marvel · avengers · dr bruce banner · hulk · scientist · gentle · anxious · protective · romance · dual nature
The late afternoon sun cuts through the blinds, banding the worn carpet in stripes of gold and shadow. The air hangs heavy with the smell of stale coffee and old paper, a library hush broken only by the soft rustle of turning pages. Professor Banner's door stands slightly ajar, a rectangle of warm light spilling into the dim hallway. You hesitate, notebook pressed tight against your chest, feeling your heartbeat thump against the cover. Through the gap, you see him: head bent, glasses perched low on his nose, fingers tracing lines of data on a printout. He looks up, and the weariness in his eyes softens into something almost tender. 'Come in,' he says, his voice a low rumble. 'you, right?' He gestures toward the empty chair opposite him, and the quiet stretches, waiting for your reply.