(no subject)

[hulkish]

You're extrapolating pretty wildly from an extremely limited data set. I was on-screen for less than a minute. So you can probably stop watching it now. You're, you're not gonna get anything more out of it.

And—

...I was worried about them too. I, I was there at the end for a reason. Can you keep me around long enough this time to make sure they're okay?

Comments

[desk]

For what it's worth, I am glad he decided to talk to you.

[hulkish]

I think he needed an objective ear. And I— [ smiles wryly. ] I have some experience with suppression.

[desk]

[ Pepper's own smile curves, though it's a softer pitch than his own. ]

I think he needed a friend. [ Well. ] And a lesson in how to pick good moments to talk about it.

[hulkish]

I'm, I'm just returning the favor. He was in my corner when I barely knew him. [ huffs. ] Yeah, I was glad to come, but I wasn't expecting the entire story right off the plane.

[desk]

I would have told him to wait. [ Except, you know. There was that thing in the movie she needed to deal with for a little while.

She hums. ] And between you and me? You're not the only person who's fallen asleep on him.

[hulkish]

And he probably would've ignored you. [ it's okay. he knows what comes with being tony's friend, including the invasions of privacy.

that startles a laugh from him. ] Let's call it a side-effect.

[ there's a pause. bruce doesn't know how to phrase this. ] —Are you. Are you doing alright?

[desk]

[ A visible inhale, a long exhale. Her smile stays; her own exhaustion, after all, isn't made worse by his concern. ]

I'm doing well. You know, there's— a lot of things to do? Rebuilding, managing some PR. I'm getting through.

[ She's still more worried about Tony. ]

[hulkish]

Not my fault you couldn't wait until after I'd recovered from my ten-hour flight.

[ hey, he's way more supportive than that guy. ]

[hulkish]

I don't know how pleased the other passengers would be if I fell asleep one shade and woke up another. [ the chance is slim, but he's not going to risk it. ]

If you wanted to talk so badly, you could've come to India. [ now he's just being mean. ]

[hulkish]

I'm not the one who can rescue a dozen people falling from a plane. [ gives him a look. ] I'll take my chances with sleep dep.

[ he looks away. ] I didn't expect... Pepper told me what you were doing. [ his gaze moves to tony's chest. a terrible privilege. he grimaces, looks away again. ]

[hulkish]

I'm still not sure if he was more interested in catching you or the shiny metal toy falling from the sky. [ bruce is a bad liar.

and he's even worse at this kind of thing. ] I'm glad. Shrapnel's not a great accessory. It's about time you found a way to get it out. I only wish I'd thought of it first.

working in your extremis theory tbh

[hulkish]

[ he's thankful for that. he listens to all of tony's reactions, shifting his weight. the jokes aren't really convincing, but then they were never supposed to be; bruce knows deflection when he sees it. only when tony finally pauses a moment does he answer. ]

That's good, I don't have much to spare. [ his light tone matches tony's; he always makes jokes about the other guy, but tony's the only one who's ever taken the bait. ] But that was a pretty big hole in your chest.

please, you're my favorite, ofc i want to

[hulkish]

[ skeptical look. ] Is that your excuse?

[ the banter is only so distracting. very little separates them, and bruce might've been dozing through most of the story but he retained the important parts. ]

Yeah. So have I. Mostly on dead patients. [ bruce looks him in the eyes. there are a thousand solutions tony could've invented, but a certain feeling of dread bruce has learned never to ignore propels him to ask: ] What, what've you got in your chest, Tony?

ugh SAME

[hulkish]

[ he takes that backhanded compliment in the spirit in which it was given. ]

It's a gift. [ the driest of tones.

he listens to tony's explanation carefully; it all sounds perfect, and bruce knows about perfect. he'd spent more than a decade with the military chasing perfect: the perfect mutation, the perfect vaccination, the perfect soldier. there was no such thing. there were only varying levels of compromise. the most terrifying part was the hulk hadn't been their high water mark; they were perfectly willing to militarize the hulk, if the beast had been able to be cowed. it was a blessing the other guy couldn't be coerced; that or, as bruce was beginning to suspect, the other guy had an animal's instinct about intent. like a wolf smelling fear.

he shakes himself from the tangent and focuses back on tony. no such thing as perfect; when he hears the word enhanced, all his alarms sound at once. ]

Enhanc... [ he catches up mid-word. extremis. his face looks utterly betrayed. ] Tony...

[widowing]

I'd wondered if you were keeping in touch.

[ which can have various definitions, but it's easier in some cases than in others. ]

[hulkish]

Yeah, I—thought it was prudent.

[ it was more than that, but they talk in code most of the time and bruce never knows when it's safe to be honest. ]

Don't you?

[widowing]

I think Stark would prefer it if the relationship remained professional.

[ that's a paranoia they share. ]

But I check in from time to time.

[hulkish]

You check in.

[ his hands make nervous motions in front of him; he digs his thumb into his palm. ]

I was halfway around the world when I saw the clip. [ he doesn't need to specify: tony's ultimatum was all anyone talked about for weeks. ] Where was SHIELD?

[widowing]

[ wouldn't everyone like to know :| ]

I was on the other end of it. [ a beat, because she's not sure why they didn't step in, especially when tony made it personal. she and barton haven't been been made privy to that information yet (and if they don't, it's safe to assume that the only ones who do are fury and hill), but her theory is that the council has something to do with it. ]

I don't think they weren't involved by choice.

[hulkish]

I know Homeland Security. Or. I should say: they're pretty interested in me. [ he smiles humorlessly. ] They aren't a friendly bunch. [ the smile falls away, and he looks her in the eyes. concern lurks in his face. ] I thought maybe you knew something. Tony...

[ but it's all moot now. he dismisses it with a shake of his head. ] Anyway, it's. It's good to hear from you.

[widowing]

They're a particularly persistent group, yes. [ the smile is returned, albeit briefly. she's been sent on assignments to discourage their interest in him more than once. ] Fortunately, they're also easily distracted.

[ her mouth tightens a bit; it'd be a lousy tell if it weren't a deliberate one. it's her own way of speaking in code, a way of telling him her misgivings about SHIELD's lack of involvement and not knowing anything about it. it's gone in the blink of an eye and she nods back to him. ]

From you, too. Have you gotten to play in the labs yet?

[hulkish]

[ if her tells are deliberate, his are obvious. he's never been great at this game, but he tries to play for both their sakes. ]

A little, when I can. [ when it's safe. ] I'm, I'm waiting to take a vacation. [ he shifts his weight forward. ] Tony wants me to stay a while.

[ he doesn't look up at her, though he wants to. ]

[widowing]

[ she appreciates the effort, it's more kindness than she's been known to show him. ]

I can't imagine he'd want to let you go any time soon. [ she watches him, even as he deliberately doesn't look back at her. ] How are they holding up?

[hulkish]

[ a deliberate pause, heavy with all the things he doesn't say. ] Not great.

[ he looks up to catch her watching him. ]

They need us.

[widowing]

[ she holds his gaze for a few moments, eyebrows slightly raised. ]

'Us'.

[hulkish]

Two conditional statements: Tony needs me, and. I need you. Therefore... [ pauses, sheepish but confident. ] Us.

[widowing]

[ things rarely, if ever, take natasha romanoff by surprise anymore, and if they do she never shows it. the only thing that registers on her face is the corners of her mouth curving up a bit higher. after a moment, she nods. ]

I can spare a few days.

[recalibration]

Better than nothing, Doc. Isn't it the thought that counts?

[hulkish]

Nothing's a low precedent to set. Considering the track record, I'd, uh, rather try for something more substantial.

[recalibration]

[ but clint likes aiming low if he can help it. ]

Almost a year, I'd say that's pretty substantial.

[hulkish]

[ his smile is anything but happy. ]

We, we both know it's nothing to do with effort.

[recalibration]

What'd Stark tell you to do? Sometimes you gotta strut, big guy.

[ yup he just called him big guy. not even sorry. ]

[hulkish]

[ bruce has nothing but bemusement for you. ]

As some of the least useful advice I've ever received, I'm, uh, I'm glad you've chosen to reiterate it.

[ it's like tony's bribed the rest of the team or something. ]

[recalibration]

[ clint can make awesome decisions on his own without starks input, tyvm. ]

The word choice could be better, I'll give you that.

[hulkish]

As long as we're on that topic, how'd SHIELD end up phrasing their excuse for not interfering with Tony's problem?

[recalibration]

Might want to ask Homeland Security or the CIA. They're still fighting over who gets credit.

[hulkish]

I'm not the one asking.

[ alright, that's an unfair threat; clint didn't do anything, and he doesn't deserve bruce's anger. he sighs. ]

Sorry, I'm— I wanted to help, but I found out too late.

[recalibration]

I figure you have a better appreciation for red tape, at least.

[ as far as clint sees it, neither of them will be happy with any answer, even if it's the truth. ]

We all did...Stark's not exactly into what we're doing anyway. Can't really help someone who doesn't want it.

[ he's sure to look bruce in the eye for that last part, 'cause you don't fight a war someone and walk away empty handed. ]

[hulkish]

[ bruce's skepticism is nearly palpable. ] That's what they're selling you? Tony's not a team player? You, you might've been gone for most of what happened, but you were there in the City when we fought. You. [ bruce has been fiddling with the glasses in his hand and now he sticks them in a pocket. ] You saw him fall.

[ bruce looks back, his gaze steady. ] He might not ask for help, but I don't see any of us being paragons of emotional stability.

[ex_starks385]

You do realize the whole "them keeping you around" thing entails, uh, staying awake? You gonna be okay there, Nancy Narcolepsy?

[wwii]

Less than a minute, huh? That all you need?

[ hi i'm bucky and i'm a rusty asshole ]

[hulkish]

[ a dry look. ] Physics stresses efficiency.