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“Dr. Banner, I need your help.” Tony heard Peter’s voice and turned to see his face.
"Really kid? You have met Brucie and already forgot me. I know I’m not as amazing as him or have 7 PhDs but I thought you were better than this.” Tony said adding a joyful hurt to his voice.
"Sorry Mr. Stark, it’s just Dr. Banner is better about the chemical formulas and I’m trying to find a way to make my webs waterproof,” Peter said apologetically.
"Don’t play with Peter’s feelings, Tony.” Bruce left what he was working on and looked at them in amusement. “Have you tried to use hexamethyldisilazane? Your web formula also has a silanol group, doesn’t it?”
"Yes, that’s where the whole problem is coming from. Where can I find the hexamethyldisilazane then?”
"Ohh, it’s there. I was just using it.” Bruce said holding a lab tube.
"What were you using it for?”
"We are trying to use aerogel in Tony’s armor. It is lighter than the other options we have, also it is effective at absorbing kinetic energy.” Bruce informed them, completely at ease, while Tony and Peter smiled, more than content to listen to science ramblings.
"Why aren’t you using the carbonic one? It is the most effective, one, isn’t it? And you don’t need to worry about it being waterproof because of the chemicals that are used in it. ” Peter asked.
"We would have. However, it is vulnerable to heat.”
"Oh, I get it now. And your suit can heat a lot, especially after you solved the problem with icing.”
"Exactly.” They all turned to their works. Bruce was helping Peter with his webs and Tony was working on his new suit, so they would be able to test the silica aerogel when they were able to make it more effective at absorbing kinetic energy.
Then, Tony turned to look at Peter and Bruce. They were laughing at something, it was probably a joke Peter made. Tony would bet it was a science pun. Both of them were nerds, his nerds. One that he saw as a...was a son the right word? yes it was, a voice that sounded like Bruce said in his head And the other nerd was his best friend. His lover.
Tony’s brain short-circuited for a second. When did they become his nerds? Yes, he has been dating Bruce for a while now.
He still remembered how he declared his love. “Love is not a pie, hand out your eight slices and you are done. Love is pi, irrational, and never-ending. I love you like that Bruce Banner. Would you be my boyfriend?” He still couldn’t believe Bruce said yes. Especially when they had told the team and Clint had given him such a confused look when Tony announced how he had asked him out. The peasant just didn’t understand science.
And then Peter got into the picture and somehow became their kid and they had become a family. Well, Peter and May because Tony couldn’t think of separating them. May was like a sister to him, and for someone without family members, he had adopted her into the family without question. She and Bruce were the rational ones, Peter and he were the crazy ones (which simply meant they kept people on their toes, right?). Honestly, Bruce and May were crazy too but Tony was not brave enough to point this out, and they were good enough actors to feign offense.
He knew this helped Bruce, having a family, being loved. Tony knew this helped with Hulk, that Bruce was able to feel like a human again. The team helped, Peter and May helped. And Bruce’s presence helped Tony, being wanted, being cared for, the kindness he had shown to him. He was the person who would understand the excitement behind when he started talking about science. They grounded each other, they just worked together, there wasn’t even a way to describe it.
He remembered Bruce falling asleep, once he was trying to tell what happened with the whole Malibu Mandarin battle, and he had been hurt. But as they got used to each other, Bruce became the person who he can talk about everything, and if Bruce sometimes fell asleep? Tony would keep talking until he realized his boyfriend was asleep and then cover him with a blanket.
"Tony,” Tony turned to where the voice was coming from “we are going to test if adding hexamethyldisilazane worked.” He looked at Tony sternly. “But we don’t want to shatter anything in the lab, we will test it outside, wanna come?” And really, did Tony have another choice but to nod?
That was how they found themselves in the garden of the Avengers Compound. Peter shot a web to the closest tree.
"Mr. Stark, do you want a water gun or are you gonna keep staring?” Peter passed him a water gun.
"Water guns? That was your idea?” Oh they should’ve known not to give him this...
"Exactly,” Bruce said while hitting the web Peter had shot with impressively alarming accuracy.
"It is not melting, I think it worked.”
"Then we can go back to more important topics,” Tony said and turned his water gun to Bruce and Peter, “like a water war.” He barely finished his sentence as he started hitting them.
Immediately, chaos ensued as the trio ran around, and Tony was able to hear that they were shouting his name but then someone hit him from behind, and his cover behind the tree was blown.
"You were fighting and forgot to invite me?” When Tony turned, he faced Natasha Romanoff who was holding a water gun in her hand, eyes glistening.
"This might be a great team bonding activity.” This time it was Steve Rogers who was hitting Nat, with a smug grin. Then someone started shooting from afar.
"Legolas, play the game to its rules!” He shouted at who was most certainly no one other than Clint Barton. Was he in an actual nest?
"Aw man, you know I see better from a distance.” Then everyone started hitting each other. Suddenly. a loud sound of thunder was heard.
"If you wanted to get wet my friends, you could have told me.” It was Thor, holding Mjolnir in the air, and then they heard the thunder once again and it started heavily pouring.
"Thor, this is a game, we were not trying to get wet.” Bruce tried to explain.
"Ohh, I’m unfortunately not knowledgeable about the Midgardian games. Would you explain it to me?” The rain stopped as suddenly as it had begun.
"The only rule of this game is Thor,” Tony said while pointing his gun at Thor “to get each other wet.” He said and started shooting Thor. And in a few seconds, everyone was shooting Thor, while he just laughed joyously.
Their war finished when Tony’s long time friend James Rhodes once again proved that he was the voice of reason (Although, Tony had a million stories about him not being the voice of reason).
“Do you know what time is it? It is about to get dark. You are all soaked and if you don’t want to get a cold you need to change.” Rhodey said and Tony knew he was right, and Rhodey just gave him the same grin he always gave him when he was right.
Tony looked at his team, to his family once again. Whatever happens he thought I will have them by my side and everything will be alright.