Work Text:
Bruce was asleep at the kitchen table. His head was resting on a pile of papers, glasses crooked, and eyes closed. His breath was causing some of the papers to gently rise and fall. Thor, who had just come back from work, was unsure if he should wake him up or not. After all, it was three in the morning.
‘Bruce,’ said Thor softly, giving him a nudge. Bruce’s eyes flickered opened.
‘Hm…?’ he murmured, sitting back up and rubbing his face. ‘Did I fall asleep again?’
‘You did,’ said Thor. ‘Have you not moved from here since I left?’
‘I had a lot to get through,’ replied Bruce, sorting out a couple of the papers on the table.
‘Well, it’s late,’ Thor said. ‘Let’s go to bed.’
‘In a minute,’ answered Bruce, already pouring over some exam or other.
‘No, now,’ insisted Thor. ‘You can finish it in the morning.’
‘I can’t, actually,’ Bruce retorted.
Thor sighed, picking up some of the papers that had fallen from the table. ‘This is the second night in a row you’ve stayed up so late. You have to get up in like, four hours; just leave it ‘till tomorrow.’
‘I can’t,’ insisted Bruce. ‘I have to start grading the other papers tomorrow. I need to have the final exams done before the final grades are due, Thor, just let me do this.’
‘You’re going to exhaust yourself!’ retorted Thor.
‘Yeah well, that usually happens around this time of year,’ replied Bruce. ‘I’m used to it. Just go to bed.’
‘Not until you do,’ Thor said stubbornly.
Bruce gave Thor a look. ‘In that case, you might be up late.’
‘You’re so stubborn,’ Thor muttered.
‘You’re one to talk.’
Thor huffed and sat down in a chair across from Bruce at the table. ‘I think it’s ridiculous that they made you take on extra classes this year. They’re overworking you.’
Bruce took off his glasses and rubbed his face. ‘They didn’t make me, Thor, I had a say in it, too.’
‘Stark knew you wouldn’t turn it down, though,’ Thor muttered.
Bruce sighed, and said with an irritated edge to his voice, ‘Please don’t just sit here and antagonise me.’
‘I’m not antagonising you! I just think that-‘
‘What are you doing, then?’ countered Bruce. ‘Telling me how to do my job? Criticise my boss? Would you appreciate it if I did the same to you?’
‘I just think you’ve taken on too much work!’ exclaimed Thor.
‘Do you think I’m happy when you work until three am four nights in a row?’ asked Bruce.
Thor scowled. ‘That’s different, I don’t work during the day on those nights. You work around the clock.’
‘Yes, because I have children who are depending on me to teach them!’ Bruce exclaimed. ‘If you don’t understand-‘
‘No, I don’t understand,’ Thor interrupted. ‘I don’t understand why you think it’s acceptable to work yourself until you can barely function-‘
‘Thor,’ interjected Bruce. ‘Stop. I don’t want to do this right now. I’m too-‘
‘Too what, tired?’ finished Thor pointedly.
Bruce was visibly annoyed now, glaring at Thor. ‘Just leave me alone, we’ll talk about this tomorrow.’
Thor opened his mouth to retort something, but decided against it, sighing and standing up. There were still pans on the counter, but when he went to clear them up he found them still full.
‘So nobody ate the stew I prepared for you two either, then?’ he asked.
‘Oh, I completely forgot about that,’ answered Bruce.
Thor looked over at him. ‘What about Loki?’
‘What about- oh, uhm, I haven’t seen him around,’ admitted Bruce meekly.
‘Did you hear him come home?’
‘I- yes, that I did,’ replied Bruce. ‘I just haven’t seen him since. I don’t think he had dinner.’
‘Great,’ muttered Thor. ‘Fantastic. I’m-‘
He took a deep breath, looking at Bruce who now had a rather concerned expression on his face. This wasn’t worth arguing over, not at this hour.
‘I’m going to bed,’ Thor concluded, and left the kitchen without another word.
Bruce did not come to bed that night. Thor tried not to be too bothered by it, but felt restless without him there.
The following morning, Thor left the flat early to go to the gym, avoiding the living room and the kitchen as he did so. By the time that he had returned around noon, Loki was in the living room, reading quietly. Thor flopped down on the couch next to him.
‘…Do I smell cigarettes?’ asked Thor after a moment. Loki reeked of smoke. There was a flash of alarm in Loki’s eyes, though he quickly hid it with a guarded expression.
‘Uhm, yeah, I had coffee with one of my friends who smokes,’ Loki replied quickly.
Thor narrowed his eyes. ‘Which one of your friends smoke?’
‘A bunch of them. This was M.J,’ said Loki.
‘Hm,’ Thor said. ‘I don’t believe you.’
Loki sighed irritably. ‘Well, that’s your problem, isn’t it?’
Thor huffed in frustration. ‘Loki, I don’t know what kind of phase you’re going through now, but smoking is-‘
‘I’m not going through a phase!’ Loki countered. ‘Why do you always have to be so condescending about me? I’m fifteen, I’m-‘
‘Yeah, you’re only fifteen,’ Thor interjected. ‘That’s not that old. People make bad choices at fifteen, I don’t want you picking up any bad habits!’
‘What’s going on?’ asked a voice from the hall. Bruce had just come in through the front door, and walked onwards into the living room. He looked predictably exhausted.
‘Loki’s taken up smoking, apparently,’ Thor said irritably, as he got off of the couch.
‘I told you, it wasn’t-‘
‘Spare me, Loki; I wasn’t born yesterday,’ Thor retorted. ‘You know, sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who cares for either of yours’ health and safety around here.’
He gave Bruce a pointed look as he said this, to which Bruce averted his gaze. As he looked between Bruce and Loki, of whom neither responded, the combination of Thor’s own exhaustion and frustration was getting to him. He could feel himself becoming increasingly worked up. With a sigh, he headed towards the front door, mumbling, ‘I’m going for a walk.’
Thor walked out before he or the other two could say anything else, slamming the door behind him.
Val and Sif wouldn’t be home today, Thor realised as he headed in the direction of their flat. He stopped and turned around, walking the familiar streets to his workplace. The bar wasn’t open yet, but Thor walked in anyway, knowing that Valkyrie and Sif would be setting up. Coming in via the back door, he found the two of them setting up tables and chairs.
‘Hey, you’re not working today,’ commented Sif as Thor came in.
‘I know,’ Thor said. ‘But I couldn’t stay in the flat a moment longer and I’ve already been to the gym.’
‘So, you’ve come to annoy us,’ said Val with a smirk. ‘What’s up?’
Thor sat down in one the chairs that Sif had just put down. ‘I’m just, I don’t know. Annoyed, I guess.’
‘At whom?’ asked Sif, as she began mopping the floor. ‘Loki?’
‘Yes,’ answered Thor. ‘And Bruce.’
‘Oh my god, finally,’ said Val from the bar. ‘You two were being so impossibly perfect I was wondering what was up.’
Thor frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You two just argue so little,’ Val answered. ‘I was wondering how long you were going to keep it up.’
‘Didn’t I tell you about that massive issue about Bruce not telling me about his new job?’
‘That was a disagreement. No, not even that- it was a misunderstanding,’ said Val. ‘So what was this about?’
‘He’s just a bit irresponsible when it comes to work sometimes,’ said Thor. ‘He more or less pulled two all-nighters, and when I told him that he was being ridiculous I was apparently insulting his job.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Sif. ‘What has Loki got to do with all of this?’
‘Loki’s just being irresponsible in general,’ muttered Thor. ‘I worry that he hangs out with the wrong people. I don’t know, I’m just… tired of them not taking care of themselves.’
‘You’re worried,’ noted Sif.
‘I suppose I am,’ agreed Thor. ‘Or was. Now I’m just annoyed. Sure, I’ll remind Loki to have dinner or to go to bed on time and things, but Bruce? He’s older than I am.’
‘He’s survived this long, though,’ said Valkyrie. ‘Maybe he’s okay with working the way he does.’
‘Maybe,’ muttered Thor. He rubbed his face with his hands, leaning back in his chair.
‘I know what it feels like to be the only responsible one,’ said Sif slyly, nodding towards Val.
Val chucked a rag at her. ‘Hey!’
Sif chuckled, and went back to arranging the chairs.
Thor stayed around the bar longer than he expected, helping out and chatting with Valkyrie and Sif. It was the late afternoon when he received a text from Bruce.
-Where are you?
-Just hanging out with Val & Sif. Coming back in a bit.
Thor felt considerably calmer as he walked back towards the flat. The late summer air, while humid, was pleasant as he strolled through the streets. Once back at his building, he jogged back up the stairs. Opening the door, he heard noises coming from the kitchen.
‘Do you think you can save it?’
‘Well, it’s not burnt per se, but it’s far from perfect.’
‘It’ll do, just ignore the bits at the bottom of the pan-‘
Curious, Thor walked through to where the noise- and the vague smell of burnt food- was coming from. At the stove stood Bruce, busying himself over pots and pans, while Loki was looking through one of Thor’s old cookbooks.
‘What’s going on here?’ asked Thor, and the two of them looked up in surprise.
‘Oh, uh,’ began Bruce. ‘We just… well, we’re making dinner.’
‘Trying to make dinner,’ corrected Loki.
‘No, it’s working out,’ insisted Bruce. ‘We’re making a curry, it’s almost done.’
Thor smiled slightly. ‘That’s great; thanks, you two.’
He turned around, heading to the living room. Somewhere behind him, Bruce muttered something to Loki and followed Thor, sitting on the couch next to him.
‘Hey,’ said Bruce, taking Thor’s hand. ‘Uhm, I’m sorry. About last night. I know it was silly of me, and uh, I didn’t mean to be so defensive about it all.’
Thor smiled and wrapped an arm around Bruce, pulling him a little closer. ‘Thank you. I’m sorry that I got so-‘
‘You really don’t need to apologise,’ interrupted Bruce. ‘You were worried, I get it; I worry about you sometimes, too. I shouldn’t have… I should’ve tried harder. I’m going to try harder. I can’t expect you to take care of the entire household by yourself.’
Thor leaned in and kissed the side of Bruce’s head, catching the smell of the interesting combination of shampoo and burnt rice. ‘Thank you.’
‘I told Loki to apologise to you too,’ said Bruce with a grimace. ‘But also, it’s Loki, so…’
‘Honestly,’ said Thor with a small laugh. ‘The fact alone that he is helping with housework is already incredible, it’s probably the only kind of apology I’ll get from him.’
‘Who knows,’ said Bruce. ‘I hope dinner’s actually good, though. We tried our best, but we’re not you.’
‘I don’t care,’ Thor insisted. ‘The gesture’s already enough for me.’
He leant back in the sofa, pulling Bruce with him, and kissed him properly.