A/N: Okay, so, I think I've been so busy with my other stories that I've been neglecting this one. I'm so sorry. And, we have one more chapter after this one, which just needs to be spell checked.
Chapter title is inspired by the song, 'A thousand years'. Just throwing this out there. I know the song 'I will always love you' is so overused, but lately, I LOVE it for Bruce and Betty.
One person did ask me for a sequel, but I'd love to get everyone's opinion. How do you guys feel about it? What would you like to see if I did make one? Let me know. I will take your opinions into consideration.
kimbee: Thank you thank you thank you! :D I always look forward to your reviews.
AvengerGal: You were where!? And I love how you say it like it's nothing. Lady, you make me laugh. So how was Hong Kong?! :D
onlygetonelife: Thank you so much for reading and for leaving a review!
stands-tall-among-shadows: Thank you for reviewing. I'm sorry my updates aren't very frequent. I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP. Thank you so much for your kind remark. You have no idea how much that means to me. You're very sweet. :)
Rayner Fox: Oh I know, life is insane. Hope things calm down for you. Thanks for taking the time to read my story and leave a message.
Sandy-wmd: Haha, Betty's a professional at calming him down and controlling the hulk. They're just meant for each other. :) Thanks so much!
One Step Closer
Pepper listens to his breathing changing, removing the cloth from off of his when she realizes he's waking up. Potts contorts her mouth when she sees his eyes peel open, watching him cringe over a little pain.
She tilts her head when he mumbles, finally able to take in his surroundings;
"Pepper?"
She smirks;
"How are you feeling Dr. Banner?"
He groans, propping himself up on his elbows in an attempt to wake up. His rebellious curls react to his movement with his muscles tightening and straining when forces himself to move. Bruce shudders when his eyes close, throat aching as much as his frame. Pepper gently rubs the fabric over his shoulder and upper arm. He tries to talk after she removes her hand, picking up on his uneasiness;
"What happened?"
Tony's voice sounds different when he chimes in, uncharacteristically soft and a little vague;
"The hulk helped us capture Talbot. Ross and his minion are behind bars for now so you can breathe. Nice to see you're finally awake."
Bruce swallows thickly, trying to appear fine;
"How long was I out for?"
"38 hours. Fury wanted to take you to the hospital after the first 6 hours, but Lizzy wouldn't have it."
Pepper nudges her 'boss', eyes wide over his remark. Tony shrugs casually with a sideways smirk;
"What? Why are you glaring at me like that?"
Banner runs his hand through his hair, voice low when he interrupts them;
"Where is Betty?"'
Pepper watches Tony close his mouth as quick as it opens, sighing when she stands up to leave her room. She lowers her head, mumbling before she walks out;
"I'll let you two talk."
Bruce narrows his focus when he doesn't get an answer, sitting up straighter despite the pain;
"Tony I'm not kidding."
Stark nods, trying to lower his friend back down;
"She's safe. Just, calm down, and take it easy."
He sighs, complying with the billionaire's orders with hesitation;
"She left didn't she."
Tony clenches his lips together before plopping in the chair behind him. He sighs, resting his elbows on his knees when he addresses the physicist;
"Yes."
"Back to New Mexico...?"
He shrugs, sympathy in his stare;
"I'm assuming. Look Bruce, I tried, I really did try but she's as stubborn as you are."
Banner closes his eyes, hands over his forehead when he lifts a knee to the ceiling;
"It's...better this way."
His friend crosses his arms;
"How can you even say that?! I can't believe what she did for you Bruce-"
"You all did way too much for me, it wasn't just Betty."
Tony sighs with a hint of exasperation;
"What happened?! One minute you're hanging all over each other and the next your chasing her away-"
His eyes widen, "I'm too dangerous for her Tony! I could hurt her!...I could hurt you. I don't belong here-"
"How can you even think like that? Of course you belong here! We've had this bloody conversation twenty times already! You're not going anywhere!"
"I should. Tony listen to me-"
He stands up, hovering over the scientist;
"No! You listen to me; I can't function without you, okay?! I've been losing my mind these past few days, listening to Betty cry about how much she loves you and how I need to keep you safe and guess what? I'm going to do just that. You're my best friend Doc, and whether you like it or not I care about you. You're like a brother to me alright? So listen to your brother and let me lecture you; Your precious Betty Ross, that pretty dark-haired girl you cried over for weeks loves you just as much as you love her. She's not afraid of you Brucey and neither am I. The only person who views you as a threat is yourself and the only thing that stops you from going after what you want is your lack of self-esteem and confidence!"
He releases an exasperated sigh, watching the facial expression on the physicist change drastically. Bruce knows the only person he had to have heard that line from was Natasha.
Tony knows he's rattled him, hoping it's gotten a little further than just his ears;
"Betty wants you Bruce, she wants you bad. I wish you weren't such a mess these past few days so you could've heard it for yourself. You're all Lizzy cares about, but if you keep dancing around each other, worried about something that might never happen...you'll miss out on something special. I don't think you want to lose her Bruce. I don't want you to lose her. You've got this, bond, this, wierd connection. And when she's with you? She glows when she's in your arms. And Bruce, I've never seen you so happy."
His friend swallows down a lump in his throat, eyes closing while he mulls over Tony's words. His heart aches just thinking about Betty, wishing he could see her pretty smile. Stark releases another sigh, laying the back of his hand over Banner's cheek to check for a temperature;
"I want you to stay in bed for the next day or so and just, take it easy. Alright?"
Barton peeks his head through the opened door;
"Steve's back."
Tony mumbles, answering Clint before addressing the physicist;
"You guys are still here?"
Barton shrugs, "Tasha and I are going to eat and run. Thor left already. Banner's up?"
"Barely."
He gives his friend a look, noticing some of his scars have disappeared since his latest transformation;
"You hungry Bruce? Steve got pizza."
He shakes his head politely, working to control his raging emotions;
"No thanks."
He smirks, pointing to his arm;
"Scars are healing. How do you feel?"
Bruce shrugs, smirking a little when his tongue runs over his cheek;
"I got my molar back."
His eyes widen;
"What? Glen pulled it?!"
He nods, recalling the memory. Tony nods before making his way to the door;
"Wish my body fixed itself after a fight. Get some sleep big guy. Call me if you need anything."
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Steve knocks gently on the door before Bruce mumbles that it's open. He walks in slowly, seeing the doctor leaning on on the desk while he skims through a book. He smiles;
"Nice to see you up Doc."
He smirks;
"Just don't tell Tony, he'd kill me."
He nods, arms crossed in front of him when he looks Bruce over;
"How are you feeling?"
Banner gnaws at his cheek, nodding half-heartedly;
"Cap, I uh...I heard.-You didn't have to give blood or go after me, or- I can't believe what you did. All of you, I don't deserve it."
Steve smiles over his humble nature;
"I know you would've done the same thing for me, for any of us."
"Yes of course, but I'm not,' his head lowers, seeing Steve's smile in the corner of his eye, 'Thank you."
Barton walks in with a blank expression, holding out his hand to Rogers with his sunglasses in the other;
"Nat and I have a mission so we're going to run."
Steve smirks when he shakes his head, nodding towards the red-head;
"Take care Miss Romanov."
She stays beside Clint, giving the both of them a very general 'bye', while Barton shakes Banner's hand;
"Stay out of trouble Doc."
Natasha gives the physicist a quick look-over, stealthily slipping a note in his open book when the rest of her team isn't looking. Her expression stays somewhat suspicious when he holds out his hand;
"Thanks Natasha."
Romanoff smirks, abrupt with her handshake;
"Yep."
She walks out ahead of the archer, voice raising when she realizes he's a few steps behind her;
"Barton, we're late."
He slips on his sunglasses after leaving the room;
"I know Widow, I'm coming."
Rogers shakes his head over the couple, holding his hand out to Bruce;
"I'm going to run too, but we'll be in touch. Stay calm Dr. Banner."
He nods, "Thanks Cap."
Banner ensures he's left the room before wincing a bit more openly, falling into the chair beside him with his open palms held over his face. He couldn't pin-point what hurt more, his head or torso, both still healing and slowly adjusting from his transformations. At least his ribs were healed; He counted his blessings.
He sighs when he looks up at the ceiling, hands pressed over his mouth when he closes his eyes. There's a lump in his throat when he recounts Tony's 'lecture'. He rolls his eyes with a little frustration, snatching up his book with a little extra aggression then he initially intended. Bruce stops in his tracks when the envelope Natasha left slips out onto the desk. His eyebrows lower curiously, gently lifting the note in his fingers before he resolves to open it.
The physicist feels his heart pounding twice as fast when he peels it open and reads the address, recognizing it immediately when the memories rush back to him. He falls onto the bed behind him, sitting upright when his fingers start to tremble, fighting with himself and his own conflicting opinions. He shakes his head when he finds the note underneath, clearly confirming it's author whether or not she meant to expose herself;
"You may not always get what you want, but what you need took off for New Mexico late last night. When you get your feet underneath you I suggest going after her."
He folds it in half, gritting his teeth when he gives into his heart. He opens his drawers to snatch up only a few necessities, spotting a loose picture of Betty the instant he does. Banner rolls his eyes, slightly overwhelmed when he snags a pad to leave a note for the engineer.