#thorbrucexreader

“Sweetheart,” Thor protested, “Who you were-”

You hold up a hand and pick a shirt off the laundry basket. You aren’t sure if it’s Thor’s or Bruce’s but it doesn’t really matter. “Thor,” you sigh, “Who I was was a criminal. Who I was should be in jail. The only reason I’m NOT is because I happened to be… talented.”

Thor exhaled slowly, “How long are you going to allow yourself to be punished?”

“Whether you like it or not,” you tell him softly, “This is where I can do the most good.”

“At what cost?” he countered, handing you a clean pair of panties with a frown. 

“At no cost I’m not willing to pay,” you answer, taking them from him. 

Thor folds his arms across his chest and watches you critically for a moment. You look pale still. Exhausted. Your eyes are glassy. And he knows. Of course, that part of it is that you really are tired. But what worries him is the weight you’ve lost. That you’re slower to smile. More withdrawn when you are at home. 

“Y/N,” he murmured, “Please.”

You stop and look up at him, “What would you have me do?”

“Just- Why can’t we talk to Stark?”

“So I can be an experiment? Or an Agent?”

Thor pulled you closer and picked up a hairbrush, “Sweetheart. My darling Girl. You’re one of the best parts of a very long life. And I do not enjoy watching you break yourself a part. You are lighting yourself on fire trying to keep the world warm… and We. Are we just to be without you?”

“I worked so hard, Thor,” you murmur. “I tried so hard… All I want is to make good.”

Thor tilted your chin up gently and brushed a kiss over your lips, “And you are… You do wondrous things. But you are one person doing the work of dozens.”

“Maybe not dozens,” you snort. 

Thor smiled a little, “No, perhaps not,” he sighed, “But. You do more than you should.”

“Maybe no one else does as much as they should,” you shrug.

And Thor lets you go, following behind you with a hairbrush, mulling over your words. You were right, of course. You did work no one else wanted to do. That at BEST people applauded from a safe distance and at worse, actively derided and tried to get your programs defunded. 

He was still thinking in the living room, as Bruce fussed and took your vitals again. You evidently had a low grade fever that he wanted to keep an eye on. Thor watched, smiling a little as Bruce plied you with food and some sort of medicine for the fever, largely ignoring your protests and gently reminding you that you were never sick. And when you were, you tended to do it like you did everything. Overboard. 

Bruce stood over you and waited while you took the medication and then promptly rewarded you with kisses and a brownie. “I’m not a baby,” you grouse fondly, between kisses. 

“No,” Bruce said, refilling your glass of juice, “But you came home and fainted. And now you have a fever. You’re gearing up to get very sick. And things being what they are… If Thor and I have to leave, there won’t be anyone to look after you.”

“Indeed,” Thor echoed, taking his own seat at the table and helping himself from the containers of food he ordered. 

“You two know that I AM in fact, really capable of looking after myself?” you ask, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

“Yes,” They answer together as Bruce takes a seat.

“But we don’t want you to have to,” Bruce said softly. He and Thor both remembered how they had even met you to start with. You were trapped. Pinned down by Hydra agents that seemed intent on getting a hold of you dead or alive. They didn’t know what you could do. Or what you were. But. You’d made a stand. Looked imminent death in the face and helped their actual target, A little boy with big green eyes and the ability to start fires with his mind, escape with his mother. You were battered and broken and still trying to fight back. In his minds eye, Thor saw you as a butterfly bound to a board by a pin. The life. The will to fight, draining out of you slowly.

 And Bruce? He saw a terrier trying to face down a wolf pack. Trying valiantly but doomed to fail. And when your shouts and screams suddenly, heart breakingly became a whimper as you hit your knees in a puddle of your own blood, still resolutely silent. Refusing to give up his location. They knew that there was no way they could leave you be. 

Thor, instead of echoing Bruce, put more on your plate and kissed the side of your head. “You’re ours,” he said after a moment. “And that comes with specific obligations.”

“But what about me taking care of you?” you counter, taking a sip of juice. 

“You do,” Thor said, smiling a little. “You give us balance… And pancakes on Sundays.”

You smile a little, “That seems a little uneven compared with all this.”

“We don’t get sick,” Bruce reminds you gently. “And I only fight as the Hulk, who’s mostly indestructible. And Thor has a healing factor… And you take care of us when we get home regardless.”

“Still-”

Bruce frowned and looked at the clock again. You’d been working a punishing number of hours. More hours than any one person should be working. It was too much. 80 hour weeks. 20 hour shifts sometimes.  And when you come home, collapsing into bed and curing around the nearest stuffed animal or warm body… It broke both their hearts. Especially when you cried. Never where they could see you, or when you thought they were looking. 

But in your sleep. As tears ran down your cheeks and you whimpered in the dark. So tired and care worn that your heart referred to rest. It aired the grievances in your sleep that you couldn’t voice during your waking hours.

“What was she doing?” Bruce asked. 

“She couldn’t give me very many details,” Thor said, “But she did say that it wasn’t going to be a dangerous situation. And it sounded like she was in a hospital.”

“IN a hospital?” Bruce said, slightly alarmed. 

“No. No- with a patient. Not as a patient,” Thor said soothingly, wrapping an arm around Bruce’s waist and resting his forehead on the other man’s ribs.

Bruce Exhaled slowly and nodded, thankful that you at the very least, weren’t in any dangerous place this time. 

“How long has it been?” Thor asked. 

“I don’t know,” Bruce admitted, “She left around 11am yesterday. And I know at some point she took a nap in her car.”

“Ah yes,” Thor snorted, “Her trusty rolling fortress… At least she was reasonably comfortable for a while.”

“If a little chilly,” Bruce said smiling. 

For a long moment, the two of them were silent. Staring at the clock and considering. Wondering how much longer it was going to take for you to stumble through the door. 

“She’s going to be tired,” Thor said, a little sadly. 

Bruce made a soft sound of agreement and sighed, “Yeah. I think we better make sure there’s clean sheets on the bed and something hot to eat.”

Thor nodded, frowning slightly. The God hated the idea that you were hungry and exhausted somewhere. And he hated it even more when he thought about all the weight you’d lost just from the stress. Bruce knew it by the way his eyes darkened. 

But. 

They didn’t have much time to debate. Or consider what you might like to eat when you got home. The door swung open and the sound of your bag hitting the floor brought them both to their feet quickly. 

“Holy shit,” you murmur, rolling your neck to stretch it out and limping slightly as you walk through the narrow breeze way.

You blink in surprise at seeing them both in the kitchen and your face relaxes into a tired smile, “I hope you haven’t been up all night waiting for me.”

Thor shook his head, a little alarmed when you wavered on your feet, “Of course not, my love. Only until we knew you were safe somewhere for the night.”

You nod and stifle a yawn with difficulty, catching yourself on the back of a chair, everything going black at the edges breifly, giving you the tunnel vision you’d gotten all too used to in the past weeks. “I think-”

But that’s all you manage to get out, before you crumple. Like a wad of paper into the arms of the nearest man.

Bruce would tell you later, he was thankful Thor had the presence of mind to toedge closer to you. Pointing out that, if he had tried to catch you, it probably would have resulted in Bruce spraining something and Thor having to carry both of you to bed. But that in the moment, the heart rending picture of him having to carry your exhausted, overworked body just made him go a little green around the irises. 

It took both men to get you into your pajamas and tucked into bed. When you were awake, you fussed at them. Protesting that you were fine around being told to take drinks of water and Bruce taking vitals while he decided whether or not you needed medical attention or just some rest. 

Ultimately, as you curled in their arms, slipping into fitful sleep, Bruce decided that the stress of waking up in unfamiliar surroundings might be more detrimental. Particularly if you woke up alone. In a bed that was too small and narrow for them to join you in. 

And Thor deferred to Bruce. 

“My brave little Valkyrie,” Thor hummed, tutting softly. “Though she is but little, she is fierce. Let her sleep. For when she wakes, she will move mountains.”

Bruce chuckled, “Shakespeare?”

“Can you think of any other words to describe such a woman?” Thor said grinning. 

“No,” Bruce admitted, Kissing the demi god’s chin and tucking a blanket closer to you. “But-”

“I know,” Thor soothed, “Even steel can break… She needs to rest. Properly.”

“I’m going to talk to Tony again… I know she doesn’t WANT to work for SHEILD. Or Stark. And I know she doesn’t WANT to use her powers for those people… Not in any capacity they want but… She’s one woman. And it’s not like the not for profits are treating her any better.”

Thor sighed, looking apprehensive, “But-”

“I know,” Bruce grumbled, “We should respect her wishes but… Thor. What will she do if HYDRA catches up with her? In a dark Alley. With no way to call us. They could make off with her and we’d never-”

Thor kissed him quiet gently. They had had that argument. Amongst themselves and with you. Many times. You liked to hide in plain sight. And, You had pointed out to them, many times that Bruce eluded Hydra on his own for many years. And that his particular ability was much more likely to be of interest. 

“We’ll try again when she wakes. AFTER,” he said scowling, “We get a decent meal into her. I don’t like those cookie things she keeps in her car.”

“Granola bars,” Bruce corrected automatically.

“Whatever. They’re not food,” Thor groused. 

“I don’t even know what day it is,”you tell him, frustrated. 

“It’s Friday,” Bruce soothes, tucking himself in on your other side, hoping  that if you can have them both near you to pet you and tell you it’s okay, they can get you settled down and back to sleep.

Bruce frowns when you start to cry harder and kisses your forehead tenderly, “What’s wrong, Sunflower? Hmm?”

“I-don’t- I don’t. I- can’t-” But you can’t get the words out.

Thor looks up at Bruce and reaches over to touch his cheek, reminding him that he’d there to try and keep him from losing control as you dissolve into helpless stuttering sobs. Bruce kissed the palm of his hand and sighed. 

“You’re okay,” Bruce murmured, “We’re here.”

And all they can do is ride out the storm until you go from sobs to hiccups. 

Bruce left only long enough to get a cold washcloth to dab carefully at your face while he made little wordless noises of concern. And Thor left long enough to get a warm drink and the bowl of take out menus off the fridge.

“I’m sorry,” you murmur, swallowing hard. You feel stupid. Really stupid. And you aren’t quite sure why they’re both putting up with you still. 

“None of that,” Thor rumbled sternly, folding your hands around the mug and pressing a kiss into your hair. “Even steel breaks sometimes.”

“You’re allowed to have feelings,” Bruce reminded quietly. He knew. Probably better than anyone how you dealt with the pressure and frustration by shoving it out of the way until you were somewhere you could decompress before you exploded. And they had both seen the explosions. The way your mind could twist itself into impossible knots of self-loathing and anxiety until you just couldn’t take anymore.

“You need to eat,” Thor said, thumbing though menus, “What do you want?”

“I don’t know,” you answer, taking a sip of tea. Your eyes feel like they’re coated in sand paper and it feels like someone hollowed out your head. Thoughts are hard. 

“Comfort food then,” Bruce said softly to Thor. 

Thor nodded amicably and went to go carry out his task. Bruce, he knew, was better with words. He had a better understanding of the state of your mind. He understood why your heart was in such a state. Thor… Thor struggled. He wanted to charge into your job and demand that they treat his valkyrie with the respect that you deserve. He wanted to find the people who were unkind to you and smite them. Or at the very least frighten them into treating you better. Bruce had told him that wouldn’t work. But that didn’t mean Thor didn’t want to. 

Still.

Just now, he knew it was going to be best to get you… better. Some food in your belly and some small creature comforts. Anything to keep you grounded.

Grounded was good. Grounded meant that you weren’t getting lost in your head. And Thor was happy to help that way. A happy woman meant a happy home. And making you happy was simple. Time and a little effort went a long way. And while Thor and Bruce would happily shower you with gifts, all you really ever asked for was new books. And maybe, sometimes ice cream. 

He half listened to Bruce, talking to you softly. Like he was talking to a wounded little bird. And he smiled a little. You were okay. You were responding. Your answers were short, but clear. And getting a little less confused.

“Maybe a bath?” Bruce tried. 

“Maybe,” you answer, leaning against him.

“I probably won’t clear your head but it might wash away some of the gross feeling,” he tries. 

“That’s true.”

“Well then let’s get you taken care of, huh? Relaxation has to come first. If we don’t let your body rest properly, you’re going to get sick.”

“I know,” you sigh.  And when Bruce helps you off the bed to go to the bathroom, you go.

“Maybe a shower,” you murmur. 

“Can you stand that long?” Bruce asked, brow furrowed in concern. 

“Probably,” you answer smiling a little. “I got a little sleep and if I need it, there’s a step I can sit down on.”

“Can you get up from that step?” Bruce asked, turning to start the water.

“If I can’t, We do have a boyfriend that is a solid wall of muscle… And if worse comes to worse, The Hulk could probably haul me back to the bed,” you point out. 

Bruce smiles and kisses you softly. “Both things are true,” he said. “The Hulk was ready to charge down to the office and yell at your boss.”

“Yell at him?”

“Or tear him limb from limb,” Bruce said, his voice sinking into a deeper growl. 

“Bruce-”

“Why do you let him treat you like that?” Bruce asked, “Sunflower… you don’t even need the overtime money. It’s not like Thor and I want you to work yourself to death.”

“It’s not easy to explain, Bruce,” you sigh. 

“Try?” Bruce pressed gently, helping you out of your shirt. 

“Listen- I” you make a frustrated noise, “ I- Things were rough when I was in college, okay?”

“So… what, he has dirt on you?” Bruce scoffed.

“Yes,” you say, exhaling slowly as you step out of your pajama bottoms. 

“What kind of dirt?” Bruce asked. 

“Drugs, sex, some shoplifting… a lot of things.”

“Potentially career-ending things, then?”

“Oh. So much.”

Bruce frowned and nodded, kissing your forehead. He could hear the Hulk roaring in his head. If he didn’t want to kill that many before now, he could now. Without changing a shade. “Well,” he said softly, mindful of your emotional state, “that’s unacceptable.”

“But-”

“But?” Bruce prompted. 

“What about my clients?”

Bruce paused and kissed you softly. He didn’t know what to say to that. But. He couldn’t tell you that it wasn’t important. 

He left you to get in the shower and headed back into the bedroom to see Thor on the bed, quietly seething. 

“You heard?” Bruce murmured. 

“I heard,” Thor growled. “And I think we need to talk to Stark.”

“I don’t know if there’s anything Tony could actually do.”

“But he does have an army of lawyers,” Thor pointed out.