Chapter Text
When Bruce got to his lab he was not surprised to see Tony fiddling with the computers.
“Find anything yet?” he said.
“No. I’ve looked through the security logs twice. JARVIS is running facial recognition on all surveillance footage from last night, but I gave most of you guys the night off to come to the party or do your own thing, so there’s not much to go on.”
Bruce came around the desk so he could see the screens. “Did you check the footage from the party?”
“I invited all those people personally. I would have noticed if there was someone shady in the room.”
“Yeah, but…”
“But what?”
Bruce tensed his shoulders. It was never easy telling Tony he was wrong. “I heard something that might shed some light on the break in.”
“Okay?”
“You bragged about the wristband at your party.”
Tony frowned. “Of course I did. It’s revolutionary.”
“And you mentioned Grace?”
“A little I guess. I didn’t say her name or anything though. Why? Did someone say something?”
Bruce winced and Tony scoffed. “Who was it, Romanoff? I barely even mentioned her. It’s not connected. There’s no way that someone heard that and was able to pull this off within an hour. This was a professional job.”
“I’m not blaming you, I’m just saying it’s something to consider,” Bruce said.
“JARVIS, give me a list of everyone who showed up at the party. We’re going to nip this in the bud right now.”
“Of course, sir.”
The list appeared on the left screen and Tony leaned in close, swiping away the names of the most harmless people. Bruce read over his shoulder, not sure whether to hope they found something or not. Towards the end of the list, one name jumped out and he pushed Tony’s finger down before he could swipe it.
“Thaddeus Ross was there?” Bruce said with a grimace.
Tony shrugged. “He’s a good man to have around when you need something from the Army.”
“Did you forget what happened in Harlem?”
“When you and that other big guy had a grudge match in the street?”
Bruce didn’t look amused. “Yeah, well do you remember who started it? Ross. He’s always been looking for a way to get to me. He never wanted me to be an Avenger.”
Tony didn’t even try to hold back his laughter. “Has he seen you in action? If he still thinks he can control you, he’s either crazy, or an idiot, and from what I can tell neither of those are true.”
A terrifying light bulb lit up in Bruce’s head. “Maybe he can’t control me, but what about Grace?”
“Please. What’s he going to do with her? Start an orgy? She’s not a weapon; she’s barely even a party trick.”
“I’m serious about this. You don’t know him like I do. He wants a weapon, and if he knows about her there’s no way he’ll just leave her alone. He found me in the middle of nowhere in Brazil. Finding her here would be a walk in the park.”
Tony glared at him for a long moment then let out a heavy sigh. “JARVIS, show me the footage of Thaddeus Ross from last night.”
Another window opened on the screen showing the man in question laughing and mingling at the party. Tony switched it to triple speed and tracked Ross’s movements around the room. He never made contact with Grace, though his movements didn’t seem natural. He kept her in his eye line from the moment she entered the room to the moment she left.
“Are you going to tell me it’s a coincidence that he made a phone call right after she left? And then watched her get on that elevator?” Bruce said.
Tony couldn’t deny that something seemed off. He silently cursed himself for not figuring it out on his own. He almost shuddered thinking about what could have happened if Ross had sent someone into the elevator with Grace.
He groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. “It’s suspicious, I’ll give you that. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“But–
“That’s the best I can do. I can’t confront someone like him without evidence, and this is circumstantial at best. If anything it’s an alibi. He was still at the party after I… investigated.”
Bruce narrowed his eyes at Tony’s omission. If he didn’t want to mention saving Grace, Bruce wasn’t about to call him out. “I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t know how Grace is going to handle this.”
Tony frowned. “You can’t tell her. It’s barely a theory. What if she mentions it to someone and it gets back to Ross? She doesn’t know how things work in our world.”
“You expect me to keep her in the dark?”
“Just until we know for sure. It’s not like there’s anything she can do about it, she doesn’t even know who he is. JARVIS will keep an eye out for him around the tower, but you have to keep it between us until we have more to go on.”
Bruce nodded even though his stomach was in knots. It felt like a misstep, but Tony had a point. There was no reason to stress her out over a half-baked theory. She’d be better off not knowing until they were positive.
There wasn’t much else to say, so Bruce picked up the inventory sheet he’d been working on that morning and continued to fill it out, working in silence for the better part of an hour.
When Grace made it to Bruce’s floor her chest felt a little tight.
“Maybe I do need to start exercising,” she said to herself when she had to hunch over and rest her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
What good was controlling her power if she couldn’t even outrun a bad guy?
She sniffed at her armpit to make sure she didn’t reek, and was pleasantly surprised that the only aroma coming from her body was Thor’s oil. It really did smell good, and there was a hint of a tingle on her skin where she’d sweated the most.
She shrugged and rapped on the lab door with her knuckles. She’d have to ask Thor about it later, but right now all she could think about was her new discovery, and the only one who might be able to shed some light on it was Bruce.
As soon as the door slid open she rushed inside, but she stopped short and her excitement faded when she realized it was Tony leaning casually against the computer station instead of Bruce.
“What are you doing here?” she said.
“Robbery, remember? Did you get any rest last night?” Tony said.
She eyed him skeptically and said, “I did. How was the rest of the party?”
“Great. Everyone raved about it. It’s a shoe-in for party of the year.”
“I’m sure it is. Did you find anything?”
Tony nodded at Bruce with an expectant smile and Grace noticed him for the first time.
“Oh, hey,” she said.
Bruce raised his hand in a short wave and swallowed around the lump in his throat. “We, ah, didn’t find anything concrete other than the fact that it seems like a professional job. Don’t worry, we’ll keep looking.”
It seemed weird that he kept his eyes glued to his clipboard the whole time he spoke to her, but Grace chalked it up to the stress of the day.
“Did you get the data I sent?”
Bruce shook his head. “Tony’s been monopolizing my computers.”
“Don’t forget who made you these computers,” Tony said before he stepped back enough for Bruce to access the system, ending up too close to Grace for her liking.
To her dismay, he leaned closer and sniffed her. “Did you get some new perfume when you went on your little shopping spree?”
She didn’t realize he knew about the girls day, but she wasn't about to tell him that Thor had rubbed her down with oil so she lied. “Uh, yeah. Thank you. I should have said that last night.”
Tony chuckled and leaned over to bump her shoulder with his. “Don’t worry. You hardly spent anything. When I have to apologize to Pep it costs me ten times as much. Smells good, by the way.”
Was she in some kind of bizarro world? Tony was being far too nice, and it had her feeling on edge. She folded her arms over her chest and walked around the table to be sure he wouldn’t touch her again. Thor’s hands were one thing, Tony’s were another, and not in a good way.
Bruce finally looked up from the screen and flinched, not expecting her to be right in front of him. “This just happened?”
She nodded.
“What was the trigger?”
“I kicked Thor in the face, but that’s not why I rushed down here.”
“Hang on, you kicked Point Break in the face? Is that even physically possible? Unless you two were doing something a little more horizontal.” Tony’s eyes widened like saucers and he gasped dramatically. “Wow, Pinkie. You move quick. What’s Cap gonna say?”
Grace squeezed her eyes shut almost as tight as her fists.
Bruce shot Tony a glare and said, “Enough.”
“Alright, alright,” Tony replied, looking distinctly put out that he’d been reprimanded.
Grace gave Bruce her best puppy dog eyes. “Can’t you just kick him out? It’s your lab.”
“I’ll be good, I promise. Scouts honor,” Tony said, holding up three fingers in the air.
“If you say another word you’re out of here Tony,” Bruce warned.
Tony mimed zipping up his lips, and Grace continued where she left off. “Instead of the usual thing, Thor just gave me a back massage and everything stopped after a while.”
When Tony took in a sharp breath, Grace leveled a death glare she learned from Natasha at him.
Bruce pulled his glasses from his coat pocket and shoved them on before he read over her data more carefully. “Apparently you experienced a surge of oxytocin just before you normalized. I don’t know how I didn’t notice that before.”
That snapped Grace’s attention away from Tony and back to Bruce. “I remember learning about that during my A&P class. It’s the hormone that makes us happy, right?”
Bruce nodded. “Yes. That explains why orgasms work so well. As far as I know they are the biggest natural release of oxytocin outside of childbirth.”
She nodded. That seemed to be true. Even when she was just masturbating for fun she felt a lot better afterward. Her mind flicked back to the orgasm Thor gave her last night and she found herself wondering why she insisted on keeping things above board with him this morning. If she’d just relaxed she probably could have had an even better one by now. Would it be weird to stop by again, just to say hi?
“I guess I should get to work on the other part of that plan we talked about.”
“You don’t sound too excited about that,” Bruce said.
She shook her head with a tiny smile. “I’m just a little nervous.”
“That’s understandable. You don’t have to do it right away you know. It’s okay to take your time.”
“It seems like all I’ve been doing since I got here was taking my time. I need to just rip off the band aid.”
Bruce shrugged. “Whatever you choose, just make sure you’re ready.”
Tony looked back and forth between the two of them, trying to read between the lines to figure out what they weren’t saying.
After a minute he said, “If it’s Thor you’re after all you’d have to do is bat your eyelashes and tell him he’s so strong and he’d be putty in your hands. I mean he already gave you a massage right? That’s foreplay in my book.”
Grace groaned. It was good advice, but coming from Tony made it gross. Her groan turned into a laugh when Bruce reached back and swatted at Tony with his stapler.
“Watch it, Banner. I was helping.”
“I’m going to get out of here before he decides to help again. Let me know if you find something,” she said to Bruce.
He nodded and said goodbye, and Tony had the good sense not to say anything else as she left the room.
Once she was alone, Grace let out a sigh. She glanced at the elevator and frowned. Her fear was already making life difficult. She didn’t know how to get past that particular obstacle, but she did know the solution to her other one.
She ducked into the stairwell to start the trek back to her room.
At first it was easy, but after the third flight, her legs started to burn. At five she stopped, laughing pathetically at the way her muscles protested each upward step. One more and she had to take a break.
She plopped down at the next landing and leaned her back against the wall next to the door. She was going back and forth in her mind about what she should do next. Going to her room was always an option, but she wouldn’t make any progress that way. Unless she called up Natasha and they went to the gym. But her legs were already at their limit, so she ruled that one out too.
The only person that could always help her make sense of her inner chaos was only a phone call away, so she pulled out her cell and dialed one of the only numbers she knew by heart.
Melissa answered on the third ring. “Well, look who’s finally calling their mama. I haven’t heard from you in ages.”
Some of the tension left Grace’s body. This is exactly what she needed. Talking to her friends was great, but there was something to be said for the comfort of family.
“I’m sorry. How’s everything down there? How are you and Dad?”
“Everything’s fine. You know us, always plugging along. Dad’s been working on his truck. It always needs some new fancy thing, you know.”
Grace chuckled. “Yeah, sounds like him.”
After several silent moments, Melissa said, “I know you didn’t call to hear about the truck. What’s really on your mind, Dear?”
Grace sighed. Melissa really did know her the best. Grace was practically an adult when they’d met, and Melissa had been the one to dry her tears when she didn’t fit in with the kids at the high school, and the one who encouraged her to go to college once she finally graduated.
Grace hesitated to mention the break in but she didn’t keep secrets from Melissa. She was honestly Grace’s best friend, and Grace trusted her more than anyone in the world, so she knew she had to be honest about this.
“Someone broke in here and stole some things that they could use to hurt me.”
She could hear the frown in Melissa’s voice when she said, “They said they were going to keep you safe. I should have kept you here with me. Do you want me to come up there and get you?”
“No, I’ll be okay. That’s kind of why I called. I needed your opinion on some things.”
“Okay,” Melissa said.
“I’ve decided to start facing my fears, one in particular. You probably know which.”
“I can guess. Do you have someone in mind?”
Grace couldn’t help but smile when she said, “Yeah, I do.”
“Oh, sweetheart. That is great news. Is it Captain America?”
Grace scoffed. “No. Why would you think that?”
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten how you drooled over him when he came on the television a few years ago. And you did say he lives down the hall.”
“We’re just friends, and besides that I haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Okay, I believe you. Now tell me about this boy. ”
“He’s not really a boy…” Grace trailed off, unsure how to say that she was contemplating sleeping with the god of thunder.
“So he’s older? Okay. It’s not Tony Stark, is it? That might give your dad a heart attack.”
Grace made a disgusted sound. “No more guessing. You’re going to make me lose my lunch.” Come to think of it she hadn’t even had lunch.
Laughter echoed in her ear and she sighed, “It’s not funny. I don’t even think you’ll believe me when I tell you.”
“Well then tell me. I’m prepared to be amazed.”
“Okay.” Grace took a deep breath and said, “It’s Thor.”
Melissa was silent for a little too long so Grace said, “Mom?”
“I’m here. You were right. That’s… wow. Good job.”
With a chuckle Grace said, “I know. It’s crazy, right?”
“It’s not crazy, you’re a wonderful girl. Is he kind to you?”
Grace didn’t have the heart to tell her they’d only just met the night before. “He really is. I’ve never felt the way I do when I’m around him. And he smells like home.”
“Well, there you go. I’m glad you finally feel safe enough to try. I know that this is a huge thing for you. You’ve come so far. You can do this."
“I’m so nervous,” Grace admitted.
“I think everyone is at first. Just take it slow. If he knows what he’s doing, he’ll make sure you’re ready first, and if he doesn’t, don’t be afraid to tell him what you need.”
“I’ll try.”
“You tell that boy he better treat you like the princess you are or I’ll drive up there with Dad’s pistol. I’ll shoot him, god or not.”
Grace couldn’t hold back her laughter as she imagined how that would play out. Melissa wouldn’t get past the lobby gunning for one of the Avengers, no matter how kind she looked.
“Thanks Mom. You’re the best.”
“I hope it goes the way you want. Your dad just got home and I can see a bunch of boxes in the back of the truck so I’m gonna let you go. Don’t wait so long to call me next time.”
“I won’t, I promise. Give Dad a kiss for me. I love you.”
“Love you too, Gracie.”
Grace hung up the phone and stood, ready to proceed to her destination. Slowly but surely she made it the rest of the way, pausing briefly to glance at the door to her floor before continuing up one more flight.
This time when she pulled the door, it opened for her. “Thanks JARVIS,” she said.
“You are welcome. Enjoy your afternoon, Miss Kinney,” JARVIS replied with a hint of sass in his automated voice.
“I’m pretty sure I will,” she said under her breath with a smile as she approached the now familiar wooden door and raised her hand to knock.