In Your Eyes // Steve Rogers

Time Travel Test

A mere hour later, Steve, Scott, Natasha, and I found ourselves at a small diner on the outskirts of New York City. We took a booth in the back corner. Steve and Natasha took one side of the booth while Scott and I slid into the other. 

"What time is he supposed to be here?" I asked. 

"He said he was five minutes away," said Natasha.

We surveyed the menu. No one spoke. I assumed it was another situation in which we had thoughts to be in, and shared conversation came secondhand. But I had a thought to share, and although I tried to be quiet about it, I blurted it out. "How is he gonna fit in this booth?"

"I was thinking the same thing," agreed Steve softly, pointing at me. He looked at Natasha. "If he wants to sit in the booth, I'm moving with Scott and Clara."

Natasha rolled her eyes. She didn't look up from her menu. "He brings his own chair."

Steve and I caught each others eye, mildly shocked by Natasha's casual words. She looked up and sighed. "Yes, we've seen each other," she mumbled, which prompted my jaw to drop in surprise and joy for her. Steve grinned and nudged her arm. She tried not to smile. 

"What the..." breathed Scott suddenly. 

We all nodded at him, sympathetically. We were used to the merging of Bruce and Hulk. Scott had never seen him. I nudged him slightly with my arm, silently gesturing for him to lose the dumb look on his face. Scott closed his mouth, but he had little control over how wide his eyes were as Bruce approached us.

"Hey, guys!" said Bruce excitedly, placing his hand in the middle of our table. Steve, Natasha, and I slapped his hand. We turned to Scott, as he didn't, and Scott quickly tapped Bruce's hand, not taking his gaze away from Bruce's eyes. 

Bruce unfolded a seat and sat at the end of our table. 

The waitress came by to take our orders. She was not phased by Bruce, as this was a town he frequented, and the people were used to seeing him by now. She stole our menus back when we were done, brought our drinks, and Bruce's order. 

"I figured it was the regular," she guessed, sliding down their biggest skillet in front of him. She patted his shoulder kindly before she left. 

Bruce grinned at her. He took a bite, then joked, "Come on, I feel like I'm the only one eating here. Try some of this," he said, sticking his fork out to me.

"I'm good, Bruce, thank you," I smiled.

"I'm so confused," breathed Scott, finally. 

"These are confusing times," agreed Bruce.

Scott shook his head. " No, no, that's not what I meant."

Bruce laughed heartily, nodding his head in agreement. "No, I get it. I'm kidding. I know it's crazy! I'm wearing shirts now!"

"How?" asked Scott. 

"Five years ago, we got our asses beat. Except, it was worse for me, because I lost twice. First, Hulk lost, then Banner lost, and then we all lost."

Natasha tilted her head in sympathy. "No one blames you, Bruce."

"I did," he said softly to her. He turned back to Scott. "For years, I've been treating the Hulk like he's some kind of disease, something to get rid of. But then I started to look at him as the cure. Eighteen months in a Gamma Lab, I put the brains and the brawn together. And now look at me: best of both worlds."

A trio of children quietly snuck up on our table. "Excuse me, Mr. Hulk, can we get a photo?" asked one of the children shyly.

Bruce put down his fork. "Of course, little person!" he chimed, making the children smile. One of them handed Bruce a phone, to which he handed to Scott to take a picture.