AT- Fear Itself

This was the moment she dreaded. The moment that she yearned for, but all at once feared more than any creature Loki could summon, and mission Nick could send her on, any danger, any disease, any threat that could possibly formulate within Ruby's mind, any fantastic misadventure that could lead her into the perplexed world of misery, woe, and misfortune. All of these held not one light to the moment which was before her.

She bit her lower lip, allowing curled tangles of paled gold to fray from their confined bow, tumbling in their near innocent charm upon her brow. She could barely make him out in the dark, the only notion of him amidst theater shadow and silver screen being that watch strapped to his wrist. Yes, the heart moniter that kept Bruce Banner from going Hulk unintentionally. It would be hard to explain why Manhatan's newest city movie-plex was leveled in a matter of minutes, and why the entire New York national guard was made into nothing more than plastic soldiers beneath a green tinted magnifying glass.

Ruby clinched her fist, looking right back at her lap. Sure, the movie sucked. Nothing more than a slasher movie with incorrect blood splatter, terrible acting, lousy graphic effects, and a rejected screamo band as the only back ground music. But no, it was not the setting, not the complete lack thereof that made this moment depermental, terrible, and glorious all at once.

No, it was sitting beside Bruce Banner, her mentor, friend, idol, and secret affection. Not as a student, nor as a coworker for SHIELD. No, she was sitting with him as an equal.

And she couldn't even hold his hand.

She hid her sigh beneath her breath, jolting when she felt the brush of latex dried fingertips agianst her knuckles, jerking her hand away. Ruby looked up, her cheeks dusted in her namesake as the reflection of those same glasses were no distance less than an eyelash from her. Her heart pulsed, breeching though her veins until tainting her own fingertips. "S...sorry..."

"Was I too fast?" Bruce whispered, having a small kernnel of pop corn stuck between his lower teeth. Such a dorky, earnest man. But then again, this is why Ruby adored him so much, his total lack of suave charm and honesty. He placed his hand on their shared arm rest, leaning in just a bit more, "...if I'm moving to fast, I'm sorry. It's...been a while. For me...for this sort of thing-"

"-n-no, no its not you..." Ruby held her hand, her fingers tightening to the point where they were growing alabaster in clinched vessels. Damn it all! Curse her damned power, her tainted skin that could very well threaten anyone she touched! She closed her eyes, trying her hardest not to allow those salty pearls of weakness to make their way down her cheek, "...I...forgot to wear my gloves today...."

The doctor was silent, nodding slightly as he retreated back to his seat. Ruby wanted to run, wanted to leave the theatre and hide in the bathroom until the world collapsed upon itself. She wanted to crawl deep down inside herself and hide forever, where she could not harm anyone, and no one harm her in return. As she turned in the slightest to plot an escape, she felt the softest material brush against her tainted skin.

She blinked turning her head slightly. There Bruce Banner was, smiling in his dorky way, his hand wrapped in the thin sweater he wore inside. He had on another shirt beneath it, being his habit to layer and such. It was a soft yellow, the shirt he wore when the Avengers parted ways after Loki's defeat is she wasn't mistaken. The layer of material was but a disting of matter, so thin that she could close her eyes, and pretend it were his skin. He wrapped his hand around hers, unable to lace fingers for obvious reasons. Ruby couldn't help but smile, though turning a much darker shade when he sat upright a little more, brushing slightly dried lips against her mess of gold curls, adorning her with a crown of his kiss.

"That's alright..." He chuckled softly, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb through the fabric, "...next date, I'll bring a spare pair."