...It's Too Cliche, I Won't Say I'm In Love...
Steve Rogers looked comfortable in the lab, watching the 'geeks' do their stuff. Natasha and Barton entered, shocked at Tony's newest creation. He boasted, without even checking to see where they had gone, "Bird Brain, check this out! By the time it's done it will be twice the size, twice the speed, and house twice the energy! Awesome huh?"
Clint brushed off his shoulder, "Yeah, by the time I come out of the shower, I'll be twice as clean. Now where's the God damn liquor!"
Stark laughed, "Easy there Robin Hood, in the cabinet, ask Pep, she'll get it for you."
He nodded, aggravated, "Thanks. I need a good stiff drink."
Steve lifted his eyebrows, "That bad huh?"
Natasha shrugged her shoulders once Barton left, "He can be a drama queen."
Tony laughed, "Whatever. You wanna see my model Nat? Great right?"
She smiled parking herself beside Steve, across from Bruce who continued worked quietly. She noticed his navy blue shirt, sleeves unbuttoned and rolled down, (out of the ordinary.) Natasha tried to see his wrists, everything looked normal, no fresh cuts. She concluded that he was probably self-conscience about the older ones she brought to his attention, the night before.
Steve snickered, "Stark, I'm waiting for these things to explode. You over use them."
"Oh please! Everything in my house is perfectly created, I give utmost attention to every cell, every DNA, every little piece of metal. Oh! Have you seen my new AI?"
Rogers shook his head, "I don't want to."
Tony waved his hand, obviously having an altar motive, "It's in the living room. Go! Go look! And while your down their, bring me up a shot of booze."
Steve rolled his eyes, "I knew there was more then one reason."
Miss Romanoff laid her head on her hand, her legs crossed. Stark refocused his eyes towards her, still playing with his three-dimensional image. "Well, how was the mission?"
"Awful. Well, it ended well, but the process was awful."
He nodded, not very interested. He barely shifted his position, tossing a model to her, "Check it!"
She pulled away startled catching it in her hand, "Stark! I don't know what I'm doing!"
He laughed, "Roll it up and toss it back."
She tried, rolling her hands over the images trying to toss it back. He laughed as it reverted back onto her hand. She smiled, "Stark, I can't get it."
He moved his hands urging her to copy him, "Look, like this."
Natasha brushed her other hand, laughing a little more now at her own clumsy behavior. Bruce couldn't help but smile upon hearing her laughter. He looked over the rim of his glasses, to see her giggling as Stark refused to help her with the fussy creation.
Stark tried to talk through his laughter, "JARVIS initiate back up screen and compilations. Shut down model 672."
Natasha stopped handing over the shrunken model back to Tony. He smiled, "Now admit it, you thought that was cool."
She smiled, "Yes, that was cool."
Pepper walked in coughing, "Mr. Stark, you have 26 missed calls with in the past oh, I don't know, 30 seconds!"
He stood up grumbling, "Ugh, Pepper, I have guests. Just block them."
"I physically can not block every call that comes into the tower just because our house is fill right now."
He lifts his forefinger, "Uh, my house, not ours, no offense."
"Whatever just call them back."
He smiles, "Brucie, I'll be right back. You can hold down the fort for a while right?"
His friend lifts off his glasses, "Don't worry about it Tony."
"And if that guy calls again, just click 'block' I don't want to talk to him."
Pepper grabs his arm, "Mr. Stark! Let's go!"
Natasha smiles, swiping the screen in front of her. Bruce sits back in the chair behind him, lightly swinging his foot. She knows he's got an eye on her as she glances up to meet his brown-eyed focus. He smirks nervously looking back down at his clasped hands.
She shakes her head, "What are you up to Dr. Banner."
He smiles, "Nothing you'd understand."
"Try me."
"Just, messing with proton equations Tony thinks are impossible."
Her bright red lips part to the side, "Nothing's impossible."
His eyes refocus away from her, back onto his screen, "No."
Natasha stands up heading to the opposite side of the table.
She points to the small letter in the corner of screen, "What does that mean?"
He grips his neck from nervousness. Her closeness is already too much for him to handle. He can't help but feel his heart beat quicken as he answers, "An elementary charge."
She points to the opposite end, "And that?"
"Just a vector product."
Natasha studies the strange shapes and numbers on the screen, "Now this is gibberish to me."
He chuckles, "Give up?"
Sh nods, waiting to hear the answer to the complicated mess in the middle.
He smiles, realizing she's anticipating more of an explanation. Bruce slips his glasses back on pointing to the screen for her to watch. He knows it will go over her head, but she looked interested;
"Look; You have 1 amp, times the number of electrons used in a second, over the number of watts-"
She interrupts him, "What's that?"
"Kinetic energy."
"And that?"
"Polar notation."
She turns her back to the screen facing him, "And this is why I don't do physics."
He backs up slightly, "I'm surprised."
"Don't be. I'm really not that gifted."
"Everyone's got a gift or hidden talent. You'll find something you like." Bruce gives her a smile, removing his glasses. Her hazel-green stare is almost unnatural.
She shrugs her shoulders, "I guess."
She gently wraps her fingers around his sleeve. Initially hesitating. She was beyond shocked when he didn't flinch, or try to pull away. Her fingers twirl, delicately rolling it up without moving his arm. He remains motionless, both their eyes focused on her 'work'. She smiles without a word, rolling up the opposite one. Her body in front of his, sends a sensation of butterflies twirling through his stomach. His mind has no time to think of anything but that moment, with her remaining so close to him.
She can feel his temperature rising, her own heart skipping a beat as she touches his hand.
"Some have been able to effect more people then they realize, with a hidden talent that, maybe their not even aware of." Natasha carefully turns over his left wrist, her forefinger outlining his faded scar as she whispers, "It would be a shame to lose someone like that. Or for someone to take that sort of gift for granted."
She reaches up, brushing that lock of hair to the side as their eyes meet in a solid haze. She takes a deep breath, hoping she's found a way to reach his heart, convince him otherwise. She looks down, feeling her body tremble wondering if he can feel what she's feeling. After all, he mentioned it before, would he bring it up again?
He gave a quick smirk before snapping back to reality. His eyes refocused towards the exit, wondering how to get out of this awkward position, without giving her the impression that he wants to 'escape'. He breathed a sigh of relief as Tony re-entered, mouth going off as usual;
"I've got 50 calls! I swear the price of, -HELLO!- I honestly hope I'm not interrupting anything here."
Natasha looked at him, slipping calmly to the side, "Nope, Bruce was just teaching me a few things."
Tony smirked, "Yeah, give him a chance and I'm sure he could teach you a lot more."
She rolled her eyes, "Seriously Stark, you're not funny."
Bruce narrowed his focus. His expressive, 'dagger-like' eyes pierced through his friend as if to say, 'Shut up now!'