Exactly what the summary says. Just a lot of connected one-shots about science bros becoming science bros.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
Chapter One: A Proposition
The coffee shop was quiet. Not that that was unusual. The place was old; slightly crumbling brick and outdated furniture was proof of that. It most certainly wasn't a shiny new Dunkin' Donuts, which so many New Yorkers seemed fond of. In fact, business was so slow that there were only two baristas in employment: the owner, who had inherited the shop from her deceased parents, and her good friend.
Shortly after her parents' death, Kristine was fired from her job as a secretary for no other reason but that she stopped coming to work in mini skirts and dresses, favoring slacks. As a recent college graduate, the painful truth was that jobs were hard to come by. She lacked experience in the eyes of her employers. So, when her parents' coffee shop was given to her, well, she needed an income. No matter how many unwanted memories the shop brought back. With the help of her friend Rae, she was determined to run the shop and sustain herself. Unfortunately, slow business meant a lack of money. A lack of money meant the shop may soon face foreclosure.
At the moment, Kristine was reading a book and tapping a beat with one hand on the chipped wood of the counter. There were two customers drinking coffee lazily, as per usual: one elderly lady that liked to people watch sat by the shop while a young man worked on this laptop, making sure to sit next to the register in case he was in need of a refill.
This had been a noon routine for the past two weeks. So, it's no wonder that Kristine was startled when she was rudely ripped out of the world of Frankenstein by the sound of the bell above the door ringing.
Two men walked in, one talking animatedly and the other listening silently with a small smirk playing about his lips. Upon further inspection, Kristine realized that the man talking had a very recognizable gotee. He was in fact, the Tony Stark! He was wearing a blue suit and a tie, all of which probably cost more than the coffee shop on their own. Surprisingly, the other customers didn't seem to notice the celebrity.
She couldn't identify the other man, though she did notice that he seemed a bit awkward. Like he wasn't comfortable being around other people. His shoulders were slightly hunched and he was staring at the ground.
Tony Stark was the exact opposite, as was to be expected based on tabloids and interviews Kristine had seen on the billionaire. He was bursting with energy, using his hands while he talked and grinning behind his sunglasses.
Both men approached the counter, peering at the menu behind Kristine.
"Can I help you?" She asked as calmly as she could manage.
Obviously some of her excitement showed because Stark flashed her a smile and laughed lightly. "Hey sweetheart. I'll have an espresso. Largest size you've got."
She blushed. "Of course. Um...are you Tony Stark?"
His grin widened. "In the flesh. What gave it away, doll?"
"T-the goatee." She blushed. "Wow. I can't believe you're actually here! You helped save New York! You're a hero!"
"Don't tell him that, you'll just feed his ego." The other man said jokingly.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry! I'm so flustered. Is there something I can get for you, sir?"
"No coffee for me, thank you." The mystery man answered with a small smile that implied he knew something she didn't. "Do you, um, carry tea?"
"Yes sir. We serve Tazo brand and carry berry, green, and hibiscus." Kristine frowned apologetically. "I'm sorry about the limited selection." She really did wish they carried a larger variety, but financially it wasn't possible right now.
"No, no green is perfect. Thanks." He responded, reaching into his pocket as he did so.
"Ok. Will you be paying separately?"
"Separately."
"I'm paying."
Kristine eyed the two men curiously. They were both staring at each other, locked in a silent battle of wits.
"Stark," The man broke the silence, shifting uncomfortably in his slacks.
"Bruce, you saved my life. I think you earned the right to call me Tony. Honestly." He shook his head in exaggerated dismay. "This is nothing. I'm a billionaire, remember? So don't think much of it."
"...Alright Sta-Tony." Bruce sighed. "Thank you."
"Holy fuck! It's Tony Stark!"
Kristine rubbed her temples as Tony Stark and Bruce looked behind the counter and all the way to the right. Rae had chosen that moment to be done with her lunch break in the small room in the back.
The lady who was people watching didn't flinch. The man on his laptop however, took off his headphones and glanced at them before putting them back over his ears and turning back to his laptop.
"Kristine," Rae gasped. "Iron Man is in our coffee shop!"
"First of all, it's technically my coffee shop. And second of all, you are going to scare him away."
The billionaire just grinned. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's the proper reaction when you're in a fantastic situation. The fantastic situation being me of course."
"And you saved his life?!" Rae exclaimed, turning on Bruce.
"In a...matter of speaking."
"This is exactly what we need to bring publicity to the shop." Rae exclaimed as if surprised by her own genius. "Would you be willing to do something like that for us? We're about to be foreclosed on...telling the paparazzi you were here once could get us the publicity needed to save it!" She asked, eyes wide. This could be their ticket.
"Honestly girls, my friend and I came here for the quiet. Calling the paparazzi would defeat the purpose...however," he paused to bring something out of the inside of his suit jacket. Kristine and Rae nearly fainted when they realized it was a checkbook. "I can make keeping things quiet worth your while." He continued as he wrote a check and slid it on the counter to Kristine.
The girl's eyes widened in shock at the insane amount of money.
"All you have to do is keep our visits a secret and stay in business so we can come back next time we need quiet. Deal?"
Kristine nodded her head numbly as Rae peaked over her shoulder and gasped.
"Good!"
"I-I'll bring you your drinks when they're ready." Kristine squeaked, eyes still on the check.
"Thank you." Bruce nodded before following Tony Stark to the table in the far corner of the room.m,k
"Holy shit." Rae breathed.
All Kristine could do was nod.
"This seems like an awful lot of trouble to 'just grab a cup of coffee'." Bruce joked.
"Look, Bruce. You should stay in New York." Tony said nonchalantly while examining the crumbling brick the wall nearest to him was made of.
Bruce blinked. That had come out of nowhere. "...Why?"
"You're a brilliant man, Doctor Banner. And that's coming from me. I don't give compliments lightly. You've obviously got the Other Guy under control. You were doing good in wherevertheheckistan before Rock of Ages tried to take over, but you could be doing so much more by conducting research in a lab with materials that are actually from this century. We could use you in the R&D department, Bruce."
Bruce stared in shock. Tony couldn't be serious. "...What?"
Tony sighed. "Are you really going to make me spell it out for you? I want you to come work for Stark Industries."
"Tony...it's a great opportunity-"
"I sense a 'but'. I don't like buts. Unless they're connected to the hips of beautiful women, though I doubt it in this context."
Bruce shook his head. "Tony I can't. The Other Guy-"
"Isn't a problem!" The billionaire insisted.
"I'd be a liability. You'd have to inform the staff about me. I don't think you want that. People would quit left and right. And what happens when people who are after me find out I'm working for you? They might come to the building. You don't want that kind of publicity, and I don't want the army experimenting on me. It's just not a good idea, Tony."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is protecting you, remember? And who says anyone needs to know? I can give you your own lab away from other employees. Hell, I can even Hulk proof the damn thing if you want!"
Bruce gave him a pointed look before turning to the woman who was placing their drinks in front of them at that exact moment. She was wearing an apron over a white shirt and staring at them curiously.
"Here are your drinks..." She hesitated a moment before asking Tony, "you know the Hulk, right?"
"Of course I know him. We fought together, and he saved my life during the alien invasion. Bruce knows him better than I do, though."
The woman looked to Bruce and then back at Tony. "A lot of people seem to save your life, Mr. Stark." She grinned. "Anyway, could you tell him thank you for me? He saved my life during the invasion. I mean, all of the Avengers saved New York, but the Hulk personally saved my life. If you see any of them, thank them for me. But if you get a chance, I'd really appreciate it if you could tell the Hulk that 'Red Girl' says thank you."
"S-sure." Bruce answered aghast. "You're the girl in the red shirt? He liked you. A lot. What exactly happened between you two?"
"My real name is Kristine, by the way. Did he tell you about me?" The barista asked in surprise.
Bruce's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. The truth was, he knew the Other Guy liked her because she was one of the few things he remembered about the invasion. Everything the Other Guy felt or did came in fragments and was distorted. And that was if Bruce was able to glean anything. Usually, Bruce saw the things that the Hulk had strong emotional ties to. For example, he remembered the Hulk catching Tony after he flew the nuke into space.
The physicist blushed. "Yeah. He mentioned you." It was kind of true, in a way. "But he couldn't really explain what happened."
Kristine nodded her head in understanding. "He's not the most articulate person in the world."
Bruce froze. Did she just call the Hulk a person?
Tony caught his expression and smirked triumphantly. He was being oddly quiet. He didn't dare interrupt this girl when she was so excellently making a case for his earlier argument. Bruce needed to realize that the Other Guy wasn't a problem and shouldn't be treated as one.
"Well, I was running over to a deli a few blocks over to get Rae and myself sandwiches. Rae is the girl who freaked out earlier. Anyway, it was while I was walking down the street that the aliens attacked. I hid in an abandoned building for a while, but they eventually got inside and started shooting. That's when Hulk burst through the building and killed all of the aliens."
"You weren't scared of him?"
"I was at first, but it was obvious he was trying to protect me. He asked me 'Red Girl ok?' I was kind of confused but then I realized he was talking about me. So I told him yes. He nodded and jumped out of the building again. I called after him and told him to be careful. I realized later that I didn't even thank him."
"You told him to be careful." Bruce shook his head in awe. "That's a big deal. You really weren't afraid of him?"
"Of course I was! He's huge! But he protected me. He's a hero. You can't truly fear a hero, can you?" She smiled. "I'll leave you two alone now. Thank you for everything."
Tony waited until the barista was out of earshot before grinning smugly. "I'm petty enough to say I told you so, by the way. You heard the gal. The Big Guy's a hero, not a monster."
"Tony, there are other places I'm needed-"
"You're scared. You're afraid something is going to go wrong, so you're running. You're being a coward."
Bruce was shocked into silence. He wasn't a coward. Was he? No. He ran to protect people. That wasn't cowardice, was it? Yes, he was scared. But he had reason to be. He lived in fear of hurting the people he loved. Hell, he lived in fear of getting close enough to someone to actually love them and risk hurting them. Maybe he was a coward. Still, that didn't change the fact that he truly was dangerous.
Tony was staring at him, waiting for a response.
Meeting his friend's gaze, he realized he'd been silent for far too long. He had to come up with an answer, and this internal debate was something that could be saved for a later date. That would be saved for a later date.
"I…" He choked out finally. "I still don't think it's a good idea, Tony. My…" He winced. "My 'cowardice' aside, I really am dangerous."
"Damn it, Banner." Tony ground out in frustration. "Take a fucking chance for once in your life!"
Bruce laughed bitterly, his grip on his cup tightening. "What, you think I've never taken a risk? You've read my file, Stark. Forgive me if I'm not too keen on taking a chance after trying out an experimental super soldier formula worked so well."
Tony paused, taken a bit off guard. "That's…a good point." He conceded with a nod. "Ok. But not all risks are bad, Bruce. And I think coming to work for Stark Industries hardly qualifies as one, anyway."
The physicist sighed. Maybe Tony had a point. The billionaire might not have any self-preservation instincts, but Tony couldn't be stupid enough to put an entire tower full of people at risk.
He'd managed to gain an immense amount of control over the Other Guy. Ross wasn't as much of a worry anymore either, since S.H.I.E.L.D. had promised to continue to keep 'other interested parties off his scent', as Natasha had so eloquently put it barely a week earlier.
"I'll think about it." He decided finally.
"That'll have to do for now!" Tony grinned, pleased if not a little disappointed he couldn't get the physicist to agree right off the bat. He quickly downed his rather large espresso in one huge gulp.
Bruce gave him a look, but decided not to comment on how bad of a caffeine rush Tony was going to experience. Though, knowing the billionaire, his tolerance was more than likely too high to allow him to experience such rushes anymore.
"Ready to blow this popsicle stand?"
"Popsicle stand?" Bruce raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Tony exclaimed indignantly. "It's a saying!"
"Of course it is."
"Wipe that smirk off your face, or I'll do it for you!"
"Alright, alright. Relax. I don't want the Other Guy coming out right now. He'd wreck this shop and I'd miss my flight."
Tony waged a finger at him and tsked. "Can't be late for your date with malaria, now can you?"
"Of course not." Bruce grinned, standing up and heading towards the door.
Tony followed, watching the physicist in front of him. If he didn't know any better, he'd think the scientist was standing a little straighter. Just a little.
First chapter complete! Please review! They give me the will to live...