A/N: This one is for jamiehernandaz88 It'll be a multi-chapter. Give me about a week or so :)
Maybe Tony thought he was being funny- heck- it's Tony Stark. He does everything for a laugh or a rise.
Hearing that particular song come on during work hours does nothing to settle Banner's already bubbling stress.
He's tugging the sleeves of his button down and fixating forward with a vacant expression and a blank mind. All he can see is green…
Green...Everything is green...why is everything green…
Bruce woke up from a nightmare the evening prior, at 2am and ready to destroy the room from an evil- what was it again? Some sort of alien. The battles are meshing together, he can barely process the assignments as of late.
Thank god for the good hearted soul of Natasha Romanoff, ensuring his post code green hulk out bag is equipped with what he needs. Though a Xanax isn't within the realm of a realistic purchase.
"Brucie? You good man?"
Tony's laughing has stopped so abruptly, poking at his friend.
"Just thinking."
"Oof. Dangerous. You got plans for tonight?"
"No."
"Good. I made you some. Movie night, at the home theater."
Bruce spares a smirk, fighting with the glasses he removes from his face, "What's the movie."
"Alien,' Tony mutters matter of factly, 'Feels appropriate after the last few days don't you think?"
Bruce laughs and shakes his head, "Just keep the lights on. We don't need Steve screaming again-."
"You talkin' bout when we watched Cabin Fever? I'm pretty sure that squeal came from Tony," Clint enters with a mouth full of popcorn, chomping away and inviting himself into the conversation.
Stark swats at him, "What are you doing in here? Get out; nerds only."
Clint moves his bag of popcorn out of Tony's reach, denying the engineer a piece.
Natasha meddles with a grin, tugging off her gloves after returning from a mission and topples the bag to spill the contents on the floor of the lab.
"Grow up boys."
"Wha-! Nat!" Barton gasps angrily.
"You-!,' Tony wags his finger, 'You're going to clean that up!"
Natasha shrugs with a half threat, "Make me."
"I-! Hmmm! You should do it because it's the right thing to do!"
"And you should stop talking to me because it would be the smart thing to do."
Bruce laughs, watching as the redhead steps over her mess and invites herself to Banner's desk to read his screen. She has one goal; invade his space. Hip checking the physician to give herself more of his space. He lifts a finger over her shoulder, pulling up a folder of his latest project she's clearly there to see.
Romanoff enjoys bothering him, bantering a bit about the projects being worked on at the lab and offering her own input. Bruce likes her curiosity and the fact that she seems to genuinely care about what he's up to.
He wants to talk, trying to. Bruce swallows and clears his throat through a half growl that somewhat startles him.
He stares blankly before he can react.
"Bruce?" Natasha checks in kindly, shaking him from his thoughts.
He lifts his finger to scroll the page a little lower and points to a diagram;
"What do you think?"
She's not known for being wordy, shrugging and pointing to the side, "What does this do?"
"That's just there for decoration. In case the project blows up. He's got my role, basically; the backup glue...err, muscle?"
Natasha shakes her head over his self deprecation and pivots to leave, "Clint? We need to meet with Fury for a debrief."
"Good, go!" Tony pushes Clint's shoulder though Barton retaliates and whacks him in response.
"Bye Nat," Bruce stacks his papers somewhat playfully over the way she just peaces out.
Stark pivots once the spies exit, standing in the middle of the popcorn mess;
"I can't with those two! Sometimes I feel like the dad around here. Are you listening to me?"
Bruce isn't, frozen in front of the screen with a few quick blinks over the reflection looking back at him. His eyes are off, green rather than brown…
He tears off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose with his eyes shut;
"I'm listening- I need a minute."
"Something in your eye? I'm a professional at dust removal, do you want me to look-!"
"No! I'm good."
"Geez! Man! Not trying to insult your masculinity."
"Jus-shhh!"
"What?! Now you wanna quit? I'm pissing you off now too?"
"Will you cut it out? I'll be right back."
"Mmkay. Rip your own lashes out, then. I was trying to be cute, honey."
"Stop! Being! So weird," Bruce would glare if he could open his eyes, stumbling to the restroom.
"I'm weird?!" Stark squints suspiciously, brushing it off as a Banner quirk.
Bruce pushes by his friend and makes his way toward the restroom to lock himself inside of a small room away from Tony and breathe.
He pants a bit once he's away from Stark, eyes wide while he stares in the mirror, unable to recognize this specific shade of green over irises that are usually a dark brown.
"Stop, stop, stop it," Bruce grips the back of his neck with his constant whispering, trying to take back control from his alter ego.
Hulk fights back a bit with a pinch to the calf and the ear. Bruce clenches a fist and smashes it lightly against the sink;
"Stop it!"
Tony shouts, "I wasn't talking to you, green bean! Geez! I was yelling at Steve!"
Bruce bites his tongue and leans both hands on the sink for support while he mulls over the past few weeks, trying hard to pinpoint a reason for these inexplicable episodes...