The Ultimate Fix-It Fic

1| Bad Decisions

After they dropped Peter off the next day, Natasha and Bruce returned to the island.

Nat had told Rebecca to go silent on all fronts, which meant, unless it was an actual emergency, no one could contact them or land on the airstrip or dock their boat on the shore.

"So," Nat said to Bruce. "We're alone again."

Bruce chuckled. "We have been for the past few weeks, until Peter came." His arms circled Nat's waist loosely, his grin teasing. "Well, other than Tony and the others' welcome party and our unexpected guest."

"Let's have a conversation, then." Natasha leaned up and grazed the scientist's lips with her own. "You know, like adults."

"A serious conversation?" Bruce asked amusedly. "Or like what we did last week? Because we ended up asleep on the couch that time."

Nat smirked. "Are you complaining?"

"No."

Natasha kissed him again. "I was thinking," she murmured against his lips. "About what we are."

She leaned back to see Bruce smiling at her. "I thought we were 'fugitive buddies'," he said. "But then again, we kiss a lot more than 'buddies' would."

Nat laughed. "Well, we do. So, I was thinking." She tucked a stray curl behind his ear. "Are we dating?"

"Well, I don't know." Bruce considered this. "Are we? It's up to you."

She tried not to smile at this brilliant man, the kind, smart, considerate man she adored. "I kinda pushed you off a cliff into a pit, though."

"It worked out." The scientist pulled her in slightly. "I got over it, anyway."

Natasha sighed. "Well, we never got to go on an actual date. You've never taken me out anywhere."

"What about Mr. Cadenza's?" Bruce protested.

"I took you." Nat retorted. "And it wasn't a date because you didn't know it was."

He brushed Natasha's hand with his thumb. "I knew," he said casually. "I've known since..." his head rolled back around dramatically, making her smile. "... last November. When you insulted my handwriting and lack of ambidexterity."

Nat grinned, thinking back. "Oh yeah. I remember that." She suddenly frowned at him. "Wait. How did you know?"

Bruce chuckled. "Well, first of all, Tasha, you aren't my first girlfriend. Second, I have studied psychology. And third," he grinned down at her, "I've learned, over the years, you notice things when you like it. Out loud. You usually notice things quietly, like you don't want people to notice that you noticed, but when you like something, you make a comment about it. So that 'people' would notice you noticed."

Nat smiled back up at him, outwards calm even though a small part of her brain was jumping around throwing flower petals in the air at 'Tasha'. "You said girlfriend," she teased instead. "We're dating."

"I never said we weren't," Bruce replied.

"You never said we were."

"You said Mr. Cadenza's didn't count!"

"I took you back to my apartment!" Nat huffed. "On the first–" she caught herself, but she saw Bruce grinning broader at her and she gave up. "Fine! It was a date! Because I took you to my apartment!"

"That's why I thought it was, Tash," the scientist said. He pulled her in closer and kissed her lightly.

Natasha put her arms around his neck and leaned in until there wasn't any space between them, deepening whatever was going on. She was about to fasten herself to his waist when the phone rang.

Bruce pulled away slightly. "We should probably get that," he muttered unappreciatively.

"Yeah." Nat sighed. "Do we have to?"

He loosened his grip on her hip and pecked her on the cheek before she went over to the phone.

"Yes?" she said impatiently.

"Rebecca said–" Nat heard Steve say before she slammed the phone down onto the receiver. Good riddance. She didn't want to deal with that right now.

"Was that Steve?" Bruce asked, heading into the kitchen. "Asking about Bucky?"

"Yep." Natasha sighed. Well, that moment was over. "Probably shouldn't have told him I knew where he was."

Bruce nodded. "Yeah, that was a bad decision on your part."

Nat glared at him.

He pivoted quickly. "Have I told you how beautiful you are today?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Don't change the subject." Nat walked over to the counter and grabbed a glass as he poured out some iced tea for the both of them. "How was that a bad decision?"

"You said it yourself, Nat," he said weakly.

"I want to hear it from you, Bruce." She looked at him expectantly.

The scientist sighed. "Fine. Well, typically, telling someone who was looking for their long-lost best friend that you know where that best friend is, is a really nice conversation sparker, even though you didn't want a conversation."

Nat stared at him. "Uh-huh."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "Look, when we found him on the beach, he was all, 'No, just kill me already!', but then you made contact with the Wakandans– I don't even know how you managed to do that– and then you just handed him over. And then you told Steve." His arm curled around her shoulder as they sat on the couch. "So, bad decision." His eyes darted nervously from her to the drink in his hand.

"Sure," Nat scoffed. She finished her tea and put the glass in the sink. "Right. Because asking undiscovered geniuses to fix a brainwashed dude isn't a good decision."

"I was talking about the Steve part, and you know this." Bruce followed her up. "You know."

Natasha turned and smiled at him. "I do know," she grinned. "Do you have anything planned right now?" she asked offhandedly.

Bruce pretended to think about it. "No."

"Want to jump in bed with a bucket of ice cream with me and watch movies?" Nat suggested.

He grinned. "Of course. No question. I'll grab the ice cream, and you pick the movie."

They separated after a quick kiss on the cheek and Natasha went to their room and flicked through the large selections of movies Tony had bought on a whim over the years. She looked up as Bruce came in with their ice cream. "Beauty and the Beast?" she asked.

"Your choice," he answered. "Though, Beauty–"

"Hey, wait a sec," Natasha interrupted. "Who said I was Belle? I'm the Beast, luring you, a bookworm, into my castle full of books and food." Her grin turned mischievous. "You will never escape! Ha!" she play-tackled him on the bed, making him drop their spoons onto the floor.

"Tash– we need those spoons!" Bruce laughed.

Natasha stayed where she was, pinning him down on the bed. "We can get them later." She suddenly dropped onto him, making him lose his breath.

"Nat!" he wheezed. "I can't breathe."

Nat grinned and kissed him before climbing over him to grab the spoons. "See? Fine."

"'Fine' is not the word you want to use," Bruce groaned. "I'm slightly less inclined to be Beast though, so good job."

She leaned back onto his arm and grabbed her ice cream pint. "Raspberry."

"Mango," Bruce replied, digging into his own carton as Nat pressed start.

"Ice cream is good," she said.

"Yes, it is," he agreed.

With ice-cold raspberry lips, Nat looked up and kissed him, releasing him as they try not to laugh.

"That's cold!" Bruce chuckled.

"No shit, Belle," Natasha grinned, kicking away the hand that went for her waist. "Serves you right. 'Bad decision' my ass."