You're My Catalyst
Part three.
Things were starting to change around Stark Tower. It was in the air. It had started with the dinner, where Tony had proved that Tempest was expendable, and Bruce had proved that he wasn’t about to let that happen. There was a certain tension between the best friends, and it was obvious that something had to change.
Tempest decided that she would be that change. One day, after witnessing a particularly awkward exchange between Tony and Bruce, she had turned in her resignation. After that, Bruce’s moods began to spiral downward, making him borderline intolerable. He had Hulked out on three different occasions since then, once being in the lab, destroying six thousand dollars worth of equipment. That’s what made Tony decide that he needed to take his own steps to fix things. It was currently a Saturday, and Bruce walked into the lab to see Tony sitting at Bruce’s computer, typing furiously.
“Why won’t you let me put in my damn computers?” Tony asked, peering up at Bruce. Bruce crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at Tony.”If I used your computers, I wouldn’t have anything of my own in my lab. What are you doing on my computer, anyway?” Bruce wondered, taking a seat in the chair next to where Tony sat. “I’m bringing Tempest back.” Tony answered, hitting send on an email. Bruce’s eyebrows shot up. “Why would you do that? She quit, she doesn’t want to be here.” He said, nervousness stinging his voice.
“That’s a lie. She left because I’m an insufferable jerk, which I explained in the email I just sent her. By the way… She’ll be here in ten minutes, according to this email she just replied with. You should fix this place up… It looks like crap!” Tony said, walking out of the room. Bruce went into panic mode, and he quickly began to shove vials and beakers away. Tony popped his head back into the lab. “Did I say ten minutes? I meant five. She’s down the street eating lunch. Have fun!” he said. Bruce wasn’t happy for the short amount of time to get prepared, but he was glad that Tony had done this for him.
Bruce was especially glad when Tempest walked through the door and into the lab. She didn’t look nearly as pleased to see the state of the lab, however. “What have you done to the place, Doctor Banner? You’ve made an absolute mess of my system.” Tempest reprimanded. Tony walked in behind her. “I’m headed out for some meetings. I just wanted to stop in and say… God, this is hard for me… I’m sorry for my behavior towards you in the past, and I hope that you can forgive me for the way that I’ve treated you before.” Tony said. Bruce looked over at Tempest, and she bit her lip as she tried to judge whether or not Tony was being sincere.
“We’ll be okay… If you give me a hug.” She said finally, grinning. Stark groaned and hugged the girl quickly before turning around. “Okay, kids! Be on your best behavior, I don’t want to come home to a broken lab.” Tony said, waving as he started to leave the building. Bruce turned to Tempest, who had started her attempt to clean up the place. “It’s nice to have you back, Miss Graham.” He said quietly before going back to his work. Tempest set down the beaker she was in the midst of wiping clean and walked over to Bruce. “Doctor Banner, I think we need to talk.” She said, placing her hand on his arm. Bruce took a deep breath before turning to the girl that had been plaguing his thoughts ever since he’d laid eyes on her picture.
“What’s the matter? Did you not want to come back? I can understand if you didn’t, Tony is quite the jackass…” Bruce rambled, running a hand through his hair in nervousness. Tempest bit her lip, staring up at him. “It’s not that, Doctor Banner. I just… I think we need to tell each other some things that are long past due…” She started. Bruce felt his heart sink as he sat down in his chair. Tempest’s eyes stayed locked on him, and Bruce started to breathe heavily. His heart was racing at the possibility of losing her for good, and he had to take a moment to meet Tempest’s gaze before calming himself down.
“You never told me about the Hulk.” Tempest said after several beats of silence. Bruce took off his glasses and sat them on the desk, placing his elbows on his knees before resting his face in his hands. “How did you find out?” he choked out. Tempest’s eyes lowered, and she sighed. “I saw on the news… That he came bursting out of Stark Tower… Why didn’t you tell me? Do I know him…?” she questioned. Bruce looked back up, confused. He stood back up, towering slightly over Tempest’s tiny frame. She cocked her head to the side, grasping onto Bruce’s forearm. There was something about the expression on his face that was frightening her, and the way his skin started to warm up beneath her fingertips scared her even more.
Tempest began to back up into a lab table, but Bruce mimicked her steps backwards with his own steps forward. Pinning her against the table with his hips, Bruce grabbed either side of her face with his palms lightly before meeting her lips in a gentle, swift movement. Anyone watching would think that the soft, kind man in front of her was trying not to damage her. Once skin met skin, however, caution was thrown to the wind. Bruce’s lips moved against Tempest’s with fervor; and his hips grinded into hers.
The assistant moved onto the lab table, knocking over several glass containers and shattering them on the ground. Bruce tugged her skirt up around her waist, nestling himself between her thighs. Tempest reached up and started to unbutton her blouse, all the meanwhile kissing Bruce with just as much passion as he was offering. Just as her chest started to show, heaving and flushed with want, she reached out and slapped Bruce across the back of the head.
“Wake up, you pervert, you were moaning in your sleep.” Tony said, breaking through Bruce’s thoughts. Bruce sat up at his desk, readjusting his glasses and wiping the saliva from around his lips. He let out a heavy sigh and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to continue where he had left off. “Look, Banner, as much as we’re best friends and all, stop rolling the porno in your head and go get some rest. Just not in my lab. I don’t want to find all your specimens covered in specimen.” Tony
reprimanded. Bruce got to his feet and picked up his jacket, pushing past Tony to get to the elevator.
Bruce was walking out onto the sidewalk, eyes lowered, when his body collided into something. Raising his eyes, he reached out just in time to stop Tempest from falling onto the ground. “I’m so sorry-Miss Graham? What are you doing here?” Bruce asked, his eyebrows furrowing together. Tempest’s lip raised in the corner as she stared up at Bruce in the dark New York night. “Mr. Stark said that there was absolutely no replacing me, and offered me my job back!” she exclaimed with enthusiasm. Bruce watched the small girl rock back and forth on her feet, and he felt his breath catch in his throat, knowing that things were just going to spiral out of control. It was a feeling in his gut that just wouldn’t leave him alone.
Tempest decided that she would be that change. One day, after witnessing a particularly awkward exchange between Tony and Bruce, she had turned in her resignation. After that, Bruce’s moods began to spiral downward, making him borderline intolerable. He had Hulked out on three different occasions since then, once being in the lab, destroying six thousand dollars worth of equipment. That’s what made Tony decide that he needed to take his own steps to fix things. It was currently a Saturday, and Bruce walked into the lab to see Tony sitting at Bruce’s computer, typing furiously.
“Why won’t you let me put in my damn computers?” Tony asked, peering up at Bruce. Bruce crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at Tony.”If I used your computers, I wouldn’t have anything of my own in my lab. What are you doing on my computer, anyway?” Bruce wondered, taking a seat in the chair next to where Tony sat. “I’m bringing Tempest back.” Tony answered, hitting send on an email. Bruce’s eyebrows shot up. “Why would you do that? She quit, she doesn’t want to be here.” He said, nervousness stinging his voice.
“That’s a lie. She left because I’m an insufferable jerk, which I explained in the email I just sent her. By the way… She’ll be here in ten minutes, according to this email she just replied with. You should fix this place up… It looks like crap!” Tony said, walking out of the room. Bruce went into panic mode, and he quickly began to shove vials and beakers away. Tony popped his head back into the lab. “Did I say ten minutes? I meant five. She’s down the street eating lunch. Have fun!” he said. Bruce wasn’t happy for the short amount of time to get prepared, but he was glad that Tony had done this for him.
Bruce was especially glad when Tempest walked through the door and into the lab. She didn’t look nearly as pleased to see the state of the lab, however. “What have you done to the place, Doctor Banner? You’ve made an absolute mess of my system.” Tempest reprimanded. Tony walked in behind her. “I’m headed out for some meetings. I just wanted to stop in and say… God, this is hard for me… I’m sorry for my behavior towards you in the past, and I hope that you can forgive me for the way that I’ve treated you before.” Tony said. Bruce looked over at Tempest, and she bit her lip as she tried to judge whether or not Tony was being sincere.
“We’ll be okay… If you give me a hug.” She said finally, grinning. Stark groaned and hugged the girl quickly before turning around. “Okay, kids! Be on your best behavior, I don’t want to come home to a broken lab.” Tony said, waving as he started to leave the building. Bruce turned to Tempest, who had started her attempt to clean up the place. “It’s nice to have you back, Miss Graham.” He said quietly before going back to his work. Tempest set down the beaker she was in the midst of wiping clean and walked over to Bruce. “Doctor Banner, I think we need to talk.” She said, placing her hand on his arm. Bruce took a deep breath before turning to the girl that had been plaguing his thoughts ever since he’d laid eyes on her picture.
“What’s the matter? Did you not want to come back? I can understand if you didn’t, Tony is quite the jackass…” Bruce rambled, running a hand through his hair in nervousness. Tempest bit her lip, staring up at him. “It’s not that, Doctor Banner. I just… I think we need to tell each other some things that are long past due…” She started. Bruce felt his heart sink as he sat down in his chair. Tempest’s eyes stayed locked on him, and Bruce started to breathe heavily. His heart was racing at the possibility of losing her for good, and he had to take a moment to meet Tempest’s gaze before calming himself down.
“You never told me about the Hulk.” Tempest said after several beats of silence. Bruce took off his glasses and sat them on the desk, placing his elbows on his knees before resting his face in his hands. “How did you find out?” he choked out. Tempest’s eyes lowered, and she sighed. “I saw on the news… That he came bursting out of Stark Tower… Why didn’t you tell me? Do I know him…?” she questioned. Bruce looked back up, confused. He stood back up, towering slightly over Tempest’s tiny frame. She cocked her head to the side, grasping onto Bruce’s forearm. There was something about the expression on his face that was frightening her, and the way his skin started to warm up beneath her fingertips scared her even more.
Tempest began to back up into a lab table, but Bruce mimicked her steps backwards with his own steps forward. Pinning her against the table with his hips, Bruce grabbed either side of her face with his palms lightly before meeting her lips in a gentle, swift movement. Anyone watching would think that the soft, kind man in front of her was trying not to damage her. Once skin met skin, however, caution was thrown to the wind. Bruce’s lips moved against Tempest’s with fervor; and his hips grinded into hers.
The assistant moved onto the lab table, knocking over several glass containers and shattering them on the ground. Bruce tugged her skirt up around her waist, nestling himself between her thighs. Tempest reached up and started to unbutton her blouse, all the meanwhile kissing Bruce with just as much passion as he was offering. Just as her chest started to show, heaving and flushed with want, she reached out and slapped Bruce across the back of the head.
“Wake up, you pervert, you were moaning in your sleep.” Tony said, breaking through Bruce’s thoughts. Bruce sat up at his desk, readjusting his glasses and wiping the saliva from around his lips. He let out a heavy sigh and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to continue where he had left off. “Look, Banner, as much as we’re best friends and all, stop rolling the porno in your head and go get some rest. Just not in my lab. I don’t want to find all your specimens covered in specimen.” Tony
reprimanded. Bruce got to his feet and picked up his jacket, pushing past Tony to get to the elevator.
Bruce was walking out onto the sidewalk, eyes lowered, when his body collided into something. Raising his eyes, he reached out just in time to stop Tempest from falling onto the ground. “I’m so sorry-Miss Graham? What are you doing here?” Bruce asked, his eyebrows furrowing together. Tempest’s lip raised in the corner as she stared up at Bruce in the dark New York night. “Mr. Stark said that there was absolutely no replacing me, and offered me my job back!” she exclaimed with enthusiasm. Bruce watched the small girl rock back and forth on her feet, and he felt his breath catch in his throat, knowing that things were just going to spiral out of control. It was a feeling in his gut that just wouldn’t leave him alone.