audio | forward dated a bit to day 66

[rigging]

[ It's early in the morning. Before most humans should really be awake, honestly. So that's why maybe it's surprising when the communicator, and by extension, the network, catches the sudden panicked inhale of breath and the panic that follows. There's a good minute of rustling and noises that sound a little like whimpers before the sound settles down.

And then it's quiet. A beat. Another, then: ] Fuck, where --

[ That is definitely a familiar voice. Deep breath. Slow exhale - and the recording cuts off in the middle. ]

Comments

( private )

[rigging]

[ How do you even say something like this? ] I died. Kicked the bucket, pushing up daisies, the fuck ever metaphor y'wanna used. I ain't - I ain't called cause I was dead.

[greenisnteasy]

[ Bruce's immediate thought is that Tony killed him after all, but then he calms himself down and waits for that to pass, waits for the shock and the hurt to ripple through him before he lets himself talk again. ]

How?

[rigging]

I got stabbed. [ It's quiet, small. ] Someone stabbed me. [ A beat. ] I - I almost hurt you, too, fuck. [ He'd almost forgotten. Maybe this is all just karma. ]

[greenisnteasy]

You didn't, I'm fine. [ Who cares? That'd been almost a nonevent. He doesn't sound worried about it at all as he nods into the camera. ]

Who stabbed you, Jesse?

[rigging]

It weren't his - [ But it was his fault, Jesse blames him for it, even if he doesn't want to. ] Ghoul. It was Ghoul. Wasn't exactly him but -- but.

[greenisnteasy]

[ That would imply that Ghoul was turned into something else, but why a stabbing? As far as Bruce knows, there's no supernatural being that feeds on stabbing people. ]

Why did he do that?

[rigging]

I - I dunno. [ He really doesn't want to talk about it. His voice is a little rough, strained. ] Galen said it was his fault, I dunno.

[greenisnteasy]

[ Breathe. In and out. He's forgotten what hard work it was caring about people -- which sounds awful, phrased like that, but his nerves are stretched thin and that's never a good thing, not when he's also been switching with the Hulk as often as he has been. ]

How are you now? Are you okay? Where -- Where are you?

[rigging]

M'okay. [ He mumbles it. ] Home. M'at home, m'okay, Bruce, you... y'don't gotta. [ He takes a deep breath and tries to settle down, but it's hard, and his breath stutters. ] M'okay. [ If he keeps repeating it, he will be. ]

--> action

[greenisnteasy]

No, I do gotta. [ He's on his way now, even. ] You sit tight.

[ And he's over there in a few minutes, knocking on the door. ]

--> action

[rigging]

[ It takes a minute, but Jesse drags himself to the door. There's a voice in him that screams no, he shouldn't be anywhere close to the door, that something could reach in and pull him back out, and for a moment Jesse has to brace himself. Just peek. Just see who it is, it's supposed to be Bruce.

And it is Bruce. And Bruce can probably see that Jesse looks awful, small and pale and buried in a hoodie that hangs off of him, eyes red and expression tense and frightened. He's trying his hardest to look strong, but he has a suspicion he's failing. ]

Hey. [ You should let him in, Jesse, not just cling at the slightly open door. ]

[greenisnteasy]

[ Bruce is frozen in spot too, clinging at his hands and taking in the way Jesse looks, taking in the way he feels. He's really come to care about people here, more than he has in such a long time. He never had the chance to connect then, never trusted that people would really want to connect to him, that they had some other agenda. Then he came here, and it's a prison, but he's never felt more genuinely accepted anywhere in his life -- not even on the helicarrier.

Then the spell breaks, and he moves forward, pushing the door open and wrapping his arms around Jesse in a tight hug. ]

[rigging]

[ The spell breaks and Bruce moves, startles Jesse - but he's hugging. It's a hug, and Jesse slowly relaxes, slowly loosens up from the fright that the initial touch gives him. He's okay, he'll be okay - but he lets himself sort of melt into Bruce's embrace anyway, gripping at the back of his shirt. Shaking, just a little, because it's only been a few hours and he's already tired of being frightened all the time.

He buries his face in Bruce's shirt and tries his hardest not to just collapse. ]

[greenisnteasy]

[ Bruce hugs him tighter, feeling the way he's shaking. ] Ssh. You're okay now. Ssh. [ He kisses his hair, and then backs up, still holding onto Jesse's shoulders. ]

It's good to see you. [ Bruce hadn't even known he'd been hurt, let alone dead, and he squeezes his shoulders tighter before he lets him go. ]

[rigging]

It's - [ Jesse tries, but his voice cracks, and he has to clear his throat and shake his head a little so he can start again. His arms go around himself in Bruce's absence, holding himself together. ] S'good. T'see you. T'see you not as a wolf, too. [ That was really the last time he'd seen Bruce, when he'd tried to eat the guy. How awful. ]

[greenisnteasy]

[ He laughs, broken and soft. ] Yeah, it's good to see you too. Not that I knew that you were the wolf when that was going down.

[rigging]

I didn't mean to. [ Jesse mumbles immediately, looking down at his feet. ] I was hungry and stuck. Sorry.