I do not own any of the named/recognizable characters present. They belong to Marvel. Other recognizable things belong to their respective owners. This was written purely for fun.

The jet landed smoothly on top of Stark Tower in Manhattan. By then, the sun was fully up and it was a little before ten in the morning. Betty had watched the landscape below them pass by at frightening speeds once the conversation between the other Avengers had died down; it seemed like the early call to battle had worn them out more than they had wanted to initially let on. As the countryside sped by, her thumb lightly ran across Bruce's knuckles from where their hands had remained together, even while Bruce was sleeping.

The rocking of the jet as it landed stirred Bruce from his doze and he blinked awake. Betty glanced over at him as he lifted his head from her shoulder and sat up straighter against the bench. She noted that he still looked out of it, but he seemed more aware of his surroundings than the time he had woken up with her on the mountain after General Ross had ambushed them at Culver.

Bruce looked like he could probably fall back asleep right then and there, but he gazed over at her with a lethargic expression on his face. When his eyes met hers, though, and an almost goofy smile crossed his face, Betty couldn't help but smile back.

As she gave the hand still grasped in hers an affectionate squeeze, the jet settled.

"Alright, kids," Agent Barton said from the cockpit as he started shutting down the aircraft, "this is our stop." He flipped a switch, and the ramp in the back opened and lowered, letting in a gust of cool air.

They all piled out of the jet and onto the rooftop of Stark Tower. Betty found herself looking around at the buildings surrounding them, a little in awe. This wasn't her first time in Manhattan, not by a long shot, but this was certainly the first time she had seen the city from this height. With the sun shining against the other skyscrapers and the blue sky seemingly endless overhead, it was breathtaking.

As they were all walking toward the elevator, Tony addressed the group at large. "Alright," he began, bringing the group to a halt, "so breakfast will be here in half an hour and I expect you all to be there. After that—"

"After that," Agent Barton cut in, stretching his arms over his head, "I'm going back to bed."

"Amen," Bruce muttered next to her under his breath. Betty bit back a grin as he went on. "Wait, when's the debriefing?"

Captain Rogers glanced over at him, but his eyes met very briefly with Betty's before he spoke. "Later," he replied. "Coulson and Director Fury will be here around six tonight. They, uh…wanted to do the debriefing in person this time."

Immediately, she felt Bruce tense next to her. When she glanced over at him, she found his eyes firmly fixed on the captain. Once she spied the protectiveness in his hardened gaze, she understood the situation.

Betty turned and looked back at Captain Rogers. "Gentlemen of SHIELD?" she asked. She kept a neutral face when the others turned to look directly at her with different levels of curiosity in their eyes.

After a moment, Agent Barton glanced over at Bruce with a little smirk on his face. "I'm surprised, doc; I didn't think you'd be the type to blab about classified information like Stark."

As Tony let out an indignant "hey!" at the jab, Bruce snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes. "Hardly," he replied.

Betty felt herself smile. "I was raised around the military, Agent Barton," she explained as she fixed her gaze back on the archer. "This isn't the first time I've heard of SHIELD or dealt with government agencies, and it surely won't be the last. I think I can handle meeting these gentlemen."

Agent Barton, Thor, and Captain Rogers all looked surprised for a fraction of a moment before they smiled. She thought she saw the beginnings of a smile appear on Agent Romanoff's face, but it was overshadowed by Tony's brilliant grin. "I like you," he said, shaking a finger at Betty. He clapped his hands together and then ushered the group into the elevator that had just opened its doors. "Okay, so showers, breakfast, sleep, whatever, debriefing, and then movie night." He turned back to Betty and gave a wink. "We'll do the tour later."

After that, the elevator let each of the Avengers off on a different floor. Betty traded polite words with each of them as they departed, until she and Bruce stepped off the elevator, waving back at an enthusiastic Thor and a courteous Captain Rogers.

Once the elevator doors were shut, Betty realized that she and Bruce were alone for the first time since the call to assemble had been received in the middle of the night back in her bedroom in Virginia. It was a little strange to think that in the time that had passed, she had met the Avengers and was now in New York.

As she turned to glance over at the man standing next to her, she saw that Bruce had the same thought running through his head. He peered over at her, and despite the apparent exhaustion written clearly across his features, he still smiled as he offered her a hand. "Shall we?" he asked.

Betty felt herself smile even before she let her hand slip into his, giving it a comforting squeeze.

Bruce led her from the sitting room where the elevator was located and deeper into his current abode—which happened to be an entire floor of the tower. "Tony is really one of the most generous people I've ever met," Bruce explained when he sensed her awe.

"I didn't realize you were being serious when you said he gave each of you a floor," Betty replied, eyes taking in everything there was to see.

Bruce huffed a soft laugh and continued the quick tour. The entire suite had a very homey feel to it, from the choice in wall color and lighting choices to the few decorations that adorned the area. With the sunlight pouring into the living room, it gave the whole room a feeling of warmth that made Betty smile to herself.

The brief tour ended at the bedroom. A portion of one of the walls consisted of floor-to-ceiling windows that brought in the morning sun and offered a fantastic view of Manhattan. There were bookshelves hugging the other walls, along with a desk that was covered in the same sort of organized clutter that Betty remembered from their time together in the apartment they had shared before the accident. The bookshelves weren't completely full, and dotted here and there were little trinkets—probably from his time abroad.

The bed was large and neatly made with a nightstand on either side. On one of them was a bookmarked paperback.

"I, uh…" The sound of Bruce's voice brought her attention back to him. "There's a guest room down the hall, if you'd rather…"

As he trailed off with uncertainty, Betty smiled and gave the hand in hers another squeeze. "I don't mind sharing, if you don't mind," she replied, and she promptly felt her smile widen when relief appeared on his face.

After Bruce asked if she wanted to freshen up first, Betty shooed him off to the bathroom connected to the bedroom so he could wash away the rest of the insect gunk from his body. Once she heard the water running, she set down her bag next to the desk and slipped her jacket off to hang over the back of the chair. She explored the room a little more, going to the window to overlook the city and studying the books that had begun to fill the emptiness of the bookshelves in the months Bruce had lived here.

She was sitting at the desk checking work emails on her phone when Bruce came back out with a towel over his head and another wrapped around his hips. Her eyes lifted from her smart-phone and watched as he finished towel-drying his hair, and immediately smiled when he noticed she was staring. He huffed a small laugh as he ducked his head to keep drying his hair. "What?" he asked from behind the folds of the towel.

"What?" Betty replied, hearing the laughter in her voice. "I can't appreciate the view?"

Bruce paused just long enough to look at her, amusement and a slight skepticism in his gaze. "Like what you see?" he asked casually.

Betty let her eyes wander over the sun-kissed skin of his bare shoulders and chest, following the lines of his body that had thankfully filled out a little more since Harlem. "I always have," she replied as her eyes returned to his face.

They stared at each other for a lingering moment before Bruce huffed another laugh and ducked into the closet. "You probably want to wash up a little bit," he called back out to her. "There was something foul in my hair that probably got onto your hands at some point."

When Betty stepped out of the bathroom, pulling her sleeves back down over her freshly-washed hands, Bruce appeared from the closet. He was wearing a different sweater that looked nice and cozy and a pair of slacks.

They both came to a pause, simply looking at one another before a smile touched Bruce's lips. "I still can't believe you're here right now," he said, like he needed to explain himself.

He was still smiling as Betty stepped up close and wrapped her arms around him, and she felt something in her chest warm at how easily Bruce's arms wrapped around her. They stayed like that for a lingering moment, just soaking in the warmth of the other's body and enjoying the quiet moment between them.

After another moment, they drew back and shared a brief kiss before they headed to the elevator. They were about five minutes early in getting back to the floor Tony wanted them on, but Bruce didn't seem to care so Betty didn't worry about it.

As the elevator was rising, Betty pondered over the whole situation and bit back a small smile. Bruce immediately saw it. "What?" he asked, even as a smile crossed his face.

Betty laughed softly to herself and looked up at the display that showed which floor they were currently passing. "I'm about to have breakfast with the Avengers," she said. "It just seems a little…I don't know, surreal."

Bruce grinned and gently pulled her against his side. "I feel a little like I'm throwing you into a lion's den," he admitted. "Meal times are…" he trailed off, searching for the right word to use. "They're different."

As the elevator began to slow, Betty glanced at him. "Do you remember those chemists down the hall from us in the lab?" Bruce's growing smile was answer enough. "Do you remember how they left the kitchenette after one of their breakthroughs?"

A laugh escaped from the man's body, and he pressed a kiss against her temple. "It's nothing like that, I swear," he replied, lips brushing against her skin. "I wouldn't put you through that again."

"Then everything'll be fine," Betty said with a grin of her own, and the elevator doors opened.

Together, they stepped out into a living room of sorts and Betty immediately knew it was the penthouse from Bruce's stories. The floor to ceiling windows let in the sunlight, not so much to be stifling, but enough to cast the room in a warm glow.

Before they could even begin walking in the direction of the kitchen, Tony's head appeared around a corner. He eyed them for a solitary moment before he stepped around the corner to lean against the doorway. There was a cup of some steaming beverage in his hands—probably coffee. "You know, I figured you two would be the last ones here," he greeted them with a smirk and a lightly leering tone.

The implications of the comment should have made her blush, but she found herself smiling as Bruce rolled his eyes fondly at the other man.

Neither of them got a chance to reply before a woman's faux-reprimanding voice came from somewhere behind Tony. "Tony, it's too early in the day to be harassing our tenants and guests."

As Tony's face twisted into something overly put-upon, a redheaded woman in an immaculate business suit appeared behind him. Betty instantly recognized her as Miss Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries.

As if the day couldn't get any more surreal.

Miss Potts lightly nudged Tony until he went back into the kitchen. Then she turned and looked directly at Betty before an easy smile graced her features. "You'll have to excuse him," she said warmly as she stepped across the room toward them.

Next to her, Bruce snorted. "There are no excuses for him," he snarked, but there was no real heat behind the words.

Almost immediately, Tony's head appeared in the doorway again. "I'm wounded, Green Bean," he pouted. "And to think I put the kettle on for you."

"You put the kettle on for Pepper," Bruce replied, not even bothering to hide his little grin as the other man gave him a full-on pout.

"And speaking of the kettle you put on for Pepper," Miss Potts cut into their banter with almost frightening efficiency. She turned another polite smile toward Betty and offered her hand. "Pepper Potts," she introduced herself as.

The two women shook hands, and again, Betty couldn't quite believe that these past few days weren't part of some elaborate dream. "Betty Ross," she returned before their hands released. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Potts."

"Oh please," the redhead demurred with a light laugh, "call me Pepper. Just about everyone does, nowadays."

"Wonder why that is," Tony mused aloud from across the room. When Pepper turned and gave him a look, he slunk back into the kitchen without another word, which made all three of them laugh.

Pepper led Betty and Bruce into the kitchen, where Tony was pulling down a handful of coffee mugs from a cabinet. There was indeed a kettle on the stovetop and a nearly full pot of coffee sitting on the coffee-maker. There was a small stack of plates sitting on the kitchen island, along with a multitude of different eating utensils.

As Bruce was leading her toward the cabinets, he glanced over at Tony. "Where's everyone else?" he asked.

"I sent Thor and Cap down to pick up the food a few minutes ago, so they should be back anytime now. The Wonder Twins ought to be up any second," Tony replied as he hopped up onto a bar stool sitting on the other side of the kitchen island.

As if on cue, there was the sound of footsteps coming from the next room, signaling that someone else had arrived. Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton both rounded the corner, having changed and showered. It was rather strange, seeing them out of uniform.

It was even stranger to see the other two Avengers out of uniform.

Captain Rogers and Thor appeared just behind the two SHIELD agents, arms laden with what could only be the breakfast Tony had ordered. They had both showered and changed into comfortable civilian clothes. It was frankly bizarre to see Captain America and the God of Thunder in jeans and t-shirts.

Betty was forced to tear her eyes away from the sight when Tony clapped his hands together. "Alright," the man began with a cheery grin, "we're all here." He turned his widening grin toward Betty. "There's coffee, Bruce's wide selection of tea, and just about every kind of fruit juice known to man. Take your pick, grab a plate, and eat with us."

"Tony," both Pepper and Captain Rogers began in warning tones.

A soft chuckle from Bruce turned Betty's attention to him. Bruce was pulling a few boxes of bagged tea from the cabinet, but paused to turn a smile toward her. "Don't worry about him," he told her in a soft murmur, like it was meant to be just for her to hear, but Betty knew that the rest of them were listening. "He's just excited that you're here. You should have seen him after I told him that I knew Dr. Elizabeth Ross; he went on and on about it."

"More like couldn't get him to shut up about it," Agent Barton added as he smirked over at Tony, who rolled his eyes. "Don't be surprised if he ambushes you later to interrogate you."

"Not interrogate," Tony corrected the archer as he glanced back over at Betty, "converse with you."

"You'll have time for that later, dear," Pepper replied as she gave Tony's shoulder a consoling pat. "Let the woman eat her breakfast in peace."

Tony looked like he wanted to protest (and Betty had a feeling that he just liked to be difficult), but Betty smiled and cut in before he could speak. "How about we have a chat about work once Bruce is back up to speed?"

The man standing next to her paused abruptly and turned a narrow-eyed look at her. "Just what does that mean?" he asked. If Betty hadn't known him as well as she did, she would have thought he was seriously offended, but she saw the amusement in his eyes and the smile he was biting down with ease.

Further down the counter, pouring herself a glass of orange juice, Agent Romanoff snorted a laugh. "She knows about your post-Hulk funk, and how many times has she actually seen it?"

"Really seen it?" Agent Barton added with a smirk from next to the coffeemaker.

To be honest, this was really only the third time she had been with Bruce after a Hulk transformation, and one of those times shouldn't have counted since he had only been transformed for a minute in Sterns' lab. But that one she had been with him for, up in the mountains, had been rough. He had hardly talked, since he had been focused completely on not falling asleep and not falling down as she had led him down the mountain to that cheap motel in the valley. It had taken hours for him to return back to a base-line.

And yet, she was standing next to him now, post-Hulk, and he was trading quips back and forth with his team. A little slower than she knew he was capable of, to be sure, but the fact that he was awake and speaking at all was remarkable.

And the fact that the rest of his team was teasing him about it, not in a hurtful way, but in a way that only came with camaraderie and friendship, was remarkable.

Betty smiled and lightly bumped shoulders with the man standing next to her. "I just want to be sure you're at your best before we discuss our fields."

Bruce smiled back and lightly nudged her in response.

"Probably a good thing, too," Agent Barton replied, "since he's not allowed in the labs after a Hulk-out until he's eaten and slept for at least five hours."

As Bruce rolled his eyes and went back to making his tea, Betty glanced over at the archer. "Why's that?" she asked.

"He blew up the lab," Agent Romanoff answered.

"That was one time," Bruce protested without looking away from what he was doing.

"Only because JARVIS caught you the second time before anything blew up," the redheaded assassin rejoined smoothly before taking a long sip from her orange juice.

"You blew up the lab?" Betty asked, shooting a concerned look over at Bruce.

"Tony does it all the time," he replied with a nonchalant shrug, and she could see the stiffness in the movement.

At the kitchen island, Tony set down his mug of coffee. "Hey, don't drag me into this," he piped in as he grabbed a plate to start serving himself, "and it isn't all the time."

Thor paused in scooping heaping spoonfuls of scrambled eggs onto his plate to glance over. "Was it not your decision to implement such a rule, doctor?"

Bruce glanced over his shoulder to look at the massive Asgardian. "That doesn't mean you all had to agree so vehemently with me," he replied, but there was a small smile touching his lips. He turned to Betty. "So as long as Tony doesn't decide to jump ahead without me, you can see the labs tomorrow."

Tony grabbed two clean plates as he rolled his eyes. "I promise not to show Dr. Ross the labs without you, Big Guy," he pledged. He handed Betty an empty plate and set the other on the counter next to Bruce. "It'll be hard, but I think I can manage."

After that, they all went about filling their plates. Tony really had ordered them all a feast, there was so much food provided.

But Bruce hadn't been lying when he had told her that meal times here were different. Even with them all sharing a meal after a mission, there was no lack of boisterous conversation. Betty mainly sat back and listened, all-the-while marveling over how much food the team could put away. Then again, with a demigod and two serum-enhanced individuals, it shouldn't have been surprising.

Over the course of the meal, Betty noticed Bruce growing more and more quiet as his energy began to flag. He still kept up with the conversation, but from how long his blinks were becoming, she knew that he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

Sure enough, once he had finished off the last of his tea, he leaned in toward Betty. "Are you ready to head out?" he asked softly, so as not to interrupt the bickering match between Tony and Captain Rogers that Agent Barton only seemed to be egging on.

Under the table, Betty gently took hold of his right hand in her left and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "Whenever you are," she replied in a low whisper.

A drowsy smile touched Bruce's lips and he gave her hand a squeeze in response before he cleared his throat.

The conversation went quiet as the table's attention was turned toward Bruce and Betty. "We're off," Bruce announced as he pushed back his chair, Betty following. "Debrief at six?"

"That's right," Captain Rogers replied with a nod. He smiled. "You and Hulk did good out there today," he said.

"Oh yeah!" Agent Barton added, nearly spilling his coffee as he turned to look over at them. "Welcome officially back to the team, doc!"

"Hear, hear!" Thor proclaimed, raising his own mug of coffee in a toast. "A celebratory feast should be had!"

"Let's just stick with the movie night," Bruce replied almost sheepishly, though when Betty glanced at him, she knew he was happy to be back as an official member of the Avengers again.

"Pizza and a movie after the debrief," Tony announced. "Now get some sleep, big guy." He turned his gaze to Betty and smiled a bit more genuinely. "Sleep well. If Bruce turns out to be a horrible host, just ask JARVIS for anything."

With another round of sleep wells, Bruce led the way back to the elevators.

As the elevator doors closed, Betty watched Bruce lean back against the wall. She abandoned her hold on his hand to step in closer, wrapping her arm around his waist so he could lean against her if he needed to.

A beautiful smile of gratitude appeared on his face and he let his arm wrap around her in return.

They stepped off of the elevator when it reached his floor and they walked together through the suite to his bedroom. Betty went to her bag next to his desk to pull out the pair of pajamas she had packed, and within a few minutes, they had both changed and were nestled under the covers together. The windows tinted, keeping out the sunshine and darkening the room.

"Thanks, JARVIS," Bruce murmured as he curled around Betty, who happily settled into his arms. He pressed a kiss against the side of her neck. "I'll introduce you properly to JARVIS tonight," he promised against the warmth of her throat.

Betty smiled and let her fingers card through his hair to keep his head in place. She was lying on her back with her arm wrapped around Bruce's body, holding him. His head was settled more on her shoulder than on the pillow, but Betty hardly cared. She had her Bruce in her arms, safe and sound with her again.

"Get some sleep, honey," she murmured as she let her hand card through his hair again.

He only hummed in response, eyes already closed and already on his way to dozing off.

Betty wasn't too far behind him. After all, she had been up since the call to assemble had been received back in the pre-dawn hours in her bedroom back in Virginia. For those lingering moments before she fell asleep, she was content to simply hold her beloved Bruce against her, to feel the warmth his body gave off and to feel his chest gently rise and fall with each long breath, to feel the slight tickle of each breath against her neck with every exhale. It was the little things that solidified the notion that he was finally with her again, that he wasn't going to run away from her again.

Relieved and content, she fell asleep.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Dr. Ross." The trench coat-clad gentleman with an eye patch offered a hand and a well-practiced smile. "I'm Nick Fury, director of SHIELD."

It was nearing seven in the evening. She and Bruce had slept until five o'clock, when Tony's artificial intelligence had gently woken them up for the upcoming debriefing. Betty had stayed up in his suite while he went off to the meeting, reassuring him that she'd be fine meeting the SHIELD representatives.

Bruce was obviously concerned and being very protective, but she was the daughter of a highly-ranked official with the military (as much as she detested to think about it). She had been around military-types all of her life. Being in a room alone with the director of SHIELD and one of his top agents wasn't going to be an issue.

Betty smiled pleasantly and took Director Fury's proffered hand. "And a pleasure to meet you, Director," she replied in a friendly tone.

The other agent, a man with a receding hairline and dressed in a sharp suit, stepped forward to also shake her hand. "Agent Phil Coulson," he introduced himself as with a much more friendly smile than the director had offered. "We'd like to talk with you about what happened today."

"Of course," Betty replied, and they all sat down.

"So," Director Fury began as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and directing his one-eyed stare straight on Betty, "I understand you and Dr. Banner share a rather intimate relationship."

"We've been dating off and on for several years," Betty replied mildly, meeting the director's stare evenly. "I would say we're pretty close."

The corner of Director Fury's mouth quirked upward. "That much is obvious," he said.

As Betty's eyes narrowed just slightly, she saw Agent Coulson lean forward in his seat fractionally. "We would like to discuss your interactions with the Hulk today," he began. "Not only did he seem to recognize you, he listened to you."

Betty turned her gaze toward Agent Coulson. "Of course he did," she responded. "He's done it before."

She watched the two SHIELD representatives exchange brief looks before they focused in on her again. "You're not just talking about the incident in Harlem," Director Fury asked, "are you?"

That night in Harlem was probably documented, but considering the majority of eyewitnesses had been military—which included General Ross—she didn't know how accurate those files were. All she knew was that the media largely blamed the destruction on Hulk and not on the other creature that had been wreaking havoc that night.

She didn't know if these gentlemen blamed Hulk, too.

Betty easily met the director's stare with cool eyes, not willing to give anything away that they could turn against Bruce. "What do you know about that incident, director?" she asked smoothly.

A half-smile touched Director Fury's lips. "We aren't the army, Dr. Ross," he reminded her. "We're on your side."

"And which side is that?" Betty inquired.

"The side that wants to keep both Hulk and Dr. Banner on the Avengers and off of the terrorist watch lists," Director Fury explained. When Betty didn't respond for a moment, the director finally leaned back in his seat. "I don't know all of what Banner has told you," he began, "but since the invasion of Manhattan, he hadn't just been sitting here playing scientist with Stark. He very nearly had to leave the country again to keep himself safe from interested parties, including your father."

As Betty felt her fingers twitch with the intense desire to curl her hands into fists, Fury went on. "We want him here, where they both can do some good for the world. Banner is already doing some amazing things with Stark Industries, and Hulk has displayed his ability to fight side by side with the rest of the Avengers. For the betterment of the world, it is imperative that these qualities are what's shown to the world."

Understanding dawned on Betty, and she carefully regarded the two men in front of her. "And Hulk listens to me," she said.

That half-smile on the director's face widened. "Hulk listens to you," he repeated with a nod. "He has gotten much better at taking direction from Captain Rogers, and for whatever reason, he seems to listen to Stark and, to a degree, Agent Barton." He leaned forward again, staring her down. "But he doesn't always listen to them."

Betty watched him stand up and walk around Agent Coulson's chair. The agent had a tablet in his hands, but his focus was completely on her. When the director came to a stop behind his agent, Fury's arms were folded behind his back and his one-eyed stare was directed on her again. "I would not be asking you this if I thought the rest of the team or SHIELD could handle it," he admitted almost begrudgingly, "but we need them both." The two of them watched each other for a moment. "Dr. Ross," he began again, like there was nothing more important in the world than what he was about to say, "can we count on you to calm the Hulk down in times of emergency?"

Betty stared at the director for a handful of heartbeats before she glanced away in thought. She hadn't really expected her discussion with these two men to have taken this turn. She was certain that there was more to this than Fury was telling her, but she wanted nothing more than to keep Bruce safe.

And Fury knew that.

Taking a deep breath, she met Fury's eye again. "Yes," she answered, "I can do that."

A smile crossed Fury's face.

"We're hoping the times will be few and far between," Agent Coulson said as he leaned forward to slide the tablet across the coffee table toward her. "Hopefully this kind of situation will never arise. We just need you to sign a few things and to provide us with contact information."

Betty picked up the tablet and read through everything provided. There were the general government organization forms that swore her to secrecy and discretion, but aside from that, it all seemed perfectly normal. Betty filled in her contact information and signed the forms before sliding the tablet back to the agent, who gave her a thankful smile as he took it.

"Thank you, doctor," Agent Coulson said as he scanned over the forms. Once everything was cleared, the two representatives shook hands with her again before they made for the elevator.

The lift stopped on the communal floor. When the doors opened, the entire team was assembled in the opening, and when they were all together, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Betty stepped off of the elevator and joined Bruce, who wrapped a protective arm around her. She let him, but she gave his chest a reassuring pat.

"So," Tony began conversationally, but his casual tone seemed almost forced, "are you two gents done here?"

"We're done," Agent Coulson promised, giving the billionaire a bland little smile. "Thank you for meeting with us." His eyes drifted to Betty when he said that before he focused back in on Tony. "We're heading back to SHIELD now."

"Good idea," Tony replied with a sharp grin. He gave the two agents a finger-waggling wave as the elevator doors slid shut.

As soon as the elevator continued its descent to the lobby, the tension in the room seemed to evaporate. Bruce's arm around her back loosened as he turned to look at her. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, meeting her eyes and looking genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine," Betty reassured him with a gentle smile. "I just needed to sign some paperwork is all."

"Ugh," Tony said with a note of disgust. "Of course you did. It was Coulson." He clapped his hands together. "Now then, onward to pizza and movie night."

As Tony led the group toward the kitchen, Bruce kept Betty behind for a moment. She lifted her hand and lovingly caressed his face. "Honey, I'm fine," she said softly again. "They just want to keep us safe."

"With Fury, it's always more than that," Bruce murmured as he cast his eyes toward the closed elevator doors, like he could still glare down the director of SHIELD.

Betty guided his face back toward her and met his eyes. "You might be right," she admitted quietly, "but let's not worry about it now, okay?"

Knowing Bruce, it would sit in his mind, but his face softened and he took her hand in his. "Okay," he replied softly, pressing a soft kiss against her knuckles.

"Hey lovebirds!"

Bruce and Betty glanced toward the doorway leading into the kitchen. Agent Barton was leaning against the doorframe, staring at them with an expectant look on his face. "Pizza's getting cold, and as much as I enjoy cold pizza, I know it's not everyone's thing."

He grinned before he retreated back into the kitchen, and Betty smiled as Bruce huffed a small laugh. "Clint has the strangest eating habits, I swear," he muttered as he tangled their fingers together. They started walking to the kitchen.

"Cold pizza isn't that bad," Betty replied with a teasing smile as they stepped into the room.

"Hmm," came a hummed response from further inside the kitchen. They glanced over to see Agent Romanoff watching them. "Sounds like you have an ally, Clint," the redhead said with a faint smile as she glanced over toward the archer, who looked pleased beyond words.

They all grabbed a plate and grabbed some pizza before heading back out into the living room, where everyone spread out across the different pieces of furniture. Betty sat down next to Bruce on a long sofa, smiling when he scooted a little closer. The rest of the team was scattered about the room, munching happily on pizza as the lights dimmed and the television screen across the room flickered to life.

As the movie progressed, Betty leaned to her left. Bruce lifted his arm and looped it around her, and they settled effortlessly against one another. She felt herself smile peacefully as she settled against him, delightfully warm and wonderfully comfortable.

There were things she should have been focusing on. She still had a pile of essays and lab reports to finish grading back home. She had lesson plans to write up and work in the lab that needed to be done. Then there was her discussion with Director Fury and Agent Coulson, which she knew would only worry Bruce if she told him about it.

There were a number of things that she needed to think about, but for tonight, she could place it on the backburner. Tonight, she could settle against Bruce—her Bruce—which felt as new and exciting as it felt old and familiar. They could share an evening together with good company, relaxed and easy like they had been doing this for years.

Tonight, she had this, and for tonight, that was enough.