Inside Voices ▷ Bruce Banner | ✓

19 - WHAT MAKES A MONSTER

WITHOUT THE FEAR OF HER IMMINENT DEMISE, THINGS WERE MORE RELAXED. She hadn't realized that everyone was on edge until she finally stopped having the episodes and Bruce and Tony weren't constantly in the lab, trying to find a cure for her. They were still constantly in the lab, of course, but they were easier to draw out now that all they had to work on were things that didn't require their immediate and full attention at every waking minute.

But now that she was fine, everyone seemed to be sleeping in more. Steve didn't go out as much, but Clint, Natasha, and Arabella left almost immediately, stating that they had to get back to S.H.I.E.L.D. to clear things up, but since they were heading to the Headquarters in New York, they would be home in time for dinner most of the time, which was pizza for three nights whether they liked it or not, as Clint so eloquently put it.

"I think I might go for a run in the park," Steve said at breakfast, though he sounded unsure about it, eating his second serving of breakfast while everyone was still eating their first, "Marnie, do you want to come with me?"

She paused for a moment, thinking it over, before shaking her head. "I don't think I'm ready to go back out just yet."

"That's okay, Marnie, there's no rush," he said, looking towards Bruce and Tony who had chosen to join them for breakfast that morning, the two nodding their affirmations.

She smiled, still struggling to get it right, and she felt a warm sensation coursing through her at the sound of Steve using her name twice in the span of only a few seconds, and her joy must have been clear as Tony smiled at the two men from over his coffee cup, all of them sharing a look.

She watched him pull out his phone after a sound filled the room and he raised an eyebrow, only to groan, sighing to himself and pocketing it. "Well, now that I've lifted the emergency no-contact protocol, I have approximately three billion meetings to get to today. I'll see you later."

The three gave an intermingling of soft goodbyes, Steve giving Tony an encouraging smile while Bruce raised his mug in silent solitude, and she could only watch him go, unsure of how anything she could do would relieve him of his duties, but he seemed appreciative despite her lack of any real action.

"Steve, can you pass me another biscuit, please?" she asked, motioning towards the biscuits that Bruce had gone out to buy for them after Tony had whined about wanting some after watching an episode of the cooking channel with her.

The blond smiled and passed the plate over, letting her take one, watching as she slathered it with butter before taking a bite. Clint had told her that fancy people buttered their food as they ate, rather than all at once, and Bruce had agreed with the sentiment, though he also pointed out that Clint drank his coffee directly from the pot.

Speaking of Bruce, the man had finally finished catching up on all his sleep and was back to a more constant schedule, something he tried to get her to find as well, saying it helped with stability and it would be easier for her to understand herself if she were able to find routine.

She had some routine, of course, but it involved waking up at noon and doing her studies and watching TV that wasn't the news, because the last time she watched the news it was with the whole team and while everyone agreed, it was enough to give her a headache with how passionate Steve got, asking so many questions to the others who were knowledgable in certain areas, the man declaring that he had expected things to be better at this point in the future, but it seemed like things were just different. Better in comparison, but not necessarily good.

It had been enough to force her into bed to try and sort out everything that she was hearing, and it was then that they all decided she wasn't going to be watching the news anymore, at least for the time being, and she was fine with that.