𝗀 𝗁 𝗈 𝗌 𝗍 | | 𝗌 𝗍 𝖾 𝗏 𝖾 𝗋 𝗈 𝗀 𝖾 𝗋 𝗌

𝖾 𝗂 𝗀 𝗁 𝗍 𝗒 － 𝗈 𝗇 𝖾

✧ 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟥, 𝗎𝗉𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗒𝗈𝗋𝗄 ✧

MARTA HAD TRIED TO PREPARE Scott for what Bruce had turned himself into as best as she could, but when they got to the restaurant the next morning, it was like all she had said was completely irrelevant to Scott. Bruce was himself, in the Hulk's body. It took Marta some getting used to, but it worked well for Bruce. Steven adored Bruce no matter what form he was in. "Uncle Bruce!" he had cheered when they got to the restaurant, practically jumping out of Steve's arms.

        Steve sat with Steven in his lap, Marta trying to feed their distracted son with Natasha and Scott across from them, Bruce at the head of the table. "Come on, I feel like I'm the only one eating. Try some of that. Have some eggs." Bruce said, pushing a bowl full of eggs towards a bewildered Scott.

        "I'm so confused." Scott said, Steven placing his cup down with a dramatic exhale, Natasha smiling at him.

        "These are confusing times." Bruce said with a small laugh, glasses over his eyes.

        Scott shook his head. "Right. No, no, that's not what I meant." he said. Steven got a hold of a knife, and Steve took it from him quickly, placing it out of the toddler's reach.

        Bruce smiled. "No, I get it. I'm kidding! I know. It's crazy. I'm wearing shirts now." he gestured to himself.

        "Yeah! Wh...How? Why?" Scott asked before he could stop himself.

        "Five years ago, we got our asses beat. Except it was worse for me. Because I lost twice. First, Hulk lost, then Banner lost. Then, we all lost." Bruce said, a tall stack of burritos in front of him.

        Natasha looked up at her old flame. "No one blamed you, Bruce." she said, staring Bruce in the eyes.

        "I did. For years, I've been treating the Hulk like he's some kind of disease, something to get rid of. But then I started looking 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..." Bruce said with a grin.

        Marta paid attention to her whining son instead of the three children asking Bruce for a picture. "I don't know why he's freaking out." Marta said to Steve, frustrated as Steven pushed his plate away, mad about something.

        Steve offered their son his dinosaur, but he didn't want it, and only further agitated his mother. Scott and Bruce were having some kind of argument over getting a picture with the kids, and Natasha was stuck in the middle of it. "Okay, well just try to relax." Steve said gently to his wife, trying and failing to calm Steven down.

        Rolling her eyes, Marta offered Steven water, but he didn't want that either. "No one has ever relaxed after being told to relax." Marta quipped, taking a deep breath as Steven continued whining. He was always so communicative, except for right then, apparently.

        Steve had an arm around Marta's shoulder. "He always tries to copy you. Maybe he's picking up on your general frustration that you've evidently had for days." Steve said knowingly, and Marta sighed. He was probably right.

        Marta shifted closer to Steve, and his arm tightened around her in just the right way. "You're so old and wise these days." Marta said, her husband pressing a kiss into her hair.

        Taking a drink from his water glass as the issue between Scott, Bruce and the kids continued, Steve tried to refocus the conversation. "About what we were saying..." Steve trailed off when he got Bruce's attention.

        "Right. The whole time travel do-over? Guys, it's outside my area of expertise." Bruce said, and Marta knew she was right not to have real hope that this could work.

        "Well, you pulled this off. I remember a time when that seemed pretty impossible, too." Natasha said, and Bruce caved. But Marta still wasn't on board with the whole plan yet.

✧

WHEN THEY GOT BACK TO the compound with Bruce, he instantly got to work with Scott, Natasha supervising them so they didn't kill themselves. Marta put Steven down for his nap that he very much needed, folding laundry in hers and Steve's bedroom, aiming to distance herself from the chaos that was happening in the lab.

        Steve walked into the room, sighing quietly when he saw Marta angrily folding clothes. "All right. Start talking." Steve said, crossing the room to lean against the dresser, checking through the monitor that Steven was sleeping peacefully.

        Marta placed one of Steven's sweaters down on the bed. "About what?" Marta asked without looking up.

        "About what's making you so upset." Steve's arms crossed over his chest, his muscles flexing.

        Marta made a pile of Steven's clothes, tucking some of her hair behind her ears. She knew there was no hope of getting Steve to leave the subject alone now. "I don't think this will work, and I don't want to think this will work. I don't want to get my hopes up." her eyes landed on the picture of herself, Bucky and Rebecca on her nightstand.

        Steve knew that's what was bothering her. He walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it as he started helping Marta fold their son's laundry. "I get it. But it can't hurt to try." Steve said quietly, and Marta nodded.

        "I just don't want anything to happen to him." Marta said knowingly, gesturing to their baby asleep on the monitor.

        Steve reached out and grasped Marta's hand. "Honey, you know I won't let anything happen to him. That's why they're doing tests, to ensure nothing happens. Steven's gonna be fine." Steve promised, rubbing the back of Marta's hand with his thumb.

        Marta placed one of Steven's shirts in the pile. "Okay." she said unenthusiastically, and Steve kissed her twice.

        There was a tiny voice on the monitor and Steve and Marta looked up to hear Steven calling out for them, sitting up in his little bed. Marta sighed, and Steve kissed her again. "I'll get him." he said, and Marta smiled appreciatively. Steve truly was the best husband and father Marta could have ever imagined.

✧