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Sketchbook (Bruce Banner x fem!artist reader) High School AU

Everyone knew that your sketchbook was your baby. You always kept it close to you. It was your comfort in school since you really didn't have many friends. You kept to yourself, at least in public. Behind closed doors was another thing altogether. Behind closed doors, you were a respected artist in the internet community. And the best part was that no one knew who you were in real life so you had the peace that you craved. That is until the one day it would all come crashing down.

You were stuck. You hadn't had any real inspiration in a while and you needed a challenge. Something new to draw had to come to you soon or you'd have nothing new to post online for your fans. That lead you to sit in the school courtyard, taking in your surroundings. It was then that you spotted them. The most popular people in school. A tight-knit group that wasn't your "normal" popular group. They were all very different and yet somehow got along famously and were really nice to just about everyone.

There was Steve Rogers, the jock of the group along with his best friends Bucky and Sam. Steve was your typical all American boy. He was as sweet as apple pie, but didn't hesitate to stand up to bullies. He was the school hero. Sam and Bucky were always there to help. Sam was usually the one who helped Steve handle the bullies while Bucky was the one to try and keep them both out of trouble.

Then, there was Natasha Romanoff. At first glance, she seemed cold and closed off, but a heart of gold beat underneath the cool exterior. She was a theater girl, always taking on different roles and never letting much rattle her cage. When she wasn't rehearsing, she was with her boyfriend, Clint Barton. Clint was so full of sass, people were surprised that he wasn't in the drama club too. Clint was into archery instead and often entered into competitions where Natasha would cheer him on.

Next to Clint were Tony Stark and his best friend, Bruce Banner. Tony and Bruce were both tech lovers and you could often find them in the computer lab. When not in school, Tony was a model, and all his proceeds went to various charities since he had money in his family. Bruce was a different story. Like you, Bruce was quiet and shy, but you had a feeling if he got angry, it would be a Jekyll and Hyde situation.

Also at their table were transfer students. The twins, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, and then Thor Odinson who had a loner brother, Loki. Wanda was very sweet, but it tended to psych people out when she seemed to know what they were thinking all the time. Pietro was a huge flirt, which made him popular with the ladies, but you could see that it was just that, flirting. He wasn't one for a serious relationship. And Thor? Thor was like a giant, albeit loud, teddy bear. He had a huge heart and was always willing to help out.

Such a diverse group of people was bound to attract attention and it was no different with you. You smiled because it seemed like you'd found your new muse. You flipped to an empty page in your sketchbook and began drawing. As you drew, you could almost picture the group as various superheroes, so that's what you drew them as. Those heroes who fought for those who couldn't fight for themselves. But you drew them in your typical, cartoon style.

While you sketched, you would look up at the group and pray none of them moved much. You didn't realize that your staring had caught someone's attention. Tony noticed you from the corner of his eye. At first, he didn't think anything of it, but every time he looked over, you were staring again. The group was getting ready to leave when Tony finally let his curiosity get the better of him. "I'll catch up," he told his friends before wandering over to you. Instead of leaving without him, the others waited.

You hadn't noticed Tony approaching you until his shadow blocked your sketchbook. You looked up in surprise. "Hey. Y/N, right?" You nodded sheepishly. Tony glanced down at your book and smiled. "Hey, those are really good. Superheroes, huh?" Your eyes widened. "W-Well, I-I," you cursed yourself for stuttering so much. "Can I?" You bit your lip, but handed him the book. He'd already seen after all. Unfortunately for you, Tony had other plans.

"Guys, look at these!" he cried as he returned to his friends. For a moment, you sat there dumbfounded. You were froze in place. Had that just happened. Then, you sprang into action. You leapt up from your seat and followed after Tony. "Wait!" you called but it was too late. He was already at the others, showing them what you had drawn. You pulled to a stop as everyone picked up their heads and looked at you.

For a few seconds, no one said a thing. Then, Steve smiled at you. "These are really good. How long have you been drawing?" You couldn't help but smile back at him. "A while." Steve nodded. "Me too. I love to draw." You laughed a little. "I know. We had an art class together last semester. I sat in the back though." The group of friends spent a few minutes looking over your sketches. Even Natasha seemed flattered at her likeness.

It took several minutes, but you were finally able to get your book back. The only person that hadn't said anything was Bruce. He kept looking between your work and you as if he was trying to figure something out. You held your book close to your chest as soon as you got it back, but you couldn't get the smile on your face to disappear. You turned to leave, but Tony stopped you. "You know, if you ever need a model, I'm available." You rolled your eyes while Natasha smacked him on the back of the head. "Leave her alone, Tony or I'll tell Pepper." You laughed and went on your merry way, leaving Bruce still thinking.

Bruce spent the rest of the day and into the night thinking about you. Or rather, about your art. He could have sworn he'd seen your signature style of art before. In fact, he had seen it a lot. On the blog of his favorite artist: Y/UN. Bruce quickly got onto his computer and went to the blog. As soon as it came up, Bruce knew he was right. It was you. Your drawings, now complete and in color, from that afternoon were now posted to the page. He couldn't believe it. He had been a fan of your work for so long and had never realized that you went to the same school he did. Suddenly he couldn't wait for school the next day so he could tell you what he thought of your work.

Bruce got to school early, even for him, so he could keep an eye out for you. As soon as he saw you, Bruce made a beeline in your direction. "Y/N!" You stopped, surprised that anyone was calling out to you. Other than the afternoon before, no one really paid any attention to you. "Oh, hey Bruce. What's up?" For some reason, you didn't feel nearly as shy around Bruce as you did the others. Maybe it was because he was shy too.

"I know who you are." Your brows furrowed in confusion. "What?" Bruce put a hand in his pocket to steady his nerves. "I know who you are. You're Y/UN. You post your art online." You frowned a little. You looked around to make sure no one had heard him. "How did you know?" Bruce cleared his throat before answering, "I thought there was something familiar about the style of your sketches yesterday, and I figured out that they were similar to an artist I follow. I checked their page and you had uploaded your drawing from yesterday." You swore under your breath.

"Wait, you noticed that it looked familiar?" Bruce nodded. "Yeah...I'm a huge fan. I've been following you for a while now and I check to see if you've posted something new every day. Looking at it calms me." You felt your face heat up. "Oh...thanks, Bruce. That, uh, actually means a lot." Bruce gave you a shy smile. "Can I help you carry your books?" he asked. You giggled and nodded. "Sure, if you let me draw you some more." Bruce looked surprised for a minute, but agreed. You handed him some of your books and the two of you walked into school side-by-side, a new friendship blossoming before the eyes of the entire school.