Author's Note: I still don't own Marvel or BBC. All I own is my toothbrush.

xxxx

Bruce spend the rest of the day sectioning the Chituari's brain to make slides to examine under a microscope. Then he cleaned the lab with the help of Tony's robots. Betty and Martha had already left. When he went to the lounge for a late dinner, Martha was sitting there drinking tea and reading news off the internet.

Martha asked, "Are you OK?"

"I'm doing research, again," said Bruce. "I never thought this day would come. I'm fucking amazing."

Martha took her eyes off her computer monitor. "You don't sound amazing."

"I had a panic attack," said Bruce. "I calmed myself down, but it should never had happened."

"You're human."

"I'm not human." Bruce sat across from Martha. "I'm a monster. Even if I can get it up with the beta-blocker, Tony is going to need protection to keep from getting infected like Blonsky. I'm contagious. You don't get that."

"Can your condition spread through semen?"

"Only blood to blood contact. My saliva and my semen are totally safe, so I can share food and jerk off without worry. However, with anal sex, even with lubrication, tearing is a possibility. Tony doesn't understand how dangerous I am." Bruce didn't jerk off because sexual excitement could make him change, but that was another issue. He meditated and did cold showers, but Martha didn't need to know that.

"I think he does," said Martha.

"I shouldn't have agreed to let us try," said Bruce. "I want him so bad, but I can't put him in danger."

"Did you panic because you were scared of hurting him?" asked Martha.

"He was about to touch me and it got a bit too real, I guess." Bruce started to make himself some red tea because it was too late at night for caffeine. Then he took his cheesecake from the fridge. "Do you want some real New York cheesecake?"

"You eat it," said Martha.

Bruce sat down with his tea and cheesecake. Finally, he put his hands on his mug, but he didn't drink any tea or even bring the mug to his lips. "Before Blonsky, I always knew the other guy was dangerous, but when Blonsky infected himself with my blood that meant I was dangerous when I'm me. Thanks to Blonsky, Dr. Stern is also infected with my blood. I infected two people."

"You wear gloves if you have sores on your hands and you're cautious," said Martha.

"I would want to kill myself if I infected Tony," said Bruce. "I love him."

Martha looked into his eyes. "You can't kill yourself, can you?"

"No, I can't. General Ross injected me with enough drugs to stun a bull elephant and I'm still here. I've been shoot. Fallen out of planes. I'm immune to infectious diseases. I'm pretty hard to kill."

"I have a friend I watched die a few times to see him get right back up." Martha sipped her tea. "He had times in his life when he wanted to die, but he learned to accept that he can't and now he is very happy to be alive."

"Jack," Bruce didn't say that as a question.

"Love, you bought that mug to remind yourself that every day is a new beginning." Martha continued to look at Bruce, instead of her monitor. "Tony read your file. He knows you're contagious. You explain to him that you need to talk about it before you go any further. He will understand."

Bruce, finally, took a bit of his cheesecake. "Are you sure you don't want any?"

xxxx

After his cheesecake, Bruce went to his apartment. No food in his refrigerator, yet. Tony had furnished it with a bed, a few chairs, a computer and an entertainment center. The lounge had a bigger screen, but his room was nicer than a shack in a third world country. It was all blue and beige. At least, Tony wasn't tacky enough to give him a room with green walls or sheets.

Sitting on his bed, looking out the window at the New York skyline, Bruce wondered if he would be staying here long enough to give this room his own style. He didn't even know what his style was. Some Mexican rugs to add color to the hard wood floor. He needed prayer candles and a Buddha for his meditation. A yoga mat would also be good.

After turning on the computer, Bruce wrote a list of things he would need to buy. A small list since he didn't want to use all the money Fury gave him for consulting. He would also get some pantry items, so he could start cooking like he promised Betty. The kitchenette had a bowls, plates, cups and saucers for 4. Under the stove were pots and pans needed for cooking. Did Tony plan for him to stay here? Or did he design rooms, so visiting scientists wouldn't have to rent a hotel room while working at the tower?

While typing his list, Bruce heard a knock at the door.

"Who's there?" asked Bruce.

"Mr. Stark is standing outside your door," said Jarvis. "Should I let him in?"

Bruce said, "Tony, come in."

The door clicked open. Jarvis was a nice AI unlike ATMOS, but he still was a bit uncomfortable with the computer controlling so much of the tower's operation. If he was uncomfortable when he was removed from much of the horror safe in India, he wondered how Martha felt when she was working for UNIT saving the world from a computer system created by aliens.

Tony entered the room to see Bruce still typing at his keyboard. "What you up to?"

"I was planning on doing my own shopping. As much as I love this room, it needs some color and my prayer candles." Bruce pointed to a corner. "I need a Buddha. When I asked a priest at Dharamsala if I was going to be a cockroach in my next life, he said I'm a cockroach in this life. I wonder how much he was teasing. I meet Thor and I want a shrine to Buddha in my apartment. Crazy, huh?"

"Not crazy," said Tony. "Steve is still doing his Jesus thing."

"So says the atheist." Bruce hit the print button. "Do you want to keep me company while I'm shopping."

Tony put an arm around Bruce. "Why did you freak out before?"

"I'm contagious," Bruce said. "I got scared that I was going to hurt you."

"Honey, we'll use the beta-blocker next time and condoms. I'm not giving up on you."

Bruce fingered his japa malas, his prayer beads were in his backpack along with his laptop and some clothing. He repeated his mantra in his head. Bruce didn't know how long he was lost in his own thoughts. "I'm back."

Tony's arm was still around Bruce. "I was wrong to laugh at you meeting the Dalia Lama. I'll pay for your prayer candles to make it up to you."

Bruce was looking at his fingers on his beads. "I need to own more than my prayer beads and a toothbrush. You can buy some rugs to cover these bare floors if you insist on shopping for me."

"Fair enough."

"When I move on, I can leave the rugs here."

"If not when?"

"I'll be back," said Bruce. "You visit me and I'll visit you. Promise?"

Tony hugged Bruce. "Promise."