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“No, I don’t think you understand. I have to finish this project. The fate of the UNIVERSE depends on me!”
“Bruce, you don’t have to perfect sugarless sugar. It already exists. The universe can use Splenda.”
“Splenda is SHIT. It has that funky aftertaste of not sugar ”
“Love, you’ve been up for six days because your favourite iced tea switched from sugar to sweetener. Listen, I know you love the iced tea at Chipotle. But you’re not going to convince them to switch to your experimental sugar because you don’t like the calories or the aftertaste of sucralose and aspartame.”
“ Thor. You don’t under stand. This is the only important thing right now! Why must you interfere with my passion project?”
“You’ve been up for six days straight and have hardly consumed adequate sustenance. You’re more zombie than human at this point.” Thor stepped across the lab to grip Bruce’s wrists firmly, causing the exhausted scientist to drop his tools. With his mismatched gaze he found the doctor’s soft brown eyes, twitching from the lack of sleep. He looked manic, and Thor was doing everything in his power to prevent himself from picking up the smaller man and throwing him over his shoulder to carry him to bed.
“Psh, I’ve been something less than human for a long time now. Your observation means nothing!” Bruce attempted to smile triumphantly, but he was on the brink of collapse. Thor knew this was Bruce’s way of avoiding potential recurring dreams, but a Midgardian simply could not function without adequate rest.
“Bruce, my love, please come to bed. We both know this isn’t about sugar, and though I’m sure your experiment will reshape the world as we know it, you cannot go on like this. You’re worse than Stark on his inventing binges, and we both know how bad he can get.”
“I’m not Tony. I’m...I’m not Tony,” Bruce seemed unsure of himself, and he tried to steady himself against the god, “I just...I’m just focusing on something, that’s all. I’m not…”
“You’re denying your fears to try and convince me of something, and I’m not sure what you want from me.” Thor shifted his position so he was bearing most of Bruce’s weight, and held him with one arm as his other hand stroked the brown curls that needed a wash, as Bruce had been sweating in this lab for about 140 hours.
“I don’t want anything, Thor. I’m fine.” He did not sound fine. He sounded tired, and scared. Thor took a deep breath as he continued to run his fingers through Bruce’s hair.
“I’m scared too, Bruce,” Thor felt the smaller man stiffen totally, and he continued, “I’m scared that another threat like Thanos is going to appear and destroy the peace we have gained. I’m scared of losing what’s left of my people. I’m scared of losing you.” He placed a gentle kiss on Bruce’s head. “It’s alright to be frightened, Bruce. We’ve been through so much pain, it’s difficult to live normally. I’m over a thousand years old, I’ve been a warrior for a thousand years, I’ve lived in fear for a thousand years. For a man not to feel fear is unnatural.” Thor felt a drop hit the arm holding Bruce, and he looked down to see his boyfriend crying. Tears streamed down his face, leaving tiny crevices that had previously been coated with sweat and grime from the lab.
“I’m terrified, Thor. Because something scared the Hulk. He was so traumatized that I couldn’t even find him within me for years. What if something worse arises, something that could destroy him completely? Destroy me? Or you? I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. Seeing you in New Asgard after so long apart...it broke me. I never want you to suffer like that again. So I’m scared. And I don’t want to dream about the fears that already haunt me constantly.” Bruce clung to Thor’s arm, on the verge of collapse. Feelings were fucking exhausting. So was being awake for 140 hours straight while trying to create a new type of sugar that had zero calories and no nasty aftertaste.
Feeling his legs about to give way, Thor picked up Bruce, bridal style (not over-the-shoulder like he had wanted). Unable to continue fighting, Bruce wrapped his arms around Thor’s neck and buried his face alongside them. Walking gently but with purpose, Thor headed to their bedroom, where he attempted to put Bruce down. However, the smaller man had other ideas, and clung to Thor’s neck.
“I absolutely refuse to sleep alone.” Bruce pulled Thor onto the bed with him, surprising the god with his sudden reserve of strength, all things considered. So Thor adjusted the two of them onto the bed so that Thor lay beneath Bruce, who was curled into an almost-fetal position. Drawing a blanket around them, Thor stroked Bruce’s hair.
“Nothing is going to hurt you again, Bruce. I’ll make sure of that. And besides, you’re the strongest Avenger. What could happen to me if I’ve got you by my side?” There was a soft murmur from beneath Thor’s chin. It seemed to be a sound of approval, but it appeared that Bruce had fallen asleep near instantaneously.
--
“Sugarless sugar? Really?” Bruce had slept for roughly 18 hours straight before he got up, absolutely ravenous.
“You were raving about it, dearest. You don’t remember anything we spoke about yesterday?” Thor raised an eyebrow. Perhaps he would get to keep his Strong persona yet!
“I remember...crying? I think? I was so tired. I’ve been on Tony’s ass all these years, and now I’ve got a taste of that cruel, cruel medicine. I need coffee.” Bruce was convinced he wasn’t going to regain any sort of normal sleeping schedule for days now that he’d fucked it up royally.
“There was much crying indeed, but being the strong and supportive boyfriend I am I helped you through it perfectly while being strong and supportive and perfect. Obviously.” Way to save face, that will definitely throw Bruce off the trail of your emotional confessions from last night. Thor mentally smacked himself for his lack of subtlety. Again.
“I distinctly remember you telling me how afraid you are of losing me, you sap.” Bruce smiled easily as Thor’s face burned ever-not-so-slightly. The scientist wandered through the kitchen, his fresh mug of coffee steaming and sending an orgasmic aroma throughout the space. Bruce stepped up into his godly boyfriend’s space, popped up on his tiptoes, and with impeccable aim landed a kiss on Thor’s nose. He grinned as the startled man touched his nose gently before making eye contact with the good doctor.
“I love you, Sparkles.” With a wink, Bruce left the kitchen, leaving a dopey Thor to trail behind him, a huge smile tugging at his lips.