Staring is Caring: Brutasha

Chapter 1

Natasha's POV:

"I remember being surrounded by rubble and seeing blood everywhere," I pause and raise my head. "My arm was broken and I had suffered from a minor concussion."

Nick Fury sits across from me listening intently.

"Next thing I know I am in the Avenger's Facility medbay hooked up to an IV."

"Are you positive you don't remember anything, Agent Romanoff?"

"No," I reply somewhat passive aggressively.

Fury sighs. "Romanoff, listen, we know what happened and we're sorry. I'm sorry, but there is nothing we could have done."

I stand and head for the door. "He shouldn't have even been there."

I take Bruce's still hand.

We had just decided we were going to leave with Clint when the explosion occurred. Before the explosion, I had called Bruce that I wasn't going to be able to make our dinner. He somehow understood and reassured me we could reschedule. Later that night, I heard a knock at the apartment I was working out of. Bruce was there, carrying a bag full of takeout. I smiled and let him in knowing he wouldn't leave until the food was gone. Just a few minutes later, when we were unpacking the Chinese food, the building started to collapse. I saw Bruce turn to me, and before I was able to react, he was pulling me towards the door frame. I knew what he was doing. Bruce knew that all door frames have been built to support heavy weights making them the safest place to be. I allowed him to let me go ahead of him. Before I know it, Bruce is on the floor under a beam while I was safe. Next thing I know, there is a pool of blood around Bruce and a throbbing pain in my arm.

I wake up from my haze and watch the rise and fall of Bruce's chest as he sleeps in the medbay of the Avenger's Facility.

Tony's POV:

I walk out of the conference room and let Natasha know it is her turn to be debriefed by Fury.

She seems shaken and sleep deprived, but we all are. I take my phone out of my pocket and call Pepper.

"Hey honey, I'm going to be at the lab for a while."

"Don't be too Long, Tony." I hear her voice being carried from her mouth to my ear.

"Okay. I'll meet you at the Tower as soon as I can."

"Goodnight, Tony."

"Night, Pepper."

She hangs up, and I make my way to the lab.

Images of cities destroyed and emptied appear in front of my eyes. I select a certain building I have been staring at for a few days now. Sometimes I think that I can see Bruce's purple sleeves sticking out through the piles of rubble.

The building collapsed due to the aftermath of defeating Thanos. A few of his followers killed themselves to destroy communities and kill as many people as they could. Unfortunately, the succeeded.

I close the file and watch the images pop out of sight and off the screens.

I look over the corner of the room only to be met with a flood of emotion. I spot Bruce's lab coat which is resting on a chair. The day the building came down on him, he had been ecstatic. He had a date with Natasha and was going to talk to her about leaving the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. behind.

We were all happy for them.

Natasha's POV:

I wake up with a crick in my neck. I'm still in the medbay holding onto Bruce's hand. I run my finger across his palm. I squeeze my eyes together creating a crease in my forehead. Bruce's hand is oddly war. I look up to his face to see drops of sweat dripping down his face.