Invisible To You (A Bruce Banner Love Story)

Chapter Thirty Four - Okay

        "Bruce." I call out his name, but he doesn't stop walking. "Bruce, I know you can hear me, so don't make me yell." I say, and he finally stops, but he doesn't turn to look at me. "Bruce...?"

        "I didn't think you would move on so fast." He says, turning around.

        "I... What?" I ask, confused.

        "I've been thinking about what you said non-stop. It just keeps running through my head, over and over. That the Hulk and I aren't the same person. That I wasn't the one hurting people. That I couldn't keep fighting with you and the others about this over and over. With myself." He says, his breath picking up the pace.

        "Bruce...."

        "And then I'm woken up from the first sleep I've gotten in days, and I see you looking at Steve like that, all starry eyed." It hits me then what he's talking about, and I let out a humorless laugh.

        "Starry eyed? Are you serious?" I ask. "I felt bad for him!" I exclaim. "He came into my bar in the middle of the night, asking to help get him drunk because he was in mourning." Bruce's face clears a little. "Today was Bucky's birthday."

        "Oh." He whispers.

        "Were you... were you jealous of Steve?" I ask incredulously. He doesn't speak. "Bruce, I told you I was going to let you think about it. Do you really think I was about to go off and flirt with Steve? Do you really think I'm that cruel?" I ask, and he stays quiet. I shake my head, letting out a small laugh of disbelief. "Bruce, I'm ecstatic that you've been thinking about it. I can't express how happy I am that you have been. But you can't just assume that I've completely forgotten about you. It's been a week Bruce."

        "I..."

        "I mean, I wouldn't do this to anyone. Especially not to you." I say, shoving my finger into his chest. "I.. I like you to much. It scares me, but I do. Last time I liked anyone even close to this, he ended up.. well... you saw what happened. You heard the story." I look at the wall, swallowing the lump in my throat. Both of us are quiet for a few minutes.

        "That doesn't mean it will happen to me. To us." 

        "I have a tendency to hurt the people I care about." I say quietly. "Tony, Pepper, the girls, You." I look at the floor, not able to meet his eyes. "I don't want to. I hate hurting people, and I don't mean too. I just... I always end up doing something wrong and screwing everything up." I feel him grab my chin, lightly pulling my eyes up to look at him. I didn't even hear him walk the few steps forward.

        "You haven't hurt anyone." He says quietly.

        "Yes I have." I tell him. "I hurt Tony when I ran the first time, when I came to New York."

        "That wasn't your fault." Bruce says with a frown. "You had to get away from Bryant."

        "I could've told him." I say, shifting on my feet. "I could've told him where I was going and why. I could've stayed and explained when all of you found out. I could've sat down with you and talked instead of telling you to sort it out yourself even though I was tearing myself in half inside. I could've-"

        Bruce cuts me off, moving his hand from my chin to my cheek, leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine. His lips move against mine almost desperately, and I can't help but respond just as much. My hands tangle into his hair, and one of his hands drifts down to the small of my back, pressing me closer to him. The other moves to the back of my head, tangling into my hair. I step back until my back hits the wall, him pressing me against it.

        "When you two are done there..." Both Bruce and I snap apart, him jumping back slightly, his glasses askew. I can tell my hair is messed up, and I pat down my shirt. Clint is standing in the hallway, smirking.

        "I..."

        "We..." Bruce and I both start at the same time.

        "Don't. I get it." He says, raising a hand. "But from what Nat's told me, you both still don't want Tony to know."

        "Nope."

        "Rather not."

        "Right..." Clint says, shaking his head slightly and walking forward. "Well, I was just going to warn you that Tony's about done taking pictures of a drooling, drunk Steve." He says. He points at me. "And you said that you were going to bed. Now who's bed, you didn't specify." Both of us turn beet red, and he laughs.

        "Wait, Nat told you?" I ask. "What? When?"

        "Last week." He says with a shrug.

        "Nat knows? When did that happen?" Bruce asks.

        "She figured it out last week." I say offhandedly. "And she told you!" I exclaim.

        "She tells me everything. She's my best friend, remember?" He asks. "Anyway, you both better scatter if you don't want Tony finding out." He starts walking down the hallway to his room, passing us.

        "Clint?" I call out. He stops, turning back, and I speed walk and hug him. "Thank you." He chuckles.

        "No problem." He says, patting my back. I pull away, and he starts to walk before turning back again. "But I do want a kid named after me!" He calls. I feel my cheeks heat up as I blush again.

        "No chance!" Bruce is the one to surprisingly call back. I look at him, and we both start laughing quietly.

        "I better..." I gesture to my room, and he nods.

        "Rose?" I turn around, and Bruce walks up to me quickly. He grabs me by my shoulders, giving me another quick kiss before smiling softly at me and walking back towards his room. I walk into my room, slowly closing the door. I lean back against it, my fingers reaching up to touch my tingling lips, a soft smile growing on my face.

        I think... I think this time everything is going to be okay.