Margoret was on a roll today. She read through the pages of the book Bruce had given her, taking the time to write down whatever it was he wished for her to look into. He had placed a list on her table based on different parts of the text and he had wanted her to elaborate more on the information he already had. With each task he administered, she completed them swiftly and diligently. After her little sweet encounter with Tony earlier, she felt good.

She started her day on the right foot and everything else that came her way just fell in accordingly. Her mind was cleared of the pessimism she had exuded. The weather was nice and it did play a little part in her mood. And Bruce was his usual self; dealing with his work in silence.

Speaking of which, her co-worker was sitting with one hand pressed firmly over his mouth and the other, passing over his hair every few seconds as it kept falling over his brow. He looked exasperated as he looked over all of the notes he had accumulated over the time Margo began working with him. Margoret would lift her gaze from time to time to see if he was okay but he seemed to be getting no peace.

Banner was tempted to tap his finger on the table to relieve his frustration but he didn't want to disturb Margo. The woman, from what he could see, was on a good track. She worked ardently and he knew how bothersome it could be if one was pulled out of their state of concentration.

Currently, he was stuck on the formation of the RG-27. The idea of it was good, great even, but the task on actually getting it done was the problem. He ran formulas through his mind and compounds as well. Either he wasn't getting enough sleep or not a sufficient amount of food in his system because he felt out of it. He kept drawing blanks and his hair was possibly the most infuriating thing as it kept falling over his brow each time he moved. He told himself that he was going to cut it last week, but with all the late nights in the lab and even at home, he couldn't find the time to get it done.

He sighed heavily, his leg bouncing to ease some of the tension. Roth looked up from her place at hearing his soft whine. Very few times did she hear him, but never in an agitated way. She placed her pen down, straightening in her seat.

"You okay?"

Bruce's eyebrow quirked at the sound of her voice. Her attention was solely on him. Her face twisted in concern.

"Yeah. It's just," he extended his arm, twirling his hand in an indication to the papers before him. "Just work."

"Ah." Margoret set her lips in a firm line. "Having one of those days?"

The physicist looked from her to his work and nodded. "Yeah," he sighed.

Margo wringed her hands together and pursed her lips. She knew how frustrating work can get. Especially when it was over something complex. She scratched the back of her head and sucked on her bottom lip. The woman thought of ways to ease his frustration but there wasn't anything she could think of.

Maybe I should just talk to him. It sounded like a good idea but from what she'd seen, he wasn't one for chit-chat. For her, personally, a little distraction like talking helped to ease any type of pressure she may have. But she wasn't sure if he was the same or a "sufferer in silence" type of guy. Worth a shot.

"What are you, um. What are you working on?"

Bruce did a double take. She was actually trying to engage in a conversation with him.

"Uh. It-it's nothing really. Just something for Tony's armor." He internally scolded himself. What if Tony didn't want others to know? He didn't think the billionaire would have a problem, but what did Bruce know.

"Cool."

Banner leaned back into his chair, pushing his hair away from his face for what seemed like the hundreth time. He was feeling slightly on edge from the nerves that plagued him. As low-key as possible, he placed his fingers on his pulse and timed it. The last thing he needed was to Hulk-out because he couldn't get his head on straight. Seeing that everything was normal, he looked to Margo whose eyes wandered around the room. He hoped she didn't notice anything.

"How's the work coming along for you?"

Margoret looked back at him with her wide eyes.

"Oh, good. Just taking a little break."

It wasn't so bad, talking. It took his mind off of his troubles, but it also felt weird. Bruce didn't usually have casual conversations with people. Especially not with women. If he was ever addressed, it related to his purpose in whatever business he was dealing with. Nothing more. And he could only imagine how awkward Margo felt in trying to start a conversation with him. He wasn't the most talkative and abled person so it must have felt odd to her. She hadn't said anything else and it left Bruce with a forlorn feeling. He didn't want her to stop talking. He didn't want to feel left out despite the warnings the Hulk sent through him.

"You uh," Margo's body perked at the sudden sound of his voice. Anything. Say anything."You and Andrew."

Margo's eyebrows raised slowly at his incomplete thought. "Me and Andrew?"

Bruce mentally smacked himself. He probably sounded like an ignorant prat. "I mean, you and Andrew. You must have some history together."

"We're not in a relationship if that's what you're thinking," she laughed.

"Oh no!" He raised his hand in defense. "No, I didn't mean it that way. Sorry," he chuckled nervously. "I meant, are you guys related or something?" Another mental facepalm.

"No." She smiled. "He's a family friend."

"That's nice. He's a really great guy."

"Yeah, he is."

This was the longest amount of time Bruce had seen Margo smile. Her face was alluringly lit. Her usually wide eyes were slightly squinted from the smile that never left her face. Tony was right.

"You should smile more often."

"What?"

A furious blush crept over Bruce's face. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. Margo looked curious and he didn't want there to be any awkward tension between them. Either he back down, continue the conversation as if he hadn't just said that or continue on his thought. It seemed that either way, he was going to lose.

"I said, you should smile more often." He settled on the last idea. If he was going down, at least he could say he made an effort in conversing. "You look beautiful. Nice, I mean." He corrected himself quickly. Not beautiful. Beautiful sounds too forward, Bruce.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," she said in a bored tone.

She had fixated her sight on something outside as she stretched. Her attitude chilled.

Margoret looked back at Banner and winked. She had made a joke.

She's more like Tony than I bet she should would want to admit. That was a thought Bruce knew he should keep to himself.

"So." Margo leaned over and rested her elbows on the table. Her fingers curled around her face as she placed her head on her hands. "How'd you get where you are now? What brought you to Stark Industries?"

This was the longest casual conversation Bruce had held since... Well, since a very long time. He'd thought she would have stopped after his compliment but she continued.

"Well, Tony offered me a spot after..." What was he supposed to say? After the Avengers foiled the plan of an Asgardian god who tried to rule over Earth with an army of alien-like creatures; Tony and him became close friends and well, here he was! Roth's eyes were curious. She wanted to hear his story but he wasn't sure if filling her head with abnormalities was the best idea. No matter how true they were.

He hesitated, not sure if this talking business was a good idea in the end.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Bruce's brow furrowed. "But, if anything. I already know you're the Hulk and that doesn't bother me. If you think anything like or beyond that would, trust me it won't."

Margo stood and made her way to the side of the room farthest from him. She walked towards the private restroom area leaving Bruce and his thoughts to himself.

And what was he supposed to say to that?

She was probably one of the most strangest girls he ever met. The strangest man being Tony. The two seemed so alike and that thought made his stomach turn. No matter how many times he said it, it was a funny and unnerving thing to see. Though the two were easygoing, they had their oddities that seperated them from the rest of the world. Bruce wondered if she was sarcastic like Stark too. If they're talk continued like it had been before he ruined it with his uncertainty, he might soon find out. That is, if she would want to continue talking to him. She would probably back down as soon as she notices how distant and unsociable he really was. If she was anymore like Tony, then he would believe she was just as impatient as he could be. Then again, as antsy as Tony could get, he still stuck by Bruce's side.

Margoret came back from the restroom, rubbing her hands on her pants. She tried in drying them as much as possible before she sat down.
Banner took note of her face. There wasn't a trace of the smile she once held. Her body was stiff, but she always held herself in an almost regal manner. Her eyes, which were once resplendent were now back to their regular state.

The woman took to her seat and leaned over the books which she had splayed over the tabletop for her bag. She dug in it and pulled out a small bottle of lotion to which she began to use.

"Sorry."

Rubbing her hands, Margo looked up in confusion. Her brow furrowed as she spoke. "Sorry? For what?"

So she wasn't annoyed with him. Unless she was hiding her irritation.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. If you don't feel comfortable talking about certain things, you don't have to say a word. I only said what I did about the Hulk because I wanted you to know that I'm not scared. I don't scare easily." She smirked.

Bruce's jaw fell slightly at her words. She was bold but stupid. Naive, even.

"Well, you've never met the other guy," he said in shame.

"I hope I never do." The two locked eyes; one with self-disgust and the other without a care. "But like I said, it's not because I'm scared. If the Hulk is out, that means something bad is happening, right? Well I hope nothing bad happens."

"And if something bad does happen? If he comes out, what would you do?" Bruce's voice was deep, his face growing dark. Margo simply raised her eyebrow at him.

"Then I'll tell him to be a hero and get the job done. But as soon as it's over, it better be your face I see at the end of the day."

There was a slight huff that rang through Bruce's mind. The other guy saw her as a joke. Not a threat but a put-on. Even though him and Banner were different, they held some views to which they could agree on. Margoret was crazy but the older man found that appealing about her. She wanted him to know that no matter what, she wouldn't treat him anymore different than she is now. As much as that warmed his heart, Bruce didn't want to get too close. He didn't want to fall for her words. Didn't want to get hurt nor hurt her. He was in a mental struggle; like tug o' war. Forming a friendship sounded like a wonderful thing to do but it would bring too many problems.

"So." Margoret picked up her pen. "Got anymore questions for me besides if Andrew is my dad or my daddy?" She raised her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

A small smile crept over Bruce's face. "Not really a question but a thought."

"Shoot."

"He's not overly fond of you right now." Bruce lightly shook his head and looked down.

Margo pursed her lips. She hadn't caught on to his statement until his disapproval had shone through his features. That look which he only placed for himself. "Stop trying to scare me Dr. Banner. I told you, it won't work." This time she was serious. She wanted him to stop with the freaky act. Roth knew it wasn't an act per say, but she wanted him to stop trying to push her away. "If you don't want to talk anymore just say it." Margo saw how uncomfortable Bruce was getting. She didn't want any problems between her and her co-worker. Especially not on a good day like today.

"I didn't mean to "scare you,"" he said in honesty. "It was just a thought," he mumbled.

"Well I have a question for you." Bruce looked at her questioningly. His uneasiness could be felt on her side of the room. "Do you like sushi?"

Banner tilted his head slightly, addled by her question. "Yes?" He drew out slowly.

"Well," Margo looked at her watch and counted. "We have about 2 hours until break." She brought her gaze back to him. "Want to get some sushi together for lunch?"

Despite all that was said which left them, Bruce if anything, awkward in the end; she was being indifferent about it.

"Um, sure."

"Sweet, but we'll have to walk if that's alright with you. People get pretty stupid around lunch time so I think it's best to stay out of the traffic."

"Yeah, no. No problem." Bruce nodded.

Another smile threatened to cross his face when she grinned.

Even if he couldn't have a proper friendship with her, something nice like what they already had was good enough for him.

The sound of a bell rang through the room as the elevator came to a stop on their floor. The doors opened to Andrew who was patting his hands over his pockets. He walked in aimlessly as he searched his body for something.

"In your chest pocket." Margo called to him.

Andrew slipped his hand into his chest pocket and smiled when he found what he was looking for. He pulled out his glasses and placed them onto the bridge of his nose.

"Thank you, Margo."

"You're welcome." She smiled. "What would you do without me?"

"Yeah," he said with mock gratitude. "What would I do without you?"

The woman giggled, a sound foreign to Bruce's ears. She was a different person around the other physicist. It warmed him to see the interaction between the two. Andrew was someone special in her eyes. A family friend was a family friend but the feelings she held for him could be seen, loud and clear. He was more than a friend to Margoret. Her eyes would shine like a child in wonder and Andrew would look to her lovingly. Nothing to be jealous over. It looked just like a relationship between a father and his daughter...

Nothing to be jealous over. Bruce wasn't jealous. He didn't mean it that way. He wasn't jealous. There was no way he could be jealous. In a state of nervousness, it was hard for Bruce to hold his tongue over dopey chatter. Apparently, it was the same in his head.

"Hey, Bruce." Andrew smiled at the man drawing him out of his thoughts.

"Hey."

"You alright?"

"Yeah." He gave a tight-lipped smile.

"I hope Margoret isn't causing you too much trouble. It's just until Denver leaves."

Margo smacked Andrew on the arm causing him to laugh.

"No. She's been no trouble. She's been a big help if anything."

"That's good to hear."

It wasn't a daily thing, but Landis would come in every so often to check on the young woman and each time that he did, it was a playful little banter between the two. Then he would check up on Bruce to make sure she wasn't causing him any problems (jokingly of course). This had become a natural thing for the three of them.

"Where's Tony?"

"I think he might be upstairs." Bruce answered.

"Ah."

Banner didn't have to elaborate any further. If there was anybody else in this building that knew about Stark's private life besides him it would be Andrew and Jarvis. A little look between them or an odd pitch to the voice would leave them in understanding. In the end, Tony would probably say something to one or the other. Sometimes both. And Jarvis was always alert so there was that.

"You doing anything for lunch?" Andrew turned his attention back to Margo who had set back to work.

"Yep. Taking Dr. Banner out for some sushi." She looked up with a smile.

Bruce's face grew hot from her words. She made it sound as if she was going to treat him for lunch. She made it sound as if... She made it sound inappropriate in some ways and he didn't want the other man to think differently.

"Oh yeah?" There was a slight disinterest and something else that could be heard in Andrew's tone. The man switched his sight over to Bruce; his eyes unreadable.

"Mmhmm." Margoret hummed.

Andrew ran his tongue over his teeth causing his lips to pucker. He eyed his co-worker in a way Bruce couldn't define but smiled when he looked down to his daughter figure.

"He's a good guy," he whispered as if reasoning with himself over something.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, patting Margo's head. "Have fun then."

"You're leaving already?"

"Yeah. Don't want to keep you guys from your work and I only wanted to check up on you," he said as he stretched.

"K, then."

"Alright. Be good you little punk." He made his way over to the elevator with a slow gait.

Margo frowned. "Yeah, yeah. You too, Smiley." She smirked at the sight of Andrew's body growing stiff.

"I guess I deserved that. See you, Bruce." Andrew turned back to Margoret with a smile. "And I'll talk to you later, Anita." He mouthed the name leaving Margo wide-eyed.

Bruce hadn't heard what he said but whatever it was that the tall man did, it left Margo in a foul mood.

"That was a low blow you jerk."

Knowing full-well that she couldn't stay mad at him, Landis shrugged and made his way back to the elevator. As soon as he pressed the button, the doors opened and he entered the cart. Before leaving, he gave a quick glance over to Roth whose eyes bore a massive and annoyed hole into his head.

"See you, pumpkin." He winked.

The doors closed before the woman could have another say leaving her and Bruce alone once again.

Sometimes Andrew came off more like a pesky brother than anything else. Waiting for the annoyance to wear off, Margo shook her head.

"I'm not even going to ask what all that was about." Bruce said through a grin.

"One day you'll know. Today is not that day, though." Margoret took to finishing an unfinished theory she had started on her paper.

Slowly, things were going back to normal; before they engaged themselves in a tête-à-tête. Despite the break the two had, Margo didn't miss a beat as she started on her work again. Though Bruce's attention was elsewhere, he sat in silence. His eyes did little to wander over his own labor. They would come to rest on Margo each time he tried in looking away. He enjoyed the sight of her immersing herself into something she was fascinated by. The way her brow would scrunch up and the way she would bite her lip each time she would stop to look over whatever it was she had written. It was a pleasant sight for him...

It took Bruce all that he could to not make a sound. As if some knowledge he never held before was dawning onto him. His eyes grew wide as he took in the sight of her. Everything about her left his chest, his neck, his face in an entirety engulfed in a sweet and embracing warmth. A type of warmth that left his heart racing. Standing up in an abrupt manner, his chair scraped against the floor. Margo looked up alarmed at the sudden noise.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I just. I'm going to go check with Tony on something." His voice was soft but rushed.

"Oh, okay."

Without another word, he walked over to the elevator Andrew had been in not long ago. His hands twisted as he tried willing patience to flow through him. He needed to get out of the room. He placed his fingers over his pulse and began to time them just like earlier. Bruce took a deep breath to keep himself calm.

The doors opened and very quickly he entered the transport and held down the 'close' button. He hadn't entered a number because he didn't actually plan on going to see Tony. He didn't plan on leaving from the floor entirely, he just needed to be away from her. A visit to Stark's was a lie. It was the first thing that came to mind. The doors closed before him, leaving him to himself.

He was acting rash. Maybe what he was feeling would come to pass. He was making a big deal out of something that could really be nothing. It was just-Bruce hadn't felt something like that in a long time. It scared him for a second there.

Taking a deep breath, Bruce leaned his head back against the cool wall. A rumble formed in his throat as he chuckled. He probably looked stupid laughing to himself, but not as stupid as he probably came off back in there. If she didn't think he was weird before, he was pretty sure Margo did now. But that was the thing about her. Whatever others would find bizarre and alarming, she didn't. Each time he thought about something that made Margo quite the catch in his eyes, Banner would feel his chest grow warm, encasing his heart in a comforting heat.

It was too soon to tell if what he was currently feeling would be felt later into the week, or even into the day. He believed that maybe because of their talk, he began feeling easy and cared for and that his heart was playing tricks on his mind. Bruce remembered reading a paper once on how if two strangers spent a few hours together just conversing then spent the next few minutes staring into each other's eyes that they would believe they were falling for each other. Though it seemed very one-sided for him, especially on the 'staring' part, he settled on that thought. His shoulders which he hadn't even noticed were tensed, slumped. He would take it slow. That was all.

Right as he reached for the 'open' button, the carriage began to move. Bruce looked at the numbers above to see that he was moving up. So it seemed he was going to be bumping into Tony anyway. He rubbed his hands over his face in hopes of ridding away any evidence of Margo's effects on him. He didn't need to be questioned over something he himself wasn't all to sure of.

After his little trip up, he would go back down to the lab and get back to work. If Margoret wanted to engage in conversation again then he would answer her without so much as a hint of what he was currently feeling. Then there would be lunch... He almost forgot about that.

No. He shook his head, his hair swaying gently. Bruce was going to enjoy his lunch with her as co-workers. Nothing less, nothing more.

The elevator had come to a stop on the floor of Tony's penthouse. Straightening himself as the doors slid open, he was surprised to see it was Pepper who stood on the other side.

"Oh," she gasped. "Sorry. I didn't know you were in the elevator."

"No it's fine." Bruce shrugged.

The red-head walked in, looking at the physicist expectingly.

"Are you?"

"Oh, no." He shook his head. Pepper raised her eyebrow sensing that there was something wrong. Bruce couldn't take her accusing eyes. Sighing he brought his hands together, wringing them nervously. "I have a question. About something."

Pepper reached to close the doors as he spoke. At this point, he looked like a curious boy.

"What's wrong?"

Banner willed himself to speak but he found his tongue to be swollen with words that threatened to spill uncontrollably. He processed his thoughts accordingly, trying to find a way to form his question. He shrugged, splaying his hands out.

"When you first met Tony." A small strained sound emanated from his throat as he forced the words to come out. "When did you-How did you know that you liked him?"

Pepper's brow creased as she took in his broken question. Her mouth opened slightly, slowly turning into an open smile. She didn't want to say out loud what she believed he was really trying to hint at in fear that he would back away. He looked to be struggling with himself and she didn't want to let him down.

"Well, Bruce," she started as she pressed a button to take them down. "This might take a while so you're going to want to listen up."


AN: So it may have dawned on Bruce that he has a little crush on Margo! He's been feeling on edge and so now he doesn't know if what he's feeling for her is an "at the moment" type of thing or something more serious.
From what I've read in the comics and seen in shows/movies with Bruce, he struggles so much with himself and his feelings that it's like a never-ending battle. I kind of wanted to rip my hair out when I was doing this chapter just for that reason. Bruce, sometimes, is his own worse enemy and all I want to do is give him a hug. This chapter was obviously all about him and his internal struggle. Not knowing if he's here or there. Margo doesn't have a "major part" yet when it comes to her feelings because she doesn't see it (her and Bruce) happening yet. But trust me that when it does, there's going to be some problems.

This is obviously a two-part chapter seeing that this one got a little long. The next chapter though will not be about them. I won't say what it will be about. You'll have to tune in for that, but I'll be going back to Margo and Bruce in the one after the next.

I would like to thank those who have listed this story under their favorites and have followed.
Reviews:
Guest: I'm happy that you were excited. It makes me excited! There will definitely be more.
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Again, reviews are always appreciated.
I do apologize for the late, late night update (and if there are any grammar mistakes) but I do plan on continuing this story no matter what.

Until then!