S.H.I.E.L.D. meeting one minute after Tony and Bruce left:

"Sir," Natasha spoke up as soon as she was sure the two geniuses were out of earshot, "why do I get the feeling you know something we don't?"

"Probably because I do." Fury responded succinctly, not offering an explanation.

"And what, if I may ask," Clint cut in, removing his feet from where they were resting on the table and placing them on the floor "would that be?"

"I'm glad you asked, Barton, because it's about time it was brought to the team's attention anyway: Stark is uncomfortable around you all." Fury deigned to explain, looking each of them in the eye in turn.

"But why would that be?" Steve asks, surprised. "We're all on the same team."

"Yeah, and we always have each other's backs in battle!" Clint points out somewhat defensively.

And I haven't threatened to cut him in over a month Natasha thought to herself while picking her nails.

"It might be," Fury sassed, "because I have a more objective view since I'm not on the team myself, or maybe it's because I knew the kid before reading miss Romanov's depreciating report-"

"I said I was sorry." Came a quite grumble.

"But has anyone else thought he might be very aware of the fact that he's the only non suped-up member of the team who hasn't been trained to kill in 17 different ways with a spoon?"

18, actually; took that extra Sunday class. Romanov decided to keep to herself.

"This is unacceptable! A brother in arms should not feel this way around his compatriots!" Thor suddenly booms from the far end of the table and everyone kinda just stares at him for a moment, wondering when he got there.
They didn't get a chance to ask though, as that was when he made a move for the massive wall of windows. "I must rectify this immediately!"
And proceeded to jump through said windows.

This was not going to end well.

Ten minutes after the fire extinguisher fiasco:

Tony and Bruce were toweling off their hair, having taken showers to remove all the foam (or just general workshop grime) from their bodies and then Bruce came to check on his friend to make sure he was actually fine. And also maybe to spill the beans.

"Tony..." Bruce took a deep breath, wondering what would happen if he told Tony the truth about his strength. What if Tony never looked at him the same way again? Having that fear in his eyes, just like everyone else. Bruce doesn't know if he could take that-
But no, Tony was his friend and he deserved to know the truth. He let out the lungful of air he'd been holding "I have something to tell you."

"Oh, is it the whole you-have-super-strength-even-when-you-aren't-huge-and-green thing?" Tony guessed, throwing his soiled towel somewhere behind him.

Bruce stopped breathing; feeling like all the air had been stripped from his lungs for the few horrible seconds it took Tony to start talking again.

"Yeah, I already knew that, just didn't think to mention it earlier since it's not a problem; you actually like me (or are the Avenger who dislikes me the least, Tony thinks to himself). And so does Jolly Green."

Bruce almost couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"But it was my fault you almost died!"

"Nu-uh, it's Thor's fault I almost died. It's only thanks to you we didn't get blown up." Tony nods sagely.

...A smile tugs its way onto Bruce's face; turns out he had nothing to worry about (and honestly he should have been expecting this). The smile then transforms into a cat-like smirk. "Actually, only you would have been blown up, I would have been just fine."

"But you wouldn't be 'just fine' because then you would be sad because you would miss me." Tony shoots back.

"That is true." Bruce boops him on the nose. "Good thing we're both still here. And alive."

"Yeah, no thanks to Goldilocks." The snarky scientist gives a wry smile.

Bruce squints at the reminder; now that he is absolved of all blame he knows exactly where to place it.

"Oh please don't kill him, Brucie; he didn't mean it." Tony presses his hands together in an overdramatic pleading gesture.

Bruce turned and looked Tony straight in the puppy dog eyes and deflated slightly.
"Fine, I won't." He began, seeing Tony mock sigh in relief. "But I can't speak for the Other Guy." He finished, smirking.

"...Well, that's probably the best I'm going to get, so I'll take it!" Tony jumped up from the bed. "Now what do you say we get some food? Almost getting blown up really gets the appetite going."

Bruce rolls his eyes good naturedly at Tony's nonchalance about his near-death experience, but follows none-the-less.
"Fine, but we're not doing Korean barbecue at home again. You know what happened last time."

Tony gives a sly grin in response. "First one to the kitchen gets to decide!" And takes off, Bruce hot on his heels.

"Hey!"

~•*•~

When they are eating the food Tony decided on (Hulk wouldn't let Bruce use his extra strength as a speed boost since he considered that cheating. Bruce tried to argue that Tony cheated first by getting a head start, but Hulk wouldn't budge. [figures; he usually took Tony's side] but luckily his friend took pity on him and chose something aside from Korean Barbecue) he asks what Bruce's super secret experiment was. Since it kind of blew up in his face he can spill the beans now, right?

"Yeah, I don't see why not. I was working on a special alloy blend, molded in a braided, polydirectional pattern for extra rigidity and strength-"

"Ooh, I bet it looks cool too." Tony interjected.

"Yes actually, it does. Similar to domastic, but anyway I was testing certain factors, such as how hot it can get if bent and how quickly the heat will dissipate, etc. Turns out, not quickly enough to prevent a cloth from catching fire, so checking that off of 'list for potential armor alloys'." Bruce grimaced.

"Aw, you were thinking about me? That is so sweet." Tony fluttered his lashes. "I'll have to get you some flowers in return."

"Well I know the Big Guy would certainly appreciate that; he really likes flowers for some reason."

"Ooh, if that's the case I should get some hulk sized ones for him to enjoy!
I'm thinking bunga bangkai. What say you?"

"No offense Tony, but that idea stinks." Bruce replies.
After a few seconds though a smile cracks its way through Bruce's mock serious face and both geniuses let out a few laughs before getting back to their meal.

They are about halfway done when suddenly
"Le gasp! I was right!" Tony says out of nowhere.

"I'm sure you were." Bruce twirls his food around his fork. "Now about what is the question.
Also did you say 'gasp'?"

"Thor killing me by accident! It was only by pure luck -and your awesomeness- that he didn't succeed.
And yes; yes I did."

"Oh yeah, speaking of which you should probably get a tetanus shot." Bruce says, gesturing at the Dora The Explorer bandage covering Tony's 'booboo', as the inventor liked to call it.

"Eh, I got one within the last year." Tony waves off Bruce's concern. "I think. Anyway I'm recent... I think."

Bruce stares at him in lieu of a reply.

Tony stares back in reply to his lieu of a reply.
This goes on for the next minute or so until they have an unspoken staring contest that Tony eventually loses.
"Gah!" The inventor clutches at his eyes. "Okay, you win; I'll get another shot. Soon as my eyes start working again." he mumbles the last bit.

Bruce smiles (pleased Hulk actually helped him out with that one).
"How about I be your eyes for the time being so you can get your shot before lock-jaw sets in, hmm?" He says as he leads the overdramatic inventor toward the med bay by the hand.

"Hey, my bloodstream should be 100% rust free; I keep a clean lab!" Tony said as he blindly followed.

"That disease ridden couch you keep in the corner would suggest otherwise." Bruce countered as he rounded the corner, making a wide turn to ensure Tony didn't bump into it.

"Couchy is an outlier and you know that."