Chapter Text
Bruce was usually the first one in the common kitchen most mornings and would start a pot of coffee so it would be ready when Steve came in from his run. Today he was poring over a journal article, and had just registered the sounds of someone rummaging through the cabinets as he stepped into the kitchen.
He froze. A blonde woman he'd never seen before was standing on a chair, ransacking the cabinet over the massive refrigerator. She stepped down slowly with a look like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"Uh, hi?" She gave a small wave, and Bruce realized her left arm was in a navy sling he recognized as being SHIELD standard.
"Uh, hi. Uhm, JARVIS?"
"My apologies, Dr. Banner. Please let me introduce Agent Harrow, newly of SHIELD."
"Alexa, but, please call me Alex," she said, offering her hand to shake. Bruce fumbled his glasses and the journal before he managed to take her hand.
"Bruce. Bruce is fine."
If anything, Alex looked even more embarrassed. It suddenly dawned on him that she was barefoot and only wearing a white tank top and a pair of purple-and-black flannel pajama pants that Clint had accused Natasha of stealing a few weeks back. The blonde braids wrapped around her head like a crown made her look too young to be an agent. He quickly turned to the coffee pot and asked over his shoulder, "Can I help with anything?"
"Uh, yeah, actually. Do you know if there's a first aid kit around here?"
Bruce immediately put the coffee filter down and turned back.
"Are you hurt? Of course you're hurt, you have a sling. What happened?" He moved to a cabinet on the other side of the kitchen and fished out the first aid case stashed there.
"Gunshot wound, grazing, just under the shoulder webbing of my armor. They stitched me up but I'm pretty sure I pulled one last night. I need a clean dressing but couldn't find Nat's kit and didn't want to wake her up, so..."
Bruce sighed and automatically fell into lecture-mode as he examined the stitches.
"You know, Clint is bad enough. He'll do almost anything to avoid medical care. At least you have enough sense to let them patch you back together." He gave her a stern look over the top of his glasses.
Alex grinned at the tone. "Yeah, apparently Clint is pretty legendary. I have no intention of following his example. This was my first time being shot and I'm in no rush to repeat the experience."
Bruce nodded approval. "You did pull a stitch but I'll butterfly it- this is pretty shallow." It only took a moment and he applied a clean bandage. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"No thanks, but if you have tea that would be welcome."
Bruce smiled as he packed away the first aid kit. "Left-hand cabinet over the microwave. Natasha and I are the tea-drinkers here, help yourself."
Alex opened the cabinet and gave a low whistle. "It's like tea-heaven in here! Hey, you have Fortnum & Mason! Would you mind?"
"Not at all- Jane brought it back from London. It's for everyone." He smiled and put on a kettle. "Are you hungry at all? I was going to make an omelet."
"Oh no, you've already been so kind, I can just..."
Bruce gave a pointed look at her sling. "Sit." Alex blinked. She sat.
"So," Bruce turned back to fridge and started taking out omelet fixings, "how did you end up in the Tower?"
"Oh, well, apparently there's kind of a tradition among SHIELD operatives..." she trailed off.
"Yes?" Bruce prompted.
"Well, I don't know if it's a secret or anything, but since you live with a bunch of agents it should be ok, I guess? Well, the first time a SHIELD agent is shot on duty, afterward a few agents get together, swap first-time stories and do shots. I'm supposed to take 24 hours before I'm back on duty, so Nat, Clint, and Agent Coulson brought me here and I crashed in Nat's guest room."
Bruce's eyebrows shot up. "You were drinking with Natasha and you're up this early?"
"I only had four, one for each story. They were still going after I crashed," she laughed.
Bruce smiled, then turned and placed a plate in front of her. "Don't let it get cold."
"Thank you, this smells amazing!"
Bruce sat across from her and they both began to eat. After a few minutes of silence, Alex asked, "You mentioned a Jane before, is that Dr. Jane Foster?"
"Yes it is, do you know her?"
"Only her work, but she'll be attending a conference in Geneva next week and I'll be her security detail."
"Are you interested in astrophysics?" Bruce couldn't quite keep the surprise out of his voice.
Alex chuckled. "Actually, I was a Science Analyst for the CIA for the last eight years. I've read everything that you, Dr. Foster, and Tony Stark have published. Not that Tony publishes much, but someone has to keep track of his patents."
Bruce put down his fork in surprise and mentally moved her age up a decade. "Someone can actually keep track of Tony's patents?"
Alex laughed. "We make new science analysts track him for a month. If they survive then we know they'll make it," she said with a twinkle. Bruce laughed as well and they both went back to eating.
"So, can I ask you a question?" Alex sounded hesitant, and Bruce tried not to be disappointed. He looked down at his plate- he suddenly wasn't hungry any more. Which question would it be? How he felt when he was the Hulk? Was he aware when we was the Hulk? How he lived with it? He had to control his breathing just thinking about it. Better to get it over with.
"Sure."
Alex paused. He clearly wasn't happy, but this might be her only chance, so...
She blurted out, "Why didn't you cite Nagasawa's paper in your most recent article? I know pure-silica-core fibers aren't currently part of your research, but..."
Bruce's jaw dropped. "What?!"
"I mean," Alex's words tumbled out, "I know it's presumptuous, I'm not a specialist in your field, but the implications..."
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Tony gloated from the kitchen doorway.
Bruce immediately realized what Tony was thinking and flinched. "Morning, Tony."
Tony swaggered over the coffee pot and poured himself a cup; he'd clearly been in the workshop all night and was just coming up for a break.
"And a good morning to you two, too!"
Alex stifled a laugh, Bruce gave her a quick glance and then chuckled also.
"Soooo... introduce me?" Tony leered, leaning against the counter.
Alex smiled. "Agent Alexa Harrow of SHIELD."
Tony turned to Bruce and cocked an eyebrow. "An agent, Bruce? Tsk-tsk, you could do better than that." Both Bruce's and Alex's eyebrows shot up at that.
Alex suddenly grinned and dropped Bruce a wink. If anything, Bruce was even more surprised.
"Thank you for breakfast Dr. Banner. I'll just go see if Nat is awake yet. Nice meeting you Mr. Stark," she smiled and slipped out of the kitchen.
Tony spluttered, "Nat? As in, Natasha?" Alex could hear Bruce's laughter follow her down the hallway.