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Bruce takes off for a while. Tony lets him go.
He’s certainly no stranger to it, the impulse to pick up and run: that feeling of restlessness has been crawling up his spine for a while now, keeps him awake at night and in the lab for longer and longer stretches of time, where he falls asleep on a table four or five nights a week surrounded by Stark Industries coffee mugs, wakes up with a killer knot in his back and grease pen all over his hands.
Bruce knows that Tony knows he’s going, because his head isn't as far up his own ass as he'd like people to think it is. Tony walks him out of the tower in the cold gray light of dawn one morning; Happy takes his threadbare piece-of-shit duffel, puts it in the trunk and very tactfully gets in the driver’s seat to wait while they say goodbye.
Tony wraps one arm around his torso, the other hand fisted in his shirt over the reactor, obscuring its soft, familiar glow. Bruce recognizes the gesture; it’s his only tell. “Where will you go?” It’s the first time he’s asked.
“Flight lands in Vienna. Maybe Germany, Ukraine.”
Tony hugs him then, briefly but tightly, gripping the back of his shirt, and after glancing up the street in case of onlookers, kisses him, quick and chaste. “Enjoy the schnitzel.” Be careful.
“I will.” Bruce gets in the car, watches Tony in the rearview, hand raised in farewell, until they turn the corner. He shakes Happy’s hand at JFK and disappears into the terminal.
--
Bruce emails him after a few weeks, knows it's not really fair to have just fallen off the grid like that, not really.
t – i’m sitting in a real live internet café right now. thought you’d get a kick out of that. apparently it’s still 1999 in budapest. miss you. how’s things? - b
Tony replies almost instantly. B – havent killed rip van winkle yet but its a near thing. star spangled prick. jarvis wont let me work thru the night anymore b/c hes a total mother hen even though he denies it, the smartass. god knows where he even got that from, certainly not me - but i have IDEAS abt a you-know-what-out room so the other guy doesnt destroy my v. expensive and recently renovated tower. its a thing of beauty. cant wait to show you. science with you is best science. - T
shit. sorry. guess i will have to wait to show you. is asking when yr coming home gonna get me anything other than an exasperated smile at your screen and a vague deflection?
Have you ever had rétes? Got a recipe from some locals. I’ll make them for you sometime. - b
bet thats not all you got from some locals, you dirty scoundrel - t
woman in every port, you know me so well. - b
if yr cooking for me it better be naked cooking, sanitation be damned - t
truer words were never said. What, thor’s constant nudity isn’t enough for you? I knew you were insatiable… - b
i’ll show you insatiable. what even is there to do in budapest? - t
I believe hookers and blow is traditional for the tourists. No, I’ve been walking a lot. Museums & such. Saw an opera. - B
Europe makes you boring. - t
I’ll show you boring. Tony, Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The culture and history are unbelievable. - b
by “culture” and “history” of course you mean “prostitutes” and “cocaine” - t
yes. all the walking is good, though, I’ve been going a little overboard with the food. Still gonna think I’m cute when I’m fat? - b
no. - t
I will leave you for thor. - b
Please, you couldn’t keep up with that guy in bed & you know it. - t
I keep up with you. - b
you calling me a god? i’m flattered, cupcake. - t
I’m calling you a nymphomaniac. - b
I’ve been called worse. - t
I’d be worried if you hadn’t. also i have a confession......... - b
you ARE leaving me for thor. i knew it. it's the abs right? fuck. gotta do more crunches. then you won't be able to resist me and come crawling back and i will say OHOHO I DONT THINK SO JOLLY GREEN YOU MADE YOUR BED NOW GO DO DEPRAVED AND SURPRISINGLY CREATIVE SEXUAL ACTIVITIES WITH THE DEMIGOD IN IT
...I maaaay have told jarvis not to let you stay up all night - b
and by may have I mean definitely did. - b
he agrees with me. look, we're communicating! honesty is the foundation of a healthy relationship, and all of that. -B
come home. - t
I.O.U 1 batch naked strudel - B