Bruce watches Tony leave with a shake of his head, then looks back to Pepper as he sits down in the chair Tony just left. "I apologize... that this is the first time we're getting to really meet properly, in a way that isn't me trying to hide from SHIELD or leaving the country." A tiny smile, but it doesn't fully meet his eyes.

"Yes, he is, but somehow we're still both here." Which from his tone, sometimes Bruce questions why. Champagne? She has Tony's tastes. Still, he knows this next bit won't be easy at all, and he nervously puts his hands together.

"Honestly, telling you this is a little easier without him here," Bruce admits quietly, leaning with his elbows on his knees. "Do you want it straight, or not?"

Bruce folds his hands together, letting out a slow breath as he thinks how to start. "I don't know everything you went through to have the changes your body has under gone, but I know you will have to go through some of that pain again to undo what has been done."

Another breath, continuing, "Your very genes have been changed. I will have to go through your new genes compared to your old ones and match what I can. First, I need to figure out which were changed. Then, which controls things such as the extreme heat so we can alter those first. We'll have to go about this one at a time; it'll take quite some time. Years, possibly. This.. is beyond anything we currently are doing in this area."

"From the information Stark has about this virus and the imagery I've seen, there's two things I can say with fair certainty. The first is that you've seem to have settled to a certain point, so you won't... explode. The second is that you could, at worst, burn him, but you wouldn't combust him. He should be able to get away from you if you start heating up that drastically quickly enough."

Hoping, even somewhat, to settle her fears.

Then, more quietly, "I think you're doing far more damage than a burn by staying away from him, Ms. Potts.""

Bruce looks down at his hands, and an idea sparks in his mind. It's simple, but it could very well help. He turns his arm over and taps his watch. "...what about an alarm? One that monitors your temperature. If it gets dangerous, it goes off. A subtle warning to start, maybe just a vibration, and it gets more obvious and louder if it continues."

Bruce probably would know if he thought about it, but his mind hasn't quite come to the idea he's being spied on. He wouldn't be very pleased if he caught on. "That's probably better for your body, to be honest. The fast come down would be tougher on your cells."

He rubs his chin, thinking about it. "Have you noticed you're sleeping less or more? Eating more?" Metabolism changes.

"Increased metabolism, severely so." A soft smile for Pepper, looking up to her. "The same as me. Do yourself a favor, and make sure you actually do sleep. Your body will pay for every hour you deny it."

"Easier to work with it than to have your body just suddenly give out." Bruce sounds as if he's speaking from experience - he is.

He stands up, feeling a touch more at ease after their conversation. It's an odd thought to realize he's told her a few details about his condition than he's ever told anyone, but a worthy cause to donate the information to.

"Ms. Potts," he starts, then tries to figure out how to say what he wants. Finally, a little smile comes. "Don't hesitate to ask me anything."

Bruce follows her very pointed look away, and his brows rose. "...tell me you're not serious," he mutters, guessing exactly what is going on. "Stark, if there's a camera in my room, I am going to remove it by force if it isn't off."

Bruce looks to Pepper with a small frown, but nods. "Sorry, I shouldn't have kept you awake. I'll see you later." With another flick of his eyes to the camera, he heads out of Pepper's room.