"JARVIS, bring up the plans for the latest project. I need it holographic." Tony swiped a hand across the air, closing his previous project down. "And enable editing."

"You mean the NanoKink, Sir?"

The engineer winced. He was already regretting that name for the device.

"Yeah, and let's rename it shall we?" He commented as JARVIS brought up the nets in a collapsed 3D pile. Lifting his hands to pull the piles apart, he assessed them in closer detail with narrowed eyes.

"What do you wish to rename it as, Sir?"

"Ah..."Tony paused, contemplating various names in his head. "I'll get back to you on that, J."

"Very well, Sir." JARVIS answered.

"Where's the prototype?" Tony asked absently as he squinted at the details of the pulse reader on one of the layers.

"I believe you threw it in the bin, Sir. After you finished constructing the first working model." JARVIS replied and Tony groaned.

"Get it back. Fish it out. Make a new one, I don't care." He waved a hand and the hologram closed down. "Just make it ready to assess before tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, Sir?"

"Yeah, JARVIS, the day after today!" Tony rolled his eyes. He never remembered programming the AI to be so intrusive.

"Sir. May I ask why you need to the prototype? The finished model is still in its case where you left it." JARVIS supplied. Tony pursed his lips, obviously the AI thought it was being helpful.

"No, you may not." Tony answered lightly, flopping into his chair before chewing his lip and lifting a finger. "Actually, scratch that. I don't want the prototype back."

"As you wish, Sir."

Tony rubbed a hand over his goatee.

"JARVIS, where's Bruce?"

"In the kitchen, Sir. He's cooking."

A dark eyebrow rose and Tony found himself smirking. "Bring me up a live feed."

JARVIS complied and suddenly there was the live image of Bruce Banner, clad in baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt, sautéing vegetables in a pan. Tony pulled his top teeth over his bottom lip a couple of times before closing his eyes and swivelling his chair away from the image.

"Thank you, JARVIS. Close it down." Tony waved a hand in the direction of the live feed and the AI obediently closed it.

"Sir? Do you wish for me to enlighten Dr Banner of your whereabouts?" JARVIS asked innocently.

"No-JARVIS... Why would I want that?"

"Just trying to be of service, Sir."

"Then be of service and kindly shut the hell up." The engineer pinched the bridge of his nose. Why the fuck was Bruce cooking? He never cooked dinner. Tony sighed and glanced over at the display case on the far wall. The NanoKink sat proudly on its base, grey metal glinting in the artificial workshop light.

Tony furrowed his eyebrows and pursed his lips, thinking hard.

"JARVIS, is the NanoKink ready to use?"

"It is, Sir."

Tony grinned in excitement of something he wasn't quite sure of yet. "Excellent."

The ingredients hissed as Bruce tossed more freshly chopped onions into the mix. Setting the pan down for a moment, he reached for the tea-towel and peeked in on the dish currently occupying the oven. It sat happy and golden.

Bruce smiled at the success. He wasn't overly confident the recipe would work. Hell, he wasn't even sure Tony's oven worked.

"Is this really what living with me has influenced in you?" Tony boomed from across the room as he entered, the NanoKink tucked in his pocket and his side of the cylindrical device firmly in place around his wrist. "Domestic behaviour?"

Bruce's chest tightened at the engineer's choice of words, 'living with me.' It sounded awfully... homey.

"Really, Bruce. Should I be worried?" Tony stepped up beside him and clasped a hand to his chest, his eyes locked on the doctor's in mock concern.
Bruce wanted to slap him on the arm. But they weren't like that.

"Just be grateful you're getting a meal with real vegetables in it for once." He commented and turned back to his sizzling onions.

Tony reached for a cashew nut from a bowl beside the microwave and popped it into his mouth. "Last time I checked, pineapple was actually a fruit."

"Yeah, but it may as well not be once it's been baked in cheese and ham as a pizza topping." Bruce quipped and tossed the sautéd mix in the air.

"Woah, easy there, big guy." Tony lifted his hands away from the cashew nuts as if Bruce's sudden display of confidence with hot kitchen utensils was some kind of threat. "Alright, alright, I'm grateful."

"Good." The doctor finalised and tossed the pan again, shooting an amused smirk at the engineer.

Tony swallowed. Since when was Bruce so...playful? He suppressed a grin. After all, playfulness part-way proved the engineer's hopeful suspicions and suddenly the NanoKink felt heavy on his wrist.

"Ignore dinner for a sec, I have something to show you." Tony beckoned Bruce to follow and, after the doctor had switched off the oven and hob, he did.

"Now, don't start getting all jumpy and excited." Tony warned as he backed up into the living area, allowing Bruce to follow.

"I promise you I won't." The doctor replied matter-of-factly.

Tony nodded and stopped walking.

"You asked me," he began, excitement in his eyes. "What my new invention was."

Bruce rubbed his chin, frowning ever so slightly as he listened. "Yeah."

"And I was thinking, hey? Why tell you," he lifted the remaining part of the finished NanoKink out of his pocket. "When I can show you?"

Bruce paused and let out a short breath.

"Look, Tony. I really do want to see what it does. It's just... can't it wait til after we've eaten? I need to-"

"No." Tony interrupted and reached to lift Bruce's right arm. "Now this clips on - and bear with me here 'cause it might not be a perfect fit." Tony released the remaining wristlet and clasped it snugly around Bruce's wrist. It beeped once and a little light flashed up on the main device in Tony's hand.

"There. It recognises you."

Bruce's brow furrowed.

"Recognises me? Is this some invention to do with suppressing the Other Guy?"

"Nope." Tony flashed a smile, popping the 'p' and twisting the main device twice until something clicked and then he placed it behind him on the table.

"Okay, so what does it do?" Bruce asked as he studied his wristlet with a frown. "You've got one too?" He pointed at Tony's and the engineers eyes glinted.
He lifted his wrist and shook it with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Yup. Now Bruce, Dr Banner, I know you're a clever man. You're well-educated, well-experienced, tough-willed." Bruce cleared his throat to get Tony to stop and the engineer paused and looked at him. "You worked it out yet?"

Bruce pursed his lips and looked closer at the metal around his wrist.

"Well, the name NanoKink gives away some level of information... But I've no idea why you invented it."

"Let's just say I'm gonna swing blind here and try to prove a point that I may or may not know actually exists." Tony suggested and Bruce looked at him.

After a second, the doctor inhaled sharply and shifted on his feet. "Alright. Prove ahead, Mr Stark."

"Thank you." Tony winked and reached for Bruce's wrist again. "Now, this little device is connected directly to the pulse point on your wrist, able to read every flight and drop in the flutter of your beating heart." Tony put on a dramatic tone and Bruce couldn't help but smile.

"Okay." He still wasn't getting it.

"So...I'm gonna use to measure and record what gets your pulse up."

Bruce thought for a second. "So, what, you're gonna throw stuff at me? See what makes me angry the quickest?"

"Brucie, I never said this had anything to do with Hulk."

The silence that settled between them then was thick and Bruce didn't know how to permeate it appropriately.

"So, what then?"

"That's where the name comes in." Tony grinned. "And the possibly non-existent point I'm trying to make."

"Which is?"

Tony didn't answer the question. Instead, he locked his eyes in Bruce's and squeezed the doctor's wrist reassuringly. "I'll need you to trust me."

"Trust you?"

"Completely."

"Tony-"

"Entirely."

"I swear, if you're lying about this and it really is an invention for repressing the Other Guy..." Bruce paused. "And you're just not telling me because you know that I won't participate if it is..."

Tony stayed silent.

"Tony." Bruce warned, his wrist still in Tong's grip. "Take it off."

"No."

"You are lying to me aren't you?" The doctor sighed. "Tony..."

"Bruce. Trust me. Yeah, okay to heck with it. This is to measure whether it's more than just anger that gets the big guy up and at 'em."

Bruce frowned and took his wrist free from the engineer's grip.

"I need to finish making dinner." He avoided Tony's eyes and turned back towards the kitchen.

Tony didn't mention the fact that the doctor had left the wristlet on. He let him go.