Isolating a Variable

chapters 1-5

By MCUsic_to_my_ears on archiveofourown.org

This is not my story all credits go to MCUsic_to_my_ears ..i just wanna save it causes its not letting me save on the other website

Chapter 1

"Sir," Tony shot up from the bed, his breath hitching as he heard a note of urgency in his AI's voice, even if he was just imagining it at this late hour. "Dr. Banner's heart rate has just reached 100 and shows no signs of slowing down, nor does it seem Dr. Banner is aware" JARVIS explained, his pace a bit faster than normal, although Tony was likely the only one who could notice if he weren't alone in the tower with his favorite nuclear physicist. "What's happening J?" the engineer asked. There was a pause from the AI, "Dr. Banner appears to be having a nightmare." Tony was already out of his bed and slamming into the elevator. "You think this is going to turn into a code green?" he asked as the elevator sped him down several floors. "I cannot tell, sir." It was different from the AI's usual 'Unknown, sir,' and it made Tony anxious. He had been working very hard to get his friend comfortable in his tower. He'd already stopped him from running away to some third world country twice, and the engineer knew that if Bruce Hulked out tonight, there was no stopping him from leaving. Tony shook the thought out of his head as JARVIS informed him, "Dr. Banner has woken up, but his heart rate is exceedingly high. He appears to be moving to his safe room, sir."

"Thanks J," Tony ran his hands over his face, trying to figure out how to best help his friend as the elevator doors shot open. "Hey, Bruce," Tony moved slowly, not wanting to startle the physicist. He tried to make his noises obvious, but he didn't want them to sound menacing at the same time. "It's me, Tony, Bruce," he took a shuddering breath as he drifted down the hall. "JARVIS said you weren't feeling so hot." Fearful, panicked noises traveled into Tony's ears. "Hey, big man, it's okay. It's just us, we've got the whole tower to ourselves, we're safe. You in the other room yet?" he asked, trying to locate his friend. His own heart rate was trembling, not from fear of the Hulk, but rather the fear of losing his friend, either to the Hulk or to the remote edges of the earth. A noise of anxiety flashed through the floor and a door rattled, giving Tony his answer. No, no, Bruce was too far gone to have any real fine motor skills, which explained the rough noises forcing their way out of his throat. Bruce didn't have much control right now, if any. Tony could practically see the green warning flashing in his eyes in the ink black hallway. "Okay, big man, let's breathe together. In two, three, four, hold two, out two, three, four, five, six," he continued the pattern until Bruce was finally in his line of sight. Tony forced all the emotion out of his taut face and tried to breathe himself. He hunched down, trying to make himself as little of a threat as possible. He's read Bruce's file and from the dozens of traumatizing events that Bruce could've, and head every right to have, had a nightmare about, he had a feeling he knew which one. "Hey there Brucie, it's still just me, Tony. You hearing me all right over there?" There was no response, but Tony couldn't let that phase him, slowly, he moved forward. Bruce flinched, his fingers digging into his forearms as he shook, causing Tony to halt. He never wanted anyone to feel this way, he felt his heart aching at the thought of his friend being this scared, this broken. So he stopped, lowering himself to the floor, JARVIS slowly bringing up the lights. Tony's voice softened even further, something he hadn't thought possible. "It's alright, big man. I'll stay over here. It's okay, Can you talk to me, Bruce?"

A shuddered breath filled the room, so much control in the scared man's mind was being overridden and he forced himself to shake his head. Tony let out a sigh of relief, knowing that his friend could at the very least hear him, "That's okay, big man, that's okay. It's going to be fine. Everyone's safe, it's just you and me. We're going to be fine, okay?" The doctor shook his head again, trying to breathe, trying to keep his head above water, but even as those words were the exact opposite of what he expected, what he thought he deserved to hear, he still didn't trust himself enough to let his friend near him. "Aw, don't give me that Brucie, I just want to help, big man. I'm just here to help, we're going to be just fine, got it?" This time, he didn't wait for a response, knowing what he was going to get. "Can I come over to let you into your room, big man?" he asked, hoping that would let him bypass Bruce's misplaced protection. Finally, the physicist nodded, Tony breathed once more, before slowly bringing himself onto this feet, still crouching, he moved slowly to his friend's side. For Bruce's part, he had scrambled away from the door as quickly as possible, his nails digging into his palms now as he tried to maintain control out in the open. I'm exposed, like a nerve. It's a nightmare. Tony tried to push that memory of Bruce's written off sorrow out of his head for the time being, like he had been for a while now. He wanted to confront Bruce about his low points, about getting help, about his God damned file. But the engineer was so scared that his friend would run, that he'd lose him. Bruce was shaking, which Tony hadn't paid much attention before in the dark hallway, but now saw the fear trembling through his shoulders, but it wasn't isolated, it was ripping through him along with the first tinges of green of the Hulk. His fingertips weren't that color normally, to say the least. The man's breathing was ragged, trying to follow some pattern Tony didn't know, and his knees were pushed up against his forehead. He was trying to so damn hard to keep it together, but Tony knew that nightmare wasn't like the others, this panic was new, recharged.