"Bruce?"
Thor called out, like he always did now when he awoke, ever since Bruce had left. The man had promised to talk to him first, next time, but words did little to appease the fear that coiled in his gut when he awoke to an empty bed.
"In here."
Thor followed the words to the sitting room, where he found Bruce sitting on the floor, back against the kitchen counter, directly across from the elevator door. The demigod followed his line of sight, but saw only the smooth metal doors.
"Why do you not join me in bed?" he asked gently, stepping into the scientist's line of sight.
"I can't sleep," Bruce said simply, bringing his eyes up to meet Thor's. Purple ringed them, as it had for the last week, ever since they brought the man back home. Most nights Thor woke to feel his lover sliding back beneath the sheets somewhere near morning, shortly before the dawn.
It was still hours before dawn, and Thor had no idea how long his physicist had been sitting here, apparently staring at nothing.
"What ails you?"
"Ross… I just…" Bruce sighed, fisting his pants between his knuckles. Thor lowered himself to the ground beside him, propped against the counter. He stole Bruce's hand from its grip, moving it to his own lap and wrapping it in his own two.
"My love, he cannot touch you here. He must convince your council, first. We will be updated in the morning, as always. Losing sleep over this will do nothing for you."
Bruce shifted, leaning his head against Thor's shoulder, his warmth a comfortable weight on the demigod's arm.
"My gut told me to run a week ago… Fear is primal, instinctual. It's on a level that can't be reasoned with. This is all new. And there are too many variables. One day I will wake up to the door being kicked in, and they will drag me out and away and Ross will use me to hurt so many people… I can't let that happen," he murmured, voice weary and strained.
Thor moved his head to look into Bruce's honeyed brown eyes, finding determination and strength in the man's gaze, despite his tone.
"You forget we share a bed chamber. I would not let such a thing happen, I swear by it," Thor replied, hard as steel.
He had encountered these thoughts before, sometimes in a dream. He always awoke fighting, grabbing Mjolnir from by his side and preparing for enemies that were never there.
Lately, the dreams had shifted into seeing the soldier coming into their room and trying to steal Bruce, as he had described. But Thor was not afraid. Humans were a mighty species, but they were not gifted with Asgardian strength, and the Hulk was likely the strongest being in creation. There was nothing to fear, whatever came, they would face it together.
Still, that notion did not always stop the churning in his gut.
Apparently, it also did not help Bruce to sleep without worry.
He looked down at his lover, a warrior preparing for a fight that might never come, but could come at any moment.
"Is it time to take us to Asgard?" Thor asked quietly.
He was loathe to take Bruce somewhere else, where he would have to prove himself yet again. Though part of him did want to share the realm of his birth with the scientist, and to garner his parent's approval for his mate.
"No, not yet.. I don't want Ross to think I'm running away from this," Bruce said.
Thor shifted, resting his chin on top of Banner's curls, feeling his breaths against his side.
"Tell me how the Fury found you."
Bruce smiled, and Thor felt the muscles of his temple tighten beneath his jaw.
"It was Natasha who was sent for me. I don't know how they knew where I was, she never told me."
"Natasha is a cunning huntress. How did she manage to lure you in? It must have been an elaborate trap."
Bruce laughed, quick and easy, pulling away from Thor to grin at him. The demigod returned his smile joyously, happy to be the cause of it. The scientist stretched his legs out in front of him, uncurling slightly to lean against Thor, who chuckled and brought an arm around his shoulders to draw him near.
"It wasn't really all that complicated. Cunning, but not elaborate. I actually feel kind of stupid for not seeing it coming, even though I guess I kind of knew."
"Are you evading the question, Banner?" Thor teased, earning another smile.
"She sent a kid, a little girl, to tell me one of her family was sick. I followed her, and that was it. The building was surrounded, Natasha was there… There was no way to refuse her unless I wanted to make a scene…."
Bruce huffed a dry laugh, hollow and mirthless.
"What?" Thor asked cautiously.
"It's how they get me. Every single time. 'Don't want to hurt anyone', 'It's been a year without an incident, you don't want to break that streak', 'no one wants an incident in a populated area'. You'd think one day, a man who is supposed to be as smart as me, would be able to find a way out of that."
"Your control is remarkable," Thor frowned, "but if they have guns, your only other choice is to trust your green berserker side. On Asgard, you would be honored as a hero. I don't know why some despise you so, here."
At his side, Banner sighed low and deep.
"It's because they are scared of what they can't explain. The Other Guy, he is an anomaly. He doesn't fit into their neat little world. There is no box for him. Kind of like you, our existence isn't in their idea of how the world works, and they want us to go away so they can go back to pretending they have control."
"Loki said something similar, once. He called their perspectives limited."
Bruce laughed, a real one this time.
"Your brother is crazy, but he isn't completely wrong."
"I don't know if your ability to consider all possibilities objectively is admirable or worrying," Thor snorted, ruffling Bruce's curls as he spoke.
"Both? I dunno," the scientist said between yawns.
"Sunrise grows near. Are you ready to sleep yet?"
Bruce's humor disappeared. He glanced at the elevator doors again, their reflections hazy in the polished metal.
"I don't know if I can. It doesn't make any sense. On the run, I could make myself sleep anywhere. But here, where I am actually safe… I can't seem to convince myself that I am."
Thor tilted his head up, deep in thought, before his face broke out into a brilliant smile. Bruce looked up at him, his own lips curling up at the ends.
"Uh oh, I know that face. What is your idea now?"
Thor rose to his feet, then leaned down to offer Bruce a hand up.
"Come," he said, "I will show you."
Bruce smiled, gingerly taking his hand and hoisting himself up, back popping as he did so. He groaned with relief, smiling wryly.
"Maybe I should put a pillow there next time."
Thor chuckled as he lead him back to the bedroom, where the first rays of the sun were just peeking through the gap between the curtains and curtain rod. Normally, they would be waking up at this time, going down to prepare for the day. But Natasha and Clint were out on missions, Tony was in Malibu, and Steve was doing a country tour for Veteran's Day. They were the tower's only main residents. As thus, there was no one to give them any lip if they slept in one morning.
As they came into the room, Thor lead Bruce to the bed. The latter climbed on carefully, as if still unused to the way the surface moved beneath him, and turned to watch Thor when he realized the former was not joining him.
The demigod retrieved his hammer from the bedside, hoisting it easily and bringing it across the room to the door. He closed the solid oak door, which Tony had reassured him was reinforced with something called adamantium inside, and then latched it solidly, using the chain they had bought to secure it. Once that was in place, he looked back at Bruce and smiled.
The man watched him curiously, adoration in every line of his face. Thor had never seen a bed look so welcoming, the gentle sunlight framing Bruce's face in a halo of light breaching his curls, a gentle smile brightening his half-lidded eyes. He was exhausted, haggard, worn down, and he was still the most striking being Thor had ever seen. Strength sang in the curve of his shoulders, ferocity coiled in the space of his fingers. He was the gentlest warrior Thor had ever known, and one day, he hoped he wouldn't need to do this to convince the man he could rest.
Thor set Mjolnir down in front of the door, pushing it close to the crack where it would swing open. Only the worthy, now, would be able to open this door.
Their enemies could still find a way through the reinforced windows, or through the secure walls, or through the minutely tiny vents. Evil finds its way into any space.
But when Thor joined Bruce in bed, the man immediately curled against him. Head on the demigod's chest, listening to his heartbeat hammer in his ears. Thor breathed deeply, felt Bruce match his breathing to his own, their chests rose and fell together. Sharing one breath and one space.
Thor pulled Bruce closer, buried his fingers in his wild curls, pulled the covers up over them and tucked the man tightly against his side.
Bruce smiled, a gentle, tired sigh escaped him, and he relaxed wholly in his lover's arms. Too tired to question, he let himself trust. Just for a bit, just for now.
Yes, evil would always find a way in. There would always be something to fear, something to worry about.
But for now, this was enough.
Before the sun even crested past the peaks of the apartment buildings surrounding them, both warriors were fast asleep, gathering their strength for the next fight.