“Hey, can we… can we stop yet? Please?” Bruce’s words came interspersed with panting.
Natasha tossed a look back over her shoulder to see Bruce slogging along behind her, his cheeks flushed and his wavy hair damp with sweat. “We’re not done yet.”
“Yeah, but, uh, can we be done?”
He sounded so pleading that Natasha was tempted to laugh. “Running is sometimes the most useful skill you can possess in a fight.”
“Right, I get it, run away to live and fight another day and all that. But my blisters are getting blisters, Natasha, come on. Have some pity.”
“We’ve still got another mile to go.”
“Five minutes. Please?”
Natasha relented, coming smoothly to a stop. She stretched her arms above her head to give her shoulders a small pop.
Clearly not expecting her to actually appease him, Bruce stumbled a little and almost ran into her. “Oh God,” he said, bending over and bracing his forearms against his knees. “If I throw up, I’m really sorry.”
Natasha patted him on the back. “You really need to get out of the lab more, buddy.”
“I like it in there. It’s cool, and there’s no sun, and no redheaded slave drivers.”
“You like it when I tell you what to do.”
His face was already red enough that Natasha couldn’t be certain he was blushing. “I like it more when you remind me what a wonderful, compassionate soul you are.”
“You still only get five minutes.”
“Yeah, I thought so.” Bruce straightened up again, pushing his hair away from his forehead. “I think running is a form of cruel and unusual punishment. It should be illegal.”
“Your opinions are duly noted. Still not going to get you out of it, though.”
Bruce sighed and nodded in resignation. It was kind of cute.
“We can explore other options, too, you know. Hand-to-hand? You really should know how to throw a proper punch, for when the Other Guy’s not around.” It wasn’t the first time Natasha had considered making the suggestion. It worried her that Bruce was so dependent on the Hulk to protect himself, that changing into the Hulk was his only true means of defense. A person should be able to rely on no one but themselves.
Not to mention that the Hulk wasn’t always as discriminate as they might like him to be when it came to matters of defense.
“That’s kind of the problem, isn’t it?” Bruce said, rubbing the back of his head. “Hand-to-hand sounds angry. I’m not sure he’d know the difference.”
“You think that would be enough? I fix your form, you take a swing, and suddenly you’re green?” Admittedly it wasn’t the most pleasant thought Natasha had ever had, but the time she’d spent with Bruce had given her more trust in his control than that. She was fairly certain that they all trusted Bruce more than he trusted himself.
Averting his eyes, Bruce said, “I’d rather not take the chance.”
“You have to be able to defend yourself. You’re an Avenger now, Bruce. Not just the Hulk-- you.”
It was a fact that Natasha wasn’t sure Bruce completely grasped. The Hulk might be the one who fought their battles, but Bruce and the Hulk were part and parcel, and it was Bruce who labored in the lab trying to solve their problems and it was Bruce who sat in on their planning sessions. It was Bruce who Natasha liked to sit with when it was quiet, enjoying his calm presence and subtle sense of humor.
“I’m still not sure what you all get out of that deal.”
Natasha resisted the urge to roll her eyes, because it was childish. “Have you read your own resume?”
“And that’s worth the very real downside to having me around?”
There were a lot of things Natasha could have said in response. She could have mentioned that the perks of having an unstoppable force on their side far outweighed the risks, and he’d proven that during the fight against Loki. She could have brought up the invaluable research he did, or the way he was able to work with Tony in a way no one else could. (Natasha thought he might deserve a medal for that, honestly.) She could even have said simply that, you know what? They actually liked Bruce, and they wanted him around.
Any of that would have been true but none of it really mattered when Bruce didn’t truly believe it himself. Natasha could never convince him of something he refused to see.
This was what she did instead. She leaned in for a kiss, just a brief press of lips, and then watched Bruce stare at her in shock. She said, “You’re dumb, you know that? Cute, but dumb.”
“Thank you?” Bruce said. He was still staring, his lips slightly parted. He was sweaty and mussed and dressed in not particularly flattering workout clothes, but Natasha was caught by an urge to give him a proper kiss, a kiss that would earn more than a bit of surprise.
Not yet, though. There would be time enough for that.
Natasha flashed him a quick grin before grabbing hold of his elbow to pull him along with her as she broke into a run again. “Come on, lover boy, your five minutes are up. Avengers have to train, even if they’re Bruce Banner.”
Bruce fell into step beside her. “Does it have to be running though?”
“Running’s good for you,” Natasha promised. “If nothing else you’ll be in good shape for the zombie apocalypse.”
“Oh, right, ‘cause that’s a thing we should be concerned about.”
“When you’ve fought aliens, zombies don’t seem so far-fetched.”
“Okay, point. You still read too many YA novels.”
“Don’t knock ‘em till you’ve tried ‘em, big guy.” They ran in silence for a short while before Natasha added, “And hey, I’m not averse to rewarding good behavior. Something you want?”
“I could think of something,” Bruce said quietly. His steps rang out in pace with Natasha’s the rest of the way.
[MCU, Bruce/Natasha, running]
Natasha tossed a look back over her shoulder to see Bruce slogging along behind her, his cheeks flushed and his wavy hair damp with sweat. “We’re not done yet.”
“Yeah, but, uh, can we be done?”
He sounded so pleading that Natasha was tempted to laugh. “Running is sometimes the most useful skill you can possess in a fight.”
“Right, I get it, run away to live and fight another day and all that. But my blisters are getting blisters, Natasha, come on. Have some pity.”
“We’ve still got another mile to go.”
“Five minutes. Please?”
Natasha relented, coming smoothly to a stop. She stretched her arms above her head to give her shoulders a small pop.
Clearly not expecting her to actually appease him, Bruce stumbled a little and almost ran into her. “Oh God,” he said, bending over and bracing his forearms against his knees. “If I throw up, I’m really sorry.”
Natasha patted him on the back. “You really need to get out of the lab more, buddy.”
“I like it in there. It’s cool, and there’s no sun, and no redheaded slave drivers.”
“You like it when I tell you what to do.”
His face was already red enough that Natasha couldn’t be certain he was blushing. “I like it more when you remind me what a wonderful, compassionate soul you are.”
“You still only get five minutes.”
“Yeah, I thought so.” Bruce straightened up again, pushing his hair away from his forehead. “I think running is a form of cruel and unusual punishment. It should be illegal.”
“Your opinions are duly noted. Still not going to get you out of it, though.”
Bruce sighed and nodded in resignation. It was kind of cute.
“We can explore other options, too, you know. Hand-to-hand? You really should know how to throw a proper punch, for when the Other Guy’s not around.” It wasn’t the first time Natasha had considered making the suggestion. It worried her that Bruce was so dependent on the Hulk to protect himself, that changing into the Hulk was his only true means of defense. A person should be able to rely on no one but themselves.
Not to mention that the Hulk wasn’t always as discriminate as they might like him to be when it came to matters of defense.
“That’s kind of the problem, isn’t it?” Bruce said, rubbing the back of his head. “Hand-to-hand sounds angry. I’m not sure he’d know the difference.”
“You think that would be enough? I fix your form, you take a swing, and suddenly you’re green?” Admittedly it wasn’t the most pleasant thought Natasha had ever had, but the time she’d spent with Bruce had given her more trust in his control than that. She was fairly certain that they all trusted Bruce more than he trusted himself.
Averting his eyes, Bruce said, “I’d rather not take the chance.”
“You have to be able to defend yourself. You’re an Avenger now, Bruce. Not just the Hulk-- you.”
It was a fact that Natasha wasn’t sure Bruce completely grasped. The Hulk might be the one who fought their battles, but Bruce and the Hulk were part and parcel, and it was Bruce who labored in the lab trying to solve their problems and it was Bruce who sat in on their planning sessions. It was Bruce who Natasha liked to sit with when it was quiet, enjoying his calm presence and subtle sense of humor.
“I’m still not sure what you all get out of that deal.”
Natasha resisted the urge to roll her eyes, because it was childish. “Have you read your own resume?”
“And that’s worth the very real downside to having me around?”
There were a lot of things Natasha could have said in response. She could have mentioned that the perks of having an unstoppable force on their side far outweighed the risks, and he’d proven that during the fight against Loki. She could have brought up the invaluable research he did, or the way he was able to work with Tony in a way no one else could. (Natasha thought he might deserve a medal for that, honestly.) She could even have said simply that, you know what? They actually liked Bruce, and they wanted him around.
Any of that would have been true but none of it really mattered when Bruce didn’t truly believe it himself. Natasha could never convince him of something he refused to see.
This was what she did instead. She leaned in for a kiss, just a brief press of lips, and then watched Bruce stare at her in shock. She said, “You’re dumb, you know that? Cute, but dumb.”
“Thank you?” Bruce said. He was still staring, his lips slightly parted. He was sweaty and mussed and dressed in not particularly flattering workout clothes, but Natasha was caught by an urge to give him a proper kiss, a kiss that would earn more than a bit of surprise.
Not yet, though. There would be time enough for that.
Natasha flashed him a quick grin before grabbing hold of his elbow to pull him along with her as she broke into a run again. “Come on, lover boy, your five minutes are up. Avengers have to train, even if they’re Bruce Banner.”
Bruce fell into step beside her. “Does it have to be running though?”
“Running’s good for you,” Natasha promised. “If nothing else you’ll be in good shape for the zombie apocalypse.”
“Oh, right, ‘cause that’s a thing we should be concerned about.”
“When you’ve fought aliens, zombies don’t seem so far-fetched.”
“Okay, point. You still read too many YA novels.”
“Don’t knock ‘em till you’ve tried ‘em, big guy.” They ran in silence for a short while before Natasha added, “And hey, I’m not averse to rewarding good behavior. Something you want?”
“I could think of something,” Bruce said quietly. His steps rang out in pace with Natasha’s the rest of the way.