Ready, Fire, Aim!

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony grinned widely as Bruce gave in, his brain pretty much blocking out everything else that he said ever that. "Attaboy, Bruce! You'll see, this work. I won't get hurt again, because this is going to be a lot less violent. We can keep moving from place to place, trying to help the Other Guy get a lid on his extraordinary favor for smashing. When he's agreed to cut down on the smashing, we can make a public appearance. Even Ross wouldn't try something in a civilian area. I'm Tony Stark, people listen to me. We'll work this out, okay?" He elaborated, patting his arm. An idea occurred to him that brought a slight smile to his lips. "And, if the Hulk's name gets cleared, I'll even work on building an indestructible room in the tower so he can just go nuts whenever he wants."

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce raised a brow at that last part. You think you can build a room that the Other Guy can't smash through? Well, then again, this is Tony Stark we're talking about; building the impossible is kind of what he does...

 

"Okay, so how do you want to play this?" he asked. "Where would we start with this little 'campaign' of ours?" Manipulating the media was definitely not his field of expertise.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony thought for a moment, scratching his beard. "Well, first we definitely want to make sure the Hulk knows to act.. Semi-calm. Once we've got that down, we should start somewhere foreign. Maybe even have him stop a crime or something, I dunno. Think about it- if IronMan appears in a town somewhere riding on the Hulk's shoulder, people won't get too freaked out, right? The people of New York know he's a hero, so that's a start at least," he elaborated, using hand gestures. "We have to campaign for this, like an election but with more fun. The media will just eat it up if a supposed 'rage monster' is out and about waving like the prom queen and posing for pictures. "

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

"So what, I should just concentrate on not smashing half the island? He doesn't exactly listen to me, yeah know," he said. He wasn't exactly being cooperative, but the fact that he was actually considering giving the Other Guy control when there wasn't some big leviathan, metal, alien beast coming after them wasn't the most comforting thought.

 

"Basically, when you're feeling better, you want me to practice trying to convince the Other Guy not to do something, and fly around foreign countries smashing things and stopping bank robbers?"

Edited May 15, 2013 by lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms

[Sweet_Wyvern]

((I laughed so hard.))

 

"I know, but he listens to me. And hey, you can convince him. I know you can. He wants to get away from Ross just as much as you do," Tony pointed out with a yawn. He refused to give in, no matter how much Bruce protested. "Don't sound so cynical! Of course we want to tone down the smashing, but I think the whole crime thing should be kept under watch. Something could go wrong, and its even better if the big guy chooses to save the day spontaneously."

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

"Okay!" he said, putting his hands in the air like a surrender. "Fine! As soon as you get better, we'll try it. And if I see you try and push yourself too hard before you're ready, I'll pump you so full of sedatives that you'll choke on your own drool, got it?!" he threatened.

 

He was serious. He'd do what Tony wanted, even if it was incredibly stupid, but if he tried to rush his recovery even slightly, he would stop this little plan of theirs before it even began.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony chuckled and laid his head down on the pillow, pulling the covers up. "Yes mother. No drugging the billionaire without his consent," he replied with a lazy smile, shutting his eyes. "I won't push it. No more rash decisions, I promise," he mumbled, trying to be truthful.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce smiled. "Night then." He quietly left the room, using the high-tech light switch to dim the lights before he left.

 

It wasn't that late, but suddenly Bruce felt like a light nap would do him some good, to maybe help him process everything they talked about, so he headed to the next room. He pulled on a pair of grey sweats, and climbed into bed, asking for JARVIS to wake him in a couple of hours.

 

"Of course, Sir," the AI answered quietly.

 

It only took him a moment to fall asleep, who welcomed him this time with a continuous string of nightmares that seemed to have no end.

 

((you can time skip if you want))

[Sweet_Wyvern]

((To when? Maybe when he can walk and they're trying to slowly ease him into movement again? That would be about a week maybe, ten days tops))

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

((That sounds fine with me. 7-10 days, you can just pick a number. I'm ready to jump forward a bit...))

[Sweet_Wyvern]

((Yeah, I didn't want to drag this part out any longer than it had to be))

 

About eight days (Tony lost track) passed relatively peacefully. There was an incident where a bird hit the window and Tony (doped up) thought they were under attack, but other than that things stayed calm. Bruce indeed did not have to sedate him as, true to his word, the billionaire stayed in bed and got plenty of rest. Today however, he was ready to move. "Bruce, I think I can start walking again," he said, looking up at the doctor. He was no longer on morphine, just Vicodin, and while it was still powerful, it wasn't as strong as morphine. Carefully he pulled back the covers, then looked to his conpanion pleadingly. "I'll go slow. Please?"

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce laughed. "Yeah, I think you've had more than enough time to heal up. I'm surprised you made it this long without going stir-crazy!" He stepped over the Tony, carefully positioning himself so as to give him as much support as possible. He helped to lift him from the bed, telling Tony that he should lean on him as much as he needed to until he was comfortable standing. It took a few minutes, but they finally managed it.

 

((So would this be considered god moding or no? As long as I don't really speak for Tony, I can still say what they did together? Just trying to clear this up...))

[Sweet_Wyvern]

((Nah, its not really god modding since Tony already asked for help up and they're now getting up together))

 

Tony laughed, but it cut off shortly when he threw an arm around Bruce and attempted to stand. It tugged at his side slightly, and while it was fairly healed, it still made him wince. "You have no idea," he grunted, finally on his feet. It did hurt a little, but not as much as it could.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

((sorry for no replies yesterday! The Supernatural season finale was yesterday (which made me want to curl up in the fetal position and bawl), and my little sister is majorly sick, so yeah, distractions and excuses galore))

 

Bruce allowed Tony to lean on him heavily, almost sandwiching Tony between himself and the wall so that he could have support on either side. He saw the other's winces at the tugging stitches, and while he wished he could help, the doctor in him told him that Tony as healing fairly well, and that a little pain was inevitable.

 

They made their way outside to the balcony, since Bruce figured Tony might want to see the outside world after laying in bed for over a week. He figured he might want to get a little sunshine and fresh air. He set the billionaire down on one of the chairs that Bruce had dragged out there a few days ago, so that he could rest a moment. "I'll be back in a minute," he told him, and he went to the kitchen to pour them both a cup of coffee, before returning outside and handing one of the mugs to Tony.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

((I understand and I heard the finale was huge))

 

Tony was grateful for the support, and honestly wouldve collapsed without it. He hadn't exactly walked in a while. Though he didn't want to admit it, he was relieved when the doctor eased him into a chair. He had to squint in the bright light, his skin slightly pale from lack of sunlight. "Oh my god, fresh air," he moaned dramatically, basking in the warm sun and inhaling deeply. He had missed this view a lot.

 

Looking up when Bruce returned, he accepted a mug and took a hearty drink. "Coffee too- its like I've been in prison for years," he sighed, having gotten his breath back. Walking wasn't so bad, he reasoned.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

((Odin's ravens, you have no idea! That's all that's on my tumblr right now! What's horrible is that the finale was so brilliant! It had nearly everything we wanted, but Edlund manipulated it all to the point that it stabbed us all in the hearts! UGH! It was just beautiful, okay! And now we have a 5-6 month hiatus to drag ourselves through, and the cliffhanger and just ugh!))

 

Bruce rolled his eyes with a smile at Tony's dramatic self. He was glad that he had made the right call in taking him outside. They sat out on the balcony for a couple hours, Bruce refilling Tony's mug every so often with coffee or soup or whatever the man requested, and they just enjoyed the view while they could. Bruce would point to a few of the more damaged spots in the mass of trees below and ask what exactly Tony and the Other Guy had been doing down there to create such a mess, a light chuckle bubbling from his chest.

 

He wanted to focus on the lighter and happier moments with Tony, since their near future didn't look nearly as cheerful. He knew that this was likely to end badly for them both, but he tried to force those thoughts from his mind and focus on happier things, like being able to enjoy this brilliant view in front of them with his best friend, drinking coffee and laughing over stupid, irrelevant things.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony was surprised at himself- or rather, the idea that he enjoyed himself. Despite his celebrity status, he really preferred to be alone and tinkering instead of in someone's company. So, naturally when he laughed for the billionth time, he was happily surprised to be enjoying himself. He regaled the time that he and the other guy had had, explaining how fascinated the big guy was with his repulsors and explosions.

 

After a few hours went by he found himself sighing, gazing out over the view. "Just so you know.. Whatever happens, I won't ditch. We're in this for the long haul," he assured him with a slight smile. He had never had a friend quite like Bruce.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce glanced over at Tony, not really expecting the billionaire to say what he did, but he smiled nonetheless. "Thanks...," he murmured, not really knowing how to respond. He knew by now, having spent the last week taking care of Tony and growing closer to him, that he wouldn't leave.

 

Any other person with a brain would've left already, like they so often did in the past, but not Tony. Whether it was because he was brave, stupid, or just blindingly loyal, Bruce had no idea, but he didn't really care. The bottom line was, he could depend on Tony, and he hadn't had that luxury since his mom died when he was a kid. It was funny, considering that Tony could barely manage to take care of himself. He smiled, holding his mug in his calloused hands, watching the sun sink below the trees. "...I know..."

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony just smiled again before looking out over the deck. He wasn't exactly a compassionate person, it was just that maybe he needed a friend. Pepper was a girlfriend and she didn't count, Rhodey hardly ever came around, and the majority of SHIELD and the Avengers couldn't stand him. Understandable, but still. Bruce put up with him, and maybe he needed that to be straightened out. His better side was drawn out around the man, anyways. He actually cared about how Bruce viewed him, which was big in itself.

 

Tony was starting to doze off at that point, and actively trying not to. " 'm gonna fall 'sleep," he mumbled. He didn't exactly want to sleep outside on the deck, what with the heat and bugs.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce could see Tony fight his heavy lids, nearly nodding off a few times. He set down his mug and stood, helping Tony to stand and placing his shoulder under Tony's arm for support. It took a bit longer than last time, since Bruce practically had to carry him all the way back to his room, but they managed it eventually. Bruce half threw Tony onto the bed, not exactly forcefully, but considering how tired their little trip had made him, he was just ready to get Tony off of him and into bed.

 

He sat in the chair, breathing heavily from the exertion, mentally soothing the Other Guy back to sleep in the back of his mind. "Man, have you been sending JARVIS to bring you food while I wasn't looking? I never realized you were so heavy!" he teased.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

Tony would've made snide comments about carrying him if he had the breath to. He was still getting used to walking with his side, so even the tiny trip and leaning on Bruce left him exhausted. Luckily it didn't hurt when he hit the mattress though, because that wouldn't have made things much better. He simply pulled his legs all the way up, regaining his breath and color quicker than last time.

 

"It's your evil tea that's fattening me up. Just tell me straight- are you gonna eat me, doc? And if so, can I add my own little flare? I think I'd go really good with paprika," he snarked, rambling on in that way of his where no one else could get a word in edgewise.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

Bruce stared at him with a raised brow and a smirk, confounded by his weird comments. "Tea doesn't make you fat, Tony," he said. Tony was rambling, which was always a sign that he was either tired, uncomfortable, or drunk, and Bruce assumed it was the former. He raised himself off the chair with a huff, helping Tony get somewhat comfortable in his bed, since he figured the way he landed must be a bit awkward. "See you in the morning then," he breathed, stepping out into the hall.

[Sweet_Wyvern]

"Oh yes it does!" Tony insisted, waving a hand. Yeah okay, maybe he was a little tired. He grumbled good-naturedly as Bruce helped situate him, though he wasn't really opposed to it. He just liked to give people trouble. "Good night, dearest!" Tony called after him with a slight grin, settling back into the pillow. He was out cold within minutes.

[lord-of-the-nerds-and-fandoms]

((sorry, I'm on the road to a ceremony a few Towns over and I have spotty reception at best. I'll make a post when i get home.))

[Sweet_Wyvern]

((okay, and you can timeskip when you do. This will pick up I think once we get into the real meat of the plot))