"Okay, Yeah," Bruce Agreed, Struggling To Pay Attention To What Anybody Was Saying. He Ran One Of His

"Okay, yeah," Bruce agreed, struggling to pay attention to what anybody was saying. He ran one of his hands through Andie's hair, then looked down at her stomach when she talked about the baby. He reached out hesitantly, then stopped. "Can I...?"

Four months. That was how long it had been since she'd last seen Bruce and it was driving her crazy. Two months prior she had gone to see Hank, thinking she had caught the stomach flu that had been going around. It turned out that that wasn't the case. She was pregnant. She honestly hadn't known what to do, Bruce had already left for a calmer place and she didn't have a reliable way to reach him. Finally, two months later, she was able to get a text through. [text] I need to talk to you asap.

Bruce frowned down at his phone. The woman talking frantically next to him quieted, and he stood. He assured the woman, in Bengali, that all was okay, and he would be right back. He left the woman and his patient and ducked outside, tapping out a reply.

[text] Okay, what’s up? Unless you’d prefer I called?

Bruce nodded at her words, not saying anything, too afraid that he would accidentally say what he was thinking. 'My baby, too. A baby that will inevitably be a monster...' He swallowed and shook his head. He felt a small fluttering against his hand, and nearly fell to his knees.

"That was the baby," he blurted out. "Oh, God."

Four months. That was how long it had been since she'd last seen Bruce and it was driving her crazy. Two months prior she had gone to see Hank, thinking she had caught the stomach flu that had been going around. It turned out that that wasn't the case. She was pregnant. She honestly hadn't known what to do, Bruce had already left for a calmer place and she didn't have a reliable way to reach him. Finally, two months later, she was able to get a text through. [text] I need to talk to you asap.

Bruce frowned down at his phone. The woman talking frantically next to him quieted, and he stood. He assured the woman, in Bengali, that all was okay, and he would be right back. He left the woman and his patient and ducked outside, tapping out a reply.

[text] Okay, what’s up? Unless you’d prefer I called?

"You, too. I love you." Bruce hung up the phone, shoving it in his pocket and returning to the house to give the man his medicine and quickly explain to the woman what she needed to do to nurse her husband back to health. He accepted her thanks and the kisses she pressed to his cheeks before he went outside, shielding his eyes from the sun with his forearm as Tony landed in front of him in the Iron Man suit.

"Save it," Bruce said, holding up his hand. Tony shrugged. "I just... A lot's going on. Can you take me to the school?" When Tony agreed, Bruce stepped forward and attached himself to the Iron Man suit, letting Tony fly him up and away, the two of them making it back to Westchester County in record speed. Tony dropped him off at the door, saluted, withdrew a promise from Bruce to call him when he could, and flew off. Bruce knocked on the front door.

Four months. That was how long it had been since she'd last seen Bruce and it was driving her crazy. Two months prior she had gone to see Hank, thinking she had caught the stomach flu that had been going around. It turned out that that wasn't the case. She was pregnant. She honestly hadn't known what to do, Bruce had already left for a calmer place and she didn't have a reliable way to reach him. Finally, two months later, she was able to get a text through. [text] I need to talk to you asap.

Bruce frowned down at his phone. The woman talking frantically next to him quieted, and he stood. He assured the woman, in Bengali, that all was okay, and he would be right back. He left the woman and his patient and ducked outside, tapping out a reply.

[text] Okay, what’s up? Unless you’d prefer I called?

Bruce moved his hand accordingly to where Andie looked down and couldn’t help himself but to smile. “Thank you. I don’t…” Bruce shook his head. “I love you. Very much. And it’s going to be okay. I’ll protect you.” He was probably the least qualified to do so, but he would do his damnedest to do it, regardless.

Four months. That was how long it had been since she'd last seen Bruce and it was driving her crazy. Two months prior she had gone to see Hank, thinking she had caught the stomach flu that had been going around. It turned out that that wasn't the case. She was pregnant. She honestly hadn't known what to do, Bruce had already left for a calmer place and she didn't have a reliable way to reach him. Finally, two months later, she was able to get a text through. [text] I need to talk to you asap.

Bruce frowned down at his phone. The woman talking frantically next to him quieted, and he stood. He assured the woman, in Bengali, that all was okay, and he would be right back. He left the woman and his patient and ducked outside, tapping out a reply.

[text] Okay, what’s up? Unless you’d prefer I called?

Bruce received the reply from Tony - gimme five minutes, big guy - and sighed, pulling the phone back up to his ear. "An inhibitor? What is it? Does it hurt you? Did Hank design it?" 

Four months. That was how long it had been since she'd last seen Bruce and it was driving her crazy. Two months prior she had gone to see Hank, thinking she had caught the stomach flu that had been going around. It turned out that that wasn't the case. She was pregnant. She honestly hadn't known what to do, Bruce had already left for a calmer place and she didn't have a reliable way to reach him. Finally, two months later, she was able to get a text through. [text] I need to talk to you asap.

Bruce frowned down at his phone. The woman talking frantically next to him quieted, and he stood. He assured the woman, in Bengali, that all was okay, and he would be right back. He left the woman and his patient and ducked outside, tapping out a reply.

[text] Okay, what’s up? Unless you’d prefer I called?

"Yeah?" Bruce looked down at their hands, tracing the back of hers with his free hand. He looked up at Hank. "Thank you for doing this, Hank. I appreciate it." Bruce fidgeted slightly where he stood, trying to remain calm as well as he could.

Four months. That was how long it had been since she'd last seen Bruce and it was driving her crazy. Two months prior she had gone to see Hank, thinking she had caught the stomach flu that had been going around. It turned out that that wasn't the case. She was pregnant. She honestly hadn't known what to do, Bruce had already left for a calmer place and she didn't have a reliable way to reach him. Finally, two months later, she was able to get a text through. [text] I need to talk to you asap.

Bruce frowned down at his phone. The woman talking frantically next to him quieted, and he stood. He assured the woman, in Bengali, that all was okay, and he would be right back. He left the woman and his patient and ducked outside, tapping out a reply.

[text] Okay, what’s up? Unless you’d prefer I called?