What Could Have Been
Title: What Could Have Been
Fandom: The Avengers
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers
Rating: G
Word Count: 500
Warning: None
Challenge: #005 - Beach
It was early morning as Steve ran along the shoreline of a secluded New York beach. He loved these early hours; it gave him time to clear his head. There was no one around save for himself in these early hours. Scratch that, almost no one. There was one lone figure sitting on the sand and staring out over the ocean. As Steve got closer he realized with a shock that the figure was familiar: that of one Bruce Banner.
"What are you thinking about there, big guy?" Steve asked, slowing down his run to talk to his friend.
"Just thinking." Bruce replied, his eyes still set on the horizon over the ocean.
"Thinking about what?"
"About what I could have been."
Steve shook his head. He knew all too well these thoughts. "You can't think about that. You keep doing that-"
"So people keep telling me. It's just I keep going back to that moment in the lab. What if I hadn't had tried to save that kid? Would he have had this green monster inside of him or would life have just been a lot simpler for both of us?"
"No use on lingering on that. It happened and you've saved a lot of lives thanks to that radiation. We've saved New York together and that is something to be proud of."
"Easy for you to say. You're the hero, not the monster. You don't have to worry that one day you'll lose control and destroy everything you've created."
"No, but I also know the dangers of lingering too long in the past and the could have beens. You think any of this is easy for any of us? I'm still trying to get used to the fact that everyone I knew is either aged beyond recognition or dead." Steve said unwaveringly. His voice gained strength as he spoke the conviction showing in his voice. "But I don't let it get the better of me. Because if I do I will have let all their sacrifices down in vain. I know what I do is good; good for me, good for my country, good for my god. Sure I could have been different, I could’ve been fighting Nazis my whole life. But you know what? I'm not, and there's no sense in trying to change that. We are all this way for a reason."
Bruce turned away from the ocean and looked at Steve curiously. He had never really thought about what Steve was going through.
Steve let the silence sit there for a couple moments before continuing on, "I have to keep running. If I don't I won't be able to finish my workout and make it to the S.H.E.I.L.D. briefing." He extended his hand, "See you at the meeting, you better be on time."
Bruce shook his hand, "Yeah, I'll be there."
Bruce's gaze lingered for a bit longer, watching the retreating back of his friend. "Guess we all have our monsters." he muttered to himself.
Fandom: The Avengers
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers
Rating: G
Word Count: 500
Warning: None
Challenge: #005 - Beach
It was early morning as Steve ran along the shoreline of a secluded New York beach. He loved these early hours; it gave him time to clear his head. There was no one around save for himself in these early hours. Scratch that, almost no one. There was one lone figure sitting on the sand and staring out over the ocean. As Steve got closer he realized with a shock that the figure was familiar: that of one Bruce Banner.
"What are you thinking about there, big guy?" Steve asked, slowing down his run to talk to his friend.
"Just thinking." Bruce replied, his eyes still set on the horizon over the ocean.
"Thinking about what?"
"About what I could have been."
Steve shook his head. He knew all too well these thoughts. "You can't think about that. You keep doing that-"
"So people keep telling me. It's just I keep going back to that moment in the lab. What if I hadn't had tried to save that kid? Would he have had this green monster inside of him or would life have just been a lot simpler for both of us?"
"No use on lingering on that. It happened and you've saved a lot of lives thanks to that radiation. We've saved New York together and that is something to be proud of."
"Easy for you to say. You're the hero, not the monster. You don't have to worry that one day you'll lose control and destroy everything you've created."
"No, but I also know the dangers of lingering too long in the past and the could have beens. You think any of this is easy for any of us? I'm still trying to get used to the fact that everyone I knew is either aged beyond recognition or dead." Steve said unwaveringly. His voice gained strength as he spoke the conviction showing in his voice. "But I don't let it get the better of me. Because if I do I will have let all their sacrifices down in vain. I know what I do is good; good for me, good for my country, good for my god. Sure I could have been different, I could’ve been fighting Nazis my whole life. But you know what? I'm not, and there's no sense in trying to change that. We are all this way for a reason."
Bruce turned away from the ocean and looked at Steve curiously. He had never really thought about what Steve was going through.
Steve let the silence sit there for a couple moments before continuing on, "I have to keep running. If I don't I won't be able to finish my workout and make it to the S.H.E.I.L.D. briefing." He extended his hand, "See you at the meeting, you better be on time."
Bruce shook his hand, "Yeah, I'll be there."
Bruce's gaze lingered for a bit longer, watching the retreating back of his friend. "Guess we all have our monsters." he muttered to himself.