Bruce was only ever allowed to work on the custom somnacin mixes under the most strict supervision. He was always frisked before leaving the lab, they knew his years on the run made him both extremely valuable, and dangerous. Dangerous to himself, mostly. No one wanted the man who could become the Hulk to dream, which was why they always let him work himself practically unconscious, always falling into such a deep sleep that there was hardly ever a chance he would dream. Not properly, at least, not the way that scared them. Especially since he'd received the news barely a month ago.
He'd gone numb, stopped eating, stopped sleeping, stopped being more than a shade of himself that just sat in his room until finally, they had to do something. They brought him to the lab and turned him loose, letting him work until they had to drag him back unconscious
( ... )
It was a bright sunny day at Culver. Students were milling around, back and forth...though in the dream it was less purposeful than real life.
There's enough of a gap between them to see the park bench under the tree...and as the crowd thins, there she sits. As if she never left, just sitting and reading a scientific journal on her lunch break. Betty Ross, from her pulled back ponytail to her brown loafers.
She hadn't seen Bruce. Maybe he wasn't wanting her to just yet.
There was no real reason to stay back, stay hidden as he just watched her sitting there. He kept trying to tell himself she was little more than a mirage, but knew he was only kidding himself, trying to convince himself otherwise. He wanted her to be real so badly, he was willing to let his mind go and follow the ritual of hiding, pretending to be living in fear. It helped in a way, it gave him something to distract his distressed mind at the sight of her. He was risking everyone's safety, being here. Whether here was Culver, or the real world he didn't see a need to make the distinction in his mind
( ... )
She looks up suddenly, a worried expression. As if she knew he was nearby. Her eyes hunt through the crowds of students, Bruce likely remembering how she had told him after he disappeared, she would see him where he wasn't. She never stopped looking....
And her eyes find him behind a tree. Betty's face lights up in a smile, one that was only for Bruce. She doesn't move yet from where she's sitting, letting him decide and make the first move.
There's that smile, that one where he knows without any shadow of a doubt that she sees him. Immediately he shies from it, hiding only partially behind the tree that's really too small to cover even his scrawny form. He hesitates, afraid and then reminds himself that his time is short, but rather than Ross on his trail, it was his own waking conscious. The waking world should leave him alone as long as they didn't discover he'd dosed himself, which meant he was his own worse enemy today, and it felt oddly fitting.
He wants to be sick and he wants to fly. Dumbly his plods his feet one in front of the next and blinks. He shouldn't have moved so fast but time always felt relative in a dream.
"H-hi." He barely speaks in an audible tone, before finding his shoes so very interesting.
She's meeting him almost halfway, the moment he starts moving she abandons her bench and comes towards him. Wrapping her arms around him once he was close enough. Even Bruce's subconscious knows he needs this hug badly.
Betty practically sinks her face into his shoulder, not letting go. "Hi." Her voice is the same. Nothing to distinguish her from the real article.
The moment she holds him he just wraps his arms around her tightly, tangling his hand in her hair and doing everything he could not to let his knees drop under him.
Every single detail about her, the smell of her shampoo the the texture of her shirt is in his memories. Even back then he'd made a point to store them all in the most intricate details, and now they naturally came to life, making her as perfect as the real thing.
He held her tight, probably a little too tight but he didn't care. No one around seemed to notice that look in his eyes, as he worked so very hard to keep in control of himself. He couldn't trust the Hulk to keep out of this dream, sedated or not. His entire body was tense, but he was not going to let go as he mumbled into her hair.
"Shhh, it's okay," she says, letting him hold her as tight as he needs to. The others blur into the background quietly as if giving the two of them their space. "It's okay...you're here now." Betty's voice is soothing, trying to calm him.
Finally he starts to let out some of the tension, it's not relaxing, but he's working to at least hold her a little more gently.
"I-I can't..." He can't stay long, but he can't stand to go back to that place where she isn't anymore. Everything feels so wrong without that light in the sky, ready to guide him home at a moment's notice.
She puts her hands on his face as he's trying to speak, her smile almost sad now. As if she knows. Knows that she's not real, that he can't stay here with her. "I've missed you," she says, her own voice wavering with emotion as she blinks her wet eyes a few times.
With so little time, there was no needing to wait. Betty leans in and kisses him, her hands up around the back of his head. The memory of when he was going to leave her out of a helicopter bleeding into the kiss.
For that moment he forgets and moves both hands as if they were shackled together, setting them on either side of her face as he just drinks in that contact. It's real enough to him, then and there. He still hesitates to close his eyes, as if terrified he might wake up, but eventually gives in. It's something he'll never have again when he wakes up, not in that waking world.
In the back of his mind a thought sparks, a dangerous thought, one that his 'keepers' had been terrified of since delivering the news to him. He could never have her awake again, but he could have her here always, and never be on the run. Perhaps, just perhaps, all those people who spent their lives dreaming had something right...
Her hands drop to his chest over his heart as he holds her close for the kiss. It's as if time slows to a stop around them in that moment. It's moments like those where nothing seems wrong with the world.
But the kiss has to end eventually.
Her bright smile up at him starts to fade, Betty's eyes searching his face. "....you aren't doing well, are you?" Leave it to her to still be his conscience. Literally this time. "Bruce...I don't want to lose you."
He makes a choking noise, trying to articulate himself. She's just a part of his mind, but he's given himself so completely to the illusion, he couldn't tell the difference anymore. Nor, to a point, did he care to.
"I don't..." He swallows hard, desperation written all over his face and he remembers why he's here. "But I lost you." He tries so hard to keep control, but all his walls, crafted so tall and strong over the years are just crumbling to dust. His eyes glaze over, he can't cry, if he does, he doesn't know what kind of flood gates they will open. He blinks the tears back and even asleep, he feels his pulse pounding.
She smiles softly. "You haven't lost me entirely." This illusion itself was so complete from years of being together. "I will always be here. You saw to that." It was near impossible for him to forget her now.
Betty takes a deep breath, turning his face so she can look him in the eyes. "Listen to me, okay? If you stay here forever, you won't be yourself anymore. I don't want you to give up because of me." Even his subconscious knows that Betty wouldn't want him to abandon reality itself.
He sets his face in stone, though it still threatens to crumble at any moment as he looks right back at her, determination trying desperately to stay in his gaze. He was a chemist, one of the best there was, he could put himself and the Hulk to sleep forever. He could never have to leave, and the Hulk would never hurt anyone again.
"No. No, maybe this is the way it should have been. I can't find a cure, but maybe I can find a way to, to..." His knees suddenly give way as he feels his heart kick against his chest. Eyes going wide he tries to reach out for Betty as he drops with a yelp. "Oh no..." He stares at his hands, watching as the green color tries to trace its way through his veins lethargically and he drops his head with a pained sound. "No, not yet." In the dreamscape the transformation was going to be longer, more drawn out from the time difference but it certainly put a real limit on the time he had left with Betty.
She's not able to hold him up this time as he slips to his knees. Her hand still stays interlaced with one of his, the other fingering through the top of his hair sadly. "Oh Bruce..." Betty knows what's coming, of course. Their time cut short. She couldn't say there wasn't a part of her that wanted him to stay here forever with her.
The ground quivers slightly with the thump of large footsteps coming their way. Betty watches quietly as a large dark shadow is lumbering towards them...the sunny day fading into a dark, stormy sky as the students scatter to save themselves...
Hulk stops a few feet shy of them, watching Betty too. He cares for her just as much as Bruce does. But as his large green hand reaches for her, she dissolves into nothing....and he roars angrily, grabbing Bruce instead to shake him awake roughly. FIND BETTY!!
He'd gone numb, stopped eating, stopped sleeping, stopped being more than a shade of himself that just sat in his room until finally, they had to do something. They brought him to the lab and turned him loose, letting him work until they had to drag him back unconscious ( ... )
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There's enough of a gap between them to see the park bench under the tree...and as the crowd thins, there she sits. As if she never left, just sitting and reading a scientific journal on her lunch break. Betty Ross, from her pulled back ponytail to her brown loafers.
She hadn't seen Bruce. Maybe he wasn't wanting her to just yet.
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And her eyes find him behind a tree. Betty's face lights up in a smile, one that was only for Bruce. She doesn't move yet from where she's sitting, letting him decide and make the first move.
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He wants to be sick and he wants to fly. Dumbly his plods his feet one in front of the next and blinks. He shouldn't have moved so fast but time always felt relative in a dream.
"H-hi." He barely speaks in an audible tone, before finding his shoes so very interesting.
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Betty practically sinks her face into his shoulder, not letting go. "Hi." Her voice is the same. Nothing to distinguish her from the real article.
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Every single detail about her, the smell of her shampoo the the texture of her shirt is in his memories. Even back then he'd made a point to store them all in the most intricate details, and now they naturally came to life, making her as perfect as the real thing.
He held her tight, probably a little too tight but he didn't care. No one around seemed to notice that look in his eyes, as he worked so very hard to keep in control of himself. He couldn't trust the Hulk to keep out of this dream, sedated or not. His entire body was tense, but he was not going to let go as he mumbled into her hair.
"I'm sorry."
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"I-I can't..." He can't stay long, but he can't stand to go back to that place where she isn't anymore. Everything feels so wrong without that light in the sky, ready to guide him home at a moment's notice.
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With so little time, there was no needing to wait. Betty leans in and kisses him, her hands up around the back of his head. The memory of when he was going to leave her out of a helicopter bleeding into the kiss.
Reply
In the back of his mind a thought sparks, a dangerous thought, one that his 'keepers' had been terrified of since delivering the news to him. He could never have her awake again, but he could have her here always, and never be on the run. Perhaps, just perhaps, all those people who spent their lives dreaming had something right...
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But the kiss has to end eventually.
Her bright smile up at him starts to fade, Betty's eyes searching his face. "....you aren't doing well, are you?" Leave it to her to still be his conscience. Literally this time. "Bruce...I don't want to lose you."
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"I don't..." He swallows hard, desperation written all over his face and he remembers why he's here. "But I lost you." He tries so hard to keep control, but all his walls, crafted so tall and strong over the years are just crumbling to dust. His eyes glaze over, he can't cry, if he does, he doesn't know what kind of flood gates they will open. He blinks the tears back and even asleep, he feels his pulse pounding.
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Betty takes a deep breath, turning his face so she can look him in the eyes. "Listen to me, okay? If you stay here forever, you won't be yourself anymore. I don't want you to give up because of me." Even his subconscious knows that Betty wouldn't want him to abandon reality itself.
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"No. No, maybe this is the way it should have been. I can't find a cure, but maybe I can find a way to, to..." His knees suddenly give way as he feels his heart kick against his chest. Eyes going wide he tries to reach out for Betty as he drops with a yelp. "Oh no..." He stares at his hands, watching as the green color tries to trace its way through his veins lethargically and he drops his head with a pained sound. "No, not yet." In the dreamscape the transformation was going to be longer, more drawn out from the time difference but it certainly put a real limit on the time he had left with Betty.
Reply
The ground quivers slightly with the thump of large footsteps coming their way. Betty watches quietly as a large dark shadow is lumbering towards them...the sunny day fading into a dark, stormy sky as the students scatter to save themselves...
Hulk stops a few feet shy of them, watching Betty too. He cares for her just as much as Bruce does. But as his large green hand reaches for her, she dissolves into nothing....and he roars angrily, grabbing Bruce instead to shake him awake roughly. FIND BETTY!!
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