It hadn't taken long for the Avengers to disappear off in their own directions for what Bruce considered a well earned break. He personally had decided, after much enforced travel, that having somewhere safe to settle down was far and away his best option for his well earned break. Stark had "hired" him under contract as a consultant, which mainly involved hanging around in the labs with Stark himself playing with Stark's latest ideas.
Pepper had been the one who actually formalised it all, arranging the going rate for someone of his qualifications and experience, asking JARVIS to track his hours and setting him up with a bank account for it to be paid into. He had taken some time to come round to the idea. However, faced with statistical evidence of how much more Tony ate and slept when he was around, and how much it would cost to hire someone to do what he was doing, both as a chaperone for Tony and his contribution to the science, he finally agreed.
And therefore he was rich. Okay not in comparison to Tony or even Pepper, but he had more money in the bank than he had had in many years. Living in Tony's guest room, well, guest suite, he had very very few outgoings and he didn't need to really go anywhere for anything. That was a definite bonus. Everything he actually needed was either in Stark Tower, or could be ordered which meant he was effectively entirely protected from General Ross.
Not that he didn't get out, he had accompanied Pepper as her "gentleman acquaintance" to several events which Tony had been "unavailable" for. It had been more than a little strange, getting dressed up in a tux to meet the elite of society, but he had enjoyed getting out in an environment which Ross wouldn't dare attend and had met a variety of interesting people. Pepper had been grateful for an attentive, polite and friendly date who spoke a dozen or more different languages and could chat politely with guests on a variety of safe topics. It was a nice way to pay Pepper back for her support.
He was settling into it, and that was when it all began to go wrong.
Bruce was sat on a couch in the enormous living area, watching as Tony and Pepper argued about the constituents of a cocktail he had never even heard of. The fact that Pepper was drinking tea and Tony was drinking some kind of smoothie that was a slightly distressing hot pink colour just made it funnier. He leaned back into the other couch amused, then tensed. There was a stirring in the back of his mind.
Go away, go away! You aren't needed here!
The Other Guy stirred further. A faint green tint faded across his vision and he could feel the Other Guy, as if he was pursing his lips in discontent, as if something was bothering him.
What are you doing?! Go away!
Bruce slowed his breathing, forcing himself to calm, glad beyond belief that Tony and Pepper were heads together over Pepper's StarkPhone, looking up the ingredients for the cocktails. His eyes must be green.
We're fine here, go back to sleep!
There was a sensation of a huffing noise and it faded, leaving Bruce trying not to shake. He stood.
"I think I'm going to go to sleep." He said apologetically. "It's getting late."
He could see Tony about to say something, but Pepper cut in.
"Sleep well Bruce. Don't forget there's an R&D meeting tomorrow at 2pm."
Bruce smiled.
"I'll make sure we're both there."
"Traitor!" Tony accused him, but without malice.
"It'll give you an environment to have your massive ego stroked." Bruce said forcing a sly smile and turned to leave before the anxiety could overwhelm him.
xxxoooxxx
The other guy's appearance in the lounge had really thrown Bruce through a loop for a day or two and he retreated to the relative safety of his rooms, spending a good deal of the time meditating on the balcony. However an emerging crisis with the development of a new StarkIndustries product which Tony and therefore he was forced to become intimately involved in managed to distract him completely for almost a fortnight as they struggled to resolve a technical issue which threatened to derail the whole project.
He had been moving between the labs and his bed so exclusively for the preceding two weeks, that he failed to notice that Clint appeared to have moved in to the tower until he stumbled through the lounge to the communal kitchen and inadvertently woke Clint. Hawkeye went from curled in a soft fluffy beige blanket on one of the sofas to vertical and wielding a knife in one hand and a handgun in the other before Bruce could even take a step back.
"Sorry." Clint apologised.
"Bad, uh…job?" Bruce asked.
"Still on medical leave." Clint admitted.
The knife and gun disappeared in a silent flicker of movement. Bruce realised if he hadn't seen them put back he wouldn't have realised they were there. Strange to see him with anything but a bow as well, but you couldn't hide one of those so easily Bruce guessed.
"I'm still..." Clint paused, then shrugged, "they tell me I have PTSD from the mind control. Not sleeping well so no SHIELD missions yet."
"So you came to this mad house?" Bruce asked amused.
"Seemed the safest place to be," Clint replied, "Hulk beat the stuffing out of Loki."
Bruce snorted. "At least someone is pleased to have him about."
"I got six hours sleep." Clint offered.
Bruce looked at the dark circles under Clint's eyes, he looked tired. He took a deep breath, this was not a conversation he wanted to have right now. "I was going to get some breakfast." Bruce changed the subject. "You want to join me? Then…I've got some reading and reviewing to catch up on…I could do that in here if you wanted to catch up with some more sleep?"
There was a brief look that was pure gratefulness in Clint eyes, before the familiar amusement welled up.
"Well, if you're going to cook…?"
"Vegetable parathas?"
Clint's grin said it all.
xxxoooxxx
Hulk made Clint feel safe, as ludicrous as that was. It was a thought that recurred in Bruce's mind over the next few days.
Things were pretty quiet for a week or so until there was an Avengers call. Steve came back from somewhere on the west coast and joined them, Natasha appeared from somewhere and they were all back together again, dealing with a series of apparently random attacks by Doom bots.
Stark had mostly fixed up the Tower, announcing to the others as well they also had rooms in the Tower. Clint had never really left, had been sleeping in the Tower in a variety of places, sofas and guest rooms, living out of a back pack. Despite the fact that he now had his own space in the tower, Bruce tended to still find him sleeping in the common areas or in Bruce's lounge on a fairly regular basis. He didn't really mind.
Natasha moved in without anyone really noticing, just joining them for breakfast one morning. Steve also chose to take a break in his motorcycle tour and hang around until the Doom bot issue calmed down and they began to settle into a group, although without Thor.
Thor appeared two months later, landing in a roll of thunder on Tony's landing deck on the roof. Bruce thought he looked somewhat subdued, for Thor, but pleased to see them all.
"My friends!" He boomed.
Thor strode up to Tony and wrapped him in a huge hug.
"Hey!" Tony yelled. "Mind the ribs!"
There was laughter. Bruce waved his hand at Thor over his shoulder receiving a broad smile in return. Thor moved on and hugged Pepper a little more gently, then Natasha...
Hulk rose in Bruce's mind, intent on Thor who was hugging Clint.
Not now, not now, not good.
There was a grumble in Bruce's mind.
It's just Thor, no reason for you to come out, no danger, no risk, go away, go away.
He slowed his breathing to a steady rate.
"My friend!" Thor called. "Are you well?"
Bruce opened his eyes slowly, almost expecting the green mist to be there.
"I'm fine." He said a little weakly. "Shall I make drinks? Coffee?"
He fled indoors.
xxxoooxxx
Thor was very good at flattening Doom bots with his hammer, and for the next two outings, Bruce wasn't forced to bring out the Hulk. Rather he was science guy, trying to make sense of the data that Tony was sending back from the sensors in his armor and find a way to disrupt the signals to the robots. It was reassuring to be needed for himself, as opposed to his violent alter ego.
It didn't last forever though. The third time out, the numbers were sufficient that he was forced to leave the Quinjet, leaping out without a parachute, trusting to Hulk to take over and do the necessary.
xxxoooxxx
"Where's Bruce?" Nat asked. "Hasn't Hulk changed back yet?"
"Nope." Stark came into land next to her. "He's sitting in a pile of Doom bot's picking at his nails."
Nat raised an eyebrow at Stark.
"Yeah, I know." Stark said. "Not usual but that's what he's doing."
"I can go and have a word with him." Steve said.
"Nah." Clint said. "I'll go, we get on okay."
He wandered up the street, bow in hand, till he reached Hulk in his pile of smashed machinery.
"Hey Hulk." Clint greeted him.
Hulk looked up.
"You okay big guy?" Clint asked.
Hulk shrugged, not looking up.
"Want some company?" Clint asked.
Hulk shot him a sidelong look then nodded. "Uh-huh."
"Okay." Clint tried to clear himself a space next to the Hulk, kicking debris out of the way. "So," he said, shoving a piece of robot arm out of the way. "What's up? You've normally gone back to being Bruce once all the fun smashing is over."
Hulk huffed. "Puny Bruce getting it wrong."
"Getting it wrong?"
Hulk nodded. "Hulk not good with people. Bruce there for people things." Hulk poked a bundle of wires with a huge finger.
"And Bruce is getting the people things wrong?"
"Uh-huh." Hulk agreed.
Clint gave Hulk a speculative look, then turned off his comm. "How is he getting it wrong?" Clint asked, managing to clear enough of a space to drop and sit cross-legged on the pavement.
"Pretty red is nice to metal man." Hulk said. "J-ay-ne is nice to hammer man. See Cupid hug other red."
"You want a girlfriend?" Clint asked in surprise.
"What girlfriend?" Hulk asked. He shook his head disparagingly. "Hulk not have friends."
"Uh, girlfriends are like...was it Betty? Betty and Bruce?"
"Uh-huh." Hulk agreed. "Betty hugged Hulk. Betty nice." He snorted. "Puny Bruce think Hulk come out when do things with Betty. Hulk not come. Hulk not care. That things for puny Bruce."
Clint looked up at Hulk. He looked morose.
"So what do you want?" Clint queried.
Hulk tilted his head to give Clint another sideways look. "Hulk see through Banner eyes. Metal man get hugs from Pretty red, Hammer man get hugs from J-ay-ne. Puny Bruce too stupid to get hugs for Banner and Hulk. Hammer man hug everyone but stupid Bruce run away."
Hulk huffed.
"You just want hugs?" Clint asked. "And company? You're lonely?"
"Uh-huh. If Banner get, Hulk can share, but Banner too stupid."
"I guess you can hug me if you're careful. I'm kind of breakable compared to you, but I like hugs."
Hulk snorted derisively. "Hulk hug Betty, not break Betty ever."
"Good point big guy." Clint shrugged. "Hug away."
Hulk looked up at Clint, sitting next to Hulk's shoulder in the debris.
"Cupid sure?"
"Yeah, I mean, we're friends right? You and me, and me and Bruce too."
Hulk gave him a suspicious look.
Clint nodded reassuringly. "Look, you're lonely right? So me and you can do what me and Tasha do when we need company."
"What you do?"
"We get some food, hang out a bit on the sofa, watch some movies maybe, then curl up and go to sleep." Clint said. "Tasha and me, we're just friends, but everyone needs company some time."
"You do that with Hulk?"
Clint grinned. "Yeah, why not."
Hulk reached out, grabbed Clint carefully round the middle and dropped him in his lap, wrapping a large arm round him. Clint shifted until he was sitting on a large green thigh, his back against Hulk's chest. Hulk leaned down and sniffed Clint's hair, giving what sounded like a pleased rumble.
They sat there for a while. Clint was warm against Hulk and out of the wind and Hulk seemed to have no real wish to move.
"Hey!" Stark came into land, visor up.
"Huh?" Hulk looked up at Stark.
"You turned your comm off." Stark said to Clint.
"Yeah, we were having a bit of a heart to heart." Clint replied.
"I can see." Stark's expression was an innuendo just on it's own.
"Hulk's feeling a bit lonely." Clint said. "We're gonna hang out a bit tonight before Bruce comes back."
Stark looked rather thrown by this. "Hang out? Where?"
"Bruce's floor I guess, I mean you made it Hulk proof yeah?"
Tony shrugged, the armour humming a little as the plates shifted over each other. "Yeah, but..."
"Well that's good then, we can get some pizza in, a few action movies, have a guys night."
"You think..."
Clint cut in. "Not a general invite, I can catch up with the rest of you tomorrow."
Tony rolled his eyes. "It's your party, Cupid." He said. I'll get Jarvis to put in a Hulk sized order along with the rest of ours. What do you like?" The last was directed to Hulk.
Hulk gave Stark a blank look.
"Okay," the billionaire said easily, "I'll get a variety and you can try them all." He looked back down at Clint. "You want a ride back? I can get Sitwell to come over with the van?"
"Nah." Clint said. "Hulk won't fit anyway, we'll walk."
Tony gave him a disbelieving look.
"Hey, not all of us were born with a limo surgically attached to our ass, some of us actually use our legs." Clint countered.
This elicited a snort. "See you back there!" Stark took off and disappeared.
Clint looked up at Hulk. "You ready to go big guy? The pizza will be waiting when we get back."
Hulk didn't answer, but stood, easily lifting Clint to his shoulder.
"Full steam ahead!" Clint yelled, grinning.
xxxoooxxx
It took about twenty minutes to get back through the city to the tower. Hulk took a few jumping short cuts, but mostly they walked, getting a significant amount of attention from passersby. Clint saw several people taking photos, but chalked it up to good publicity for the Hulk, walking politely home with another Avenger.
At Stark Tower they walked in the front door. Clint directed Hulk over to the lifts. Hulk balked a little but Clint slid down his shoulder landing on the floor beside him.
"Quickest way up big guy, and there's food waiting."
Hulk huffed but followed Clint into the lift.
"Bruce's floor, Jarvis." Clint said, looking up at the security camera.
"Good afternoon Agent Barton. Pizza is waiting for you, being kept warm in the kitchen." Jarvis told him. "Ms Potts has also taken the opportunity of having clean clothes left for both of you."
"Awesome."
Hulk started as the lift moved, but stood stock still until the lift doors opened on Bruce's floor. Clint walked out, Hulk close behind him.
"Shower first." Clint said. "I'm filthy. You want I should go first?" He asked walking towards the main bathroom.
Hulk followed him still.
Bruce's bathroom was pretty similar to all of the main bathrooms, in that it had a wetroom area with a fancy shower which rained from the roof and had jets from the walls.
Clint shucked his uniform, stacking it on the bench. Next to him Hulk was looking around the room a little suspiciously.
"It's a shower." Clint said. "Warm water. You use soap and wash off the dirt." He gestured at the streaks of dirt and hydraulic fluid still marking Hulk's green hide.
Hulk nodded, hauling off the remains of his pants and sitting down in the middle of the shower.
"You can ask Jarvis, the voice in the ceiling to turn it on, and say how hot you want it, or use the taps. Probably easier to ask Jarvis."
"House voice turn on warm water." Hulk said.
Jarvis turned on the wide rain shower head above Hulk. Hulk shuddered as the water hit him.
"Too cold?" Clint said, holding his hand under the warm water. Hulk ran a bit hot.
Hulk nodded.
"Bit warmer Jarvis?" Clint asked.
The water warmed up to the borderline of what Clint himself could tolerate, but Hulk appeared to prefer it. Clint held out a large bath sponge covered in tropical scented shower gel. Hulk sniffed it.
"What is?" Hulk took the sponge.
"Shower gel. Gets the dirt off." Clint turned to soak himself in the jets from the horizontal shower head then grabbed his own sponge and started soaping up. Looking over his shoulder, he could see Hulk copying him. He scrubbed himself down then turned. Hulk was sitting under the shower head, head tipped back and eyes closed, with warm water pouring over his face. Clint smiled and walked over to the towel rail to grab a bath sheet.
"Water stop." Hulk said.
Behind him the water noises ceased. Wrapping himself in the towel, he turned and held out another to Hulk. "Dry off?"
Hulk copied him again, scrubbing the water from his skin.
Just outside the bathroom were a stack of clothes. Clint recognised his own black sweats and t-shirt and there was another pair of sweatpants there, grey, huge and cut off at the knees. Clint couldn't even guess where Pepper had got them from. He held the cut offs out.
"Pants, Hulk?"
Hulk took the pants, sniffed them, then pulled them on.
Clint got himself into his own clothes and wandered out to the kitchen. He knew Bruce's floor pretty well, Bruce had let him sleep here on a pretty regular basis. The kitchen was heavily pizza scented, and Clint found them in the oven, still in their boxes, keeping warm.
He left them there and went to set up the lounge. There was nowhere that was going to be really suitable for Hulk, so he stripped the beds of pillows and quilts, pulled out the floor cushions and blankets and built a nest in front of the big television screen.
Hulk was sat on teh carpet, watching him curiously.
"You ready big guy?" Clint asked him.
Hulk nodded.
"Thirsty?"
Hulk nodded.
Clint brought the pizzas through and set them down on the floor on a tray. He went back for drinks, grabbing soda for himself and finding some of the fruit juice Bruce liked in the refrigerator. He poured several cartons into the deep popcorn bowl and carried it back through.
Back in the lounge, Hulk had sat himself down on the cushions and was sniffing at an open pizza box.
"Smell good?" Clint asked putting the drinks down in front of Hulk..
Hulk nodded. "Smell good." He agreed.
"Well, go for it then." Clint said, stealing a slice.
He kicked the pillows next to Hulk into a convenient shape and flopped down, leaning against Hulk's coconut scented flank.
"Jarvis, we need movies." Clint said. "Something with lots of explosions I think. You want explosions?" He looked up at Hulk.
Hulk grinned around a mouthful of pizza.
Clint settled down, with pizza and soda, leaning back against Hulk to watch the movie.
They watched a couple of movies. Hulk ate all the pizza, Clint only grabbing a few slices, and sprawled back on the cushions. Clint leaned against the side of his chest and relaxed.
As the second movie ended, Hulk shifted, scrubbing at his hair.
"You want a hair brush?" Clint asked.
Hulk shrugged.
"Okay, I'll get one." Clint went out and came back with a hair brush. "Okay, sit still."
He sat behind Hulk and started to tease out the tangles. Tasha loved this when she was in the mood and it seemed that Hulk was equally enamoured with the attention. He brushed Hulk's hair smooth and then put the brush down to run his fingers over Hulk's scalp. He had no illusions he was strong enough to actually give Hulk any form of real massage, but running his fingers firmly over the Hulk's scalp elicited deep purring rumbles and the Hulk sank down into the cushions.
Once Hulk was half asleep, Clint stopped his work and moved round to curl up next to Hulk. He sighed and threw covers over them both, flopping back into the cushions to sleep. Safest place to sleep on the planet, he thought. Hulk rolled and threw an arm over him. Clint shifted until the heavy weight was braced comfortably over him and slept.
xxxoooxxx
Bruce came round slowly. He was slightly tangled in a blanket, caught round one leg, and there was a warm body pressed against his chest. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes then felt the body tense and relax. Bruce's arm other arm was trapped under Clint's body. Clint rolled without freeing him and squinted at him from a distance of about six inches.
"What did I do?" Bruce asked. He had to wonder how in hell he and Clint had ended up in here.
Clint appeared to be in a t shirt and sweatpants, Bruce had cut off sweats on, the drawstring waist hanging overly loose around his midriff.
"We flattened a bunch of Doom bots, then Hulk decided he wanted hugs so I volunteered to play teddy bear. We came back, showered, built somewhere to curl up, had pizza, crashed out and watched action movies till we fell asleep."
Bruce blinked at him, then looked around.
"We're in your lounge." Clint said. "Your whole suite is as Hulk proof as Stark can make it, so the big guy didn't have to be over careful."
"You're insane." Bruce told Clint.
"Wasn't a problem." Clint replied shrugging. "No safer place to be than next to Hulk. We got comfy, hung out."
"How did you get here?" Bruce demanded.
"We had to walk back, Hulk doesn't fit in the van properly, but he let me ride on his shoulder."
"How did you get up here?"
"In the lift."
That didn't compute in Bruce's head. Hulk hated confined spaces. Clint seemed to realise he was stressing out, and moved a hand to his shoulder, thumb digging into the gap between collarbone and tight muscles, fingers massaging the shoulder and the back of Bruce's neck.
"It's okay." Clint said quietly. "I raided us a heap to sleep on, Jarvis cued up some movies, Hulk relaxed, I got cuddled, we slept."
"Hulk doesn't cuddle."
"I have the evidence to disagree with that." Clint countered. "Hulk totally cuddles." He shifted the hand on Bruce's shoulder to his hip. "If you've got the hand strength and will brush his hair and give him a scalp massage, you can make Hulk moan."
Bruce stared at Clint.
"Hulk seems to be as touch starved as you are." Clint told him. "If you take it from Hulk, he's touch starved because you are."
Clint's hand pulled at Bruce's hip, trying to roll Bruce over into Clint's body. Bruce resisted, letting anyone get close was a bad idea, any sort of contact which moved him from his baseline risked the Hulk. And there, yes, the Other Guy was rising, green and powerful in the back of his mind. Like an irresistible force, a wave of green power, Hulk rose...
... and rolled, curling Bruce's body into Clint's chest. Bruce saw Clint's amused eyes through the green mist as a...pleased?...rumble reverberated through his chest. Out of his control, his muscles all relaxed on him, leaving him laying boneless against Clint. The green faded from his vision, though he could still feel the hint of it floating in the back of his mind.
"Hulk thinks you should chill out." Clint murmured.
"How do you know?" Bruce asked, tensing.
"He told me." Clint said bluntly. "He's quite a bit jealous of Stark having Pepper to cuddle."
Horror shot through Bruce, a green wave rising, and even despite the still limited control he had over his own body he flinched.
"Hey, relax, relax." Clint's fingers carded through his hair. "He's not interested in Pepper, only the hugs."
"The Hulk is interested in hugs." Bruce said flatly.
"Like I said, the Hulk is touch starved." Clint pulled Bruce tighter against his body and deep in his mind Bruce heard a deep rumbling groan as Clint continued. "He's a pretty simple guy, hit things, eat things, get hugs."
"What do you want?" Bruce mumbled into Clint's chest.
"Nothing except this." Clint said, his lips brushing through Bruce's hair. "Super secret sniper assassin types don't get a lot of hugs either. And I slept well."
"Don't you have a life and a family outside of this job? Friends? A partner?"
"SHIELD is more of a lifestyle choice than a job sometimes." Clint said quietly. "And no, no family left, no partner and all my friends are either SHIELD or Avengers." He shrugged, Bruce felt the movement. "Nat and I do this occasionally, just share a bed platonically, for company, but that's it."
Bruce sighed. "So we're all of us without family."
"Nat might have family I guess, but I doubt it's possible to find out." Clint said. "But the rest of us? Only Thor has family."
Bruce chuckled. "Yeah." He said with significant emphasis.
"You comfortable?" Clint asked him.
"Yeah." Bruce said. "Yeah I am."
"You got anywhere else to be?"
"Not right now."
"Good." Clint closed his eyes.
Bruce followed suit.