nextgenerationmarvel | Life Goes On And Hides Under The Couch ((Open to Avengers))

After Christmas but before New Years, Jay and May had mutually decided to stop dating. They had drifted slightly apart. It was an amicable split and also half his choice, but Jay was still a bit sad. Though rather than brood in his room as he had done before, he went out and about all over New York City. Distractive outings. Though he made sure if he was with Stooges that the girlfriends were not along. He didn't want to dwell on being suddenly single nor did he want to feel like a fifth wheel.

Jay had gotten up late today and slogged out to the kitchen. When got back to his room, he noticed his door still open. He slapped a palm to his forehead and grunted.

"Crap. Crapcrap. Crapcrapcrap." The miniature giant space hamster, otherwise known as the pet he had that no one particularly knew about, was loose in the mansion. Jay turned on his heel and started down the hallway. He needed to find his pet before Jarvis found him and called the intergalactic exterminator.

"Boo," he whispered through clenched teeth as he stalked through the mansion. "Here, Boo. Heeeeeeeeere, Boo."

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"Dude, you're drunk. It won't kill you both to crash here until you sober up in the morning."

Bruce took in a breath. "She discovered a part of herself she didn't even know existed. I'd be surprised if she hadn't."

"I told her I'd do anything to help her. That she didn't have to face it alone. She told me I hadn't done anything wrong. That it was wonderful. That she loved me.

But apparently I'm just not enough to help her."

"Vincent... Look. I'm sure this hurts. But sometimes... sometimes, people need to do things on their own."

He drinks more of the coffee, getting defensive.

"Do you really know? Roxanne has been with me in one way or another since I first got to this world after my entire reality was destroyed. She's been the one positive constant for me here, and the first sustained positive since I was five years old."

"Okay, no," Bruce admitted. "I don't know. Not for sure. But I'm good with people. And Roxie's tapped in to some new part of herself. That I do know."

"Some part of her that either can't trust me, or just doesn't want me anymore," Vincent says sullenly, gazing into the mostly empty mug.

"I don't know who I am without her. Before I got here... I was evil, make no mistake. I was petty, remorseless, and cruel.

And I just don't know how much of getting away from that was because of her and how much I did on my own..."

"Or is could be neither," Bruce said. Not everything is about you, he thought, but did not voice.

He shook his head. "Or, you know, she really does just need some time to herself. These things happen."

Another frown. "Look, Vincent. You're a better person than you were before. Does the why matter?"

He sighs and then swirls the cup before downing the last of it.

"Identifying an active catalyst is one of the best ways to sustain a transitive change in properties.

I like who I am right now. Not this second, but you get what I mean."

"Look, Vincent. A brilliant guy once told me that life's not anywhere near as precise as science. It's messy and complicated and sometimes there are no good answers."

"Who was that?" Vincent goes about using a minor spell to fix the damage to the mug, now that his head is clearing. The concoction was absolutely foul, but seemed to work.

"Uncle Bruce," he said. "Er... Bruce Banner, I should say."

Vincent twitches slightly. "The Hulk..."

The bogeyman parents on Vincent's world told stories about to keep children in line when they pulled hair or talked back.

"I see."

He walks over to the sink and gives his face a wash, then the restored cup as well. "Thank you for your time, Bruce. I should be going to see to Audhild."

Kree coffee. Works every time.

"Sure," he said. "And any time you wanna talk..."

He nods. "Sure. Sometime we can... hang out, I guess."

It's clearly not a phrase he's used to coming out of his mouth.

Not exactly one he expected to hear either. You are not a Stooge, Vincent. But you are a teammate, and Bruce feels responsible for everyone, despite some of them being a good bit older.

"Whatever you need," he said.

Life Goes On And Hides Under The Couch ((Open to Avengers))

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