What's Left Behind

Nightmares and Day Trips

Four months into communal living, Bruce really started to appreciate his team.

This happened because of a nightmare. Not that Bruce Banner was a stranger to nightmares- Rather, they were more common place in his life than normal, restful dreams. Usually he would simply wake with a jerk and silently roll over and drift back to sleep, but on some rare occasions his nightmares were far worse; he'd woke up to find his pillow ripped in half or something near the bed shattered.

He'd never turned into the Hulk due to one, and sometimes he wondered if that was part of the curse, that all the nightmares and fears that came with being the Hulk stayed his alone.

These nightmares had been a constant source of anxiety when he and Belle had been on the run, sleeping in cars or even on the street a couple times. Those were the worst nights; the nights he knew he really had no way to protect his child from the world or her own father. Isabelle knew about her father's bad dreams, and even as a tiny child had always tried to help any way should could. Shaking him awake, bringing him water, or even just sitting and hugging her father tight until the tears and shaking stopped. Sometimes it scared him to think where he'd be without her.

In the Avenger's tower, he at least knew she was safe, regardless of how bad a nightmare might get.

It became abundantly clear just how safe Belle was, however, when a particularly bad one hit.

In his dream, he was just an eight year old boy again, watching his father kill his mother, unable to help. It had been her birthday, and true to the anniversary every year, he relived her death. He screamed, cried, and tried to fight back in the dream, but nothing could ever change what had happened.

But rather than being gently shook awake from his screams and terror by Isabelle, Bruce opened his eyes to find Tony had him firmly by the shoulders, shaking him back to reality. Steve Rogers, who had moved in recently, was also in the room, pajama clad and obviously concerned. Bruce jerked away from Tony and scooted himself against his headboard, still groggy and disoriented.

"Wha's goin' on?" Bruce mumbled, rubbing his face with his hands. Tony sat on the edge of Bruce's bed and clicked on the lamp.

"You were screaming and crying. It made JARVIS concerned enough to alert us." Tony explained. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah." Bruce said, his face and ears flushing with embarrassment.

"Are you sure, Dr. Banner?" Steve ask from his perch in the corner. Bruce looked over to the super solider and then back to Tony.

"I really didn't mean to wake everyone up. It was just a nightmare." Bruce said, placing one hand over his eyes and taking a deep breath. "I know it may be hard to believe, but they're not dangerous. I've never transformed because of one, I promise I'm not going to break the tower or hurt you guys."

"We weren't worried about us, Bruce." Tony scolded. "We were worried about you. And Isabelle."

"Oh fuck-" Bruce groaned. "If I woke you two up, she's definitely awake..." Bruce swung his feet over the side of the bed and made to stand up, but Tony gently sat him back down.

"She was already trying to wake you up when I we got here. She said you'd been fighting in your sleep for a while and she couldn't get you to wake up. She was pretty upset." Tony explained. "Natasha took her back to her apartment."

"Damn it." Bruce cursed, his face twisting in anger and pain at himself.

"Hey, shhh." Tony soothed, sitting right beside Bruce and wrapping one arm around him. "She's with Natasha, she's perfectly safe. It's okay. She wasn't hurt, just scared that she couldn't get you to wake up."