Penny woke to the beeping of a heart rate monitor. The ceiling was pure white, which made a nice change from the grey steel of the helicarrier, lifting her head she dropped it back down in pain, immediately regretting it.
"Oww…" She moaned, her hand going to the back of her head; she could feel stitches which explained the pain.
"You're awake." She sat up and turned her head to the left, "Bruce." She smiled as she pushed her hair behind her ears. He returned the smile and stood up, walking over to a counter in the corner she let her eyes wander around the room. The walls were a pale yellow colour, and there was a big bouquet of flowers in a vase on her bedside table. I wonder who they're from?
"How are you feeling?" He offered as he walked back over with a few medical instruments in his hands, he placed them on a moveable try. "Okay, my head hurts a bit but otherwise it's fine I guess." He nodded and smiled, "How are you feeling?" She asked quietly.
His smile wavered, he stood up and looked into her wide green eyes before answering. "I'm good, happy actually." Her brow rose in confusion, he grinned as he scribbled down her heart rate. "Happy knowing that I wasn't the one to hurt you. Apparently, I didn't hurt anyone." Penny sat up more and fluffed her pillows behind her.
"Then that's good. I'm happy too then!" She laughed at how childish she sounded, but Bruce didn't mind at all. In fact, he liked the idea that his happiness made her happy. He set a needle down on the tray, "I uh, I need to take your blood. If that's okay?" Pointing to the needle with his pen she nodded and held her arm out.
Penny shuffled over slightly when Bruce sat down on the bed, picking his glasses up off the tray he perched them on his nose and lightly grabbed Penny's arm. He looked up as she giggled, "Sorry," She blushed, "you're tickling me." She smiled shyly. Bruce flashed a smile and readied the needle.
"This might hurt a little," He warned, pushing the needle in he saw her flinch and look away. "All done." He said, pulling the needle out he pushed a cotton wool ball onto her arm to stop the bleeding. "You okay?" He asked when she didn't respond; she nodded quickly and breathed a deep breath.
"I don't really like needles, they kinda creep me out." She smiled a small smile but it quickly dropped from her face. "You know what?" Bruce smiled, "I don't really like them either." She brightened and placed her finger over the cotton wool ball. He slowly released the pressure and felt his stomach flip when her fingers brushed his. His breathing quickened.
"This time, I did bring you a present." Tony shut the door behind him and stalked over to the bed, sitting down he handed her a neatly wrapped large box. The paper was green and it had a purple bow around it. Bruce raised an eyebrow at Tony when he saw the colours; Tony looked like a child that had been caught red handed.
"What?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders, "I thought she might appreciate the colours!" He defended.
Penny giggled, "I love the colours Tony, thank you." She smiled warmly at him and he gestured for her to open it. Tony cringed at her confused expression and look of blatant horror that crossed her face.
"What? Do you not like the colour?" She embarrassedly turned to face him; her face was as bright as a tomato. She stood up off the bed and Bruce sat down on the bed next to Tony. "What did he get you?" He laughed nervously, eyes flickering between her and Tony.
She pulled out what could only be described as skimpy material with a stich or two in it. Holding it up to her figure, she saw what it truly was. It was bright red lace, with hints of yellow lace here and there. On the bra, there was a blue circle made out of leather stitched in. A lingerie version of Iron Man. She blushed even more.
Bruce gulped as his mouth went dry. Tony jumped up and snatched the box back, stuffing the lid back on roughly. A hint on a blush was visible on his cheeks, "I um," he coughed to clear his throat before standing up, "I must have gotten your box mixed up with Peppers…" He finished lamely.
Penny's furious expression changed to pure glee. She laughed out loud happily, "Maybe if you got them in green and purple I wouldn't have been so cross!" She giggled as a nurse walked in and placed a pile of clothes on the table by the door. Bruce blushed at her comment and turned towards the nurse who was stood in the doorway, looking at the laughing Penny curiously.
"Director Fury is holding a meeting in 2 hours, he wants you all to attend." She turned from the men to face the recovering Penny, "Miss Green, you're invited to the meeting too. Mr Fury said two hours should be sufficient to shower, change and eat." She smiled sweetly and retreated out of the room.
Penny turned to Bruce and Tony, "When she says, 'invited', she means that I have no choice right?" She asked, the men nodded amusedly when she started fake crocodile tears.
Penny had stepped into the shower, which left Tony and Bruce alone in the room until she made an appearance. They had promised her to take her for some lunch, since it was nearly 12 'o' clock, and then they would all show up to the meeting together.
Tony kicked the green and purple box, twisting his body he quickly placed his gaze on Bruce, "I saw it you know." He smirked, and the doctor smiled and looked down.
"Saw what?" He huffed, kicking the box back over to Tony.
"Uh, I don't know, how about the way you act around her?" Bruce's head snapped up at the sentence, but soon looked back down at his hands. He sighed, "What are you talking about Tony?"
"The looks, the smiles, the blushes, the little glances at her when you know she's not looking –" He stopped and let out a breath, his voice quietened and took on a serious tone. "How the hulk cared for her instead of hurting her." Tony bit his lip, hoping he hadn't crossed the line with that one. He actually liked Bruce, regardless of the enormous green rage monster.
Bruce snickered, "Yeah…I was pretty surprised at that myself."
Tony pressed, "So you admit it?" Bruce looked over at his scheming friend and smiled slyly.
"Admit what?" He replied cautiously, knowing what he was getting at. But Bruce wouldn't let him lecture him about it, not today anyway.
"That you have feelings, romantic, feelings for Penny?" He smiled and Bruce grinned, he opened his mouth to reply when Penny opened the door and walked back in.
"So what are you girls gossiping about?" Pulling her hair into a ponytail she looked between her two new favourite men, Tony held a small smile while Bruce was looking at Tony with playful daggers.
"Nothing, really." Bruce smiled without taking his eyes off his billionaire friend who was smirking into his hands. She looked between the two with her eyebrow raised; she placed her hands on her hips and cleared her throat.
They snapped their head towards the amused woman, "Shall we?" They nodded as she gestured to the door. "Good, I'm starving!"
Penny closed the door behind her and followed the talking scientists down the hallway. She was embarrassed to admit that she had no idea where the canteen actually was, it didn't occur to her that the helicarrier would have one. It was only when she complained to Tony that she was hungry that he had the idea of them going to the canteen for food before the meeting.
She hurried to catch up to the other two and fell into step on the end by Bruce, "You know, you should come by Stark Tower sometime, top 10 floors, all R&D. You'd love it, it's Candy land." Tony continued, "Of course our pretty Penny here is welcome too. Pepper could use a girlfriend." He smirked.
"Oh haha, so I'm banned from the lab?" She pouted looking around Bruce at the billionaire who just let out a hearty laugh; Penny skipped ahead and pushed the button for the elevator.
"Thanks but, the last time I was in New York, I... kind of broke... Harlem." Bruce smiled shyly and looked at the numbers above the doors. Penny sighed at the grey steel of the elevator as Tony pressed a button.
"Well, I promise a stress-free environment, no surprises..."
"OW!" Penny jumped and looked to the other two, Tony was holding some sort of pointy stick and Bruce was rubbing his side, a lopsided grin on his face.
The doors to the elevator opened, "Would you please refrain from poking my current favourite of the group?" She sighed and walked down the hallway, leaving Tony's mouth agape and Bruce grinning wildly.
"Hear that?" He nudged Tony with his elbow, "I'm her favourite." Bruce jogged to catch up to her when she stopped dead in her tracks. She spun around and came face to face with something warm and hard.
"Omph!" Bruce's arms shot out to steady her as Tony reached the two. Penny looked up to find that she had bumped into Bruce, not a warm wall like she had thought, "Heh, sorry…" She mumbled, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink at the closeness.
"What do you mean he's your favourite?" Tony whined, ignoring that Bruce still had an arm around Penny's waist and she still had her hand on his chest. He was slightly surprised that she hadn't removed it yet; surely she could feel his heart speed up?
"I-I didn't…I mean I-" Stuttering she looked from one to the other, a pink tint lingering on Bruce's cheeks too.
Tony held up his hands, "No! I understand!" He feigned hurt and sniffed, "If you prefer this," He waved his hands at Bruce before continuing, "this ruggedly handsome man to a billionaire, I understand." He sniffed again, wiping a fake tear away from his eye.
Penny giggled and moved her hand from Bruce's chest, they continued walking again and admittedly, Bruce missed the contact, but quickly shook the thought out of his head.
The canteen was, to Penny's disappointment, grey steel. "Again?" She mumbled.
She queued up behind Tony who was whispering something excitedly into Bruce's ear, there was the choice of Lasagne, Spaghetti Bolagnase, Chicken Caesar Salad or…
"Man n Cheese?" Tony questioned as Penny plopped down happily with her tray, "Mac n Cheese." She smiled brightly at him before digging in.
Tony made a circling motion with his fork before he poked at his Lasagne some more, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone get so excited over Mac n Cheese…" He spoke quietly while Penny giggled at him.
Bruce smiled and looked at Penny, remembering their conversation in the lab. His smile grew wider, "Her cat likes it."
Just wanted to say a quick hi to all the new readers, this is just a bit of a filler chapter to set up the next one :) I know it's shorter than the last one, but I'll make up for it next chapter :) Remember to review!
-Readers Assemble!-