Getting Bruce to smile is, largely, the point of the whole show, and the fact that he is leaves Tony feeling satisfied that he could do something. Maybe not erase what’s happened, or make facing the people in town any easier, but right now, Bruce is smiling. And Tony’s such a big proponent of living in the moment that he’ll take it as a win.

He accepts the kiss gladly, welcomes it now – nothing has changed for him and he’ll do anything he can to prove it - the same way he welcomes it during any other situation. And he accepts the second one just the same, as he does being called a dork. He is a dork. He’s made peace with that.

“Some day, my eidetic recall of the shit I read will come in handy, mark my words.” It’s his turn to kiss him, quick and just barely there on the corner of his mouth, before he slings an arm around Bruce’s shoulders and turns them toward the house.

If anyone sees them – the barefoot, shirtless doctor who could almost pass off as fully clothed if he closed the jacket, and the loud, obnoxious guy in his underwear and shoes who looks like he’s doing the hungover version of the walk of shame – he knows they’ll make an odd sight. But Tony’s okay with that. More than okay. Because they’ll get through this, and if he has anything to say about it, Bruce will be the happier for it. Somehow.