Invisible To You (A Bruce Banner Love Story)

Chapter Thirty Two - Cracked Ribs and Broken Hearts

I look back up at Bruce, seeing the apparent horror on his face. "Would you believe it, I... got hit by a car leaving the tower." I say with a light laugh.

"Rose." He says quietly.

"Would you believe... I fell out of a tree?" I ask innocently.

"Rose."

"Stubbed my toes and accidentally fell down the stairs?" I offer. He turns to the chairs in the lobby, slowly sitting down and putting his face in his hands. "Bruce..." I put my hand on his shoulder, but he flinches away. I look down at him, hurt.

"I hurt you, and you didn't tell me. You said I didn't hurt anyone!" He exclaims. "You lied to me."

"No, I didn't." I say harshly, surprising him. "How many times do I have to say it for you to get it through your head!" I exclaim. "You and the Hulk are not the same person!"

"But we are, don't you get it?" He yells right back at me, startling me. "We are one and the same, same body, same mind!"

"No, you aren't!" I'm almost screaming. "You may share a body, but not a mind! I can see that!" I tap his forehead. "I've seen in there! And what I see is two very different people stuck in one body!"

"He's not a person, he's a monster! I'm a mon-"

"Don't you dare say it." I hiss, cutting him off. "You are not a monster. After what I've seen tonight, after everything I've ever done with you, I should know!" I yell. I was really glad now that it was after hours, and there was no one in the lobby. "We've had this conversation before! Do you not remember the cab? Hm? Because that ended pretty well, so why are you arguing this again?!"

"Because I hurt you." He says.

"No you... ARGH." I stomp my foot in frustration. "We don't even need to be talking about this! What the Hulk did to me was an accident anyway!" He pauses, blinking in confusion.

"What?" He asks, and I sigh.

"He didn't even know that I was in the room." I say. "I came in behind him, and while he was turning, one of his hands hit me and threw me against the wall. He didn't notice me until I grabbed his attention." I lick my lips and turn. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. I knew what you would think, and Bruce, I'm fine. Besides, I didn't want to miss tonight."

"But you hurt yourself more. Walking around like that, laughing, It.... It isn't letting you heal. How much pain were you in tonight? That's what I can't imagine." He says. I look out the window, biting my lip and hating myself for what I was about to say.

"Look, when are you going to accept the fact that I don't care?" I ask, looking him in the eyes. "I don't care about the Hulk, and I've accepted the fact that you and him share a body. The only thing that is making me mad right now is the fact that you can't! Why can't you just see that you aren't a monster?" He opens his mouth, but I cut him off. "Because until you accept it, I can't do this." His face goes blank.

"You... what?"

"I had so much fun tonight, the best date of my life." I say. "But I can't, I won't keep repeating this. Not this conversation, this argument. I know who you are, and I still like you. Sometimes what feels like to much to be true. So why can't you just accept yourself? The Hulk?" I sigh. "Because until you do, I'm done. I'm sorry. I just can't" I swallow, before leaning forward and pecking him on the cheek. "I really, really like you Bruce. Please remember that."

I hesitate, but turn towards the elevator, quietly clicking the up button. I step into the elevator, and as the doors start to close, I look back up to see Bruce watching me with sad eyes. I blink before turning away, my chest aching. Not from my ribs this time, though those were still on fire, but my heart was emitting a painful throb with each beat. Either I had a heart murmur, or I liked Bruce more than I thought.

"Miss Rose, I was told to inform you that Director Fury and Agent Hill Are waiting for you upstairs." My eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"Why?" I ask quietly.

"I was not allowed that information." Jarvis says. "Miss Rose, If I may, I would like to delay the elevator. Do you still prefer it that Mr Stark not know you've been crying like the procedure in Malibu?"

"Jarvis, I haven't been..." I catch sight of myself in the mirrors in the elevator. My makeup was smudged , and my eyes were red. "Yes please." I whisper. The elevator stalls, and I take a Kleenex out of my purse, dabbing my eyes and fixing the makeup. When I was sure that I looked somewhat normal, I let Jarvis start the elevator again.

"Hey Director Patchy, what's shaking?" I ask, strolling out of the elevator, trying to act casual. He glares at me with his one eye, but I see Hill hide a smile.

"Miss Saunders." He says in his normally cool voice.

"Yes?" I get another slight glare. "Sorry."

"May I ask why you are back at the tower so late?" He asks.

"Please tell me you didn't come all the way to the tower to see if I broke some imaginary curfew I don't have. Because, it's only nine thirty." I say.

"Just answer the question." Fury says exasperatedly.

"I was showing Doctor Banner around New York." I say simply. Nat looks up at me from where she's sitting, as if to ask 'did it go that badly?' I'd explain later. Fury raises an eyebrow. "What? The last time he was here, he was busy taking down that abomination thing. Didn't really have time to look at the sights." Fury looks at me like he doesn't believe me. "Now, what exactly did you come to see me?"

"SHIELD needs you to come in and interrogate Mr Carson." They what? I hear the elevator ding behind me, but I ignore it.

"You want me to interrogate Bryant?!" I exclaim, horrified. I was getting more upset by the second. "No. I am not going near him." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Bruce walk towards Tony on the couch.

"Miss Saunders, we need him to admit that he stalked you in some form. We cannot hold him forever on a breaking and entering charge." He says. Was he kidding?

"He held a knife to Em's throat! Took bother her and Lil off of the street!" I exclaim.

"No witnesses." Hill says.

"There are camera's, aren't there?" I ask.

"They didn't catch anything. Even with that, the most he will get will be a few years in a jail cell." I groan and lean on the back of Nat's chair, putting my face in my hands. "Miss Saunders, we need you to do this if you want to keep him in a cell."

"Fury, he knows how to push all the right buttons. More likely than not, I'll end up punching him and getting in trouble." I explain.

"Miss Saunders, just try." I sigh, about to agree when a thought strikes me.

"You searched his house and hotel room after arresting him, right?" I ask. Fury nods. "Why can't you just use his laptop as evidence? He kept all of what he considered, 'most important' on there." Fury and Hill look at each other before Hill talks again.

"We never found a laptop." Hill says cautiously. I stand up straighter, looking at them.

"You had to have." I say. "He treated that thing like it was a crown jewel! He wouldn't part with that if his life depended on it. I breathed on it wrong once and went home with a dislocated shoulder."

"You told me that happened because-"

"I lied Tony!" I exclaim. "I lied a lot about injuries I got. You probably thought I was accident prone." Tony gets a hurt look. "Tony, I... sorry." I mutter. I swallow the lump in my throat and turn back to Fury.

"I'll do it, but do me a favor and try to find that laptop. We wouldn't need a confession then, trust me." He nods once, and I see Hill grab her phone, beginning to type. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go to bed. I'm not sure how much more I can deal with tonight." My voice cracks at the end, but I'm already heading for my room. I just wanted tonight to be over.