Bruce tended to keep separate from people. Not in a way that everyone would notice at first glance. He still spoke to people, ensured he was polite, shook hands, even joked and laughed occasionally. What he didn't do, was allow people to get to know him personally.
Tony was closer to him than most but that was mainly because Tony Stark was nosey and literally put himself in the middle of other people's business as a general rule. The only other person that had inserted themselves into his life more than most was one of the lab assistants. Her nature reminded him of Tony a bit. In that she was often loud, said whatever popped into her head and even in the way she casually flirted with people and made inappropriate comments. Especially the way she cared about others but acted so casual about it, like she was pretending she didn't care. Somehow Darcy Lewis had gradually managed to pry into his life, starting with learning his food preferences and moving onto random questions about anything and everything. She now knew more about him than most.
Bruce would have to be blind not to notice her flirting with him, he wasn't oblivious. He didn't take it seriously though because she flirted with plenty of other people as well as him. She was also considerably younger than him, so although her attention was flattering and sometimes he even found himself unintentionally flirting back, he always made sure she knew that he wasn't serious. After all, it was a crush at most, a situation he didn't plan on changing. Until the moment everything changed.
It was one day when he had just got back to the lab after a mission, still tired and aching from the shift back down to regular size but determined to keep his mind occupied and not focused on the violence of earlier in the day. That was the day he realised that maybe this brash young assistant wasn't just holding a misplaced crush after all. It wasn't a grand gesture or a heated moment, it wasn't an impulsive kiss or any of the usual things that tend to bring about such a revelation. It was silent, calm, a revelation washing over him like gently lapping water.
It was how she stood immediately upon his entrance and redirected him to the coffee lounge instead of the lab, he couldn't find it in him to fight her. It was how she was careful and gentle, as she urged him down onto the couch and moved make him a cup of tea. Then the real moment came when she crouched down in front of him to catch his eyes for the first time since he had returned, she handed him the mug and he saw it. She cared.
It was there in her eyes, not the spark of humour or interest that was there when she bantered and flirted with him most days, this was warmth, concern, love. He wanted to do right by her by ignoring it, push her away and keep her at arms length for her own good. There were a lot of things that he should do but he hadn't seen someone look at him like that in such a long time.
Instead he carefully placed the mug on the table and reached out to stop her as she went to stand. His hands caught her face and as her eyes widened in surprise, he kissed her. He wanted to do the right thing but he was far too selfish. He could brush off flirting and romantic interest from anybody but genuine affection? It was something he had experienced so rarely that he couldn't turn that away. Darcy held a little piece of his heart, she had most of the people on the floor wrapped around her finger actually, she crept her way into their hearts by caring for them like real people. He found himself already loving her a little for that, just for treating him as a person first and anything else second.
"What do you need?" She asked quietly, when he pulled away. It killed a part of him that he could see what she was thinking; that he had never accepted her advances before and was doing so now only for comfort. He could see her weighing up what she was willing to offer, how far she was willing to sacrifice her own feelings to comfort him.
"Nothing." He told her quietly. "Would you just sit with me?" She looked confused and surprised but didn't comment on it, instead moving to sit next to him on the couch.
"Do you want some music on or maybe a film?" She offered.
"Hm, maybe." He nodded, relaxing back into the cushions.
"Jarvis, queue up some movies please, cheesey classics that we've seen a million times." She requested. The screen on the opposite wall flickered to life and she too settled herself into the couch cushions, surprised further when the man beside her reached out and tugged her against his side.
"I'm sorry I didn't notice." He said quietly.
"Notice what?" She frowned, she knew for a fact he noticed her flirting before now, because he had flirted back a few times in between the brush offs.
"You." He shrugged, looking down at her. She still wasn't entirely sure what he meant but if it meant he was finally ready to give up on pushing her away then she wasn't going to complain. He didn't appear to be so distraught that he was just seeking comfort like she had first thought...not physically anyway, he just wanted her here. It felt nice to be wanted, to have him relax and let her in a little bit.
That was the day that Bruce Banner decided that maybe he could let someone know him. From that day onwards he welcomed that bright young woman into his life and all the warm and cheer she brought with her. He let her in and was grateful for every day that she for some reason chose to love him.