He was in no pain when he stirred. Aside from a touch of sore muscles, he felt fine. Tired, but fine. Bruce sat up in bed and proceeded to rub his eyes. He could remember running from the tower and bursting through the front doors, then running into the street as the other guy took over… Whatever happened after was still hazy…
Bruce reached for his phone but found no messages from his friends. He found it odd that Natasha didn't bother to leave anything. It was leading him to assume that he did something regrettable. He groaned and set the phone aside to stretch. The only think keeping Bruce decent was the dirtied pair of Hulk pants. He wondered if Tony dragged him back home, or maybe Natasha did it. As he left the bed, he overheard the faintest voices coming from what he assumed to be the TV. Bruce slipped a robe on before padding down the hall leading to the living room. He spotted a hint of red hair peeking past the back of his couch that affirmed how Bruce made it back home. "Natasha."
She turned off the TV before turning to face him. "You weren't out very long," she began with a small smile. "Two hours tops." Upon closely observing his face, she noticed dark bags under his eyes.
"You brought me back?" he wondered as he took a seat beside her.
"I wasn't going to leave you in the street," she replied.
Bruce folded his hands in his lap. "And Ross?" He carefully observed her face and caught the Widow's poker face break with the smallest frown.
"You took care of him."
He didn't feel very safe with her answer. "Where is he now?"
"You did a number on his leg, Bruce," she admitted. "He's being patched up."
He fell silent. "Was anyone else hurt?"
"No," she promised. "The other guy caused a few car wrecks on his way to Ross-Hulk, but no injuries."
He gave a small nod. "I think I'd like to visit him…Is that crazy?"
"A little," Natasha agreed. "Why?"
Bruce's fingers formed knots in his lap. "To see if he's conscious… And maybe check if this puts things into perspective. I understand if his hatred towards me has grown, but now, maybe, he'll understand how I've felt…"
Natasha gently pat his back. "It's worth a shot."
"I just want it to end now," Bruce muttered. "I've hurt him enough. This needs to stop before it becomes a bigger mess…"
Natasha's hand fell to her side. "You really had me going when you ran off like that."
"I'm sorry."
"You did what you had to do. I'm not too hung up about that…" Her mind wandered to the red Hulk strangling Bruce-Hulk's neck and pummeling the side of his face into the ground. "You're gonna get hurt if you keep taking him on." Her eyes met with his. They were dark and missing their usual light. "This isn't good for you."
He softly chuckled. "I feel better than you might think."
Her stare hardened. "Don't make this into a joke, Bruce. I don't need you passing out one me."
"I won't."
"I'm serious, Bruce. Between this and lab overtime, you'll exert yourself."
He watched her with a meek grin. "You're that worried about me?" he playfully wondered.
She rolled her eyes. "Don't push it." Natasha drew closer to him until their lips were inches from one another's.
Bruce rested his forehead against hers and stared into her eyes. He wondered if she knew how difficult it was for him to bite his tongue so a heartfelt "I love you" could be held back. "Will you stay?"
She raised a brow. "Feeling frisky, Doc?"
It was now Bruce's turn to roll his eyes. "It doesn't need to always be like that between us, does it?"
"I thought you liked it," Natasha crooned, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I don't think I'm ready for it right now," he politely declined.
"Later?" she smirked.
"Aren't you afraid I'll exert myself?" he teased.
"Sex is good exertion," she corrected. Natasha lightly pat his chest. "I'm kidding. We don't need to have sex right this second."
Bruce chuckled and his stomach started to grumble. "I think food will help me get back to myself."
"We can go somewhere if you put some clothes on," Natasha commented.
"Or we can have something here," Bruce replied as he left her side. He spotted half a chocolate croissant which he happily helped himself to. "It makes life easier."
"You just don't wanna get dressed," Natasha joked.
Bruce tightened his robe. "The other guy is the only one bold enough to strut around half naked."
"But not Bruce Banner," she playfully drawled. Natasha was reveling in the moment. Bruce seemed happy enough, and she didn't want that to change for the world. The man deserved a break, especially after how rough his week had become.
"Definitely not Bruce Banner." He checked the fridge and found some lettuce, eggs, cheese… The freezer had a promising option of frozen fish. "I can throw some things together into a salad," he mused.
Natasha began to wash her hands. "Sounds good."
"You don't have to help."
"Is this really an argument you wanna start?" she smirked.
"I'll never win against you, will I?"
She playfully nudged his arm. "You need me, Banner."
He took out a frozen pack of fish and smiled to himself as he heated the stovetop. Bruce didn't want to say that he needed her-that sounded selfish. But he really did need her, and he knew that need was bound to grow until he caved and confessed aloud to loving her. He thoughtfully turned to Natasha and wondered if maybe, just maybe, she would say it first.
She caught him staring in between chopping up a head of lettuce. "It's rude to stare."
He lowered his head with a chuckle. "Dark days really do turn around," he said to himself.
"Maybe life's gonna cut you some slack for good," Natasha replied.
"I'd like to believe that…Once Ross' condition is dealt with, of course," Bruce added.
Natasha noticed the slightest drop of enthusiasm in his tone. "Are you really okay visiting him?"
"I'll be fine," he promised. "But thank you. I'll call you if I need to talk."
"I'd appreciate that, Bruce."
"Never hesitate if you need a confidant, Natasha," he added as he found a pan and oil. "I'm more than happy to help you out."
"I'm sure you'd be happy to be the official therapist for the Avengers."
"Therapy really isn't in my training," he chuckled.
"I think you'd be good at it," Natasha reassured. "Ever try any of that deep talking with the big guy?"
"I doubt he would listen. He's stubborn…and not exactly the type to keep calm."
"Maybe showing him that you've got teeth will keep him in line."
Bruce laughed. "If Ross can't straighten him out, I highly doubt I can," he commented as he laid fish onto a sizzling pan.
"But it's scarier when you get upset," Natasha pointed out. "You're quiet, timid…It really gets people when someone like that explodes."
"The last time I was angry at the other guy, he showed himself," Bruce admitted in a low voice. He flipped the fish and could feel Natasha's eyes on his face. "Granted, I was angry at him in the sense that I wanted him dead…Never tried showing him anger to put him in his place…"
Natasha resumed chopping up the lettuce. "You can always go back to that island Stark found. Give me a chance to yell at the big guy."
"I'm not sure he would like that."
"Now it sounds like you're babying him."
Bruce quietly laughed. "I'll consider giving it a try…"
The two were quiet as they finished throwing together a lunch of chopped fish salad. "Call Fury if you plan to see Ross today. He still might be in the ICU."
"It was that bad?" Bruce cringed as he stabbed at his salad.
"He might still be passed out… I'm not an expert on Hulk recovery."
"I can try tomorrow," Bruce decided.
Natasha casually brought her fork to her lips. "So you're free the rest of the day?"
Bruce's eyes briefly met with hers. "We can… resume certain matters, if you'd like."
She snorted. "Don't make me force it on you."
His ears felt hot as he stared at his lunch. "I'm worried we'll press our luck one of these days..."
"With the other guy? I think he must be exhausted by now…"
"In the future," he corrected. "Given we continue…"
She smiled. "We'll take things at your pace."
Bruce attempted to slow his chews, but his brain was forcing him to take larger bites as his stomach begged for food. He wanted Natasha, he wanted everything about her, but he also feared overexciting himself would trigger a certain someone.
"You're looking a lot better," Natasha mentioned in between bites.
"Just needed food. That usually helps."
She noticed that he was close to finishing while she had only made a dent in her lunch. "Want some more?" Natasha offered him her plate but he was quick to decline. She poked at a pieced of fish before lifting her head to speak. "Does it hurt when it happens?"
Bruce sank back in his chair and gave her a weak grin. "It does. But it's like I don't even remember and pain once I'm him. I'm always sore changing back-that hurts the most. Then there's the dizziness, nausea…but sometimes I feel too tired to even notice any of it."
"Is your memory getting any better when you're him?"
He shook his head. "I think the best way to explain it is that…I'm watching him, but I can't do anything to stop him. I can't move, let alone speak... But there are vague things I remember. Like your hair."
Her lips formed a lopsided smirk. "My hair?"
"I remember this one time during a pants test…Your hair. It struck him." Bruce watched her, admiring the red curls framing her round face. "It's beautiful. You can't blame him," he chuckled.
Natasha left her chair and allowed herself a seat on Bruce's lap. "Next time I'll try to remember to pay him a compliment."
Bruce rested a hand on the small of her back. "He's a terrible listener." Natasha brought her lips close to his and he eagerly initiated a kiss. She rested a hand on his neck that casually buried beneath his robe. Bruce let a soft groan pass his lips. "We're, uh," he paused, momentarily lost for words. "The thing…"
Natasha ran her lips up his jaw. "'Thing?'"
"Condom," he murmured.
"Nightstand," she hummed. "Left some there last night."
Bruce wondered if she left them in plain sight. Tony was bound to have a field day if he ever saw those tiny foil packets…
Natasha smiled and kissed his jaw. "Bedroom?"
He nodded and draped his bathrobe over an arm as they neared his room.
Natasha tossed her shirt aside and kicked off her shorts while Bruce watched from the edge of his bed. She then crawled over to him and tugged at the waistband of his pants.
Obeying her unspoken order, he began removing his pants, his eyes not once leaving Natasha as she peeled off her underwear and sports bra. "You're beautiful," he told her.
She responded with a hungry kiss as she brought her body closer to his.
Bruce's hand blindly searched his nightstand drawer for a condom, conveniently found at the very top of his belongings. He tore open the packet and managed to roll it down his length while Natasha refused to cease kissing the corners of his mouth. "Okay," he breathed, "we're, uh, good to go."
Natasha rolled onto her back and waited with a smile as Bruce crawled over her. She spread her legs to accompany his hips and wrapped her arms around his middle. "Don't strain yourself," she winked.
"I'll try not to," he chuckled. Bruce rubbed his tip against Natasha's core and watched as her smirk morphed into a soft "o" of pleasure. He eased into her with a groan and began a slow pattern of thrusts to become comfortable with her body.
Natasha synched the movement of her hips to match his. She hugged his middle tightly, keeping him close as she felt him bottom out. Her steady breaths quickly turned to gentle moans as her back arched in response to his cock. "Right there," she groaned, keeping her body still as Bruce's length rubbed a particularly sensitive spot.
Dumbfounded, Bruce almost wanted to stop and have her repeat herself. But he continued rolling his hips against hers, admiring her face as she watched him through half-open eyes. Bruce brought his face close to hers and let his thrusts become slower as he kissed her mouth.
Her fingers wound their way into his hair as she deepened the kiss. "Bruce," she moaned against his lips. "Faster…"
His head nestled into the crook of her neck as he fell weak to her request. He quickened his pace and began to feel Natasha's nails dig into his back. "N…Tasha," he groaned, deepening his thrusts.
She cried out as a pressure in her belly flared. "Please don't stop," she breathed. "D-don't."
Her plead sent a shudder up his chest. Bruce pressed his lips to her neck as his hands found her hips. He began to buck harder and a low moan of surprise from Natasha forced him to keep going.
She began clenching around him, her body desperate to sate her incoming orgasm.
He was close, and each thrust was bringing him closer
"D-don't stop!" Natasha repeated, her voice a needy whimper.
Her muscles constricting around his cock was hardly helping him from coming undone. He tried to put all his focus on holding back, but his own body's needs were as difficult to manage as the Hulk.
Natasha's hips slapped against his when she felt her orgasm peak. "Don't come!" She tightened her hold around his middle as the pressure in her gut was teetering on unbearable. "Bruce…"
Her voice was a quiet rasp that had Bruce clenching his jaw. Looking down at Natasha with her tightly shut eyes and mouth hanging open, Bruce wondered if he was looking just as desperate, if not more.
She opened her eyes with a weak grin that quickly turned into her jaw hanging open as her belly seized with the first wave of her orgasm. "Fuck!"
Bruce felt her walls tighten around him, forcing his hips to slow.
Natasha's legs began to tremble as she felt herself release. "Bruce," she moaned.
His body stilled as he began to come. He hissed and was quick to pull out.
She whimpered and watched as Bruce sat up on his haunches with ragged breaths. "You okay?"
He nodded, his fingers slick with Natasha's fluids as he touched his cock. "Fine," he said, catching his breath. "Just need a minute to clean up…"
Natasha sat up with a playful smirk. "I should join you."
Bruce acknowledged her with a sheepish grin.
Natasha followed him to the bathroom, observing as Bruce tossed the condom out and washed his hands. "Are you really okay with this?"
He moved towards the shower to start the water. "I'm fine," he promised, turning to her with a weak smile. "Am I that bad?"
"It's not you," Natasha assured. "You just… don't seem comfortable…finishing…"
He stuck his hand into the shower to make sure the water wasn't too hot. "Just overly cautious. I don't want to infect you…"
Natasha felt a pang of guilt for the doctor. The Hulk affected him in ways that interfered with Bruce Banner's personal life. The two were tethered together, and Natasha wondered how much intimacy forced him to suffer.
"You should be alright," Bruce added. Her silence had left him a tad concerned. "Really, it's just an extra precaution I take."
Natasha drew close to him and felt the shower's steam heat her skin. "We don't have to do the sex bit anymore," she softly promised.
"It's fine," Bruce told her, his gaze meeting hers. "I love it- I honestly do."
She rested a hand against his chest. "But you'll tell me when I cross the line?"
He smiled. "I will."
"I mean it, Bruce." Her fingers clenched into a fist. "I'm in deep with you. Don't let me ruin that."
A goofy grin was quick to form across Bruce's lips. "I won't let you," he gently vowed.