Title: Tasha & Her Beast

Author: Sofia Bee

Category: Avengers

Rating: M

Summary: Natasha, a nerdy librarian is frustrated when scarred Bruce Banner uses escorts instead of her. A modern day retelling of Beauty & the Beast

Notes: This was originally posted as a short novella written BY ME on Amazon under the author name STEPHANIE FISHER. This story belongs to me.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but a dirty mind

Extra Note: I generally keep my fanfiction characters true to character, but I am just trying something different, Please review.

It was 7:00 pm on the dot on Wednesday night when Natasha Romanov pulled up in her SUV at Windsor Manor. As usual she parked her car on the right and waved politely at the driver in the other SUV that was waiting. She let herself in, placed her coat and scarf on the hook and made her way down the hall and into the study. On her way, she crossed paths with the redhead coming down the stairs. Politely, she smiled and bowed her head and the redhead smiled back and made a beeline for her own coat and got into the waiting SUV outside.

"Different hooker this time," Natasha thought to herself. She usually saw the same blond escort on her way out, but this time it was a redhead. She sighed, always wondering why somebody as charming as Mr. Banner needed to hire a professional to sleep with him. Oh yeah, then she was reminded of how shallow people were in the real world. They wouldn't understand Mr. Banner. But Natasha did, and secretly she was jealous every time she watched them leave, secretly hoping that it was her that was up in his bedroom, having sex. "Sigh, if only."

"Miss Romanov? Why didn't you call for me?" Natasha turned and was met by Mr. Lemieux, the manor's butler. He hurried over to her, hastily taking the heavy cardboard box out of her hands. Natasha smiled at him. "I can handle a box of books on my own dear," she'd always say. It humored her to see Mr. Lemieux fuss at her defiant answers as he disappeared with the box. He was a middle aged man, slightly chubby and Natasha presumed he was British. Ever so helpful, he hated it when Natasha carried her own things and insisted on waiting on her beck and call. It definitely was not something Natasha was used to. With a sigh of relief, she made her way into the study and dropped herself on the plush couch. The fireplace was nicely lit and reflected the room nicely. It was supposed to be a study, but resembled a full blown library complete with 15 stories of shelves all the way around the room that could only be reached with a rolling ladder. It was hard to believe sometimes that this was a work related trip.

It was all kind of strange how it came about. Natasha worked at her City library as the assistant librarian and Mr. Banner makes a weekly book order through the library. Before it would just be delivered by courier to him but Natasha took an interest in his books of choice. One day she sent a note with his order stating that she would love to get together to discuss various topics on his orders and here they were a year later. Every Wednesday at exactly 7:00 pm she would visit with his latest order and they would sit in the study for a few hours, discussing every topic imaginable over a few drinks and a light dinner. She was so lost in dreamland that she didn't even hear him come in.

"Good evening Tasha," he spoke as he entered the room. Natasha blushed at the abbreviation on her name. It rolled so beautifully off his tongue. "Good evening Mr. Banner," she replied, barely swallowing at the sight of him. Before her stood a gorgeous man who kept in really great shape. He was clad in a pair of dark blue jeans and a long sleeve white buttoned down shirt. His freshly washed salt and pepper colored hair clung to his face, yet hardly covering his half burnt scar tissue ridden face and neck. In their first encounters Mr. Banner made great efforts to hide his face, yet now they have gotten comfortable enough that he bares it fully to Natasha. And for her part, Natasha had never seen a man more handsome than him.

"How many times have I asked you to call me Bruce?" he teased, to which Natasha rolled her eyes. "And how many times am I going to have to deny calling you that before you give up trying?" she responded. He laughed and took a seat across from her on the other couch. Mr. Lemieux came in just then and placed the newest order of books on the coffee table and hurried himself back to the kitchen to fetch the drinks. In that moment Natasha took her time to steal a quick glance over him. Lord, this man was sexy. She frowned at his neck, noticing a bite mark on the smooth side. Probably left there by the redhead hooker. Jealousy coursed through her body at the mental image of Bruce on top of another woman, plunging into her and making her scream out in ecstasy.

"How was your week?" Bruce asked, reaching for a book. "Hmm? Oh," Natasha began, shaken out of her daze, "Long and stressful. The system crashed so I have to relist all the books manually. Taking forever."

A few rounds of drinks and some snacks later, Bruce and Natasha were in full laughter and conversation. They were having so much fun that Natasha didn't even realize it was well after 11:00 pm.

"I've just realized that a year later, I still don't know what your favorite book is," he Bruce remarked as he started putting the new books on the appropriate shelves. "I like classic fairy tales, like the brothers Grimm and such," she answered. Bruce seemed amused at her unlikely answer. "Any favorites?" he mused. "Beauty and the beast by Marie Leprince de Beaumont," she answered. Bruce chuckled. "Any reason why, or just because you and the heroin share the same name?" He expected an entirely different answer than what she offered. "Because it's the story of my life."

Bruce was uneasy with the answer, feeling as if it was referring to the two of them. Had she really considered him a beast that held her prisoner in this study? Did she really think him unlovable and mean? "I don't understand," he lied, hoping she would clarify. Natasha merely chuckled. "I'm the odd girl that is more interested in books than finding a husband and constantly support my father with his rather odd ideas." Bruce let out a hearty laugh, remembering all the crazy stories Natasha had told him about her rather eccentric father and his ideas for the future. "Well maybe one day you will find your prince charming." Natasha smiled. "Too bad he doesn't realize that he is sitting right in front of me," she thought to herself as she stuffed another croissant in her mouth.

"Oh, I'm going to miss this," Natasha sighed, taking another sip of her martini. Bruce arched his brows. "Oh? Are these meetings stopping?" he asked, a tiny hint of panic in his tone. It was no secret to his staff that Bruce enjoyed his meetings with Natasha. So much in fact that the only thing he looked forward to was Wednesday nights. Ever since returning from war battered and burnt, Bruce had become mostly reclusive. The few outings he did make always garnered far more attention than he would like and the uneasy glances had pushed him over the edge. Now he just worked from home and cherished his time in his own library. The precious gift of conversation with Natasha had made his reclusiveness a bit more bearable. If only she could stay beyond the weekly book conversations.

Natasha shrugged her shoulders, hoping he didn't notice the disappointment in her own eyes. "The library's funding is being cut again at the end of the year, so most likely they will cut my job seeing as I am the youngest there. And I highly doubt any other library in town would be able to hire me." She let out another sigh before chugging down the rest of her martini. "Then I get the honor of moving back home." The idea of her moving out of state turned his stomach painfully. He couldn't lose her.

"I'm sure things will work out," Bruce offered to which Natasha scoffed, although a little harder than she intended. "My line of work is a dying breed Mr. Banner. Printed books and libraries are being replaced by online subscriptions and e-readers and e-books. Library memberships are being traded for anonymity online as if they are ashamed to admit to what they are reading or that they are reading at all," she stated, sounding defeated. "If more people were like you, I wouldn't feel like my education was a complete waste of time and money." Her hands gestured at the vast library in his own home and alluding to his character of appreciating a good book.

"Have you ever thought of going into teaching?" Bruce asked, but Natasha shook her head. "Not really an interest of mine. Maybe I should just go into prostitution. There still seems to be MUCH interest in that." The words came out much harsher than she intended and she immediately regretted the words at the expression on his face. She expected to see hurt but instead she saw something else, though she wasn't sure how to classify.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I didn't mean to offend," she began, but Bruce just let out a small laugh that confused her. "I'm not offended at all." He replied, retaking his seat across from her.

"Why not?" she asked, throwing all her insecurities out the window. Anger washed over her in her somewhat drunken state. She refused to accept that a man would not be offended at the accusation that he needed to pay for sex. Surely when one was as smart and handsome and charming as Bruce Banner.

"Look at me Tasha. I don't exactly fit in society's norm of physical acceptance when it comes to dating. Hell, I scare children at the mall. That's why I like it here. I'm away from judgement of others and these women get paid for a little time of physical pleasure. We both get what we want." He reasoned, pointing at his deformed face. Tears started to form in Natasha's eyes. Damn, was she really getting upset by this? Was she really upset about how he thought the world viewed him? "You deserve so much more than that," she mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of her dress. She desperately wished at that moment that she had kept the words to herself, but the alcohol within her would not allow her thoughts to remain silent. A mental note was made to stop drinking with Mr. Banner. It would be better for her self-respect.

"And what's that? Someone like you?" he quipped. His tone was soft and gentle and he sat there with his hands clasped resting on his knees. He was calm, but Natasha couldn't comprehend how he could be so calm about it.

"Why not? Am I really not that interesting to you beyond just talking about books?" She didn't wait for an answer and instead stood up and headed towards the window. She needed to save face and didn't want him to see the tears that threatened to fall.

"You don't fit in my world," he calmly responded. It was in that moment that Natasha felt that she had shattered into a million pieces. The man that she had lusted after for the past year had just told her the words that she knew all along. It killed her to have him reaffirm her fear and all she could do was stifle an angry chuckle. "Yeah, I'm not really as attractive as the redhead you hired earlier this evening." A single tear fell down her cheek.

"I got a redhead today so I could fantasize that she was you." Natasha's heart stopped at the sound of his words. She wanted to turn to face him, but stopped when she realized that he was standing right behind her. "I fantasize about you all the time," he whispered into her ear, his chest pressing against her back, "all the time." Natasha's breath caught in the back of her throat, goosebumps breaking out all over her body. "And when that wasn't enough," he continued, his hands roaming down the sides of her arms, "I had to get a redhead to get a better feel. I needed a better visual for when I fantasize about having you." Tentatively, he placed little hot kisses on the side of her neck, smiling against her skin when her breathing became uneven. His hands abandoned her arms and ventured down to her waist, roaming up and down her hips. She was reacting to him, and he was enjoying it.

"I want you under me, taking all of me in you," he whispered into her ear, his tongue tracing the shell of her ear. "Sometimes I think I will go mad if I don't conquer your body. The thought of never having you is enough to make me lose my mind." His words were making her heart beat faster and her panties wet.

"Then why don't you just have me?" Natasha asked. The question startled him a little and his actions ceased. Had he heard her correctly? Was the woman of his fantasies offering herself up to him?

Turning in his arms, Natasha came face to face with Bruce. The close proximity of him made her heart falter and she was pretty sure that she was probably trembling all over. But it didn't take away from her question. "Just have me," she repeatedly, her bottom lip quivering. Searching his eyes, as if asking for permission, she lifted her face as if to kiss him.

And then it hit her senses.

"You still smell like her." Her words hit him like a dozen daggers. He quickly took a step back, his hands covering his mouth and eyes. "Shit, I'm sorry," he hissed. Natasha took in a deep breath, nearly stumbling as she tried to take a step forward. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or her hormones that were trying to knock her to the floor. But she knew that she needed to go home as soon as possible, for both their sakes.

"I should go," she whispered, reaching for her bag next to the coffee table. "Tasha, please," Bruce began, but the heart broken look on her face stopped him in his tracks. "Goodbye Mr. Banner," she croaked before hurriedly stepping out of the study and heading to the door. Defeated, Bruce dropped himself on the couch, his face buried in his hands. "Bruce, please just call me Bruce," he murmured.

The following Wednesday, right on schedule, Natasha pulled up to the Manor at 7:00 pm. She parked her car on the right and grabbed the week's book order out of the trunk. She had hesitated coming over that week. The week before was definitely not something that was routine between her and Bruce. Certainly not getting all touchy feely with each other. Part of her was embarrassed about what happened, but another part of her was curious and dare she say anxious to see if there would be a continuation on the events than transpired, hopefully this time with a lot less tears.

Expecting to see another SUV parked with the motor running, she was ready to wave, but there was no car in sight. "Hmph, must have had her leave early," she bitterly muttered to herself. If there was anything she learned in the past year was that Bruce was a creature of habit and obviously hookers on Wednesday nights were his habit. Natasha's outburst last week must have made him tweak the orders. Making a mental note to keep her opinions about him to herself, she opened the door and placed her coat and scarf on the rack.

"Mr. Lemieux?" Natasha called out. If memory served her right, she had never called for Mr. Lemieux before but she still wasn't sure how to act today. She wasn't even sure if she was still welcome in the manor anymore. To her surprise, the butler was nowhere to be found. Tentatively, she made her way to the study that she had grown so fond of. The fireplace was lit and emitting very pleasant warmth and the coffee table was set with an array of sweets and treats and a setting of tea. The scene made it clear to Natasha that Bruce was still at the least expecting her and the notion soothed her nerves a tad.

"Good evening Tasha." The salutation startled her for a moment. Taking a deep breath, Natasha smoothed down her dress and turned to face him. "Good evening Mr. Banner," she replied, though she wasn't even sure if the words came out of her mouth. Bruce stood in front of her in a pair of dark pajama pants and a plaid long sleeve shirt that was only half buttoned. His face bore week old stubble and his hair was in a mess. Not that it mattered, the only thing that caught Natasha's eyes was the look in his own orbs. His eyes were filled with lust, pure untamed lust, it was almost feral.

"How was your week?" he smoothly asked, slowly walking over towards her. Clearing her throat, she tried to gather a coherent thought. The sexy man in the same room with her was making that task quite difficult. "It was ok," she managed to squeak. Her words did not stop his pace. "I'm sorry I look a little unkempt, my mind has been a little preoccupied," he excused, running a hand over his hair. Natasha shook her head. "You look very handsome." She tried to say it in her bravest voice, but all her voice could do was break. Didn't take away from it, he did look extremely handsome.

"And you look absolutely ravishing." The words were barely out of his mouth when he attached his lips to hers, his hands immediately cupping her face. Natasha squealed at the contact, completely taken back by the action. Was she dreaming? Was Bruce Banner actually kissing her? All thoughts quickly disappeared and she relaxed herself, giving in to him. He kissed her hungrily, his hands tangling in her hair. In response she moaned into his mouth and parted her lips, granting him entrance. He responded with his tongue, lapping away at her. They kissed for long moments before Bruce finally ripped his lips away from hers, immediately regretting the action. Both breathing hard, they rested their foreheads against each other's.

"Did you mean what you said last week?" he asked through ragged breaths. Still in a daze, unable to see straight, Natasha lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Mean what?" she asked, her breath still ragged. Pushing a strand of brown hair behind her ear, he placed another quick kiss on her lips. "Did you mean it when you said I should just have you?" He searched her eyes for an answer, any kind of answer.

"Yes," she breathed. "Why?" he questioned, his fingers playing with the hair at the nape of her neck. The action made her skin break out in goosebumps, and she longed for another kiss. "I've wanted you from the moment I saw you," Natasha confessed. Bruce's eyes widened at her confession, unable to believe the words that fell from her kiss swollen lips. Surely he had misheard her.

"Why would you want a beast like me?" he frowned, his insecurities taking over. But he didn't move, refused to let her go. "I don't see you the way you think others see you," she whispered. Bravely, she lifted her hand and carefully ghosted her fingers over the side of his burnt face. He winced at her touch, and tried to turn his face away from her, but she wouldn't let him. Grabbing him by the chin, she pulled his face back to hers and completely palmed his cheek in her hand. Her warmth soothed him greatly and he closed his eyes, savoring the moment.

"What do you see?" he asked after a brief moment, opening his eyes to watch her. Smiling, she raised her other hand to cup his other cheek. "The man of my dreams and desires," she whispered and pulled him in for another kiss. She could barely believe her own bravery at the moment, but she needed him to know how she felt and wanted more than ever to show him how she felt for him.

Her words were assurance enough for him and he kissed her hungrily again, his hands reach down to cup her ass and lift her. Legs immediately wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck for support. Gracefully, he placed her on the couch, never breaking the kiss. After another long kiss, he broke away from her and braced himself on his arms as not to crush her under his strong torso. He was much bigger and stronger than her and she was so delicate. The idea of breaking her scared the living shit out of him and he made a mental note to handle her with care.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, his eyes scanning over every crevice of her face. Part of him still believed that she would come to her senses and run out the door as soon as he went too far, so he wanted to cherish every moment and remember every single detail of her beauty before then. Natasha blushed at the compliment; it wasn't every day that a handsome man told you that you were beautiful, much less when he was on top of you.

"Kiss me," she pleaded, pulling him down by his shirt to get him closer to her. With a chuckle, he obliged and kissed her tenderly, their lips tenderly massaging into each other. The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering like crazy and she wanted so much more. Her leg bent and the action caused him to sink deeper on top of her and she moaned at the feeling of his erection through his pants as it pushed down on her panties. A desperate moan escaped her lips and her hands darted down to the waistband of his pants, wanting to pull it down.

"Patience my beauty," he whispered against her lips, his tongue tracing the swollen pink flesh as his hand stopped hers. She whimpered in protest and wanted to pout, but Bruce had plans for her, and if he wanted it to last as long as he had planned, then his clothes needed to remain on him just a little while longer.

"I want you," she reiterated, her leg rubbing his calf. He hummed, kissing the tip of her nose. "You can have me after I conquer every part of your body."

His lips attached themselves to her neck and sucked and licked lightly, which earned him an approving moan. Natasha gave up trying to undress him, and instead surrendered herself to him, letting him please her. If he wanted to conquer her, then he could be her guest and have at it. After marking her neck, his kissing trailed down further to her breasts. After teasing her nipples with his teeth through her dress, he pulled the dress over her head, discarding it on the floor. Now Natasha laid on the couch in nothing but her bra and panties, and the sight of her flush beneath made him growl.

"Every part of your body," he repeated, each word followed by a kiss as he trailed down to her belly button. Natasha giggled at the actions, his stubble tickling her sensitive skin. But her giggles soon turned into gasps when his kisses found themselves on the insides of her thighs. The feeling of his lips was so deliciously erotic that she wasn't even sure when he ripped her panties off. She was sure however when his lips touched her clit. "Oh my god," Natasha sighed, loving the feeling of the tip of his tongue tracing the sensitive little bud. As if waiting for that cue, Bruce dove in, hungrily lapping at her, his stubble grinding into her skin. Her head fell back in pure ecstasy, loud moans echoing throughout the room. "Don't stop," she desperately pleaded, her hands frantically running through his hair, pulling him closer to her. He chuckled at her need and the vibration caused her to shudder. Feeling her climax rising, she wrapped her legs around his neck and screamed out her orgasm and in return he drank her all in, trying to pull her even closer. He'd suffocate if he didn't let go but he didn't care. He'd been fantasizing about this moment for a very long time, and drinking her all in was only the beginning.

Drained of all energy, Natasha lay limp, her eyes fluttering shut. The powerful orgasm had her seeing stars and she wasn't even sure where she was. Holy crap, if this was just oral, how was she going to take the rest of him? Humming her approval as he kissed his way back up her body, she smiled when they were finally face to face again. "Hi," she whispered, her cheeks completely flushed. 'Hi," Bruce whispered back, placing soft little kisses all over her cheek and neck. Reveling in his kisses, she reached for his pants again, and much to her dismay, he stopped her again. "Not here," he whispered against her lips before capturing them in a searing kiss.

Without breaking their embrace, Bruce swept her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to his bedroom. As he walked, a realization hit Natasha so hard that it nearly sucked the air out of her. She was heading to the one room in the house that she wanted to be in. No more fantasizing about what kind of lover Bruce would be, she would now find out for herself.

Carefully, Bruce placed Natasha in the middle of the bed. Assuming the position on top of her again, he kissed her for long moments, his still fully clothed body pressing deeper onto her almost naked body. Their tongues dueled for dominance before he overpowered her, taking her captive with his power. Unable to take any more of this sweet torture, Natasha bucked her hips, hoping it would get him to take her completely. The action made him rip his lips away from hers.

"If you want me to stop, tell me now," he breathed, his gaze fixated on her, "because I won't be able to stop myself if we go any further."

His concern for her warmed her heart immensely and she cupped his face in her hands and lifted her lips until they were barely touching his. "I don't ever want you to stop." The words were enough to finish him at that exact moment. After a torrid rough kiss, Bruce stood up and started to unbutton his shirt. At the same time Natasha took off her bra and her breathing spiked when he took off his pants. She knew that part of his face was burnt but she had no idea beyond that that the majority of his torso and arm was burnt too. Yet to her, he never looked more sexy and delicious. There was no turning back now. After putting on a condom, Bruce crawled back up her body and repositioned himself between her legs.

She gasped as he slowly entered her and Bruce swallowed her scream when he plunged in at the last bit. He didn't give her much time to get adjusted and started thrusting in and out of her at a medium pace. Raising her hips to meet his thrusts, her mouth desperately searched for his for a kiss, but he wouldn't allow it. His face was buried in the crook of her neck, his hands behind her thighs, pulling them up. Natasha moaned and gasped at every thrust, the pleasure almost too much for her to bear. It had been so long since she took a lover and never one so skilled and rugged and toned as Bruce Banner. She never thought her worthy of such a beast of a man. She, the nerdy redhead that always had her nose in a book never rose to the occasion when it came to men asking her out. And Bruce was much different than the typical guy that did hit on her. He was established and much older, give or take 10 to 15 years. He was a soldier and protected his country. He was brave and driven, everything that Natasha was not. And now he was relentlessly thrusting in to her.

"Please," she pleaded, her hands clawing at his back. "Bruce, please." The sound of his name falling from her lips caused him to slow his thrusts and lift his gaze to meet hers. "Tell me what you want Beauty," he murmured, wiping away the sweat drenched strands of hair out of her face. A wicked smile crossed her features and in one swift movement she flipped him over and straddled his hips. "I want you," she whispered into his ear before kissing him softly. Slowly she rolled her hips into him, causing him to groan. "Oh, that feels amazing," he growled, causing her to roll her hips harder. Feeling confident in her movements, Natasha's braced her arms on his chest for support and tried to keep up with the frantic rhythm. When Bruce felt that she was starting to lose her pace, he placed his hands on her hips, guiding her to her pleasure. "I cant, I cant," she started to pant. In that moment Bruce sat up and pulled her into a rough kiss. In one swift motion he flipped her over hard, her back slamming against the soft mattress. Natasha desperately tried to reach for him but he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head, thrusting as hard as he could. Natasha knew she'd be bruised after but she didn't care, this felt way too amazing to stop. Feeling her orgasm approaching , she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, lifting her hips up to him. She screamed out her climax and before she could breathe Bruce captured her in one last searing kiss, his own orgasm following soon after. He collapsed on top of her, panting hard.

After a few moments Bruce flipped himself over on his back and pulled Natasha in his arms and she happily rested on his chest. They lay in silence for long moments, he occasionally kissing the top of her head and her tracing the scar tissue on his chest with her fingers.

"Well that was a great discussion about your latest book order," she teased, which earned her a chuckle from him. "I whole heartedly agree," he laughed, his fingers playing with her hair. It felt so wonderful laying in his arms, Natasha didn't want the night to end. As if reading her mind, he pulled her closer to him. "You are staying the night in bed with me, " he commanded, a rather protective hold on her. She smiled, placing a kiss on his chest. But her insecurities started to take over.

"Have any of them spent the night in this bed with you," she dared asked. Bruce let out a heavy breath, knowing that she was referring to his escorts. "No, they've never spent the night and they have never been in this bed. I take them in the guest room," he explained. Natasha was confused by this. She lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest to look at him. "Why?" she dared asked.

"Because my bedroom, this room, has always been reserved for a beauty, the beauty that belongs to this beast." The words touched her heart and she rewarded him with a kiss.

"So, you finally called me Bruce."

The End

Possibly to be continued…