Summary

Exhausted after another hulk out, Bruce finds a quiet place to sleep away the fatigue left behind by 'the other guy'. The Avengers never realised just how tired the physicist really was.

Authors Note

Prepare yourselves for an overdose of Bruce feels. I'm unsure whether to leave this as a one shot or continue it so let me know what you think, enjoy.

Lethargy

It took every ounce of willpower in Bruce's body to stay awake on the jet back to the Avengers tower. The team had fought together in another long, gruelling battle, and after another hulk out all the scientist wanted to do was find a nice quiet place to relax where he could fall into a deep slumber. His eyelids drooped heavily, but even so he forced himself to stay alert.

As much as he wanted to rest, the scientist understood that he couldn't fall asleep just yet, not until they had landed back at the tower. It was tempting to close his tired eyes and take a short nap for a while on the flight back, but Bruce knew that once he fell asleep he would be almost impossible to awaken. After all, in the past he was known to have slept for up to three days after a transformation, and undoubtedly this time it would be no different.

The physicist glanced around the jet resignedly at his teammates scattered around him; although none of them looked as shattered as he was they were all worn out. It would be unfair to expect them to carry him inside; he didn't want to be a bigger burden then he already was.

Clint and Natasha sat side by side at the far end of the jet, still twitching from the adrenaline flowing through their veins; both of them had a few small cuts and bruises here and there but were otherwise unscathed. They were bickering heatedly in a foreign language as Romanoff fused over Barton's black eye. The doctor would probably have been able to identify the foreign dialect if he weren't so weary, it sounded like Russian but he wasn't completely certain. His thoughts were foggy and hazy, and he found himself completely unable think straight.

Steve was slouched down in a seat near the window, and as usual there was not a scratch on him. Any injuries he had obtained would have already healed by now; to him, a broken bone was nothing more than an irritating itch. Thor was a short distance away, tossing Mjolnir in his hand as he discussed battle techniques with the captain with great enthusiasm; studying the patriotic shield with great interest.

Unsurprisingly, Tony was tapping away at his Stark phone with nimble fingers, sulking in the corner and leaning into the icepack that was resting against his neck; he had stripped himself of the iron man suit and was now wearing a casual shirt and jeans. He was babbling to Bruce at an impressive speed, rambling on about new instalments he wanted to make to his suit to avoid future mishaps. Bruce nodded occasionally, but the truth was, he wasn't listening at all; his head felt like it was filled with thick cotton wool making it impossible to keep up with the conversation. Unsurprisingly, Tony didn't seem to notice. The billionaire thrusted his phone in front of Bruce's face, eagerly showing him some designs.

'I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier! So, what do ya think? It's genius, right?'

Bruce blinked at the bright screen owlishly and frowned in confusion before looking up at the playboy residedly.

'I think it would be easier to read this if I had my glasses on,' the doctor rubbed his eyes.

'Oh- right. Well, it was my idea, so take my word for it buddy, it's completely mind-blowing!' he smirked cockily.

Bruce sighed heavily as Tony's voice echoed loudly in his delicate head. Everyone else on the team appeared to be buzzing with energy- it wasn't fair. Every muscle and bone in Banners body had been stretched and shifted painfully into something completely inhuman, and it was a horrible feeling to have both your mind and body possessed by rage, but it was even worse to have no recollection of past events and wake almost naked. Most people would be embarrassed to wake unclothed, but Bruce was simply fed up.

On every flight back to the tower he would sit wearing strange, uncomfortable clothes that didn't fit him at all; they made him feel self-conscious and insecure, especially without his glasses. Right now the doctor was wearing a pair of lose fitting dark denim jeans and a shield issued grey long sleeved shirt that was at least two sizes too big. He yearned for a button up shirt and a pair of snug khakis that actually fit him correctly, but it seemed he was currently out of luck.

No one else seemed to notice just how exhausted the doctor was after battle. Tony removed his suit, whilst Thor, Steve and the two ninja assassins all put down their weapons and everything was over, they could forget about it all and move on, but not Bruce. He didn't have a weapon or a suit he could discard, his weapon was his body. Bruce wished he could just brush things off and walk away without a care in the world, but it wasn't that simple. Pain lingered in his body for days afterwards and sometimes it just didn't seem worth it.

No one else had to go through it, and quite frankly, it was unfair.

Banner took a deep breath and released a sigh as he rested the side of his head against the window next to his seat. The cold glass felt pleasant on his hot forehead and the faint vibrations from the jet engine only succeeded in making him feel drowsy, the humming sound of voices around him the only thing keeping him awake.

Finally after what felt like hours, the jet touched down on the helipad and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Bruce watched his teammates rise from their seats with quick ease, whilst he struggled to even lift his head. It felt as if he was super glued to his seat; Bruce shifted himself more upright but all of his limbs felt heavy and sluggish, arms and legs being annoyingly uncooperative. Using a tremendous amount of effort, he placed his hands either side of him and gripped the armrests tightly before pushing himself to his feet. Shakily with a heavy groan he began trailing slowly behind the other Avengers as they exited the jet one by one, down the narrow steps and onto sturdy concrete without a second thought for their struggling teammate.

Although he followed a considerable distance behind them, none of them seemed to notice the other man's discomfort. As he stepped out, the bright daylight caused him to squint in discomfort and his head began to throb hideously behind his eyes. He could hear Thor talking loudly in front of him and it made him wince; he had to fight the urge to shield his sensitive ears.

Bruce was quickly developing a raging headache and his senses were going into overload, begging to feel extremely lightheaded. He rubbed his forehead vigorously as he stepped foot into the tower, trying to fight against the unpleasant dizziness creeping through him. He fought the urge to groan when bright lights flickered on.

'Honey I'm home!' Tony grinned, predictably sauntering towards the mini bar.

'Welcome home sir,' Jarvis greeted the billionaire.

'Ughhh I need a shower,' Clint moaned, rubbing his dirt covered arms; Natasha wrinkled her nose as bits of dry blood flaked onto the floor.

'I think we could all use one,' Steve agreed, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

As the group talked among themselves and lingered in the long hallway, Bruce took this opportunity to stray away from the others and headed towards the nearest elevator, no one noting his disappearance as he sneaked away. The drained scientist stumbled into the small space and leaned back against one of the metal walls.

'Floor 58 please Jarvis,' he mumbled, his words were barely audible as he lacked the energy to speak.

'Right away Dr Banner,' the AI responded sharply as the doors clicked shut.

As the elevator began to hum to life it took just a few seconds for it to halt, the doors jerking open.

'Floor 58, Entertainment Suite.'

The sharp motion caused the exhausted physicist to stumble forwards. Putting out a hand in front of him, he grabbed the railing to catch his balance, unsteady legs barely holding him upright. He needed to sit down before he fell down.

His bedroom would undoubtedly be a better destination, but the physicist just said the first number that came into his head. Surprisingly the entertainment suite was one of the quietest places in the tower, as each Avenger had their own television's and gadgets in their large, spacious apartments- the room was barely used. It barely lived up to its name, other than the various electronics and a few pool tables it was hardly an entertainment area, lounge would probably be a better term. Bruce could count on one hand the number of times they had all congregated together around a movie or gathered for a social occasion for that matter. Bruce knew there was a slim chance Tony would come looking for him soon, he would find him eventually but right now he wanted to buy himself as much solitary time as possible.

Bruce dragged himself forward on heavy feet, holding onto the walls to keep him upright as he journeyed across the room. Eventually he reached the large, black padded leather sofa at the far end of the room and immediately collapsed into it, letting out a quiet moan as his aching body sank into the comfortable cushioned seats.

As he sat motionless he could feel every one of his limbs aching terribly, every inch of his body feeling like it was on fire. The constant throbbing of his limbs along with the unbearable pounding in his head made Bruce feel rotten; his neck and shoulders were the worst, filled with unbearable stiffness. He was feeling weak with hunger but he didn't have the energy or motivation to move. Food could wait, after all right now he wasn't 100% certain that he could keep anything down anyway; it was best not to take the chance.

Bruce had the urge to shower and rid himself of the dirt and grime settled on his skin but he didn't have the energy to move. He would probably benefit from a fresh pair of clothes that actually fit but right now sleep was his main priority.

It was at times like this Bruce envied his teammates. Once they'd showered they could relax and unwind to rid themselves of the feeling of tiredness, something he couldn't do. He suffered for days afterwards, struggling to feel human again. Hulk did all the fighting but it was Bruce that was left to suffer the aftermath.

It was just as well that he'd settled himself in one of his favourite spots in the quietest part of the tower, here he could rest in isolation and comfort. After hulking out he thought it best to be alone, needing time to wind down and pull himself together. The room was completely silent, the only sound to be heard his own breathing. The scientist found the silence oddly comforting.

Only when Bruce released a loud yawn did he realise he'd been staring into space, lost in his own thoughts. With his vision was beginning to blur, he realised it was definitely time to get some rest. He kicked his shoes from his feet and pulled his legs up onto the cushioned leather; lying down on his right side he buried his head into the arm of the oversized sofa before pulling his knees close to his chest.

He shuddered at the feeling of the cold leather on his skin and crossed his arms to provide some warmth before taking a deep breath and allowing his eyelids to close. Just five minutes, he promised himself. As he drifted off into a deep slumber the pain in his body began to dull and his breathing evened out peacefully.

He didn't stir for quite some time.

It was considerably late in the evening when Tony Stark stepped out of the elevator craving a strong alcoholic beverage. Groaning pitifully, he stretched his arms above his head, wincing in discomfort as his left shoulder throbbed and twinged painfully.

'Son of a bitch!' he cursed.

The latest Avengers escapade had left the billionaire aching all over after he'd been thrown into a wall at high speed. The hard metal lining of the iron man suit had done little to cushion the impact, but thankfully and surprisingly nothing was broken, and he escaped with just a few bruises.

'Ughh, I need a drink,' he moaned, heading straight for the minibar in the corner of his apartment. After obtaining a strong glass of alcohol he took the elevator down to the communal living quarters. When he stepped out he was surprised when the tantalising smell of hot food wafted up his nose, causing his stomach to growl loudly. He paused in the middle of the room, turned on his feet and began to follow the smell. His nose wrinkled as he sniffed the air, frowning as he tried to identify the familiar aroma.

As he reached the end of the hallway and strolled into the shared kitchen complex, the strong smell of onions and cooked meat made his mouth water dangerously. There was no mistaking the savoury trace of Chinese takeout.

He turned his head as he rounded the corner to see two muscular figures both perched on barstools at the island in the centre of the room. Thor and Captain America sat together; both eating what appeared to be noodles from greasy takeout boxes. Steve was nibbling at the long, soft noodles with curiosity, whereas Thor eyed them with confusion, hesitant to eat the strange looking food. Clint and Natasha sat end the end of the bar, Clint filling his face at tremendous speed whilst Romanoff sipped at a glass of red wine, a look of pure amusement on her face.

'You're eating Chinese takeout and you didn't invite me?'

The billionaire was met with silence. The two ninja assassins looked up, whilst Thor and Steve didn't acknowledge his presence and both continued poking at their food. Steve prodded his meal with a fork whilst the Asgardian jabbed the box in front of him with a chopstick, similar to that of an inquisitive caveman.

'Well that's just rude,' he huffed, crossing his arms.

'Build a bridge and get over it,' Barton grunted, taking a large bite out of a spring roll.

'Whoa, easy on the food there feathers, keep eating like that and shield might have to start making adjustments to your uniform,' the billionaire smirked as the archer continued to inhale his food at an impressive speed.

'Fwuck Yhoo!' he swore around another mouthful of food, giving Stark the middle finger out of spite.

Natasha smacked him around the back of the head painfully with the palm of her hand.

'Ow!'

'Don't talk with your mouthful,' she scowled.

'Anyone seen Bruce?' the playboy asked in curiosity as he realised there was one figure missing from the table.

Everyone looked up and shook their heads. Tony wasn't surprised that no one had seen him for a few hours; the physicist had a habit of sneaking off and going into hiding after a fight. Even when he was around, he was so quiet that Stark often forgot he was still in the same room; he was like a chameleon that blended into the walls.

'Jarvis, locate the good doctor please.'

'I believe that doctor Banner is residing in the entertainment suite sir and has been for approximately four hours,' the AI answered the billionaire in his well-spoken British tone.

'Huh?' Stark raised a brow, surprised that the scientist hadn't hauled himself away in his lab.

'Well if Brucey's in the mood for a movie, I say we go join him,' Tony declared, downing the remaining contents of the glass in his hand and pushing it across the counter. Everyone stared at him wearily.

'A movie?' Steve blinked at him with an incredulous look on his face. 'You're joking right?'

'Joking? I'm offended Cap, I think your underestimating my talented sense of humour,' he smirked. 'Come on don't be such a downer, they're in colour now and everything…'

'I for one would be intrigued to see this mysterious moving picture you Midgardian's speak of!' Thor bellowed enthusiastically.

'That's the spirit point break! Oh boy I can't wait to see what morons you look like in 3D glasses,' Stark smirked.

'What's 3D?' Steve asked curiously.

'Oh my god I can't believe I have to put up with you uneducated people, seriously it's just painful.' The billionaire rolled his eyes and snatched a half full takeout box from Clint's hands as they all headed for the elevator.

'Hey!'

'Build a bridge and get over it,' Stark mimicked, grinning wickedly.

'There better be popcorn jackass,' Clint growled, mourning over the loss of good noodles. Romanoff rolled her eyes at his childish behaviour.

'Jarvis? Get the snacks ready for feathers here would ya?'

'Of course sir, but may I suggest that you use a different room so not to disturb Doctor Banner, the guest lobby perhaps?'

'Jarvis don't be such a party pooper,' Stark sighed as the doors closed.

'Sir I really must insist that-'

'Jarvis mute,' Tony interrupted the AI as the elevator doors clicked open and the group stepped out.

'Ladies, gentlemen, capsicles and demi gods; prepare yourselves for a lesson in modern technology,' the inventor smile cockily as he strolled into the large room, heading straight for the enormous television screen mounted to the wall ahead.

Steve and Thor lingered behind, staring in awe at the size of the screen whilst Clint snatched a hot bag of popcorn from the side. Natasha headed straight for the plush, oversized sofa, eager to pick a good seat before the men crashed out. Just as she was about sit down, something interesting caught her eye. There was a big lump in the far corner of the room, but it was too dark to see clearly. As she tiptoed closer she couldn't help but smile when she identified what it was.

'Jesus why is it so dark in here?' the billionaire moaned loudly, frowning and squinting in the dim light as he fumbled around in a draw for pairs of 3D glasses. 'Where's Bruce? Brucey where are you?!' Stark fought back a curse as he caught his elbow on the side of the draw he was rifling through.

'Ow- Damn it! Jarvis turn up the-'

'Shhhh!' Romanoff interrupted him with a hiss.

The genius frowned in annoyance and was about to retort when he saw her press a finger to her lips. Everyone turned to face the redhead and she waved them over to where she was standing. As the men peered over her shoulder, they saw what had caught the her attention. In front of them, curled up contentedly on the furthest seat of the sofa was none other than Bruce Banner.

'Well I'll be damned,' Stark broke the silence as they all studied the man.

The doctor was curled into a small ball, his face buried deep into the leather and he appeared to be in comfortable sleep. He lay on his right side with his chin propped on his chest, his head cushioned comfortably into the crook of the sofa; both arms crossed against his torso raised and fell gently with every breath he took.

His posture was similar to that of a small child, the way he pulled himself into a tight ball made him appear small and delicate, looking almost as if he were trying to hide. It was hard to believe that an angry, green rage monster resided inside a man that looked so peaceful at the moment in time.

'Looks like all that smashing wore him out huh?' Stark joked lightly as they all observed the slumbering scientist.

Tony's words sent a sharp, strong feeling of guilt throughout the group. Only after Stark had spoken those words did they begin to notice Bruce's fatigued appearance. The dark, shadowy colour of the leather he lay on only succeeded in highlighting the paleness of his face, dark smudges sitting beneath the scientists eyes showing just how tired he really was. Banners brows were furrowed and a slight frown rested upon his face, the discomfort in his expression revealed just how troubled his sleep really was.

'I never realised how much strength it took out of him,' Steve spoke softly, as the Avengers looked on solemnly.

'Doc's got it rough alright,' the archer muttered, Thor nodding in agreement.

'So this is where he disappears to,' Natasha noted, crossing her arms thoughtfully.

'He is a brave warrior,' Thor's voiced rumbled, echoing across the quiet room. As hard as he tried to whisper quietly, the Asgardian was like a bull in a china shop.

It was at that moment Bruce began to stir. He lifted an arm from his waist and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand groggily, groaning pitifully as he stretched out his back. He opened his eyes slightly are squinted tiredly in confusion.

'Whaz goin' on?' he slurred, tilting on the bridge between unconsciousness and awareness.

He tried to sit up but his arms wouldn't respond, so he slumped in his seat helplessly. Stark took a step forward immediately and patted the man's shoulder soothingly.

'Relax big guy, go back to sleep,' he reassured his lab partner, still holding his shoulder in a light grip.

Bruce relaxed almost instantly, the group watched as he lay back down and the tension fell from his shoulders. Just before he dozed off again, Tony slid onto the sofa as gently and quietly as possible, he lifted Banners legs and gently placed them onto his lap so they could both sprawl out comfortably.

The genius pointed towards the 3D glasses and the remote resting on the table beside him. Without another word, everyone grabbed a pair of spectacles and seated themselves comfortably. Steve and Natasha took seats whilst Clint and Thor both lounged on the floor, surrounding the Doctor.

When the movie began Steve and Thor both jumped, overwhelmed by the technology, however they stayed silent in awe. Stark set the volume to its lowest setting, it was just loud enough for the Avengers to here but quiet enough to allow Bruce to nod off to the background noise. They all watched the movie in silence, the only audible sound was Clint munching contently on popcorn and occasional quiet snorts of laughter. Their company allowed Bruce to sleep soundly, with the knowledge that there was someone watching his back.

Three hours later when the flick was over, Bruce was still sleeping deeply. Even after everyone retired for the night he had not stirred. The team were torn between leaving him there or moving him to his room, but they all decided it would be unfair to wake him when he was finally restful.

Tony found himself reluctant to move and so he stayed sat with his lab partner for a long while, cherishing the silence and watching him sleep. After a few hours his eyelids began to droop and he emitted a loud yawn, the genius deciding he should probably get some sleep of his own; after all, the thought of dozing off on the couch and waking up with a stiff neck in the morning was extremely unappealing. If Pepper were around she would have scolded him and ordered him to bed hours ago.

He stood carefully so not to wake the dozing scientist, wincing at his stiff knees clicked. He stretched his arms above his head like a cat, arching his spine. Before he walked away he looked over his shoulder and took a long look at his 'Science Bro' as he now referred to their new found friendship.

Bruce looked so different when he was asleep, gone was the worried expression on his face and the jittery nervous twitches of unease. Right now, he looked calm and collected. Calm and collected, but utterly exhausted.

Either Bruce was really good at hiding it or Tony had been utterly blind.

The sight of Bruce crashed out of the sofa in a fatigued and unconscious state made Tony's heart ache. He wished he could do something to help the man, wishing he could take away the pain of transforming. Seeing his drained state worried him, although it hurt him even more knowing that there was nothing he could do.

Tony wandered out of the room momentarily and returned moments later with a large, thick blanket and placed it over Bruce, smiling when the man shifted in his sleep, snuggling deep into the fluffy fabric. He ran a hand through Bruce's short hair absentmindedly before pulling away.

'Jarvis, turn out the lights.'

No one would ever understand how Bruce felt. Tony couldn't take away the pain or misery that came with transforming into the Hulk, the only thing the billionaire had to offer his friend was salvation and comfort whenever he so desired.

It wasn't a lot, but hoped that it was enough.

He'd finally opened his eyes to his friend's pain and now he was determined to help him in any way that was possible.