary pair of black boxer-briefs, and Bruce raises his eyebrows. “Okay?”
“Expandable, breathable, and I’ve made many, many pairs, so you’ll never be without coverage,” Tony replies with pardonable smugness.
“Do they come in any other colors?” Brue jokes, trying to hide how touched he is.
Tony smiles, completely unoffended. “That can be taken care of.”
“This is amazing,” Bruce says honestly. “Thank you.”
Tony waves off his thanks. “I wasn’t going to leave you out. Come on, you’re my BFF.”
Bruce laughs, because that’s the only thing he can do. Mostly because it’s true.
He finally makes a friend, and it’s Tony Stark. It would just figure.
Then again, his life could be worse. A lot worse.
“Emergency pants are always appreciated,” Bruce says. “The real question is what you want.”
Tony smiles. “Me? I’ve got everything I want right here.”
And the thing is, Bruce believes him.
The party breaks up not long after that. Clint and Natasha plead an early morning-although doing what, they don’t say-Steve makes some comment about a long day, but the way he’s staring at the tracker, Bruce is fairly certain that he’s going to reassure himself as to Barnes’ whereabouts. Thor, of course, is anxious to get back to Jane, but he takes pains to thank Bruce and Tony for the food and hospitality and promises to return soon.
And that just leaves Tony and Bruce, and Bruce realizes he feels a little awkward. Grateful, but awkward, because his best friend just made him a bunch of underwear.
“So, uh…”
“Don’t mention it,” Tony says firmly. “It was the least I could do.”
Bruce shakes his head. “Tony, you’ve done more for me-for the team-than I could ever repay.”
He doesn’t really want to have this conversation; Bruce isn’t normally one to share his feelings, but it’s the truth.
Tony gives him a long, serious look. “And I know that if anything happens, if I fuck everything up-again-you’ll have my back.”
“I’ll probably call you an idiot, too,” Bruce points out with a smile, some of the tension dissolving. “But yeah.”
Tony smiles, and it’s not one of his public smiles, it’s the one he saves for Pepper and Rhodey, and now, unbelievably, Bruce. “That’s worth a lot more than emergency pants, Big Guy. And you have to know by now that I have your back, too.”
Bruce thinks about Tony’s promise, the one he’d made to get Bruce to return to New York, that no matter what happened, no matter how big of a mess Bruce might end up making, Tony would help him clean it up.
“I know,” Bruce says simply. “So, you want to watch a movie?”
Tony grins. “Only if you make popcorn.”
Bruce rolls his eyes, but levers himself up from the couch. “What would you do without me?”
“Let’s hope I never have to find out,” Tony calls after him, teasing and serious in equal measure.
Privately, Bruce hopes so, too.