Staring is Caring: Brutasha

Chapter 3

Tony's POV:

After we eat, Natasha and I sit, talk quietly. I don't know why we seem so nervous, we've known each other for years. At some point, we both end up watching Bruce. His fingers still twitching and his eyes have started to move. It's painful and exciting to see my best friend stuck in bed slowly recovering.

I see Natasha yawn out of the corner of my eye. I check my watch and notice the time.

"It's getting late, or early I should say." I stand. "Pepper is probably waiting for me to get to the tower. I'll be back tomorrow. Call me if anything changes, for the worse or the better."

Natasha nods and watches me exit the room. I turn around to see her take Bruce's hand and set her head beside his chest.

I turn back around and make my way to my car.

"Pepper?" I call.

"Tony? Where have you been? I have called you a million times!" I see her appear around a corner.

"Sorry, I must have left my phone in the lab. I was with Natasha watching Bruce."

I see the anger in her eyes be replaced with sympathy.

Before she can start I say, "I'm fine. He's getting better."

Pep nods and takes my hand. "Let's go to bed."

I nod knowing I need the sleep. "Lead the way."

I wake up around 9:00 am. I look to see Pepper still asleep beside me.

"Peps," I whisper. I gently shake her.

She grumbles and pulls the blanket above her head. I laugh at her grogginess.

She sits up. "Don't laugh! It's the weekend. I can do what I want!"

I laugh a little harder. She slaps my arm and pouts.

"I'm sorry, Pep."

"Sure." She stands and puts her hair in a ponytail.

"What'd ya like for breakfast?" I ask.

"Anything but yogurt. I've been surviving off the stuff all week."

I nod. "Consider it done." I make my way to the kitchen to prepare an omelet.

As I'm dumping the omelet onto her plate, I hear Jarvis's voice come out of the walls.

"Mr. Stark, Miss. Romanoff is calling. Should I answer?"

"Put her through," I say as I call Pepper for breakfast.

Pepper walks in as Natasha's voice rings through.

"Tony, you there?"

"Morning, Natasha. Pepper is here too," I mention.

"Hey!" Pepper calls.

"Hi, Pepper. Tony, I know you are a distance away, and I can hear silverware. So if you're busy then you can stay for a little bit, but you need to be here."

"Stop beating around the bush, what's going on? Is everything okay?" My voice grows when I realize who else is in the tower. "Is Bruce okay?!"

"That's why I'm calling. Tony, Bruce is supposed to wake up soon."

Pepper stops eating and looks up at me. I'm staring back at her. Natasha is silent for a few seconds.

"Tony?" She asks.

"I'm here."

Pepper mouths, "Go."

"I'm on my way, Natasha. I'll be there in 15 minutes."

"Alright, hurry. I'll call if something changes."

She hangs up. I hear Jarvis start to speak.

"Sir, if Dr. Banner is waking today, would you like to stay at the Facility? I can order someone to help pack."

"That's alright, Jarvis. If I do stay, I have clothes there."

I rush out of the tower and into my car. Typically it's a 30-45 minute drive, but traffic can't stop me from getting there on time.

Natasha's POV:

Nurses are walking in and out more frequently. Bruce is now sitting up and quietly mumbling unintelligibly. He is going to wake up. Bruce is going to wake up. Last night I couldn't sleep. I decided it would be nice to play some of Bruce's personal favorites he used to calm down after the Big Guy made an appearance. I put on some classical music in hopes of calming myself down, but, as the doctor said, a combination of me and the music rattled his brain enough to jumpstart it. So now Bruce is waking up in 20 minutes.

My hand is still clinging to Bruce's. The color in his face has almost completely returned. I wonder if it will ever look the same. I'm simultaneously tapping my foot. What if he doesn't remember anything? What if he doesn't remember anyone? What if he doesn't remember me?"

"Natasha?!" Tony bursts through the door holding the soup from last night. "He'll need some liquids to help his vocal cords."

All I can do is barely nod. A question bursts out. "He'll remember us, right?"

I curse myself for showing so much emotion in one question. That's not how I was made or taught to do.

Tony looks at me stunned. "Yeah! Bruce isn't capable of being that rude."

I smile, "Thanks."

He nods and takes a seat next to me. He places one of his hands on my shoulder. I lean into it patiently waiting.

Bruce's movements startle me.

I feel tears form in my eyes when I hear his voice break saying, "Natasha."

He tries to straighten his back.

"Bruce, don't. Stay still. Tony has some soup from the shawarma place for you. Drink it and some water before you say anything else." He tries to move again."Bruce!"

His brown eyes look into mine for the first time in too long.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled."

He smiles weakly and straightens his back against my wishes.

"Hey, buddy. How are you? Actually, don't answer. Natasha'll kill us both for asking and talking."

Bruce moves his right hand from under the bed and gives him a weak thumbs up accompanied by a weak smile.

"Where are my glasses?" He looks at me. His voice is full of pain. It's hoarse and cracks.

I wince before reaching over to his bedside table. I snatch the glasses and carefully rest them on his nose.

"Thank you," he comments. "You look beautiful." Bruce squeezes my hand letting me know this isn't a dream.

"Well, I'll just leave the soup and go. I'm already invisible." Tony scoffs accusingly. Is gaping mouth curves into a smile.

Bruce replies with an eye roll. "I'll take the soup though."

Tony hands me the soup plus a spoon. I cringe when I realize Bruce is still too weak to feed himself. I take the soup and begin to spoon feed it all to Bruce. A few dribbles escape the spoon or his mouth. I smile or laugh as Bruce's face brightens.

I'm happy he's back. We all are.

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Oof. I'm sorry if this is cringy. I'm also sorry this took so long. I probably won't post in a month or so due to my school's interim and spring break. I'll be out of town for two or three weeks. I'm sorry in advance, but I'll make sure the next part is better. More fluff. I mean Bruce has got to get better somehow, right? I mean Tony is with Pepper. Also, I'm going to switch to Bruce and Natasha's POV. Tony'll occasionally show up, but not as often. Same with Pepper and the other Avengers/friends. Anyways, thanks for stickin' with me!