Hello, Who is this?

11) What is normal?

Riley walked straight into the lab, seeing as it was right outside the elevator doors. Upon entering, she realized it had splashes of grey and silver along the trim and decor, making it seem less sterile and more homey, almost. 

"Which of you decided to darken the room a bit?" Riley had to ask as she waved a hand at the trim. 

"Uh, actually, both of us. After my accident, an all white lab sometimes made me tense up, same with both Steve and Bucky. Tony said that the white was too boring and was happy to give his opinion on all the options I had found." Bruce was smiling at the memory when Loki walked in. 

Nat came in from a side room looking comfy in a baggy shirt and leggings to stop him from getting too far into the lab. "Friday explained why I am here. You should probably head out now."

Loki sighed and gave Riley a pitiful smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Loki, wait, please? I am sorry that I can't handle you guys being in here or seeing me at my worst yet but... I don't want to associate any of you with a lab... or at least getting lab work done. I want to associate you with things that I enjoy doing, that you all enjoy doing. I am truly sorry if I've offended you."

Loki watched as Riley ran up to him and hugged him tight before stepping back and giving him a small, sad smile. He didn't trust his voice so he smiled back and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He gave her hand a small squeeze and nodded at the other two before walking away and getting back into the elevator smiling at having held her for even a moment.

After he was gone, Riley looked at Bruce and Nat with an anxious smile and wrapped her arms around herself. "Hi Nat, good to see you Bruce. Friday, can you make sure that nobody outside the lab can see what is going on in here until we are done, please?"

"Of course Miss Lee, I will do that now." 

"Thank you." Riley turned to the pair in front of her and took a deep breath. 

"I have a lot of scars, and I do have some current injuries but they were from training and I promise, they do not hurt much."

"You have a black eye, possibly a broken occipital... cheekbone. Friday said you had some cracked ribs earlier as well as lacerations on one side of your ribcage and a stab wound on the other. How is that not hurting too much?"

"Honestly, this is fairly normal. After a real fight, I am usually bruised and battered because I know I can handle the pain better than a few others so, I tend to take whatever hit was meant for them."

Bruce and Nat made mental notes to discuss this topic with her friend Logan to get a different perspective while cringing at the casual statement that this type of outcome was normal.

After a moment of awkward silence where Riley's words hung heavily in the air, Nat spoke up. 

"How about we get this done and over with Riles, yeah?"

"Sounds good to me, just... don't make me lay on my stomach. I will stand if you feel the need to examine my back... I know it looks bad."

With that, Riley began to undress behind a small curtain and came out in the little paper covering that was provided. She slid onto the bed while Bruce busied himself with the computer until she was done. 

Nat came to stand next to Riley, holding her hand gently to show her she wasn't alone. Bruce came over and asked if it was okay to get the bloodwork done first. Riley nodded and turned slightly to give Bruce better access to her arm. Once the needle was removed again, he asked if he could see her abdomen and the injuries in that area. Riley nodded but hesitated before showing her stomach. 

Nat saw the two larger scars on the soft tissue of Riley's sides before the gashes on one side and the very small, almost completely healed hole on the other. Nat found herself showing Riley the scar just above her hip from where the winter soldier had shot through her to get his target. 

"Wow, that one looks so cool though. I mean, if you don't mind me saying so."

Nat smiled and shook her head at Riles as she tilted her head to examine the scar in closer detail. Have you ever considered getting a tattoo? I could see it as either a moon or sun but I don't know you well enough to really suggest anything. 

Nat contemplated the idea before looking at Riley. "Have you considered getting a tattoo to cover any of your scars?"

Riley looked at her hands in her lap and nodded gently. "I have an idea but the amount of time it would take and the fact that for most of it, I would need to be laying on my stomach makes me hesitant." 

Nat smiled again and gently turned Riley's head upward with her chin. "I will happily work with you to see if you can ever handle laying on your stomach. I am sure Wanda would help too. So would your boys." 

Both women were smiling at one another when Brice cleared his throat. "I am sorry to interrupt but Hulk is starting to get jealous and honestly, I don't want to be the creepy guy watching you two have a moment. Nat laughed out loud as Riley blushed and looked at the floor again, mumbling about how there was nothing to be jealous of. Nat spoke up louder repeating over and over that she loved Bruce and Hulk and was just comforting her friend. 

Bruce smiled at Riley and told her it was time for her back. Riley stood up on shaky legs from fear as she faced Nat. Nat, seeing the fear on the girl's face, pressed her head against her chest and allowed her to wrap her arms around her middle. Bruce kept eye contact with Nat as she did to comfort Hulk and keep himself calm. That worked until he looked down at Riley's back. He gasped and his eyes widened, Hulk almost coming forward to try and kill whoever would leave the crisscross lines as well as the wings that seemed to be cut into her back, one small cut at a time. While all were healed, he could only imagine what that must have felt like. His eyes watered as he remembered what her soulmark was on each of her mates. Her back appeared to be a much larger scaled mockery of the medium size angel wings on each of the men complete with lines of scars that slice through several spots in various places. 

"Bruce? Your veins are turning green. Why don't we get you to your cell until you can relax. I will come with you if you would like?" Nat hadn't seen Riley's back due to Bruce's reaction taking precedence.

Riley stood up straight and ran behind the curtain again, quickly throwing her clothes on again. She came out and apologized for her appearance and causing Bruce distress which made Hulk immediately calm down, even Nat was startled at how fast Hulk seemed to disappear. 

"No! No. You do NOT get to apologize." Both women jumped back and Nat was about to snap at Bruce for yelling as she saw Riley crumple to the floor in fear and shame.

"None of what I saw was your fault. None of that takes away from how incredibly strong you are. You are an amazing human being for being able to function any type of normally after that. You are a fighter through and through. I have so much respect for you young lady. Riles, you are my hero."

Nat immediately looked from a kneeling Bruce who was hugging Riley to the woman in question. She suddenly kneeled down too and hugged both of them. "I am proud of both of you. You both did a lot today. Bruce, was Hulk coming out to protect Riles here after seeing whatever it was you saw?" He nodded with his head still leaned in top of Riley as Nat let a single tear slip out.

"Are these types of hugs normal around here? First Clint earlier, then my soulmates, and now you two?"

"Sweetie, normal goes out the window around here." Bruce smiled as the truth of his words seeped in.

Nat laughed and asked; "What IS normal anyway?"