Bruce Banner (notthatkindofdr) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2022-03-29 19:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !completed gdoc, !log, !match-up, monika (monikachr), ~2022 march, ~~~~ bruce banner (notthatkindofdr) |
Who: Bruce Banner and Monika
What: Matchup
Where: A pharmacy
When: Saturday afternoon (3/26)
Warnings: so much awkwardness
Status: complete
Thanks to Hulk, Bruce didn’t have to worry about illnesses, so he seldom stopped by the pharmacy. He was out of shampoo though and had a date with Pepper tonight, so he decided to stop in and grab some since it was on his way home from the lab. Why were there so many different options? They all had basically the same ingredients and he didn’t understand why some of them cost so damn much when they weren’t chemically superior to the less expensive alternatives.
As he headed to the counter to check out, a display caught his eye and his feet stopped before his brain had time to catch up. They’d been dating a while now and having their daughter show up in town made things feel more serious. Bruce might be largely clueless when it came to reading women’s signals, but he knew that Pepper was ready for a more physical relationship, so it was possible he was going to need condoms soon.
Again, he didn’t understand why there were so many varieties and he found himself studying the labels, trying to make a decision on which kind to buy, not realizing he was blocking the aisle.
***
Monika hardly went to the pharmacy. So far, she'd been able to avoid getting sick (though whether it was because she was sentient code or not, she had no idea). She did, however, needed more shampoo and conditioner and a few other things like toothpaste.
She found all the items she was looking for but then remembered she wanted to get a new hairbrush. So she changed direction and decided to take a short cut through one of the aisles, only to stop just in time from crashing into the guy who was blocking the way.
"That was close. Are you having trouble? You seem pretty preoccupied looking at..." she trailed off once she saw the condoms and felt her face go red.
***
The voice right behind him startled Bruce and it was the sort of thing that could have triggered an appearance of his alter ego in the past. Luckily, that wasn’t a concern these days, or the pharmacy may have been destroyed.
He coughed, his own cheeks turning pink when he saw the younger woman there who looked equally embarrassed. “Uh, sorry,” he said. “I, um… “ Part of him wanted to sink through the floor, but he was completely out of his depth here. “There are so many choices.”
***
Monika hadn't meant to intrude. She just saw him and looked like he was having trouble. She had only wanted to help or at least try to. And if it was anything else, then maybe she could've offered some assistance. Unfortunately, she had hardly any experience with sex. Love, sure. But it was hard to be physical with someone when you were trapped inside a computer.
She glanced at the various condoms and blinked. "Wow, you're right," she said. "I just thought there were different sizes. I didn't realize there were so many options." Seriously, how does one choose?
***
Bruce gave her a slightly helpless look. “Maybe I shouldn’t even bother,” he murmured, mostly to himself. It wasn’t like he could get Pepper pregnant, though apparently that did happen in some universe. And between Hulk and his limited history, disease shouldn’t be a concern either.
“Relationships are hard,” he mused. Ultimately, he knew that as adults in their fifties, he and Pepper should be able to have a conversation about physical intimacy. They weren’t awkward teenagers.
***
Monika heard what he said but didn't say anything. She hoped he'd figure things out soon. She wished she could help but again, she didn't have much experience in this area. He'd be better off asking someone else who knew about this sort of thing.
She nodded. "They can be." Yes, she was a romantic sort of person. She knew it could be wonderful and amazing, but she also knew no relationship was perfect. "But it's worth it, right?" She hoped it was for him.
***
“It is,” Bruce answered without hesitation. The relationship with Pepper might have blindsided him, but he couldn’t imagine having any regrets about it. She was intelligent, kind, and beautiful and they had bonded over their shared grief at losing Tony. For his part, channeling that grief into caring for Pepper and Morgan helped him heal. He hoped that Tony would approve of their relationship.
He offered her an awkward smile. “I”m sorry. This is an unusual conversation to have with a stranger in the middle of the pharmacy. I’m Bruce.”
***
"I'm glad." Monika smiled. She didn't really know him, but she was happy for him that he found someone special. She hoped one day she could meet someone like that. Then again, what if they found out about what she'd done to her friends and hated her for it? She still felt guilty about all that even if the others were just characters in a game.
She decided not to think about that and focused on the man instead. "Yeah, it is but it's not the weirdest thing I've experienced," she said with a sheepish smile. "I'm Monika. It's nice to meet you, even if it was a bit awkward." Okay, it was extremely awkward but she didn't want to seem rude about it.
***
Considering all the things that happened in Madison Valley, it didn’t surprise Bruce that this wasn’t the weirdest thing she experienced. “It’s nice to meet you too, Monika,” he said. “I, uh… will let you get back to your shopping now.” And he would probably stand here for another fifteen minutes dithering about his options and trying to make a decision.
***
“Yeah, I probably should get going. Good luck.” She gave him a quick wave as she left.