Calming The Beast

18.

Weeks later: The Avengers, minus Logan take Thor and Loki, who is handcuffed and muzzled, to a blocked area. Thor shakes hands with his team and gives Selvig a hug. Tony opens the Tesseract's case. Bruce takes it out and places inside a glass tube, held by Thor. Thor gives Loki the other end, who reluctantly takes it. The Asgardians leap into the energy beam. GONE. Then, one-by-one, the group splinters off, strolling into different directions. Bruce climbs in with Tony in his sportscar. Steve rides away in his Harley. Natasha and Clint climb back into SHIELD cars. They all part. For now.

...............

Logan rests against the couch in the living room of Tony's tower, surprisingly most of the building was left undamaged. She takes a sip of her drink as the elevator opens and both Tony and Bruce walk out of it. They'd only been gone an hour or so but seeing Bruce again still shakes her. Like she's expecting it to all be a dream, or a trick, or she's finally lost it. He smiles at her though, just like he used to and her heart flutters. Damn him. God damn him. She sighs a little and then fake smiles.

"How was it?" Logan asks, she'd opted not to go with the others to see of Loki and Thor, instead she stayed behind to drink and to mend, her wound on her side still aching.

"Fun" Tony teases dryly. "How goes the mission to demolish my best scotch?" he asks walking towards her.

"Working on it" Tony drops next to her and takes the bottle from the table to have his own drink, Bruce sits on her other side. The last few weeks they've rebonded, over science, over movies. They've talked a lot to. About the last 7 years., things feel lighter between them now almost like it used to be. But things won't be exactly like they used to be, too much has changed, she's changed too much. After hell, that old Logan disappeared. Gone. She's not coming back.

"What about you, kid?" Tony asks her. "You staying?"

"Nah" Logan answers. "Got monsters to kill" she offers. "My brothers are on their way to get me" she takes Bruce's hand in hers and looks to him.

"Where they coming from?" Tony asks her.

"Spokane" she answers crossing one leg over the other. "So a few days probably. You don't mind me sticking around?" she asks Tony who smirks.

"Nah" he offers. "Like I'm gonna give my favourite new drinking buddy up without a fight" he teases nudging her. Bruce squeezes her hand and rubs circles into the back of it with his thumb. Though things are better, nothing has gone beyond that kiss weeks back, they hold hand when sat together, they share a bed, but they don't go beyond that. She won't let it. He won't let it. It's not safe for her. He can't risk the other guy coming out and hurting her. He can't hurt her again.

.................

It's three days when Logan gets a text from Sam, he and Dean are two hours outside of New York. Part of her doesn't want to leave, part of her wants to stay with Bruce, to see where it'll got this time. But she has a responsibility. A job to do. The Leviathan won't wait. The black goo leviathan not the floating whales, she'd argued when the started calling them the L word, but no one listened. Bruce and Tony take Logan out for a farewell breakfast, some diner that serves, according to Tony, the best maple bacon in all of New York. No expense spared, Tony stuffs his face as Logan nursing a coffee. She's not a huge fan of breakfast. Bruce's green tea warms her arm, rested next to her. His arm around the back of her chair. It's comfortable. She feels safe. She feels....home. The rumble of the impala catches Logan's attention, she glances out the window and smirks.

"There she is" she comments. "Love of Dean's life" Tony chuckles as Bruce smiles. "And my ride" Logan adds looking to Bruce who touches her back.

"You know the offer for you to stay stands" Tony argues. "Do science and drink" she smiles and shrugs.

"No, no I can't...." she correct reluctantly. As much as she would love to just binge science with these two men, she can't.

............

Logan pulls her her bag from the trunk of Tony's car as Dean climbs out of the impala behind them. She takes a breath and looks to Bruce and Tony. Tony moving first, stepping closer to her.

"Stay safe, huh, kid?" Tony asks her before hugging her, he'll admit the woman has grown on him, his little drinking buddy. She pats his back and pulls back from him before turning to Bruce.

"What he said" Bruce offers fiddling with his hands, nerves kicking in. He's actually getting to say goodbye this time. And he thought he was ready, he thought he knew exactly what he was going to say. But it's gone.

"We're okay" she assures Bruce touching his cheek. "But I have to go" he nods.

"I know" he whispers taking her free hand in his, fingers lacing together.

"Logan! Let's go!" Dean shouts glaring at Bruce, she sighs and shoots her big brother a look.

"Calm your panties" she counters and turns back to Bruce who tries not to smirk, he notes her softer expression, closer to sadness then anything else. She tries to smile before she backs away, grabbing her duffel from the ground and walking to join her brothers. Bruce swallows the emotional lump forming in his throat, watching her walk away. Tony pats his shoulder. 

........

Logan climbs into the back of the impala and sighs resting back. Dean and Sam glance back at her, turning to face her.

"You okay?" Dean asks her, she nods a little and wipes at her cheek, hiding the few sneaky little tears that managed to slip down her cheek, she glances out the car window at Bruce who gives her a small smile back, she takes a breath and turns to Dean.

"Can we take a drive?" she asks him giving him a look, emotions and intent behind her eyes, Dean nods, he understands.

"Yeah, let's take a drive" he answers starting the car before pulling away. Sam gives Logan a small smile and she reaches up to touch her necklace.