The newspapers had caught his attention. It wasn't hard to find Banner after that; his name and address had appeared in the phone book. Cap hadn't realized how much he missed the mild-mannered scientist until he saw the reports.
Steve knew hungry. The first days after the serum, he had been adjusting to not only his new mass, but his new metabolism. After a suppressed appetite for so many years, Steve had been starving in those days. So when he had seen Banner's appetite after the Hulk had been out, he'd been able to sympathize.
He didn't know how long it had been at this point, but there were two pizzas in his hands, as well as a six pack of beer. Steve knocked on the door of Bruce's apartment, ready to just hand over the goods if the scientist didn't want company.
--
Bruce ruffled a hand through his short, dark hair and he sighed softly. He had been exhausted since recovering from the last outbreak, and he had taken to lounging the couch in the living room, too tired to make it all the way to the bed. The television was on and blaring into the dark room, some program on the Universe and alien life.
The reflection from the screen glimmered in the repaired lenses of his glasses and though he was starving, Bruce couldn't find it in himself to get up.
At least until the knock came. It was probably Liv, he hadn't seen anyone else here yet.
Making himself get up, and hoping he didn't look too disheveled, Bruce adjusted his grey Henley and sweats, socked feet carrying him to the door.
To his surprise it wasn't the albino-esque girl he had first met when he arrived. It was a familiar face.
"Steve," Bruce breathed, the relief evident in his voice.
He fought the urge to hug the man and instead eyed the pizzas and the beer, "Come in." A step back and the scientist was waving Steve through the doorway. Bruce turned and began turning the lights on and the television off to accompany his guest. God he was glad to see someone he knew.
--
Steve gave him a grin, as glad to see him as Bruce was evidently to see Steve. He entered once he was invited in, and waited patiently as Bruce started trying to make the area presentable. "Good to see you," he said, warmth evident in his voice. "I, uh... caught the news. Thought you might be hungry."
Bruce didn't need anyone to take care of him. To think so was an insult to the man. But there was always something desperately lonely about Bruce Banner that Steve could understand. Cap was a man out of time, he often felt lonely and out of place. Banner had his own reasons for isolation, and his were for the most part self-induced. It didn't make it any less lonely, just harder to address. But some companionship could go a long way for both of them.
"How are you?" It wasn't the casual, empty question that usually peppered conversation. Steve's concern was clear. He was always honest, always.
--
Bruce winced at the declaration of Cap having seen the news. The scientist didn't like knowing he was advertised and out there for everyone to see and fear. Because many did fear and he didn't want that at all. He wouldn't show Steve the regret, the solider had seen it enough already.
"Yeah, I guess I can't help that." It was the only reply he could give. He turned and moved back to Steve after tossing aside a magazine on tech, and he took one of the boxes of pizza.
"Make yourself at home." Cap could handle himself, Bruce wasn't near as nervous around the soldier as he would have been someone else in the tiny apartment.
The pizza box went to the empty and pristine table, an object that had gone unused even since the apartment had become occupied, and Bruce went to get plates for them both.
"Tired," Bruce replied. It was the truth. But it wasn't said unkindly. He was always tired. "How about you? When did you get here?"
--
"I've been here a couple of months now," Steve said, sitting at the table with the other box. He didn't mind the state of the apartment, more focused on his friend than anything else.
The recent discussion with Thor was still on his mind. "Had anyone given you the rundown on this place yet?"
--
A couple of months. That was...odd. Very odd. He had just seen Steve recently, they had fought together. Saved the world together from a maniacal robot that Bruce had helped Tony construct. But he believed the solider, Steve had never steered him wrong before.
"Not yet," Bruce replied. He set a plate down for each of them on the table, and then he settled down in one of the empty chairs. The box of pizza came open and the scientist peered in at the offering. It smelled delicious.
"But the fact that you've been here for as long as you say you have isn't adding up with where I came from," Bruce explained without looking up. "You and I, along with everyone else," Bruce began, waving a hand at the air, "We were fighting Ultron. Loki was about two years ago..."
The scientist lifted his gaze and caught Steve's, "Sound familiar?" He grabbed a slice of the pizza and began to eat.
--
Steve looked puzzled. Thor had also said something about a killer robot and twins. "Who's Ultron? The last thing I remember, there was a helicarrier exploding over me, and I fell into the Potomac. When I woke up, I was on a river bank, and you came and found me. Took me back to the TARDIS, and a guy named Peter healed me up." It was Steve's turn to frown. "Do you remember any of that?"
He started in on a slice of his own, and passed a bottle of beer over to Bruce.
--
Steve didn't know Ultron. That was unsettling.
"Ultron is an AI that Tony and I had been working on, it was a project. Nothing either of us had been able to bring it to fruition. Long story short, we found a power source to power the idea. And it ended up trying to take over the world and kill all of humanity..." Bruce explained, knowing Steve would get the gist.
Bruce waved the beer away, chewing as he processed what Steve said. He shook his head, "I don't know any of that. I've been in New York with Tony since the attack from Loki and up until the fight against Ultron."
--
The frown deepened. "Tony's been here... okay, this is just weird." Letting out a sigh, Steve settled back in his chair. "Apparently this place is called the City...."
He took a few moments to explain what the place was, and how people kept being pulled there, from different times and different places. He mentioned how the city streets had a tendency to change, how money appeared when you needed it, and his apartment, bike, and uniform had all been waiting for him. He even told Bruce how the phone books changed automatically as the population changed.
"My, um... Peggy Carter is here. She was in the SSR when I joined up. Knew me from before the serum. She's here from 1945, but I saw her in 2014 and she was in her 90s. Here, she's the same old Peg I remember. Now Thor's shown up too, and he thinks we're all trapped here by some magic that's making us complacent."
--
So Tony was here. That was good. That was very good. Liv was going to need the inventor's help and the lab at Stark Tower. It was nice to know the resources were there to be utilized, Bruce doubted Tony would turn him away.
Bruce listened to the explanation that Steve gave and while it might have seemed farfectched, he wasn't too surprised by it.
And then the part about Peggy, Steve's old girlfriend by the way he talked about her, and Thor. Thor would be good to have around too.
"What's the next step?" Suddenly he found himself missing Natasha. He took a bite of pizza instead of saying anything about her.