Hermione liked the way Bruce sounded in the morning before he'd had his breakfast: gruff, voice still rough around the edges from sleep. He'd look at her through bleary eyes, trying to blink away dreams, and something in her heart would break each day from how truly gorgeous she found him.
"Good morning," she said in a soft voice.
"Morning," he grumbled, fumbling in the refrigerator for the Greek yogurt Hermione knew Tony had pushed to the back just to mess with him. "Do you know where the–"
"Behind the milk," she said absently. "Could you grab that for me, by the way?"
"Of course."
"Would you like some tea?"
His head whipped around to face her. "Please," he begged, and Hermione laughed. This was the most awake he'd looked so far this morning, eyes wide and imploring.
"Of course." A smile broke out on his face, only making the one on her own wider.
They worked in silence, Bruce painstakingly sprinkling granola over his yogurt while Hermione poured from the kettle over loose tea (JARVIS had ordered only the best when they'd expressed a preference). Bruce took his black and unsweetened, while Hermione took hers with milk – no sugar; her parents were dentists, after all.
He kept her company while she cooked her own quick breakfast, just eggs and bacon. "What are you up to today?" The sleep was coming out of his voice and he sounded more like himself.
"I was hoping to borrow you, actually."
He took a deep sip of tea. "Really?"
A grin crept over her face. "Really. I have a creature I'd like you to meet."
He nearly dropped the mug. "A creature?"
She nodded excitedly. "A real Niffler. I want to see how it reacts to metals like vibranium – do they know the value, or is it only gold and other metals typically used in magic? But I need someone to help me catch it if things get out of hand."
He seemed thrilled at the prospect. "Sounds more fun than what I had planned; I'm in."
It turned out Nifflers really liked vibranium; Steve really needed to find a hiding place for his shield.