#just bruce

[gothamdad]

i ! still ! want ! bruce ! and ! villain ! interactions !  

[bruce-is-out-of-patience]

*wears a superman shirt and drinks from a superman mug*

I'm not batman

I'm obviously not batman

[sorrythatwasmean]

Lava, Laughter, and Loss:

Bruce Banner in Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War

@bruceweek 2019 Day 2 Prompt : Laughter/Monster

Bruce had wanted cool reason, science and creation not heat and fury and demanding, raging destruction. He’d wanted books and Betty and a home and to break the cycle of fire and rage in Banner men. He’d wanted a family untouched by fire.

He lost that chance. The heat had consumed him,remade him, made the fire part of him in a way he could never shed. The fire was liquid, it was molten lava beneath his skin, in his blood, and when it erupted and destroyed him and remade him green, he could not hide it.

He was humbled by the fire. And eventually, he acknowledged a truth he’d tried to deny: The anger was a part of him, but it was not all he was. Fire was a many-sided thing: warmth and light and laughter and joy, drive and affection, beacon and warning, not just monster and rage and fight and all consuming. He’d thought SHIELD and the Avengers and letting the Other Guy out for the good guys was kindness. At least, kinder than denying and shutting him away. And how was he repaid?

Hulk stole from him.

Bruce Banner woke up in a broken quinjet and for him Ultron and Sokovia was seconds ago, not two years. He’d lost.

The Other Guy created a life without him and reveled in it. Bruce shouldn’t be envious. The Other Guy’s measure of simple happiness shouldn’t pipe more lava into his veins. But it does.

Bruce’s record had been a year without incident. The Hulk had two—two whole years of control. Bruce Banner was the bruised, breakable, fragile one and Hulk could rip up metal, alien monstrocities, and crush bones and exist far longer without him. Hulk didn’t need him.

Bruce always needed Hulk. Needed a friend, a protector, someone. And if his father called him a monster? It hurt even more because...the monster cared more about him and his mother than his own father did. It was wrong. His world shouldn’t work that way. But it always had.

And yet, Hulk had found Sakaar, an entire world where he would never need Bruce Banner. Bruce had been betrayed before but not like this. He’d been willfully, gleefully, completely betrayed by his oldest friend in their own internal, tiny, civil war and Bruce had lost.

Heat and pressure builds and the lava is hot beneath his skin.But Bruce ignores it.

And in the end, Bruce couldn’t hold on to selfish pettiness for even a little while. Thor didn’t need Bruce Banner. Asgard didn’t need Bruce Banner. It needed the Other Guy. Maybe, Hulk could even be happy among Asgardians. What was losing Bruce compared to losing an entire people? So Bruce let go, hoped and trusted his friend would do right and fight for something larger than themselves.

And Hela was defeated. Not by Hulk, but they had helped. And through Hulk, Bruce can remember the heat and flame and molten-lava and the thrill that rose up in Hulk’s heart at fighting a lava monster. Hulk didn’t understand.

But Bruce Banner did. Hulk delighted because Hulk was fire. The fire was inside their veins. It was the rage and destruction but the churn of fighting joy, of warmth and love of life, of bounding up, too. Hulk was focusing on the laughter and fight and not the monstrous fury. Bruce recognized Ragnarok as his nightmare manifest: A world consumed by ravenous, insatiable, liquid fire.

But Ragnarok was only a warning.

And still, both of them failed. Both of them fell through space with the last of Heimdall’s bi-frost powers.They fell. Hard. They fell right through the roof of a wizard outpost in New York.

And there was no rest, no peace, no moment to absorb Ultron and Sokovia and Ragnarok. There was no time to mourn Asgardians he’d only begun to know or worry if Thor survived Thanos.

Thanos was coming.

And whatever had happened in the seconds for Bruce that spanned years down here, didn’t matter. Tony needed to make the call.Call Steve. Call the others.The Avengers weren’t a band. It was a promise.

Tony had said it himself. If they couldn’t protect the Earth, then they’d avenge it. And all Bruce can think about is how they can’t let it get that far. They can’t have the universe smoke and dissolve and become like Asgard.

But then Thanos’ little Black Order and his army shot down from the sky. Bruce coaxed and begged and  said that he needed Hulk, his friend, so they could fight. But no.Hulk hadn’t learned what Bruce had learned. Wasn’t willing to let go. Maybe he didn’t even understand.

And too soon, like two years, like Asgard the place, and maybe even Thor, Tony and the wizard Dr. Strange and the spider kid were gone,too. Bruce didn’t know where.

The lava churns and mixes and presses ever hotter.But there was more to do. Bruce called Steve himself.

“The world’s on fire and you think all is forgiven?”

It was Betty’s father Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross turned Secretary of State. Bruce stayed hidden as the hologram Ross confronted James Rhodes and Steve Rogers.

And the lava surged and snaked within Bruce’s heart. Asgard had been a world on fire. Ross could not comprehend. Ross could not let go. He was like Hulk on Asgard roaring for the wrong fight, too distracted by the wrong thing.

Rhodey understood.He waved Ross’ hologram away and dismissed the Secretary’s command to arrest Steve and the others. Rhodey said it matter-of-factly,“That’s a court martial.”

But Bruce had dedicated his life to one thing once, too, and knew letting his life’s work go had to burn and sting.

Summoning the strength to choose the right path despite the cost was fire,too. Bruce’s eyes flickered to the tech Rhodey wore to stand and walk.And Bruce thought of Steve and a crashing plane,Tony and the nuke above New York,  Thor and Loki and Heimdall, and the fire within them all. All of them had lava in their veins of fight and flames of hope.

Fire was a complex, ever-changing, beautiful, terrible, dangerous, element. And they all had to carefully attend to the flames lest they be consumed. And they flirted with the flames of death, too, didn’t they? What was sacrifice but noble, well-intentioned destruction with a purpose?

Bruce wanted a family untouched by fire. And instead, he found one blessed and cursed by it. He had created with fire, too. Vision was born in battle. And now, oh-so-quickly the being accepted his own destruction if it would save them all. Bruce wondered how much of that came from him. Don’t be like me. Don’t... And he had to say something even if it would mean less coming from someone Vision barely knew:

“If we take out the stone, there’s still a whole lot of Vision left--perhaps the best parts.”

Perhaps, he could be saved.Or perhaps Bruce was being selfish again and didn’t want to let go of something good he’d helped create. And Vision really was good.

If wielding Mjnoir hadn’t proved Vision wasn’t a monster, the warmth of affection and ghost of a laugh everytime he beheld Wanda confirmed he wasn’t. He was another noble, self-sacrificing, fool in love. And love and laughter kept people good.

And the look of ‘huh, good question’ on Vision’s face at Bruce admitting he hadn’t thought of Shuri’s idea of reworking synapses to interact collectively? It was laughter in the face of fire. Humor and laughter and love kept the worse monsters from bursting forth from the darkness.Maybe that was it. Maybe if he appealed to the part of Hulk that Bruce envied—the joy—he would rejoin the fight.

He’d helped design the original Hulkbuster, but Tony had tinkered with this one. The displays, the energy, the whirling and whizzing around was different, dazzling, and cool. He couldn’t have known Bruce would return or that they’d need this armor, but it had been ready and waiting. Thank you, Tony.

But there was work to do. If Bruce was suppose to be like Hulk then he couldn’t wallow.Hulk focused on now. Always now. Always this moment.

And it was easier than Bruce thought it would be. Maybe two years meant he’d learned-unconsciously-something from the Other Guy, too The Hulkbuster armor wasn’t how he’d planned on entering the fray,but when Nat checked in:

“This is amazing! It’s like being the Hulk without—“

Falling flat on his face was pure Bruce Banner.

But it proved this was him. When the Other Guy ran the show Banner couldn’t banter when the Other Guy roared, couldn’t decide how to take out the baddies, couldn’t be the one running and bounding and leaping and laughing. He might be able to influence Hulk a little and reign him in, but too often Hulk was too busy and fast to mind him. But this? He decided how high, how fast, how to roll over the space invading army, how he wanted to be. He wasn’t along for the ride or locked away. His hands were on the wheel, his mind chose the music, the velocity and destination.

But...battles against enemy hordes were long. And unlike Hulk, Bruce could tire. He usually didn’t feel it until after the battle was over and he was back, but this one was all him. And still, Hulk wasn’t coaxed out.

Thor descended from the heavens with a new weapon, alive, and bringing his own fire wasn’t a large enough jolt either. Hulk enjoyed battling alongside Thor, God of Thunder. But all Bruce was getting was ‘No.’ and ‘No, Banner!’ but what the hell did that mean? That the Other Guy didn’t want to meet the alien tree and the gun-toting racoon? Was he scared for the first damn time? Or spoiled? Holding a grudge because he lost a fight? Having a tantrum because he wanted control again? It couldn’t be grief. Bruce grieved. But they didn’t have the time. If it was grief, Thor was back and Bruce could not, would not think Tony—

Tony was more his friend than Hulk’s, but they both cared. And Bruce did not have time. Thor was alive with a new, powerful, presumably mystical weapon. Bruce focused on that and threw out a “you guys are so screwed now!"

He wanted to believe that. But he was still Bruce Banner and it was harder to ignore the smell of sulfur and the heat still churning beneath his skin. Fire was many things: beacon of hope and flash of warning. warmth and burning, fighting laughter and monstrous fury,

He’d tried warning them all. He couldn’t be a beacon when his own hope was wavering, but he’d tried to give Vision that. He’d tried finding the laughter in this fight. And still, Hulk would not come. Fine. Last funny thought: Bruce was in the Hulkbuster armor and fighting the Hulk in his own mind. Funny, right?

But if Hulk was fire, raging fire...fine. Fury. “Screw you, you big, green asshole!I’ll do it myself!”

But fury is unsustainable. The Other Guy thrives on it. Bruce can’t. They needed to work this out. They couldn’t exist like this: Bruce ignoring the burning beneath his skin, constantly on the verge of being remade green with all the stress and none of the relief. They worked together. They were better together.Not like this.

And when Thanos burst onto the field, Bruce was already weary, they all were, and if he charged it was in desperation and hope. This is the last second. Right now. But reality warps and Thanos waves them off like smoke, melding them into the mountainside.

And Bruce screamed because he couldn’t move and he couldn’t fight. The armor was dark and cold and hard and entombed by rock and he couldn’t breathe. He wondered if this was how Tony felt falling back to Earth. He’d said once that Hulk had saved him. Bruce hadn’t bought that.

“Save me?That’s a nice sentiment. Save me for what?”

Not this. Maybe the laughter was a lie. And the monster was the truth. I need you. Help me. Nothing. Bruce closed his eyes. He was tired.

...and Bruce lost time again...

A jolt of electricity crackled through him and Bruce gasped in air, his heart started pumping again and everything was still hazy, like smoke, until he remembered what words were...

“Thor...?”

The lightning stopped crackling from his friend’s fingertips and Thor almost smiled. “Banner. Welcome back.”

Bruce tried sitting up but Thor kept his hand on Bruce’s chest and shook his head. “Rest.”

Battle was over, then. He glanced around. Still Wakanda. He recognized the rhythm in the speech of some of the nurses and doctors buzzing around. Makeshift medical tent? Bruce turned back to Thor.“What happened did...did the Other Guy...?”

Thor shook his head. And Steve walked through the tent flap.

“Doctor,”said Steve. “We thought we lost you there...”

But there was something they weren’t saying. Natasha and Rhodey found their way to his cot. And there was definitely something he was missing. “No Tony?”

Natasha exchanged a look with Rhodey before responding, “Not yet.”

And the unease was creeping back in,“What aren’t you telling me?What did I miss this time?”

Bruce had wanted a family untouched by fire. Instead, he gained one marked by it’s light and warmth and laughter and fight. And parts of it had shriveled into cold, dry, ash and been lost to the wind.

Half the world.Maybe of the universe. Gone.

He was beyond monstrous fury.

“Save me for what?”

He was still here. Survived again where others had not. It didn’t mean anything unless he gave it meaning. If he had this liquid fire in his veins and Hulk was letting him take the lead, then he would use this. Use his anger, his rage, his fury, this monster and be relentless in taking back what he loved. Fixing this. There had to be a way. And they would find it together. Thanos would be defeated by his family forged in fire.

[ehmslly]

91 with thorbruce, if that's ok! 💚

Totally okay!

{91. We recently told the media we’re dating and it isn’t pretty… please don’t tell em you want to break up}

-

Thor wasn’t prepared for the backlash of coming clean to the press about his and Bruce’s relationship, Bruce unfortunately, was.

They hadn’t particularly wanted or felt a huge desire, to tell the media what was going on between them. But they had been photographed without their knowledge a week prior, at an avengers formal event, and wanted to be the ones to tell the story- not some money seeking pap.

They tried to do it in the best way possible, Tony had a few friends in the industry who he trusted not to spin it and so they sat down and came clean. And while the article about them was beautiful, and honest, and true- it didn’t stop people.

There was outrage about two superheroes, two avengers, being gay.

There was fear they were going to team up and try to take over the world- cause that’s realistic and of course their main priority.

Or that their breakup would cause a massive fight that would destroy half the city.

There were media stations trying to claim it was a cover up for some evil plan, saying slanderous and just ridiculously untrue comments about their relationship.. simply because they could.

Bruce ignored it, he was used to negativity surrounding him and had grown accustomed to shutting it out a long time ago- Thor however, hadn’t and was taking it hard.

He’d watch every news story on it, read every article, listen to everyone who shouted on the streets at them.

He feigned to be unaffected but Bruce could see it, It was getting too much, it was clearly beginning to distress and anger the god, and Bruce was just trying to keep his distance as to not annoy him any further.

After all he had been the one to initiate the kiss at Tony’s stupid party, the one that started all the outrage- it was technically his fault… he wondered if Thor thought that.

He was just going to get himself a coffee when he spotted Thor sat in front of the large television in the living room, hair thrown in a bun and body covered by a loose jumper.

He didn’t react to Bruce entering the room, so either he didn’t notice, or didn’t care- Bruce felt it was the latter and continued on to the kitchen.

He stood by the machine as it whirred and sputtered out his drink, leant against the Cabinet and watched Thor in the lounge.

He was never usually up this late, usually preferring an early night much to Bruce’s amusement; but then they were never normally apart in the evenings, always sat with each other despite Thor’s love of sleep- and since he was now alone and free to do his own thing Bruce didn’t think too much of it.

He went back to watching his boyfriend, now with a coffee cup between his palms and a frown on his lips.

He was shaking his head, muttering under his breath and then suddenly he was throwing something, the remote, hard and fast at the television.

Bruce startled and winced as it hit the screen and the glass broke, shock rendering him motionless.

The god was stood with his back to bruce, shoulders shaking as they rose and fell in time with his staggered breaths. His hands lay by his sides, gentle fingers curled tightly into fists.

The room was dark around him without the light of the tv and Thor made no movements, or requests to Jarvis, to make it light again.

“Thor…” Bruce managed to breathe out, still glued to the kitchen.

Thor tensed, and slowly turned to face him, surprise evident on his dimly lit features- so he hadn’t seen Bruce come in.

“Bruce!” He Forced on a smile, and went to approach him, arms wide.

“Wait!” Bruce held his hands up “Thor there’s glass everywhere, just- you’ll hurt yourself- wait there” Bruce went to go find a broom in one of the cupboards, trying to calm his breathing as he did so.

“Here,” he found the brush eventually and began sweeping the glass away from Thor, collecting it in a corner far away from his boyfriends bare feet.

Thor looked guilty now, staring at the ruins of Tony’s television and then back at Bruce’s withdrawn expression.

“Bruce..”

“Jarvis tell Tony in the morning that I had a little hulk issue and broke his tv”

Thor gasped, “But Bruce-“

Bruce held up a hand to silence him, which worked immediately.

“Certainly sir, shall I send someone for the glass?” Thor looked at his feet.

Bruce shook his head, “No we’ve got it- thanks though”

“Goodnight Dr Banner, Mr Odinson” Jarvis wished them, and then signed off, leaving them alone in the living room, only tension between them.

“Thor what are you doing?” Bruce moved closer to him, resting a hand on his shoulder and feeling the muscle tense beneath his touch.

“They were insulting you” Thor bit out, jaw set and eyes furious.

Bruce looked at the smashed tv and quickly figured out what he was watching, and who he was talking about.

“You’re taking this hard” Bruce commented, ushering them both to sit on the sofa though he kept his hand on Thor’s shoulder.

“Yes” Thor replied, as though shocked Bruce wasn’t.

“Do you want to leave me-“

“Don’t even finish that sentence Bruce” Thor looked tired but absolutely ready to fight him on it.

Bruce nodded slowly, clearing his throat.

Thor shuffled closer to Bruce before telling him, “These people, they don’t know us, but they were insulting us- what right do they posses to pass judgment?”

Bruce shrugged.

He grinned “You know what would happen on Asgard to someone taunted and disrespected my relationship?”

He reached for Bruce’s hand, playing with his fingers before wrapping his own around them. Bruce laughed despite himself, and held onto Thor’s hand tightly.

“I’m guessing it involves torture or killing”

“Indeed” he confirmed with a grin.

“We can’t do that here, baby” Bruce swept his thumb over Thor’s knuckles.

“A shame “ Bruce knew Thor couldn’t really hurt someone without too much of a reason, but the comment still made him laugh, which in turn made Thor smile harder.

“Thor-“

“We get letters here you know, to the tower- for us; Some nice, most not… I hide them from you” he confesses, staring forward but watching Bruce out of his peripheral vision.

“Why would you do that?” Bruce asked, reaching to touch his jaw and bring his eyes back to him, palm lingering on his cheeks.

“Because I love you, and it’s my job to protect you from anything that could hurt you” Thor brought his own hand to cover Bruce’s, keeping it by his cheeks and turning to kiss his palm.

Bruce scoffed.

“And you think I don’t have that same job? Thor you’ll go crazy listening to them. It’s different here, there aren’t laws or torture- people can- and will- say whatever the hell they want ”

“What am I supposed to do then?” Thor asked.

Bruce raised an eyebrow, “Just… ignore them”

“That’s what you do?” He quickly leant to kiss the corners of Bruce’s mouth, making the smaller man laugh and gently push him away.

“Yes Thor, That’s what I do- that and look at all the people who love us”

Thor beamed at him now, “people love us?”

Bruce nodded, “Peter showed me some blogs about us, people think we’re adorable Thor”

“As do I”

Bruce mumbled something about being cute and leant to give Thor a short kiss, which with a hand to his jaw, Thor made considerably longer.

He pulled away smiling, tracing Bruce lips with the tip of his finger before asking “Can I read these?”

Bruce nodded quickly, scrambling up for his laptop and returning back to Thor’s side, leaning into the warmth when Thor wrapped his arms around him.

“Sure! There was this one post about a boy who we inspired to come out and I swear I nearly crie-“

Thor found his attention drifting, and found himself staring at Bruce’s excited eyes, and his exaggerated gestures as he waited for the blogs to load on his laptop.

When he had Bruce in front of him, right beneath his fingertips and between his arms, it didn’t seem quite so hard to ignore the idiot press after all.

[sorrythatwasmean]

We’re Not Out of the Mountains Yet

They excavated Bruce out of the Hulkbuster armor and the mountain. They’re not sure how long he was trapped. It was long enough for them to fear the worst. Bruce was unconscious, barely breathing, heart barely beating, but he wasn’t dust. It was enough.

A Wakandan doctor said anyone else would’ve died. They weren’t sure how to wake him. Or if they should. What if while Bruce slept, if the Other Guy percieved it as an attack? There was too much to deal with as it was.

But then the flatline, the warning beeeeeeeep, and the medical tent staff froze. They hestitated. Get the voltage wrong, do too much and what if-if-Bruce Banner wasn’t the one who woke up?

Thor lifted his head. They were spending too much time on fear. On numbers. Science explained, but what they called magic bound them all. He could not revive the ashen heaps that remained of lost souls, but this... this he could do.

They had survived Ragnarok. Banner had not given up even when he thought Thor lost to Valhalla.

“Not yet, my friend.”

Electricity crackled from right Thor’s hand and he placed it over Bruce’s heart. Zap! One. Zap! Two. Zap! Three. At the fourth, Bruce gasped, his eyes flashed green and Thor tensed, hand still on Bruce’s chest, ready if that was who was coming, but the green faded.

Bruce blinked up at Thor. The lightning stopped crackling from his fingertips and Thor almost smiled. “Banner. Welcome back.”

Bruce tried sitting up, but Thor stopped him. “Rest.”

“What happened did…did the Other Guy…?”

Thor shook his head. He knew they’d have to break the news to Bruce, but couldn’t they have this moment?

Steve appeared at Thor’s side.“Doctor. We thought we lost you there…”

Confusion still clouded Bruce’s features.Thor wondered how many times he’d had to reassemble events from scattered memories, but this was different. The Hulk had not been on the battlefield.And no one seemed to know what to say now.

Bruce would not glean answers from silence.So, he asked, “...No Tony?”

Bruce glanced at Thor. Thor wondered if the next question forming was because Thor had returned. But he didn’t have answers either. Someone had to speak. Natasha exchanged a look with Rhodey before responding gently.“Not yet.”

Silences added up to more questions and Bruce Banner, ever the scientist, wanted answers.“What aren’t you telling me?What did I miss this time?”

“Why are all of y’all pussyfooting around this? It’s disgusting.”

Thor turned and looked down. “Rabbit—“

“Rocket. I ain’t whatever that is,”said Rocket striding in.“Have a nice nap? Where were you when we needed you?”

Bruce’s brow burrowed.“I don’t even know you—“

“I heard about you,”said Rocket pointing a finger. “On Sakaar? Big, green, powerful. We needed that and you weren’t there.This is your fault.”

“How is this—? What are you saying?“

“Your fault!”said Rocket launching himself at Bruce. The two rolled off the cot. Bruce’s hands pushed at Rocket’s face and paws, trying to avoid his claws, but Rocket kicked, too.

Steve shouted, “Knock it off!”

“I’ll-knock-him-off!”growled Rocket.”Shut it, Stars and Stripes!”

Bruce tried to shove him away, tried to roll to pin the smaller being, but Rocket was quicker and Bruce was too busy defending himself, trying to stay calm even as the scratches and blows landed. Medical tent. They were in a medical tent. It didn’t matter if the Other Guy probably wouldn’t come out. He hadn’t yet. Bruce couldn’t risk it.

A crack of lightning zapped near them. “Enough, Rocket!” said Thor pulling Rocket away by the scruff of his neck.

“Put me down!PUT-me-DOWN!No right!”

Rhodey offered Bruce a hand. Bruce stumbled back to the cot and Bruce examined the scratches on his arms. He turned to Rhodey. “He’s pissed off and it’s not about me, is it?”

“No,”said Rhodey. “It’s...”

“They’re dead. They’re ALL dead! And it’s your fault!”screamed Rocket.

Bruce wanted to ask who, but he stared at the raccoon who was tiring as Thor restrained him. Bruce tried to remember. “Where’s the—the tree?”

“Not a tree! How dare you?”

And Thor had to hold Rocket tighter as he tried squirming away again.Bruce scrambled for something to say.

“What was...” His? Her? The alien tree? Bruce settled on words not knowing how the usually plural pronoun was appropriate. “...their name?”

“...Groot. Their name was Groot,”said Rocket. And Bruce knew Rocket’s mass hadn’t changed at all, but he seemed smaller somehow.

“I’m sorry,”said Bruce.”If I could’ve...I tried...I did. I don’t know what’s happening with us.”

Rocket’s gaze lingered on the handle of Stormbreaker. And the flash of another memory. We are Groot. Rocket finally met Bruce’s gaze. “...Us? Like ‘we’?”

Bruce thought maybe it was a yes. He didn’t know what was happening here with any of them.But that wasn’t what he meant.The Other Guy hadn’t abandoned him. Bruce felt that familiar flare of fire beneath his skin, that uneasiness and dull ache of being on the verge of turning, but it wasn’t going anywhere and he didn’t know how to calm it. And he wasn’t the only one holding it back. Bruce didn’t know what the hell the Other Guy was doing. But that seemed too difficult to untangle here in front of everyone and Rocket.

“Yes. No. The green guy and me. We... I-“

“Still kicked ass without him...”said Rocket sniffing a little in Thor’s arms.“...you in your tin can suit. I saw.”

“Not enough ass kicking, then.”

“A lot of that goin’ around,”said Rocket. He elbowed Thor a little. “I’m not gonna bite him. Put me down.”

“Maybe I just enjoy hugging angry friends...”said Thor still holding Rocket.

“Shut up.”

Thor set him down. Rocket waved a hand. “Quit staring and someone show me where the food is. I’m hungry.”

“Thanks for not biting me,”said Bruce.He touched his lip and a spot of blood was on his fingertips.”And I’d wash your hands before you eat.”

“Why’s that?”said Rocket stopping in front of the tent flap.

“My blood’s a biohazard.”

“No shit?” said Rocket. “Let’s make sure I don’t turn green.”

“I could eat,”said Steve joining Thor and Rocket.

“I told y’all I ain’t gonna bite anyone,”said Rocket as he lifted the tent flap.”You don’t have to chaperone...”

“Okay. I don’t trust you,”said Steve. “You might have rabies. Might attack everyone.”

“Smarter than you look and I’m insulted. Don’t know what rabies is, but it sounds like bull, Stars and Stripes...”said Rocket as they left.

Rhodey and Natasha did almost smile at that. Rhodey waited until Rocket was out of earshot. “Am I allowed to tell Tony when he comes back that you didn’t defend Veronica’s honor?”

“You’re worried about the hulkbuster’s honor?”said Bruce. “What about me?”

“Raccoon called it a ‘tin can’ and you didn’t say anything. Get your head and those scratches checked out,”said Rhodey. He glanced at Natasha. Then, he looked at Bruce. “Where did all the doctors run off to?I’ll find somebody.Hang on.”

“What? Why? I’m fine.“ said Bruce as if he hadn’t just warned a talking raccoon about his blood, but Rhodey was already bee-lining to the other end of the tent where there were a couple of doctors and nurses.

Bruce cleared his throat and tried to look at his arm fully aware Natasha was the only one left at his cot.

“Guess no one wanted to tell me what happened, then. You could’ve left, too.” He met her gaze. And he knew Ultron and Clint’s house was years ago for her, but Hulk had piloted for much of that. And Bruce couldn’t help it even if he’d never unraveled that thread between them. “Missed your window.”

Natasha tucked her hair behind her ear. And Bruce didn’t know if his words had registered. She was a spy. Or she had been. She was hard to read.Natasha stayed where she was. “You know what happened. You tried to warn us.”

Bruce tried to steel himself, but it had to be asked.“Who?”

“We’re still trying to figure that out,”said Natasha crossing her arms.”But...Bucky. Sam. T’Challa. Wanda. Vision. And I’m not counting the ones who weren’t dust.”

“Dust?Like ashes to ashes? Dust to dust?”

“You didn’t see it?”said Natasha.

“Guess I miss things even when I don’t have to worry about the Other Guy.”

“Maybe he was still trying to protect you.” Natasha stepped closer.

Bruce didn’t know. “He’s not saying.”

“We lost you for a moment there.But here you are. That’s good.”

“Longer than a moment.” Thor had said two years, but Bruce wasn’t sure how long ago that was. It all blended together: Ultron, Sokovia, bits and pieces of Sakaar until he’d come to in the quinjet in the middle of a space-dump heap, Ragnarok, and now the dusting of the universe.

“I meant...not that,”said Natasha shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “I meant...”

“Just now. Not then?”

“Maybe I meant both. I don’t know.” Natasha sat on the cot next to him.“Thor said you were stuck. What’s the last thing you remember?”

Bruce didn’t know why she was asking. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to answer that or if it was even true. Maybe it wasn’t the last time he was himself. Maybe it was just what he wanted to remember.

“Sokovia. You asked if I had a key. I shot the cell doors open and--” Right. The kiss. And...

“I pushed you away,” she said. Pushed him off a ledge. And Hulk leapt back out. If she was reading his thoughts or if he was just that easy to read,she was focusing on the wrong thing. Bruce shook his head.

“Maybe I needed a push.You--all of you needed the Other Guy.” Hell. Bruce had jumped out of an alien spaceship in front of a gigantic alien wolf named Fenrir to coax Hulk out.Natasha had meant well. Betrayed for the right reasons? He’d rather that then what other people had done to him. “I’m sorry. I know it’s been longer for all of you.”

“But that means for you, it’s been shorter.You're apologizing again. Why? This was Thanos. Not you. Big Guy stealing a quinjet then getting sucked into space somehow? That wasn’t you.”

“It was and it wasn’t.”

“It’s complicated,”said Natasha.

“It always has been.”

“Not sure I know any other way to live,”she said with a shrug.”Who has simple? No one.”

“Can’t run from that. Hulk tried. Look what happened.And we’re not out of the mountains yet, are we?”

“We freed you from one. But no, plenty of mountains. Mission just means more now.”

Rhodey was coming back with a hesitant huddle of medical professionals. Natasha stood. “Gotta let them make you pretty again.”

“Not a fan of bruised Banner?” He would’ve winked, but his cheek hurt too.

“I’m sure dying and getting attacked by raccoons is exhausting so I’ll forgive the pun.”

“Living, you mean.Living is exhausting.”

“All the more reason to let them make you pretty again and get your beauty sleep.” She waved at Rhodey. “Take care of him.”

Rhodey shook his head. “I’m the only one doing that. I got the doctors.” He turned back to Bruce.“ ‘Bruised Banner’? Really?”

Bruce definitely smiled at knowing he’d caught that.“Ow.”

“See even your body hates that pun.”

[madeprivytonone-blog]

on a side note, i think i could actually write an entire book on how much i loathe every single thing my ex is, was, and ever will be.