Bruce Banner x Reader One Shots - Closed

Warm Blanket of Safety

Warm Blanket of Safety
Request for FlyingInTheTardis
A/N: I try to write these more or less in order so the people who waited longer get their result sooner than the ones who just requested, but this was requested as a birthday present and the birthday is today so I had to write it first. Yes, you're allowed to request specific dates for birthdays, but for the most part I try to write the requests in order.

Knives cut into the skin in your thighs, leaving a long red line that dripped down your legs to the seat beneath you. Tears streamed down your face as you tried not to scream. Screaming only led to more pain. Your lungs felt like sandpaper from your previous cries.
Your captor simply laughed at your pain, smiling as blood trickled down your cheeks and arms and chest, springing from the several lacerations he'd added to your body. You bit down on your lower lip, accidentally drawing blood, but what was a few more drops compared to the river flowing out of your wounds?
"He'll never find you," your captor whispered darkly, leaning in close until he was right by your ear. "You're mine."

A scream ripped from your lungs as you bolted up in your bed, fresh tears streaming down your cheeks and a cold sweat settling across your forehead. You brought your knees up to your chest, resting your elbows on them so your head could hang in your hands. Sobs shook your body as you tried to convince yourself that the monster of a man in your dream was not real.
"Are you alright, Miss (y/n)?" JARVIS inquired, pulling you from your thoughts. You gasped in surprised, still shaken up, forgetting that Tony had installed the AI in every room of the Tower so everyone could be looked after.
"Yes," you choked out, wiping your eyes with the undersides of your wrists. "I'm fine."
"Are you certain?" the AI insisted.
"Yes," you replied, nodding slightly. You took a shaky breath and looked around your room, taking in the familiar sights. Your simple queen sized bed, lined (though currently messy) with your favorite cotton sheets and feather comforter; your bookshelf full of your favorite book sagas and DVD collections; your small three-drawer desk that sat against the wall, housing your laptop, notebook, and favorite pens. "Actually, JARVIS?"
"Yes, Miss (y/n)?"
"Where's Bruce?"
"In the lab."
"Thank you."
You slid out from under your blanket, shivering slightly against the cold night air. You grabbed your fluffy robe from where it was draped across your desk chair, slipping it on and tying the sash. Your socks made little sound against the hardwood floors as you slipped out of your room and down the hall to the elevator. Slipping inside, you looked up at the speaker. "Lab, please."
"Of course," JARVIS replied. The elevator began moving, headed to the correct floor.

The door dinged as the elevator arrived, letting you out. Your feet shuffled along the floor as you headed down the hall to the science lab.
You dragged the backs of your hands across your eyes, wiping away the last of your tears as you approached the doorway. You leaned against the frame, knocking softly on the open door. Bruce's head shot up and his hands paused as he looked at you.
"(y/n)?" he greeted in confusion. "Are you okay?"
You nibbled the inside of your lip as you took a step into the lab, looking down at your feet. He took the hint and rushed over to you, pulling you into his arms. He had learned how to tell your emotions based on your body language, and rubbing your arms while staring at your feet often meant that you were sad or scared.
One hand ran gently through your slightly tangled hair while the other wrapped tightly around your waist. Your head nestled softly in his neck, your hands fisting in his shirt.
"Nightmare?" Bruce guessed, pressing a kiss to your hair. He had also learned how to narrow down the possible causes of your moods. Burying your face in his neck was either bad news or a bad dream, and considering you'd been asleep last he checked, he couldn't imagine that anything terrible had actually happened yet.
You nodded against his neck, tears brimming behind your closed lids. He felt the dampness and, keeping one arm around you, led you over to the chair he'd been sitting in. He sat down and pulled you onto his lap, your face still in his neck, his fingers in your hair.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly.
"Same one," you whispered, curling tighter against his chest. He nodded in understanding, his arms tightening around you. You'd been having a recurring nightmare about some frightening man torturing you, and Bruce knew about it. He'd been by your side the first time, holding you gently and cooing for you to wake up. You'd sobbed into his chest and explained the dream, and he became reluctant to let you sleep alone. Even if it wasn't real, he hated when he couldn't be there to protect you. After a while, the terrors subsided, leaving you with fluffy dreams or none at all. Bruce tested the waters now and again, first leaving the bed and then leaving the room. He only left when he thought you could handle it and he had something important to finish. He preferred cuddling with you through the night, holding you close and remembering just how lucky he was to have you in his life, and in his arms.
"I'm here," he whispered, one hand cradling your face. "I'm here and he's gone."
You sniffled and nodded, wrapping your arms loosely around his neck. He wrapped one arm around your back and hooked the other under your knees, holding you against his chest as he stood. He made his way back to the elevator and asked JARVIS to take you both to your floor. Once there, he sauntered down the hall to your room, grateful for the open door. Shuffling inside, he set you on your bed where you refused to let go of his neck. He chuckled softly before sitting beside you, slowly untangling his arms from your body.
"Just give me a second," he requested, trying to pry your hands from his hair. You whimpered softly as he returned your hands to your own person, taking a step back. Relief washed over you as you realized he only stepped back to slip off his button-down and jeans, leaving him in his boxers to climb back into bed with you. You instantly curled into his chest, arms folded in front of you, hands resting on his chest. His arms wrapped around you, one arm serving as a pillow for your head while the other rubbed soothing circles across your back.
"I'll always be here to chase the nightmares away," he whispered, pressing a kiss to your hair. You tilted your head to look up at him, pressing your lips to his chin.
"Thank you," you whispered back. He smiled softly, kissing your nose before you returned your face to his neck. You soon fell asleep wrapped in the warm blanket of safety that was Bruce Banner.