Chapter 5
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(2.2m)abny
Tony prodded at an Erienmeyer flask that rested on a steel table, cooling in Bruce’s new state of the art, made just for him, lab. Bruce sat next to him with a small smile on his face as he entered in measurements into his Starkpro laptop. “Sirs, Agent Barton of SHIELD is currently loitering in the lobby.” JARVIS said. Bruce looked up in relative alarm as Tony muttered to himself.
“Took him long enough, Fury must have set a fire under his ass.” In a more audible tone, Tony said, “Send him on up, J.” Bruce transferred his alarming gaze to Tony.
“Yes, sir.” JARVIS answered. Tony met Bruce’s concerned eyes with his own calm ones.
“You wanna greet him with me, Bruce?” Bruce tilted his head ponderingly.
“You invited him here?” Bruce asked. Tony looked momentarily confused.
“Of course I did, why-” Tony checked himself realizing what Bruce’s problem was. “He’s not here for you, Bruce, you’re safe here; you do know that right?” Tony asked him worriedly.
“…Yeah. I know that.” Bruce hesitantly replied. Bruce wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Tony of that or himself. Tony pretended he hadn’t heard the hesitation.
“As he is an Avenger and this is Avenger Tower and all, and he was basically homeless, unless you count the vents at SHIELD a home, I invited him to live here. I probably should have given you more of a heads up. Anyways do you want to come say Hi?” Tony asked almost skipping on his way out of the lab. Bruce lowered his eyes to the laptop in front of him.
“I’ll just stay up here, lots of Science to do...” Bruce trailed off. Tony nodded.
“Well I’m more than enough of a welcome wagon for anyone and as excuses go, Science is a good one, the best one actually.” Bruce smiled weakly at him. Tony grinned back. “At least you’re enjoying the new lab.” Tony added, gesturing at the science bubbling all around them. Bruce smiled more openly.
“It’s a very nice lab Tony, very nice, thank you. This entire floor is beyond breath taking. I can’t imagine how much this all must have cost or how much effort it must have taken.” Bruce finished, embarrassed.
“I told you, don’t worry about it, I’ll see you later kay?” Tony said airily turning to leave the lab through the sliding doors.
“See you, Tony.” Bruce said quietly before returning to his work and trying not to focus on how nervous he was about the idea of living cheek to jowl with a dangerous government agent.
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Tony Stark met Clint Barton at the entrance to the elevator on Bruce’s floor. He entered the elevator, which immediately closed and began heading back down to Clint’s new floor. The agent’s eyes were even more shadowed and weary than the last time he had seen him. The fellow looked paler and seemed to have lost some weight as well. Barton wore a solid black T with an unbuttoned blue jean jacket and black jeans. He carried a large green duffle behind one shoulder. “Hey Barton!” Tony greeted him enthusiastically with a wave almost in his face.
“Stark.” Barton greeted back with a cautious nod. The elevator opened and Tony exited with Clint following. Tony gestured at the common room in front of them and pointed in various directions.
“Welcome to Avenger Tower, whopping willow that way, sorting hat this way, and watch out for the staircases, they like to move.” Tony concluded seriously. Barton rolled his eyes.
“Right…” Clint said. Tony turned back towards him, his eyes resting on the duffle behind Clint's back.
“So…do you have movers coming by with the rest of your stuff?” Stark asked. Clint shifted his bundle awkwardly.
“This is it.” He said. Tony stared.
“Just a duffle?” Tony asked, incredulous. Clint glared defensively.
“Yeah, is that a problem Stark?” He growled. Tony shrugged nonchalantly and smirked.
“Still touchy I see. Not a problem, no, just kinda sad. So where’s your bow, Loxley, I figured you even showered with that thing.” Tony said, leaning to look behind Clint’s shoulder, wondering if it could fit in that duffle of his somehow. Clint’s expression if anything darkened further as he sidestepped away from the nosy billionaire.
“It was confiscated.” He said stiffly. Stark’s gaped, momentarily shocked into silence, and then snapped his mouth closed.
“Oh. Loki. Right. Well that’s just stupid.” Tony said. Clint snorted.
“Tell that to the quacks at SHIELD psych.” Barton said. Tony nodded.
“Maybe I will.” Clint walked further into the flat, eyes cataloguing every detail, automatically searching out all possible entrances, exits, and defensible positions.
“Which is my room?” Barton questioned.
“Uhhh, all of them?” Tony said. Barton spun around swiftly.
“All of them? You mean this whole floor?” He asked.
“Yeah. Is that a problem Barton?” Tony retorted, throwing his previous words back at him. Barton’s eyes narrowed.
“Why?” Hawkeye asked. Tony folded his arms in front of himself.
“What do you mean why?” Barton gestured sharply at the well-appointed apartment around them.
“Why are you doing this?” He asked. Tony shrugged.
“Fury was sick of you living in his walls, it was driving him nuts.” Barton nodded slowly.
“So Fury ordered you to lodge me here?” Tony laughed.
“Ha, I’d like to see him try, don’t you know your third amendment? I thought you were a government agent, tsk, tsk. Anyways, Fury asked, and I said, what the hell.” Tony said. Barton thought for a second and then nodded once more, his eyes clearing.
“Ah, I see now.” Tony frowned momentarily and then pulled out his flashbulb grin.
“You do? Well great, fantastic, so should I make room for Widow in here or what?” He asked with a leer. Barton ignored the look.
“Black Widow? She’ll be living here too?” He queried. Tony spoke slowly as if talking to an idiot.
“Yeah, Avenger Tower, remember? It's a tower for the Avengers, all of them. But I wasn’t sure if you two would be sharing a bed or-“
“Don’t finish that sentence if you like breathing.” Barton interrupted, his face cold and emotionless. Tony hid his shudder and brought out his snark as he backed away toward the elevator.
“Breathing is nice. Sooo separate floors then, got it, well, I’m sure you can finish the rest of the tour on your own. I’ve got stuff to be doing, serious stuff, time-sensitive, important…stuff; I’ll see you around. Adios.” Tony said with a wave as he backed inside his elevator and it slid closed in front of him. Tony sunk to the floor and sat against the wall as the elevator rose back up to his workshop. “Maybe I’m making a mistake J. I don’t think I can bring these people together. Bruce is a self-loathing shut-in, who just does not see how awesome he is. Barton is totally unstable, even I can see that, and what does that tell you? Widow scares the life out of me. Captain America is still a self-righteous dick, who thinks Howard’s a god. Thor, an actual god, is an alien who lives in another fucking world. And I’m the most fucked up of all. There is no way this is going to work. Why did I think this could work?” Tony had his knees pulled up to his chest as he gripped his head in his hands. God, he was just so damn pathetic.
“Sir! I believe in you. I believe that you can do this.” JARVIS insisted, his tone as warm as he could make it. Tony raised his head, and looked towards the eyecam in the wall beside him.
“Do you J? Really? Then how, how do I do this?” Tony asked desperately.
“Don’t give up, do what you always do Sir, keep fighting. You’ll figure it out, you always do.” JARVIS responded calmly. Tony took that in and smiled. At least one person would never give up on him, even if that person didn’t actually posses a body.
“…You’re right, J. You always are. I’m Tony fucking Stark. It’s time I started acting like it.”
“Yes, Sir.” JARVIS, agreed happily.
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(2.2m)abny
“Bruuuce, lets have dinner.” Tony pled, eyes wide and begging. Bruce looked up from the article he was reading, glasses sliding down his nose. He pushed them up and shrugged, smiling at Tony’s expression.
“Sure, what do you want?” Tony rolled his eyes and flopped down on the couch beside him.
“Uh, food, duh.” Tony said.
“What kind of food?” Banner asked, exasperated.
“The edible kind.” Tony replied snippily. Bruce put down the scientific journal and fiddled with his glasses.
“Okaay, how about something homemade?” Bruce suggested nervously.
“You can cook?” Tony asked.
“…Yes.” Bruce responded warily. Tony groaned dramatically.
“Why didn’t you tell me Brucie, why would you keep that from me, I thought we were science bros, how could you!?” Bruce shied away from Tony’s overloud voice in his ear.
“Ugh, so how about I make…something?” Tony nodded earnestly and grasped his shoulder.
“Yes, make it now, what do you need, we could go on a shopping trip, or ask JARVIS to get supplies delivered. Whatever you want Bruciebear, name it. Just FEED me!” He finished Little Shop Of Horror style. Bruce for once didn’t mini-flinch away from Stark’s hand on him. Tony took that as a win.
“Um…I’d like to go out and get some fresh ingredients, if you don’t mind?” Bruce asked tentatively.
“Of course I don’t mind. Why would I mind? Let’s go, I’ll get the Jag ready.”
“Alright, sounds good.” Bruce said as Tony almost ran to the parking garage. Bruce leaving the Tower counted as another win. Tony hoped he could earn some more wins before the day was out, like Bruce talking to another person besides himself or JARVIS. Neither he nor Bruce had seen any sign of the archer since he had moved in yesterday. However he had it on good authority, JARVIS, that the man had already found his way into the bowels of the Tower’s ventilation system. He decided not to tell Bruce about that. The guy was anxious enough about having the assassin here without telling him that he was spying on them and could drop down from a grate at any time or place.
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Tony drove the Jaguar up and out of the underground lot with Banner beside him. Tony wore sunglasses, a Welcome to Nightvale T-shirt and ragged jeans. Banner wore his usual, a buttoned long sleeved white shirt and slacks. As Tony drove through the streets, he stole glances at Bruce. “So where are we headed? Somewhere specific?” Bruce considered.
“Where’s the nearest farmer’s market?” He asked.
“Jarv?” Tony inquired. The A.I.’s voice sounded from the car’s speakers.
“82nd street, Sir.” Tony followed the onscreen directions.
“82nd it is then.” Tony had JARVIS blare Dear Prudence in the car. As the song played, Bruce chuckled.
“Subtle, Tony, real subtle.” Tony gave him a bland expression.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about Jolly Rancher.” Bruce’s shoulders hunched in on themselves, his good mood souring.
“I get it. I’ve been a bit of hermit of late. But can you blame me? There are just too many people out here that I could hurt.” Bruce said.
“I keep telling you. Hulk is not a danger.” Tony asserted.
“I don’t know how you can say that! Do you know how many people the Other Guy- I-have killed? I broke Harlem, Tony; I don’t want to break Manhattan too. I destroyed almost as much property as the Chitauri did during the invasion.” Bruce croaked out.
“Bruce, Bruce. Without you the invasion might very well have succeeded, certainly more people would have been killed, me included. Hulk is a good guy and so are you. I wish you would stop doubting that. And I’ve killed way more people than Hulk ever did and for worse reasons.” Stark concluded with an unreadable expression, his hands tightening on the wheel. Bruce reached towards him, but didn’t touch him.
“Tony?” He asked worriedly. Tony shook his head.
“Lets just get some foodstuffs, okay?” He said. Bruce turned his head to look out the window.
“Yeah.” Banner agreed.
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Tony had just finished Bruce’s chicken and artichoke casserole with a snap pea salad. It was one of the best meals he had ever had. Tony rubbed his stomach, pushing his empty plate away. “You sir, are a god! I should know since I've actually met a couple.” Bruce blushed.
“It wasn’t all that special…” Bruce said depreciatingly.
“Are you kidding me? That was fucking ambrosia! Can you cook every day for the rest of my life, please? And I don’t say please to just anyone, you know.” Tony said. Bruce rubbed his hands together.
“How about some ratatouille and molten chocolate cake for tomorrow?” He asked. Tony moaned indecently as his head tilted back.
“Oh yes, yes Bruce, yes, more, oh!” Bruce ducked his head and hid a smile.
“Do you even know what you sound like?” Bruce asked. Tony shot up and began putting dishes into the washer.
“Your food is orgasmic Brucie, better than sex, and for me that’s saying something.” Bruce laughed, and Tony tried not to punch the air in delight.
“Thanks Tony.” Counting the in depth conversation Bruce had had with a friendly merchant at the market about the new cubed watermelons, a grand total of four wins for the day, not bad, not bad at all.
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As Tony began leaving Bruce’s flat he stopped by a nearby vent and said softly, “I see you in there, Hood. If you like what you see so much, why don’t you join the party, there’s still some food left you know?” Tony heard a slight shuffling sound as if a body was steadily moving away and back down the shaft. Tony shrugged and continued to his own suite. He couldn’t win every battle now could he? The war on the other hand, was well underway, and that he would win. He had to after all. The world depended on him getting the Avengers turned into a proper team. And he would do so; he just hoped it didn’t end up being too late to matter.
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