Mary Jane was not having a good day. She'd missed the big scene on her doorstep because she'd broken down in the shower; crying for Harry and her part in his pain. When she'd gotten out he'd been gone and she'd cried some more. The news was everywhere by the time she'd gotten to play rehearsal and by everywhere she meant everywhere.
She was a little angry about the scene on her doorstep and she was more than a little shocked by the photo with Bruce and Harry kissing but most of the day she went around being angry at the people who were staring and whispering about her. She really hated being tabloid fodder. Even then she couldn't get Harry out of her head, he was dying and she was going to play rehearsal like it was just any other day.
By the time it was through she was relieved like nobody's business. There had been a few times when she'd considered storming out because of the unprofessionalism illustrated by her fellow actors. If she had been one of those girls who had dated Harry and John and Bruce for their money maybe she wouldn't have been offended by the comments she heard but she wasn't one of those girls so she was offended.
When she walked out of the doors, alone and after everyone else had left, she saw Bruce standing there looking tired and worn and he had pink roses. She sighed, searching for her anger, which was present and walked towards him.
Well she'd acknowleged he existed, it was a step. Of course it didn't mean he was anywhere close to off the hook.
"I'm an idiot, and I need to apologize for everything that happened today." He held out the roses hoping that he wasn't going to get them back the hard way. He had been surprised by his reaction to Harry going to MJ's apartment last night, he didn't think it would bother him so much on either side but it had.
And she had to feel horrible about what Harry was going through too and he'd added to it.
She looked at him almost skeptically and accepted the roses, breathing in the sweet scent she lifted her eyes to his. No he really wasn't off the hook yet.
"What did happen today? Exactly."
She raised her brow and looked at him expectantly, if he thought she only meant why he was outside her apartment and fighting Harry he was sadly mistaken.
He put his hands in his pockets when she took the roses, she would ask that. Not that she didn't have a right too but he really was not good at explaining things like this even to himself.
"I knew Harry went to your apartment and I was completely off balance with everything that's happening so I went there to pick a fight." Which was one of the most idiotic things he could have done. Not only the fight but the getting jealous of everything in the first place.
"Harry being Harry said some things back to me and I hit him. He decided to pick an interesting way to show me we were still friends." He's uncomfortable talking about it all and knows he not answering the real questions, he can tell by the look on her face.
She just watch him give the same answer she'd expect he'd give just about anyone. It hurt a little bit because she didn't want to be just anyone to Bruce. She didn't even know where they stood anymore, or how she wanted them to stand given everything.
"You wanted to pick a fight with him? About me or him?"
She figured it was probably both. She knew Harry well enough to know that the bond between him and Bruce was thick and she'd never get in the middle of it.
"Right. Harry does love to make sure you know how he feels doesn't he?"
It's a struggle to let go of the barriers he keeps up for everyone, letting them go means letting her in and there's part of him that rebells against that, but she deserves better than that.
"Both. Harry hit me when he found out we were out to dinner that time, and then he turned around and went to you and I didn't think." He has to almost push the words out and he's glad she's being patient about this.
"Trust me, he likes to make sure and add shock value to his statements."
"He just wanted to know why," she started, looking down at the roses in her hands. "Why I couldn't choose him. I'd always thought he just understood but he hadn't and it hurt him."
And she would do anything to take that away from him. Anything to make everything just a little bit simpler.
"Thinking isn't always so great you know not that I condone hitting your best friend outside of his ex-girlfriends apartment but I understand, kind of I guess. Next time? Check for cameras."
There was more she wanted to say but she couldn't quite find the right words to say it. She was angry but it was less directed at him and Harry and more directed at the whole world. Not that they'd made her life any easier with that display but boys were boys and boys like Harry were a handful.
"Yeah. That's one thing I've always known about him."
"I left, and in some ways he'll never forgive me even if he understands it. I want him to find that person he's looking for."
He let out a low laugh that edged on hysteria, damn he needed to get some sleep. "Actually I was sort of planning to avoid punching him for a while so the cameras are moot." He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face.
"It's just I'm so damn scared, I know he told you what he's going through, I can't help and I'm not good when I can't do anything. It makes me crazy."
She nodded, knowing the feeling, she knew that Harry would never truly understand why, any of the whys he'd been asking himself. Why his wife left, why they couldn't be, why Bruce had left.
"He will, It's the big reason why I didn't just stay with him. I knew he'd find someone better, someone who deserved the love he gave them you know? Someone who could love him the same way."
She was lost in thoughts and memories for a moment before she looked up at Bruce with a small smile before letting her brow furrow slightly.
"Unfortunately knowing Harry he probably deserved the punch."
Bruce looked so tired and so ... scared, she noticed it around his eyes even before he admitted it to her.
"It's not brave if you aren't scared Bruce. I know how you feel, helpless, like there's nothing you can do but watch someone you love ..." She closed her eyes, HArry was not going to die.
"You need to get some rest Bruce. You look tired and you're not going to be any help if you run yourself into the ground."
"I'm not sure I can do that again. Watch someone close to me...no he's going to be fine. Alexander and Peter are working on it and some other genius that Dawn knows, we'll find something." He reached out and touched her cheek lightly, she felt it just like he did, that unwillingness to say it out loud or you might make it happen.
"I promise I'm going to sleep. Alexander promised to dart gun me if I didn't after I came to talk to you."
She nodded knowing what he meant, she'd never quite lost someone close to her but just the thought of it drove her near tears.
She felt a sense of relief when he told her that Peter was working to help Harry. It meant that he knew and Peter would do everything he could. She knew Harry's other friends would as well but with Peter she knew him, she knew without any question he'd save Harry if it was in his power and it would be, he was Spiderman, it's what he did.
She shook her thoughts away and blinked the tears in her eyes back.
"He'll make it, he's too stubborn not to."
She nodded again when he said he'd be getting some sleep.
"You should have gotten some rest already. I wasn't really that angry with you anyway, I mean I was but it's more the press and the people who make things worse."
"There was some legal things to take care of, and I didn't want to put you off. You're the highlight of my day." He smiled at her with a tinge of sadness.
"Let me walk you home, or drive you, I promise to behave myself and not punch anyone else today."
She liked being the highlight of his day but not really on days like today. Days when Harry was dying and not because having a heartattack would be a highlight on a day that Harry was dying but because she couldn't stand to think about it. What Bruce had to do and knowing how it probably made him feel.
"Highlight's kind of let down huh?" She joked lightly. It was better than letting the oppressive feeling bare down on them.
She smiled lightly and nodded.
"Walking me home would be nice and then you're required to get some rest or I'll call the tabloids and give them a juicy story."
"You as a highlight are never a let down." He held out his hand for her to take as they started down the sidewalk together. Just the feel of her hand in his made things easier right now.
"I'm not sure my reputation can take another jucy story...unless it's true...so I'll get some sleep." He did his best attempt at a leer for her.
She was a little angry about the scene on her doorstep and she was more than a little shocked by the photo with Bruce and Harry kissing but most of the day she went around being angry at the people who were staring and whispering about her. She really hated being tabloid fodder. Even then she couldn't get Harry out of her head, he was dying and she was going to play rehearsal like it was just any other day.
By the time it was through she was relieved like nobody's business. There had been a few times when she'd considered storming out because of the unprofessionalism illustrated by her fellow actors. If she had been one of those girls who had dated Harry and John and Bruce for their money maybe she wouldn't have been offended by the comments she heard but she wasn't one of those girls so she was offended.
When she walked out of the doors, alone and after everyone else had left, she saw Bruce standing there looking tired and worn and he had pink roses. She sighed, searching for her anger, which was present and walked towards him.
"Hi."
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"I'm an idiot, and I need to apologize for everything that happened today." He held out the roses hoping that he wasn't going to get them back the hard way. He had been surprised by his reaction to Harry going to MJ's apartment last night, he didn't think it would bother him so much on either side but it had.
And she had to feel horrible about what Harry was going through too and he'd added to it.
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"What did happen today? Exactly."
She raised her brow and looked at him expectantly, if he thought she only meant why he was outside her apartment and fighting Harry he was sadly mistaken.
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"I knew Harry went to your apartment and I was completely off balance with everything that's happening so I went there to pick a fight." Which was one of the most idiotic things he could have done. Not only the fight but the getting jealous of everything in the first place.
"Harry being Harry said some things back to me and I hit him. He decided to pick an interesting way to show me we were still friends." He's uncomfortable talking about it all and knows he not answering the real questions, he can tell by the look on her face.
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"You wanted to pick a fight with him? About me or him?"
She figured it was probably both. She knew Harry well enough to know that the bond between him and Bruce was thick and she'd never get in the middle of it.
"Right. Harry does love to make sure you know how he feels doesn't he?"
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"Both. Harry hit me when he found out we were out to dinner that time, and then he turned around and went to you and I didn't think." He has to almost push the words out and he's glad she's being patient about this.
"Trust me, he likes to make sure and add shock value to his statements."
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And she would do anything to take that away from him. Anything to make everything just a little bit simpler.
"Thinking isn't always so great you know not that I condone hitting your best friend outside of his ex-girlfriends apartment but I understand, kind of I guess. Next time? Check for cameras."
There was more she wanted to say but she couldn't quite find the right words to say it. She was angry but it was less directed at him and Harry and more directed at the whole world. Not that they'd made her life any easier with that display but boys were boys and boys like Harry were a handful.
"Yeah. That's one thing I've always known about him."
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He let out a low laugh that edged on hysteria, damn he needed to get some sleep. "Actually I was sort of planning to avoid punching him for a while so the cameras are moot." He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face.
"It's just I'm so damn scared, I know he told you what he's going through, I can't help and I'm not good when I can't do anything. It makes me crazy."
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"He will, It's the big reason why I didn't just stay with him. I knew he'd find someone better, someone who deserved the love he gave them you know? Someone who could love him the same way."
She was lost in thoughts and memories for a moment before she looked up at Bruce with a small smile before letting her brow furrow slightly.
"Unfortunately knowing Harry he probably deserved the punch."
Bruce looked so tired and so ... scared, she noticed it around his eyes even before he admitted it to her.
"It's not brave if you aren't scared Bruce. I know how you feel, helpless, like there's nothing you can do but watch someone you love ..." She closed her eyes, HArry was not going to die.
"You need to get some rest Bruce. You look tired and you're not going to be any help if you run yourself into the ground."
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"I promise I'm going to sleep. Alexander promised to dart gun me if I didn't after I came to talk to you."
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She felt a sense of relief when he told her that Peter was working to help Harry. It meant that he knew and Peter would do everything he could. She knew Harry's other friends would as well but with Peter she knew him, she knew without any question he'd save Harry if it was in his power and it would be, he was Spiderman, it's what he did.
She shook her thoughts away and blinked the tears in her eyes back.
"He'll make it, he's too stubborn not to."
She nodded again when he said he'd be getting some sleep.
"You should have gotten some rest already. I wasn't really that angry with you anyway, I mean I was but it's more the press and the people who make things worse."
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"Let me walk you home, or drive you, I promise to behave myself and not punch anyone else today."
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"Highlight's kind of let down huh?" She joked lightly. It was better than letting the oppressive feeling bare down on them.
She smiled lightly and nodded.
"Walking me home would be nice and then you're required to get some rest or I'll call the tabloids and give them a juicy story."
She winked at him and they started walking.
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"I'm not sure my reputation can take another jucy story...unless it's true...so I'll get some sleep." He did his best attempt at a leer for her.
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