A/N: I'M BACK! Like the Genie in 'Return of Jafar'! I've been doing 2 plays and classes the past few weeks, and my muse left me. But it's back now, have no fear!

Thanks for all your lovely reviews. I took Tony and Catharine's conversation from a post I saw on tumblr.

"Hey," I sighed as I walked into the lab that night. It was after nine, and generally I make sure Bruce will eventually eat and get some sleep, whether it was with me or not. And if he wasn't going to eat and he wasn't going to get me naked, then he could work his damn self to death.

At least that's what I let him believe.

Usually I go to bed and tell JARVIS to remind him to go to sleep at midnight. If he's still working by two, I have him cut power to the lab.

"Oh, hey." Bruce replied. He didn't look up from his monitor.

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay." He typed a few words and looked up at me. "What's wrong?" I sighed, and he blanched. "Is this about us?"

"No." I replied. "Well, it involves you and me, but it's not about you and me."

"Okay…" I could see him shutting down on me.

"I'm not leaving." I snapped at him. "It's about my evaluation at the end of the week."

"Oh…" he leaned against the table. "Okay."

"They're sending Mikhail David. My former training officer."

"And that's… bad." Bruce removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No. Not necessarily. Except that Mikhail hasn't left Israel in over a decade."

"Okay, you're confusing me."

"Ugh…" I squeezed my eyes shut and bit the bullet. "We used to sleep together. Mikhail and I were like you and I, only he… he was my first."

"O-Oh. Well, that's… interesting. And he's coming to evaluate you and S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"Yes."

"And if he gives you a bad eval he can take you back to Mossad?"

"Yes. I… he's coming here for a reason, and I doubt it's because he was ordered. I think he volunteered. And I don't think it's because he wants to prove S.H.I.E.L.D is utilising me effectively."

"You think he's here to see you?" Bruce crossed his arms.

"Maybe. I think… he doesn't know about you, and he and I haven't… in a while. But when we were, I told him I loved him. We broke it off, and he moved on to his next trainee. I don't know why he's coming, but I can guess what he's going to say when he gets here."

"Okay."

"That's it? Just okay?" I asked in shock. "Are you… are we going to be okay?"

"Yeah. We're fine." He turned back to his computer. "I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time pulling my head out of this data. Can we talk about Mikhail later?"

"…Certainly." I nodded. When he didn't say anything else, I turned and left.

0oOo0

BRUCE POV

"So I heard Catharine's boy toy is coming to see her." Tony commented the next day. I sighed and scratched my fingers through my hair. After Catharine's little announcement I hadn't been able to sleep, so I pulled an all-nighter. Needless to say, I wasn't in the mood for Tony's particular brand of humour.

"He's not her boy toy, he's her ex-lover." I didn't like saying that. And I didn't like thinking about it. Or them. Together.

"And the man who made her who she is."

"How did you even know about this?" I snapped.

"I spied on your lab." He shot back, completely nonplussed. "And I heard everything. So, tell me what you really think."

I didn't want to tell him. He wouldn't handle it sensitively, and he wouldn't give me any advice I could actually follow without looking like an asshole. But he was my best friend. And he was asking for my opinion.

"She told him she loves him. And they were sleeping together."

"And you're wondering why she's sleeping with you and not saying the same."

"Well, I'm wondering why she's not saying the same things if it's the same situation."

"Are you worried that he's better in bed than you?" Tony asked, a wily gleam in his eye.

"Screw off." I grumbled.

"Relax Bruce, you've got a green rage monster inside of you. Don't you think that gives you an edge as far as passion is concerned?"

"No, not really." I rolled my eyes.

"So, you're worried. I can get that. So do something before he gets here."

"Like what?"

"Ask her out."

"What?"

"Ask her out."

"I'm already sleeping with her."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Um, YEAH, but have you actually taken the girl out on a date?"

"That isn't our relationship."

"No, that WASN'T your relationship. But now she lives one floor up and you are going to see her every day for the foreseeable future. I know you Bruce, and I know this sex friend thing would only work in the short term. Because you're a long term kind of guy. You can't use a woman for sex. You're too nice."

"I'm too nice?"

"That's what I'm saying."

0oOo0

CATHARINE POV

"How's your tummy?"

I looked up as Tony waltzed into my room without knocking. I was painting my toenails on the window sill.

"Could you not knock? How did you know I wasn't naked?"

"Asked JARVIS," He flopped onto my bed and leaned back on his elbows. "Now, how's your tummy?"

"…Fine."

"Well, your ex is coming to visit and make sure you and the koopa troops are doing everything right, I would imagine you might be having tummy trouble."

"I'm fine Tony, but thank you for your concern." I rolled my eyes and turned back to painting my nails black.

"Are you okay?" he asked more seriously.

I tried to hold out, but Tony was a good friend, even if he tried very hard to make us forget it. I sighed. "I'm afraid everything won't go back to the way it was before."

"No, you're afraid that everything will go back to the way it was before." Tony shot back gently. "You and Bruce are turning into a thing, and you're afraid that Mikhail will ruin whatever capital you've built with him."

"…Maybe."

0oOo0

"Do you want to go out with me?" Bruce asked me the next day, striding into my Stark Tower office (I supposedly needed one in both buildings). I looked up and furrowed my brow at him pacing across in front of my desk.

"Um… what?"

"A date. With me."

"I heard you. Isn't that already what we're doing?"

"Apparently not." Bruce threw himself onto the sofa.

"Who have you been talking to?" I asked, suspecting the answer.

"Tony." He admitted.

"Tony. You give the man one fiancée and he thinks he knows everything there is to know about love." My stomach dropped since I'd mentioned the 'L-word', but thankfully Bruce didn't comment. "So, a real date? Where I get dressed up and we eat food?"

Bruce gave me a ghost of a smile. "Yeah, something like that. I was thinking maybe we could just… go for a walk. It's been a long time since I was in New York."

"I… yeah, okay." I shook my head to clear the light headedness. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Good. So, maybe next weekend?"

"Okay."

"Okay. I'm sorry, you must be busy."

"Not really." I smiled, getting up and leaning against the edge of the desk. "Did you sleep last night?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

His ears flushed in that adorable way that made me want to tease him. "No. Our conversation about your training officer kind of riled me."

"You don't say. Bruce, don't be worried. Mikhail was my mentor, my friend. He made me into who I am. And I gave myself to him. I was a little girl, barely seventeen, and I mistakenly thought I was in love. It happens. We both moved on—it's Mossad's way. A lot of the time we lose it to our training officers."

"Why are you telling me this?" Bruce asked. He'd paled as I was talking, and he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"I'm trying to console you. I'm different now. And I'd rather resign from Mossad all together than abandon you and the Avengers." I smiled, and he smiled back, wider.

"I'm glad." He confessed, coming to stand in front of me. He leaned over and tucked my hair behind my ear. He pressed his lips to mine, kissed me slowly, wrapped one arm around my waist.

"My office hasn't been properly christened," I smiled against his mouth, opening my legs so he could step between them.

"I was hoping to have that honour," he replied. Bruce pushed my tight pencil skirt up my legs so he could reach my underwear. I squirmed to accommodate him as best I could—I was busily running my hands under his shirt front and dragging my nails back down.

"Oh, who else would I ask?"

We kissed some more, more urgently, and then everything changed; making out wasn't a means to an end, but the main event. Bruce pulled me from the desk and back onto the sofa, where we sat, our thighs pressed together and arms around each other. It was slow and it was lovely, and my heart was beating painfully fast.

"Are you okay?" Bruce whispered as he kissed my neck. "Your pulse is racing."

"Yeah, I'm fine." I stammered. I really was: I was scared, obviously, but I really thought I would be okay.

0oOo0

Mikhail arrived early on Friday morning. I was waiting at the gate with Coulson and Natasha; Phil was responsible for our guest while he was here, and Natasha had volunteered to go as backup. I was glad—she was possibly scarier than the Hulk.

He looked much the same as the last time I saw him, which was roughly ten months ago—he'd shacked up with his newest recruit, who was mastering the Asian fighting styles. They practically cut themselves off from the rest of the base.

"Catharine," he smiled as he approached, his lyrical accent making me feel at home. "It has been too long."

"Shalom Mikhail," I replied guardedly, accepting his embrace. "This is Agent Coulson, my superior at S.H.I.E.L.D, and this is Agent Romanoff, one of my colleagues."

"A pleasure. I bring S.H.I.E.L.D greetings from the Director of Mossad."

"Thank you. Shall we retrieve your things?" Coulson gestured for us to go first, and we preceded him to baggage claim.

Tony had offered Mikhail a place in Stark Tower. I suspected he'd only done so to spy on him, myself and Bruce and our past-present-future love triangle. When I mentioned the possibility of staying in the same building as the Avengers, Mikhail jumped at the chance. I fired Tony a text telling him to hide everything that even hinted at requiring a security clearance, and to have JARVIS secure all the labs. I loved Mikhail, really I did, but that didn't mean I trusted him implicitly. I'd been in Mossad too long to believe he'd just sit around the Tower and play nice. He'd be looking for intel.

There was an awkward housewarming when we got to the Tower; Steve had everyone arranged in the main living area to introduce themselves. The Captain himself stood at full attention, Thor and Jane holding hands next to him. Clint was piggy backing Darcy toward us, and Tony was covered in motor oil. Pepper clipped down the hallway toward us, her CEO smile firmly in place.

"You must be Officer David," she extended her hand. "I'm Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Potts." Mikhail said, kissing her hand.

"Once you meet the team, I'll have Catharine show you your room. If you need anything, ask JARVIS for assistance."

"JARVIS?"

"Tony's butler is Artificial Intelligence. Technically he is everywhere. Just look at the ceiling." I informed him. I looked around to find Bruce missing. I looked at Jane with brows raised. I could tell I had my 'dangerous' eyes because even Thor began to shuffle awkwardly. "Where's Bruce?" I asked.

"He said he was on his way. He was in the middle of writing something on his board when I came down to drag Tony and Jane out of the lab," Darcy said, wobbling slightly as Clint lowered her to her feet.

I heard slapping footsteps and Bruce appeared around the corner, trying to fix his rumpled shirt. He looked up, saw us all looking at him, and flushed.

"What an entrance," Tony winked, clapping enthusiastically.

"Shut up, Tony," Bruce and I said in unison. Wonderful, now I was blushing.

"Awe, couples do start to think alike." He shot back.

Mikhail whipped his head back and forth between Bruce and I, his eyes wide. "Couples?"

"Mikhail David, this is Dr Bruce Banner." I introduced them, stepping back closer to Bruce.

"Dr Banner."

The two men shook hands. "Officer David, I've heard a lot about you."

"And I about you, Doctor Banner." I was tempted to take a step between them. Obviously my mentor had only heard about Bruce's larger, greener alter ego. To be fair, no secret government agency was briefed about a mild mannered nuclear physicist.

"Well, I imagine you're exhausted from your flight, Officer," Pepper said, filling the tense silence that had fallen. "Let us show you to your room." She smoothly slid her hand onto my arm above the elbow and steered the two of us off into the elevator again.

Mikhail was set up across the hall from me, so he could have someone he knew to come and get if he needed anything. I wasn't terribly pleased with this idea, but I understood the sense in not letting him wander the halls in a towel because his shower wasn't working, et cetera. After all, I'd already seen him naked.

Tony was going to pay when Mikhail had gone.

I showed him his suite and introduced him to JARVIS. Another tense silence fell before Mikhail looked over at me and sighed.

"I do not suppose you are ignorant of Dr Banner's true identity."

"You suppose correctly. And the man you just met is his true identity. He didn't grow up as the Hulk."

"Harah, Catharine; Do you know what this man could do to you? You are strong, my dear, but you are not that strong."

"You know I can handle him. It took a lot of energy, but I managed to Hulk out once."

"And will that protect you, or merely rouse the savage beast?"

"Nim'as li! You are no longer responsible for me, Mikhail! I can make my own choices."

He sighed and ran one hand over his tanned face. "Very well, medyle. I am tired from my trip; I think I'll lie down for a while."

"Of course. I'll come get you in a few hours for lunch. JARVIS will wake you if you give him a time."

"Thank you. And… I'm glad you are happy."

I left, managing to hold my temper and not slam the door on my way out. Bruce was waiting for me, leaning up against the wall outside the door.

"He doesn't like me." He observed.

"He doesn't like the Other Guy. He doesn't even know you."

"Still, he doesn't like the thought of you and me." He said as we walked together down the hall.

"No, but I'm afraid any member of a government agency would be weary. We were all read in on the Hulk, not you. You are far less scary and far less green in person."

He chuckled. "Glad to hear it. I got Tony to lock up R&D tighter than a drum; JARVIS knows not to allow anyone but us down there."

"Good. I love the man, really I do, but he's not here to simply observe me in my new job. It just wouldn't be Mossad procedure if he didn't attempt to gain some leverage on us."

"I suppose our date will have to wait until he's gone."

… Quick subject change, Banner.

"Not necessarily," I shrugged. "I don't care if you don't. Name the day, Dr Banner."

He smiled shyly at the ground. "I'll do that."

"Good. Now I know your white board is calling you—be back for dinner, I'll need you as a buffer."

Israeli Terms (from youswear and Yahoo):

Harah: Shit

Nim'as li!: I've had enough!

Medyle: Young maiden, [In Yiddish]—usually used chauvinistically, but I used it because Mikhail is just old fashioned.