Time • [T.S x reader]

Chapter 12;

A/N: Hi all, really hope you are enjoying this story! This is a little filler chapter with AJ and Bruce <33

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Tony had taken you home that night. As soon as he noticed the press, he immediately swept into action like his superhero self and took you straight to the apartment. He gave you another kiss before he left and then didn't say a word. You had received no texts from him, no calls, no visits and when you decided you weren't going to work the next day because it would be for the best, Tony didn't even make a snarky comment as to why.

It had been two days since the kiss. The press was constantly outside the apartment so you couldn't go anywhere even if you wanted to, and Tony hadn't shown an ounce of care about it. Hurt, was an underestimate to what you were feeling.

"I cannot believe you kissed him!" AJ screamed down the phone. As soon as he saw the pictures circulating on the internet, he just had to get the full gossip, "Were you drunk?"

"We had a few glasses of wine each, so no, I don't think that constitutes to being drunk." You cross your legs in front of you and stare at him through the phone, "He hasn't even spoken to me since."

"I'm sorry what?" AJ seemed outraged, "He just kisses you in public and then cuts all contact."

"Seems that way." You sigh, picking at your nails.

"There is no way. Did you see the way he looked at you?" He replied.

"What? No? What are on about you weren't even there."

"The pictures, Y/N. They aren't just of the kiss but the before and the after." He pauses, "Have you not seen them?"

The truth was that you had not seen the photos. You did not want to be seen as another 'Playboy conquest' because that wasn't you and God forbid what your parents were thinking right now. You had already had a text from your mum commanding, 'You phone me right now!!!'

You hadn't.

"No, AJ I haven't. I don't want to see the articles attached to them."

"They aren't that bad."

You give him a knowing look through the phone.

"Okay fine – some of them are pretty bad but I think the mild ones are only calling you a gold digger."

"Anthony Jackson!" You squeal, laughing down the phone in disbelief.

"Hey, do not use my Sunday name over the phone like that, you know what it does to me." He wiggled his eyebrows through the camera.

"You are unbelievable." You scoff but can't help but smile. Everything seemed normal whilst you were talking to him, almost like he was there with you.

"Do you want to know what is unbelievable?"

"What?" You asked, knowing exactly where this was going.

"That my parents gave me such a white na- "He started but you decided to interrupt him.

"Name when you are in fact, black." You smirked.

"Don't finish my sentences like that, you know it creeps me out!"

"You love it." You smiled.

"I suppose."

You both sat in silence for a while just happy being in one another's company. However, time zones were time zones and he needed to sleep just as you needed to go to work. It was no use staying in your apartment for another day, just for the press to speculate even more.

"Hey AJ, I have to go but we can catch up again soon?"

"Absolutely, I wouldn't miss this gossip for the world." And with that you ended the call with an 'I love you' and a 'Goodbye'.

You managed to sneak by the press to the best of your ability. It did help, in a way, that you only lived next door to the tower, and you knew that once you were in here away from the outside world, you would be okay.

You decided that you weren't going to Tony's lab today. You couldn't stomach to see him after the way he'd basically left you for dead (dramatic but needed), so you made the conscious decision to go to Bruce Banner's lab instead. It was on an entirely different floor to Tony's so no fear of bumping into him, unless he came to see Bruce.

You knocked on the door softly before walking in. You saw Bruce look up at you through his glasses and smile, "Oh hello Y/N, I did not expect to see you here today."

You shuffled in through the door and walked over to sit across from him, "Yes well I just thought it would be nice to spend some time with you."

He smirked, taking his glasses off, "And this isn't about you and Tony?"

"What about me and Tony?" You shook your head rapidly, "There is nothing happening."

"Everyone has seen the photos." Bruce smiled.

"We were drunk!" You exclaim, standing up from the bench you were sat on.

"Were you?" Bruce tilts his head to the side and rests against the near by wall, his arms crossing in front of him.

Deflated you sigh, "No we weren't."

Bruce sighed and smiled softly, "Go speak to him."

And then it that moment everything released from your brain all in one go. 

"I don't want to speak to him! Why should I make any effort if he hasn't even bothered to check in on me in two days Bruce! With press outside of my apartment and the fact that I haven't been in work. Not a text, a call, a note - nothing!" Clearly, you did not realise how badly this had affected you. You thought you may need to get a grip on reality if a man not talking to you for two days was going to shatter you like it had done.

Bruce seeing your distress walked over to you and pulled you into a tight warm hug. Not something you expected from the closed off man, but it is what you needed. Perhaps that's why you had come to Bruce in the first place.

"Most of the time, Tony believes everything he is doing is the best for everyone but most of the time, it's not." Bruce whispers, pulling back from you and holding you at your shoulders.

"I don't know why I'm reacting like this; it was just a stupid kiss." You laugh.

"Go speak to him." Bruce repeats and without rhyme or reason, you nod your head in agreement.