Second Chances - Book 1

Chapter 9: Home Grown

The night was filled with a lot of tossing and turning from the spy. Not only was Vinny not there, but Bruce was also yet to return. Collectively, the spy managed roughly 2 hours of sleep before she admitted defeat and exited the bed. She had changed out of her elegant dress and opted for a pale yellow shirt found in Bruce's wardrobe. It was plenty comfortable.

Picking up the comforter, Natasha ventured out into the lounge to take refuge on the couch. Turning on the TV at the press of a button, she scrolled without much conviction until she found a show that was entertaining enough. Enough to fill the silence and provide a little company.

Glancing at the display on her phone - 2:28 AM - Natasha pulled the comforter further up her arm toward her shoulder. Resting her head back against the couch cushions, whose sole purpose was for back support. She drifted in and out of sleep, however, the distant whirring of the elevator shaft roused some interest. The door is pushed open, and the slight suction of the door coming free from the doorframe had her eyes shift in that general direction.

In stepped Bruce, a little dishevelled. His hair was a mess, clothes dirtied though not ripped now that they were specifically designed for such growth. His hand was rubbing the back of his neck briefly as he stepped over the threshold as quietly as he possibly could. Obviously assuming Nat was asleep, he didn't want to wake her. As he crept past the couch, as well as the TV quietly playing, Natasha gave a soft clear of her throat to capture his attention. 

It worked, with the doctor coming to a slow halt, turning to cast his gaze towards the redhead now shifting into a more comfortable position. "Are we gonna talk about it?" She asked softly. Bruce audibly passed a deep breath, moving to perch himself on the couch beside her. Her eyes remained soft, opening up her hand - palm facing up - for him to lightly place his own hand within hers.

"I tried." Bruce began.

"Stop." Natasha shook her head. "It's not something you need to explain away or apologise for." She added, knowing simply by the tone he had taken. "It's not a necessity, you know? It's not something we need to do." It was a key point she wanted him to know. It wasn't a deciding factor for their relationship to progress.

"I know, Nat. I... I wanted to." Bruce nodded, adjusting how he was sitting. The topic probably wasn't one of the most comfortable to talk about, but he appreciated Natasha's request for communication. "I think we were pretty close."

Nat pulled her lips together in a smile. "Well." Her tone was slightly pitched, accompanied by a tilt of her head. Along with a slight chuckle which made Bruce break out in his own smile, nodding softly with a slight shrug. "You're okay though?" She would ask in a softer voice, giving a gentle squeeze to his hand.

Bruce only nodded. "You okay?" He put forth his question, to which Natasha nodded in response. He appeared to relax visibly at that. 

"Come on, let's get to bed," Natasha spoke softly, lifting herself up, keeping her hold on his hand as she picked up the comforter in her other hand. 

The pair turned in for the rest of the evening. Finally able to sleep through the remainder of the night, Natasha was woken 4 hours later by her phone's ringtone, and the device vibrating across the bedside table. Lifting her head from the pillow, her brows rose though her eyes remained somewhat closed. Releasing a tired grumble, she lifted her left arm from the bed to pick up her phone. With her barely open eyes, she saw Laura's name on the caller ID. Without missing a beat she swiped across to answer it, pushing herself up into a sitting position. The slight stir of the bed had roused Bruce from his sleep. "Yeah?"

"Nat... I think you should come over.." Laura spoke, just her tone was enough to alarm the redhead, let alone her words. "It's Vinny, he-" Natasha had tossed the phone onto the bed the moment her son's name was mentioned. The jolt of her diving out of the bed at full speed certainly woke Bruce properly, who then did his best to keep up with her speed in getting dressed. There was no attention paid to a remotely matching outfit. Bruce was hopping into his socks by the time Natasha had pulled a hoodie on over Bruce's shirt she wore.