AVENGERS PREFERENCES AND ONE-SHOTS

39 | Bruce : "Skype Friends"

"Hey, Bruce!" You yelled in excitement as you got an answer from him.

"(Y/n), I told you not to freak out on my birthday." He said, but you could hear him chuckle.

He might have been smiling, but he still hadn't switched on his camera. Ever.

"Shut up! And Happy Birthday, you dork." You smiled a smile that crinkled the sides of your eyes (which, of course, sent poor Bruce's heart reeling), grabbing a party hat from the side of your bed and putting it on.

"Oh my god." He said and let out a small giggle. "You look cute."

"I know. But how's your birthday?" You asked, pulling the laptop closer to your face.

"Oh, it's gone well so far, but I don't know what Tony's planned . . . He's always getting up to shit." Bruce told you. "Steve, Bucky, and Sam all got money together to buy me an old record player and a whole lot of classical records."

"That sounds wonderful, really." You spoke with a grin still on your face. "Anything else?"

"(Y/n), I would show you, I really would, I just-"

"You'd have to switch on the camera." You finished, because you'd heard that story a billion times before. "I don't know what it is with you, you've seen me, we've been talking for almost a year, you need to get over this."

". . . I don't know. Maybe I will."

"I hope you will." You smiled. "But in the mean time, let's talk about what you're betting on Natasha getting you."

__________

"Bruce . . . Do you think that maybe you could switch on the camera?" You asked, the hope you usually had lacking in your voice. You just wanted to see him more than anything.

He'd been comforting you over Skype for a while, and you'd been crying into your hands. His words did a lot to help you, but something about them rang hollow when you couldn't even see the person they were coming from.

And of course you knew that Bruce was famous. But you'd promised to do everything in your power not to look at an image of him, because he'd thought it'd ruin everything. That's why you'd only ever seen clips of him as the Hulk, and always switched over channels before seeing what was behind that.

Every time you read one of his papers (the ones you could understand, of course), you'd fight the urge to turn the last page and look at the picture of the scientist behind it.

"(Y/n) . . . you know how I feel about that . . . " He replied guiltily.

You sniffed pitifully, looking up at the blank screen portrayed in front of you. You'd thought about switching the camera off for you too (and just calling him), but at the end of the day, you could hear how happy you made him when he saw you after a long day or night.

"It doesn't feel right not knowing how you look." You admitted softly, hoping he could hear you, even through the static that came with those types of calls.

"If you found out, you'd never want to speak to me again. You're just so beautiful compared to me . . . I just . . . I don't know, (Y/n)."

That was the first time he'd ever actually complimented your appearance like that, and you were taken aback. Of course there were comments like: 'stop being so cute', 'you look nice in that', or 'your eyes are pretty'. But never a straight up, 'you're beautiful', until then. Your stomach couldn't help but fill with all-too-familiar butterflies

"Do you really think I'm that superficial?" You asked, wiping your eyes with sweater paws that you didn't know made Bruce's heart pound so much harder.

"No." He sighed. "I'm just more comfortable like this."

There was a moment of silence. "I don't know if I can handle this anymore." You said, voice crackling with emotions again.

"Why? What is it?" He enquired.

"Bruce . . . I thought you would've gotten over this. But ever since I met you online, you've never showed yourself to me. And here I am, in front of you, looking like total idiot, because I've fallen for someone I've never even seen."

Tears were starting to build up in your eyes after the realization of what you'd said processed in your brain.

You couldn't see Bruce, but he was a picture. His hand was over his mouth in disbelief, and he was somewhere between happiness, confusion, and sadness. He wasn't about to question your feelings or judgement, because then you might fall back out of love, and he wasn't sure he could handle that - not after grasping onto the joy he felt when you'd said those words.

With shaking hands, he moved his hand to the sticky note he had over the camera. In a single gentle movement, he moved it away.

It took a moment for the pixelation to adjust, but as soon as it did, your heart began to flutter.

Bruce sat at his desk chair, one elbow on the table with his head resting in his hand. The other hand still held the yellow post-it note. His curly hair was disheveled in the most endearing way, and his face held the most nervous smile you'd ever seen.

For the first time, you knew what it felt like to look into the eyes of someone you loved, even if two screens and all that distance separated you. Brown. You'd always known he had brown eyes. He just seemed the type. Warm, soft, and home-y.

"You're a dork." Were your first words, and you watched as those pretty eyes widened.

He blushed, and your mind couldn't help but go to: 'how many times have I made him blush like that? Wow is he cute'. If you knew the actual number, he'd be mortified.

"You've been totally cute all along! Bruce, you had nothing to worry about! . . . And besides, I'd still be in love with you if you looked like Quasimodo."

His eyes were still wide, and you watched as his lips parted slightly, flustering in response. "L-love?"

You were so glad you could see his reaction to that word. You wouldn't have know the adorable cheesy smile that crossed his face if you hadn't admitted you liked him in the first place.

"Yeah . . . I think I might be in love with you, Bruce." You admitted, wanting nothing more to reach out and touch the curly hair on his head. Feel his stretched and oversized mustard sweater between your fingers. Press your lips against his. Anything.

You were pulled to him like nothing you'd ever felt before.

"I . . . I think I realized I loved you about a month into us talking." He replied, an anxious laugh escaping him.

And suddenly, you being upset only minutes before left your mind. Everything left your mind, expect one thing.

'Bruce Banner is in love with me.'

__________

AUTHOR'S NOTE

and we are back ! i've had this idea in this book since before i discontinued it ??? the first part was actually written back then and idk if you can see the difference.

hope y'all are having a good day. stay slick.

-bella