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Chapter Fifteen

Elizabeth jumped up and down trying to calm down her nerves. It's been over a year since her last performance. Sure, she performed often at the club, but that was pole dancing, this was contemporary dance. Her parents, Sydney and Phillip, had showed up and were standing back there with her.

"You look anxious," Sydney pointed out, she knew her daughter.

"If it's because of performing you'll do fine," Phillip smiled, sure that his daughter would do good, she always was amazing. Sure, she may have thought she was rusty now, but he knew it would still be good.

"No," Sydney shook her head. "She's not nervous about the performance. You invited someone, didn't you?"

"I did," Elizabeth admitted. The second she began working on this, she had no hesitations to invite Bruce to come watch, and knowing how he was, she offered to let him bring a friend, which was going to be another Avenger because she knew he didn't really have anyone else. Unless he brought Agent Coulson, or Fury, which would be hilarious.

"Is it a boy?" her parents began to press, suddenly curious, their daughter didn't tell them much anymore.

"Yeah-"

Just as Elizabeth was about to answer, everything went up in whispers, girls giggling, and even her mom stopped to say, "What is he doing here?"

Elizabeth turned around and couldn't keep the smile off of her face. Tony had waltzed in looking as if he had owned the place, dressed in one of his many suits, looking nice as usual, and Bruce followed behind him, looking more uncomfortable, dressed rather nicely as well, especially for him. The maroon dress shirt had complimented him well.

A part of her felt guilty that she never told her parents about them, all she told them was that she had been working at S.H.I.E.L.D.  which they had known about, so they didn't question. They also never questioned the small scars she had over her body,  nor what they had saw in some footage from New York.

The boys spot her and began to stroll over. "Guys," she pulled them both into a group hug as the glee dripped from her voice. "You showed up."

"I couldn't miss it," Bruce gave her a small smile.

"These are my parents. Parents, this is Tony Stark, and Dr. Banner."

"A Doctor?" Phillip raised and eyebrow and turned to his wife, curious to which man his daughter had invited, and most of all, if she involved with any of them. "Nice to meet you," he held out his hand and shook both of their hands. "How did you meet them?" part of him still felt protective, despite that she was more than old enough to make her own decisions. He knew where she was working about a year ago, and he knew the kind of guys out there. Especially rich and powerful men.

"We all worked together."

Phillip was set on asking more questions, "Working? Like-"

"Computers," Elizabeth smiled. "Engineering, science. We all helped with a new project for Stark Industries." she shut her dad down knowing where he could go.

Phillip narrowed his eyes, he knew that she was involved with whatever his wives family had done, but she never told him that she worked with Tony Stark, he had thought she had given up on that stuff a long time ago. "Why didn't-"

"Oh honey!" Sydney began to fret, giving her husband a cross look. "You should probably continue to get ready."

"Yeah, true," she sighed as she left leaving the boys with her parents.

"Here," Sydney offered the two. "Let's go find somewhere to sit to watch because Elizabeth never disappoints," she winked and they instantly knew where Elizabeth had gotten most of her personality from.

"Introducing, Number 33, Elizabeth Rose Tolen, Thick Skin." there was a light applause.

Bruce watched as Elizabeth came out, in a simple red leotard, gold jewels littering it, her hair was in a tight and neat bun, and she kept her makeup simple. She looked magnificent.

"You should see her pole dance," Tony leaned in joking. He was met by a glare by Phillip, a slight laugh by Sydney, and an uncomfortable shift on Bruce's part. He leaned back, "Tough crowd."

Elizabeth positioned herself at the starting point, leaning down, hands resting just over her knees.

Right away she began twisting, and turning, stretching, her body moving fluidly and it was captivating, Bruce couldn't turn away.The song choice- Thick Skin, began to make his mind race. they hit him hard. And knowing her, there was a reason she picked it.

The dance was ending far too soon, as she stumbled backwards dramatically, maintaining eye contact with him, before bowing and walking offstage.  And maybe he was imagining it, but several times it had seemed as if she was looking at him from stage.

Because it was just a show, and not a competition, no awards were given, and she was towards the end since it was alphabetical order, she soon as she walked out to that lobby to her parents, and her two nerds, a grin on her face.

Both of her parents hugged her, "We're so proud of you, Grandma and Grandpa would be so proud of you."

Elizabeth nodded, pulled away and wiped her eyes, as she turned towards Bruce and Tony who were looking a little awkward.

"Congrats, Hepburn," Tony joked.

A smile tugged Bruce's lips, but he still managed to be serious. "Congratulations, Miss. Tolen."

Later that night Bruce had found himself back in Elizabeth's house, watching as she added another trophy to her collection, everyone had gotten ribbons for attending. But at the back of his mind, the idea of what she told him tonight, was still persistent. 

"Elizabeth?"

She turned to face him, "Yeah?"

"Did you mean it?" He didn't need to elaborate.

"I meant all of it," she admitted as his heart seemed to flutter in his chest, his heart race increasing. He was deeply touched by it, as weird as that seemed to sound. It was reassuring.

Despite his better judgement, and how much his mind was screaming at him, he moved closer to her. Elizabeth's heart began to race fast again as she too moved closer. Was he going to kiss her? Or was he going to back down again?

Elizabeth decided to just do it, so she cupped his face and leaned in. For a second, it was awkward, but slowly their lips began moving together. A burst of electricity spread across her body, and she could only wonder, how long had she been waiting for this moment?

Bruce brought his hands up to curl around her waist and pull her closer, but his thumb brushed against the scar that was still there, jagged across her skin, and then the pounding in his head began. 

The scar on her only reminded him of what he had done. He had done that to her. With that, his heart began beating faster, it was in his ears, surrounding his head.

And as he pulled away Elizabeth's face fell as she watched him create a distance between the two. "Bruce," her voice was soft.

"I can't," he shook his head, barely understanding her over his screaming mind.

She couldn't figure out anymore why he would stop this. She wasn't afraid of him, and she wasn't afraid of the Hulk. "I told you," she walked closer. "I don't care about-"

"I do."

As he walked out of her door she felt her heart break into a million little piece.