Avengers Imagines (Part One)

Bruce Banner X Reader - Adore You

A/N - This imagine is based on the song 'Adore You' by Harry Styles. It's such a catchy song and I really love it. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

You were in love with Bruce long before you ever acted on your feelings. He was sweet, and kind, and even though he was a little shy, he almost always had you engrossed in him. You were lost to him, and he hadn't seemed to notice. Not that you minded, it would be a nightmare for him to confront you about your flirting, and you knew just how hurt you would be if he were to reject you. 

So often, you would seek him out, longing to be around him, even if you were just sitting nearby whilst he worked. And it made your heart race when he would come into the kitchen whilst you were cooking, and just linger, making small talk as you made dinner. You had come to the conclusion that he was incapable of feeding himself, and that the smell of food would rouse him from his work, drawing him to you in the hopes of finding a willing dinner-date. If that was his plan, it was working. 

Bruce would eat dinner with you most nights, and the two of you would just natter away about your days, and films you'd seen recently, and, when you really fancied a deep conversation, politics. 

Eventually, it seemed that your little nighttime meetings had come to the attention of the others, and they would snicker at you as Bruce did the washing up, watching you in your most domesticated forms. 

"You guys should just get together and stop torturing yourselves," Nat had told you one evening, the two of you lounging on the sofa together with some shitty show playing on the TV. You had glanced around the room, as though Bruce could be there, even though you already knew that he would be in the lab. He was always hidden away in there.

"Bruce isn't into me like that," you had uttered back, shifting to pull your legs up under yourself. It was a sensitive subject for you, and you knew that Nat wouldn't drop it until she got the answer she wanted.

She shook her head, scoffing. "You don't know that," she started, leaning forward to shake your arm lightly and grinning at you. "Come on, he's a red blooded man and you're a straight up Goddess. Look at you," she continued, causing a snort to escape you. "Why wouldn't he be into you?"

"Well, he's never shown any interest," you murmured, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth as you thought.

"God, Y/N. Bruce couldn't flirt if he tried. The guys completely incapable of it, but that doesn't mean he doesn't like you," she called out, watching as you shushed her, rolling your eyes at her inability to keep her voice down.

Little did you know, Bruce had been on the receiving end of similar comments. Tony had seen to that on his own. You and Y/N having another of your little dates tonight? When are you going to make it official? Does Y/N even know that you are completely in love with her? Bruce tried to laugh it off most of the time, but every now and then, it would strike a nerve, and Tony would receive a proper glare. One that threatened to bring the other guy into the lab, and Tony would back down as quickly as he could manage, dropping the subject and going back to his work.

It's not the Bruce didn't like you. Quite the opposite, actually. Bruce was completely and utterly in love with you. But he couldn't make you suffer through him, couldn't impose his shitty lifestyle on you. And so, he made himself accept that you would be his dinner companion and nothing else.

*Time Skip*

You and Bruce had sat down for dinner together as usual. As though tonight was any other night. But your mind was reeling and you couldn't quite manage to sit still in your seat, shifting on the spot as you picked at your food. You'd only taken a couple of bites when Bruce had glanced over at you, concern clear on his face as he furrowed his brow in your direction.

"Everything alright?" he'd asked, so softly that it made your breath catch in your throat for a moment.

You gave a quick nod, stabbing at the food and taking a mouthful, hoping to stop the conversation before it could even begin.

"You sure?" he'd started again, watching you like you were a science project. Like he thought that the moment he looked away you would do something so magnificent that it would change the world. 

You nodded again, swallowing your food and forcing a smile onto your lips. "I'm fine," you uttered, allowing yourself to make eye contact for a moment. "I promise," you added, and he gave a small smile in response.

"Sorry," he murmured, causing you to chuckle slightly.

"What are you apologising for?" 

Bruce opened his mouth as though to speak, and then paused, focused on you for a moment. "I don't know," he finally uttered, and you smiled again. God, that smile would kill him someday. It would completely wreck his heart if he let it.

"I wanted to ask you something," you started, your smile fading ever so slightly as you glanced down at your dinner. It looked wholly unappetising now, and you couldn't imagine eating another bite. Bruce nodded, clearing his throat as you glanced up at him. "Do you like me?" Bruce remained silent, his eyes fixed on you. His mind was whirling. How had you figured it out so easily? He'd worked so hard to keep his feelings hidden. "It's just that Nat said that she thought you did and I-"

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable," he interrupted, watching as your face crinkled in confusion, wrinkles appearing across the bridge of your nose as you thought. "I didn't think anyone would realise."

Bruce looked terrified as you stared at him, attempting to figure out exactly what his words meant. Nat was right. Bruce was into you. And now, he looked completely horrified that you had even thought to bring it up. "I'm not mad," you started, watching as his face softened slightly at that confirmation. "Nat only mentioned it because she know's I fancy you."

There was a moment of silence as Bruce processed your comment, and then he let out a sharp burst of laughter. "You're kidding, right?" 

Your brow furrowed again as you place your fork down on the table, frowning. "Why would I be kidding?"

"There's no way you're into me. You're just fucking with me."

Your frown deepened, going from confusion to hurt in an instant. "Do you really think I would do that?" You paused for a moment, waiting for an answer, and when none came you spoke again. "Do you really think I could ever be that cruel?"

Bruce released a small sigh, jaw quivering as he watched you. "No."

"Then why on earth would you think I'm doing it to you?" 

A small shrug, and then nothing for a long while. Silence. Utterly heartbreaking silence. "Because you deserve someone better than me." 

"You don't get to choose who I deserve." Bruce couldn't tell whether the look on your face was frustration or anger, but he stared at it nonetheless, hoping that there would be some form of giveaway. That eventually the frown would disappear and be replaced with the beautiful smile he's become so accustomed to. "And I like you, so I'd rather you didn't try and scare me away."

There it was, just a little hint of the smile, hidden behind a level of hesitation. "I like you too." And then the hesitation was gone, and the smile came through full force, beaming at him. 

You reached across the table, taking his hand in yours and giving it a quick squeeze. In that moment, there was nowhere Bruce would have rather been than with you in the kitchen. A place that had become yours in his mind, long before you had officially become his.

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