Hushed Willows furnace

A pout was fixated on her dark features and she trotted along, mindlessly heading toward her very favorite willow tree.  Banner knew she must have looked like a petulant child to anyone who happened to see her, which is why her bright green eyes flicked to and fro for curious faces.  But no one was around.  She relaxed a bit, though the look remained on her face.  She was still sleepy - maybe she should have stayed in bed for a little while longer.  The Crook was always nice and cool and had been so perfectly quiet this morning.  Stark might have frowned upon her sleeping in so late, not so much because it was a lazy and childish sort of thing to do, but more because he'd be worried about her and ask a lot of questions.  Questions she didn't have answers to.

Snorting, she quickened her pace.  Stark wouldn't harp on her about anything.  He just worried about her, sort of like she worried about him.  Banner had always been able to convince him that she was doing just fine and even if he saw right through her, he still took her at her word.  When things got serious or her moods were too much to bear, he'd be the first to know as always.

Her pout turned to surprise when she found Buchanan at her tree.  Waiting for her.  With a wonderfully handsome smile on his face, no less.  She blinked rapidly and swallowed, her heart fluttering when he rose and addressed her.  Buchanan, she replied in a breathy voice.  The urge to rush to him and press her face into his warm fur was strong, alarmingly so.  She swallowed again.  .. pev.. ch..? she repeated pathetically, her confusion glaringly obvious.  God damnit she really needed to wake up earlier!

When he leaned down to nose something toward her it all became a bit more clear.  Buchanan, the large and scarred hulk of a man she'd come to know, was presenting her with a tiny, delicate songbird.  Oh!  Banner perked up a bit and focused her attention on the brightly-colored bird at his paws.  It had been a fat little thing, that was for sure.  His feathers were brilliant shades of blue with white and black rounding out the color pallette.  It's beautiful she murmured.  Quickly, her gaze shifted back up until she met his silvery eyes.  Where did you find him? she asked, head tilting to the side.  She hadn't seen any birds like this among the willow trees, but she also hadn't spent much time looking for them.  Her dark brown tail began wagging as she realized that he had fulfilled his promise and brought her feathers.  A gift.  For her.  Her cheeks flushed as she sucked in a breath.  Well, this was a different feeling.