Book One: A Wolf Among Beasts

Chapter Eighteen

A/N - Again this was a NSFW chapter, I've cut it for wattpad, you can find the full chapter on AO3.

Bruce traces his fingers down Eli's spine as she sleeps next to him, the sounds of birds, the warmth of the sun against the tent fabric seeping in. She looks beautiful like this. Calm and peaceful. He loves watching her in moments like this, before she realises he's watching, before she twitches awake. She usually doesn't stay asleep long after he's woken. And it's no different this time. She shifts against his hand. She hums a little as she turns to rest on her back causing him to lean up slightly.

"Morning" he offers softly, she smiles and stretches her arms over her head, his eyes flickering to linger over her body. They are better, coming out here was a great idea and overnight he's felt that distance between them close. "Happy Valentine's day" he adds stroking his hand up her waist.

"Happy Valentine's day" she mumbles back reaching her arms around his neck, he leans closer to her, leaning down to kiss her, she hums happily against his lips. They stay like that, kissing softly for a few minutes before it shifts into something heavier, his hands start to roam, their lips become more needy, hungrier. 

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

Eli even starts to doze again in a post-coital daze, the feeling of Bruce's lips on her neck soft and hypnotic, luring her into a sleep but they need to get up, they can't stay in here all day wrapped in arm, even if they really, really want to. She hums a little as she forces herself awake.

"We're going to need some fresh firewood for breakfast" she comments, Bruce hums into her neck before lifting his head from her neck and sighs, he knows they do but he's comfy. He watches her a moment, fingers reaching up to touch her face. He leans up away from her.

"I'll go" Bruce offers, Eli leans up and raises an eyebrow.

"You want to go and collect fire wood?" she asks him, he nods.

"Yes" he assures her, but there is something else in his eyes.

"Bruce?" she asks him sitting up, he cups her face and kisses her softly.

"I want do this" he assures her as he pulls back from her. "I won't be long" he then grabs his trousers and disappears out of the tent, Eli narrows her eyes suspicious, Bruce never wants to do the camping stuff, he lets her do it because it's her thing. She shrugs and grabs her discarded dress from the tent floor and pulls it over her head to cover herself before packing the rest of her clothes in her bag. There's a shift in the air, the forest falling silent. Eli holds her breath listening, trying to find the source. Something close. Something big. She takes a breath, slow, trying not to draw attention to herself. Pushing herself up Eli bursts out of the tent to turn to the source of the noise. She stops dead in her steps. There stood at the edge of the forest is Hulk. He huffs slightly shifting awkwardly on his feet. Eli takes a step closer to him and he holds out his closed hand towards her.

"What's going on?" she asks him, he steps closer to her and uncurls his fingers lowering his hand to her, sat in his palm is Bruce's cell phone, she frowns a little but takes it. Activating the screen she finds a video is ready to play. She looks to the Hulk who sits down pulling her down into his lap. She presses play as she turns back to the phone.

"Hey" Bruce's voice greets her. "You're probably confused and I promise to explain. I want to tell you how much I love you, how happy you make me....how much I love the little life we've built here....How much you make me smile, how...adorable that nose thing is you do when you're hungry..." Eli snorts a little. "How I feel more at home with you then I have ever felt before...." he smiles at her. "And I thought, a lot, about what you asked of me...of us. The urm...." he clears his throat nervous and uncomfortable. "Sex thing" she raises an eyebrow. "With...Hulk" Bruce finishes. "If this is something you really want, something you really want to try....then okay you can try...." he takes a breath. "Some ground rules first though......this is a one off" Bruce points out. "I don't want to talk about after, And...make sure he doesn't hurt you, please, that's....Just make sure that I come back and you're in one piece and he hasn't...." he stops blushing slightly, she smiles softly. "I love you" Bruce finishes "And I'd do pretty much anything for you" the video cuts out and Eli feels both warmed and terrible. That he feels he has to do this for her. But she feels warmed that he is letting her do this. Hulk's breath brushes over the back of her neck, he'd remained quiet and still as she watched the message from Bruce. He reaches up and strokes her hair as she thinks on what she's just seen.