Inside Voices ▷ Bruce Banner | ✓

22 - GOING BACK

SHE AND BRUCE WERE CURLED UP ON THE COUCH WHEN THE VISITOR ARRIVED. After their conversation that day, things didn't change much, and it was a testament to Bruce's statement when she didn't expect anything to. Either way, Bruce didn't point anything out to her, the two instead simply sitting together working on other things, her with her studies, him on an article about genetic stability that would take some time to finish.

She yawned, taking a break and stretching, draping herself across his lap, and he snorted softly, reaching out to stroke her hair as she tried to relax, her head hurting from all the work she had done in the hours she had been awake; surprisingly, she had woken up in the morning and decided to make the most of it.

"Marn," Bruce sighed in fond exasperation as she moved to settle right on his lap, curling up and tucking her face into the crook of his neck, "I swear, if you start purring, I will leave."

She laughed, practically melting into him as she finally got settled, searching for sleep as she listening to him type, having moved his laptop onto the arm rest, letting it balance precariously with him holding on in order to let her sit in his lap.

She didn't know when she fell asleep—she wasn't even aware she had, as she could still hear the sounds of Bruce working the entire time—but when she woke everyone was in the common area with them and Tony was taking a flurry of pictures, grinning madly.

"I'm making a slideshow for their wedding," he explained towards the man that she couldn't see from where her eyes were just barely open.

"We're not getting married, Tony," Bruce scoffed, shifting her in his lap, and she frowned; they could get married, that's not fair for him to say that they're not.

"We could get married," she pointed out, shifting and waking up, causing everyone to perk up, and it was clear they were waiting for her.

Bruce opened his mouth, only to close it, sighing. "We'll talk about this later, but as of right now, we're not getting married."

"But we could," she argued, frowning, and he sighed, nodding in agreement.

"We can, doesn't mean we are," he explained, and she wasn't happy, but she was appeased, tucking her head under his chin as she looked around at everyone.

Her attention quickly fell on the newcomer, a man in a large coat with an eyepatch and a perpetually disinterested and unimpressed expression etched into his features. He was lounging in a chair pulled up by Tony and was watching her with vague interest.

"Is this the government man?" she whispered to Bruce, tugging at the sweater she wore; it wasn't the screen-printed one, but the motion was meant to help him remember.

Bruce let out a surprised laugh, shaking his head as he looked towards the others who raised their eyebrows in question. "She thinks he's Ross. Ah, no, Marn, if Ross was here, I definitely wouldn't be. This is—"

"Nick Fury, I'm Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," the man interrupted, standing and making his way over his hand outstretched.

She didn't take it, instead turning to look at Steve with wide eyes. "Did they name it after your shield? Tony said you were from the old times and you were in my history units, is it named after you?"

Steve shrugged, looking flustered at the prospect, glancing around to everyone else in the room. "Um, I mean, it is possible, Peggy was one of the founders, but...what a waste, she should have named it after herself. Besides, naming an institution founded on rule following and regulations after me doesn't seem right. Unless it's ironic."