Anchored
A.N.: Drabble prompt by Anonymous on tumblr; 59. "Tell me to go and I will, but if you askk me to stay I'll never leave you again."
At first, she doesn't trust her eyes even though she starts approaching him as if on auto-pilot. "Bruce..", his name leaves her lips like a prayer.
He's standing there, maybe a few feet away from her, and she can see the tiredness in his eyes - although there's something akin to inner peace looking back at her from his brown orbs - and there are more greys in his hair than she remembers, even if he's only been gone for a few months. She feels like there's a lot of stories he has to tell. She's sure she wants to hear them all.
As she walks towards him, he slowly spreads his hands and she can notice the different way he holds himself; somehow, he's more relaxed, there aren't as many demons on his shoulders weighing him down. It reminds her of herself a bit - of how she finally felt when she decided the red on her ledger wasn't as bloody anymore.
It makes her happy that he's found balance with himself and the Big Guy, that he's finally accepted all he is. But there's still a piece of her that looks at Bruce and aches at the memory of him shutting off the videolink and leaving.
Natasha doesn't know why, but she hugs him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He buries his face in her hair, breathing in her scent and - if possible - his shoulders relax even more. It's like he's been anchored, as if he's finally found his footing once again and is finally complete.
"Tell me to go and I will.", he says, his voice low and God, has she missed that voice. "But if you ask me to stay I'll never leave you again.", he blinks away tears from his eyes and she doesn't let hers fall. She won't cry now, she won't. "I adore you, Natasha.", he says. "Always have. Always will.", he says as he makes space between them big enough to cup her cheek with his hand. Their foreheads connect then, and her heart swells at the love she feels at that moment - love she never thought she'd feel in her life.
She puts a hand on his chest, right above his heart, and she can feel it beating. It gives her a weird sense of peace she hasn't felt in a long time. "Stay.", she whispers and for a moment he thinks he's heard her wrong.
Natasha takes away his doubts by kissing him.