Chapter 1: Prologue

Bruce has always been edgy. Bruce has his reasons and excuses, but the edginess has been there for a long tome.

Now, of course, he blames it all on the Hulk, and before the Hulk came to be, he would tell people he was simply naturally edgy.

It's not natural.

Bruce's edginess was mercilessly pounded into him by his father. The edginess the, belief he is worthless, a freak, and a monster, that was all beaten into Bruce almost everyday by his father. It was especially bad because his father was an alcoholic.

~~~~Avenger~~~~~~Avenger~~~~~~~Avenger~~~~~~

When Tony first met Bruce, Tony made a connection, Bruce thought he may finally have had a friend again. The friendship continued without edginess, until they reached the kitchen

"Welcome to 10 or 8.5 floors of Candy-land! Jarvis start the rebuilding contracts and Dr. Banner here to the people allowed to be in my private labs."

"Very good Sir."

"Thank you Jarvis! Bruce-y this is Jarvis my AI, him and Pepper basically keep me alive when I hide myself here with a project or something."

"A pleasure Dr. Banner and congratulations, you now make up the list of people allowed in Master Stark's labs."

"Er, hello and...um...thank you."

"We'll make a password or something for you later and I thought Peps and Rhodey were allowed in here?"

"No Sir. Ms. Potts is only granted automatic accesses after 36 hours of work for you straight and Rhodey entered when the doors were broken. Neither are automatically allowed to enter without inside consent or substantial damage to the property. And Sir the other Avengers have arrived and are waiting in the lobby."

"Oh good. Thanks Jarvis. C'mon Bruce-y lets go grab the others and start our tour!"

Chapter 2

Tony finds out Part 1

"Well the others apparently have better things to do than hang with me, but you're cool so you get to stay and play with me. Anyway you've got the labs, living areas, garages, and everything else. We'll be adding and reconstructing new floors so you and the others will eventually have your own, and don't you dare say you aren't staying 'cause you are! It'll be awesome and I'll finally have someone to science with!"

Tony waved his arms dramatically as if to prove his point, "Now we reach the almighty kitchen, fully stalked with everything I'd eat and drink. Jarvis will order whatever you want, but until then we're surviving on pop-tarts, blueberries, and take out. You want something to drink?"

Bruce, still taking everything in, turned to Tony, who was behind the counter with all the alcohol.

Bruce gulped, "Like a welcome to the tower toast or something?" Gods that what it was, please that had to be what it was.

"Ummmm...sure. I guess I'll be having a lot of welcoming toasts today won't I?" Tony laughed not noticing Bruce's sudden nervousness.

"Mr. Stark has an affinity for the finer taste of liquors," Jarvis provided.

Tony laughed again, louder, "Jarvis is just being nice in front of you Bruce-y. It's ok Jarvis, thanks for trying. Bruce-y I'm basically a really rich and handsome alcoholic with extremely high tolerance levels and IQ. So what's your poison Bruce-y?" Tony turned from the liquor counter, drink in hand, to see the doctors response.

Bruce was fidgeting, full on about to have a Hulk-sized breakdown meant Tony had said the wrong thing, and things were going so well between them! Bruce opened and closed his mouth several times, staring at Tony's drink, before finally responding with a voice filled with edginess, "I'm good, awesome, but I think I'll just skip the drink and go sleep on the couch ok?"

Before Tony could respond, Bruce had already slipped out of the room.

Chapter 3: Tony Part 2

Tony Finds out Part 2

"Jarvis?" Tony said aloud, putting his drink down.

"Yes Master Stark?"

"Cross-reference Dr. Bruce Banner and anything that has to do with drinking. Download whatever you find to my personal Stark Tablet. Once you're done erase all proof."

"Very well Sir. If I may, should you not simply ask Dr. Banner about his behavior?"

"I could" Tony responded before walking to the couch and picking his tablet, "but then I might not get all the facts so I'll do a little digging before actually going in and prodding my science bro."

"As long as you're sure Sir. I have finished transferring all cross-referencing."

"I am and thank you very much Jarvis." Tony plopped down onto his couch and starting looking through the references. The first thing he clicked on made him freeze in his seat. It was an old article, and the heading was warning enough 'Rebecca Banner's Death', then he actually read the article.

'Dr. Brian Banner, atomic physicist, came home early that day' a neighbor reported 'he's always hated the boy(Robert Bruce Banner), I don't know why he's very intelligent and is such a sweet heart, but he's always loved Rebecca dearly. Ever since Robert came into their lives Brian has changed. He started drinking, and got angrier easier, but i never he would go this far.' According to the towns-people Brian became an alcoholic and had come home early after leaving a bar. Rebecca and their son, who is younger than 6 years old(I don't remember if he was four or five), were leaving when he returned home. In a rage at seeing them leaving, for reasons we haven't been able to find out, Brian attacked his son and wife. Rebecca was beaten in front of their son and by the time the paramedics arrived she had already died. Brian has been driven insane and placed in a mental hospital. The son is now to be cared for by his aunt after the discovery of repeated abuse the boy has received from father."

Tony put the tablet down, not wanting to continue, "Jarvis is this some kind of sick prank because I'm pretty sure I didn't program you to mess with me."

"No Sir everything there has truly happened. I made sure there was evidence for each event."

"But his dad...doing that to his mom? And then the reason he had to live with his aunt..."

"If I may Sir...that may be why he became skittish earlier. I detected his heartbeat spiking when you asked about the drinks. Dr. Banner has retired to his room and his heartbeat has returned to normal levels. I believe he is meditating now."

"Thanks Jarvis...I'm going to go talk to him now. Make sure the tower is secure and inform me directly if anyone gets near his room."

"Very good Sir."

Tony began walking towards his private elevator, once he entered he began talking to himself "His dad killed his mom and beat him so he had to go live with his aunt...and why? Because he was a Gods damn alcoholic! No wonder he panicked, I literally said I was an alcoholic. I'm getting better but he doesn't know that! Jeez Stark, get a grip, go make sure your science bro isn't going to leave."

Tony arrived at Bruce's guest room and, after silently having an argument with himself, knocked on the door. After three breaths, Tony knocked again before he opened the door and peeked inside the lights were dimmed but Tony was able to see well enough.

Bruce was sitting in the middle of a circular, tan rug. His legs were crossed and hands settled on his knees(You know the pose). He was humming slightly until he realized Tony was in the room. His eyes opened and looked at Tony, his eyes a swirling brown and green mixture. He blinked and the green was gone. "Did you need something Tony?" His voice still had the edginess, better hidden than before, but still there.

Tony walked in and sat across from Bruce. He pursed his lips before he spoke, "I was wondering why you got so nervous earlier and had Jarvis cross-reference some stuff for me," Bruce paled and his eyes widened. He opened his mouth, but Tony raised his hand, "I know what your dad did and I'm sorry. I'm not as bad as I used to be and I've already started working on lowering my intake level of alcohol, I was doing that even before you came. I still drink, but...Bruce I promise nothing is going to happen if and when I drink ok? The only time drinking will ever be a problem for me is if someone I hold dear abandons me. And that list only has three people on it right now.

Pepper, you'll meet her later when she yells at me for almost getting myself killed again, Rhodey, who has put up with me for years so there's only maybe a 5.3% chance of that happening. And now you, which I'm really hoping you won't 'cause that would suck since you're the first person to ever speak English with me and you and your brain make me feel not so abnormally genius-y and alone anymore and I know I'm rambling, so I'm just gonna shut up now."

Tony closed his mouth and waited for Bruce to say something. Bruce looked down while he played with his glasses, thinking. After two minutes he put the glasses back on and looked up at Tony. A small smile was on his face and cautious trust filled Bruce's eyes. He spoke with no edginess what-so-ever in his voice, "Thank you."

Chapter 4

Clint Part 1

Bruce was hiding in one of the labs. He had been living in the tower for two weeks, three days, four hours, and 27 minutes, not that he was counting. And Bruce had decided, after a terrifying encounter with Pepper that he would not have any outside contact, if he didn't have to. With the exception of Tony of course, and the beings Tony had created. Dum-E was nice if a little clingy to the fire extinguisher, and Butterfingers and You usually stayed in Tony's lab. Then there was Jarvis, Jarvis is amazing, in every sense of the word.

But other than that, Bruce would lock himself away in the lab if there were others over, only to come out for sleep in a real bed, or when he ran out of blueberries and tea.

So Bruce was surprised (but he didn't jump, no he still didn't trust Tony with sharp things) when Clint walked silently through his lab and gently sat on the counter behind Bruce.

Bruce finished his measuring of the glowing blue liquid and sighed, "You get in through the air vents?" Bruce turned around and started to fiddle with his glasses, still looking right at the archer.

Said archer looked a bit surprised Bruce had noticed him, before smirking, "Yeah, I need to remember to thank Tony later for making them big enough for me to get through."

Bruce nodded and simply stood there for a moment before going over to a different experiment he'd been working on. He through words out behind him, "You checking in for SHIELD or is this simply a visit to annoy Tony because of something he did earlier?"

"Ah...the second one actually sounds pretty fun, but no. I'm moving in to the tower because it's lonely and irritating at the hellicarier. What with Natasha doing some diplomacy in some country or another, Phil still on bed rest, and basically everyone else looking at me like I'm about to revert or something and kill them all." Hawkeye's tone had become darker, "Tony and I already had our bonding time and I wanted to say hi, I guess. I'll leave if you want but...umm...if you aren't busy or anything...I'd like some...uhh...Gods I'm bad at this." Clint muttered.

Bruce chuckled before turning back towards the man fumbling over his words, "Well I'm not busy at the moment, just finished, and if whatever your trying to get out pertains to anything relating to medical attention, a non-egotistical science tutor, or help with anger management, I'd be happy to help."

"Err...well...actually I was maybe...sort of hoping for...advice I guess?" the archer mumbled. He shook his head defiantly, "You know what never mind, forget it, pretend I didn't say anything at all."

"No Clint...I'll help if I can but lets go to the living room on my floor...Tony will be less likely to walk in and I'm getting the feeling this isn't something you want others to know about at the moment. Come on...Tony let me have stairs and my rooms the floor above this one."

Clint laughed softly, "You really are just something else aren't you doc?...Thanks."

Chapter 5

Clint Part 2

Bruce lead Hawkeye into his meditation room and sat down, motioning for the archer to follow suit. The archer sat, "So...uh...what do use this room for doc? Meditation, yoga, or do you bring a TV in here and do aerobics from the 70's?"

Clint smirked, hiding his stall with cockiness. Bruce chuckled, his edginess well hidden but still obviously there, "The first two. Now enough stalling, I can see right through your fake bravado, I do it all the time with Tony, don't look so surprised. Now what kind of advice were you looking for?"

Clint sputtered a bit at the fact Bruce had seen right through his facade, but then he realized the scientist wasn't perceived as normal. The fact made him feel a bit better, "Well you see..." Clint sighed. "Ok truth of the matter is...I wondered how...how do you deal with it? You are the only person remotely close to knowing what I've been through other than Selvic, and he didn't directly do anything wrong."

"Clint." Bruce said gently, the edginess still completely there.

The archer continued, apparently without hearing the good doctor, "The hellicarrier is a constant reminder not to mention the way some of the faces I don't see anymore were because I made them disappear,"

"Clint." Bruce said again, force behind the name, less edginess.

But again Hawkeye didn't seem able to hear him, "And not in the you pissed me off and I'm a secret agent who can make you disappear in the night kind of disappear, but the kind when it's all your fault no matter what the others say you don't feel any different because they don't get it, and accepting what happened wasn't your fault when you know what happened, or what you did-"

"CLINT!" Bruce yelled. The blond's rambling stopped as he looked at the doctor pleadingly. Bruce sighed and took his glasses off, the edginess wasn't there anymore. The scientist had common ground with the archer (on several fronts, but we're going to focus on this one), he understood what it was to feel responsible for something you had no true control over. he'd dealt with it, figured it out for himself...he wouldn't make the archer do the same. "I guess it's our turn to bond now...I can't solve this for you, but I can help. If you want to listen."

Clint nodded, "I'll try to listen then...thanks doc."