Chapter 3: Cabeceo
Tony had always promised privacy. It was the first concern when he suggested renovating his New York project into a headquarters. (The other concern: "Somehow, basing our operations in a giant tower with our name plastered on the front of it seems like we're just asking for trouble..." was a whole other debate.) With two spies, a scientist on the run from the government, an Asgardian prince, and a WW2 experimental soldier who'd been fished out of the Arctic, there were bound to be secrets that didn't need to see the light of day. Tony understood the desire for privacy and promised that they never had to worry about him encroaching. ("What do I look like? The NSA?") Natasha and Steve had been vocally suspicious at first, and Tony really couldn't blame them—they'd seen him breaking into the most advanced cyber network in the free world in the span of an hour. However, the months passed and Tony had kept his word, much to the surprise of just about everyone. Tony had taken great pride in proving his teammates wrong in the matter of his discretion.
So when he found himself, standing outside of Banner's door, which stubbornly refused to budge, he couldn't help but wish he hadn't been so annoyingly smug about protecting his teammates privacy.
"JARVIS—"
"Sir, as per your own orders, I am not allowed to give you any details about Dr. Banner—aside from assuring you that he does not require any assistance," interjected the wry tones. The AI knew full well what his master was after. Tony knew the AI was only following the protocol that he himself had set, but he was pretty sure he hadn't imagined the slightly smug tone. "I can alert him to your presence, if you'd like." As if 15 minutes of knocking wouldn't have done that for him.
"Do that," Tony said, wracking his brains for a loop hole—there's always a loophole. (But trying to outfox your own best work isn't easy-especially when you are Tony Stark.) Finding nothing, he kicked at the door in irritation. "Fine, but I'm replacing your equipment," he said, feeling rather petulant. "Hope you like microscopes from Toys-r-us."
There was a pause and Tony was sure that if Bruce was ever going to answer his door, he certainly wouldn't now. The man had a surprising stubborn streak to him. With a sigh, Tony turned around, his mind turning towards finding new and entertaining methods for tormenting Cap as a diversion (no way in hell was he going to focus of the new booster stabilizers now.)
He was about 10 feet away when the door was opened and the faint sound of music reached his ears. Tony turned around, and paused, hearing the rhythmic staccato of piano and the sliding shrill measures of the strings. For a brief moment, Tony considered walking away, but then… the door was open and when had Tony Stark ever been able to resist temptation?
The room was dark, but Tony could tell how spartan it was. He'd been in everyone's room for some reason or another, and everyone had given them a bit of a personal touch. Thor brought doodads from Asgard that Natasha refused to touch after one shocked Tony through the door for "encroaching", according to the demigod. (Thor's room also seemed to accumulate quite a bit of clutter as cleaning had never been much of an activity in his life.) Natasha seemed to have an affinity for landscapes and her walls were filled with photographs of everything from the Gobi desert to a cityscape of Hong Kong. Everything was very ordered and organized-even her books were organized in alphabetical order- by language first, then author, then title. Steve and Barton both decided Stark's taste was unsatisfactory and instead opted to bring in their own stuff. But Bruce… there was nothing outside of what Tony had brought in. It was a stark reminder of how Bruce had lived for years before he lived in the Tower. How he still lived-as though he would never be in any one place long enough to acquire anything that belonged to him. (The thought hurt Tony more that he'd ever admit.)
He could see a flickering light coming from the bedroom, the music growing louder and louder. Tony, perhaps for the first time in his life, hesitated, feeling like an intruder. Bruce had never invited others into his life, he tolerated them, was kind to them, but he never revealed more than he had to. Each sentence felt carefully constructed, like he had weighed the options and had only shared what was strictly required.
"You don't have to hide behind the door," came Bruce's voice, barely louder than the music. Tony couldn't place the tone the doctor used, but it was clear that he certainly wasn't unexpected. He stepped in, momentarily dazed by the light, after so much darkness.
Bruce was seated by his desk, fully dressed, posture relaxed. The room was bathed in the light cast off by two holographic dancers, gliding along the floor in time with the music. Tony couldn't help but be memorized. He was no expert in Tango, and even to his untrained eye, he could tell they weren't pros. But the way they moved… they seemed to know eachother better than they knew themselves. The way Bruce watched it, you would think it was nothing more than a particularly interesting lecture on particle physics.
"What is that?" Tony asked softly, finally looking back to the scientist.
Bruce got to his feet, his eyes never leaving the figures. "An experiment of sorts…" he replied softly. "I was trying to encode a memory electronically-it worked… a bit-" he shrugged. "There was a couple when I had hidden out in Argentina, in a small little village about 3 hours outside of Buenos Aires… Every Saturday, one of the men would play tango music from a radio that he placed on a window sill. Everyone from town would come out, but there was just this one couple… they left such an impression on me. They moved as one being, as if the music was their life blood. Everyone cleared the way to let them dance-everyone was so enchanted… But anyway, I couldn't record the rest of it- I only managed to record them dancing through this one song…"
Tony paused, distracted by how impressive it was that he'd managed even that. "So this is what you've been working on all this time?" He tried to be nonchalant but he was certain Bruce could hear the hope in his voice. Pathetic.
"No."
"No?" That threw Tony. "Wait, so you weren't hiding here to get away from distractions in order to focus on your memory?"
"No."
They fell into a brief silence, allowing the music to bridge the gap. Finally, Tony opened his mouth to demand real answers. But before he could, Bruce interrupted.
"Do you know how to tango?" he asked, gesturing to the figures. "Somehow I'd think you'd be good at it."
Tony blinked, that was not a question he had been prepared for. "Never had the opportunity," he finally settled on.
"Well," Bruce gestured to the figures, "here's your chance to learn."
"And why in the hell would I want to do that?" Tony asked, smirking back at the scientist. "Planning on taking me dancing, Banner?"
Bruce flushed slightly, but still maintained his composure; he'd spent far too long with Stark not to respond with equal amounts of snark. "Only if you dance well," he replied, with a smirk of his own.
A challenge had been issued, and Tony Stark never believed in backing away from a challenge. He bowed to Bruce with a flourish. "Then I am at your mercy, oh teacher," he said with a grin.
Bruce got to his feet, eying Tony as though waiting for the punchline. "Very well." He stood before the other man, surveying him thoughtfully. He sighed and took a step closer, his hand touching Tony's arm. "We'll have to get closer," he murmured softly. "We'll start with an open embrace," he instructed. He took Tony's hand in his and placed it on his upper arm before letting go.
Tony listened to the physicist describe the movements, the 4 steps pattern, cross-system walks and breaks. It was easy to get lost in the soft words, in the warmth in his tone as he explained; it was the first time Tony had heard the scientist sound truly relaxed. He could imagine the man before the accident, could imagine the warm curiosity and the eager zeal for new discoveries that must have driven him back then.
"I'll start off slow, alright?" Bruce said, his hand resting lightly on Tony's back. "Just follow me, okay?"
Tony nodded, almost mesmerized by this new side of Bruce Banner. They danced in relative silence, with Bruce marking the rhythm. Tony picked it up like he picked up everything and soon Bruce was nodding his approval. They continued to follow the rhythm he had set, though no words were spoken. And then Bruce spoke.
"I was afraid," he admitted, his voice so soft that Tony almost missed it. His fingers seemed to clutch tighter around the billionaire's sleeve. "Working beside you… it almost felt like before. Before the running, before Admiral Ross... before everything. It felt so normal and I could almost forget that anything had changed—"
"You don't have to be afraid, you know," Tony said, dryly. "That's the point of you being here; so you don't have to hide. Ever again, remember?"
Bruce nodded and backed away with a weak smile. "I do remember," he agreed simply, directing his attention back to the couple frozen in time, projected in the darkness. "But I wasn't afraid of others. I was afraid of you."
"Me? Who's afraid of me?" Tony asked, honestly surprised. He'd been told he was arrogant, annoying, pompous, and soulless… but never an object of fear.
"I am." Bruce let out a sigh, sinking into his chair, looking so much older in the shadows of the holograms.
Tony gritted his teeth irritably, striding over to the chair and leaning over, caging Bruce in. "I thought we'd covered this," he said firmly. "I am your friend, Banner. I will do everything in my power to prevent anyone from using you, ever again."
"I know."
"Then why? Why the hell run from me?" Tony challenged, leaning further, determined to draw out the truth from the man before him.
"Because you make me feel normal," Bruce repeated, his eyes meeting Tony's wearily. "Don't you understand? Normal is dangerous. Normal makes you forget, and when you forget… you let your control slip."
"You mean in the lab?" Tony asked. "You were still in control remember? No green men, just a normal run of the mill outburst."
"But it could have just as easily fallen the other way," Bruce replied, his tone patient. "I acted without thinking, I let emotions overwhelm my reasoning. It is a miracle that I caught myself before the other guy could make an appearance. And I realize how selfish I'd been, invading your lab, seeking your company… I put you in danger, Tony."
Tony groaned. "No, I did," he corrected Banner. "I put myself in danger the instant I let you set up shop on my workbench. And you know what? I'd do it all over again. Because you weren't the only one who enjoyed feeling normal for a change." He finally released his grip on the chair and straightened. "Having a peer, someone to talk to, to work with... you think you aren't the only one who liked not feeling so damned lonely for a change?" He gestured to Bruce with a huff. "I'm not scared of the Hulk, and I'm not scared of you. You're my friend, you idiot! I'm never going to be afraid of you or the other guy. Maybe you should take notes!"
Bruce didn't respond, and Tony didn't really expect him to. They simply remained still, each sizing up the other in silence. Finally, Tony just sighed and shook his head, turning to leave. There was nothing left to say, and Tony Stark didn't like to linger where he wasn't needed.
"Thanks for the dance lesson."
xXx
Cabeceo is a ritual that traditionally begins each dance where the dancers stand apart and nod to acknowledge the other. It seemed fitting here as Tony and Bruce both get a chance to see each other in a new light. I hope you liked this installment and please keep your eyes open for the final chapter sometime this weekend. As always, comments, critiques, and suggestions are always welcome! Thanks for reading!