Bruce smiled and scratched gently behind the puppy's ears.

Across the room, Elaine was watching Steve get reacquainted with his own puppy.

Steve smiled as he played with the pup. Hopefully things would be getting back to normal soon. He hoped anyway.

Apparently, the fact that Bruce had gotten some goldfish was hysterical to Tony, so it didn't surprise anyone when he stole one of the goldfish when nobody was looking. And Bruce knew that Tony had the fish; he just wasn't sure what Tony needed the fish for. He could hear the billionare cackling in his workshop, though, and that was a little frightening.

Tony grinned as he pulled Bruce into the living room, where a huge column tank now took up the center of the room. The single goldfish was in the tank lookig ridiculously tiny, and a note was taped on the tank reading 'Don't tap on the tank'.

"Here. I made you a present." Tony grinned.

Bruce blinked, and looked at the note on the tank warily.

"Why is one of my very small fish in such a very big tank?" he asked Tony cautiously. "What did you do?"

Tony grinned and started tapping on the glass in a random pattern. In under a minute, the goldfish started to tremble, and then suddenly there was a giant green thing that looked like it would eat a piranha for breakfast.

"It's a Hulk fish!"

Bruce just stared. And then, very slowly, he lifted one hand to massage the bridge of his nose.

"Tony..." He trailed off. There just were no words.

"What? Are you just jealous of my genius? I know I would be. This has got to be one of the best presents ever." Tony grinned, clearly preening.

"Tony, why-- what-- How is that fish a good idea?" Bruce asked. Because he really had no idea why Tony would think a Hulk fish was something that needed to be created.

"It's one of my ideas. Of course it's a good idea." Tony grinned. "Besides, it's an awesome fish and you know it. It just needed to happen." He shrugged and moved away from the tank, letting the fish settle down and shrink back down to regular goldfish size.

"Tony, why do we need a Hulk fish?" Bruce asked. "Isn't one green rage monster enough?"

"Nope!" Tony grinned. "I bet you Kae would like it." He waggled his eyebrows at the other scientist with a grin.

Bruce just raised an eyebrow, not letting on just how nervous that point made him.

"And why do you say that?" he asked.

"Because it's so blatantly obvious that she likes you that I am noticing," Tony said with a snort. "And because Hulk curled up in her lap and she didn't freak out."

There was nothing Bruce could say to deny that fact.

"Well, she shouldn't," he murmured. He didn't, however, deny that he felt the same about her.

Tony gave him a Look. "Bruce, don't be an idiot," he chided. "Or I'll have to kick your ass."

"Thor tried that once," Bruce pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "You think you'd have any better luck?"

"Yup. I would." Tony grinned. "You like me better than Thor. You and the Big Guy both."

Bruce had to admit that Tony had a point. So he did the only thing he could. He changed the subject.

"Regardless," he said, "What made you think that this fish needed to be created? I'm sure it was perfectly happy being a regular goldfish."

"Probably. But it was a normal goldfish. I mean, those things are boring. You needed something a little more exciting." Tony grinned and watched the little goldfish to find a rock to swim around. "Much better than just a boring little goldfish now."

"I was fine with normal little goldfish," Bruce pointed out. "There's nothing even remotely stressful about normal goldfish."

"There's nothing stressful about this guy either, as long as you don't tap on the glass. Or poke him with a spoon." Tony grinned.

Bruce just gave Tony a Look.

"You tested a goldfish's rage level with a spoon?" he asked. "Why am I even asking that, of course you did."

"Of course I did," Tony said with a grin. "I had to make sure it worked, after all." He grinned, clearly not at all sorry.

Kae walked into the living room with a smoothie in hand, eyeing the large tank almost warily. "Tony, why do we have a giant tank in the living room? And why was I not informed of this?"

"Watch." Tony rapped on the glass until the little fish turned big and green. Kae choked on her smoothie.

"Tony thought it was a good idea," Bruce disclaimed, holding up his hands.