starkingenuity | Radioactive

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Tony presses a finger to his lips and gives Bruce a 'shh'ing sort of command before he opens the door to Pepper's room. The place is lined in monitors and recording equipment but otherwise, he's done his best to make it comfortable for her even if she refuses to come back to their actual bed two floors up. If she thinks herself a danger, she's just as likely to burn the place down from here as she is from beside him but...

He's not going to give her any more fuel for the panic fire, pun intended.

Tony lets Bruce in first and follows after. "Pep? Honey? Guess who's here?"

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Bruce couldn't be more right. Tony needs something. Some sort of touch and warmth. Right now, Bruce is the only one willing to give that to him.

She inches closer, a hand reaching out before she settles on the bed, opposite Bruce. She eyes the sleeping ~~child~~ Tony, then looks up to Bruce. Her voice is a quiet whisper.

"You don't think I'll burn him, do you?"

"No," Bruce says immediately. "No more than I would. I can stay and make sure you'll both be fine, how about that?" Maybe he could do well for both of them to get some decent sleep.

Tony's asleep but if he was surveyed, he might mention that this arrangement happens to be fantastic. Bruce is warm. Pepper is warm. He doesn't feel boxed in either, just comfortable.

That would be the trust kicking in. He leans into both touches. Pepper, he missed you. Come and lay down.

Pepper eyes Tony, then glances at Bruce, a smile twisting her lips.

“I don’t think you have much of a choice. You’d better get comfortable.” Because Pepper is going to. She’s sliding right up against Tony and getting cozy and warm, beckoning for Bruce to follow suit.

"But-" Bruce looks between them, a touch helpless. He finally sighs and slowly settles himself back in, but sitting up. More than a little tense as for him, this couldn't get more awkward. "I'm sorry about this, Mrs. Potts."

You're so formal, Bruce. But that's fine. Your thigh makes a fine pillow and with Pepper curled up at his back--

Had he been awake, he might mention that he missed her breasts. Maybe he will if he wakes up like this! That will probably get him hit but it'd be so worth it. He sinks against her heat, hair a ruffled mess.

She buries her face in his hair and inhales; she'd missed his warmth, and his scent. Arms around him, he's firmly boxes in between herself and Bruce.

"Don't apologize." Her voice is a little muffled. "He needs you, too." More than she'd realized, apparently.

Needs him? Bruce looks down at the couple laying curled up together, then sighs to himself. No, he needs you. He needed someone to help him sleep. Bruce is fine with providing that as needed, that's why he became a doctor. Still... His fingertips lift and gently brush Tony's hair, light, just a moment, then he grabs his tablet and settles himself in for the haul.

But he finds himself reading and re-reading the same thing over and over, unable to focus.

Generally, when Tony picks out bedroom furniture, he doesn't select bed sized based on sharing it with someone that could potentially use the leg room if he has a bad dream. Still, the mattress can comfortably hold more than just himself and Pepper so if you decided on extending your nap from earlier while Tony is actually sleeping pretty well, now's a good time for it, Banner.

With Pepper's arms around him, Tony is actually sleeping pretty easily. He's already slid a hand across her forearm to her elbow. Being close again--

He was worried it might never happen.

Pepper doesn't say anything, but she saw what Bruce did and she wonders at it.

Not for long though -- with Tony's heat against her, she's out pretty fast. If Bruce doesn't crash with them, he's in for a long night.

Eventually, still sitting up, Bruce lets himself fall asleep. However, not after setting an alarm that wakes him every hour and a half, following the natural REM cycle, with a gentle vibration. It's enough to check on the pair, as he promised Pepper, before falling back asleep.

It's one of his Better nights, actually.

Tony's too. No nightmares come. He does not wake to a cold sweat, just to a supple, beautiful woman and to Bruce Banner. He finds he doesn't mind either.

"Awake?" That's to either of them. He sort of has to pee and that's a pity. He'd really like to roll over and kiss Pepper right about now, but the morning breath would be cruel and he's not sure she'd allow that. He would probably have to convince Bruce to stay through it too, not for a desire for an audience so much as to keep his back warm.

What? He's selfish, okay?

Pepper? Not up. She's out cold and unmoving except for steady breathing. Tony would have better luck with Bruce.

As soon as Tony speaks, it wakes Bruce. His eyes open a little and he looks around, verifying where he is, before he looks down. After the last several checks produced nothing, seeing Tony look back up at him is a touch surprising. So he gives a faintly awkward smile. "...afternoon, I think."

Trying to get comfortable when half his side is asleep and he doesn't want to wake Pepper is...annoying. He rocks his hips forward so that he can at least stretch out one of his legs and curl his toes. "You think?"

The way that Bruce is sort of bunched up makes him grin. Someone's been slouching and sleeping sitting up.

"You're allowed to lay down, Banner."

"I'm alright," Bruce says softly. "I wanted to make sure you were both okay." He shifts a little, ready to get up with Tony awake. "Spend a little time with her. I might manage breakfast with Jarvis' help."

Well with all that going on, she's definitely going to wake up. She stretches and yawns, flexing her back before wrapping an arm back around Tony.

"What time is it?"

"Afternoon, supposedly," Tony says and takes the time to stretch out so that Pepper can move her head to hi shoulder. "Banner's going to make us brunch. And mimosas." Thanks for that, Banner. Tony nuzzles his nose against Pepper's hair and breathes in. She has a different sort of scent about her. Different, not bad.

Watching them makes Bruce both awkward and -- and reminds him of the past. "Excuse me." He forcibly gets up and leaves the room, waiting to get into the kitchen before he rubs his face. His stomach churns and he feels... Like an invasion.

Pepper likes the sound of brunch and mimosas, but Bruce is...acting strange. She watches him go, blue eyes following his form until he's disappeared from view.

"Hm." Is all she says.

Tony might have noticed too if his attention isn't on his girlfriend full time right now. It's been awhile. He's use to certain... Things. Hope you don't mind if he invades your space, Pep.

"I'd say its more like mmm. And hello there. Been awhile. How've you been?"

Well, that gets her attention and pulls her focus away from Dr. Banner.

"Oh, you know. Still a hot mess. How about yourself, Mr. Stark?" She can't say she minds her space being invaded at all.

The smile he gives her is the same a cat who's gotten his cream. He rolls over onto her and strokes her cheek, eyes bright under the dark fringe of his mussed up bangs. "I still like hot messes," he assures her. "Got my eye on one in particular." He kisses her nose, a bit moist, but still closed lipped. No need to gross her out with his breath.

Banner's still in the back of his head, rubbing his chest, but that's neither here nor there at the moment.

She slides her arms around his waist and clasps her fingers together, content to simply keep him there atop her and close.

"So long as you don't mind, then I'm happy," she murmurs, lifting a hand to brush a stray piece of hair away from his forehead. "Missed you."

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