You Have To Trust Me (Bruce Banner FanFic)

Slowly but surely Holly started to form her own little niche in the tower and it didn’t take her much time at all to learn the different Avengers habits and tastes and use them to her advantage. Whether she was in the gym with Steve, or cooking for the entire “family” it felt like she was beginning to belong. Of course, Tony was still actively trying to catch her doing something fire-worthy but even he was slowly being won over by her fetching of donuts and coffee that were left places he would find them. Natasha hadn’t let on at all that she was warming up to Holly and, though he put on a good façade, Holly knew that Clint at least knew she was trustworthy. While doing laundry one day she had found his hearing aids and made sure they were alone when she returned them to him. Clint had been visibly shaken that she had found them but she waived his worries away and promised him she wouldn’t say anything. She kept her word and she always would. She’d betrayed enough trusts in the past.

Holly was immersed in her book one night when a swift knock on her bedroom door pulled her from the plot. She set the book aside and opened the door cautiously. Standing on the other side was her favorite red head and she was wearing a huge grin on her face.

“Pepper?”

“Holly! Come watch a movie with us!” Pepper demanded and waived her arm towards the living room. Clint, Natasha, Tony, and Steve were all arranging themselves on the various living room furniture with blankets and pillows. Holly smiled.

“Sure. Let me get a blanket.” Holly dashed back to her room quickly and grabbed her black, fuzzy, throw blanket from the foot of her bed. She shut her bedroom door behind her and looked around for a comfortable spot to sit in. She set her blanket on the couch and was about to sit when she realized they were missing someone.

“Where’s Banner?” she asked.

“In his room. He wasn’t having such a great day so he turned in early.” Tony said as he sipped his drink. He was wearing a loose pair of Iron Man pajama pants that Holly raised an eyebrow at. He was so vain.

“Did anyone ask him if he wanted to watch the movie?” she asked and Tony just rolled his eyes. Holly placed her hands on her hips and walked towards Bruce’s room.

“He wants to be left alone!” Tony called after her with that ‘I know everything’ voice that got under her skin. She ignored him of course and made sure to knock lightly on the doctor’s door just in case he had a serious migraine.

At first there was no reaction to her knocking but after a minute of peace she heard muffled movement. She chewed on her bottom lip suddenly apprehensive of what she might have unleashed on herself. The way the others talked about Bruce’s bad days made him sound like a force to be reckoned with but she had never seen him give more than scathing glares when he was upset.

“Dr. Banner?” Holly spoke quietly when she heard muffled footsteps approach the door but nothing happened. Suddenly the knob turned and the door opened just enough for Holly to see Bruce’s face.

“Yes?” he responded in a gravely voice. His hair showed signs of being restlessly raked through and there were dark circles under his eyes. There was a short mess of stubble across his jaw and something about the darkness of his eyes made her swallow before speaking.

“I just wanted to let you know that we’re having a movie night-“

“I already told her you were having a bad day!” Tony yelled in their direction over his shoulder. Holly’s nose curled up in distaste and the rest of her comment came out with an air of annoyance.

“…and I wanted to invite you regardless of your bad day.”

“I see.” said Bruce whose lips had quirked into a small smile at Holly’s reaction to Tony. He drummed his fingers on the back of his door and looked towards the living room where everyone was assembled. He looked down at Holly and sighed.

“I guess I could join you all.” Bruce said leaving his door open as he stepped away to grab a blanket. Holly was extremely surprised and took a few steps back to allow him more personal walking space. She couldn’t help but grin as Bruce emerged from his dark room and walked with her to the couch. Tony looked completely taken aback when he saw Bruce follow her into the circle of comfy armchairs. Pepper, who was sitting beside Tony on a loveseat, smiled at Bruce.

“How nice of you to join us Bruce.” Tony looked at Pepper then cleared his throat and smiled at his friend.

“Thanks. So what are we watching?” Bruce asked looking at Clint who was fiddling with the electronics.

“Anyone have a problem with Eurotrip?” Clint asked.

“I thought we were watching Bruce Almighty?” Steve asked from the kitchen.

“We decided to save that for when Thor comes back. We figure he’ll get a real kick out of it.” Natasha called back to him. As the movie started playing through previews Clint joined Natasha on the sectional part that was big enough for 2 people to sleep on. Steve distributed big bowls of popcorn to Tony, Clint, Bruce, and kept one for himself. He took a seat next to Clint and Tasha leaving only 2 available seats: one next to him and one next to the arm rest. Holly took the seat next to Steve, leaving the other for Bruce since that seat had a footrest and reclining capabilities. Steve’s seat was able to do that to and he instantly offered Holly his seat but she declined. He then offered her some popcorn which she did take him up on. As the movie started everyone got comfortable under their blankets and the talking died down signaling a good start to the first Avengers movie night.

Apparently everyone had had a long day because when the movie finally ended Holly found she was the only one awake. She silently got up from the couch and turned off the TV before making her way around the sleeping bodies to collect the popcorn bowls. She threw her blanket over her shoulder and paused to admire the scene. Clint and Natasha were snuggled close together on the sectional- Natasha snuggling up to him for once. Pepper had fallen asleep in the crook of Tony’s arm, her head resting beside the arc reactor which gave her face an eerie glow. Both Bruce and Steve had their chairs fully reclined and they looked comfy enough but Steve’s blanket was actively trying to escape him. Holly knelt to spread the blanket back over him, making sure to tuck it under his ankles before moving away from the couch towards the kitchen. She set the bowls on the counter. She could do them tomorrow- she didn’t want to wake any of them. Holly turned to move to her room when a sound made her turn back around. It was a sound she knew all too well- the whimper of someone in pain.

Holly crept back into the circle of furniture and looked for the source of the tortured sound. Steve was peaceful as were the two assassins. Tony stirred a little in his sleep but he merely held Pepper closer to him and grumbled in his sleep. Holly looked down at Bruce as his face contorted in pain- a look that tightened Holly’s chest. She had once found comfort in that look- triumph. Now it only brought her shame. Bruce groaned again and grabbed at the couch in his restlessness. Something was obviously tormenting his rest.

‘Must be a nightmare. He’ll be fine.’ Holly thought as she turned to walk away. Then he gasped for air and Holly cursed under her breath. She couldn’t leave him this way- it was against her better judgment. She swallowed hard and moved back to her seat beside Bruce who appeared to be fighting on unseen foe. She placed her hand on one of his arms lightly and sighed.

“Dr. Banner? Can you hear me?” the Avenger turned towards her when their skins met and for a second he seemed at peace but, a few moments later he was groaning again. His skin was hot under her hand as she started to stroke up and down his arm in a soothing manner.

“Bruce, it’s okay. Everything is okay. You aren’t in any danger.” Bruce grumbled under his breath and turned his body towards her.

“No more running?” came his low gravelly voice. Holly’s heart jumped into her throat and she fought to beat it back down. What would he know about running?

“No more running.” she assured him. The man smiled in his sleep and sighed in relief. Holly lingered on the couch beside him until she was sure the nightmare had passed. Her mind raced as she watched the rise and fall of his chest.

He had been running? For how long? What from? Who was after him? Why was he here now if he was running from someone…or something? Holly chewed on her lip and stared at his face. Was it possible that someone might know just what she had been through the past couple of years. She hadn’t had anyone to talk to since she had gone off the grid and escaped him. Not even her sisters had made contact with her and that pained her more than anything. Their escapes had been a group “project”, why shouldn’t they keep in contact? Holly’s training silenced that train of thought instantly. They would ignore her to protect her just in case one of them got caught. You can’t be used as a bartering chip if no one knows where you actually are. Holly ran a hand through her hair then and touched Bruce’s arm again before getting up and heading to her room.

“Goodnight guys….Sweet dreams Bruce…” she whispered from her doorway before she closed the door and climbed into her own bed.

“Oh my…god-” Bruce stammered. His heart raced in his chest as his hips moved of their own accord. His fingers dug sharply into the counter making dents from his superhuman strength but he ignored the ache in his joints and the way the counter was groaning. His head was swimming deep in a pleasure stricken haze. It was as if every nerve in his body was alive- like every synapse was firing at the same time- and the sensation was causing all of his muscles to tense. A deep moan escaped his lips as he felt the all too familiar ache begin to build between his thighs. One of his hands left his grip on the counter and tangle itself in her hair.

Her.

Tonight she looked like his dear Betty except that the colors of her eyes and hair fluctuated from different shades to entirely different colors than they should be. The shape of the eyes and fullness of the lips remained true to his former love. Those lips. Bruce groaned with desire as his peak came into view. His legs shook under her careful touch and her tongue only made the intensity of his moans deepen.

“S-s-stop…”Bruce hummed but she ignored him. His toes curled and he welcomed the sweet embrace of pleasure but it never came. Before he could even think, a massive green blur came into his vision and two giant hands ripped her away from him. All he could hear were her screams as he tried to chase after her.

“No!”

Bruce jerked upright in his bed, the sound of screaming and his own voice reverberating in his head. His whole form shook and he was drenched in sweat that made the blankets stick to him. He covered his face with a single hand but it wasn’t enough to comfort him. It was just a dream Banner, he thought to himself as he swung his legs over the side of his bed and pushed himself towards his bathroom.

It had been a nice dream before the Hu- the Other Guy suddenly appeared. It was better than his usual nightmares at least. He had never invaded one of those dreams before though. Maybe because I said stop?, Bruce wondered. Maybe the Other Guy had felt threatened? But it was just a dream Bruce told himself. He knew the Other Guy was listening somewhere in the recesses of his mind and he could only hope that the thought would calm him somehow. When glowing green eyes greeted him in the mirror after he splashed water on his face Bruce knew he wasn’t going to be able to rest anymore. He would just have to try again tomorrow.

“What to do at 3:15 in the morning?” Bruce whispered aloud to himself as he sat back on the side of his bed. He sighed and let his head fall into his hands in the darkness

Holly stumbled a little as she exited the elevator with her arms full of groceries. Damn JARVIS and his bulk ordering! She rearranged a few bags on her arms so she could lean down and grab the detergent before the elevator left. She groaned a little but held her breath as she made her way slowly through the common area to the laundry room. Clint and Natasha were there watching news on a huge screen with a tense looking Captain America who was sitting on the edge of his seat. Holly’s exit from the laundry room was enough movement to cause Steve’s eyes to flick over to her momentarily but they quickly returned when he saw the load she was carrying.

“Ma’am.” Steve started up from his chair and crossed the space between them in a few strides. The two assassins lounging on the couch followed Steve across the room with their eyes.

“I’m fine.” Holly said not looking at him.

“Let me help you with that.” Steve insisted moving to grab some of her burdens.

“I’m fine, really. Just go sit down.” It was when he didn’t move that Holly retrieved a bag of chips and pressed them into his chest before his hands could reach her. A deafening silence hung between them as Holly turned her gaze on Steve.

“Captain…If you want to be of help to me go sit back down. This is my job. I can handle a few bags of groceries on my own.” Holly couldn’t help but smile at the conflicted expression on Steve’s face as he moved the bag from one hand to the other. Rather than give him the chance to prove that chivalry was in fact not dead Holly walked away from him and set most of the bags down on the large dinner table that occupied the kitchen part of their common area. She held her hands up in defeat and carried a few bags away from the table to a door located three doors down from her own room. She knocked and cautiously entered when there was no answer.

Holly gave an exasperated sigh when the door shut behind her. Only a few days had passed since the eye incident and Steve and Pepper were the only people speaking to her. Clint and Natasha were suspicious of her to the point that Holly was pretty sure they were spying on her. Tony on the other hand wasn’t being outright mean to her but he wasn’t being pleasant either. If Holly was telling the complete truth, Tony was being unbearably obnoxious and doing everything in his power to try and cause another change in her. He hadn’t gotten her to quit or give in yet so he hadn’t won in her eyes; and it wasn’t like Steve and Pepper weren’t nice to talk to but Holly wished there was less choking tension whenever her door opened. It would make her job a hell of a lot easier. She could only hope that when Thor returned from wherever he was that she would make a better impression on him.

Holly set the bags on the table and cast a quick glance at her surroundings. The suite she was currently in had chocolate colored carpets that matched the shade of the dark wood in the kitchen and, while the walls were white, all the accents were either red or gold. Holly snorted as she wondered if the color scheme was intentional or a product of Tony’s big head. Given the scent of the incense that were burning she decided on the first.

“JARVIS?” Holly inquired.

“Yes?” the AI answered.

“Let me know if anyone is coming or needs me elsewhere. I don’t want to be in the way.”

“Of course.” and with that Holly was alone again. She put the produce into the fridge and rifled through the cabinets to find the destinations for the other products. She was amazed by the amount of green and white tea that she had to stack. ‘I didn’t think people could drink this much tea’ Holly though to herself. She was more of a coffee person herself.

The contents of the last bag led her out of the kitchen towards the back of the suite. She stopped before the closed door and swallowed hard. She felt like she was trespassing but it was part of her job to put things away. Her hand trembled slightly as she turned the knob and pushed the door open.

She found a dark room that was simply furnished and whose bed had been left in complete disarray. She crossed to the bathroom in a few hurried strides and opened the door to the bathroom. She was surprised to find that, after arranging the contents that belonged in the bathroom on the counter, there was something still in the bottom of the bag.

“What the….more tea?” Holly murmured to herself looking at the box incredulously. She let out a small chuckle as she headed towards the kitchen to put the stowaway in it’s rightful place. That was, until a cold voice made her stop dead in her tracks.

“Who are you?” she stopped so abruptly she almost dropped the box in her hands. She looked at the man who stood just outside the kitchen. He was slightly taller than she was with short, brown hair that had a splash of salt at his temples. His eyes were a piercing dark brown that were glued to her form and his hands were balled into fists at his sides. Holly swallowed at a loss for words and simply held up the box for him to see. He raised an eyebrow at her but his demeanor didn’t change.

“Tea?” Holly squeaked.

“What?”

“I was putting away the groceries and I missed a box of tea. I’m just gonna-” Holly moved slowly and put the single box in the cabinet before turning back to him and gripping the counter behind her.

“Who are you?” he spoke again.

“Holly. Holly Baxter. I was hired by Pepper Potts through S.H.I.E.L.D. to be an assistant to the Avengers.”

“An assistant?”

“I have all the paperwork if you want to see it.” she said her voice low, gesturing towards the door.

“It’s not that. It’s just…an assistant? For all of us?” the man took the few steps into the kitchen and leaned against the counter across from her.

“So far I’m just a glorified housekeeper. Put away the groceries. Cook dinner. Keep everything clean.”

“I thought JARVIS ordered the groceries?”

“He does but he can’t put them away.” Holly said matter-of-factly, forgetting that a moment ago she had been ready to flee. The man nodded at her and looked away, trying to hide the small smile that pulled at his lips.

“And that’s why you are in my room?”

“Yes.”

“The only reason?” he prodded. Holly nodded and swallowed.

“If it makes you feel any better, JARVIS was supposed to let me know when you were on your way here so I could be gone before you got back.”

“That sounds a little shady.”

“I just don’t want to be in the way…and this is kind of an awkward way to meet. I would have rather met you out there… in ‘public’.” she smiled, gesturing with air quotes. He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded at her gesture.

“I see.”

“I have other groceries to put away so I’m going to leave now.” she said, pushing off the counter. She walked past him but stopped at the door.

“Excuse me?” he didn’t look at her but he turned his head in her direction. “You are Dr. Banner, right?”

“Yes.” Bruce said evenly.

“I just wanted to be sure. I’ll see you later Dr. Banner.” With that, Holly was gone.

Bruce stayed in the kitchen long after Holly had left. Her scent lingered in the space around him and the smell of cashmere filled his lungs. She didn’t know who he was. Was that even possible? With all the media that New York had gotten, practically everyone knew who he was or could at least put the name to the face. She sounded like she legitimately wasn’t sure of his identity. Bruce covered his face with his hands before the paranoid side of him took over. He swept over everything looking for something out of place. He asked JARVIS about what had happened while Holly had been there but just as she said, all she had done was distribute his groceries and toiletries.

Bruce nervously fidgeted with his hands as he normally did and retreated to his bedroom until he was summoned by JARVIS for a mission. He was thankful for the distraction as he walked out of his bedroom and caught a glance of Holly moving around the common area. She seemed innocent enough but he had learned through experience that even the pretty ones could bite.

As the Avengers minus Tony met up in the Quinjet, Bruce looked around at his fellow Avengers.

“So…” he started getting their attention. “we have an assistant?”