We Can Have This.

Chapter 3

"So Natasha never mentioned a Bruce," Bucky asked nonchalantly, or so he hoped from the back of Clint's car.

"No, why?" Yelena queried.

"No reason," Bucky said, the faintest of smug smiles touching the corner of his lips.

"Don't let it go to your head, Barnes," Clint warned from the driving seat of his car.

"Who is this, Bruce?" Yelena asked the pair, confused.

"Dr Bruce Banner, also known as the Hulk," Clint replied.

"The Hulk? Why are we going to see the Hulk?"

"Well, he helped with our time heist, and without Tony, he's our best hope of some answers. Plus, he'll be at his lab, which is at the new Avengers compound, sort of base of operations. From there, we can contact Rocket, Thor, Carol, Shuri, or anyone with answers."

"Right," Yelena said, thinking that answered her question; it partially did, but why did James think Natasha should've mentioned him to her? "So why would Natasha have mentioned this Bruce to me?"

Clint connected his eyes with Barnes, staring daggers at him in the rearview mirror, but he should've known better than to attempt that with what Sam had nicknamed the bionic staring machine. Bucky had made an art of staring at someone until they either stopped talking or agreed with him. So far, Sam and Steve before him were the only two who had managed to get around that particular personality trait. There was an awkward pause. Yelena's head flicked between the two, baffled.

"What are you doing? Are you two having a staring contest right now? Grow up; you'll crash the car."

She had a point; Clint's vision was tremendous, but continuing was stupid.

"So why would Natasha have mentioned Bruce?" Yelena queried again.

Barnes clearly refused to answer Yelena's question, now choosing to stare out the car window, so it was up to Clint to answer.

"Well, there was a time when they, Bruce and Natasha were, nearly, kind of involved."

"Natasha with the Hulk? The big green one?" Yelena exclaimed.

Barnes snickered then coughed, trying but failing to hide his amusement, and Clint grimaced; he had to admit it sounded rather absurd when you put in those rather factual terms.

"He's not always been big and green, and you know 'Gggrrr Hulk smash'." Barnes now guffawed at Clint's timid expression. "He was often just a kind of regular guy."

"With a rather serious anger management problem," Bucky retorted.

"You are not one to talk, Barnes," Clint reprimanded. Bucky had fought almost every Avenger at some point, Natasha included, and Clint was grateful not to be included in the list. The visible bruises and not-so-visible scars after such an altercation had made Clint glad to have never crossed the path of the Winter Soldier. Barnes had nearly killed Natasha twice, and yet, for some reason, Clint couldn't fathom she'd chosen to engage in a romantic relationship with him, one that had emotionally scared her deeply.

"Urgh. She has the worst taste in men," Yelena said wearily, rubbing her face in her hands. It wasn't even midday; she'd been drinking, and now she was taking a long journey in a car with two Avengers who seemed to be bickering like her false parents once had.

"Hey, I'm sitting right here!" Bucky complained, and from the front, Clint now failed to suppress his amusement.

"Big green monsters and then you, a how old are you again? One-hundred and ten-year-old ex-assassin with serious psychological problems."