Evermore

Chapter 29 - Bruce's POV

Bruce was heartbroken as he watched her leave from the view in his room. He couldn't stop his tears and he didn't want to.

He knew the day he met Natasha that he was attracted to her, but that turned into more very quickly. He knew that he was falling for her the night he told he about the rose, but he realized that he was in love before the night of Tony's party.

He cared less and less about breaking the curse since Natasha arrived, he just wanted to spend time with her. But when a petal fell, it was just a reminder that time was running out and the Hulk would take over.

Bruce didn't mean to fall in love with her, it just happened. He knew this time it was different when all it took was Natasha's presence to make him smile. Bruce was more open towards her, calmer and happier. She understood him in a way that no one ever had. She was everything he ever wanted.

She was stubborn, determined and protective. Her fighting skills were impressive and she was the strongest woman he knew. He could talk to her for hours and never get bored. Her smile was radiant, and she was just as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. The love she had for her family and the way she treated his friends told him what a big heart she had.

The night of the party, he nearly told her that he loved her, but decided against it. He knew that it wouldn't have been fair to either one of them and he didn't think it was fair to be selfish while she wanted to go home.

He knew that he would never love anyone as much as he loved Natasha Romanoff. But she didn't love him, and that was okay.

He wanted her to be happy, but he knew that she wasn't while she was trapped in the snow globe where time stood still. He tried to help her by being her friend. The truth was, he needed a friend too, but that friendship turned into more on his side quicker than he imagined.

When Bruce closed his eyes and rubbed his face, all he saw was Natasha. Would Hulk ever see her face?

The scientist let his mind wander and think of Natasha coming back, of being with her, of a life he never imagined he'd have until she came into it.

His mind drifted to the kiss before she left. He knew it was a risk, but his heart overtook his mind. She kissed him back, but he didn't know what it meant to her. He had seen her put her walls up around him. There were times when she was easy to read and others when she wasn't.

The truth is, he had no idea how she felt about him. All he knew was that he wanted her to be happy.

As much as it pained to think about, he wanted nothing more than for Natasha to meet someone who loved her the way he did, if not more. Someone who she could love and trust her heart with. She deserved all of that and more.

Bruce tore his gaze from outside to look at the rose that was weltering. Only a few petals remained. Time was almost up.

He wanted to be proud of himself for everything he's overcome, but it was difficult when his heart was broken into a million pieces.

Bruce turned his head when Tony came in, metal suit now discarded, and nodded, letting him know that she was safe.

Looking at his best friend, Bruce couldn't help but feel guilty for not being able to save him and his family.

"Tony, I'm so sorry."

"We'll be okay. She made you happy right?"

He nodded and said, "Yeah. Happier than I've ever been."

"I know you loved her. Don't worry about us."

Tony was the only one who knew how Bruce truly felt about Natasha. He would often have to stop the engineer from playing matchmaker while she was staying. He didn't see the point of trying, but his friend did.

"Can you get everyone up here?"

"Yeah," Tony said, then came back moments later with everyone else.

Bruce couldn't keep the emotion out of his voice as he addressed the people he called his family, "I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you all, but I want you to know that I really do love her."

Morgan ran from her parents to him, and he picked her up and hugged her.

"Don't cry Uncle Bruce."

He sniffed, trying to be strong for his goddaughter. When he made eye contact with everyone else, he could tell that they didn't blame him for their fate, whatever it might be.

He kissed Morgan's head and handed her to Pepper.

"Our time is almost up," he whispered to the group. 

Note: The remaining chapters will be back in Natasha's point of view. I wanted to give a glimpse into Bruce's mind.