Tony's panic attacks

Tony sleeps

Tony and Bruce were on the couch, sitting quietly. Tony was asleep against Bruce. the entire tower was quiet, afraid of Bruce's rage if they woke Tony up. no one had forgotten what had happened with Fury, merely three weeks ago. Bruce had just gotten Tony to start sleeping again, but he wouldn't sleep through the night. he'd just take naps here and there leaned against random people. like just yesterday, Natasha and Clint had been talking. Tony had simply walked over, plopped onto the couch, leaned against Clint, and was out in minutes. Clint had been stuck sitting on the couch for three hours, while Tony slept against him. Bruce, who'd been in the lab working, came looking for Tony and laughed when he found him asleep against Clint, who looked very uncomfortable. Tony didn't often have much to do with him. anyway, they two were cuddled on the couch. the others tip toeing around.

"is the man of iron alright?" Thor ask, in his booming voice.

"shhhhhh!!!" Bruce hissed when Tony shifted. "Tony is sleeping you need to be quiet Thor." Bruce replied. Thor nodded and sat on the other side of the couch to watch tv. "I need someone to come take my place, I really have to go check on some lab results." Bruce said. when no one else stepped forward, Phil rolled his eye's and walked over. he sat down on the other side of Tony. they gently shifted Tony over to Phil. Tony whimpered softly in his sleep, Phil and Bruce paused, but then he relaxed and held onto Phil. Bruce got up and headed upstairs quickly. Steve, unbothered with the fact Tony was cuddled up to his boyfriend, sat on the other side of Phil and took his hand. Phil didn't even look up, though he squeezed Steve's hand gently. he used his other hand to play with Tony's hair, like he noticed Bruce often did. Tony sighed softly in his sleep, tightening his hold on Phils waist. Phil shifted.

"you okay?" Steve ask. Phil nodded.

"yeah, he's just going to squeeze the life out of me." Phil muttered.

"well he thinks you're Bruce, he probably squeezes Bruce like that all the time." Steve replied, looking around Phil to look at Tony. "at least those black rings under his eyes are gone." Steve said. Tony nuzzled closer to him and murmured quietly, digging his nails into Phils hip.

"ouch. whatever his dreams about, it's not pleasant." Phil winced. "he's digging his nails into my hip." Phil muttered. Steve looked down and gently pried Tony's nails out of Phil. "how does Bruce do it? god his nails hurt like hell and he squeezes like a Boa constrictor." Phil said. Tony shifted and sat up, rubbing his eye's. he looked over, confused.

"you're not Bruce." Tony muttered.

"yeah Bruce had some results he needed to check on in the lab. so I volunteered to sit with you." Phil shrugged. Tony rubbed his eye's again and yawned.

"okay. thanks." Tony muttered. he got up slowly and headed for the elevator. "Jarvis, to the lab." Tony yawned. the elevator doors slipped open and Tony stepped in, headed to the lab. he stepped out and walked over to Bruce, who was hunched over a microscope. he wrapped his arms around Bruce's waist and laid his head on Bruce's back. "you left me with Phil. his shoulders all boney and painful." Tony muttered. Bruce chuckled softly.

"I'm sorry, but I had something I needed to check on." Bruce said, reaching down to pat Tony's hand gently with a smile.

"excuses." Tony huffed. Bruce chuckled softly, turning to kiss the top of Tony's head.

"yes all I do is give you excuses." Bruce replied.

"I knew it." Tony muttered. Bruce chuckled again and ruffled Tony's hair gently.

"alright let go." Bruce said.

"no." Tony muttered, nuzzling his face into Bruce's shoulder. "don't want to." Tony muttered. Bruce smiled, wrapping his arms around Tony with a smile. "they interrupted my nap." Tony said.

"they?" Bruce ask.

"Phil and Steve, they were moving me." Tony replied.

"you were probably hurting him. you have a tendency to become clingy and when your taarget doesn't want to be clung to you tighten your grip." Bruce chuckled. Tony pouted tiredly at him. "you know, you could try to sleep tonight." Bruce said. Tony tensed immediately, shaking his head no quickly.

"no. no way. I almost hurt you last time I tried that, nearly snapped your neck. I can't do it Bruce." Tony replied. Bruce nodded with a soft sigh. he pulled Tony closer, letting him bury his face in his shoulder. Tony held tightly to Bruce, sighing softly when he played with his hair.

"I know you don't think you can, but you can't just keep sleeping around." Bruce said. Tony pulled back and narrowed his eye's at him.

"I am not sleeping around. I'm not a man whore. I gave that life up for you." Tony replied.

"you know what I mean Tony." Bruce sighed. "you can't just keep dropping for a nap randomly. especially when you randomly nap with Clint, he doesn't like it, you make him uncomfortable." Bruce said.

"then I won't nap with him. I don't nap with Steve cause he doesn't like it. the only ones who don't complain are you, Phil, and Thor. the only reason Thor doesn't complain is because when I nap, he generally naps with me." Tony muttered.

"and Natasha?" Bruce ask.

"I'm a little afraid to nap with her. she might snap my neck if I cuddle." Tony replied. Bruce chuckled softly.

"okay come on. you're obviously still tired. lets go lay out on the couch and nap." Bruce offered. Tony nodded following him back up to the living room. the others were spread out amongst the furniture so it wasn't hard for them to find a spot to lay out on the couch. Tony refused to spoon Bruce, since he'd nearly snapped his neck, so the smaller man curled up behind him, holding tightly on to his waist. Tony was out in minutes, Bruce watched him for a little bit before he too fell asleep. the others took care to be extra quiet. Phil even laying a blanket over the two. one hour passed, then two, and soon four hours had passed and Bruce slowly woke up. he was surprised that Tony was still asleep. he looked around, the others were passed out as well. checking his watch, Bruce realized it was nearly ten at night. he looked at Tony, who was still peacefully asleep, and wondered how long the man would sleep before he woke from his nap... or if he'd sleep through the night. Tony's naps generally lasted any where from thirty minutes to three and a half hours. he never let himself get into a deep sleep though, but right now he was. Bruce, not wanting to risk waking him, laid back down and closed his eye's, falling back to sleep after a while.

*next morning*

around nine am the next morning, Bruce woke again. he found Tony still asleep, like he hadn't even woken up once in the night. the others were already up. Bruce couldn't believe it, Tony had slept through the night. he sat up slowly, trying not to disturb the sleeping man beside him.

"oh hey, you're awake. want some breakfast?" Natasha ask. Bruce shook his head.

"no I'm good. how long have you been up?" Bruce ask.

"since around four am. how long has he been asleep?" Natasha ask. Bruce looked down at Tony.

"a while. he slept through the night." Bruce said. Tony moved, muttering tiredly. their talking must've woken him up. "morning Tony." Bruce grinned. Tony paused.

"morning? I... slept through the night?" Tony ask shocked. Bruce nodded. Tony looked amazed. "guess thats why I feel pretty good." Tony said getting up off the couch to stretch. Bruce chuckled.

"yeah, now if only you'd sleep in our bed. it would make life easier for my back." Bruce said, rubbing his sore back. Tony only shrugged, heading to get him some breakfast. Bruce smiled, Tony had slept through the night, maybe he would be able to sleep more often now that was the hope at least.