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“So I was thinking about our situation?” Tony says as he crashes into their shared lab with barely contained energy.
Bruce loves watching Tony work. The static way he moves around the lab as if he wants to be everywhere at once. It’s like a kid running into a toy store for the first time. Except all of Tony’s toys are of his own making.
“Our situation?” Bruce asks with a bit of mirth in his voice.
Tony whirls around the lab pulling up charts and graphs full of raw data. He stops for a quick kiss as he passes by Bruce and then he’s off again. He’s beautiful, more at home here than he is anywhere else. He’s like the finest ballet dancer telling the most exquisite story with his movements.
“Yeah, our ‘we don’t have sex because the Hulk will come out and crush me’ situation,” Tony tells him, turning to give Bruce a cheeky grin. Suddenly Bruce’s heart skips a beat. Of course, Tony’s curiosity would lead them here. Bruce supposes not even the threat of death is enough to keep Tony Stark from trying to solve a problem.
“Right,” Bruce sighs, resigned to his fate. He’ll have to be honest with Tony now. More lies will only encourage him. There is no obstacle Tony won’t try to overcome.
“I have some ideas on ways we can test the theory,” Tony goes on, so excited over whatever experiment he’s concocted that he doesn’t even notice Bruce starts to fidget nervously.
“Tony.” It’s barely a whisper and isn’t heard over the whizzing of Tony’s brain.
“I figured we should start small, expose you to some stimulus, porn for example, and see how you react,” Tony says, shuffling through the screens in front of him. Bruce can see now that they’re mock-ups of different stress trials and copies of his vitals taken during various missions.
“Depending on the results we could then move on to you going solo.” Tony turns to give Bruce a lascivious smile, raising his eyebrows suggestively. It’s the kind of thing that would have normally earned him a laugh. Now Bruce’s blood turns to ice because this isn’t just Tony’s usual teasing. This is real.
“TONY!” Bruce shouts. Tony freezes in place. It’s as if time itself is standing still. Tony has never heard Bruce yell before, not at him anyway. He generally tries to avoid it for the obvious reason. It doesn’t matter how mad or frustrated he gets. Bruce is always in control of his reactions.
“I...I’m sorry, It’s just, you have to stop. The Hulk isn’t our problem. I am,” Bruce says. He can barely look at Tony. He looks confused and for a brief second before Tony can school his features a flash of hurt. Bruce doesn’t blame him. He did just admit to having lied to Tony about a major part of their relationship.
“I’m asexual,” Bruce finally admits. He has to force his voice not to waiver or his eyes not to wander from Tony’s.
He hasn’t told anyone the truth since before the Hulk. He hasn’t had to. No one wants to touch the man with a monster inside him.
“Okay,” Tony says as plainly as if Bruce had just told him the sky is blue.
“Okay?” Bruce asks.
“Yeah. Okay. Did you expect me to freak out or something? I am bi you know and asexual is just a part of the same acronym,” Tony says it so easily as if there is no possible reason he could think any different. Unfortunately, Bruce knows all too well how else this could be taken.
When he had told Betty there had been tears and yelling, a lot of yelling. She had accused him of stringing her along and using her to get to her father. She said he had made a fool of her and that he had never really loved her. It wasn’t true but Bruce could still hear her voice in his head even now. ‘You disgust me, Bruce Banner.’
“You wouldn’t be the first. And not everyone thinks the A should be included,” Bruce admits. He looks down now. He doesn’t want Tony to see how much this is affecting him.
“Well, those people are idiots.” Bruce smiles a little at that. He’s thought it himself before but has always hung onto a little sliver of doubt that maybe he was the one that was an idiot. A fool to believe there would be a place for him in this world.
“So...you’re really okay with this? With me?” Bruce says to the floor. He's never had someone except him so readily before. Not for this.
He hears Tony walk closer to him. He feels him reach up and cup his jaw. Tony gently guides his head up. All he sees in Tony’s eyes is what he always sees. Love.
“Bruce, I love you. Nothing will change that. Being ace is who you are and I love who you are.” Tony squeezes Bruce’s hand and strokes his jaw with the hand still on his face. The moment is so tender that Bruce almost doesn’t want to break the sweet silence between them.
“I love you too, Tony.” Tony’s face lights up and he leans forward to press his lips to Bruce’s. The kiss is soft and delicate. It casts out all of Bruce’s doubts and fears.
“Good because I’d be pretty lost without you,” Tony tells him when they finally pull away from each other. This time Bruce doesn’t hide his smile.
“I know we’ll need to have a longer conversation but for now why don’t I make you some of that tea you like that smells like the wrong end of a yak and we go curl up on the couch. I’ll put on one of the trashy reality shows. You can pretend to be reading and not secretly loving every second.” Bruce laughs and Tony’s eyes crinkle when he smiles.
“That sounds perfect.” Bruce leans forward to recapture Tony’s lips. He puts everything he’s feeling into the kiss. All his relief and joy, love and passion. Tony truly is the most amazing man he’s ever met.
“Oh, one more thing. Jarvis, scrap everything in the ‘get Bruce boned’ file,” Tony calls out as they make their way out of the lab.
“Very well Sir,” Jarvis replies.
“Seriously?” Bruce asks with fond amusement.
“What?” Tony gives Bruce the most unconvincing innocent look he has ever seen. They look into each other's eyes and a pure, joyous laughter erupts between them. It’s at this moment while he watches Tony’s eyes sparkle and his whole body shake that Bruce realizes he no longer has to be afraid of his sexuality. It feels like the last weight that has been holding him down his entire life has finally lifted. It’s incredible.