AN: Don't own Marvel, but I'm curious about why most of his characters have same initial names. Like, Susan Storm and Reed Richards...from the crappiest Marvel comic ever - Fantastic Four.
AN2: I've had quite a good day. Someone that I have come to see as one of my closest mates gave me the fifth book in the 'A Song of Fire and Ice' series; thank you Kingdomheartsz3!
Bruce Banner POV -
Machines computers and silence had quickly become his only companions. It took some adjusting; he had become accustomed to the constant bustling of India, that he had forgotten the sound of silence. He struggled to adapt to the chrome walls, but he knew they weren't chrome. It was triple reinforced titanium, like that in his 'room', designed to hold the 'Other Guy'. Light was always being reflected of those prison walls, his eyes had developed a white spot in his peripheral vision - Bruce found it highly annoying.
A week had passed with minimal interruptions from any of the other Avengers, allowing Bruce to compose algorithms which would aid in his search for the Tesseract. Although the 'Other Guy' does most of the detecting, he thought bitterly. All week, the other team members had been read into 'Project Pegasus' - however, Bruce had not. It didn't bother him. Not being part of S.H.I.E.L.D, he didn't intend of lingering once the Tesseract was found. Adjusting and fine-tuning his algorithms had become boring; he missed India, with it's secluded chaos that he had come to find calming.
A knock at the laboratory door drew him from his reflection. It was the southern rose, he meant Rogue. She stood there, leaning against the doorframe, her head cocked to the side cutely. "What's wrong, Doc? Yah look...pensive," Rogue's southern twang filled the partial silence of the lab, her brow furrowed slightly. Bruce attempted a small smile. "I'm fine, a little bored," he replied. It should have suprised him that this S.H.I.E.L.D agent didn't ask him to elaborate. Instead, she shocked him by her next observation. "Yah file said yah're a physicist," she mentioned nonchalantly. He nodded, unsure why she mentioned it.
"I have a doctorate in Nuclear Physics, hence why Fury asked for my help," Bruce responded.
"So, yah one of those beautiful mind, genius guys?"
"I'm not sure, I just have a high IQ," Bruce answered shyly, not wanting to sound arrogant. Rogue looked at the floor uncomfortably. Approaching the woman, Bruce rested a hand on her shoulder - taking note of her slight flinch. "Are you okay?"
Rogue shrugged, still uncomfortable with the physical contact. "Ah'm okay...just made a gal feel feeling kinda stupid now."
"I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention...Why would you feel stupid?" Bruce questioned gently, noticing her small shoulders slump in defeat.
"Ah never went to college...I wanted too but Ah was kinda busy..." Rogue replied, sounding hesitant. She wrung her hands together. "Ah didn't wanna study anything like yah 'nuclear physics'...Ah mean, Ah failed science! Ah would never have gotten in anyways."
Bruce noticed her use of past tense, but didn't press it. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her tiny form - holding her like she was fine porcelein. Well, compared to me, she probably is, the scientist thought. Rogue stiffened, still unaccustomed to the physical closeness. Again, Bruce archived the observation in the back of his mind for later. "If you would like...I could teach you some physics, but only if you want too, I mean," Bruce blurted out quickly. Mentally, he crossed his fingers. The young woman in his arms nodded against his chest. It was nice holding her, she was like a calming presence. He could have stayed there forever.
Rogue pulled away first. An uncomfortable silence followed, she continued fiddling with her hands. Gloves. She was wearing gloves, actual gloves - how had he not noticed them before? "Why are you wearing gloves? It isn't cold in here, quite the opposite actually," Bruce asked, asking the question whose answer would become his focus of his life.
Rogue POV -
Rogue stiffened when his arms encased her petite form, the heat of his body coccooning her. His heart was beating rapidly under her ear, betraying what? His nerves? No one had ever gotten this close - beside Logan. It was nice, he was nothing like Logan - the fierce Wolverine. Her heart skipped a beat at Bruce's offer. No one ever willingly wanted to teach her something - besides Logan. His S.H.I.E.L.D file had screamed of his quest for isolation, just as she had since her manifestation. She nodded against his lean chest; she didn't want him to feel alone when he was surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D agents - not that they were much company.
Rogue felt the sigh of relief escape his body, relaxing once again. She pulled away, drawing away from him. The silence that followed was deafening. Fidgeting, she wrung her gloved hands together - drawing attention to them. "Why are you wearing gloves? It isn't cold in here, quite the opposite actually," Bruce asked, asking the dreaded question. Only a select few in S.H.I.E.L.D knew about her powers; Coulson, Fury, Natasha. Each had found out through experience, never really asking that dreaded question. Her heart thumped rapidly in her chest; she had kept her full story to herself since she woke from her hibernation - she really wanted to tell someone. She needed to tell someone.
Rogue hesitated. "They protect people around me...Ah'm not what yah could call 'normal'," she answered. Bruce's weary face spoke volumes. He was confused, his blue-grey eyes glinted with his confusion. Gesturing for him to take a seat on his stool, Rogue perched on the closest table. "It's kinda a long story..."
It took her an hour to tell Bruce everything. Cody. Logan. Magneto. Jean. Xavier's school. Alkali Lake. Waking up in the safehouse. Only gleaming over details on the X-Men, she didn't want to reveal any secrets.
"Why did you tell me all this? You hardly know me." Bruce asked. It was the only question he asked.
Rogue shrugged nonchalantly. "Ah guess, Ah just needed to tell someone, Ah've kept it to myself for years."
Bruce nodded. Understanding shone in his eyes, as he tried to process the information. Rogue could almost see the scientist behind his eyes, trying to burst through to ask heaps of analytical questions.
"You've gone over two years, without human contact? How have you coped?" Bruce asked. Rogue shrugged her shoulders, even she didn't know. There hadn't been a massive support group for her: just Logan, Professor Xavier, Scott and Storm. They had understood her, mainly Scott and Logan. Xavier had tried, but she was like his only other failed case - Jason Striker.
"And nothing ever worked, when you were the mansion?" Bruce's voice drew her away from her pondering. His voice was quiet. "Ah tried, Professor Xavier tried. Ah'm just like Jason...another lost cause," Rogue answered resignedly, avoiding eye contact. What would Natasha say if she could see me now? What about Coulson? I must look pathetic, she thought, tears prickling her eyes. She suddenly found herself encased in warm arms, being drawn against Bruce's chest. "You are not a lost cause," he stated firmly and sincerely, "Not everyone who wanders become lost, you did but...You're just a little lost."
AN3: Spot the references and comment what it's from! And review what you want in the next chapter, I have an idea for some of it but let me know what you guys want.
