"What do you want me to say?" Darcy said, placing the piece of paper back onto the table between them.

"Whatever you want." He shrugged. "Have you ever known me to mince my words?"

"Point taken." She nodded. "You didn't know?"

"Not even a clue."

"I don't…I don't really need a dad." She said awkwardly. "I mean, it wasn't exactly your fault I guess but it's a bit late."

"I know that. I'd probably suck at that part anyway, let's be honest." Tony shrugged.

"I don't know, you seem to have the worry part down." Bruce smirked from the corner of the room. He was there for support but mostly keeping out of the conversation.

"Why didn't you say something before?" she asked. "Is it because I'm a nutbar?"

"Hey, I told you before, we all have our secrets and quirks." He said, reaching out a hand to cover hers but freezing mid air. "I didn't tell you because I was busy freaking out that I had a child for over half my life and I missed it. A lot of alcohol was involved." She laughed at that and his chest tightened. He was too late to play dad but that sign that she could at least be happy in his presence, that he could play some small role in her life was more important to him that he had realised it ever would be.

"I guess this is where you tell me craziness is genetic?" she grinned.

"Couldn't tell you, I haven't been tested for crazy. Awesomeness however, that you got from me." He replied.

"Yeah, too bad I didn't get the genius part." She snorted. "Urgh…what the hell am I going to tell people?"

"You don't have to tell anyone if you don't want." He offered. "We can pretty much pretend it never happened. Only us three and Pepper know. Oh, and Jarvis."

She remained silent and for a moment Bruce thought that she was going to take him up on that offer of keeping pretending it never happened.

"Neither of us had any idea about this and I ended up here anyway. Through a butt load of crazy events I ended up working for you, for months with no idea. I don't think that's a coincidence." She said finally.

"You're going all New Age on me?"

"My boss's boyfriend is on the same superhero team as a guy who turns out to be my biological father? My boss's work literally brings us to your doorstep, what are the odds of that?" she asked.

"Jarvis could tell you." He supplied.

"No, thanks fine thanks."

"So, not a secret?" he clarified.

"No, not a secret…just can we keep it quiet?" she winced as she said it.

"Pretty sure that's practically the same thing as a secret." He murmured.

"No, what I mean is we don't keep it a secret and we just tell the people that matter as and when it comes to it. I just don't want a big announcement or anything," she explained.

"True, you'd probably end up being kidnapped or blown up." Tony agreed.

"Dude! It is disturbing that you say that so casually!" she gaped. "Bruce, tell him he's disturbed!"

"Oh, he's definitely disturbed." Bruce agreed with a wry smile. "Can I go now?"

"No, you're coming to lunch with me." She told him firmly. "You are in trouble for not telling me."

"I didn't know until yesterday!" he protested. Tony sniggered before realising that Bruce and Darcy sounded incredibly like a married couple and the smile slipped from his face as the pair left through the double doors, chatting as they went.

Darcy practically dragged Bruce from the tower with her after their meeting with Tony. He didn't even take note that she was holding his hand until he had been dragged to the next block over. He didn't know if she had even noticed the contact, it didn't seem like it. While she had been making huge improvements in being able to touch him and more recently even Jane, this was new. She didn't even appear to have had a second thought as she took his hand and tugged him along behind her.

"Where are we going?" he asked eventually.

"The deli I used to use got blown up, the second nearest one is just around the next corner." She told him. It wasn't until he reached to open the door of the sandwich shop that she noticed their hands.

"I was wondering when you would notice." He told her quietly.

"I…I don't remember the last time I just did something like that without even…" she trailed off, shaking her head. She told herself now was not the time to lose her shit. It was a good thing, she could finally touch someone without freaking out.

They got themselves food and took a seat near the back of the shop where it was quietest.

"So…I guess that's why Tony's been taking it personally that I don't trust him yet huh?" she asked.

"He understands the problem Darcy, he's just…he's Tony Stark." He shrugged. "I actually think this is a good thing for you, I mean, he's someone who you know is now going to worry about you whether he means to or not. If he can be patient then he's someone else that you can trust to be on your side."

"I made an appointment yesterday," she admitted quietly. "to see someone."

"That's a huge step." He nodded.

"You were right about the fear part and I can't just avoid everyone else my whole life." She said decisively. "I'm comfortable around you and that's great, amazing even but I like living in New York, I like working at the tower and I like the people I spend my time with. I need to be able to be among them and not be flinching away or freaking out. I have a feeling that if I tried to pull my tazer on Natasha she'd break my arm."

"It's good that you want to do that, that you feel ready." He nodded.

"You're the King of Calm, do you think any of your techniques will work on me?" She started pulling some of the lettuce from her roll.

"If you don't like the salad why didn't you tell them not to put it in there?" he frowned.

"I do like it, they just always put in too much." She explained. "See, still some salad in there."

"I guess some of the things I tried might work for you, it depends on the person. Fear and panic attacks, things like that, they're very individual." He mused. "Exercise helped me the most, the less hectic kind like yoga. I learnt a few martial arts too for control. You have to find what works best for you. Music, meditation, running, reading, it could be nearly anything."

"Will you help?" she glanced up at him.

"I can try, I think you should ask Jane as well."

"Jane? Jane doesn't relax."

"I think it would be good for both of you, to do something together; even if it doesn't end up being relaxing, it could be…freeing." He explained.

"I guess it couldn't hurt, I'm better around Jane than I used to be." She agreed. "I guess my brain finally realised that it was silly to think Jane was going to try to attack me. Plus, if anyone tried to attack me I could set Hulk on them right?"

"The other guy isn't an attack dog Darcy."

"Boo, if I'd have asked him that he'd have been totally up for it." She teased, ignoring the wary look on his face. "Don't make me annoy you until he makes an appearance."

"Darcy!" he spluttered, almost choking on his tea. "You can't act like the Hulk is some kind of pet."

"Of course he isn't my pet, he's my friend." She defended. "I'm serious, he may be a little clumsy and quick to violence but he's one of the kindest people I know. Like you, you're a little serious and distant sometimes but you're seriously the nicest guy."

He didn't really have a response for that, instead he tried to ignore the flush reaching his face. They didn't say much else until they were nearly back at the tower. Darcy touched his arm to get his attention. He paused obligingly and looked down at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes flicking around them to see what she was worried about.

"Nothing, I just…I wanted to try something." She told him, biting her lip nervously.

"Darcy, if something is scaring you then maybe you shouldn't be-"

"I'm not scared." She said quickly. "I'm nervous, there's a difference. I'm not actually scared but I…it's embarrassing, I don't want to freak you out."

"Alright," he nodded. "What is it?"

Darcy opened her mouth but couldn't think of the words to ask, instead she just thought 'fuck it' and stepped closer to Bruce, sliding her arms slowly around his waist. She made sure to go slow in case he didn't want her hugging him and just in case she had a last minute freak out. No fear came when her arms tightened around him and she pressed her face into his shirt. She felt him shift and one arm draped loosely around her first, gauging her reaction before the other joined it.

"This OK?" he asked quietly. She nodded against his chest.

"I just…I cuddled Hulk, I wanted to try it when you're you." She mumbled into his shirt.

"And?" he chuckled, raising an eyebrow as she looked up at him.

"It's even better." She grinned, squeezing him tightly.

Bruce huffed out a small laugh and lowered his chin to rest on the top of her head as he squeezed her back. Something told him that despite all his best intentions, Darcy Lewis was going to crawl her way under his skin and not let go and despite his best intentions…he wanted to let her.