Dr. Bruce Banner

He probably should’ve given up the walks at this point. The last couple hadn’t gone so well, and though Venom had been able to patch up his broken nose pretty well and he hadn’t gotten murdered yet, it did feel like it was only a matter of time just given how many powerful people he kept happening to stumble across. 

But tonight, he hadn’t run into anyone yet, and he was almost done his walk. Maybe he and Venom would finally get a peaceful night, for once, and they could go home and relax. Only fifteen minutes from home, though, he began to feel something. Usually, the ability to vaguely sense the crossroads people had existed at in their lives was background noise unless he focused on it, but… Someone was nearby who lived on a crossroads. Or at least, that’s how it felt- like a duality constantly at war with itself. Eddie could kind of relate.  Venom clearly felt it too.  “Behind us,” He said, and Eddie exhaled and turned, knowing better than to book it even if he was tempted. He walked the opposite way from home, and within a few paces a man in glasses and a very comfy looking sweater had come into view and was saying hello, far friendlier than he was expecting- which was great.  “Hey,” He said with a wan smile. “Nice to see I’m not the only weirdo wandering the streets today. Tonight. Whatever.” 

@strongestavengerbruce

Bruce couldn’t help but furrow his brow when the stranger came into view, he was curious, trying to assess who he might be dealing with, yet coming up completely short. The man didn’t look like a threat, despite it being very obvious that he was carrying more muscle... a lot more muscle. Then again, who wasn’t? He felt certain you could line up a thousand people so that a jury could pick out the Avengers, and he would be left over, looking tired, stressed, and entirely unassuming. Wasn’t that kind of his thing? Emma liked to tell him so. 

“I can hedge a pretty good guess, Bruce. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to strike a nerve,” She hadn’t really thought about it to be honest, but she filed away that information so she wouldn’t slip up again with him. At that, Emma paused, considering his question. “Yes,” She decides. “I believe you think those things. Any doubts I have don’t come from you, they come from me and my ability to believe that someone loving me like that is even possible,” she shrugs. “So yes, I believe you. I know that you would never lie to me about something like that.” She rolls her eyes. “Yes! I do too!” She scoffs. “You’re ridiculous and also about The Hulk,” She shakes her head a little bit. “It’s literally not the same and you know that. He was scared and mad and trapped and I had forced him out. And that wasn’t you. We’re not having this argument you’re going to make me mad,” She huffs a little.

But as ever, he melted her annoyance in record time and she smirked. “You weren’t playing it very cool, my love. But I appreciate that you’re besotted. Beside yourself even,” She smirks a little. It was no secret Emma enjoyed being appreciated. Emma held her breath when he touched her but she grinned, a soft gasp leaving her and she reached immediately to hold both of his hands, looking in almost-wonder at their hands linked. If she weren’t so cold feeling – emotionally – she might have cried.  “God damn, you are a genius,” She grins and squeezes his hands gently. “Okay, now, an gimp suit made of this material,” She teases, shaking her head in slight disbelief. “Warm enough for me to touch – someone else? Opal?” She asks and then exhales. “Thank you so much.” She couldn’t communicate how grateful she was for this and for him. 

Bruce smiled at Emma, his expression soft and open. “You didn’t strike a nerve, I like it when you say it... nobody ever calls me Robert.” The name felt alien even in his own mouth, but it didn’t change how at home he felt with Emma. She could call him practically anything and he would probably blush. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes when she began to list miniature loopholes that apparently erased his arguments, he listened to her quietly, knowing they could ‘debate’ the subject for the rest of their lives and never run out of things to say. 

“And you’re not ridiculous.” He countered finally. “We both have double standards, we may as well admit it now and get it over with.” Wincing a little at the reminder of his ordeal, he felt the Other Guy shift in the back of his mind, restless after so long of being locked away, but also shrinking away from the memory of so much pain and discomfort. “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time. And it definitely isn’t going to be the last.” He teased, figuring it was sensible to make light of the situation They couldn’t afford serious conversation right now, they were both living minutes from a meltdown. “I was playing it very cool, don’t pretend. How else did I capture your attention?” He laughed at his own joke, unable to help himself. It felt good to laugh. 

“Nah but I bet if you give me a week and the study materials, I could become one,” Pietro said, wiggling his eyebrows in a silent dare to the doctor. “Well those people’s heightened perceptions suck. I know the second my body does something weird,” He promises, knees bouncing impatiently.  “Somehow saying that you’re measuring anything through my nailbed is worst than a needle,” It wasn’t really, but it was still weird at least. “So she’s a freak, like me. I guess like you too. Mutants?” He asks and then rolls his eyes. “Doc, I will throw up.” But it was nice to hear that after all his pining to what Bruce probably assumed was basically an inanimate object, he had sealed the deal so to speak.  “Is she pretty? A big win for the nerds, huh?” He smirks a little bit, then. “Kidding,” He adds sheepishly. “You’re a handsome guy, I bet she’s pretty,” He decides on. “Nobody is charmed by me, doc. I talk too much, too fast, I don’t like to sit still, I will steal your snacks and Wanda is pretty and nice. It’s our dynamic. She woos them and I ride her coattails. It’s how it’s always been.” And after a moment. “I didn’t mean that as a bash on Tony. He was – it was really nice of him to bring us into this – he gave Wanda a home and I’m grateful for that,” He says seriously before he stands, pacing a little bit. “What’s next?” He demands then he laughs. “Oh no, you’ve got it bad! And the Hulk does he… get… does he like have a crush on your girlfriend?!” 

“Okay, okay. So sit through this and then in a week you can check your own vitals.” Bruce teased. “I believe you, but for my own sanity I need to be sure.” Removing the oxygen monitor when he was satisfied by the reading, he gestured for Pietro to hold out his hand. He needed to measure his heart rate and how many breaths he took in a minute, but had learned a long time ago that announcing his intention would only result in the patient subconsciously regulating their breathing. “I need to check your pulse.” He lied. “Give me your wrist and stop talking for a moment, I know that might be difficult for you.” He teased with a wry smile. 

“I had no idea you were so squeamish,” he added. “And she’s not a freak, nobody is a freak.” He countered, realising he was a hypocrite for saying so. No doubt Emma had picked up on that, wherever she was in the city. He could look forward to her using his own words against him the next time he insulted himself. “Yes, she’s a mutant.” He confirmed, laughing easily when Pietro warned him he might throw up. Considering he had never once considered an actual, healthy, loving relationship possible, he was more than content to make people nauseas by talking about it. 

At the question of whether Emma was pretty, he fell silent, unable to help the blush creeping to his cheeks. “Incredibly pretty.” He admitted. “Pretty enough for people to see her and wonder why she’s with me, of all people.” Rolling his eyes when he was called handsome, he shook his head. His dry humour was very similar to Tony’s, and even when it should be annoying him, it was only managing to endear him to the boy. “You have to know that isn’t true.” He couldn’t imagine anybody not being charmed by him, he was undeniably charismatic. “He would give you a home too, if you let him.” He added, his voice softening somewhat. “He gave me a home.” Holding out his hand again, he waited patiently for Pietro to present his wrist. “What’s next is you let me monitor your pulse.” He said, ready to become distracted yet again by whatever he was going to ask next. Choosing to ignore ‘having it bad’, he focused on his new task. “He loves her,” he admitted. “He knows she’s somebody to protect, but it isn’t what you’re thinking so you can stop giving me that look.” 

Emma just wrinkled her nose in distaste when he said he had been grumpy with her. Okay maaaaybe, when he was low on sleep and food he might have gotten a little grumpy or whiny on occasion, but Emma was hard pressed to hold that against him. He was a good and kind person by nature – Emma was not. And she was starkly aware of that fact and always a little worried that she was being too terse with the people she cared most about. “I do love every syllable,” She said easily. “I love everything about you Bruce, even the parts you think are impossible to love. You are everything good to me. For me, whatever. And thank you, I will not be taking questions at this time,” She winks at him. “Oh shut up,” She groans. “I miss being useful. I hate sitting around when there are things to be done here. If I wanted to be lazy I would stay at home, but I can’t even do that in peace! Can’t pet the dog, can’t lounge around with you. It sucks,” She huffs, irritated again, eyebrows pinched together in annoyance. “But hey, no wrinkles when your ice,” She jokes hollowly. But then she frowns, looking at him skeptically. “I don’t know, Bruce.” She shakes her head. “I already hurt you once.”  “You would never,” She smirks, calling his bluff. “You’d never take something away from me that makes me happy because you are absolutely besotted and I know it. You’re lucky I am a very giving and generous person that I don’t take advantage of it,” She teases. “Except maybe to put my cold feet on you at night.” She was stalling.  “Okay… maybe you touch me, so you can control and pullback if it hurts.” She nods, holding her hand out to him instead. 

Bruce shot Emma a sceptical look, although he knew she would never lie to him about something so serious. It was far easier to brush the entire thing off as a joke, he didn’t want to dwell on why his name made him uncomfortable, and she didn’t deserve to relive his trauma alongside him. “When I say the same things to you, do you believe me?” He asked, half in an attempt to make a point, at the very least he could justify his difficulty in accepting what she was telling him. But also because he was genuinely curious. It so often struck him that regardless of their many, many differences, a lot of their issues were similar, affected them in ways they were able to recognise. His smile growing when she winked at him, he waited patiently for her to finish speaking. 

He stood before her, his arms neatly folded, watching her with an open and unguarded affection. It was the most he could do considering they hadn’t been able to touch for far too long already. “I know it does. But you don’t have wrinkles and you know it so stop with that.” He teased, his humour fading when he noticed her mood suddenly drop. “Emma, that was an accident, come on. The Other Guy broke your ribs and you refuse to hold it against me, I’m pretty sure that wasn’t an accident either.” He hated talking about the injury so casually, but in this case it actually served him. Gesturing again for her to hold out her hand, he laughed, shaking his head. “You only know that because you hear what I’m thinking even when I’m on the other side of the city.” He feigned frustration, hoping to amuse her. “You’re not supposed to know that, I was playing it cool.”  He knew she was biding her time, talking to delay potentially burning him through the gloves, but he did nothing to hurry her. He was ready to wait as long as she needed to. He knew a little about her previous relationships, and he had made a point of never pushing her, never forcing her or prompting her to do things she wasn’t ready to do. “I’m very lucky.” He agreed, catching her eye with a wry smile. When she held out her hand, he reached out, barely hesitating before carefully pressing his fingertips against her palm. He was prepared for a bite, a chill that was too strong for his prototype, but the material was only cold. It felt like touching someone’s coat after they had been walking in the snow. “See,” he told her, his smile growing exponentially as he linked their fingers. “I’m a genius.”  

strongestavengerbruce​:

Bruce shook his head. “It’s in the past, Nat…” He trailed off, trying to shake off how weird it felt to call her that now. “You didn’t know, none of us could have known… I was supposed to come back. You were doing what you thought was for the best.” He wondered briefly what might have happened if he had become himself again after the battle of Sokovia. Would they still be close? Would her decision to draw the Hulk from him sting as much as it did now? A gentle smile tugging at his lips when she insisted it was entirely his choice, he sighed, almost relieved to hear it. “Then we’re good.” He assured her, working to keep his voice steady, to make it sound as real, and as honest as he possibly could. He wasn’t exactly lying, but it certainly felt a lot more complicated than being good. Maybe if he pretended otherwise, it wouldn’t. “You don’t need to know what I went through. All of us… we all have our trauma, don’t we? Isn’t that what makes us a team?” He half teased, attempting to lighten the mood. Resisting the urge to reach out and brush away her tears, he shifted awkwardly. Maybe he was making things harder for her than they needed to be. Maybe she needed some time alone. “I should- I should probably go.”

She had known that seeing him again would be difficult, for the both of them. Natasha just hadn’t counted on it being like it, so clearly was. Hadn’t expected for her mind to be messed with. To be second guessing herself on everything. It was so far outside of her norm, that she was uncertain what to do…. about anything. 

Even as Bruce told her they were good and attempted a smile with the words, something told her that it wasn’t exactly right. However, she wasn’t about to call him out on that fact. Knowing that would just make it all worse. But, it didn’t stop her heart from breaking just a little bit more. 

“I don’t think that we are. Not anymore. I…..” She trialed off thinking about the fact that she hadn’t even talked to Stark. Hadn’t really talked to anyone other than Steve and Clint. They were her family now. All that she had. At least, she hoped that she still had them. This red string thing was confusing and made her hurt in ways she didn’t fully understand. She was trying not to think about it. 

“No. You stay,” she insisted softly. “I don’t even no why I’m here anyway.” 

With that, she moved around him and walked away. Attempting to control herself and her emotions, as she did so. 

“But, I should apologize,” she insisted. Still attempting to pull herself back together. Natasha was still feeling vulnerable. Broken, beyond all hope of repair. The cracks forever visible for all to see. At least, that was how she felt. Her mind was a mess. Her life was a mess and the Dome wasn’t helping any of it. Especially with her mind, given all that had happened with her believing that she was still deep within the Red Room. 

She had believed that she had come to terms with what she had done and what had been done to her. But, now… Now she was certain of nothing. She had even, briefly, contemplated by asking the others to return to Natalia rather than Natasha, the English of her name. 

Pulling herself back to the present and the conversation at hand, was harder than it normally was for her. However, she managed. Rallied and shook herself internally. “Whether we are good or not, is entirely up to you.” Natasha insisted, softly. “I’m aware what I did was beyond….” She trailed off, not exactly sure what she should say next. When she was feeling a mountain of guilt. “I picked everyone else over you. Made the decision for you rather than with you. That’s something that I should have never done. I don’t know what you went through, I’ll probably never know, but I’m truly sorry. I know what’s it’s like to not be fully in control of one’s mind. So, if you ever…..” She trailed of, once again, wiping at the tears that she had been unable to control. 

Bruce shook his head. “It’s in the past, Nat...” He trailed off, trying to shake off how weird it felt to call her that now. “You didn’t know, none of us could have known... I was supposed to come back. You were doing what you thought was for the best.” He wondered briefly what might have happened if he had become himself again after the battle of Sokovia. Would they still be close? Would her decision to draw the Hulk from him sting as much as it did now? A gentle smile tugging at his lips when she insisted it was entirely his choice, he sighed, almost relieved to hear it. “Then we’re good.” He assured her, working to keep his voice steady, to make it sound as real, and as honest as he possibly could. He wasn’t exactly lying, but it certainly felt a lot more complicated than being good. Maybe if he pretended otherwise, it wouldn’t. “You don’t need to know what I went through. All of us... we all have our trauma, don’t we? Isn’t that what makes us a team?” He half teased, attempting to lighten the mood. Resisting the urge to reach out and brush away her tears, he shifted awkwardly. Maybe he was making things harder for her than they needed to be. Maybe she needed some time alone. “I should- I should probably go.”

“Be grateful I don’t know when or we’d never have been together,” She smirks over at him. She had tried pussy footing around him for a while to see if he would lean in, but ultimately it took her being incredibly forward and blunt about her intentions for the light to go off in Bruce’s wonderfully big brain. For a genius, he was an idiot sometimes. She loved that about him too. “I know we will, darling. I know,” She nods. She hopes they would anyway and it helped when he was genuinely optimistic about it. “I know –” She sighs. “I just don’t like being grumpy at you, except when you wake me up too early,” She teases half-heartedly. “You do always make me feel better, that is true,” Emma allows as she tugs the gloves on properly. “Infinitely better. Better than I ever could have thought, dome or no dome, you hear me Robert Bruce Banner?” She smirks a little, answering the self-doubt in his head. “No backtalk on the subject, please. And they feel okay,” She finally answers his question, flexing her hands. “They feel a little – thick? Like I don’t think I have a ten in dexterity right now or anything but – let me…” She goes into the kitchen and hesitantly opens the cabinet and reaches for a bowl, lifting it up and turning a positively delighted smile toward Bruce. “Not broken!” She sats the bowl down and grins. “They work! Ugh thank god, I haven’t been able to do a THING, it’s been driving me insane. Even tasks like taking the garbage and things,” She shakes her head a little. “I wonder if I can pet Opal, I have no sense of how cold they are and I don’t want to – hurt anyone in testing it.” She paused and after a moment, “Wait let’s circle back to me engaging in an experiment with you is this like…” she gestures between them, quirking an eyebrow. “Are we in kink territory here?”

Bruce offered Emma a warm smile, his eyes shining with affection. “I will forever be grateful for that.” He assured her, his smile softening when she agreed with him. He knew it wasn’t a given. They could tell themselves as many times as they wanted to that they would escape the dome, live a life, rid themselves of whatever this was. That didn’t make it true... but it did make it easier to believe. Easier to imagine a future beyond what they had right now. “You’re allowed to be grumpy with me.” He laughed quietly. “I’m sure I’ve been grumpy with you. It’s only fair.”  Caught off guard by the use of his full name, he watched Emma curiously. She had to be the only person on the planet who could call him by his full name and not elicit a negative response. She made it sound soft... gentle. She said it as though she loved every syllable. “I hear you.” He assured her, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “And no backtalk.” It was easy enough to agree to, even if he did hold his tongue she would hear it inside his head. “I can work on that. I had to layer the fabrics but I’m sure I can find a way to compress the layers... I think, anyway. It’s a work in progress.”  Waiting in suspense as she made an effort to test the gloves, he couldn’t hide the wave of relief that washed over him when he realised they worked. “You miss taking out the trash?” He teased, attempting to make light of their situation. “Here...” He held out a hand, gesturing for her to touch his bare skin. “Just for a moment, okay? If it hurts, I’ll move away.” Distracted by her own sudden teasing, he was almost past blushing at her comments, but sometimes when he wasn’t expecting them, he just couldn’t help himself. “I can and will take the gloves back.” He warned her, though his expression gave away the fact that he was more amused than annoyed. “Now come on, take my hand.” 

“You know what, I will take that solely based off the fact that you did not argue with me about being my favorite person. That somehow feels like a win in and of itself,” Emma said, shaking her head at him, completely and utterly endeared and exasperated at him.  “Ah, sorry, yes, bad science project, I should have known. Forgive me, my love,” She deadpans and nods in agreement to his thoughts. “It is cruel. Feels like some sort of fucked up karma for being a bad person. Oh? Find happiness? Not for Emma,” She scoffs a little bit. She knew she deserved it in many ways. She, objectively, had spent a chunk of her life being a bad person and doing bad things. It only made sense that there was some entity in the universe looking to punish her for it. “I know darling, I’m sorry. I am grumpy,” Which was a polite way to say she was quite put out with the world at the moment. She had long since grown tired of their current situation with the stones.  “Yes, we’re experts, but it’ll be better this time. I’ve got you and for that I’m lucky,” She says with a nod, her eyes cast down to the table, looking the gloves over, picking one up delicately, afraid her temperature might shatter his hard work, but it seemed okay. She looked up at him as she tugged the glove on, smirking a little. “Is this like Christmas for you?” She teases.

@strongestavengerbruce​

“Yeah, yeah,” Bruce laughed. “Just be grateful I know when to quit.” Pausing in his excitement, he couldn’t help but agree with Emma. Though not because he believed she deserved to suffer Karma or some form of retribution. “We both have things in our past that we need to make up for...” He said quietly. “But we’ll get through this, we will.” Feeling a pang of sympathy, followed by a desperate need to comfort her, he shook his head when she apologised. He didn’t want an apology, he didn’t need one. “You are more than justified in being grumpy.” He assured her, an affectionate smile tugging at his lips. “That’s why I’m here, to ease said grumpiness.” 

His smile growing when she told him she was lucky to have him, it felt like a ridiculous statement. He still couldn’t quite imagine a person’s life getting better specifically because he was in it. It might stay the same, it might even get worse. But better? That was an entirely foreign concept to him, one he still couldn’t quite get his head around. Watching her as she delicately tried on the gloves, she treated them like they were some beautiful work of art, something breakable, and precious. It warmed his heart, it made him love her even more than he already did. “Seeing you engage in one of my experiments?” He teased. “Maybe. How do they feel?” 

“I think it almost 100% does mean that,” Pietro laughed a little but. Sure, he wasn’t a doctor but if something was the matter he would feel it. That was just how bodies worked. “And also I have like heightened perception so, you know –.” He gestured as if the conclusion was obvious. The man was a genius, he would figure it out. Pietro bounced his leg impatiently. Pietro’s eyebrows pulled together a little bit, unsure if the man was trying to one up him or relate to him. “Bummer,” he replied. “Nazi’s turned me and my sister into with the blue glowing staff thing – Tesseract. That is a hard word to remember,” He didn’t even know a word in his language for it. “No, no pain.” He shakes his head quickly. “Oh did you not mean it when you said that she could hear what people are thinking? Because if she can – you don’t think she knows you’re school boy obsessed?” He quirks an eyebrow at him. Maybe this man wasn’t as smart as he seemed? “I am 25, by the way, which by my account, means you are probably old enough to be my dad,” The glee that Pietro received in saying that was almost immeasurable. “I try to stay out of Tony’s way. I imagine he is much more charmed with Wanda than he is me and I think he’d be doing what you’re doing now and we already established I don’t love it.” He nods, legs still jumping, his fingers drumming on the arms of the chair. “But good for you, getting the girl, doc. A real hell-on-earth-hamster-ball love story.”

“Are you a doctor now?” Bruce asked pointedly, raising his eyebrows at Pietro. “I know a lot of people with heightened perception, they aren’t all capable of realising when something within them isn’t working the way it should.” He was very aware the boy was making light of the situation because he was uncomfortable, and his bouncing leg kept catching his eye, reminding him that he was putting him in a position where he was nervous, where he felt trapped. But it was necessary, and the check up was non invasive. Hopefully it wouldn’t induce too much trauma. 

“I know they did.” He admitted, taking Pietro’s temperature, satisfied by the results. “That ridiculous thing is why I got dragged back into this mess. It emits Gamma radiation. Something I regrettably know a lot about.” Nodding when he was told there was no pain, he laughed quietly. “No, I meant it. She can.” Setting down the thermometer and picking up a tool for measuring oxygen saturation, he gestured for Pietro to hold out his hand so that he could clip the small plastic box to the end of his index finger. “No blood, it isn’t a needle.” He assured him. “It’s just measuring your oxygen levels through your nailbed.” The moment it was secure, he moved back to their topic of conversation. “I mean, it’s very probable. She only teases me about it sometimes. Not so secretly I think she likes the attention.” 

Shooting Pietro a deadpan look when he announced he was old enough to be his father, he knew Emma was going to get a real kick out of that one. “Tony might not admit it, but he likes taking care of people. I’m sure he’d be equally as charmed by you.” Unclipping the device from Pietro’s hand, he glanced down at the results, making a mental note in his head so that he could write them down when he left. “I know you don’t, but it isn’t going to take long. And Tony would be doing what I’m doing because he cares. We both care.” Smiling again, unable to help himself, he hummed quietly in response. “It doesn’t exactly feel like Earth but... she makes this place a hell of a lot less stressful. And the Other Guy seems to like her so...” 

She clung to him for a time. Expecting him to pull back or push her away the whole time that Natasha held onto him tightly. While he was holding her, all she could think about was that she didn’t deserve it. That, in their shared past, she did him wrong. Did so much wrong, as she pushed him away with her fear. The fear that she was a weapon and nothing more than that. That, no matter what happened between them, it would end the same. 

In tears and heartbreak. 

“I’m sorry,” Natasha insisted, as she pulled away from him. “I shouldn’t…have done this….Or any of that,” she finished a little lamely, not looking up at him. 

Bruce was genuinely surprised by the fact that Natasha didn’t seem to withdraw, he wondered how long they would stand in the hall embracing each other if he didn’t pull away first. She was clinging to him so tightly, and all he could think about was how strange it felt. She was almost home to him once, and now... After a moment had passed, he felt her move away, and he let her go, still watching her curiously. He wasn’t sure anything she said to him now would be able to make up for losing two years of his life, and for a brief time his usual brain function. Would she ever know how difficult it had been to ground himself? To reacclimatise? No, because he wasn’t going to tell her.

He wasn’t here to show her he was hurt, or upset, or beyond forgiveness. He was here to reconcile, to see an old friend, and hope their relationship wasn’t damaged to the point of them being unable to repair it. For all he knew, whatever had triggered his lack of control was destined to happen regardless. If she didn’t spark the sudden dominance of the Other Guy, maybe something else would have in her place. “Don’t apologise.” He said quietly. “It’s in the past, I just... I wanted to make sure we’re still okay.” It was that simple, wasn’t it? Being okay. That was all he had ever wanted, all he ever asked for. “And we are... aren’t we?” 

“You’re taking advantage of the fact I can’t reach over and slap you upside the head and it’s opportunistic and rude,” She narrows her eyes slightly. “You’re not allowed to insult my favorite person and you know this.” She says firmly. Emma did not often entertain his self-loathing. She understood where it came from but she wouldn’t have it. All he did was bring light and kindness and levity to her life and she was determined for him to believe that.  “It doesn’t look like a present, it looks like a bad art project,” Emma counters, an eyebrow quirked. She listened patiently, still leaning against the table, watching him before she deadpans, “I know that thermal means, darling. I don’t have a medical PhD, but I’m not as dumb as I look,” She half-teased. But there was hope. Emma barely allowed herself to feel that spark that she could touch – things, anything, pencils, pens, glass, Bruce. The gloves were hideous and clunky but she couldn’t bite back a smile. “Is this what you spent all day on?” She asks, biting the inside of her cheek. “I love you, Bruce Banner.” She said, voice full of as much affection as she could muster – which admittedly wasn’t as much as normal but it wasn’t devoid of emotion either.  “We are a team,” She agrees with a nod. “I know, darling. We’ll get there – or we’ll uh, figure things out, I suppose, you and I will figure it out.” She pursed her lips at the thought of a purgatory where she was stuck like this forever. “For once I don’t feel entirely cold, so there’s that perk.” She offers with a wry smile. In her head, she shared with Bruce a picture of her, unfrozen, crossing the space between them and throwing her arms around his neck in a gentle cloud of sweet rose perfume, squeezing for a good affectionate embrace. “If I could, I would,” She nods, giving him a soft sort of look. “So… Can I?” She gestures to the table, shaking herself out of her head.

@strongestavengerbruce​

Bruce laughed easily, catching Emma’s eye with a grin. “But your favourite person likes to insult your favourite person.” He reminded her, knowing no matter what he said, she was never going to let him casually talk down on himself. It was actually incredibly heart-warming when it wasn’t incredibly frustrating. “And it’s not a bad art project.” He huffed, feigning offense. “It’s a bad science project.” Rolling his eyes as she insisted she knew the definition of the word thermal, he resisted the urge to reach out and touch her. It was so natural to them now, a hand on the arm or lower back, fingertips brushed against a hand, a kiss to the cheek... how cruel that a source of comfort had been stripped away from them both. “I know you do, I was rambling, not insulting your intelligence.” He teased. “You should know the difference by now.” 

Offering her a sheepish smile when she asked him whether creating the gloves was what he had spent his day doing, he nodded. “Maybe.” His smile only grew and he sighed quietly, biting down on his bottom lip. “I love you too.” He knew her emotions weren’t right, that something inside of her had become cold and hard during the blast, so the fact that she was pouring so much affection into her tone wasn’t something that was going unnoticed. It almost made him want to cry. “We will. It’s what we’ve both been doing for our entire lives, just... figuring things out, right?” Falling silent as his mind was accosted by images and sensations he hadn’t put there himself, he hummed softly in acknowledgment, wishing what he was seeing could become a reality. “I know... if I could I would too.” Nodding as she asked for permission to try on the gloves, he encouraged her, letting her feel just how desperate he was to see whether his calculations were correct. 

“Okay, but I am sure my vitals are stable. Nothing weird has happened – except for all the weird shit that’s happening – and I’ve run all over this damn dome and I feel fine,” He complained as he zoomed to the chair and sit down in it with a dramatic huff, the chair screeching back a few feet from the momentum of his speed. He smiles a little and scoots the chair back. “Sorry doc,” Pietro said but his smirk suggested he very much was not sorry.

“Yeah? Nazi’s experiment on you, too?” He deadpans but nods when Bruce said he could let him know if he was uncomfortable. He would be fine, he knew he would be. He trusted the Avengers and therefore, he had to trust Bruce to some degree. All the Avengers had ever done was offer him and Wanda a soft place to land. “Yeah her,” He nods. “I don’t even know who she is so I can’t make any promises. What does she turn into a giant pink muscle dude?” He teases a little and rolls his eyes. “But yes, I did hear all that. I could hear everyone, it was a very bad sort of tedium where people were just talking to me and I was trying to respond but, yanno,” He pretends to sleep a moment, imitating his coma self before he offers Bruce a smirk. “So – you know? Are you?” He trails off, gesturing into the air vaguely. “I don’t know, what do adults who have to date do? Kiss? Are you kissing her regularly?” Pietro makes a face. He didn’t know much about courtship and he didn’t really care. “Or does she at least know it was Emma this and Emma that and my god-” He waves his hand again.

@strongestavengerbruce​

“Just because you feel fine it doesn’t mean your vitals are stable.” Bruce pointed out. “And just because they might be stable now, it doesn’t mean they are going to stay that way.” Given the amount of time that had passed he sincerely doubted there were any issues with the boy’s physiology, but he didn’t want to let Pietro off so easily. Not when he had been concerned about him. Unable to keep up with his movements as he flitted to the chair, sending papers flying, he opted instead to search for his files instead. He could hear in his voice that he was very not sorry, but there was something about his attitude that was frustratingly charming. 

“Nope. The Military.” He countered quickly. It definitely wasn’t something to be smug about, and the horrors of his experiments stayed with him to this day, but he had a feeling Pietro was trying to call his bluff and it felt good to be able to prove him wrong. “Strapped to a table, injected with foreign substances, my blood was stolen, and weaponised. You name it, they tried it. So when I say I understand, I mean I understand.” He looked Pietro dead in the eye, showing him how serious he was. “I’m guessing you aren’t in any kind of pain?” Pain hadn’t been mentioned, and if he was running throughout the city then it wasn’t very probable. He figured he would likely be safe to move past that particular part of the check up but it felt like a good way to change the subject. 

Searching for his no-contact thermometre, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “No, she does not. Very funny.” He muttered, the smile tugging at his lips very easy to hear in his tone of voice. “I’m sorry for rambling, but there are studies that show a changing environment can encourage brain function. Was it frustrating? I hope I didn’t cause you any stress.” Finally locating the thermometre, he made his way over to where Pietro was sitting. “God, how old are you again?” He asked, feeling suddenly incredibly ancient. “Yes, we are together, but I am not having this conversation with you. Ask Tony, he’s the expert.” He was only half joking, but his smile grew at the ridiculous nature of the topic. “I hope not, I’d like to keep a little of my dignity.” He admitted. “But she has a habit of hearing people’s thoughts so there isn’t much she doesn’t know.” 

“People are stupid, I tell you that all the time, Bruce.” Emma said, leaning her hands on the table so she could peer over into the bad he had brought. “I’m interested in you,” She offers him a wink and then a sheepish glance. “Go on, go on — I’m listening,” She said before he could scold her, eyes on the bad. “A present?” She asks but then he was piling all kinda of — things? onto the table and it was looking less and less like a present. “Not a present.” She decides and leans her hips against the table as she watches him. At his gentle reassurance, she offers him a small smile. “Just a stressful day, I’ll be fine. I get frustrated feeling like this and the cold on top of it — I’m just ready for it all to be over. I hope it will be soon.” At his next question, Emma’s eyebrows pull together and she looked up, looking over Bruce’s face. What had gone so wrong since this morning that she had made him feel like he had to ask that? “What? Of course we are,” She says and steps slightly closer, still careful not to get to close and to push down the feeling of wanting desperately to reach out to him. “Why do you ask?”

@strongestavengerbruce​ 

Bruce laughed quietly, shaking his head. “Or incredibly smart.” He countered, unable to help himself, his smile growing when Emma winked at him. “And it’s kind of a present.” He corrected, already knowing the word ‘present’ would have her expecting something pretty that she could wear. Technically she could wear this gift, but it wasn’t going to be flattering in the way she was used to. He could feel her watching him, but continued in his quiet organisation, only looking up again when everything was in order. 

“I was in Tony’s lab this morning- well, I guess it’s our lab. It still feels like Tony’s but…” He trailed off, realising he was beginning to stray from the topic. “He has a lot of materials for his suits there, things he doesn’t use and some things he does but a lot of the materials are thermal or- or resistant to extreme temperatures.” Emma was smart, there was no way she couldn’t see where he was going but he didn’t stop in his explanation. “I’m hoping this will make your day a little less stressful. I’m actually hoping it makes all of your days a little less stressful.” He finally held out a very rough pair of gloves, allowing her to take them from him and inspect them both. They were sewn clumsily, a prototype. He would focus on a more advanced design when he was certain they were going to function. 

“This material should be able to survive cold temperatures. Emma Frost cold temperatures.” He said pointedly, catching her eye as she took a step towards him. “They’ll look a lot better after I figure out the logistics,” he assured her, his expression falling as he noticed her concern. “No, no- not like that.” He insisted. “I just mean- I know we’re okay. We’re a team.” He offered her a gentle smile, letting her know he wasn’t about to go anywhere. She would hear in his head just how dedicated he was to their relationship. “But I want us to be okay, physically and mentally… you know? It still feels so impossible.”

Matt had already spoken with the nuns and he had exchanged supplies with them. Now, he sat in his usual spot on a pew and thought about Father Lantom. The man had been like a father to him after his own had passed and he’d found himself alone in the world. Now, sitting feet from where he lost him, he wondered with the old priest would say about what he’d become. People on the streets were saying the ones who gained powers had the strengths of the gods and he’d personally been turned into the living, breathing statue of Justice. A piece of him hoped that Father Lantom would find comfort in the idea that the angry boy he’d helped would be given such a role, but he had no idea if it was because it suited him or not. No matter what happened, he knew the Father would be able to an aspect he could not. With a sigh, he sat back missing his old friend.

Matt’s thoughts were derailed when the sound of a different old friend broke the quiet. He turned his ear towards the speaker and smiled for a moment, before it changed to worry,” Bruce, what are you doing here? Are you alright?” he wondered, standing up. 

Bruce smiled, almost comforted by the fact that Matt sounded so concerned, despite the waves of emotion he could feel rolling off of him. He wasn’t skilled enough to place it. Was it self-doubt? O maybe he was mourning. Though he simultaneously loathed the idea of causing him any stress. “I’m okay.” He hurried to assure his friend. “I mean- kind of.” Were any of them okay right now? If he hadn’t already seen Tony, and Emma, the change in Matt’s appearance would be stark, and definitely a reason to falter. But he had almost been prepared for it. 

“You didn’t escape unscathed then?” He asked, hoping he would know what he was referring to. “You don’t have to stand up-” He added suddenly, stopping where he was in case Matt decided to move any closer. “It’s just… people near me, I think I make them nervous. Or anxious… I don’t want that to happen to you.”

@hellsguardiandevil​

@armed-and-venomous​

“Oh yeah I forgot about your uh —“ He flexes his arms to show his muscles but he wasn’t making fun, he just nodded in his best ‘I’m being understanding for Wanda’ demeanor. “It’s nothing about you, really, doc. I just have a things about doctors, you understand. I understand the want to study me I am attractive and the fastest man in the world,” He teases, sort of, “But I’t not fun for me.” He can only offer the doctor a sheepish smile and shrug. “Yeah but I’m fine. I’ve got accelerated healing. I am surprised it took me as long as it did. But I guess I’ve never been shot through vital organs before.” There was a stretch of silence, well almost silence, the sound of Pietro’s leg bouncing against the crinkly paper on the table was there. “Did you ever get with that lady you talked about all the time? Emma?” He asks with a little smirk as he let Bruce poke around his arm.

@strongestavengerbruce​

“Hilarious.” Bruce deadpanned, though the way his eyes were shining made it obvious he was amused by the demonstration. “I know this isn’t about me.” He countered. “You were the one in a coma, you’re the one who needs regular medical attention until we’re absolutely sure your vitals are stable. Come on.” He gestured to an empty chair beside his desk, instructing Pietro to take a seat. His expression softening as the boy began to explain himself, he sighed quietly, removing his glasses and slipping them into his pocket. 

“I understand, I do.” He admitted, running a tired hand down his face. “I’ve had my fair share of bad experiences... but I’m not here to hurt you, or test on you. I only want to make sure you’re safe. And if you’re uncomfortable at any point, you can tell me, okay?” The accelerated healing was a definite plus, it made him far less concerned about the wellbeing of his patient. But he was concerned. He always felt far more comfortable when he knew for certain, when he saw things for himself. 

“Emma?” He started at the name, a faint blush creeping to his cheeks before he could even attempt to compose himself. “You... heard all that, huh?” Laughing quietly, he smiled, a genuine easy smile. “Maybe. And I can tell you she would be just as frustrated by you skipping your check-ups. Forget me, you really don’t want to make her angry.”