The Secretary and the Scientist

I.) Lunch Break

Pepper Potts clutched the meal tray in her hands with shaking fingers. It wasn't the fact that she was terrified of the man she was delivering lunch to. On the contrary, ever since Tony had offered Bruce Banner a job in research and development at Stark Industries six months ago, they had become fast friends. What she was furious at was the raunchy wrong-number text message Tony had sent to her cell phone by mistake. Again. Third time this week to be precise.

That no-good, womanizing son of a— Pepper took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Despite knowing Dr. Banner for six months or so, she wasn't sure if the emotional state of others could trigger his "friend". She punched in the key-code to the room and walked inside.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Banner," she said as she walked toward a lab coat-clad man hunched over the desk. Banner didn't acknowledge her presence, but remained slumped over the desk, a pencil weakly clutched in one hand, his other dangling lifelessly at his side. Pepper felt a surge of panic, recalling how Tony had mentioned that Bruce had expressed suicidal tendencies before. He couldn't have possibly…?

"D-Dr. Banner?"

Bruce suddenly stirred and sat up, his curly dark hair looking as though he'd made friends with a light socket and his glasses dangling off one ear. He blinked blearily at her and yawned.

"Timezit?" he asked thickly.

Pepper breathed a sigh of relief.

"Half-past noon. How long have you been working?"

The scientist straightened his glasses and rolled his head on his shoulders, the vertebrae in his neck cracking audibly.

"Since Tuesday."

"How long has it been since you've last eaten?"

Bruce stood up and stretched.

"Since—" he paused and yawned again, "—Tuesday."

He hasn't eaten—she thought, or, apparently slept for two days…

Pepper smiled a little and pushed the tray toward him.

"Eat, please. You must be starving."

Bruce lifted the lid on the tray and looked at the salad and green tea the redheaded secretary had brought him.

"Thank you," he said, unscrewing the lid to the thermos of green tea, pouring a cup and handing it to her. Pepper let out a chuckle as the scientist took a sterile test tube from its holder, polished it on his lab coat and filled it with tea. Bruce smiled at her and raised his "glass" in a toast. Pepper smiled in return and lightly clinked her cup against his makeshift one.

A few moments later, Bruce had eaten and seemed more awake.

"Are you all right, Miss Potts?" he asked.

"It's…nothing," replied Pepper with a sigh. "Relationship issues."

She could have sworn she saw a look of pain quickly cross Bruce's face, but she couldn't be certain. Banner sighed in return.

"I…see. I'm willing to listen if you ever need, you know, somebody t-t-to talk to…"

Pepper smiled, realizing just how socially awkward Bruce Banner was. She was so used to Tony's extroverted, charismatic personality that Bruce's introverted, cautious demeanor was refreshing, even if it was necessity on his part. She picked up the lunch tray and smiled as she turned to leave.

"Thank you for your sympathy, Dr. Banner."