Focal Point
A.N.: Drabble prompt by Anonymous on tumblr; 14. "Hey, I'm with you, okay? Always."
It's a Code Green he doesn't want. These don't happen that often anymore - usually the little fieldwork he does as the Hulk calms the beast within him and he doesn't call to be let out as often as he usually has - but it still happens.
He tries to breathe, tries to count to twenty in his head and distract himself, but the panic in him is rising - the anger is making his blood boil - and he can't, he can't, he-
"Bruce!", Natasha is yelling but he hears her voice as nothing but a whisper, barely there. They're in the quinjet, beaten and tired but with a win on their shoulders and they're heading back to the Avengers Tower, and Bruce can't tell for sure what set him off. Maybe it was the fact that they didn't need the Hulk this time, that the beast had to stay silent as the noise of gunfire and broken bones surrounded him, invaded his senses. Bruce could smell the blood.
Yeah, maybe that was it.
He can feel Natasha grabbing his face; she does it so gently, cupping his cheeks, making him look at her. When his eyes find hers, she sees they're green.
"Focus on me, Bruce.", she says. "Listen to my voice. Hey, I'm with you, okay? Always.", Natasha tries soothing him as Tony is already preparing for an emergency landing. "Breathe with me. In, out. In, out. In-"
Bruce listens to her, focuses on her voice. Makes her red hair be the only thing he sees. Talks to the beast inside him - We can't hurt Natasha. Calm down. We can't hurt her. We trust her. - tries to play on the feelings for Natasha that go from Bruce and find their way into the Other Guy, their intensity sometimes overtaking even the green goliath more than the beast would probably like.
Bruce closes his eyes, can only feel Natasha's hands on his face. When he opens them again, his breathing is calm and his eyes are brown.
"I'm with you.", she repeats. Tony sets the course back to the Tower. She can feel the team calm down as Bruce does.
Bruce looks at her, love in his eyes. "Always."