I don't know how to say I'm sorry more than I already have for the update times on this story. Thank you to my last reviewer who was flabbergasted with me. I updated. Hope you like it.

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'Just say something.' Tony thought furiously, as Bruce cried and told him he missed his voice. 'Anything. Why are you so pathetic? Tell him you love him. Say hello. Just say something.' Tony closed his eyes, pretending to fall asleep. 'Pathetic.'

'The days sort of all meld together now. Dream, cry, work till I'm exhausted, reset. My life is nothing. Why can't I just talk? Bruce cares. Clint cares. Why is this so hard? People caring is new, but it should be good, not whatever this is. They'll leave soon. Who'd want to keep putting up with me? Rhodey coming had gone well.' Tony snorted causing Bruce to look over questioningly, earning him a shrug back. They both turned back to their work. 'Yeah. Just swimmingly.'

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"So, what's new?" Rhodey and Bruce had both followed Tony following his storm off.

Tony sighed and glared at him. He pointed at his mouth and made a decisive slash. The message was clear. He wasn't speaking.

"Yes. So JARVIS informed me. Why exactly?"

Tony shrugged.

Colonel Rhodes looked at him, then turned to Bruce. "What exactly happened?"

Bruce glanced at Tony before deciding to go with the truth. "He was attacked. The asshole attempted to rape him-" Tony knocked an instrument off the table causing a loud bang.

"If you aren't going to speak, what do you expect?" Rhodey asked in exasperation. Tony glared. "Please Bruce, may I call you Bruce?"

"Sure. Um, how do you know my name?"

"Tony told me all about you."

Bruce furrowed his brow. "He did?"

"Yea. Right after you started dating. We talk a lot, less lately, but still." Rhodey looked uncomfortable and turned to Tony guiltily. "I'm sorry about encroaching on Pepper. I feel really guilty, but we're happy, really Tony. I know I should have talked to you first."

Tony shook his head, opened and shut his mouth in frustration, then growled angrily. He let out an animalistic scream and threw his stool across the room.

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'Pathetic.' Tony shook his head to clear it. 'Of course Rhodey thought I was mad. What else would he think? Bruce is the only one who understood. I can't speak, not won't, can't. I just got frustrated. I'm happy with Bruce. I don't need Pepper. I don't want Pepper. I'm happy for them. Sure, maybe at the beginning I was upset, but that was ages ago and-And I'm having full on conversations with myself. Yea. This is completely healthy. Come on Stark. Get it together. You have survived so much worse. Put your big boy pants on and speak.'

Bruce glanced over at Tony. The earlier snort had given Bruce hope, but now Tony was frowning. JARVIS had shut off the music in protest of Tony's silence hours ago. For a machine, he was pretty stubborn. "Tony, why don't we go-"

"I'm tired." Bruce's mouth hung open mid sentence. Tony was speaking. Outloud. SPEAKING. OUTLOUD! "I'm tired and sick of everything. I just want to sleep for a month or two and wake up and this be over. I just want to wake up and be able to tell you I love you and I'm sorry for being pathetic and ridiculous and I-"

Bruce kissed him, a long, lingering full on, thoroughly romantic kiss. They pulled away slightly breathless. Tony stared at Bruce for a long moment. "You spoke."

Tony's eyes widened and he opened his mouth. "I spoke?"

"You're doing it again."

"I spoke. I spoke. I am speaking. Bruce, I love you. I'm sorry. I don't know why I couldn't-"

A shorter kiss this time. "I love you and you have nothing to be sorry for."

"Really?"

"Really."

Tony smiled and grabbed his boyfriend's hand. "Let's go to bed." A hesitation. "Just-just to sleep."

Bruce smiled and nodded as Tony pulled him away from the workshop.