Work Text:
“You know, if you subscribe to some of the more basic tenets of the theory of multiple dimensions, then in some parallel universe you’re an accountant for a chain of fast-food restaurants. Tell me that would be better than this.”
Bruce didn’t react as Tony eased himself down to the balcony floor next to him. Tony tried to hide his wince and the way he gingerly stretched out his legs in front of him, but Bruce saw it anyway.
“Better than flattening nearly an entire city block?”
“Nobody was hurt, Big Guy. Sure, there was some damage, but that’s just stuff. If money can fix the problem, then it’s not serious. I’m an expert at throwing money at problems and making them go away.”
Bruce stared straight ahead. “You’re not nobody,” he said, so low that Tony had to lean closer to hear. “And in a parallel dimension, you’re dead.”
Tony laughed. “I’m probably dead in most of them. I’ve done far too many stupid things in my life.”
Bruce huffed, a strange, course sound from his sore throat. The Hulk sure had done some roaring by the feel of it. Tony sighed, trying to crane his head around to meet Bruce’s eyes.
“In some dimension, you turn into a purple teacup poodle when you get horny.” Bruce’s lip twitched. Tony saw it.
“And in some other dimension, I’m a mob boss at a casino and you’re the head of security.”
“Not a showgirl?” Bruce scoffed.
“Well, if you want to be, I’m sure there’s a dimension for that.”
“In some dimension, you’re Batman.”
“That’s so not cool. I’m so much more awesome than Batman. Fine, but you’re Alfred and JARVIS is Robin.”
Bruce sighed, bone-weary and sad as if that one moment of levity was all he had to spare. “In some universe, I never messed up that bomb.”
“But in a million other dimensions, the Gamma got you anyway and our team still gets its big green rage monster,” Tony countered. He was always so quick to defend the Hulk.
“I wasn’t talking about the Gamma bomb,” Bruce said again in that almost-whisper voice that had Tony leaning close again. Tony was quiet, deadly quiet for once, but still leaning close enough, pressed shoulder to shoulder, that they would bump noses if Bruce turned to face him. After a long moment, Bruce took that as an invitation to continue. “I built a bomb in my school basement when I was younger, but it didn’t work. I was so sure it would; I had planned for the end, said my good-byes to my aunt, cleaned out my locker. I even returned all my late library books. But it didn’t work.
That’s why the army recruited me, you know. I thought I was going to be locked up, never see the light of day again. Instead, they offered me a job after I finished school. I’m surprised that’s not in my file.”
Sometimes, Bruce said stupid things when he was in that shattered stage after a transformation. He supposed it had something to do with the awful feeling of vulnerability, or just the radiation in his blood burning through that filter between his brain and mouth. Whatever it was, sometimes he said things that were just too…personal…things he would never say otherwise. He hoped he wouldn’t regret this in a few hours. But, something deep inside of him felt better after his confession, and on some level, he wanted Tony to know this about him. He realized slowly that this was part of that thing called friendship.
Tony tilted his head so it was lying on Bruce’s shoulder. “You’re right. That did happen somewhere. But, you know, I think that all of those worlds are the ones in which I’m dead. You weren’t there to save me.
I’ve missed you, Big Guy. I don’t want you to leave again.”
“Maybe this is the dimension where I don’t.”