Finally! Sorry for the long wait between updates, but I had to move, and deal with a structural integrity problem in my back after moving, etc, etc. Thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed this story so far. I'm blown away by the love. I hope I can continue to live up to it! 80 reviews on only two chapters. Wow!

Bruce had accepted Tony's Stark's offer to move into Stark Tower. He'd be stupid if he didn't, because he had nowhere to go. And somehow, Stark had burrowed his way past all the shields that Bruce had erected to protect others from the Other Guy. Tony Stark was abrasive, reckless, and very trying, but he accepted every part of Bruce Banner and for the first time, Bruce thought he might be able to start accepting himself.

It helped that the Other Guy completely adored Tony, which was the strangest thing in the world to Bruce. Maybe it was because Tony wanted Bruce to let the Other Guy out, when needed. Maybe it was because the Other Guy could sense the potential for mayhem and destruction within Tony Stark. Whatever the reason, Stark had nothing to fear from the Other Guy. Still, inviting the barely contained monster into your living space took balls of steel. Or rather – balls of iron.

Pepper Potts, bless her generous soul, didn't even blink when Tony told her the Hulk was moving in. She had seen the footage of Iron Man falling from the sky, and Hulk grabbing him before he became scrap metal. "He saved your life, Tony," she said warmly. "He can wreck whatever he wants to." She had, without apparent reservation, then thrown her arms around Bruce and thanked him profusely.

Bruce loved her a little bit for that. Not everyone was so understanding and forgiving of the Other Guy. Most people flinched when they found out what he became. They certainly were not brave enough to hug him. That was probably why he felt such a strong kinship with his new teammates. They didn't flinch. They hugged, and slapped his shoulders in camaraderie. They appreciated what he could do. For the first time since the Other Guy happened, Bruce felt like he could belong somewhere.

His possessions, rescued from the S.H.I.E.L.D helicarrier, fit into two small travel bags. Why bother with owning things when you sometimes turned into a giant green monster that had a tendency to abandon your current residence? Once that happened, there was no point in going back.

Tony had rolled his eyes when he saw the bags. "Pepper will take you shopping later," he told Bruce.

"Um…I don't really need anything. I'm just really grateful for the place to live."

The look Stark turned on him had probably quelled greater men. "If your entire life fits into two bags, there's a problem with that. Pepper will get you set up with some sharp clothes. Make sure you splurge on stuff that is completely unnecessary." His mouth twitched up in a wry grin. "Go Pretty Woman on me, Bruce. I dare you."

It had startled him into a laugh that Bruce quickly brought under control. "Do you want me to buy sundresses and floppy hats?"

Tony had snorted laughter. "That's up to Pepper. Just don't wear your vinyl knee-high boots in the lab. It's a safety hazard."

How long had it been since he had been able to joke around with people like that? It helped fill an empty space within that Bruce assumed would always be empty.

Everyone had scattered when Thor took his crazy, subdued brother back to Asgard. Bruce went with Tony, Steve took off on his own, and Natasha had gone off with the archer, Barton. Bruce didn't have to be a genius to figure out that those two needed some serious alone time after Barton was pulled back from under Loki's influence. It might have depressed him, being the lone fifth wheel in a couple's environment, but Steve gave no indication of having anyone special either, so Bruce didn't feel quite as isolated.

No one expected Thor to return after only a couple of days. The team had reconvened at Stark Tower, mostly to get away from all the media that was hounding them. Even Barton and Natasha were being hounded by fans. The Avengers had become very popular, very fast, and had their own slightly scary fan base. Bruce knew that people could become crazy scary obsessed with something, but being a focus of that was unnerving.

When thunder and lightning broke out over the tower, there was instant worry that Loki had somehow escaped, but the blond god reassured them that was not the case, once he landed. He had returned so that he could see his love, astrophysicist Jane Foster. Agent Coulson, before his death, had indicated that Jane had been moved to a secure location to keep her safe, but Thor wanted to ensure that his fellow teammates were well before he went after Jane.

Barton came to life suddenly. "Tromso!" he barked. "Holy shit, Jane Foster is your girl?"

Thor beamed at him. "Yes. She is an amazing woman. Have you met her?"

Tony and Natasha both snickered, and then blinked in confusion at each other that they might actually have something in common. Barton looked like a stranded fish, eyes wide and mouth gaping for a moment.

"In what universe do I look like I'd be familiar with science types?" he asked. "Never mind! Your brother was sending five goons to 'collect' Jane Foster. He had a very unpleasant look on his face at the very thought of it."

Bruce was very glad that Thor did not have a Hulk within him. The thunder god's expression darkened, along with the sky, and for a second it looked like he was going to lose control, hand clenching his hammer very tightly. Bruce could still feel the ache in his jaw where that hammer had connected with the Other Guy's chin. The hammer was a force to be reckoned with. He felt a little sorry for the person or persons who had been sent after Jane Foster

There was a mad flurry of activity that resulted in the newly formed band of heroes bundling themselves into one of the S.H.I.E.L.D harrier jets. Bruce didn't really think it was a good idea for him to be involved in this, but Tony Stark hadn't given him the opportunity to refuse.

The tiny remote little observatory in Norway was peaceful when they landed. Thor was almost bursting out of his skin as he threw open the door, and peered about, trying to locate his love. It really wasn't very hard, since it was a small place. There were two women in the lab area. The astrophysicist was easy to identify, since she was clutching rolled up spreadsheets and beaming widely at Thor's arrival.

Bruce was really surprised that Thor had fallen for Jane Foster. The woman was all bony sharp angles, skin stretched too tight over her frame. One flick of a finger from the Other Guy would probably shatter the woman into a million brittle pieces. It seemed wrong for Thor's chosen woman to be that fragile.

The other woman, introduced only as 'Darcy', seemed more Thor's type – all foolhardy brashness and lush curves. She was a bit younger than Foster, and definitely did not seem to be a science type. Bruce wondered what she was doing there.

She was amusing when Stark, mouth running full tilt as always, mentioned the New York battle. Her pouty lips fell open in an O of surprise as she admitted that they knew nothing about it. It made sense that the women hadn't heard of the battle due to their relocation, but it was funny nonetheless. The Avengers were swiftly turning into media icons, and neither woman had any information about them.

Bruce poked around the makeshift lab that had been set up. Despite Dr. Foster's fragility, the woman appeared to have built most of her own equipment, from what he could tell. Tony joined him, and instantly began improving things in his head. Bruce just let him babble on – the specifics of engineering machines was a bit beyond him, especially the way Tony built things. The man's mind did not function at a normal level.

The quick tour around the lab served another purpose though, as Stark called an all clear, after casually insulting Barton. The archer frowned at him, and ducked outside with Romanoff to 'check the perimeter.' Bruce figured maybe they just wanted some alone time. The archer was brave. Bruce had seen what Romanoff could do to a man.

He wanted to chat with Dr. Foster, but her face was stuck on Thor's, which was a little sickening to watch. Bruce didn't care about PDAs, but this went a little beyond the normal. Sure, they had been separated for a year or so, but still…

"Revolting, isn't it?" Stark whispered in his ear.

Bruce nodded and turned his head to whisper back. "He's a god. He could have any woman he wanted and he chooses her? If she gets cranked any tighter her skin will split."

Tony Stark blinked at him, and then laughed. "Not what I meant, Banner, but I appreciate it anyhow. Who knew you were catty?"

Bruce raised an eyebrow, inviting him to explain, but the calm shattered as Barton and Romanoff burst back inside.

"Suit up!" Barton barked. "They're coming!"

Oh hell.

Bruce didn't move as everyone morphed into their heroic selves. There wasn't a lot of room in the lab area, and there were two women who could be seriously hurt if he let the Other Guy out to play. Loki might have gone down relatively easily, but Bruce didn't think Thor would fold that quickly if Jane Foster got hurt by the big green guy.

He felt eyes on him, and turned to see the younger woman, Darcy, staring hard at him. Expectantly. Oh. Bruce shrugged and shared his intentions to sit out this fight. The Other Guy in close quarters was a very bad idea.

His teammates herded the women into the center of a protective circle, and Bruce joined them, ignoring Stark's annoyed huff as he walked past Iron Man. Did Tony really want the Other Guy loose in such a tight area? Just because the big green guy favored Iron Man didn't mean that everyone else would be safe.

Barton had said a team of five had been dispatched. There were a lot more than five men spilling into the lab. Ah well, more for his teammates to take down then, even if Tony did sound a little put out about it.

Close quarter fighting wasn't really the best kind for Thor and Iron Man, Bruce noted clinically. Thor needed more space to unleash his hammer, and Iron Man had to be very careful of his weapons in such tight quarters. It was a new style of fighting for both men, Bruce figured, and neither one was very comfortable. He imagined that learning to fight within a team would continue to be a challenge for Tony Stark.

Things were looking good when an attacker somehow evaded one of Barton's arrows, which should have been impossible because the man was insanely good with his bow. Still, the bad guy ducked out of the way, and then rolled through the protective circle, coming to his feet way too close to the women for Bruce's peace of mind.

He had a gun, Bruce noted, as all of his nerve endings clanged with the need to unleash the Other Guy. The gun was pointed right at the face of the younger woman, she of the lush curves. She was frozen in place, staring with wide eyes right into the barrel of the gun.

Bruce wouldn't consider himself a chivalrous kind of guy, for obvious reasons, but there was no way he could let the poor girl continue to be threatened or possibly shot when he could prevent it. So he stepped in between the girl and the gun, and pocketed his glasses. He wasn't very intimidating as himself, he knew, but he still tried to dissuade the attacker.

That wasn't happening, and when Barton swiveled to aim for the man again, the guy panicked and pulled the trigger. Bruce's world went green.

It was always extremely disorientating to wake after the Other Guy was unleashed. Bruce never knew where he was, or what the Other Guy had done. Sometimes were worse than others, and this appeared to be one of those times. Even before his eyes opened, Bruce was lost. He could smell hay and feel sunshine on his face. There was something pinning him down.

An elbow pushed into his midsection, causing him to groan in protest, eyes finally prying themselves open. The girl from the lab, Darcy?, was sprawled on top of him, looking down with wide eyes. The memories of what had happened were fragmented and just beyond the reach of Bruce's mental fingers, but one thought rose above all others.

"Did he hurt you?"

Her expression changed, melting into something a little sweet, with a touch of sympathy. "Nope," she assured. "I think we had a first date."

"He carried you off?" Bruce asked in dismay. He barely listened as she replied in the affirmative and speculated as to why it had happened. Why were they in a pile of hay?

"Why are you sitting on me?" he asked when she stopped talking to breathe.

The girl winked. "I think we fell asleep together."

What? Bruce's eyes snapped open to look at her. Not possible. Hulk did not have...those…types of thoughts about others. He just didn't. So there was no way what he feared could have happened. Right?

Darcy hastened to assure him, and delicately covered up some of his more prominent features with hay. That put her right up there with Pepper Potts on Bruce's list of awesome women. Not even the awkward conversation that followed could bring her down.

When lightning and thunder darkened the sky, Bruce knew the shit had hit the fan. Thor was going to kill him for this, he was sure.

But the Norse god surprised him, checking with Darcy to be sure she was okay, and then watching with careful eyes. Yet another sign of acceptance that Bruce wouldn't have expected.

He did expect, and was treated to, Tony Stark's relentless teasing on the trip back. It did get a little old, but as he explained to Darcy on the trip back to the States, Tony had been something he had desperately needed. The friendship, the harassment, it all meant the world to him and it helped him feel more in control. After all, if he could put up with Tony Stark's constant aggravation…

Bruce had, in bits and pieces, gotten the story of what happened after the Other Guy appeared. He'd finished off the attackers and then tossed Thor and the captain around. Then he'd gone after the women, and Darcy had tased him. Apparently, being tased was a different experience for the Hulk. If Tony's somewhat slanted account was accurate, the Other Guy had been instantly infatuated with the girl after it happened. He'd grabbed her and carried her off.

Bruce couldn't fault the Other Guy's taste. Not at all. She was lovely. Those curves had a strange effect on his brain, shutting down some of his higher functions. And that generous bosom! You didn't see it much nowadays. It was more common to see Jane Foster's type. Skin stretched too tight over bones and not enough fat left over for boobs.

He had almost fallen on his face when she emerged from a quick shower wearing a tight Vneck that showcased her assets. Then he wanted to slap himself in the back of the head. What was he thinking? He was way too old to be looking at the girl like that. To even be thinking the things his salivating brain was allowing him to think.

But no matter how many times he looked away, his eyes wandered back.

Tony noticed. Of course Tony noticed. He was relentless like that and could never shut up. It was a little bit scary to hear Darcy having her own stream of conscious verbal vomiting that so closely matched Tony's. So they babbled at each other while Bruce tried to look elsewhere and think thoughts that didn't involve him being a lecherous old man.

The suggestions that the Other Guy had been turned on by being tased were a bit much, especially when aired in front of Fury during the mandatory debriefing. Bruce by now had a pounding headache, and was hiding his face from the light as Fury continued his interrogation.

Fury's suggestion that the Other Guy had snatched Darcy because of her resemblance to Betty Ross brought Bruce's head up from his arms. He had to defend Darcy. She was way too spunky to ever be mistaken for Betty Ross and he didn't want her thinking that she had been a pale substitution of someone else. He liked her because of who she was, not because of who she might vaguely resemble.

That thought gave him pause. He liked her. Not just the Other Guy. Bruce liked her for her spunk and her fire. And….he was being a lecherous old man again. It didn't help when Tony suggested debriefing between the two of them. The look Darcy turned on him was…not the way a young woman should look at an older man. Especially one who had breathtaking anger management issues.

Then she said something snarky to Fury that pulled his mouth into a reluctant grin, and had him frowning in the next second. She called him Moppy? Apparently she had a hair fetish, after explaining why he'd earned that particular nickname. Bruce wouldn't deny that he totally enjoyed her hands in his hair. He leaned into her petting, wondering if this was what the Other Guy had felt like when he'd been tased. At peace.

Of course, Nick Fury chose to remind them of his presence, and admonished them to keep funny business out of it. That was the wisest choice, of course, and Bruce nodded in compliance. His heart dropped a little when he saw Darcy's head follow his lead. Hope had briefly flared within him, but that was just a foolish dream. Beautiful young women were smart enough to go after someone their own age. Someone safer. Someone without all the issues.

As soon as the door shut behind Fury, Bruce had an unexpected lapful of Darcy. He was pretty sure his face looked like someone had clubbed him in the back of the head, and didn't know what to do with his arms, so he left them down by his sides. Safer that way.

The debriefing room door popped open again, and Fury stuck his head in. "What did I say? No funny business!"

Darcy's laugh was like the tinkling of wind chimes as she looped her arms around a stunned Bruce's neck. "No funny business going on here, Dread Pirate Roberts. Just getting to know Bruce a little bit better. After all, his big, green, alter-ego carried me off into the night, so it would be the smart thing to do to learn more about the man within the beast, right?"

Fury frowned at her. "I don't trust you, Miss Lewis. You're flighty, and based on what happened in New Mexico, you don't have the best sense of self preservation. You sitting in Dr. Banner's lap just reinforces that belief."

Bruce's brain wasn't really functioning, but he could still appreciate Darcy's response. "Are you kidding? The more Dr. Banner likes me, the better chance I have of Big Green looking out for my well being!"

Nick Fury's one eyebrow arched in question. "How exactly do you figure that?"

The girl on Bruce's lap snorted and tilted her head to one side, to rest on his shoulder. "Did you see what happened in the battle? Iron Man was falling from the sky. Big Green saved him. Why? Because Moppy here adores Tony Stark for some weird reason. Enough so that Big Green wasn't about to let him get pancaked."

"Moppy again?" Bruce asked faintly. He was afraid to move. Afraid that if he did, the girl would run away screaming, or…something else.

Nick Fury's lips twitched in something that might have become a smile on someone else. "Hmm…Dr. Banner – I trust you at least will keep your head about you." He didn't wait for a response, but drew his head back and allowed the door to close.

Darcy grinned up at him. "So, doc, tell the truth…are you always the responsible one? I'm sensing that vibe from you. A wet blanket thing."

She was so young. She really shouldn't be sitting on his lap. Bruce continued to feel like some type of lecherous Santa. He stared at the floor thoughtfully. It was safer than meeting her eyes. He didn't look people in the eye too often. Eyes were windows to the soul, and he didn't want people seeing into his. Seeing his internal damage...

Snapping fingers in his line of sight brought Bruce's gaze up to the laughing girl still sitting on his lap.

"You know Dr. Moppy, usually most male eyes around me are focused on my girls," she said. "I think you're the first to stare at the ground instead. It's okay if you want to look." She tapped him on the nose. "Cuz it's not like I didn't look when I woke up on top of you."

Bruce was proud that he didn't swallow his tongue, staring helplessly into Darcy's shining blue eyes. His brain couldn't even formulate a thought. She was rather shamelessly admitting that she had snuck a peek at his post-Other Guy nudity, while inviting him to look at her chest?

"You're very dangerous," he finally whispered, tearing his eyes away. "You can't possibly be good for my continued mental health and stability."

Darcy slid off his lap, with a fond ruffle to his hair. "You're friends with Tony Stark, Bruce. So don't look at me and think that I am the one who threatens your mental health."

He watched her practically sashay out of the debriefing room, pausing at the threshold to throw a saucy look over her shoulder. "And that offer of it being okay to stare at my girls? That's always open, Dr. Banner."

He was still sitting in something close to shock in the debriefing room when Tony came to find him an hour later.