A/N: I want this story to start on a good note. I know not everyone will always like what I write, and that's okay, but I ask that in your honesty, you also use generosity. I am just a 16 year old girl with a lot going on in her life right now, so I can stand criticism, but I will not stand for bullying. I made a fanfiction account because I've been writing for almost 6 years, and I just wanted to make sure it wasn't all a waste. So please, if my writing isn't good, tell me in a nice way how I can fix it, don't be mean. And if you like it and have time, please tell me. Not just on this story but any of them. Please, that's really all I'm asking. Thank you if you read this.

This has been newly edited. There shouldn't be any errors. If there are then damn, three days of nonstop work must've really got to my eyes. Please read, review, and enjoy.

Tears were jerking at her eyes. She hadn't cried in…she couldn't even remember how long it'd been. But now they were coming, whether she wanted them to or not, like an unexpected rain that would ruin a beach day. The man of her love interest was stomping away from her, and she didn't know what to do. Though she was good at pumping people for information and negotiating in stressed situations, something like this was too much. "Please, Bruce, don't just walk away like this," she pleaded.

Dr. Bruce Banner whipped around to face her, teeth grit and green already being to flush in his eyes. "I can't deal with you right now, Natasha! I just can't believe you- I can't believe any of this yet!" His fists were tight at his sides, knuckles already white and straining as he lightly shook.

Natasha Romanoff, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, had never been in a situation like this one, and she was at a loss of what to do. "Please Bruce, you are my best friend! I can't…afford to lose you. I don't want to lose you. Don't do this Bruce, just calm down."

"Shut up!" he yelled, his voice already changing. He was about to give in to his other side. "You don't know what it's like to be like me! To have lost what I've lost! I thought maybe you understood… You don't know anything!" He hunched over, his glasses falling off his face and to the floor. He grabbed at his head as he went down to his knees.

Natasha backed away slowly in fright. In a small, strained voice, she choked out "Bruce…" and began to quake in real fear. Her mouth was agape and she was left terrified as she watched Bruce turn into a beast - his other side, the Hulk.

~A Year Ago~

Loki had been defeated 3 months hence. Immediately after his defeat all the Avengers moved into Stark Tower (much to Tony's protest at first.) In that time they'd become a bit closer after having to learn to live with each other. Steve and Tony had even become decent with each other. The whole thing had been Fury's idea. It seemed better to have them all together so that it'd be easier to assemble.

In that time some new friendships had been made. Thor and Clint had formed a friendship ever since one night when they had a poptart eating contest. Of course Thor won, and after that they became friendly because Clint was always challenging him to try and out-eat him in some sort of contest. Steve and Thor had even become a bit chummy, but maybe that was just because Thor got along with everyone. Or because they could both be confused by all of the new-age technology in Stark Tower together. Tony and Bruce were better friends than ever, but a very seemingly unlikely friendship that formed was the one between Natasha and Bruce.

They weren't even sure how it'd happened, but time had brought them together. Maybe it was Bruce always apologizing for Tony's latest prank on her, or maybe it was the nights that neither one of them could sleep and they'd share a drink and their thoughts. Bruce never drank alcohol, at least never around her. He'd have a cup of coffee, black, and Natasha would wonder why he would drink coffee in the middle of the night. He would also wonder why she was drink a shot of vodka when she couldn't sleep, but they never expressed these concerns to each other.

Ever since their first meeting in Calcutta, India, Natasha experienced an odd sense of compelling worry for Bruce. She always kept a watchful eye over him, making sure nothing around him could anger or upset him. This was mainly so that the Hulk wouldn't resurface, but it was also because she had strange feelings of connection with Bruce. She knew he'd experienced pain - they all had, but his was a very intense case, maybe the most intense other than Steve's. For reasons unknown, Natasha didn't want him to go through any more pain, even before they became friends.

Time passed and everyone living in Stark Tower had become closer. Steve and Tony had surpassed decency and moved on to being…not exactly friends but more than acquaintances, so maybe…buddies? Thor and Clint were rambunctious together, but Clint was more controlled around everyone else, just sarcastic and joking. Steve was still nervous around people and blushed at even the smallest things. Tony loved to exploit his virgin innocence and this would make Natasha jump to Steve's defenses and Bruce tell Tony that he was in the wrong. Natasha and Bruce had even become best friends.

Eating shawarma had was now an tradition that would be had every Sunday. Clint would always ask if they could eat something else, but Tony would never allow it; Steve would protest against Tony deciding to take charge, Tony would say something about how being the one housing them all sort of made him the leader, Bruce would warn them not to start, which they would anyway. Yep, tradition. After all the arguing they would all go out for shawarma anyway.

One day, 3 months after the Avengers moved in together and 12 months before Bruce's newest "personality change", they were having shawarma like any regular Sunday. This time, though, Tony had insulted Steve by calling him "a caveman incapable of leading the Avengers," and Steve was refusing to talk to him, so Tony was pestering him in an attempt to get him to say anything. Other than Tony making little annoying noises as he poked and prodded Steve, they were all fairly quiet. That is, until an unknown woman came over. And what was weird, most people would think that if an unknown woman walks up to the table, she's most likely to ask Tony Stark for an autograph, or maybe say something that embarrasses Steve, or even tell Clint or Thor how hot they are, but this woman walked right up to Bruce.

"Dr. Banner?" She looked maybe 20, and though, by appearances, she seemed like the type that would be an outgoing, hot, partying college girl, she had a quiet, nervous voice.

He turned in his seat to look at her - and at her face, not her wonderful body like Tony and Clint. When he saw that he didn't recognize her, he cocked an eyebrow. "Hi. Can I help you?" he asked.

She smiled a model-like smile him and said, "Umm, maybe you can. See, I love all your books and studies about nuclear physics and your work 'Predicting the spontaneous formation of Gamma Particles in a vacuum', and I was wondering if it would be possible for you to come and speak in my Physics class." Everyone at the table simply blinked at the girl, including Bruce.

He studied her with his eyes then chuckled once. "Well, uh, I suppose maybe I could. You're a student where exactly?"

"Berkeley on 3 East 43rd Street. So could you? Please?" she asked, a bit pleading.

Bruce thought about it for a second, considering the lovely student's offer. Then he gave her a small smile and a nod. "Sure, why not. When?"

The student bounced a bit with happiness then giggled. "Oh umm, how about Wednesday? Is that okay?"

Bruce nodded. "Sure. Umm, what time?"

"Well my class is at 12. Do you think I could have your card or something?" she asked.

Tony choked back a laugh for some reason when he saw Bruce's expression. "You want my number?"

She nodded at first, then quickly shook her head, making a confusing scene. "No, just your card, so I can write down my number for you. See, I don't memorize the numbers for any of the classrooms, so I can't tell you which classroom it is now, so you could call me and I'll tell you which room it is when you get there. Or we could meet up or something and I'll take you there."

Bruce nodded, believing what she was saying. "Oh, yeah sure." He reached in his back pocket, pulling out a card for her, then he reached in a pocket inside his jacket and handed her a pen. After she wrote her number on the card and handed it back to him, he smiled a bit at her. "Thanks. Oh, uh, you didn't tell me your name."

The student laughed nervously, putting a hand on her mouth. "Sorry, Dr. Banner." She held out her hand to shake. "I'm Tracy, Tracy Buffay. I probably should've introduced myself sooner." When Bruce released her hand and gave her a smile, she blushed just ever so slightly and pink, then looked at everyone else at the table. "I am so sorry for interrupting your lunch, by the way," she looked back at him, "it's just not every day I see one of my idols." With a smile and a wave she was speed walking away.

When Tracy was out of view, Tony leaned across the table and gave Bruce a little chummy slap on the arm. "Man, that was crazy! Women never come over to talk to you. Especially woman like that."

Bruce smiled at him and sarcastically said, "Thanks."

Clint shook his head. "No, no I agree with Tony. You're so damn shy that you probably didn't even see how into you that girl was. It was insane. She even called you her idol. That's like college girl talk for 'during Physics I always imagine the teacher as you and you ask to see me after class.'" Clint paused then added, "That means she fantasizes about you, man."

Steve blushed a bit and Thor laughed as Bruce nodded. "Could've been more subtle, Clint."

During everything, Natasha was just quiet, a bite of shawarma still in her mouth. She swallowed hardly as all the men buzzed around her about the beautiful college student. And for some reason, she was growing more intensely frustrated, and she didn't even know why.

Later that night, after Natasha woke up in a cold sweat from another one of her nightmares, she got up out of bed and ventured to the kitchen, wondering if Bruce would be there. A small smile came to her face when she saw Bruce at the kitchen table, papers laid out and a black coffee on the table by him. "Hi Bruce."

Bruce looked up at her, sliding off his glasses. He half smiled for a second then it faded. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

She shook her head, sitting down next to him, resting her head on her propped up hand. "I only wish. These damned nightmares keep hitting me harder each time." She looked at the papers on the table. "What are you doing up with all these papers?"

He cleared his throat then picked up one of the papers, studying it. "Well, if I'm going to have to speak in Tracy's Physics class, I feel like I should think of what exactly I should talk about."

Natasha nodded and looked away from him. Why did the thought of that college girl make her so angry? "Want it to be perfect, huh?" Bruce looked away from the paper back to her and laid down the paper on the table. "What?"

She twiddled her thumbs a bit on the table. "That girl, she was really pretty, you know? I bet you want to be perfect for her class; apparently all the guys think so too."

He made a bit of a confused chuckle. "What are you talking about?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, I'm just tired. I…hope that you do well on your lecture or whatever it is you're going to do for that girl."

He chuckled a bit. "Natasha, what are you doing? You're acting like all the other guys. What do you think? That I want some sex from this girl or something?"

She put a hand on his arm. "I never said that, Bruce. I don't think that's what you want. …I think that maybe you think she's pretty."

Bruce smiled down at the table, and Natasha knew that she was right. "She isn't ugly, I can't deny," Bruce admitted. "That's not why I accepted her offer. I remember being an ambitious student like her. All I wanted was to further my learning. If I can share any of my knowledge with some students, I'd love it."

Natasha smiled at him. "That's because you're great, Bruce. Those kids are going to go crazy to hear you speak. I mean that Tracy girl looked at you with a lot of admiration, it was crazy."

Bruce smiled down at the table. "Yeah, that was pretty unexpected. Everyone else seemed to think that it was weird for a girl like that to even be looking at me. Then she turned out to be smart too…"

Natasha looked away from him and scrunched a bit of her hair in her left hand. "Well, I think they were all being really ridiculous. Why wouldn't a beautiful girl like that look at you?" She turned her eyes to meet his before looking away again.

Bruce studied her, a bit of a half smile starting to crack on his lips. "Well, uh…thanks Natasha."

She rubbed her forehead. "I'm going back to bed. Don't stay up too late, okay?" With that she was walking back to her room, feeling a little confused and dead inside.