Notes: So, browsing through any kink meme should be something that I avoid when I have a million other things that I need to do, but I just couldn't resist. There is seriously not enough of this pairing out there... I couldn't help myself okay, this is my addiction.
Title: No Quiet Here
Fandom: The Avengers
Pairing: Thor/Bruce
Rating: pg
Words: 1596 words
Prompt: Give me any Marvel couple, slash, het, canon, non-canon- kissing under the mistletoe. [ original post here ]

No Quiet Here

Despite everything, Bruce was actually both looking forward to and dreading his first Christmas as an Avenger. It was strange because he had never really liked Christmas, not really having any particularly good memories of the occasion. Sure, there were some happy ones with Betty, but those were somehow... disconnected from him. He wasn't the same person that he'd been then.

They had all come together slowly over the past year at the tower. It had been Tony's idea, more or less, and he was the only one who really had the money and resources for this, so why not? That had been about as much as Bruce could get out of him, but Bruce was just relieved to have a roof over his head that didn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon.

He still wasn't completely used to the acceptance, to having friends who actually cared about him and wanted him around. It was still something of an alien and new concept to him; Bruce was still wary because nothing ever went well for him. Some part of him – small as it was – was still waiting for it all to be taken away from him.

But that hadn't happened – yet – and Bruce was tentatively hoping that things would, for once, turn out fine for himself. He was slowly coming to accept his place on the team.

Bruce had come to the tower first, not really having anywhere else to go. It was a lot better than he'd ever thought that it would be, and Stark labs really were topnotch; there was nothing else like them.

Steve had showed up a few weeks later, looking a little nervous and sheepish about the entire thing. He was trying to get back out into the world and SHIELD had seemed pretty okay with just letting him wallow in what used to be. He was looking for a change of scenery and familiar faces, was what he said when he showed up, shuffling back and forth on his feet and looking for all the world like a lost puppy.

Natasha and Clint came only a few months earlier, neither of them said anything but there was a light in their eyes that hadn't quite been there before. They were the ones who dragged in a very reluctant Coulson, saying that they were never letting him out of their sight again because he was something of a danger magnet.

Bruce wanted to disagree with that. Trouble always seemed to find him and it never wanted to leave him alone. He had a lot of enemies and a lot of them were still on the look-out for him, just waiting for him to slip up so that they could take him.

Then there was Thor, who Bruce really couldn't forget about. Thor who came back with a grim look on his face and the light in his eyes dimmed just a little. He refused to speak about Loki, except to tell them that the matter was closed and the punishment given. None of them had asked anything else.

The one thing that Bruce hadn't expected, or ever even stopped to consider, happened when Thor kissed him the first time. Bruce couldn't really remember much before, but he remembered coming back after a mission exhausted and with his clothes in tatters and Thor's cloak around his shoulders. What he did remember was Thor leaning down and kissing him, sending sparks shooting down his spine.

After that, there was a lot of awkward dancing around each other, mostly because Bruce had no idea what to do and was certain that he had hallucinated the entire thing. Someone like Thor did not go for someone like him; it just didn't happen.

But it had. And it happened again and again. Thor was stubborn like that.

That was why Bruce dragged himself out of his lab instead of spending the entire evening there and late into the night. Because it was Christmas Eve and even though Thor still hadn't quite grasped all of the intricacies and nuances of such celebrations, he knew enough that Bruce should spend some of it with them.

Bruce didn't want to think about what Natasha might have told Thor were acceptable things to do on Christmas to one's – what? Boyfriend? Lover? Friend with benefits? He didn't know what to call himself in relation to Thor.

Much of the tower had been decorated with the help of Thor and Pepper, who had taken over the organization from Tony since it probably would have ended in disaster if she hadn't. As Rhodey put it, leaving Tony in charge of decorations was simply courting disaster because of an incident in the past that Rhodey referred to as “the one involving a blow-torch, reruns of Baywatch, and one very angry hamster.”

Rhodey hadn't said anything else on the matter and Tony had glared at him and said, “You know, I distinctly remember that those reruns of Baywatch were not my idea. At least I've got better taste than that.”

After that, Pepper had taken over decorating the tower, giving out directions and buying things when they were needed. Notably, everything got done very quickly, which was to be expected when there were two master assassins, one super-soldier, and a Norse god on hand to do the heavy lifting. The entire tower was a veritable explosion of Christmas decorations.

There was even an impressive tree in the living room that Thor had brought back from somewhere. Bruce had the distinct feeling that it probably was from the park, but he didn't say anything because Thor was awfully proud of it; especially since Pepper had declared it perfect.

Bruce emerged from his lab and into the living room, walking straight into Thor as he did so. He stumbled, but Thor caught him with an arm around his waist.

“I had believed that you would not join us,” Thor said, by way of explanation. “And that I would be required to come fetch you. We have already begun watching the moving pictures that Anthony calls White Christmas.”

Bruce blinked, but smiled, “Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you.”

The smile he got in return was breath-taking, Thor didn't seem to mind his lateness. “It's of no consequence. You are here now and that is what is important.”

“I wouldn't want to miss your first Christmas.” Bruce felt his heart fluttering in his chest as warmth swelled within him. He was smiling like an idiot and he knew it, but Thor was just so open and giving in his affection, so obvious about it all that Bruce couldn't quite believe his luck sometimes. He felt like a giddy teenager some days.

They were interrupted by Steve coming back from the kitchen with a giant bowl of popcorn in his hands. He smiled at them and pointed at something above their heads, “Mistletoe. You know what that means.”

Bruce blinked and looked up, cheeks flushing when he caught sight of the plant hanging there. He'd forgotten about that... although he really shouldn't have; he remembered that Tony and Clint had gotten caught under it that morning which had been interesting to say the least. Tony had claimed that his mouth would never be the same again.

When Bruce looked away from the small plant above his head, he found Thor staring at him intently.

“So, um, you–”

Thor's smile was radiant, with just a little bit of mischievous mixed in, “I'm aware that we are supposed to kiss. There is a similar tradition on Asgard, although it is not associated with any particular celebration as it is here.”

Shifting from foot to foot, Bruce nodded, “... we should probably kiss before anyone else notices.”

At least Steve had moved on back to the living room where the others were, leaving Thor and him alone. If it had been anyone else who had caught them under the mistletoe, it would have been a different story.

Thor's smile fell a little, “I have told you before that I'm not ashamed of you or our relationship. Are–”

“No! It's not... it's not like that,” Bruce took a deep breath, calming himself. “I just... don't like being the centre of attention is all.”

Best to keep his insecurities to himself, even though Bruce was certain Thor could see through that. He was much more perceptive than others gave him credit for, Bruce had noticed that.

Thor seemed to realize that there was more to that statement than Bruce was willing to say, but he didn't say anything more about it. He ducked his head, “I understand. May I?”

Bruce nodded, rolling onto the tips of his toes. He'd never quite get used to this height difference.

That was easily compensated for, however, by the fact that Thor swept Bruce up into his arms. Bruce managed to bite back his noise of surprise, grabbing onto Thor's shoulders for balance, bringing their faces close. He was momentarily breathless because Thor really was handsome, especially so close...

The kiss was sweet, almost painfully so. Bruce cupped Thor's face in his hands, pulling him close and holding on a little too tightly, but Thor didn't complain. There was something blooming low in Bruce's stomach that sent warmth spiralling upwards and made him gasp.

Thor's tongue slipped past his parted lips, stroking against Bruce's and pulling it into something of a languid dance and Bruce made a small noise in the back of his throat that made Thor smile.

Bruce wasn't sure how long they stayed like that; it could have been a few minutes or a small eternity, but he was breathless when they pulled away. Thor had a huge grin on his face and he pulled Bruce close again, pressing light, barely there kisses to his lips before he finally pulled away. He had a radiant, infectious smile on his face.

Smiling back, Bruce pressed his forehead to Thor's, “Merry Christmas, Thor.”

FIN.
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