Tony's panic attacks

Beach conversations

"Bruce I don't want to be here." Tony said.

"come on you love the beach. usually its you dragging me here." Bruce said, pulling on his arm. Tony dug his heels into the ground.

"I don't want to be here." Tony said, pulling against him. Bruce stopped and looked at him.

"look I'm right here. you don't have to get in the water. everyone here knows not to get you wet. this is your own private beach so there's no strangers here. it's just us. all you have to do is lay with me on the sand." Bruce murmured. "please?" Bruce ask. Tony stared at the water, uneasily.

"okay... fine." Tony muttered. Bruce smiled and pulled him over to lay out on their towels. they layd together on the towels in the sun. in only their swimming trunks. Bruce reached over and held onto Tony's hand smiling.

"you know, these past few weeks, with all your panic attacks, I know they hurt you. I hate them as much as you do, but they've gotten the team to see the other side of the big guy. you know? they're not afraid to poke at me and have fun. they're not afraid because they've seen how he gets with you. he really loves you." Bruce said. Tony looked over at him, from behind his sunglasses.

"what?" Tony ask.

"Hulk loves you. I mean come on Tony, he's learned to control his anger and his strength, so he doesn't hurt you. Tony, when you almost drowned the other day, he felt fear." Bruce said. Tony shrugged.

"well he does call me his favorite human." Tony replied. "if it helps, I love him too. I love all of you and he's part of you." Tony added.

"you're such a sap." Bruce chuckled.

"only for you." Tony teased. they laid there a moment. "hey lets go make a sand castle." Tony said.

"we'd have to make it close enough to the water the sand would be wet." Bruce replied.

"so you sit closer to the water. you're right. you're here. the others know not to get me wet. there's nothing to be afraid of. come on." Tony said getting up. he held out his hand to Bruce, who smiled and let him pull him up.

"I love you." Bruce said as they walked closer to the water.

"I love you too." Tony replied. "whats with you? you don't normally show affection if we aren't locked away in the lab together." Tony said.

"well with your attacks lately, I figured you could use a little affection." Bruce said. Tony smiled at him and sat in the sand. Bruce grabbed some of the sand toys they left on the beach. Tony always left toys for them to play with on the beach.

"Tony look out!" Steve shouted. he turned and took a football to the chest. he blocked his arc reactor quickly so it wouldn't get damaged. he landed in the water.

"Tony!" Bruce shouted kneeling beside him. Steve and Thor ran over as well. Tony looked at the water, then to Bruce. "Tony, code yellow?" Bruce ask. Tony looked confused a moment.

"no. no I think I'm okay." Tony said. "you know other then my butts soaked. I feel fine." Tony added. they looked at him confused.

"no tight chest, no heaving chest, no fast heart beat? nothing?" Bruce ask. Tony shook his head looking just as confused as the others. Steve and Bruce pulled Tony out of the water.

"hey is he okay?" Natasha ask as she and Clint ran over.

"he's not having a panic attack?" Clint ask. Tony shook his head.

"no. I'm not. it's the weirdest thing." Tony muttered. now he was going to experiment. he knelt by the water sticking his hand in. he moved it around. "nothing... they didn't just stop." Tony muttered. Tony stood and walked into the water slowly. "Jarvis, monitor heart rate." Tony said.