Work Text:
Diana was ridiculously grateful to Peter for letting her go earlier than usual for a coffee break. The team had been working round the clock since after the (alien!) attack on New York about a month back. People were cleaning up. White Collar had been lucky, they were downtown and didn’t get hit as hard as much of the rest of the city, but there was still an insane amount of crime and paperwork to work through during that encounter. Peter said that El had been working at Stark’s tower and had been literally in the thick of it all. Diana sympathized, hoping El was alright.
But her thoughts on that would have to wait, right now she just wanted a cup of coffee and a bit of fresh (hot) air. It was high summer, and the heat was starting to climb again. The city was noisy and distressed about the attack, and a lot of people were extra cautious now because of it. Most were busy working on cleaning up the roads or buildings that had alien body parts all over it.
She got her coffee, and had turned around to head to a table-only to smack hard into a particularly inmoveable wall, spliiling coffee all over her good work shirt.
“Damn it!” She snarled, extremely annoyed and frustrated. She’d just gotten that cup too.
“I’m…I’m terribly sorry,” A soft voice said uncomfortably, and she looked up-
To see the most gorgeous pair of brown eyes staring back at her. She blinked, wondering if it was a trick of the light that the eyes had turned momentarily green, and shook her head.
“No, it’s my fault. I didn’t pay attention to where I was going,” She said ruefully. He smiled, though still looked a bit uneasy at the unexpectedness of it all.
“Let me buy you a replacement. Least I could do,” He offered, and she blinked-his eyes had turned green again…but no, they were still brown.
“Sure,” She agreed, smiling faintly. “But it’ll have to be quick-I’m due back at the office in twenty.”
“Oh? Where do you work?” He asked, curious.
“White Collar Crime,” She answered. “I help solve art thefts and stuff,” She added.
“Interesting,” He said thoughtfully.
“And you?” She asked, curious in spite of herself. The conversation was turning out to be far more interesting than she had hoped it would be-she had just wanted a replacement coffee, and now she was taking her time talking…
“Ah, I’m a physist. Dr. Banner,” He informed her politely.
“Oh.” She paused. “To be honest, I don’t know a thing about what people do in that line of work, besides working in science.” She admitted, sheepishly.
He chuckled.
“I suppose I’m not surprised, but a bit disappointed. Here I was hoping you were a fan,” He teased, and she grinned.
“I like science, sure. But I’m not…well, all that familiar with people and theories and stuff like that,” She responded. “One mocha, please,” She added when they reached the counter. Dr. Banner put the money on the counter, and the guy behind the counter said suddenly,
“Oh, hey-you’re-you’re the Hulk!”
The what?
Diana glanced at Dr. Banner in confusion, and he looked suddenly a lot more tense and uneasy. She frowned.
“Dude, if he’s someone famous, can’t you just ignore it? All of us are busy, and we don’t need a scene right now. Just give me my coffee, and we’ll go,” Diana told the guy who was beginning to get a bit excited.
“Er…right, sure, ma’am,” The kid stumbled over his words, and quickly gave her the cup of coffee. She took Dr. Banner by the arm, and lead him towards some tables that didn’t seem occupied.
He didn’t protest or pull away, but seemed surprised that she’d even touch him.
“So, the Hulk, huh?” She asked, interestedly. “Wait-wasn’t the Hulk the big green guy?” She asked, realizing this.
He nodded.
“I see,” And she did see. That’s why she kept seeing his eyes turning green now and again. It’s why he seemed so uncomfortable around people. She felt pleased at trying to have been friendly with him instead of yelling at him like she’d originally wanted to do earlier when smacking into him. “Well, I can say it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She informed him with a smile.
He blinked…and smiled back.
“Thank you,” He said softly. “Most people are either afraid of me, or…treat me like I’m Ironman. It’s a bit overwhelming, sometimes.”
“Why stay in a city, then?” She asked, frowning.
“Tony suggested that I stay at the tower. He also said I should get out more, see the city like it was meant to be seen. I was kind of…wanting to, I guess.”
“Tired of being cooped up, afraid of what’ll happen if you venture out amongst angry New Yorkers, huh?” Diana asked, sympathetically. He stared at her. She shrugged. “I’m generally the people person on my team, when Caffrey’s not doing it. I’m good at reading people, because I’ve had to be. Sometimes, I have to read if a person is a bad guy or just a guy who’s had a bad luck streak. You seem to be the latter,” She added.
“You can say that again,” He muttered, sighing. At that moment, his phone rang and he answered it. Diana’s buzzed, and she checked it-a text from Peter asking what was taking her so long with the coffee break?
“It seems as though I’m needed,” Dr. Banner said, just as she was opening her mouth. She laughed.
“I was about to say the same thing,” She agreed, sighing. “Listen, I’ve gotta run too, but it was nice meeting you. If you wanna a place that doesn’t judge, you can come meet my team later. White Collar Office, here’s the card,” She slid him her card, and he accepted it, pocketing it in his front shirt pocket over his heart. She smiled, he had excellent taste and were she not so completely gay and taken, then she would have snatched him up in a heartbeat.
Though he did have nice eyes, she thought to herself, and then shook her head.
“Anyway, my number’s on it. Need someone to talk to that isn’t a superhero, go ahead. I’m always a good listener,” She reassured him, and he smiled.
“Thank you,” He said softly. “And I’ll be sure to give you a call sometime. You know, when the world’s not in danger,” He teased, and she chuckled.
“If you need to, call me even then,” She said seriously, and then grinned. “But I can’t promise I’ll answer,”
He laughed, and she got up and headed out back towards the office.
Time to head back to work.
==
End