SHIELD [Book 1 of Alex & Allie Save The World]

Chapter 17 Too Close

III A Week Before The Metropolis Attack III

"Thanks for driving me Bruce," Allison Gray groans, her entire body slumped against the side of the car. The world is spinning and her legs shaking and fuck does she despise side effects.

"No problem." Bruce glances over to her and feels a tug in his chest as he watches her attempt to right herself enough to get out of the car. After a moment she inhales deeply and blinks a few times before popping open the door and shakily stepping out. Being all too used to this feeling Allie holds her head up as she wobbles towards the grandiose steps in front of her front door. Bruce can't stand to watch, he throws open his door and surges forward to assist her. Allie jolts as he wraps his arms around her waist and holds her up. Allie looks up at him and loses her breath even more than before.

Bruce is close, too close, and smiling too sincerely. His eyes land on her in such blind adoration, as if she is some celestial being.

Allison Gray sees the way he looks and every time it knocks the breath out of her and sends her stumbling into a nervous wreck. Every time she dares to feel special and cared for the reality of Bruce Wayne crashes down and leaves her feeling stupid.

She has grown to resent that smile.

"Can you not stand so close to me?" she snaps and Bruce steps back in surprise. He's never seen her so angry before. "And for that matter stop smiling at me like I'm the goddamn moon."

"Why?" is all he can manage and she huffs, leaning heavily on the railing.

"Because I can't fucking focus when you do that, I can barely breathe," she hisses and clenches her hands down on the metal. "It makes me so shaky and flushed and I know you know the effect it has so you have to stop. All this flirting has to stop before I get my heart broken."

"Allie I-"

"Bruce Wayne I will not be one of your hasty trysts," Allie adds. "I have no judgment for the girls you sleep with because sex is fun and I am no slut shamer but I am not one of those girls. I will not be a warm body you can have for one night to try and make you forget the void in your soul."

Bruce stands, gaping at her, but Allie can't stop now. She has a lot to say and she feels very shitty right now so fuck it, she's gonna say everything.

"I'm not oblivious. I know you flirt with me as a game because I've held out against your advances this long but I can't be a game to you," Allie rambles on, stumbling into honesty. "It's real for me and I need to protect myself so you need to not stand so close to me." Her final words are harsh and stern, as well as punctuated by her sharply turning and scrambling up the steps and into her home.

Bruce watches her go, regret churning in his stomach. He ruined everything.

III

"It killed me to know I had made you that upset and I wanted so badly to tell you that you had it all wrong and profess my genuine affections but I couldn't. I couldn't because I was afraid you were right, that I was going to use you and hurt you and throw you out when I realized you couldn't fill the emptiness in my life," he explains bitterly. "I had to be sure about you, I had to be sure so I wouldn't hurt you. I was so afraid of dimming the brightest light in my life that only the brightest life in my life nearly going out pulled me to my senses."

It's repetitive but heartfelt and despite its lack of eloquence, Allie is dazzled.

"I'll shine bright for you," Allie returns and they both chuckle quietly. "And from now on I can be the eloquent expressor of feelings in this relationship."

"Thank you, this is the most I've discussed my feelings in years," Bruce says, sighing in relief and Allie chuckles. Turns out someone you care about nearly dying can really teach a guy a lesson.

"Are you okay? Bruce, do you need an ice pack?" Allie teases and the older man half smiles. "You should know that will not be the last joke I make about your cold hard exterior."

"I don't mind. I will always be amused by you."

"Then buckle up boy, you are in for a heck of a ride."
Bruce Wayne smiles, he can't wait.

III

After a very lunch break, Bruce Wayne reluctantly exits the Sentinel Tower and Allie dives into her work as if she never left.

III

Allison Gray is rolling on sunshine, nothing can bring her mood down. She had a fantastic first day back and the man of her dreams confessed his adoration for her.

"You're grinning like a fool," Alex comments and Allie beams.

"I'm happy, Alex, the puzzle pieces of our life are falling into place."

"Yeah and all it took was a fucking building nearly crushing you to death," Alex grumbles as she helps push Allie up the temporary ramp to their front door.

"And all the good things that have happened after are my cosmic retribution," Allie counters and then frowns. "Anyway, are you going out tonight?" By "out tonight" Allie means "are you going patrolling tonight?"

"Yes, will you be alright by yourself?" Alex asks.

"Course, I have twelve arms now, remember?" To prove her point Allie uses a vector to open the door and the other to push herself inside.

"How could I forget?" Alex deadpans and follows her in.

The sight that greets them is a complete clusterfuck.