Book One: A Wolf Among Beasts

Chapter Fifteen

Now Bruce knows he can, he and Eli are a lot more physical, he'll touch her, pull her onto his lap whilst he does science at the small desk in his apartment, he holds her close as they walk the streets, he whispers in her ear, he sleeps naked with her. It's a nice change. It's a nice step in their relationship. Makes them feel more real. Like they're a real couple, not that they didn't before, but it just settled something with them, made him realise that he can have this, made her realise that it's okay to feel, to care for someone other then family. She has Bruce and Bruce has her. And nothing will change that, she knows that, she can feel that, he is it for her. He is her future. She just knows that falling asleep in his arms, waking in them, makes her feel safer then she ever did before. Things are good. Perfect even. Yes, Eli would go so far as to say things are perfect, for her life anyway, things with Bruce are perfect. She's at his apartment every night, only going home to change and to feed Ricky. His apartment doesn't leak like hers. And that's where she wakes, a month after their night together, but she wakes alone in Bruce's bed, she stretches a little before seeking him out.

"What are you doing?" Bruce squeaks, actually squeaks in surprise, as she calls him out, he looks up from where he's crouched and smiles sheepishly, he's nervous.

"Well...I was emptying a draw" he admits, she raises an eyebrow at him, he sighs a little and stands. "It was going to be a surprise" he starts and rubs at the back of his neck. "I was going to ask you to....move in here, with me...you and Ricky" he offers. "If you want"

"Bruce, I am here every night as it is, I barely go home...." she admits with a smirk. "I would love to.....and Ricky adores you" he smiles. "Come back to bed" she pats his empty space beside her and he makes his way to her. She shifts slightly getting comfy again as he joins her. She turns and draws herself closer to him. He wraps his arms around her and snuggles into her neck as she curls into him too. This is comfortable for him, the most comfortable he's ever been. With this woman. His woman. After everything that happened with the other guy he never, ever thought this would happen, he never thought he would feel safe enough with a woman, he never thought he'd feel comfortable enough to have a relationship with someone else, but here Eli is, worming her way into his life. He kisses her neck and sighs utterly content with where he is.

...........................

Bruce returns from the factory the next day to find Eli unpacking in their apartment, a military tin box on the bed, her duffel open next to her as she pulls out her clothes to set in the draw. Ricky is curled up on a dog bed now set up in the corner next to a bowl. That's it. The extent of her things.

"Hey" he greets, she smiles.

"Hey" she greets back as he settles on the bed, Ricky jumping up and joining him, curling around his back.

"That's it?" Bruce asks.

"You pack light too" she reminds him as she dumps her clothes into the draw.

"And this?" Bruce asks holding up the military tin, she shrugs a little and turns to him.

"Just....stuff" she answers joining him on the bed, he raises an eyebrow as she takes it from him. "Considering how old I am, I know I don't have a lot of stuff" she opens the box. "But I live the way I do just in case....I have never set down roots before" she admits. "Just ready to run..." she adds and shrugs. "Here" she pulls the box closer.

"You don't have to show me" he assures her.

"We're together" she offers. "I want to share this with you" she opens the tin and they both peer into it, it's scraps of paper, photos, hand written notes, a few different passports, and a bullet. "It's my....can't be replaced box" she admits. "My clothes I can easily replace but this stuff..." she shakes her head.

"What's that?" he asks pointing into the tin, she picks up the bullet and smirks.

"It's a bullet" she teases, he shoots her a look. "It's adamantium" she answers. "Logan gave it to me" he takes the bullet from her. "In case he ever needs to be put down" he looks to her. "We're pretty much immortal" she offers. "Well...we were, I told you about Stryker and the...metal bonding he did to Logan" Bruce nods. "That changed Logan" she touches the bullet. "This can stop him now"

"But not you?" he asks, she shakes her head.

"Logan's claws hurt, sure, but I still heal so I'm guessing adamantium doesn't kill me" she answers taking the bullet from him. Bruce picks up the photo next to him.

"Captain America" He whispers. "You met Captain America?" she smirks and nods.

"Fought with him....me and my brothers were Howling Commandos" she offers and then leans closer. "I had to pretend to be a man" she admits pointing at the photo. "Hence why the shorter hair and the..."

"Flat chest?" Bruce offers looking to her, she nods.

"I wanted to fight with my brothers" she states. "It wasn't the first time I'd done it.....who say women can't fight just as well as men anyway" he smiles and hands the photo back to her, taking it she looks down sadly. "I'm pretty sure we're the only ones left now" she whispers. He brushes her hair over her shoulder and touches her neck comfortingly. He picks up another photo and holds it out to her. He loves this, getting to know parts of her she hasn't shared before, parts of her life that she didn't think important or interesting. He supposes living as long as she has their definitions on interesting vary.

"This one?" Bruce asks, she smiles.

"Charles and the students" she answers. "For a while I was a teacher" he raises an eyebrow surprised. "Yeah, it wasn't for me but....they lead me to Logan at Alkali so, they're important. They're mutants"

"All of them?" he asks her, she nods and points to Charles in the photo.

"Telepath" she offers then moves her finger to Scott. "Laser eyes" she moves her finger to Jean. "Telekinetic and telepath, she's pretty damn powerful actually" she moves to Raven. "Metamorph" she shifts to point at Peter. "Quick little bastard" Bruce laughs and she smiles.

"That's his mutation?" he asks teasingly.

"No, it's super speed, like....really super speed...." she then points to Nightcrawler. "Teleport" she moves on to Hank. "He's blue and furry" Bruce smiles watching her. She points to Storm. "Weather witch" she finishes. "They sent me this photo a few years after it was taken...."

"You miss them" he whispers, she shrugs.

"It's not very often in this world that people like me....meet people that look beyond what you are and want to know who you are. I am a mutant, but that's not who I am" she looks to him. "That's not all of who I am....they made me see that" he cups her cheek. "You keep me believing that" she adds softly.

"Me?" Bruce asks.

"You barely blinked when I told you I was a mutant" she reminds him. "You didn't fester on it, you didn't look at me like....like there's something wrong with me....you just...saw me" she offers, he nods.

"I don't care about the mutant thing" he assures her. "I mean, it helps, after our run in with Stryker, I think knowing you are able to defend and protect yourself helps a lot but that's not all of you.....you're caring though you try to hide it, cheeky, sexy, and you are smart, no matter how many times you tell me otherwise....you have a weird love of Brazilian tequila" she smirks a little. "And you smile way more then you claim...." they share a look and she looks away first clearing her throat.

"It's our secret though, right?" she asks teasing him, he chuckles and nods.

"Of course, I would never tell a soul that you're actually adorable" she nudges him slightly and shakes her head.