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"Where is Bruce?" Steve asked as he entered Tony's lab. The genius, billionaire, former playboy philanthropist turned in his chair and looked at Steve with a raised eyebrow.
"We do have work hours you know?" Tony said and Steve rolled his eyes.
"I wanted to ask him about that waiter you told me about yesterday."
"Waiter?" Natasha peeked in from the back room, closely followed by Pepper, each carrying a mound of paperwork in their arms.
"The waiter Stark and Bruce met a few days back in a Café." Steve clarified and the two women walked over to a table, leaving the paperwork there before facing the others.
"What Café?" Clint chose that moment to walk in and Tony huffed and rolled his eyes.
"Starborn Café," he said, shooting Clint a pointed stare. "A small, nondescript Café whose owner is everything but nondescript."
"So what's Banner doing there?" Natasha asked and Tony shrugged.
"Probably talking to the waiter," he muttered, acting like a child who just lost his best friend, and turned around to look at the screens. With a few clicks a picture popped up on the screen. Pepper, Natasha and Clint raised an eyebrow at the picture.
"He has pretty eyes," Pepper commented.
"And long hair," Natasha added.
"This picture is 3 years old. It's down to his waist now," Tony said and Natasha raised an eyebrow.
"Is he suspicious?" Clint asked and Tony snorted.
"Not in a dangerous kind of way. He is calm, collected and friendly, and seems to actually love his job. He titters around his customers without being overbearing and has an exquisite memory. Not to mention that he makes a coffee to die for." Pepper giggled, well familiar with her husband's love-bordering-with-addiction for coffee. "Bruce seemed to be particularly taken with him," Tony added as an afterthought and leaned back in his chair.
"Now that you mention it don't you think Bruce was acting a bit strange the last few days?" Pepper said.
"How do you mean that?" Clint asked.
"Pepper is right. Banner seemed somehow calm," Natasha muttered and looked at Tony and Steve with a frown.
"He seemed relaxed. I dare say I've never seen him like that," Pepper said and the men in the room shared a glance when Tony turned around in his chair and stood up.
"I think we should pay that Café a visit," Steve spoke up, crossing massive arms over his chest.
"It's almost 11 o'clock!" Pepper exclaimed in shock after she looked at her wristwatch and Tony smirked.
"Well, Mr. Sigurdsson did say that they're always open."
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Bruce sighed as a young couple left the Starborn Café and he and Haruven were left alone. He watched in the mirror behind the bar as Haruven all but danced around the front, collecting cups and glasses and cleaning the tables.
"You don't seem tired at all," Bruce commented when Haruven rounded the bar and put the tray filled to the brim with glasses and cups beside the sink.
"And I'm not. I'm not much for sleeping," Haruven said and looked at Bruce from under messy bangs. Bruce smiled lightly and Haruven returned it equally as he started on the dishes. "You seem to be feeling better, Bruce."
"I am feeling better. In a way you could say the pressure is gone. For once the meditations are helping."
Haruven ducked his head, and laughed quietly. "Well they are supposed to help."
"Right," Bruce muttered, unable to stop smiling, and with that comfortable silence settled between them while Ven washed the dishes. When he was done he picked up a clean towel and started to polish the glass cups.
"Tell me, Ven…" said man hummed and looked at Bruce "This Café; it's yours right?"
"Yes. I am the owner and the only worker here."
Bruce nodded. "How did you come up with the idea?" Haruven's lips tilted up and he looked somewhere behind Bruce.
"Let's just say that I've met someone who gave me the idea," Haruven said, looking down at the beautiful glass cup again, polishing it carefully. "I've inherited a lot of money from my parents. So much in fact that if I chose to do so I would live a perfectly normal life without ever having to work. But, as you can see, I love to work. I spent a few years abroad and met someone who gave me an idea about a small Café where people could come and relax without any worries at all."
Bruce nodded in understanding and looked around.
Indeed, the Starborn Café was a place where all worries seemed to disappear. Bruce felt like the Café wasn't separated from the outside world just by the heavy wooden door. It seemed time itself lingered in here, giving people the peace of mind that they didn't have to rush with anything. It was easy to forget about ones worries when surrounded with nothing but peace and quiet.
When Bruce came in earlier the Café was practically full to the brim, but the atmosphere was as peaceful as ever. Haruven greeted him with that same calmness Bruce was already getting used to, and Bruce took a seat at the bar again, feeling as though he came home after a long day at work.
"Well, whoever gave you that idea, if I ever run into them here remind me to thank them."
Haruven gifted Bruce with a small, mysterious smile. "As you wish."
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"Should we go in?" Steve asked as he leaned over Tony.
"It's 5 minutes 'til midnight!" Pepper hissed, utterly annoyed with the situation. "I'm sure Bruce is already on his way home."
"We would have met him on our way here." Natasha pressed out through her teeth. "AUCH, Clint; that was my FOOT!"
"Why are we hiding, anyway?!" Clint asked.
They were all bunched up practically on top of each other behind a corner overlooking the door of the Starborn Café. Tony was kneeling on the ground with Pepper, Natasha was leaning over Pepper while Steve and Clint were squeezed in between Natasha and the wall, leaning over Tony.
"You're right!" Tony said and stood up making Steve, Clint and Natasha lose their footing and stumble, shooting glares at Tony while Pepper giggled. "No time like now!"
Tony walked towards the Café as though he owned the street. Pepper shot the others an apologizing look while the others shot death glares and muttered murder threats at Tony.
They followed after him and caught up with him just as he opened the door.
Upon their entrance they were immediately enveloped into a wave of warmth.
"This is it!" Tony announced as everyone looked around with bewildered stares.
Not a second later the door in the back opened admitting Haruven Sigurdsson into the Café. "Ah, Mr. Stark! Welcome back!" he greeted in that soothing, velvety baritone and the rest of the Avengers, plus Pepper gaped when he bowed at them.
They had to admit that Haruven was much more beautiful in real life than on that picture, and Steve had to agree with Tony on one point; his eyes were even more beautiful in live version.
Haruven Sigurdsson stood at a respectable 6'1. His somewhat tight black clothes accented his lean, lithe build and not overly defined muscles. The long, thick braid of raven black, velvety strands hung over as shoulder with playful bangs falling into an oval face, accenting enchanting, emerald, slightly slanted eyes.
"Mr. Sigurdsson, I hope we're not intruding," Tony said, falling back into his business persona and Haruven glanced at him with a knowing smirk, making Tony tens up a bit.
"You are not intruding, Mr. Stark. Like I told you last time; we are always open," with that he looked at the others and bowed welcomingly. "Welcome to Starborn Café. Please, take your seats and I will serve you your drinks." He showed them over to a table in the back meant for 6 people.
As they were taking their seats the back door opened and Bruce walked out. "I'm really sorry for that, Ven. I'm usually not that…" he looked up and raised an eyebrow, "what are you doing here?" he walked over to them not paying any attention to the strange stares he and Haruven were receiving and Haruven just laughed quietly.
"Take a seat. Should I make another drink for you?" he asked and Bruce smiled at him gratefully.
"The same as earlier, Ven," Bruce said and took a seat beside Tony while Haruven made his way over to the bar.
"That's not the shirt you wore when you left earlier," Tony remarked and Bruce rolled his eyes.
"I tipped my glass over and my drink spilled all over me. Ven was kind enough to lend me a shirt," he explained carelessly, relaxing in his seat.
"Ven?" Tony wrinkled his nose and Bruce looked at Iron Man with a dull stare.
"He told me to either call him Haruven or Ven. I like Ven better."
Tony raised an eyebrow at Bruce and would have continued his interrogation had Haruven not arrived with their drinks.
"I apologize for the long wait," he said and started to place different drinks in front of each one of them.
Natasha raised an eyebrow when she looked at her drink. It was served in a Blue Italian tea cup with the drink being red and dark brown split almost perfectly down the middle. A caramelized biscuit, a small paper bag of brown sugar and a silver, intricately designed tea spoon lay on the plate, and a heady combination of chocolate, nuts and vodka tickled her nose, making her mouth water.
Pepper's eyes widened in excitement when she looked at her drink. It was served in a Royal Crown Derby tea cup. The drink itself was interesting as well. It looked like a hypnotic circle colored in light brown and creamy white with a vanilla stick in it with a tea spoon resting on the plate under it. The scent of white chocolate, cream and nuts tickled Pepper's nose and she smiled in delight. Ven placed another small plate beside Pepper's drink with two small Saccharin pills on it.
"How did you…?" she looked up at Haruven who only smiled at her and placed a drink in front of Tony who raised an eyebrow when he looked at the glass filled with a rich brown drink.
Steve and Clint tilted their heads to the side when Haruven placed a bottle of beer and a glass in front of each one of them.
"Butterbeer?" Clint read off of the etiquette and Haruven chuckled as he placed a tea cup in front of Bruce. Everyone leaned forward to see what the Gamma-scientist was drinking, unable to retrain themselves. His drink was served in a pure white Royal Albert Chintz tea cup and the drink itself was the color of red wine.
"I hope you'll enjoy your drinks." Haruven said and bowed slightly. "Excuse me." He turned on his heel and disappeared in the back.
"Is there a reason why he didn't even ask us what we'd like to drink?" Steve asked and Bruce laughed lightly, surprising his fellow Avengers.
"Try your drinks and then ask me that question; if you'll care anymore that is," he said.
Steve looked at his bottle of beer before he shared a glance with Clint and shrugged.
"I almost don't want to stir it." Pepper mourned and Natasha nodded in silent agreement. They looked at Steve and Clint when both moaned in surprise and delight.
"This is great!" Steve said while Clint took another long sip.
"It's not heavy or bitter. Just right," Clint described.
Natasha hummed and put the brown sugar into her drink. She stirred it and raised an eyebrow when her drink turned a dark mahogany red. "Interesting," she commented while Pepper put the artificial sweetener in her own cup and stirred.
Pepper's drink turned a gentle caramel color, drawing a smile on her face. "Very interesting," she said and the two slowly took a sip. Both shivered when warmth traveled down their backs. Natasha sighed as calmness settled over her mind and Pepper straightened in her chair with an energy boost she suddenly felt.
Tony took a sip of his drink and raised an eyebrow. "This is good," he murmured and Bruce smirked while he sipped on his own drink.
"What are you drinking?" Steve asked and Bruce shrugged.
"I don't know exactly. The only thing I know is that the drink is called Minute of Silence."
"I wonder what our drinks are called," Pepper spoke up.
They shivered when a warm wind passed down their backs and the door of the Café all but flew out of its hinges. A woman in her late twenties marched in with a huge grin on her pretty face. They would say she looked completely normal were it not for two white streaks of hair that fell down to her chin.
Almost immediately Haruven walked into the Café, recognition shone in his eyes and he smiled warmly at her. "Anna Marie! It's been so long!"
Her grin doubled in strength and she practically raised Haruven off the ground when she hugged him tightly around his waist. "Hullo, sugar! Glad ta see ya're in good health!"
"You know me," Haruven laughed as Anna Marie put him back on the ground.
"Why don't ya prepare one of yer drinks fer me an' we can catch up a bit." Haruven chuckled and led her over to the bar, while the Avengers stared at them all too obviously.
"Another old customer," Tony muttered and Bruce nodded.
"There are many people who return to Starborn Café. Today, Ven pointed me out a man that came here when Ven first opened this café and returned only 3 times since then. I think the man's name was Ryu Sasakura."
"I think I've read about him somewhere," Pepper murmured and Bruce nodded.
"You might have. Sasakura had won a bartender competition in France some 7 years ago. He returned to Japan shortly after and now holds a Bar there called Eden Hall. Ven said that they met when he was visiting Japan 6 years ago, right before he moved here and opened Starborn Café."
"6 years ago?" Tony asked and frowned. "How come I've never heard of this place?"
"It's quite nice." Steve agreed. "It's a surprise we haven't heard of it."
Bruce shrugged. "I don't know anything about that. I've tried asking Ven about it and he only smiled mysteriously and shrugged his shoulders." The group looked at the bar where Ven was sitting with Anna Marie. She was holding a champagne flute with a black drink in it, and they were talking quietly. Ven was looking at her with a calm enticing smile on his lips.
"He's quite interesting," Clint muttered, sipping on his drink and trying not to make any more embarrassing sounds.
"Not to mention easy on the eyes," Natasha commented and Bruce laughed, making everyone look at him in shock.
"What?" he asked after he stopped laughing.
"Bruce, are you sure you're okay?" Tony asked and Bruce shrugged.
"Yeah, why?"
"You never laugh. You pull off a small smile, you even chuckle on rare occasions, but you never laugh," Natasha stressed out and Bruce shrugged.
"Let's just say I've finally found balance," he offered as an explanation.
"Why were you laughing either way?" Steve asked and Bruce raised an eyebrow at him.
"On what?" he asked, lips tilted up and eyes telling them 'I know something you don't know'.
"When Tasha said that Ven is easy on the eyes. Why did you laugh?" Clint clarified and Bruce snickered, further shocking his comrades.
"Isn't it obvious?" he shot a pointed glance at Ven who was laughing quietly at something Anna Marie said. Everyone looked at the bartender, trying to see what Bruce was talking about.
"I can't see what you're implying," Natasha stated dully, and Bruce sighed and shook his head.
"Ven plays for the other team," he said and everyone looked at him with wide eyes.
"You're kidding, right?" Tony droned.
"Now that you mentioned it…" Pepper looked closely at Ven, but after a moment just shook her head. "No, I still can't see it."
Bruce shrugged. "It's not like it's written on his forehead," he muttered.
"He just…" Clint started but failed to finish when he found himself lacking the correct words.
"He seems straight," Steve helped out, looking to Natasha for help only to receive an equally confused stare in return.
"We'll I guess it's safe to say he's a topper," Tony concluded and everyone choked up in shock, but before anyone could say anything to that, a shrill melody echoed through the Café and Anna Marie jumped up, grabbing a phone from the breast pocket of her jacket and answering it.
"Talk ta me!" she spoke into the phone and Ven smiled at her fondly.
He looked at the Avengers shooting them a glance that said 'I know what you're talking about' and everyone but Bruce blushed.
"I'm comin', Remy! Dun get yer panties in a twist!" she rolled her eyes at Ven who chuckled and shook his head. "Fine! Tell Summers ta start tha car!" she ended the conversation and growled. "I just can't get a moment fer myself! I'm tellin' ya, they're drivin' me insane!"
Ven hummed lightly and stood up while Anna Marie took her wallet out and started to pull out a few bills. "Anna Marie, please-…"
"Ah, shut it, ya dork!" she snapped and put the money on the bar.
"You come for a drink once every few months. Please, allow me to treat you," Ven insisted, but the woman would have none of it.
"On one condition." Ven raised an eyebrow at her. "Ya will finally start callin' me Rogue. I don't know what came over me when I gave ya my real name."
Ven smirked at her and his eyes glimmer mischievously. "Very well, Rogue," he stressed out and she cursed lowly.
"I was sure ya'd give up," she muttered as she took her money back, and Ven laughed openly.
"You shouldn't keep them waiting. As much as I know them, patience isn't their virtue."
She snorted and hugged Ven tightly. "I'll try ta come again soon, V. Stay safe, okay?" Ven nodded and she walked out of the Café. When the door shut behind her Ven sighed and shook his head. He looked at the Avengers and raised an eyebrow at them.
"An interesting woman," Bruce commented and Haruven snorted.
"You have no idea," he murmured and rounded the bar, placing the empty glass in the sink and washing it before polishing it and putting it on the shelf.
"We should get going," Steve said. "It's almost 1 AM."
"Already?" Pepper cried out in surprise. "I'm supposed to attend a Board meeting in the morning!"
"I'm sure you'll do just fine, love," Tony said, but never the less they all started to get up.
"Ven…" the bartender shot Bruce a dull stare and the Gamma-scientist sighed, "will you ever allow me to pay?"
Ven laughed quietly and shrugged as he walked around the bar. "Maybe one day," he said and shook hands with Bruce.
"Thank you for the drinks, Mr. Sigurdsson." Pepper said and blushed after Ven turned her offered hand and kissed her knuckles.
"It was my pleasure, Mrs. Stark," he answered with a charming smile and Tony cleared his throat making his team members laugh and Ven smirk.
"Do that to me and I'll deck you," Natasha warned and Ven raised an eyebrow in obvious amusement.
"I wouldn't dream of it, Ms. Romanoff," Ven said and shook hands with her before doing the same with Steve, Clint and Tony. "I hope I'll see you again soon."
"I'm sure you will," Bruce said. "Now get some rest. Good night." Haruven smiled at Bruce and the Avengers left the Starborn Café.
When the door closed it felt like cold reality smacked into them together with the chilly wind. Pepper sighed and leaned onto Tony as they walked towards the Avengers Tower.
"He is an interesting man," Clint commented and everyone agreed.
"I dare say there's something magical about him," Pepper said and Tony raised an eyebrow at her.
"If Bruce didn't tell us Sigurdsson played for the other team I'd be worried." Pepper laughed and kissed her husband's cheek, making Tony's lips tilt up in a small smile.
"You have nothing to worry about," she said and Tony smiled at her. For a few moments they walked in silence until Bruce spoke up.
"So, Tony? Do you still have the need to do research on him?"
"Yes." Tony said and Bruce looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"He's not a threat to anyone, Tony." Bruce spoke in a slightly wary tone. "He's happy with his job and he's happy with helping people. Trust me, Hulk would have warned me had something been off about him."
"Hulk?" Steve asked, surprised just like everyone else that Bruce didn't call his counterpart the Other Guy like he usually did.
"He was given a name; why not use it," Bruce offered as an explanation, and everyone exchanged confused glances behind his back.
"He is an interesting man indeed," Steve muttered and his eyebrows met the line of his hair when Bruce turned around and smiled at him.
"You have no idea, my friend. You have no idea."
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Ven sighed as he climbed up the stairs to his apartment. He walked over to the bathroom and took his clothes off along the way. They disappeared before they touched the ground and the water in the shower started the moment he entered it. He took the hair band off and his braid unraveled. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes as the water cascaded down his front.
'Is something wrong, Ven?'
His lips tilted up a bit and he shook his head. 'No. I'm fine.'
A warm wind caressed his face, before settling against his back; an invisible comforting presence which enveloped him fully. 'You know you can't lie to me, sweetness.'
Ven sighed and tilted his head back, eyes slipping closed. 'It's just - seeing them all together. Well - not all of them…'
'Ah.'
Haruven shivered when invisible, warm arms wrapped themselves around him, and a warm breath caressed his right ear.
'He'll come back to Midgard soon.'
Ven tilted his head further back, resting it on an invisible shoulder. Wet bangs suddenly moved away from his forehead, tucked by invisible fingers behind his right ear.
'I just - I feel a bit lonely,' he confessed and felt loving lips against his left temple before the warmth vanished from behind him appearing at his front, and he ducked his head as warm arms wrapped around his shoulders.
'I know, sweetness. Don't worry. You won't feel like that for long.'
A small smile tugged at his lips and he raised his arms. The bathroom filled with steam slowly and as his arms settled in a hug a faint outline of a woman appeared in front of him.
"For now, you are enough for me," Ven whispered. "You are more than enough, my lovely Urd."
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I remembered while reading through this story, that at the point in which I had begun writing it, I had absolutely NO IDEA who this voice Ven has been talking to is. I had planned to leave it as a mystery, revealing who it is at the very end (when I finally figured out who I wanted it to be), but then I came to the last few paragraphs and it just came out.
I have to admit that I'm very happy with the outcome. :D
Anyway, I hope you've liked this chapter and that you'll stick around for 'Secrets Revealed'.
All my love,
Ms. Yuki