Inside Voices ▷ Bruce Banner | ✓

16 - BACK TO SCHOOL

"YOU'RE JUST LIKE A CAT, YOU KNOW THAT?" 

She tilted her head to try and look at Bruce who was leaning over her head, a small smile playing on his lips as he rested his chin on his fist, his elbow propped up onto the table she was sprawled over, and she gave him a small smile as well.

She had been visiting the lab more often, mostly at the request of Bruce who had been getting regular updates from JARVIS on how she was doing, the AI letting him know of whenever she had a short episode that she didn't want to warn him about, along with her sleeping patterns. But that wasn't to say that she didn't go visit him of her own volition, she found that she enjoyed Bruce's presence, even if he was often too busy to give her his full attention at all times.

But he was giving it to her now, and she was wholly pleased, smiling up at him from where she was sprawled along the table, and he laughed, shaking his head at her with an amused smile.

She tilted her head, reaching out towards his glasses, and he scoffed, leaning down to let her take them off his ears, moving to put them on her own face, smiling up at him, and he laughed, reaching out to tap the side of them, causing her to freeze, blinking rapidly, and he laughed again, shaking his head.

"How do I look?" she asked, adjusting the glasses, and he pretended to think, tilting his head, rubbing his chin.

Finally, he smiled, his arms crossed in front of him, his body leaned against them, his head hovering over hers. "Adorable."

She felt her cheeks warm and she averted her gaze, Bruce's cheeks pink as well, looking towards the other side, and it was only when she looked away from him that she found Tony standing in the doorway of the lab, looking between the two with a knowing smirk.

He said nothing, however, instead making his way over towards his screen, going over something that he had been working on by himself for the past few days. She had been confused, as he said it pertained to her, but he had only asked for Bruce's help a few times, the older man seeming surprised every time he was asked to help consult.

The two watched him work for some time, though Bruce seemed to be more interested in continuing the tests that he had been running on her when she had decided to sprawl out against the table, causing him to pause and laugh at her.

"I'm gonna need these back," he said softly, tapping the side of his glasses, and he inclined her head towards him, letting him slip them off her ears, placing them on his own nose, going back to running his tests.

She tugged at the sweater she was wearing, looking down at how it was engulfing her. It was one of Bruce's that she had found when going through his closet, and he explained that, after he turned into The Hulk, they just shoved him into one of his oversized sweaters and carried him off, a role that jumped between Thor and Steve depending on who caught him first. He had a few sweaters that declared his distaste for the government, and Steve always laughed when he saw them, so he had taken to wearing them often.

Because of how happy they made him, she decided to swipe one and wear it, and she had garnered the right response when she had walked into the lab, Bruce doing a double take when he caught sight of her, laughing hard at the, 'Suck My Dick, General Ross,' sweater that Tony had gotten screen-printed for him.

Bruce paused from where he was scanning over her with a handheld device. "You had an episode this morning?"

"Just a small one," she said softly, motioning to her side, "It hurt, a lot, but not for long. JARVIS said it lasted for only thirty seconds."

He nodded, frowning as he wrote it down, looking confused as he mumbled to himself, and she reached out to try and see, only to frown down at all the chicken scratch coupled with words and symbols she couldn't understand.