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THIS ROUND IS NOW CLOSED TO NEW PROMPTS.
ROUND FOUR WILL OPEN AT 10PM EST ON MONDAY THE 14TH.
ROUND THREE
closing at 5000 comments
Please read the [rules] before commenting!
REMINDER: THERE IS A SPOILER POLICY IN PLACE UNTIL 7 MAY.
PROMPT FORMATTING:
Alphabetize pairings. They will be archived that way!Put [RPF] before RPF prompts ( Read more... )
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He's still trying to process this - any of this - when there's a knock on the door of the lab and, before waiting for an answer, Tony enters.
“Hey, Bruce, why's it so dark in here? I'm free now, anyway, d'you wanna get started on the- Hoooooooooly crap.”
Clint scrambles to check that the paper sheet is still covering Natasha (it is); Natasha makes a noise that may or may not have been something profane in Russian. Bruce remains outwardly calm (thankfully, considering he still has his hand underneath the sheet, presumably holding the toothbrush-like instrument), but he's clearly pretty pissed.
“Tony, what have we discussed about knocking? You still have to wait for an answer. You can't just barge in. This is my lab.”
“It's my tower,” says Tony sulkily. Then he adds, somewhat more sincerely, “Sorry, I had no idea you were doing this now. I'll just, uh...” He turns as if to leave, but then stops. “Is that... Can I... look?”
Bruce looks to Natasha, and to Clint's surprise, she shrugs permissively. “Why not.”
“I'm really sorry,” Bruce tells her, as Tony makes his way over to the three of them, “I should have made sure everyone knew not to interrupt. I need to get a lock for this room.”
Tony stands next to Clint, and tilts his head at the screen. “Huh.”
“That's what I said,” agrees Clint.
“...Natasha, why are you incubating an alien? Is there something you haven't told us?”
“Oh yeah, little green men make me hot.”
“What wrong with green?” asks Bruce, mock offended, “Not that 'little' is a problem...” Clint chokes. Natasha bursts out laughing.
“Well played, Doctor,” says Tony, slapping him on the shoulder.
Bruce looks embarrassed. “I only meant that the other guy looks kinda like a big green alien. Big all over. I didn't mean... See, this is why I shouldn't try to make jokes.”
“Oh please,” says Tony, “don't sell yourself short, big guy. It's not like we haven't all seen you naked plenty of times post-smashing.”
Bruce only looks more dejected. “I'm still trying to create an ultra stretchy fabric. You could always help with that, you know.”
“I've got enough stuff to work on. Besides, everyone loves naked people. Naked people are funny.”
“This is a weird conversation to be having, considering where Bruce's hand is right now,” Natasha points out. Clint considers that a gross understatement. “Why the sudden interest, anyway?”
“What, in Bruce's penis?” asks Tony. “Come on, you have to admit it's-”
“Please stop,” says Bruce.
“Please,” agrees Clint. He's beginning to wonder why he left the safety of the gym. Or, for that matter, why he lives with these people.
“No, in... this,” says Natasha, gesturing at the screen. “I thought you were still freaked out by the idea?”
“Yeah, well,” says Tony, “I figured if Operation: Grow A Tiny Human is really happening, I better get on board. Make it a team effort.”
There's a pause while this is considered. Then Natasha says, “That's... kinda sweet, actually.” Clint feels about as surprised as she sounds.
“I have been known to manage it on occasion,” concedes Tony. “Hey, Dr Banner? Can you print out a screenshot of that?”
Bruce looks mildly surprised (or possibly just still traumatised from the discussion of his lack of pants). “Sure.” He presses a button. “...Why?”
The answer to that question, as it turns out, is 'so that Tony can stick it on the refrigerator door'.
And underneath, using the magnetic alphabet Thor had bought on a whim (“NOW WE CAN SEND MESSAGES TO EACH OTHER VIA THE FOOD CHILLING CUPBOARD!”), he arranges the letters
OP G A T H
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... 'so that Tony can stick it on the refrigerator door'.
love you forever, Tony!
hmm, what is opgath?
blonde moment
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Heh, glad you figured it out! Tony ran out of letters. (Mostly because Thor keeps spelling out MORE HAM and such with the rest of them.)
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And I want Thor to come to my house and leave messages on my chilling cupboard. AAAAUGH SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS.
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I imagine Thor's messages on the chilling cupboard consist largely of things to the effect of "MORE HAM PLEASE" and "SORRY I ATE ALL THE POP TARTS". Perhaps with a side of "GOOD MORNING FRIENDS IT IS A FINE DAY" and "I LOVE HEDWIG".
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Oh, Clint. I want to give you all the hugs! And Natasha to give you all the hugs- shut up, shipper brain!
I can't help thinking though- what will happen when the comments get too skinny? Will you just post the next parts further down rather than as replies?
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Honestly, I very nearly had Steve walking in on the ultrasound in progress purely for his OMGWTFBBQ reaction (plus there's definitely been a lack of Steve thusfar), but I figured he'd never barge into Bruce's lab uninvited. But yes, there will definitely be baffled Steve and Thor reactions.
Clint and Nat really do need ALL THE HUGS, bless them.
Re: comment thread, that is an excellent point (thanks for reminding me!) - I have a massive widescreen monitor so I hadn't properly considered it, but yeah, I definitely don't want to break the page for anyone (apologies if I have already!). I'll start a new sub-thread as reply to part 1 for the next section, indeed.
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And Natasha's careful, cautious approach to this continues to be kind of heartbreaking. Awww.
*loves Clint, because is made of win*
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Natasha definitely needs some hugs. Probably from Clint, who is certainly filling the Only Sane Man role here, indeed.
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And I really want to know what happened with the Horribly BabyDad, but I figure Natasha has the right to keep that to herself, aww.
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