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Tony whispers it across the room to him, stories about his father -neglect anger blood pain- and mother -why did you have to die I miss you so much please come back mommy- and then, then there's Rhodey. He hears about spending days locked up in tree-houses and crying on each other's shoulders and then crying alone because Rhodey was gone and gone and gone and Tony looked and looked but then the mutation rippled across his cells and he stopped. Rhodey would hate me think I'm a monster better to be alone can't get attached can-
There's a picture of him in Tony's bedside table and Bruce sees him big and small and happy and sad and panicked -what's happening why do the things I touch explode I'm so scared- and wonders if Tony knows that his brother in all but blood is a mutant too.
So Bruce coils around him loosely and lies him down and fishes in his mind until Hulk pushes him in the right direction and he sings like his mother used to, soft and warm and when it's dark you're home and fed, curl up snug in your water bed, moon is shining and the stars are out, goodnight little whale, goodnight .
Hulk twists closer to the surface and they kiss Tony's forehead and Bruce has to force himself not to purr and snuggle closer. He pokes Hulk insistently until he settles back into his cluster of neurons and slips from Tony's bed, opening his mind to Charles and threading the image and feel of Rhodey into his dream, knowing it will be recognized for what it is.
Bruce tries to leave in the morning and stands with his hand on the doorknob for ten minutes, watching Tony sleep and breathe and feels warmth surge through his entire body. The feel of it crashing over him at the end of the feedback loop from Charles - he breathes deep and Hulk shutters their mind more tightly to cut it off - is what makes him open the door and step into the hall.
Hank doesn't want him inside Cerebro but lets him by and Bruce ducks his head so no one sees the green swell in his eyes. Charles is ready and waiting with his eyes closed. Hulk huffs but lets Bruce open themselves up once more, pushing forward through Charles' mind into Cerebro and it's excruciating to feel all the pain that Charles doesn't.
But the look on Tony's face when Rhodey walks into the mansion behind Bruce two days later is well worth it. Hulk rumbles contentedly and memorizes scent and name -the warmth of fire and oil and heaviness and War Machine - and his family grows ever larger.