Hunted [1]

~ Eight ~

Bruce remembered the first time he'd met Peter.

He was sitting in a coffee shop, mind going crazy as he tried to figure out a formula, when a quiet, high pitched voice spoke up behind him.

"Um, excuse me, sir," Peter had said, glancing at Bruce before his eyes darted away again. "I - I think that if you just - don't look at it as a whole. It's a trickier that way. If you look at it in smaller groups, it'll be easier to figure out."

To his surprise, as he humoured the kid by doing as he said, he worked it out within seconds.

"Woah, kid," Bruce had gasped, before turning around and facing the kid. "Tell me, what's your name? You're really smart."

"My name's Peter. Peter Par - oh my gosh, you're Bruce Banner!"

And as Bruce was about to roll his eyes and go through his usual speech (yes, I'm the Hulk, I know, a massive green guy who destroys stuff, no I'm not going to show you) the kid surprised him yet again by continuing speaking.

"I read the stuff you wrote, Mr Banner," Peter blurted out, hurriedly continuing on so Bruce would be able to hear what he thought of his work.

Bruce was glad he listened.

"You know, the gamma radiation? It's awesome! I've read it loads of times!"

Bruce had looked at the kid with wonder in his eyes, asking the kid the question he still remembered to this day.

"You understood that?"

He didn't really know why it remained in his mind as a question of the upmost importance - it certainly didn't seem important, after all. But he supposed it was because that was when him and Peter connected for the first time.

"Well, yeah," Peter's eyes brightened, "it isn't that hard when you think about it."

When Bruce started doubting his abilities in science, was it really so easy that this ten year old kid could understand it, Peter quickly added onto his statement.

"Oh! But that might just be me. Aunt May and Uncle Ben -" the kid's eyes filled with tears, but he brushed them off and continued, "- they always said I was more intelligent than a usual ten year old."

And if remembering his aunt and uncle struck something in the kid's mind, Peter backed away slightly.

"I just remembered," Peter said, looking at him apologetically, "but I'm not allowed to talk to strangers."

Bruce was about to interrupt, tell him that he wasn't a stranger, that Tony had insisted that he had saved the entirety of New York, that he was an Avenger, when Peter's eyes filled with mischief.

It was a look that didn't often appear on Peter's face then, Bruce could tell it was foreign for the kid, but he still carried on.

"But..." Peter spoke slowly, as if making sure he heard, "... if I see you again, next week, at the same time, in this coffee shop, but I haven't made any plans or anything, and I get to know you well... That technically means you won't be a stranger."

Bruce remembered being delighted as the kid said this, and he vowed to remember this moment; the moment he and Peter had truly met.

He had promised, when his and Peter's meet ups were a thing, before Peter had met Tony, that he would always look after the kid. No matter what.

Well, he hadn't succeeded at that very well, had he?

Bruce felt the Hulk growl at him at that reminder.