Before the War

Confronting the Past and Near Future

    "Bruce." Natasha slowly neared her old friend. The team had just made the decision to pack things up and head to Wakanda. It was Vision's best chance, and evidently the world's best chance.

Bruce was fidgeting with his hands and trying to conjure words. "Nat... I wa- Hi."

"We've already gone through that."

"Right, right... How are you?"

Natasha sighed, tilted her head as if to think the question over. "Oh, me? I've been better. Had a rough couple of years, but a good one too. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

She was teasing him; trying to lighten the mood.

"Ha. Yeah. It has been a while. About that..."

She sighed. "Before you say anything, I just want you to know that I'm glad to see you. Truly. You have no idea how worried I was about you."

Bruce's eyes lit up. He looked like he had been given the hope he needed for the coming conflict.

"But..." She began.

That hope dashed suddenly from his eyes. "But? Nat, please know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry about it all. So sorry. I would've contacted you, or called. The other guy..."

"No. Stop. It's been over three years Bruce. I'd kinda stopped worrying." She didn't want to be harsh. But there was no way around it. She shook her head in his direction.

"You've... you've moved on." Bruce shook his head, trying to play the understanding ex. He thought he was an ex, an ex-something at the very least.

"Yes, but this isn't about that Bruce. This is about you and me."

"Well. Nat, I-" In that moment he locked eyes with Steve from across the room. Bruce was shocked and confused to say the least. Steve looked at him in a way he hadn't ever seen that man look at anyone. Though people do change, it had been over three years. The man had also been on the run for two of those years. That sort of lifestyle changes you. Bruce knew that.

It was then that realization struck him. Who Steve had been on the run with for 2 of the years he was gone. He turned back to Natasha. A solid suspicion settled in his mind.

"Bruce, I don't want to dig up painful memories. I was quite forward in our short..." she paused, "time spent together. I piled a lot on you very quickly. And looking back on it, it might not have been for the right reasons. I was feeling pretty desperate and confused at the time. You were too if I remember correctly."

Bruce shook his head.

"We found kindred spirits in each other. We were already friends, and you have many attractive qualities. But..." she struggled to find the word she was looking for.

"But I left you. Nat, I'm-"

"I don't want to hear another sorry out of you again. What we had, it was... it was what it was. You weren't ready. I suppose neither was I. But I do believe what happened was for the best. We both came out better for it." She shook her head, believing the words she spoke.

She sounded so sure of herself, that she caught Bruce staring. She was stronger and perhaps wiser than he had remembered. Time tended to change people, but never Bruce Banner. Natasha thought he was the exact same.

"Bruce, I was hoping we'd be able to salvage our friendship from all of this. Start fresh. You know me, I always appreciate a clean slate."

"I'd like nothing more." He smiled.