"Bruce?" Tony's voice called out. It was two in the morning and their respective significant others had gone home. It was important that Bruce get proper sleep for his mental health, but they had a mutual understanding when it came to "bad nights". Bruce groaned and half sat up,
"Nightmare?" Tony didn't answer, but Bruce just sat up completely and motioned him forward. He adjusted his body and laid down, hugging Tony close. He could feel Tony begin to shudder and bury his head in the crook of Bruce's neck. When Bruce woke up, they were in the same position and his neck was wet like Tony had been crying. Of course, this worried Bruce because even after his worst nightmares he'd never cried. Bruce jostled Tony a bit to wake him, "Tony?"
Tony sniffed and took a while to answer. When he did, he was so clear that it was as if he had been awake the whole time, "I don't want to go to class."
"Have you been up this whole time?" Tony simply nodded and Bruce sighed, "Okay. We'll have to reconfigure what tea and herb combination to use."
"Will you stay with me?" Bruce couldn't correct him just yet, he was too out of it. There was no class that day, but they did have something to do. It was only plans with their friends, but for the most part, they'd understand. Bucky, Steve's friend, was nice and always went with the flow. Thor just understood. Clint and Natasha would probably be worried about the fact that they both couldn't come. But Steve? Steve would be annoyed and angry as usual he'd probably make some comment about how Tony always cancels and thinks that he can do whatever he pleased, dragging Bruce with him.
"Of course. I'll text Nat."
*Hey Nat. We're not coming today.*- Bruce
*What's going on?*-Natasha
*Tony's having a rough day.*-Bruce
*Don't tell Clint.*
*Is this about yesterday?*-Natasha
*He's not in a way to say. But I don't think so. He's... IDK.*
*I have to go. Bye.*-Bruce
*See you later*-Natasha
Back with Natasha, she locked her phone and shoved it in her back pocket,
"They're not coming today."
"What? Why?" Clint asked, "He was fine yesterday. We talked about it."
"I don't think it's about that. Bruce didn't say." Natasha replied as she walked into the café, "Hey. So, Bruce and Tony can't come today."
"Of course not." Steve snapped.
"Steve." Buck scolded because not only did he like going with the flow, he understood Tony. You see, Bucky originally hadn't wanted to go to college. He wanted to join the army, and he did. Then after less than a year, he was honorably discharged, missing an arm. While he wasn't overseas for that long, he did have dreams about what he saw. And he witnessed PTSD another soldier. So he noticed when Tony became uneasy, and when he was beginning to have a panic attack and either Bruce, Clint or Natasha ushered him away.
"What? He cancels all the time! It's annoying."
"No, he doesn't and you know it."
"Why are you defending him?"
Bruce had finally convinced Tony to get out of bed and eat when he mumbled,
"Jarvis died."
"Oh, Tony." Bruce knew better than to ask if that was why he was upset. Tony hated that.
"I had a nightmare before I woke up and got the call. I remembered... stuff."
"Howard stuff." Tony nodded,
"He... I think he used me in the first trials of his experiment. I... for the past couple days I've been having fuzzy dreams about me going into the machine and being injected with what I suppose is the serum. Then they gave me stuff to forget."
"Do you think that's why you were sick a lot as a kid? Side effects?" Rather than answer, Tony brought up a new problem,
"What if... what if Clint becomes... Justin?"