8868/Fleeting Opportunities

Fleeting Opportunities
Date of Scene:	19 August 2019
Location:	Bruce's Room, Avengers Mansion
Synopsis:	Betty goes to the Avenger Mansion in a rare moment of Bruce actually staying there in between trips. Betty and Bruce reconnect.
Cast of Characters:	Hulk, Red She-Hulk

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Hulk has posed:
It's been a few weeks since Bruce had stayed at the Mansion for more than a couple days to handle Avengers business. With that business out in Detriot and his mobile home being repaired, Bruce has been at the Mansion for about a week, now... and anyone with an eye for trying to keep track of his whereabouts would easily have heard he hasn't left yet.

For whatever reason Bruce is at the Mansion lately... he's been holed up in his room, plugging away at a laptop in his lab coat laying in bed.

Red She-Hulk has posed:
It's a cool autumn day in New York and, as always, the streets are alive with the buzz of people going about their daily business and cars passing by. It has been five days since Betty received the text from Greg, one of the security guards at the Avengers Mansion, and after much consideration and several sleepless nights she has finally decided to make her way to the mansion. The lack of sleep is visible from the dark rings around her eyes and her slightly shuffling gait. She's standing about 50 ft. or so from the main entrance to the large building, approaching it and then returning to that safe spot, just before crossing the invisible point of no return. She sighs and checks her phone. Nope, no messages that could be used as an excuse for not doing what she came here to do, no cause for further putting it off. Damn. Where's that annoying txt from your father that you just -have- to deal with when you most need it. Another deep sigh, and then she starts approaching the mansion with hurried steps, crossing that invisible line without allowing herself the time to reconsider. She pauses just outside the door, bracing herself. Then she enters.

"Ahh, good afternoon Dr. Ross. I was wondering when you would show up," the security guard tells her as he looks up from his magazine, smiling. "Hello Greg." A beat. "Is he in?" She asks. Greg nods. "He's up there somewhere, unless he got some new invisibility powers I wasn't made aware of," ´Greg replies, smiling with faint humor. Clearly, he can tell that she is anxious and unsure about coming here. Probably trying to lighten the mood a little. And it seems to work, somewhat at least, drawing a smile from her lips. "Thank you. And thank you for letting me know he had come back. Have a good day, Greg." She tells him, before approaching the elevator. Stepping out of the elevator after having made the ascend to the floor where Bruce's room is located, she slowly makes her way to the door. Her hand raises and balls into a little fist, but is then lowered again. This repeats itself a few times, and she even turns to look back at the elevator, perhaps considering if she should make a last-minute run for it. But no, she's come to far already. Another deep sigh, and a minor correction of her long brown hair. The hand rises again and she knocks on the door in her signature knock; two slow knocks followed by three faster knocks.

Hulk has posed:
The call on the phone intercom gets his attention easily, and the reading glasses are set aside as he taps the button. "Yes?" Bruce inquires. "Betty Ross entered the building a moment ago Sir. She's coming up now."

He brings up his phone. No new messages. So no warning. Didn't take a genius to realize she was trying to surprise him.

"Thank you. I'll take it from here." Bruce responds, before he gets up, off the bed. No time to change, and no time to process. He was already pacing back and forth by the time Betty is off the elevator. Was she actually going to make the attempt to reconnect?

The knocks on the door answers his question for him.

It takes another moment to take a deep breath. Slow his heartbeat.... she was really going to try. After all this time keeping away for her own safety.

Nothing for it.

He easily crosses the distance to the door. He stops just before it, with another moment passing as he centers himself. He hasn't expected to meet Betty again for a long time... his hand reaches out, and opens the door. Brown eyes greet Betty's own blue.

"Hi." Very neutral, very even. He's obviously not sure what to expect from this encounter.

Red She-Hulk has posed:
Betty stands outside the door, one hand tapping against her thigh and the other fiddling nervously with a lock of brown hair while she waits for Bruce to open the door. When she hears him approaching from the other side of the door, she corrects her posture and attempts to look as casual as possible, brushing a hand through her hair and correcting the collar of her blouse.

She's wearing an ivory colored button down blouse under a black leather jacket, jeans and slightly worn, dark blue sneakers. Her make-up is light as usual.

Pale blue eyes meet the dark brown of his, and for a long moment after his neutral greeting, she just stands there, staring. A smile is tugging at the corners of her lips, but the plain greeting he gives her makes it slightly easier to suppress. There's no denying that she is happy to see him, though, the sparkle in her eyes and the way her fingers twitch betraying her mostly composed demeanor.

"Hello Bruce," she finally says, still peering into his eyes. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" A beat. "I can leave if..." Her voice trails off and her body makes the slightest of adjustments, already ready to move back towards the elevator depending on his reply.

She came, that is all she can do, right? If he doesn't want to see her, at least she can blame him and not herself, like she blames herself for so many things. At least she's seen him again. Seen that he is ok.

Hulk has posed:
"No." A pause, "No." Bruce replies. "Come in, if you like." Bruce invites, gesturing inwards with a hand as he leaves the door open and walks into his room again.

"I wasn't expecting guests, or I would have prepared a meal. I can ask staff to bring up something, if you want refreshments." Bruce offers, moving to the desk in the back and replacing the laptop he was using on it, before he moves around and sits on the bed.

"You look good." Bruce compliments, his expression softening, now that he know she isn't angry or something at him, "I admit, I'm surprised you're here. Glad you are, but surprised. Is this... social?"

The question hangs in the air; is she here for his expertise, or /him/?

Red She-Hulk has posed:
Betty's lips finally succumb to the smile when he invites her in, the corners of her full lips curling slightly upwards. She nods and follows him into his room. She has a look around the place. It's been so long, yet everything looks the same. Just like him.

"It's ok, I'm not hungry. I'm sorry I didn't call before coming, but..." Her voice trails off again as her eyes find the floor and her shoulders lift in a small shrug. "Some wine would be nice. It's been a long day." Betty replies, remaining close to the center of the room, watching him as he clears the desk and moves to take a seat on the bed.

A faint pink spreads over her cheeks when he compliments her and her eyes again find the floor, looking suddenly very much like a little girl that has just been praised. She can't help but smile. Damn. Her defenses are already starting to falter, all those walls build up over the years starting to crumble at the mere sight of him. She knew it was dangerous to come here. She told herself over and over. But she thought she'd at least have a little more control of herself. 'Get a hold of yourself, woman!' her brain screams at her.

A small sigh escapes her lips before she looks back up at him. "Thanks. You too." Her hands are gathered in front of her, fiddling idly as she looks around the room again. So many memories. "I know, I'm sorry. I should called. I wasn't sure if.... I Wasn't sure." She looks back to him, smiling again. "I'm glad that I did. IT's good seeing you again, Bruce." She can't help but giggle at his question and the tone he adopts. "Yes. No work, no data, no mystery to be solved. I...I just wanted to see you." She answers, taking a step towards him but still keeping her distance.

She doesn't trust herself around him, and the way that the mere sight of him has her heart beating faster and her mind troubled with focusing on anything but him -does- scare her a little. But the joy of seeing him again overrides most of those feelings. Most.

Hulk has posed:
Luckily for Bruce, all these years of deaing with the Hulk have taught him self-control, so he can actually get excited without having to worry about The Other Guy coming out... so when Betty smiles, so does he, and he pats the bed next to himself. "I'll have some brought up. I don't usually partake outside of parties." He leans over, hitting the intercom to the kitchen, "Can I get a wine bottle and two glasses brought up, please?"

Then, he looks back to Betty, eyes going for hers again as one hand moves over to touch her shoulder affectionately, "I'm glad to hear that you can still stand the sight of me. I've missed you."

Red She-Hulk has posed:
Like Bruce, Betty has had to learn self-control, but for very different reasons and in a very different way. A lifetime of dealing with her father's tyrannical rule has taught her how the repress the bad emotions rather than confront and accept them. Add to that the many ups and downs that she and Bruce have had and the way she has been used multiple times by both her father and various villains to try and get to Bruce, and you have one seriously messed up sub-consciousness. It's nothing short of a miracle that she hasn't broken down yet and given in to the frustration and rage, really. Perhaps that will, however unhealthy, is her greatest asset.

Luckily, merely getting excited doesn't cause her other side to come out. That much larger, much stronger, much redder side. Only fear and anger does, and she never feels afraid when she is with Bruce. Not for herself, anyway. And while she might hold a lot of suppressed anger inside of her, large parts of it anger at Bruce, anger is not what she fears right now. What she fears is something much, much more dangerous. A very different way of loosing herself.

She hesitates for a moment when he pats the bed, beckoning her to join him, but after a short moment she slowly walks up to the bed and takes a seat next to him, although leaving a little space between them. Her hearts starts to pound faster, but she keeps it from being visible on her features. At least she thinks so. She -hopes- so. She shuffles a little, making herself as comfortable a she can. Her jacket is kept on, for now, ready to make her escape should her feelings overwhelm her before she gets them under control.

She looks anywhere but at him, but when he reaches out to touch her shoulder, she looks over at him, her eyes catching his. A hand comes up to cover his, stroking it gently with her thumb. She smiles softly, a hint of timid insecurity mixing with the quiet happiness in her eyes. "I missed you, too." She tells him, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I saw you on the news. Fighting the sentinels. I'm glad that you're ok." A beat. "You are ok, aren't you?"

Sure, she is still angry at him for leaving her, angry at herself for letting him and not having the courage to stay, and angry at all the things that caused them to be separate for so many periods of their life and the way she has been used as a prop to try and get at The Other Guy. So many things. But in this moment, that all pales in comparison the the happiness of laying her eyes on him again. Of touching him. Of smelling the faint musk of his skin.

Hulk has posed:
"I can't not be okay. The Other Guy doesn't let me get hurt." Bruce informs Betty. "I heard about the Sentinels after the fact. I originally saw them and tried to get them to stand down. I panicked when I saw what they were doing, and then I woke up a week or so later in a park. It was... disorienting, as usual." Bruce is choosing his words carefully, it's obvious.

"Still, the new kid talked him down, so can't complain. I've been working on a project for a while now. Though right now, I'm more concerned over the Sentinels, to be honest." Bruce looks to the window, "They're getting worse, and now there's an army of them close by."

Red She-Hulk has posed:
"I know..." Betty replies, giving his hand on her shoulder a little squeeze before removing it, forcing herself to break the eye contact and dropping her gaze to the floor. "I didn't mean physically." Her lips purse together and she frowns. "What were you thinking trying to confront them anyway? For a genius you really aren't very smart sometimes." She tells him, her tone cautiously annoyed.

Betty looks back at him when he mentions a 'new kid'. "Well, I'm glad someone can. I remember when...." Her voice trails off. "I heard, yes. Do you think you'll be able to stop them? You and the others, I mean." A beat. "Who's this new kid, anyway?" She asks, her eyes flicking between him and some spot in the room she has chosen as her focal point to keep from just staring at him. She really doesn't want to make this weird. Or make it too obvious just how much she has missed him.

Hulk has posed:
"What was I supposed to do, let them go attack a rally with hundreds of innocent people and mutants? It's why I joined the Avengers, to stop massacres like that. " Bruce points out. "Well, that, and I needed a way to get the government to stop hunting me. Your father was obsessive in those days, and I still shudder to think how many people The Other Guy killed from his vendetta." Bruce notes.

It's quite well known the Hulk isn't known for keeping an eye on his own collateral damage when he's provoked... and when the army came after him, he didn't hesitate to kill those inside as a side effect. Plenty of lives were lost in those initial days.

"I thought I could maybe distract them with my presence, being an Avenger. if they left anyway, at least warn the police at the rally."

Then, the subject of the newbie comes up, "He calls himself Spider-Man. Good kid from all indications."

Red She-Hulk has posed:
Betty's eyes return to catch his, staying on him for now. Her lips are still pursed and her brows knitted together. "I...You could have called someone. You have a whole team. Why does it always have to be you? You know what happens when...he..comes out." She looks annoyed and a little mad, but most of all she looks....worried. Despite knowing that The Other Guy will never let Bruce die. "And you could have gotten hurt!" she insists. "You didn't know what these Sentinels are capable of."

Her eyes move away from him again with a quick, angry little flick of her head when he mentions her father and brings back old memories. "I know. I was there, remember? Do you think I can ever forget that?" She sniffles and her eyes start glistening with tears that aren't allowed to well up in her eyes.

At the mention of this 'new kid's' name, she looks back to him with a mildly disapproving look before looking away again. "Spider-Man...what a stupid name. Who would call themselves that?" She sniffles again and then scoffs out a laugh in disbelief. At least this new kids name serves as a welcome distraction from the thoughts she's trying to push back. Better to laugh than let the tears start to flow. She takes a deep but subtle breath as she tries to calm all the emotions that are raging inside of her, an odd mix of sweet, sour and......something else.

Hulk has posed:
He turns his eyes back to Betty, "There wasn't time. They were /literally/ about to lift off and go in seconds. It was me, or the rally was going to be party crashed." Bruce notes, "If I didn't stop them, it would have to be The Other Guy. It's what I do, Betty." Bruce stands up, his hands going to his lab coat pocket as he sighs. "The Avengers need The Other Guy as much as they need me, Betty. He considers them friends, and they're one of the few who can keep him in check because of that."

Bruce turns around and looks down to Betty, "I can't turn my back on that."

Red She-Hulk has posed:
Betty looks back up at Bruce. Her features clearly shows that she is not happy about the answer, even if she knows he is right. He's always right, one of his more annoying qualities. She bites back a comment, instead exhaling sharply through her nose and looking to that 'safe spot' across the room.

A deep sigh escapes her lips and she stands up as well, stepping closer to stand right in front of him. She places both hands lightly on his chest. Dangerous. "I know, I know....the world needs The Other Guy." She tilts back her head to look up at him. "I just wish you'd be more careful. Just....don't turn your back on everything else, either." She forces a meek smile to appear on her lips. "You sacrificing yourself isn't good for anyone." She says. Her hands fall of his chest and she turns to the side, taking a step in no particular direction, suppressing another deep sigh. "When is that wine going to be here, anyway?" She asks, eyes flicking to the door.

Hulk has posed:
"When it gets here." Bruce replies, moving behind Betty now. The taller man coming up on her shoulder with his head and wrapping his arms around her waist slightly. It's most definitely a lightly possessive gesture, one that Bruce only did intimately.

There's an unspoken reinforcement to his previous statement of missing her. She can feel the affection in the stance. "I'm as careful as I can be, given my circumstances. You know I'd love to get rid of the Hulk, as much as he hates me as his host."

There's a knock on the door about ten seconds later, "Your wine, Sir."

Red She-Hulk has posed:
Betty's heart starts beating faster as she feels Bruce come up behind her. 'Easy now, you prepared for this. You can do this.' She did prepare for this, or try to, at least, so many hours spent imagining how this would go. Seeing him again. The truth is that nothing could have prepared her, not if she had a hundred years to do so.

A sharp little gasp escapes her when she feels his head on her shoulder and his arms wrapping around her waist. Her whole body tenses and hear breath catches and goes quiet. She had promised herself that this wouldn't happen, even if a part of her was hoping it would. Her thoughts jumble and her eyes glaze over as the world starts to spin a little. There's only the touch of his arms around her and the kiss of his breath against her neck. She can smell him, and the scent brings with it a myriad memories that flash by in an instant.

"Bruce..." she finally manages to say, her voice soft with more than a little hint of insecurity. She swallows hard as she tries to regain her composure. All it would take is one step. One step away and then a comment about the wine to return to safety. But she can't, she's too far gone already, so easily falling into the trap she had promised herself that she wouldn't. One touch to break down the walls so carefully built up and leave her naked and exposed.

Her arms move to wrap around her waist on top of his and she leans back into his embrace, leaning back her head, her hair brushing against the side of his head. Her eyes close and she takes a deep breath as she leans her head against his. "I know. I just...I can't help it. I always worry. I don't know how not to." Her head moves affectionately against the side of his with small, slow movements. Another deep breath of his scent and her knees goes weak. There's the faintest of whimpers as she fights to maintain some semblance of control.

Her whole body makes a little jump and her eyes spring open as she hears the knock on the door. It snaps her out of her daze a little. Saved by the proverbial bell. Lucky. She swallows. "I'll get it." she says in a low, slightly drowsy voice. Her lashes flutter with a series of quick blinks as she forces the world to stop turning. Then she gently tries to escape his embrace and walk towards the door.

Hulk has posed:
There's no fight from Bruce to keep her against him, and the door is opened easily. A mansion staffer has a bottle in one hand and two glasses in another. They're given with a smile, "Welcome to the mansion, Miss."

Bruce, meanwhile, heads back to the bed and sits down. "Thanks, Mike." Bruce replies, watching Betty as the door closes. "Well, since you're not going to stay away... we might as well discuss how this is going to work." Bruce offers, in partial consolation.

Red She-Hulk has posed:
Slipping out of Bruce's arms, Betty makes her way to the door on still slightly wobbly legs and her breath normalizes. She'd forgotten just how easily she can loose herself to him. She takes a breath to calm herself further before opening the door and accepting the bottle of wine, offering the man bringing it a smile. "Thank you." She tells him, dipping her chin. Then she closes the door and remains standing there, facing it, for a short moment.

Turning around, she starts slowly making her way towards the bed where Bruce is sitting. She sets the bottle down on a small table near the bed. She turns to face him, remaining on her feet and not yet taking a seat. "Do you want me to stay away?" She asks. It doesn't feel like he wants her to, but she could understand if he did. A lot of things would be much easier for both of them if she did. Her eyes find the floor as her hand goes to fiddle with the hemline of her blouse. "I can't promise...." She murmurs. A small shake of her head that makes her long tresses sway faintly. She tentatively looks up at him again. "Do you have glasses?" She asks, eyes flitting to the bottle and then back to him. Still trying to keep everything at arms length, it seems. It's obvious to anyone that this is all very overwhelming for her, and for Bruce, who knows her perhaps better than anyone, it should be painstakingly so, as much as she's trying to hide it.

Hulk has posed:
"Initially, I had very little control, and no options for dealing with The Other Guy when he came out. He would just rampage until he was left alone... and there was precious little of that." Bruce concedes. "Now though... the Avengers and the League, and maybe even the Legion could fight him if he gets serious, and I've learned to center myself enough so I don't transform with just any stimuli." Bruce explains, himself turning to regard Betty.

Then, he does something that is likely unexpected. He takes both hands and grabs both sides of Betty's head... and kisses her, full on the lips, passionately.

Red She-Hulk has posed:
Betty nods at Bruce as he speaks, looking suddenly much more uncomfortable as he talks of The Other Guy in an obvious reference to her own 'inner demon'. She manages to hide it pretty well though. She thinks at least. It was always hard for to hide anything from him. She smiles sweetly as he turns to regard her.

Her eyes widen and her lips move as if to speak when Bruce then grabs both sides of her head, but no words have time to form on her lips before those lips are pressed against his is a passionate kiss. She squirms a little and tries to pull away, pushing weakly off his chest to free herself. She can't, of course, and a large part of her doesn't want to.

Her lips instinctually part and the tip of her tongue comes out to play, seeking out his. It only takes a moment for her to be lost in the taste of him and the weak struggle mostly ceases as she leans into him. She moans into his mouth. "Bruce...we shouldn't..." she manages to murmur between kisses, but she doesn't break the seal of their lips.

Hulk has posed:
It doesn't take long for Bruce to silence her protest, his lips pressed to hers for a few seconds, longer, before he pulls back from her. "We'll figure it out. There's no reason this can't work this time. Your father has no choice but to leave me alone, and the Avengers are a wonderful support mechanism."

Bruce pulls back just slightly, his hands moving to her shoulders. "We'll be fine."

Red She-Hulk has posed:
Betty's eyes flutter shut as the kiss continues, and she lets the feeling of his lips against hers and the taste of his mouth carry her away to a time long past. A time where everything was less complicated. A time where she didn't need to be afraid of her feelings save for the meddling of her father.

Her eyes slowly open again as he pulls away, and pale blue eyes look up at him with a dazed expression. "Ok. Just....just promise me you won't leave." She tells him, a soft smile appearing on her lips as her eyes remain locked with his. She moves in to continue the kiss.