Author's Note:

Wow, thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites for the first chapter! It means a lot! Okay so here is the second chapter, please enjoy this and review if you can :)

Also, you may be excited to know Natasha is in this chapter!

A big thanks to my Beta Melissa, this would not exist without you.

P.S. I do not own Marvel, any of it's characters, or the rights to Taylor Swift's music!

Everything Has Changed

Tony woke up from the best night of sleep he had ever had, took a deep breath and smiled. The light of the early morning poked through the curtains, casting sunshine over the flannel sheets.

Tony had dreamt about Bruce. About his voice, his laugh, his curls, his smile... him. Just thinking about Bruce had Tony grinning to himself like an idiot.

"What time is it, Jarvis?" Tony asked as he slid out of bed.

"Just after ten, sir."

"Perfect." Tony smiled.

He grabbed a white t-shirt out of his dresser and slipped it over his head with ease. He walked out of his bedroom to see Pepper seated on the couch in the living room.

Pepper looked over at Tony and smiled. "Good morning. There is breakfast for you on the table."

"Where'd you get it?" Tony asked rubbing the leftover sleep from his eyes.

"Oh, I didn't buy it." Pepper explained. "I made it."

"Really?" Tony asked excitedly. "That's awesome."

Pepper ducked her head, a faint blush highlighted on her cheeks.

"Thanks Pep." Tony smiled and walked to the table, picking up a strip of bacon and stuffing it into his mouth.

Pepper watched him eyes for a moment and say him smiling to himself for no reason at all. She became worried at first. Tony was never this happy. Or at least, he hadn't been in a very long time.

Pepper looked at Tony suspiciously. "What is that huge grin for?"

Tony blushed and turned his back to her.

Pepper got up and ran to him. "Is it Bruce?"

Tony's face became a deeper shade of red.

"Awuh!" She squealed.

Tony turned to her and gave her a goofy crooked smile. "All I knew this morning when I woke is I know something now I didn't before."

XX

Bruce woke up with a smile on his face. He was happy, unusually happy. It had been such a long time since he had felt something like it, something that strong.

Bruce was overcome with emotions as he got out of bed and walked into his bathroom. But as he looked at his reflection in the mirror he saw someone he did not recognize, someone happy and loving and comfortable. But it was someone who looked remarkably similar. And Bruce smiling knowing that now he was becoming the person he had always wanted to be.

Bruce sat down on the side of his tub turning on the water with one quick twist of the knob. He slipped off his pajamas and slid into the hot running water. He sighed contentedly as the water rushed over his aching body. He closed his eyes and all he saw behind his lids was Tony's angelic face. His warm chocolaty brown eyes, his mezmorizing smile, his painfully endearing gaze. It was like his face was etched into the back of Bruce's mind, and all Bruce wanted was to know him better.

He took a palmful of shampoo and rubbed it into his graying curls, massaging his scalp. He made the water hotter as he rinsed out the shampoo. Absentmindedly he started singing.

Is he alive or dead?

Has he thoughts within his head

We'll just pass him there

Why should we even care?

He was turned to steel

In the great magnetic field

When he travelled time

For the future of mankind

As Bruce realized what song he had been singing he let out a hearty laugh.

Bruce picked up a washcloth, squeezed a dollop of shower gel into the center, and quickly but thoroughly began to wash himself. After all the soap was gone Bruce turned off the water and wrapped himself in his robe.

He walked out to his dresser and picked up his cell phone. He punched in the familiar number and held the phone to his ear.

"How did it go?" A voice asked from the other end of the call.

"Hello Natasha." Bruce smiled as he sat down on the side of his bed.

It was still strange for Bruce that he had become so close to Natasha. After Schwarma, Bruce had lived with Tony until he and Steve started dating. Once Steve moved in, Bruce moved out. And since Calcutta had lost all appeal to Bruce, Natasha had given him her old apartment.

After that they had become close friends, which of course was a foreign concept for Natasha, but Bruce wasn't like the others. There was something about him that she just had to trust. She also felt a sort of understanding with him. They both had pasts that were frightening to say the least and both wanted nothing more than to leave that all behind. But more than that, Natasha saw the monster inside of Bruce and related it to the monster she saw inside herself. And though Bruce's monster was clearly more evident then her own, they both struggled with this inner demon, whether people could see it or not. But there was also something more than that, something deeper. A more powerful connection that bonded them but neither knew what it was. But either way, they had become extremely close.

Both began to spill secrets to each other that they had never told anyone before. Natasha even told Bruce about her past and told him stories she had never told anyone before. Not even Clint. But she felt comfortable around Bruce, and he felt the same around her. And so their friendship, however odd it was, simply worked out perfectly.

"Hello Bruce." Natasha answered, a hint of a smile in her voice. "I was expecting this call yesterday, Doctor. What happened? Did you spend the night?"

Bruce erupted into laughter. "No, Nat. Of course not!"

"Well spill." She urged.

Bruce found himself blushing and was glad she wasn't there to see it.

"It was wonderful." He breathed.

"Details, Bruce." Natasha groaned.

"All I know is we said 'Hello' and his eyes look like coming home." Bruce said, obviously lovestruck by the sing-song sound of his voice.

"Everything has changed, Nat." He added in a tiny whisper.

"How? She asked him.

"I feel... different, changed. I feel brand new. I've moved on from my past and I want something new. I want him." Bruce confessed. "I think he's just what I need."

"Do I hear a bit of confidence, Dr. Banner?" Natasha teased.

Bruce laughed. "I'm not sure. All the walls I've put up have stood so strong... but I'd take them down and open up a door for him."

Natasha smiled, and although couldn't couldn't see it he could tell she had.

"Does he feel something too?" Natasha asked.

"I don't know." Bruce replied quietly. "I hope so."

"Me too." Natasha agreed. "You sound better."

"How so?"

"You sound happier. You sound unusually confident, as if you have finally found a purpose."

Bruce smiled. "I have."

"Good. I was beginning to worry."

Bruce chuckled. "You? Worry? Nah."

Natasha laughed then, something she rarely did but every time he heard it Bruce had to catch his breath. It was a beautiful sound. It was so feminine and carefree. It was Bruce's favorite thing about her.

"Call him, talk to him, tell him. And then call me." Natasha said. "I have to go kick Clint's ass."

"I won't even ask." Bruce laughed. "I'll talk to you later."

"Hey Bruce?"

"Yeah, Nat?"

"I am happy for you."

"Thank you." Bruce whispered and then the call was over.

Call him.

Bruce held his phone in his hands and took a deep breath. Just as Bruce dialed Tony's number his phone began to ring in his hands.

XX

"All I feel in my stomach is butterflies, the beautiful kind. I'll have to make up for lost time. Oh, Pepper, am I crazy?" Tony asked breathlessly.

Pepper chuckled and shook her head. "No, I think it's beautiful.

Tony blushed as a smile stretched across his face.

"Call him and ask him out again, and then tell him."

Tony nodded, confidence sweeping through him. "Yeah... I'll tell him."

Tony ran to his room and picked up his phone and dialed Bruce's number.

He picked up on the first ring.

"Banner." He answered, his voice shaking a bit.

"Bruce? It's Tony."

"Oh hey!" Bruce said excitedly. "What's going on?"

"Nothing much, but hey, I was wondering if you were planning on doing anything later."

"Uh no. I'm not actually. Why?"

"Well I figured you just couldn't possibly wait to take me out again..."

"Naturally." Bruce joked.

"...and I was uh- wondering if you'd like to go out again." Tony mumbled nervously.

"Absolutely." Bruce said way too quickly. "Where?"

"The cafe." Tony smiled. "At seven."

"Can't wait. I'll see you later."

"I can't wait either." Tony said and he hung up.

"Tony set his phone down and walked back out to the couch. Pepper sat there waiting for him with a smirk on her face.

"I have to know that it's not all in my mind." Tony whispered. "That this is real."

"I know." Pepper smiled. "You'll find out soon."

"Not soon enough." Tony sighed.

XX

It was pouring rain as Tony walked down the block to the cafe. Heart pounding, mind racing, just like it had been the day before.

Tony still hadn't been able to stop thinking about Bruce, but truthfully he didn't mind.

Tony saw the lights of the cafe in the distance and as he walked closer he could make out a familiar figure standing out front.

Bruce.

Tony walked quicker, a smile growing on his face. Once Bruce noticed Tony he walked towards him, meeting him in the middle, both soaked with the rain.

"Tony I-" Bruce began bashfully but Tony didn't want to hear it. He didn't hesitate to pull Bruce into his arms and kiss him passionately.

Bruce sighed against his mouth and instinctively wrapped his arms around Tony's neck and tilted his head, deepening the kiss.

It was the best first kiss Tony ever had. It was the best kiss he ever had period.

When they finally broke apart both were quiet and flustered, though they were still trapped in each other's arms.

"I'll be yours if you be mine."Tony offered flirtaciously.

"Deal." Bruce laughed, pulling Tony in for another kiss.

And they were right... everything had changed but now... everything was just right.

XX

Well there you go, chapter 2! Hope you liked it! Please review! Will be updating soon! Also please let me know how you liked the whole Nat/Bruce friendship thing, I was kinda nervous about that whole part! Thanks for reading!

~also, for those who were wondering, the song Bruce was singing was "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath ;)