We Need to Quit Meeting like This
AN: I'm updating because I can't sleep. I feel like I have a sinus infection or something and can't breathe through my nose .
Thanks to amy, Ravenclaw Slytherin, Maymayliu, and kiwi8fruit for reviewing the last chapter.
To amy: I may make a sequel if I can think of substance for one.
This prompt was requested by kiwi8fruit. Hope I did it justice!
Happy Endings
"I need you both on this, Banner." Fury looked to him seriously, his one good eye stifling any objections.
"The three of us." Cori corrected fearlessly. "You need Bruce to infiltrate, Hulk to smash, and me to, uh…to…why am I doing this again? Isn't Natasha more experienced?"
"Natasha just got back from Russia. She needs down time. And 'The Other Guy' doesn't listen to her like he does you." Fury reminded. "You know, aside from the fact that you can hack into technology." he added dryly and casually.
"Ah, well—"
"Just get in the car." Fury pointed in the direction of the car they'd be taking.
"Right." she pivoted in the short, dark heels and started towards the car. Bruce watched her go, telling himself it was to make sure she didn't get injured pre-infiltration. The sway of her hips and the cling of her satin emerald gown may have had something to do with it, also. He swallowed, wondering with irony if a life-and-death mission would give him the courage he'd need to confess his feelings. He hoped it would.
He'd been standing on the polite side of the love line for quite some time. He was ready to cross over physically. To join his perception that had made the young woman more than Tony's trusted 'not child' and his occasional patient. Bruce readjusted his black tie, stiff feet walking towards the vehicle. She sat in the passenger seat, looking dainty and luminescent in the dark gown.
The door closed behind him. Bruce set his hands on the wheel as an apparent silence saturated the vehicle.
It was just them. They were alone. En route to a 'meeting of the minds' mostly occupied by scientists trying to collaborate with SHIELD enemies. There was more than enough time to talk to her. He just couldn't get his damn tongue to work! Bruce noticed her nervous, dancing fingers out of the corner of his eye.
"You have the weapons, right?" she asked. Her dress was far too short to conceal anything successfully. It stopped at the bend of her knee, but that provided no comfort or concealment where straps and holsters were concerned. The dress was strapless so there were no sleeves available to hide knives. Cori's question made the presence of small guns strapped to his ankle, thigh, and waist noticeable once again.
"Yes." he assured.
"Good."
"They don't matter, though. I AM a weapon." said Bruce with a note of bitterness and dry amusement.
"No you're not, Bruce. You're a lover, not a fighter."
That was all Bruce remembered. Fragments of the meeting reappeared from a concrete- and sweat-scented cloud of forgetfulness, but only briefly. The images never stayed long enough for him to hold onto. Bruce only knew two things: he'd woken up in tatters at the center of a demolished building, and he and Cori were covered head to toe in concrete dust, sweat, and blood. SHIELD cars arrived quickly and collected them but they couldn't answer Bruce's questions.
She wouldn't, either.
Bruce was worried. Did something happen to her? Had The Other Guy been set off because someone touched her? Hulk was rather jealous, the antithesis to his timid approach concerning women, and didn't hesitate to show his affection. Or his jealousy.
Those blatant displays from such a primal creature made it hard for him to deny anything. She was beginning to understand. His chances to keep his heart safe and stay a quite admirer were steadily being dashed. It was that fact that motivated him to maybe confess in the car. He'd never confessed, but made up for it by holding her hand as they walked through the front entrance together.
All of his aliases described a brilliant man. He was a scientist no matter which identity he picked. She was his wife earlier tonight. It was an illusion that thrilled Bruce like a giddy schoolboy hopped up on the sweet bliss of a relationship with his first crush. That illusion had been ruined by something.
The answer eluded him and frustrated him. Fury suggested he get a shower and clean up while they picked Cori's brain. She was a walking computer at SHIELD's disposal. Bruce knew, then, that she'd heard or seen something that initiated the destruction. They were sending him away so he didn't explode for a second time.
It was sensible, but still pissed him off. Hulk was mad, too, but for an entirely different reason. He'd been there during the whole fight. After exercising himself Hulk usually fell quiet, and he was now, but Bruce was still uneasy. At the back of his mind the same thoughts hummed: Cori not smell like ours anymore. Cori smell like dust. Cori smell like sweat. Cori smell like other people.
And he was honestly worried by that. Banner was linked to Hulk, and in moments of weakness adopted his views on the world. Cori not smelling like them meant someone else was moving in on her. It meant something or someone was trying to cancel out his scent – his mark – on the young woman.
That was not acceptable.
Need see Cori. Need make smell like Hulk and Banner again. Not smell right. Need make smell right. Normally Hulk was a migraine-inducing shout in his mind. This was a quiet, hurried chatter. It was Banner's last coherent realization. Hulk lumbered down the hallway, taking the familiar turns of the twisted corridors to arrive at Cori's room. Everything had come down around them once the scientist figured out Cori was linking to his phone and logging information.
The myriad of weapons couldn't hurt Hulk. They did end up compromising the building, though. Hulk assumed the scientists wanted to crush him if they couldn't kill him. Cori was merely caught in the crossfire after fighting her way out of one close-combat situation. He'd swatted all the nutty scientists away like flies, tossing away rubble to save what technology he could.
He and Cori were covered in concrete dust. Unlike him, she had scrapes owed to combat and structural collapse. His enhanced nostrils couldn't take the pressing scent of males, males, males all over Cori. It sickened him; those males weren't Banner. Her scent – sweet and somewhat spicy – was drenched in repellant accents.
She needed to be clean. To smell comfortably sort of like Banner again. That, he could handle. Her current smell? No. It was very bad.
Almost rage-inducing because it wasn't his. Why…if she wasn't his other people would take her! They wouldn't know he was interested! She had to be reclaimed, Hulk thought. Banner may be slow on the confession, but he wouldn't allow such leniency. That was his and no one else was taking it.
He'd make sure.
Hulk found himself brushing one large knuckle against the door. It sufficed as knocking and opened the door. Curls of steam escaped to greet him, moistening his naturally warm skin. The shower curtain concealed protective sliding panes that blurred her figure. She was creamy pale, slender, and humming softly.
The color of her nipples and dark hair was especially obvious against her skin. She had a matching tuft of dark hair between her legs. Coriander turned occasionally, eyes closed as she scratched at her hair. A hint of mango and vanilla hung in the air. Hulk smacked his lips, pleased to find the smell wasn't as bad as it had been.
It wasn't totally gone, however.
The giant nudged the door aside with one finger. She squealed, hands clapping over her breasts as she shifted her weight to hide the tuft of hair. Coriander was bright red. How could she not have heard Hulk?! Well…he's quiet when he needs to be, she admitted. Sometimes he said nothing in her company, preferring to stroke her hair or lay on the floor with her on his chest.
Hulk grabbed her without second thought. He hadn't held her since the building collapsed. She'd been soft and scared in his massive hands. His hand closed carefully around her slick flesh, lifting her out of the shower. "No, no!" Cori admonished, "We don't…uh, we don't do the whole 'meeting' thing when one of us is naked, remember?"
He hugged her to his face, nostrils twitching against the base of her throat. "Cori stink." Hulk stated flatly. She frowned at him, lips daring to pucker angrily.
"Well, you did just take me out of the shower! I wasn't finished!" Cori crossed her arms over her chest. She'd barely gotten time to finish her hair! It was cold outside the shower; her skin was riddled with goose bumps because of the temperature change. The girl could be thankful that she didn't smell concrete dust when she breathed.
The water seemed to clear that up and wash away the streaks.
"No, Cori stink to Hulk. Not normal stink." tried to explain the giant.
Cori's brows furrowed in confusion. She knew Hulk was more…animal-like than Bruce. If she didn't stink like a normal person, then what did she smell like? Obviously it was something only he could smell. She'd only really gotten the impression of concrete dust and a hint of blood.
"Then what is it?"
"Cori smell like blood. Like men. Need stronger smell to make Cori not smell."
Smell…not smell? She was confused. Hulk grumbled, large mouth twisting down in a frown. He knew what he needed to say, just not how to say it! It made sense to him!
She stunk, she smelled like other people…she needed to smell like him or lesser males would think her in their league. They would try to take her and mate with her! He would not allow that. Not when she belonged to him (and Bruce by default).
"Cori need smell like Hulk. That make stink go away for Hulk."
"And how am I going to smell like you? Are they marketing an eau de Hulk now?" she teased. Though she was naked, Cori felt safe enough to joke. It was Bruce, after all. Or he was in there, rather. And, besides, Hulk had his hand closed so it's not like he was seeing anything.
He didn't think the cologne joke was funny. Instead of replying in his stilted way he just showed her. Cori trembled as his large, hot tongue swiped against her throat and cheek. Hulk mewled, rolling her over carefully in his hold until her back met his eye. She arched her back as he started licking at the base of her spine.
Hulk traced the curve of her spine, gentle snorts of air partially drying his trail of conquest. His lips smoothed over her left shoulder, gliding down her arm. The green giant had always wondered how intimacy would go for him. He was larger than a normal human, after all. Once or twice he'd had a fantasy of taking Cori into his mouth and letting his tongue explore the contours of her.
It seemed like a fairly tame and reasonable fantasy. Humans could do it. Why not him? He avoided her hands; the bittersweet mango fragrance told him they wouldn't taste very good. Her shampoo and conditioner was too concentrated there.
He rubbed his cheek and nose against the nape of her neck before brushing his lips across her right shoulder. His scent was starting to become apparent and that pleased him. She felt his teeth nip and skate curiously along her right side. It was enough to make Cori shivered when coupled with his hot breath and moist mouth. Running his tongue down the length of her side and leg led him to her toes.
Cori giggled, kicked, and wiggled her feet. She hated them being messed with. He barely wet them, intending to do so later. Her left side and the expanse of her toned back looked very appealing. Coriander could never be too moist with the taste of him, after all.
He stroked the globes of her bottom curiously. They were soft and plump in his hand. Kissing from the bottom of her spine, to the top, and down the other side left her thoroughly soaked. Hulk turned her over, eyes floating to the hard pink nubs of her chest. The giant cooed.
"Satisfied?" she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Almost." he mumbled softly, as if transfixed by her. "Smell leaving. Not all gone."
Interested in her naval, Hulk started there. Winding loops around the depression, dipping his tongue in, Hulk soon started up towards the valley of her breasts. Cori shivered, kicking up her legs as a soft moan escaped. His large lips were puckered curiously and carefully around her left bosom.
She could feel his teeth pinching around it. His jaw working to lift it and hold it. Bolts of hot pleasure electrified her veins. Coriander gave a somewhat-voluntary blissful whine. Hulk mewled back.
After paying tribute to her other breast he worshiped her collarbone and shoulders. He lifted her slightly, angling his large wrist at a slant. As he licked down her arm and switched sides Hulk gradually widened his mouth. The fantasy of her hanging from his lips as his tongue explored every inch of her would become a reality. "Hey, hey!" she reflexively smacked his nose and cheeks, unaccustomed to the feeling of being in his mouth.
Her skin crawled with excitement and shock at the feel of his wet mouth fitting to her like a glove. His cheeks were slightly hollow, like he was trying to suck her like a human pacifier. She felt his tongue trace and curl around her upper thigh. The green giant purposefully avoided the sweet pleasure between her thighs. Cori's dazed mind could only conclude he had a different method of appreciation for that.
Tickling the length of her thigh, giving her a light suckle, and massaging her with the roll of his lips was wonderful for the giant. Her taste would coat his mouth. Sweeten it. And, as a bonus, there would be no part of her that didn't smell of him. Hulk eased her out of his mouth, supporting her on his thick tongue before dropping her into her palm.
A hint of male pride warmed him. Her thighs were quaking. She was close, he could tell. He could smell it. "Done now?" Cori asked breathlessly, surprised she could speak at all.
The combination of his moving muscles, warm breath, wet flesh, and playfully strong puckering that drew her in and out like a slide whistle was nearly orgasmic! If she hadn't stopped she would've gone over the edge. Her sex throbbed something unmerciful. She was hot, tight, and unwinding as he stared down at her. Cori was glad for the break.
Her heart fluttered and flopped as he closed his fingers around her body. What now? She found herself staring at the bathroom floor tiles, looking downward from her suspended position. A large, green finger poked at her tender mound. Surely he wasn't going to fit that in there, right? She felt his hot finger prod at her trembling, wet flesh.
Cori cried out as his hot muscle mapped her slit. He was ruthless; Hulk only knew how to take, not to savor. The force of his lick was enough to shake her body. She felt like a slingshot or piece of licorice as his tongue bent her backward and sent her forward back to his mouth. Hulk inserted his tongue as best he could, adding variety to his shameless, long, slow licking.
She exploded against his tongue, gifting him a taste of salty sweetness. He turned her right side up, smacking his lips. Hulk set her down on shaky legs. Coriander liked to keep a towel on the floor for when she stepped out. It prevented injury on the tiles.
He wrapped her in that towel, picking her up to cuddle her like a child in the crook of his arm. "No more stink. Cori smell better." Hulk was pleased to inform.
"Are you going to do this after every mission?"
"Yes." Hulk gave her a dazzling, Bruce-like smile. "It make Cori no stink. And good for make mission stress go away."
"You just want post-mission sex." she grinned. Hulk just smiled.
"After mission time supposed be happy. It over." said the giant. If it wasn't happy, he'd make it happy.
Bruce was always a fan of happy endings.