the monster within → b . banner

[26] Another Date

The next morning, I had brought breakfast to my father, who was already showered and dressed. I set the tray down on the bed and shook my head to scold him.

"Dad, you should rest. Yesterday was a very trying day for you. I'd hate to see you break down again." I said with a sigh. He sat down on the bed, took his tray, and began eating slowly, not breaking eye contact with me. 

"Princess, I realized how hard these past few days have been, so last night, Dr. Banner and I set up a nice day for the two of you. I'll stay here with Marie, and you two go out and have a calm day." My dad said.

"Dad, you don't have to. Really, it's okay." I said, but he shook his head. 

"It's already been set up. No turning back now. Trust me, you'll have fun." He said, that twinkle back in his eye. I smiled a little and left the room with the empty tray. I carried it to the kitchen, brushed it off into the garbage, and set it down on the counter. I turned on the sink, stuck the tray in the basin, and felt arms wrap around my waist. I smiled as a pair of lips made contact with the back of my neck.

"Good morning to you as well." I laughed, turning to see Bruce. He was in his usual purple shirt and kinda dress pants, meanwhile I'm in a blue t-shirt, denim shorts that rip at the pockets, and sandals. It got very warm out the past few days, thank god.

"Did you're dad tell you? Sorry I went behind your back a bit." Bruce said shyly.

"Eh, don't worry. Maybe he's right. And besides, it's a nice gesture." I said with a smile. Bruce smiled back and reached around me turn off the sink. He pulled me away from the kitchen and into the living room. From the top of the stairs, my dad waved for us to leave, and so we did.

___________________________

Bruce and I walked hand in hand into Central Park. It was such a beautiful day out, and the breeze felt so perfect. A lot of debris had been cleared away, but there was still a lot to be done. We walked over to the pond and sat down together. We sat by the water's edge, and I slipped off my sandals to dip my feet in the water. Bruce smiled at me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders to hold me closer. I rested my head on his shoulder as the sun shone on us. 

"You're beautiful, you know that?" Bruce whispered, kissing my cheek.

"You make sure to tell me everyday." I said with a smile.

"I know, but I really mean it. Every time, I mean it. I love you, Cynthia." He said, and I turned to face him.

"I love you too Bruce." I said, before leaning over and kissing him softly on the lips. He brought his hand up to my cheek, brushed my hair away, and lay his hand on my cheek. I pulled my feet from the water and brought them in close as I set a hand on his shoulder. We pulled away from each other, and he pressed his forehead against mine. We were both breathing heavily, and Bruce baked up a bit.

"Do you know what you're getting into? By joining S.H.I.E.L.D." He whispered.

"I do. But, I'll try harder than my dad did to get home and spend time at home with you and Marie." I replied, looking out at the water.

"It's harder than that, Cynthia. It's so much more than that. You saw what they do, what they can do, what kinds of power they have. It's dangerous." He said, gripping my arms gently.

"What's life without a little danger? We've faced so much worse, Bruce. Everything will be fine, I promise. Things will be different this time." I said, smiling a little.

"Okay, I just don't want to lose you." Bruce looked me in the eye before kissing me again.

__________________________

We walked home after a long day, and Bruce held me closer than ever during the entire walk. I feared that if I did join S.H.I.E.L.D, our relationship would turn into that of my parents, and I wouldn't see Marie as often. I needed to get Fury to realize that, and hopefully, he would. But, I had no hope for that whatsoever. I'll need to work harder than ever to make sure I have time for everyone in my family, no matter what. Fury won't keep me away, that's certain. 

"What do you say to a movie tonight? Just the two of us." Bruce said out of the blue.

"That sounds great. At home, right?" I asked.

"Yea, I'm getting tired, and I just want to collapse." He chuckled. I laughed as he pretended to go limp against me, and I had to use all of my strength to support him.

"Man! I'm tiny, and you're doing this to me!" I laughed.

"You aren't tiny, you're fun sized." He said, standing upright and catching me as I toppled over.

"Thanks for that." I said, blowing my hair out of my face. We made it home, and when I opened the door, the living room looked like a war zone. My dad was laughing, and I could hear Marie giggling from the kitchen. I put my finger up to my lips and turned to Bruce before tiptoeing towards the kitchen.

"I never thought I'd be a grandfather this early. But, I'm glad you decided to stay with my Princess." My father said, making Marie smile. I watched as she blew bubbles in her drink, most likely chocolate milk, and my dad smiled. He looked up, saw me, and stood.

"Welcome back Princess. Have fun?" He asked, walking over and hugging me.

"Yupers Dad. It sure was great." I said, hugging him back. Bruce came into the room. and Marie jumped out of her seat and ran to him.

"Daddy! Daddy! I had so much fun today. Pop Pop should watch me more often!" She giggled as Bruce scooped her up and spun her around. I smiled at the sudden warmth of happines that had filled the air. Two fathers, two daughters, and one very crazy family.