Disclaimer: I do not own the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I do have opinions about Gungans.
Bruce looked up; there was a squabble going on at the other end of the room. The lab techs were at it again. They did good work, but generally used any possible reason to argue: politics, history, or popular culture.
Once, Bruce's assistant had tried to get him to weigh in on a conversation about conspiracy theories.
There was a reason he was considering researching invisibility.
He turned to his computer, trying to tune them out, when suddenly an inter-office instant message popped up. Bruce frowned and clicked on it.
D_Lewis_3: sorry about that
D_Lewis_3: I kind of riled them up
D_Lewis_3: on purpose
He blinked at the messages, then looked around the lab, slightly surprised when he made eye contact with Doctor Jane Foster's assistant. What was her name again? Darlene?
Foster didn't look disturbed by the lab techs at all. In fact, she was furiously working. Her assistant turned her attention back to the computer in front of her, and Bruce got another message.
D_Lewis_3: there's not much to do in here today, and Jennings is entertaining, so I told him Garza said that Superman was better than Batman
Bruce smiled.
D_Lewis_3: if they're bothering you, I can tell them to get out
D_Lewis_3: take it to the breakroom or something
B_Banner: No, it's fine
B_Banner: I just don't want to be pulled into it
D_Lewis_3: dude I get that
D_Lewis_3: one time Chad made me listen to his top ten reasons why Iron Man is his soulmate
D_Lewis_3: Iron Man, not Tony Stark
D_Lewis_3: like they're different people
Bruce smiled across the room at her, and sent back a smiley face emoji to emphasize the point.
D_Lewis_3: lmk if they start to bother you, tho
D_Lewis_3: i have dirt on McCoy and the other three are scared of her/think she's awesome
D_Lewis_3: so
Bruce shook his head.
B_Banner: Thanks for offering.
D_Lewis_3: np
On Monday afternoon, Bruce watched Foster's assistant distribute some lab reports and quietly weigh in on the Star Wars conversation by saying: "I know, right? Gungans are just the best!"
Chad Griffith's head nearly exploded, and Bruce had a hard time hiding his laughter.
Bruce wasn't sure what to make of the lab techs on Friday morning, when they seemed to be hiccuping.
He glanced over at Foster's assistant and decided he wouldn't mind knowing why... he just had no intention of asking the techs.
B_Banner: ?
D_Lewis_3: oh sorry
D_Lewis_3: i left a post it note on Andrea's work station that said
D_Lewis_3: BRING US A SHRUBBERY
D_Lewis_3: So now they're knights
B_Banner: knights hiccup?
Bruce saw her eyes widen as she read his message.
D_Lewis_3: DUDE ARE YOU SERIOUS?
D_Lewis_3: how have you never seen Holy Grail?
B_Banner: oh
B_Banner: Monty Python?
D_Lewis_3: okay i'm going to start a movie night
D_Lewis_3: and guess what's going to be up first
B_Banner: Ni!
After that, he and Darcy (not Darlene) started chatting over the inter-office messenger occasionally.
He told her his favorite color and the way he liked his tea.
She shared lab gossip that would never otherwise have reached his ears and her honest fears about her job.
He assured her that she was perfect for the position (the way she could diffuse a situation with one sentence or distract and encourage Foster in equal measure); no one could do it better.
She started making sure he had a cup of piping hot green tea on his desk every morning (with just a splash of milk).
D_Lewis_3: pretty quiet today
B_Banner: Alison had an appointment with her doctoral board
D_Lewis_3: oh yeahhhhh
D_Lewis_3: she hasn't shut up about that for like a week
D_Lewis_3: how did I not remember that?
B_Banner: Well, you've been busy.
B_Banner: Is Dr. Foster finally asleep?
D_Lewis_3: yeah
D_Lewis_3: At about 3 am i threatened to start yelling for Thor
D_Lewis_3: so i actually got her into the elevator without having to carry her this time!
B_Banner: Nicely done :)
D_Lewis_3: anyway
D_Lewis_3: wanna rustle some feathers?
B_Banner: :)
B_Banner: Sure.
D_Lewis_3: how's your knowledge of fantasy authors?
B_Banner: Adequate
D_Lewis_3: awesome. follow my lead.
The remaining lab techs were discussing Game of Thrones (quietly, for once). They had been for the past several days; Darcy had warned Bruce to stay away. But now she joined him at his work station, linked arms with him, and deliberately pulled him toward the door, steering him close to where Jennings and McCoy were arguing about House Stank.
Darcy cleared her throat and said loudly to Bruce, "I get your point, but have you considered dragons?"
Before she'd spoken, he had assumed she would be calling upon him to give his opinion on C.S. Lewis over J.R.R. Tolkien, so switching from trying to remember as much about Narnia and Middle Earth as he could to trying to respond to the Words on his Soulmark wasn't as smooth as it could have been.
"Are you—Did you just—How in the world have we actually not spoken before this?!" he managed to say, jerking her to a halt.
Darcy stared up at him while Griffith started chanting "KHALEESI" over and over, so their fated meeting went unnoticed.
"Actually, forget dragons." Darcy waved her hand and left the lab techs to their (now much louder) conversation. She pulled Bruce out into the hallway behind her. "What are your thoughts on making out in the storage room?"
Bruce still couldn't believe what had just happened. He looked down at her, his Soulmate, and smiled.
"I don't have any," he replied. "But I'm willing to form an opinion."
Author's Note (August 11, 2016): Feel free to read this fic on ao3; you can find a link (and more author's notes) on my blog: iwillwriteyourfic . blogspot 2016 / 08 / consider-dragons . html