Collection of One-Shots

》found courage

"Go on big guy, tell her." Tony had pushed Bruce halfway across the lab towards her. Towards the girl with the button nose and large doe-like eyes that were half concealed behind the thick frames of her glasses. The girl with the honeyed hair that was constantly pulled back in a neat braid, Bruce couldn't remember if he had ever saw her with her hair down. The girl with the freckles that spanned across her nose and cheeks. In one of her hands was the first page of a lab report, in the other was a pen, the cap to the writing utensil chewed; he had noticed it was a habit of hers whenever she was deep in concentration. 

Harriet; that was her name. He remembered when Tony had first hired her for an internship while she was attending MIT, at that point she had already graduated from Yale with Summa Cum Laude and had begun assisting Jane Foster with her research as well. If her qualifications alone did not secure her a spot working alongside the engineers and researchers at Stark Tower, then her personality certainly would have. She always wore a bright smile. He hadn't seen a smile like that since Betty. She was full of brilliant ideas, helped him with humanitarian projects, and was the best laboratory partner he could have asked for; but she always seemed to be intangible to him. Like a dream, or something so delicate that one rough tap would send her into a million pieces. Tony laughed at his dazed state.

As Tony pushed him closer to the small room where she sat the scientist froze up and at the last second veered off the path and scurried back to his work station, his face red and fingers fiddling with the collar of the lab coat. "Chicken." Tony muttered but quickly looked back to his science partner with eyes wide for a second, remembering who he had just called a chicken. "Don't go green." He scratched at the back of his neck but Bruce rolled his eyes and picked up a tablet, swiping over his data to Tony's screen.

"It's under control, Tony." He assured him, there would not be a code green, not unless it was necessary. The day passed as every other, Tony constantly caught Bruce glancing in Harriet's direction, on several occasions he was caught and the tinge of color on his cheeks was not easily suppressed. At one point before it was time to leave for the evening and enjoy dinner both Tony and Harriet disappeared and Bruce knew the outcome could be two things, terrible, or disastrous.

"She's waiting big guy, why don't you take mine and Pepper's reservations tonight?" The heart rate monitor in his watch began to accelerate and Tony stepped back, looking at his friend apprehensively.

"Why would you do that? Why did you tell her?" He wasn't good with words, he stumbled and stuttered at times, he rambled and tended to make a fool of himself in front of women, especially those who he fancied. He would surely lose her now, she would leave and no longer would he have her mind to help him with organization and calculations.

Tony smirked and crossed his arms, that cocky coolness that was natural for him clearly surfacing. "Calm down, big guy. She likes you too." At first all he heard was the statement to calm down, and he had, the heart monitor had ceased its rampant beeping and he was calm again. That was until he realized the last four words Tony had spoken and once again the panic was back, only this time is was partially offset by shock.

"She does?" His eyes were wide at the realization, it couldn't have been possible. It was impossible. Logically impossible that she would like him. At that stunned expression, with his mouth agape and glasses sliding down his nose, Tony did laugh and impatiently he pushed Bruce towards the door where just outside, she waited for him.

"Yes, now get out there. Give her the ole' Banner charm." Tony wiggled his brows and gestured towards the door.

"Harriet?" Bruce scratched at his neck nervously, his hand running through his hair as he glanced down at her but quickly adverted his gaze elsewhere. It was almost painful to do so, she had pulled her hair free from its confinement and now it fell in loose waves, framing her face in a way he thought to be perfect.

Her hands were clasped in front of her. "Hi, Bruce." At the sound of his name he looked at her again and was half worried that the monitor in the watch would start going off once more as he could feel his heart speed up at her smile.

"I was...ah, I was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner with me tonight?" Internally he was kicking himself repeatedly for stumbling over the question. It was all so strange that they could hold a coherent conversation about the physics of gamma radiation and it's potential uses for medicine but the second the lab coats were off and the topic was no longer science he froze. Like a deer in the headlights.

"That sounds lovely." Harriet began walking towards the elevator and soon they joined to crowded New York streets moving along until they came to the restaurant Tony had sent them too. The meal was pleasant and as Harriet could see and almost feel his nervousness she made sure the topics of conversation remained in his comfort zone. It worked perfectly and she was able to place all his quirks.

Bruce was walking at her side down the street; towards an empty park when he finally turned to her and found the words he wanted to say. "About what Tony said earlier..." He trailed off rambling about anything and everything, she already knew his feelings and yet he couldn't bring himself to say it himself. The words finally came out in a jumbled sentence that was slurred together from the speed in which it was spoken.  "Harriet, I think you're gorgeous and smart and I lik-." But he froze when something soft, like the caress of a rose petal, touched his cheek. It took several seconds to realize that Harriet had kissed his cheek and when she pulled back her smile was wider than ever and as if in a heavenly daze Bruce brought his hand to touch his cheek where her lips had been, a strange sort of smile on his hips.

"I like you too, Bruce."