It was the closeness that confused him.
Bruce had gotten better about his personal bubble being popped ( No thanks to Tony. ) but that was Tony. Tony either understood everyone's borders so well that he tittered on the edge to help give that push or had no fucking clue what a border was and just stepped on whoever's toes he liked. And Bruce could take that.
But this woman, almost touching his arm? He wasn't so sure he could take that. And it wasn't just the closeness but the way she hadn't even minded coming in to his little forbidden work shop ( no one spoke this aloud though ) to ask a question about physics. The blonde woman had just waltz in to the cave of a beast, and started asking questions about protons.
He couldn't take it.
Almost ripping his glasses off his face, Bruce finally turned to her after half an hour of explaining everything he could about bonds, how they were made, and everything in between. The woman, that blonde haired and unknown vixen, looked up curiously with her blue eyes. Like she didn't even know.
" Aren't you scared? "
There it was; the question he hated but asked himself anyone even glanced at him. And now it hung between the two, filling the air with a stifling silence. Her blue eyes started him, slightly surprised and very confused, and the man could have seen a thousand different ways it could have gone. Her saying ' yes ' and stalking off, never to return; her saying something oh so small that wouldn't upset him but bring the other guy out. The one thing he was sure he couldn't take was if she asked ' why? ' acted like nothing was wrong.
" Bruce, " He stapped to attention, taking in the amused curse of her lips, the gentle laugh that followed his name, the way her hand reached up to push her hair that was always falling into her face back. He followed every move; he felt he wasn't the only one, but he ignored that. " We're taking about protons. Unless one goes supersonic and smacks you in the eye, I really doubt I have much to worry about right now, "
He stared. He blinked. And then, of all the things, he chuckled. He smiled.