Beauty and The Beast ~ Hulk Love Story ((Book 2))

Chapter Four

**Aero's POV**

I sat in the arm chair next to the large window in the room I shared with Bruce. A velvet blue blanket I brought from home draped across my legs. My favorite Harry Potter novel rested in my lap the page laid open as it had been for the last thirty or so minutes. Bruce and Tony had been down in the lab the last three days working on whatever crazy idea Tony had roped him into. My head rested on the arm chair as I stared out over the New York skyline. It felt like so long ago that the Chitauri had almost destroyed our city. I turned my attention to the blue sky. Before my eyes the sky turned a dark aminous shade of blue. A gaping whole opened and the Chitauri poured out. My heart jumped to my throat as I sat paralyzed by fear. My eyes fixed on the whole in the sky.

"Aero...." a hand on my shoulder made me nearly leap out of my seat. I turned quickly towards whoever touched me. My book fell to the floor with a thud. Natasha stood beside me holding her hands up in surrender. I laid my hand over my heart and tried to steady my breathing. "I knocked.... I'm sorry I wasn't trying to scare you..." She spoke softly as if not trying to startle me further. "Are you okay?" I composed myself and waved her away. I retrieved my book from the floor and laid it on the small table beside me. I glanced back out the window to reassure myself I had just been imagining things.

"I'm okay Nat..." I gave her the best smile I could. I stood laying the blanket back over the chair. I tried to push the nagging fear out of the back of my mind. "Did you need something Nat?" I asked sweetly.

"Oh..." she paused as she tried to remember why she had come into my room in the first place. "Tony just told me that he's throwing a party tonight, and..." she flashed a plastic card ,which I assumed was one of Tony's many credit cards. "He told me to get you out of the house and take you shopping for something Bruce would appreciate," she giggled like a high school girl. I rolled my eyes at her but nodded anyways. She linked her arm with mine and pulled me out of my room. When I had gotten dressed I had no intention of going out. I was wearing a pair of black knee length shorts and one of Clint's old T-shirt's from when we all lived on the helicarrier together. My hair was up in a messy bun and I wasn't wearing any make up.

Natasha dragged me down to where Tony and Bruce were in the lab. "Look who I pulled out of hiding," Natasha said jokingly to Tony. Tony looked up from his work and smiled.

"My Oh my! Aerosmith, What's it like to emerge from the darkness," Tony joked with me. They were making fun of the fact that I pretty much hadn't left my room since coming back to StarkTowers. I read a lot, watched a lot of movies, mainly slept, and enjoyed my time off. I had been getting up at 5 and working all day since I left the avengers, this was a much needed staycation.

"Shove it Tony," I pushed his shoulder a bit. He laughed and pulled me into a side hug. I shook my head and laughed at him.

"We're getting ready to go shopping," Natasha smiled evilly. I shot her a warning glare. She laughed at me.

"Good...." Tony paused and looked to Bruce who was so into whatever was on his computer screen he didn't even notice us come in. "Hey Brucey! What's your favorite color! I'm betting it's definitely not green," Tony called over to him. I watched as Bruce flinched a bit but didn't look up.

"Why do you care Tony?" Bruce mumbled sounding a bit annoyed. I chuckled a bit. Tony definitely knew how to push Bruce's buttons.

"Answer the question, Banner!!" Tony grabbed a pen from his work bench. He threw it at Bruce. The pen bounce of the top of Bruce's head. Bruce rubbed the spot and gave Tony a glare. His face softened a bit when he saw me. "What's your favorite color!" Tony armed himself with another pen. He held it up as a threat.

"Favorite color? Yellow.... like a pale yellow," he mumbled shyly. He was more willing to answer now that he knew I was there. I gave him a soft smile.

"Yellow with her skin tone, no. Id rather die." Tony gushed in an overdramatic sassy voice. I couldnt help but to roll my eyes at him. "Ooooh, try to find something in red." Tony had an evil smirk crawling onto his facial fetures. "I'll have Jarvis call Happy to pick you up," Tony informed us.

"Nah, I'd rather drive...." I flashed a devious smile. "I promise I'll keep it under a hundred, most of the time," I joked while nudging Tony in the ribs. He glared down at me for a moment before joining in with my laugh. I playfully shoved him to the side and headed over to where Bruce was half working. I stood on my tippy toes and kissed his cheek. He put his arms loosely around me in a bit of an awkward hug. He kissed my forehead quickly. He was awkward about affection anyways but knowing that Natasha and Tony were behind us only made it that much worse. I turned to leave once Bruce had let me go. He caught my hand and gave me a questioning look. His eyes almost looked as if he didn't want me to leave. Unlike when we were on the Hellicarrier, I didn't just hang about the lab watching Bruce. I guess he missed the old times.

"I'm just going shopping with Natty for Tony's party. We won't be long..." I assured him. I gave him a quick kiss on the lips which caused Tony to whistle behind me. I flicked him off and headed to the door with Natasha. "See ya tonight, Bruce." I waved to him.

"See you tonight Brucey!" Tony called in a sing song tone from behind me. Bruce shot him another glare which only fueled Tony and Natasha's laughter.

"Fuck You, Stark!" I called half jokingly. I pulled Natasha out with me as Tony reached for a pen. I heard it crash against the wall near my head. I laughed wildly as I ran down the hall dragging Natasha behind me. We ran for the elevator. "To the basement, Jarvis." I called out to Tony's A.I.

"Yes, Ms. Mitchell," Jarvis answered and started moving the elevator.