p • r • e • s • s • u • r • e

a blue coat and a pep talk

Tony snorted.

"Unless-"

"Unless it's jambalaya," they both say and laugh.

Bruce gives him that crinkly smile again, and Tony feels guilt rest heavy on his shoulders.

"Come to bed."

"Yeah, lemme brush my..."

Another annoying yet somehow endearing thing about Bruce-he had the tendency to not finish his sentences sometimes. Leaving Tony no choice but to finish them for him. He considers this for a moment.

Maybe it's intentional...

He comes back mere moments later in one of Tony's shirts and slips under the covers. The engineer shudders at the sudden rush of cold air.

"Hey," he says to the scientist.

"Hey."

Their mouths collide, and Bruce's hand slides down the man's torso, stopping when Tony cries out in pain.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just uh...nothing. I'm fine."

The scientist kisses him again, and Tony breaks it off.

"Hey, can we maybe not do this right now?"

"Uh...sure. Of course."

His lover's eyes are so sympathetic, it makes him sick.

"Arc reactor pain?" he asks. Tony just nods.

"It's alright Tones, we'll get rid of it soon."

That scared him.

As Bruce pulls away, his hands brush across something small and hard-multiple somethings. Tony closes his eyes shut, trying not to cringe away.

"Tony...Tony what did you do?"

"Nothing. Just-"

"What's that?"

Bruce slides up the man's thick sweatshirt and sees the dried blood. The engineer relaxes, giving up.

"Jesus..." he mutters, and walks off, leaving Tony in bed, exposed. He fiddles with one of the pins, groaning at the ache. Bruce comes back with disinfectant, napkins and bandaids.

"Lift up your sweatshirt, please."

"Bruce, I'm fine."

"No you aren't! Let's get those things out of you. Come on."

"Bruce please, I-I need them, I de-"

"You don't deserve anything like that! So don't even...just lift up your shirt, come on."

"Please? Just leave me be, and we can pretend you never saw anything."

"Not a chance."

"Okay, what if I get rid of them in the morning?"

"I'm not negotiating."

"Fine."

Tony slides the thick fleecy fabric up to his ribcage, knocking them around on the way.

Bruce reaches to pull one out and the engineer pulls the man close instead, kissing him deeply.

The scientist leans into it, and Tony rolls them over so he's perched on top of him, then puts a finger over Bruce's lips.

"Shhh..." he whispers and drapes himself across Bruce's chest, the thumbtacks stabbing into him.

The scientist realises what's happening and quickly lies Tony on his back, whose eyes are squeezed shut.