Bruce has grown use to certain incidences? Habits? He’s not sure which word would work best but given that he has been a part of the team not just Hulk, but him Bruce Banner PhD. It’s been a nice change, a different change…and overwhelming. He remembers living with roommates before in his college years, but this is something else entirely. It’s more than just domestic it just is? There’s no word to describe it that would make sense. It’s not communal living, they are not a dysfunctional family, they aren’t just family it’s…it’s something different a change.
For example, Tony loves Pepper. Pepper is his world his soon to be wife if he can take the plunge in the next step. Oh, he will but he won’t do it by halves. The point is Tony is taken, not single, an almost married man, and he kisses Steve in the morning over coffee as if it’s nothing. Not a quick peck on the cheek either a kiss on the lips with hands ruffling his hair. It’s very intimate. The first time he saw it displayed he choked on his tea. Tony has Pepper but he’s kissing this man? Is this cheating?
He was concerned when he told Pepper. It had taken him nearly a month with the boil of anxiety and keeping Hulk under control to not burst out from the tension. Stupid tension and a quick heartrate for no danger. Well maybe a little danger it was Pepper he had to talk to about Tony. Still, he knew if this went sour or if Pepper or Tony thought this accusation was an act of betrayal he was gone. It wouldn’t matter, it would hurt but when has anything for him never hurt. He could become a fugitive again, not like he hasn’t become an expert at this point.
Pepper knew about it. She knew and didn’t let it affect her? It should affect her right? Tony is kissing Steve in the morning. He’s made touches and passes with Clint, even Thor. Hell the whole team…well maybe not Natasha but only because she asked for no PDA. Still this must be wrong it can’t be this easy or simple?
So, he cleans.
Not the normal tidying of the kitchen or simple chores, no of course he doesn’t do anything by halves. He scrubs. He scrubs the tile in the bathroom, on hands and knees using the rough back and forth motion. Up, down, and then scrub side to side, outline the tile then repeat another three times before moving to the next large tile in the bathroom. It’s a process, it’s therapeutic to some extent. It’s easier to acknowledge than the fact of Pepper and Tony not angry over his concern.
“Oh, Tony is just affectionate with those he loves.” Pepper had explained.
The phrase repeats over in his head like a mantra. “Love?” As if that can answer why he offers touches so easily to others. Of course, the infamous not handing things to him personally is still there but PDA, warm hands over wrists, gentle hands placed on the shoulder or back, forehead kisses for no reason that’s…that’s…. There’re no words to articulate the emotion he is feeling. It’s not considered cheating not to Pepper at least. Maybe it’s a culture thing, but Tony is American so how?
He flinches feeling warmth soak into his shoulder and looks up at a kneeling Tony. He focuses on his lips moving but can’t hear any of the words he is saying. His ears ring and feel like cotton has been jammed down all the way through his skull.
The warmth spreads down his arm and he sees Tony holding his hands. Hands pruned from the water and soap. Hands cracked and split across the knuckles. Hands whose nails have been worn down to the tips skin pulled back, red and worn from the constant scrubbing.
“Bruce…Bruce let’s get up.”
“Why?” He asks Tony’s voice echoing through water into his head. He feels warm but his hands and knees ache. He feels the cold seeping through the water and soap soaking his clothes from the tile.
“Because you’ve been scrubbing the same tile for an hour. Jarvis got worried,” he smiles skin beneath his eyes crinkling as he smiles.
Bruce stares into his brown eyes still confused. His mind feels like mush too much softness and noise. Hulk is not pleased. Hulk is worried not angry? He blinks his eyes a few times and blurts the question before his brain can close his lips. “I told Pepper…she said it’s affection for love…but it’s not cheating? It doesn’t make sense, to be so easy, not jealous just is.”
Tony places his hand on Bruce’s back and rubs his hand up and down. “I’ll explain it more but there’s more than one way to love people. I like feeling people under my hands or sharing warmth. Psych doctor might call it lack of attachment developed during childhood, or some nonsense but I just…that’s how I express it.” He pats Bruce on the back before helping him stand up from the tile.
Bruce looks down at his shoes thinking before nodding his head. “I guess? I don’t understand it, but I don’t need to if it helps? Sorry.”
Tony smiles gently and places his hand on Bruce forearm. “You were just looking out for Pepper and me right. Just had too many thoughts of worry in that big brain of yours,” he teases him walking out of the bathroom with him. He grows somber, “listen if it’s too much the touching, I can stop. I don’t do it to Nat because she told me not to…”
“No,” he interrupts nearly shouting. He blushes. “I mean no…this is fine. Just not use to it,” he mumbles not wanting to look up and see Tony’s frown.
“Well shit,” he comments, “hmm you’re going to get extra affection then Freckles.”
Bruce flusters, “F-Freckles?”
“Yeah nicknames because I just can’t keep calling you my Science Bro all the time,” he smiles patting him on back chuckling.
Bruce blushes laughing quietly as Tony begins to leave the current topic and move onto something more interesting such as the latest disaster Dum-e has prevented using the fire extinguisher. It was Tony talking about fire. Tony got extinguished by the over enthusiastic robot.