We Die Like MEN
Bruce,
You are quite right. I had nothing to worry about regarding my sister. There’s always heavy teasing with her, but she always means well, even if she won’t admit it. I think it’s really important to Loki that Sig feels comfortable around us, and the two of them were uneasy for a minute there. But they were friends for so long, they know how to read each other already. It’s nice.
Sif tells me that you and Tony have been talking more. I know he can be a vexing friend to have on occasion, but I’m glad that you decided to tell him about your mother. I don’t know what possessed you to tell me. You can trust me, of course, I don’t want you to think that you can’t. But people don’t often trust me with big things.
My family trusts me with the big things, as does Sig, but I’m not usually the friend one goes to with that sort of thing. Maybe it’s because I haven’t done well with secrets in the past. I hope you really do trust me, Bruce. I hope you still want to talk to me once this project is complete. I hope that someday I can see you, and we can talk.
- Thor
Bruce stared at the paper, not even trying to keep his expression hidden from Natasha. Thor wanted Bruce to trust him. Thor wanted to stay in touch after the project was over. Thor wanted to speak with him.
“What’d tall, blonde, and goofy say?” asked Natasha.
“Just some stuff about trust and staying friends after the project is over.”
“Cute. You should tell him you like him.”
Bruce glared at her. He had become a member of a select group of people who were even allowed to glare at Natasha.
“Are you insane? I’d have to wait days to hear back, I’d lose what little is left of my mind.”
“Exactly,” said Natasha, “no instant replies, we die like men.”
Bruce rolled his eyes. The way he and Thor had “met” did give him the opportunity to get it all out without interruption or the return of his stutter. But there was no way he would let Natasha know he was even considering it. If you gave Romanoff an inch, she took seven leagues.
“So what’s stopping you?” asked Bruce.
“You sound like Bucky and Steve,” scoffed Natasha.
“I’ve been called worse,” said Bruce.
“The truth is...I’ve thought about telling him, a lot. But there’s always something else
going on with him, and I don’t want to make him uncomfortable. Bottom line is I want him to be able to talk to me about anything, so I don’t say anything.”
“Wow. You’re even more ridiculous than I thought,” said Bruce, “you could not make him uncomfortable if you tried.”
“Keep poking holes in my excuse and I’ll tell Loki about your raging crush on their brother. They don’t have the same qualms that I do about exposing your nerdy bi ass.”
“Alright, alright, fine, please don’t expose my nerdy bi ass.”
Bruce smiled with the knowledge that he was planning on exposing his nerdy bi ass himself, but wanted to do it on his own terms. That was the way it had to be with Bruce. As long as he had a semblance of control over the situation, then he had a feeling that everything was going to work out fine.
#
Clint had been racking his brain for days. It was obvious that Natasha liked someone, and Bruce knew, and so did Bucky and Steve, but she’d never told Clint. And he was her best friend, but Bruce goddamn Banner knew before he did. Was Clint going to handle this in a responsible way, indicative of how much he cared for and trusted his best friend? Absolutely not. Was he going to handle it like a petulant teenager hung up on a girl and too chickenshit to do anything about it? Absolutely.
Clint sat at lunch with Natasha, Bucky, and Steve, just like usual. But that day, he decided to get to the bottom of Natasha’s crush in as dickish a way as possible. And yeah, he could have talked to Natasha in private, but he was a little miffed about the Bruce goddamn Banner of it all.
“So,” said Clint, “I’m the only one at this table who doesn’t know about Natasha’s secret crush.”
Natasha remained calm, as Bucky started choking on his food. Steve patted his back and waited patiently for him to stop coughing.
“Get a hold of yourself, Bucky,” said Natasha.
Bucky got a hold of himself.
“So they do know? How come you didn’t tell me?” asked Clint, trying to sound more teasing than hurt and failing miserably.
“I didn’t tell them. They guessed,” said Natasha.
“Unbelievable. So I have to guess too?” asked Clint.
“If you want,” said Natasha.
Steve and Bucky each gave her a look that said are you for real right now.
“This should be easy. I mean, you’re my best friend,” said Clint.
“This should be fun,” said Bucky.
“Ten bucks says you’re wrong,” replied Steve.
Clint shrugged.
“I’ll get there,” he said, “I mean, the only way I wouldn’t guess is if it was me, and you would never.”
Steve and Bucky shared a glance that Clint couldn’t parse. Natasha grunted. She grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt, pulled him close, and kissed him. On the mouth in the cafeteria because she was fucking crazy.
“Don’t tell me what to do, Barton,” she said softly.
Natasha stood up and walked away, the situation too awkward for even her to salvage. Clint sat there in a state as Steve wordlessly handed Bucky a ten dollar bill.
“Clint, what the hell are you still doing here? You like her too, don’t you?” asked Bucky.
“Yeah but-she just-how did you-”
“Move, bitch!” interrupted Steve.
“Language!” called Tony from across the room.
“Fuck you, Stark!” cried Steve as Clint tripped over himself running out of the cafeteria.
He slid into the hallway, and Natasha was walking down the hallway, almost imperceptibly slower than her normal pace. She was the only one in the hallway besides Clint.
“You’re fucking crazy, you know that?” he asked.
Natasha whipped around, a look of uncertainty on her face. He walked towards her, and she didn’t move away. She squared her shoulders and steeled her gaze.
“Why’s that?” she asked.
“Because you’re the most terrifying person I’ve ever met, but you’re warm and kind and you bring me back when I quit acting like myself. Because you charge Steve and Bucky for being mushy in front of you, but I know you already spent most of that money on a birthday present for Becca. Because you told Loki to go after Sig, but you refused to go after me. Maybe I’m a hypocrite, since I’ve got a big crush on you and I didn’t do anything, but you’ll probably forgive me, because you kissed me in the cafeteria because you’re fucking crazy-”
Natasha kissed him, quickly and gently, one hand cradling the side of his head.
“Tasha,” he whispered.
She smiled.