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06 | need your hearing aids?

0 6

need your hearing aids?

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Bruce wasn't scared. Not of Natasha, he couldn't be. Besides, she should have been the one afraid of him. Not the other way around.

Only a little nervous, though, he pushed the door open to the terrace, and saw her standing there, rigid, staring out at New York City below them.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asked, which caused her to turn her head.

She scoffed. "With that thief in the house, I won't be able to sleep. Just think: she'll be taking any opportunity to take things from us." She gestured to the man in front of her. "Like your research, all you've learned. One touch from that sticky-fingered girl and it's gone."

He shook his head, smiling a little. "What would she do with that?"

"I don't know, but it's the thought that counts," she said, already exasperated. "And what about Tony's suit--well, suits? Imagine what would happen. About 50 different models of Iron Man flying around the city."

"I...she doesn't know about that stuff, Nat."

"Not yet," she spat angrily, and then rubbed her temples wearily. "I just don't trust her. How can she walk in here and then--" she made a gesture with her hands that didn't really make sense to Bruce.

"She didn't walk in here, you dragged her," he reminded her.

"Now's not the time, Banner," she said in a dangerously dark tone.

But he wasn't afraid. He knew what was bothering her now. Laughing softly, he ignored the look of pure frustration in her eyes and stepped up to meet her. "I know what's wrong."

"What?"

"I know what's wrong," he repeated. "You're threatened by her. You think..." he searched to find the right words. Once he found them, he continued, "you think she's here for me, just because I bumped into her."

"You didn't just do that," Nat said in a quiet voice. "You paid for her first month of living in an apartment. That's a little different than a little 'coincidental meet', Bruce."

He put his hands up, accepting the guilty card. "Yeah, I did that. But not to...no, Natasha, I was just being a friendly person."

"I thought you were practically broke! How'd you manage to pay for a stranger's rent?" She looked half confused, half angry.

"I was broke, pretty much," he said grimly. "And now I'm literally broke."

"Oh."

"Nat," he looked into her eyes fiercely, making sure she would understand the coming words. "You shouldn't feel threatened at all by Cara. Besides, she's a teenager, and I'm pretty sure that's illegal."

She looked down at the ground. "I know, it's just..."

"You've got nothing to worry about, I promise," he said, and wrapped her up in a tentative embrace, but she surprised him by returning it rather strongly. Her arms were around his middle, preventing him from letting go. "I'm not going anywhere."