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Angry. So angry. He hated it here. Hurt. Smelled. Alone. Wrong. Angry. He needed to stop. The bins slid with the force of his body hitting them.
Alley way. No people. Fight over. Calm down. Needed safe. Hated being this. Didn't want to hurt anyone. He wanted Calcutta. Could help there. Calming to help. Not here. The bustling and nervous angry feel from everywhere. He slammed into the wall.
Ugh the city smell! Different and wrong. He wanted Calcutta. The smell of herbs and dark teas. Earthy. Dirt and animals. Hurting and death but he could help. Wanted to be himself. Not angry! He growled his fist pulling at his hair hitting the bins down he alley.
"Green is my favorite colour, you know." A quiet voice said above him. He looked up alarm taking over. Had he hurt someone? They had SEEN! He looked at the young woman, dark eyes blinking lazily. Cat. Like a cat. Dark chocolate wine eyes looking straight at him, the colour soothing and warm to him.
Her feet dangled over the edge of the fire escape. He'd probably scared her. He felt his stomach clench. He didn't want to scare anyone. He watched her head tilt against the bar. "I like it darker though. And not on you so much," she shrugged "it makes you feel sad" she muttered slowly fingers wiggling around as if searching for the words. Everything felt slow and calm around her.
He snorted but didn't look away. She trailed her fingers through the end of her ponytail the dark earthy colour sliding through her fingers. Her face was still calm and still while she watched him and Bruce felt himself start to relax. Felt the shift starting. Felt the breeze and the immediate warmth in his face. He looked down quickly but could hear her standing and walking away. He groaned mind racing to figure out how he was going to get back to the tower like this.
Bruce grimaced as he took a few steps through the grimy alley to the garbage bins. "Here" the woman's voice called out forcing him to look back up. She leaned over the railing and dangled the sheet down for him to grab. He did so gratefully, wrapping it quickly around himself the scent of earth strong from the fabric. He jerked slightly surprised looking up. The woman's lips quirking slowly to a small smile. She kicked down the fire escape ladder and turned back crawling through the window into her apartment.
Bruce hesitated then climbed up to the second story following her. He didn't exactly want to wander through the city barefoot and in a makeshift toga. The scent of earth and warmth got stronger as he moved into the apartment. He looked around at all the plants and felt himself relax further as the rightness of the smell filled his nose. Earthy and dark and home.
He looked to see her staring again pulling out her phone and handing it to him. He took it with a quiet thank you. She moved to the small kitchen and began picking different herbs from jars as she moved mixing them into a small bowl. "You can call whoever you need to help you" she said quietly placing the herbs into a strainer and pouring water from a kettle. "I don't think you'd like going home like that, and I don't have anything that would fit you." He watched as her lips twitched up minutely "even now." She handed the mug to him as he looked eyes wide. She took her own cup shifting to sit up on the counter wrapping her grey cardigan around her as she watched.
"Why aren't you afraid?" He asked quickly. Everyone was afraid of him. At least a bit. Maybe not Tony he thought almost fondly. But this woman didn't have the feeling of fear around her. Bruce saw her fingers stretch and curl around her ankle as she blinked. "Why should I be? Because you hit a few bins about?" She asked finally sipping her tea eyes closing.
"Because of.. because of him." Bruce replied quietly looking down. The silence dragged on a minute before she answered. "Because I didn't have to be" she shrugged as if that was all there was to it. As if it didn't matter. As if he wasn't a monster. He frowned and pushed it away. He didn't want to think about that too closely. He opened the phone and called Tony repeating the address she gave him asking for a lift embarrassedly. Hanging up when he began to prod.
She took the phone back and nudged the mug at him. He took a sip finally not wanting to be rude and his eyes widened slightly. "This is good" he exclaimed savoring the taste. It was earthy, crisp, and just a hint of spicy that added to the sense of 'right' he felt in her apartment. Completely different from the rest of the city he'd been in. She looked down smiling and picking at her slouchy sock and he could see a hint of red under her bangs.
"What is your name?" He asked as he realized he hadn't found out considering that inconvenience he must be putting her through. She looked up blinking lazily "Madrian."
"I'm Bruce." He said inwardly groaning as she smiled tilting her head. Of course she knew who he was. She had seen him. Everyone knew who he was. This was why he liked staying in the lab. He was not good with people. Science was so much easier.
Madrian slipped off the counter padding over to her sofa curling up cross legged in one corner facing the other side. He shifted a minute before following sitting at the other end. Bruce relaxed as she smiled at him and began talking to pass the time. He learned she was an illustrator and tried to grow all her own herbs. That she had moved here just before the New York attack and was the youngest of six. He in turn shared about his work and missing Calcutta.
The talked and while both were quiet and maybe a bit shy, they enjoyed the time until Tony arrived. Madrian waved him in not even batting an eye that Stark was in her small apartment which impressed Bruce even as he sighed at Tony's smirk. He was going to be hearing comments about sheets and togas for days after this. He changed quickly in the bathroom and hesitated by her desk jotting down his number quickly before he could really think about it.
Nudging Tony out the door Bruce turned to Madrian handing her the paper awkwardly. She looked down at it and up to him again. "Just if you want to or umm anything" he mumbled. He watched her lips twitch "I'll text you." She said. "I never know when those bins will misbehave". She closed he door as he gave a short laugh turning to leave.
He felt Tony follow him glancing from behind his sunglasses as they headed to the tower. "She was different. So how did you meet" he snarked good-naturedly. Bruce shrugged slightly smiling. "She said her favourite colour was green."