The Calm Before a Storm
The next time Tony woke up, it was slow and peaceful. He glanced over to his clock, and saw he had slept in much later than he usually did. It was twelve o’clock in the afternoon. “Jarvis, what’s my schedule for today?” Tony asked.
“You have a lunch with Miss Potts at one p.m, a charity fund raiser at four p.m, and a press conference at five thirty p.m,” Jarvis said. Tony sighed.
“Am I allowed to miss any of these things?” Tony asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up.
“I would advise against it Sir,” said Jarvis. “Unless, of course, you told Miss Potts about last night. There is a ninety- eight percent chance she would cancel the lunch so that you may rest.”
“Nope, not gonna happen. And, even if I did tell her, there’s still that two percent chance I’d have to go anyway,” Tony said, walking to his closet and choosing a random suit. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he didn’t really care. Pepper didn’t need to know everything about his life.
After quickly getting ready, Tony looked back to his room, suddenly very aware that Bruce was in his bed. After a moment of thought, Tony wrote a quick note to Bruce and set it on the nightstand.
He ran to dismiss the driver that was waiting outside. Tony was going to drive himself.
+++
Bruce woke up quickly and immediately looked at the clock, reading twelve thirty. He sighed when he saw how late he slept in. That’s when he noticed where he was.
Tony’s room.
On Tony’s bed.
Alone. Suddenly panicked, his eyes did a quick survey of the room before landing on a piece of paper on the bedside table.
On the paper, there was a quickly scribbled note from Tony. “Hi sweety! Thanks for sleeping with me last night. ;) I went out with Pepper, please don’t call a search party and tell them i’ve been kidnapped again. Kisses, Tony (xoxo)”
Bruce smiled. He could hear the sarcasm in Tony’s note as if the inventor were speaking to him in person. Leaving the warmth and comfort of the bed was disappointing, but necessary. Bruce was already behind in his tight schedule. Before anything else though, he needed food. And, he also knew the perfect joke to play on the other Avengers. Throwing on one of Tony’s old t shirts, Bruce went to the communal kitchen.
+++
When Bruce cheerfully walked into the kitchen, Steve knew something was up. How could he be in such a good mood after everything that happened to their friend?
“Good morning everyone!” Bruce said, seemingly pleased to see all the Avengers (excluding Thor and Tony) there.
“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Clint asked. Bruce smiled like he was pleased by the question. Steve was growing more and more suspicious. What was Bruce up to?
“Well, I’m not sure if I should tell all of you this without Tony here…” Bruce paused for dramatic effect. Steve suddenly grew anxious. Bruce wasn’t going to talk about Tony while he wasn’t here, was he?
“Tell us what, what happened?” Natasha asked, badly concealed worry in her tone.
“I guess I have to, since I already brought it up…” Bruce smiled at the three people in front of him, looking at Steve a moment longer than the others, and winking. Steve let the tension leave his body. Bruce was just having some fun, not sharing Tony’s secrets.
“Just tell us,” Steve said, ready to know what Bruce was gonna say.
“Me and Tony slept together,” Bruce blurted out at last. Steve was barely able to conceal his laughter.
“What?” Natasha asked, for once in her life struck speechless.
“Me and Stark slept together, even ask Steve,” Bruce managed to say. Inside, the captain knew the scientist was laughing.
“Steve?” Clint asked.
“It’s true… except there wasn’t much sleeping happening,” the captain said, happy he managed to look embarrassed rather than happy. He found the whole situation hilarious.
“How? Why?” Natasha asked. Steve almost blew their cover when he almost laughed at the expressions on the assassins’ faces.
“Well when we got to his room, we started to talk. Eventually, when I said I was going to sleep on the couch, Tony said he wouldn’t allow it and demanded we share the bed. I listened, and went to lay down.” Bruce looked at Steve out of the corner of his eye, to let the captain know that the rest of his story would be fake. “After a while, our conversation became a flirting session.” Bruce took a moment to take in the shocked faces and continued. “He drew me in with his charm, and maybe it was just exhaustion misleading me, but I kissed him… the rest just happened in a blur.”
By the end of the story, Steve was thanking his military training for teaching him to control his expressions, because he almost laughed when he saw the look on Clint’s face.
+++
Tony had tears in his eyes when he finished listening to his friends’ conversation, fed to him through the radio, thanks to Jarvis. He pulled into the parking lot of the small diner he liked, and went onto his phone as he waited for Pepper to arrive. He changed Bruce’s contact name to ‘Sweet Cheeks.’
“Tony?” When Stark heard his name, he looked out his window to see Pepper looking for him. Climbing out of his car, he called her over to where he was.
“How are you today, Miss Potts?” Tony asked playfully.
“I am doing well, thank you. And you, Mister Stark?” Pepper teased right back.
“Great!” Tony said, pushing back the thought of the panic attack and nightmare. He’d tell her everything once he got better.
“So what made you pick this place?” Pepper asked when they walked in, taking a booth in the corner.
“Less crowded,” Tony replied. “And they have good cheeseburgers.”
Pepper nodded, and then proceeded to jump into a discussion about Stark industries. By the time their meals arrived, they solved the problem and began to talk like the friends they were.
“So, how have you been?” Pepper asked.
Tony thought about his life at the time. “I’m fine,” he said. He didn’t know if it was the truth. ‘You will be fine soon,’ he thought.
“Tony, what’s wrong?” She asked, noticing how Tony seemed to drift away at the question.
“Nothing, I’ve just got a lot to do,” he said. That, at least, was the truth.
“Okay,” Pepper replied, making a mental note to ask Jarvis later.
The rest of the lunch went by quickly, and by two, they were saying their goodbyes.
“I will see you later at the press conference, right?” Pepper asked.
“Yes.What is it for, if I may ask?”
“Officially, it's for the New York attack. Unofficially, it's for the media to ask you whatever you want. Remember, Fury wanted you to do it because you're the best with the them,” Pepper said, not noticing the look that passed over her friend’s face.
When Tony climbed back into his car, he already wished he had let the driver take him. His head hurt and he dreaded all of his activities he had to do today.
As soon as he got home, Tony went down to his lab until he had to get ready for the next thing on his list.
+++
Pepper got to her penthouse and went on her phone, where she got access to Jarvis. “J, how would you say Tony has been the past few days.”
“Mister Stark has been doing significantly worse lately,” Jarvis replied.
“What happened?” Pepper asked.
“I’m sorry, I can not share that information unless you tell me the code names Mister Stark set,” Jarvis replied, sounding disapproving. ‘So Jarvis wants to tell me, but he can’t,’ Pepper thought.
“Who knows the codes?” She asked, hoping Tony hadn’t barred Jarvis from revealing this information.
“Mister Rogers, Mister Barton, and Mister Stark know the codes and the situation that caused them to be put into place,” Jarvis asked.
“Thank you Jarvis. I will talk to Tony later at the conference about it,” Pepper said, already thinking of what she would say.
+++
When Steve saw Tony running out the door, presumably to get a ride somewhere, he called him over to talk.
“Where are you going?” Steve asked, hoping his friend wasn't doing too much after he had had so little rest lately.
“Charity fundraiser, I'm going to make an appearance and donate some money,” Tony replied.
“What’s the cause?” Steve wondered aloud.
“It helps pay children’s hospital bills when they need certain treatments that their insurance won't cover. Like, if a kid needs experimental surgery to live, and their insurance refuses to pay it, then the charity helps as much as possible, most of the time paying for it completely,” Tony answered. Steve noticed how Tony seemed very nonchalant about it, but of you asked him about it he seemed very passionate.
“Well, you seem to really care for it,” Steve said.
“I care about the charity and the fundraiser, but not so much the party or whatever I have to go to. It's just a bunch of idiots who don't even know why they're there,” Tony said.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Steve asked. “So, you know, you have a friend?”
“Sure Capsicle, but only if you want to,” Tony said casually, but the captain could see he was glad.
“Okay, do I need to dress up?” Steve asked.
“Just wear a suit and you'll be fine,” Tony said. “I’ll give you a half hour to get ready before I abandon you here.”
“Thanks,” Steve sarcastically replied, already heading towards his room.
Tony pulled out his phone, and texted his driver to be here in thirty minutes.
In about five seconds, Tony got bored. So, he pulled out his phone and texted sweet cheeks.
“I heard you tell the others about us,” Tony joked.
He soon got a reply. “J told you?”
“Of course. He played it live through my car” Tony texted.
“Not surprising. Should we continue the joke?” Bruce asked.
Tony thought about it. “Definitely. Next movie night we should totally act all lovey.”
“There's a movie night tomorrow, we should make a plan.” Bruce sent.
“I could grab your ass,” Tony joked.
“You could try”
“Is that a challenge? If so, I accept.”
Then, the Captain came out. “I'm ready when you are.” He looked nice, with his hair combed and a suit on.
Just before Tony answered, Bruce texted him.
“lol” was all it said. Tony took that as a confirmation to what he said before.
“I'm ready, let's go,” Tony told Steve, as he lead the way outside to the waiting car. They both climbed in back and made their way to the event.
+++
As soon as they parked, Tony and Steve were surrounded by cameras. Reporters were screaming their names, asking questions faster than Tony could listen, and yelling accusations rapid fire. All Tony could think about was how bad he felt for making Steve deal with this.
“Please, everyone, quiet down,” Tony yelled over everyone. He waited until the only sounds coming from the vultures around him was a low murmur. “I will not answer any questions or acknowledge any statements made unless they are directly related to the charity. If you want to ask me anything else, you are welcome to attend my press conference tonight. Now, please move so my friend and I can attend the fundraiser, or have you all forgotten that we are here to support others, and not ourselves?” Tony only stopped when Steve put his hand on his arm, as a warning that he was getting out of hand.
Steve smiled to the crowd as he dragged Tony inside. “You okay?” He asked once they were out of earshot of the reporters.
“I'm fine. We can only stay until five because I have to leave for the press conference. You can stay here when I go though.” Tony said.
“Do you want me to go?” Steve asked concerned. He wanted to make sure his teammate had the support he would need. “If they ask about New York, are you going to be okay?”
Tony flinched and worry filled his eyes for a split second. He quickly schooled his features before Steve even knew he was upset. “Of course I'll be fine, I'm not going to have a meltdown on live TV. So no, I don't need you to go. You should stay home and bond with the others, I don't plan on dragging it out.”
“Okay,” Steve replied, shoving away the dread building inside of him. If Tony wanted to do this alone, the Captain would let him.
+++
The two spent the next hour talking and drinking. It was fun.
But good things never last.
In seemingly no time at all, it was time for Tony to go to the press conference.