Bruce returns

[wearebothangry]

 Bruce wasn't big of mea culpas, asking for forgiveness was stressful and in the early days any kind of stress was dangerous. He hadn't wanted to return to the tower, but Tony had made it clear that he wasn't going to do this mission without his science friend and so Fury had tracked him down and basically laid out the terms. So here he was in the main room nervously looking around and trying not to remember the last time he was here and what had happened after. He embraced the hurt because it kept him focused on the mission and not his fears. 

Comments

[msromanoff]

"We'll make it work Cap," Natasha could be heard saying as she entered the room with Steve. "It's not like we have much..." She froze as she looked up and saw Bruce for the first time. "Choice," She finished softly.

She looked sharply in Steve's direction, daring him to tell her that he had something to do with this. Steve, looked just as surprised to see Bruce, and gave a small shake of his head.

"You tell Stark, I'm checking on the twins," She told him, in a clipped tone, before turning on her heel, and fleeing the room.

Steve looked after her for a moment, before taking out his phone and texting Clint.

"Safe to say Tony didn't tell us you were coming," He said, a very frustrated look on his face.

[wearebothangry]

"He didn't tell me either," Bruce says, "he sent Fury to bring me in and Nick made it very clear it was Tony's way or the highway." Bruce is very clearly annoyed by the whole situation now that Natasha was out of the room. He'd chosen to leave to protect the Avengers from any backlash over the South African incident and being dragged back just made him feel like the Hulk was the more important member of the team.

He glances back in the direction Natasha went. "How mad is she," he asks, "shoot me out a window or slap me and kick me where it hurts?"

[waypastasking]

Steve was silent for a long time, his arms crossed across his chest, weighing what he should say to the man. Steve is thee type of person to take a secret to the grave if needed, especially if it's to protect someone he cares about.

In this case, however he thought that maybe being honest would be better for Natasha. "She's not mad, She's quiet," Steve said gravely, taking a seat on couch. "She's focused, confident, all business. She is performing better than I have ever seen her. She has a way with the kids, but she's not Nat. In my opinion, that woman left with you on the plane, to where ever the hell you were," He stood up again.

"Man up and talk to her. You owe her at least that much." Steve started to walk out, before turning.

"Oh, she's up top. And how do you think Stark and Nick knew where to find you?" He turned on his heel and strolled out the door.

[wearebothangry]

Bruce sighs and goes to put his things in his old suite which seemed stuffy and over decorated since he's been gone over a year and a half. He stalls by putting everything away before he goes to the top floor to talk with Natasha his heart in his throat. "Hi," he said softly.

[msromanoff]

"Hi? You abandon me, and all I get is a hi?" Her voice was wavering, which is why she was here, she could break down in peace.


"What are you doing here?"

[wearebothangry]

"Apparently there is a thing that my skills are needed for and Nick Fury made it clear no was not the answer I was allowed to give," he mutters, "and I figured hi was the word least likely to get me punched in the face." He takes a deep breath. "Natasha....I...I don't know what to say to make things better."

[msromanoff]

She didn't even wait a beat after he finished his sentence, before she lunged at him, her fists hitting his chest. She didn't even care that he could hulk out on her, he broke her, and now he better damn well deal with the fallout.

"Damn you for making me love you," She whispered horsely. "That stupid, fucking room took everything away from me. Everything. I thought I had found someone that understood, that I could count on, and the world decided once again to say fuck you, you can't have nice things."

She pushed away from him. "Are you happy?"

[wearebothangry]

Bruce was glad he had much better control over the other guy then he did a few years ago. It allowed him to stand there and take the punches like a champ without a shade of green. "Do I look happy," he asks softly, "Do you think I wanted to leave without saying goodbye. I didn't. If there had been any other choice we would have taken it. But we both knew the second that plane landed and we stopped being useful we would have been locked in a cage."

"Natasha...I love you....I tried not to, thought it I denied that you were interested nothing would happen. I was wrong and leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done. And yes that includes leaving Betty."

[msromanoff]

I love you is what pulls Natasha out of her grief filled stupor. She pushed away from him then, putting distance between them.

"No, No NO! You do not get to say that to me right now. You do not get to come in here, tell me you love me, and everything will be okay."

She sat down hard on the floor. "You really fucked me up. I was more honest with you than anyone ever. You know things, even Clint doesn't know, and you burned me."

"We are not alright now. Do you get that?"

[wearebothangry]

He nods, the sadness in his eyes seeming to deepen slightly. "I understand," he says his voice soft and even, "and I never said everything was going to be okay. I know it isn't. I left all of you and it hurt. I'm amazed Fury even cared enough to hunt me down for this mission. There are a dozen scientists who can do what I can do. I know what they need is the Hulk not me."

[msromanoff]

"So what? You're giving up on me?" She spat out looking up at him. She could see the sadness in his eyes, but it mirrored her own so she wasn't going to give in to it.

These Kids need Bruce Banner not the Hulk."

[wearebothangry]

"I'm not giving up, just giving you space," he says, "the next move in this little dance of ours is yours Nat not mine."

[msromanoff]

Natasha looked up at Bruce, her eyes glassy, but she was trying so hard not to break down.

"I should kick your ass from here, back to where you came from," She said softly, and somewhat defiantly. "Did I mean anything to you?" She asked standing up.

"You are not putting it back on me. You left. I made my choice. The choice is yours. Am I worth fighting for?"

[wearebothangry]

"You meant so much to me," Bruce says softly, "I let myself feel for the first time in years. Since Harlem actually. You are worth fighting for I just needed to figure that out." He gives her a hard look. "I wasn't about to do that thinking in a cage Natasha. I have a right to my freedom."

[msromanoff]

"Meant?" She repeated looking up at him. "Does that mean that I don't mean anything to you anymore?"

"I agree," She said, looking away from him now, because it hurt to much to think about what she lost.

[wearebothangry]

"You mean just as much to me as you ever did," Bruce says, "but like I said the next move is yours. I love you but do you still love me after what I've done."

[msromanoff]

"Did you want to leave?" She asked, still looking up at him. "No, the next move my dear, adorable doctor is yours. You owe me. I want to be wooed," She said as she gracefully jumped up, sauntering his way.

"Check and Mate"

[wearebothangry]

He raises an eyebrow at her with a slight smile in place. "How does one woo the great Black Widow," he asks warmly, "you don't seem like the flowers and candy type of girl."