The Path to the Tower

7.2: Placing Bets

Bruce was not used to this kind of attention. He had just gotten completely relaxed around Tony with the random poking, excited pats on the shoulder, and hugs. He had spent so long now alone and on the run that just getting used to that again was difficult for him. Even before that it was only really Betty that treated him like that. After developing Dissociative Identity Disorder as a child thanks to the numerous brutal beatings inflicted on him by his father, he self-isolated a lot. That, on top of the merciless bullying he received at the hands of classmates, meant that Bruce Banner really didn't know how to relate to people.

When Natasha and Clint set their sights on him, he felt like a deer caught in headlights. It wasn't that he didn't like the attention, he just second-guessed it. He didn't know why they were doing it. Was it an elaborate prank? Was this their way of bullying him? He kept looking for the punchline and he couldn't for the life of him see what it was. He started getting these images in his head of him tied naked to the bed and all the Avengers laughing at him for believing for a second they were interested in him.

Clint was slightly more aggressive than Natasha, something the Hulk was responding to a little too strongly for Bruce's liking. He'd jump out at him from nowhere and then put his arm around his shoulder assuring Bruce he wasn't scared of him and then making some completely unsubtle innuendo before disappearing again. Hulk started pushing whenever he was around. Take the little bird. Show him what you can do. That you shouldn't push unless you expect the person to push back.

Natasha was more subtle. There was just a constant level of flirting. Hulk liked that too but in a completely different way and they ended up harnessing it as a way to pull Bruce back again when there was a Hulk out. With Clint, it felt like all he needed to do was say yes, and Clint would pull him into the nearest room and suck his dick. With Natasha, it seemed like she was waiting for him to come to her. Part of him thought that was her way of letting him get used to the idea of them together and for him to go to her. The louder part kept saying 'this was just what she was like' and 'she's just trying to set you up for humiliation'.

The biggest thing he couldn't work out was, he was sure they were a couple. So why were they messing with him?

When the team finally tracked down Loki's scepter and Bruce and Tony had started trying to build the Ultron Project using whatever was inside it, Tony threw a party as a farewell for Thor. Natasha had been playing games with him all night. He liked it. Or at least he thought he did. Pretending to be someone other than Bruce Banner was fun at the very least. Her comment about him doing her wrong left him confused and perplexed though. Not sure if it was a game or not.

Steve approached him and leaned against the bar. "That's nice."

Bruce looked at him startled like he'd been caught doing something wrong. Or maybe now was when he heard the 'gotcha'. "What - what - what is?" He stuttered.

"You and Romanoff," Steve answered. His voice was kind and warm and still, Bruce felt the panicked need to run.

"No. We haven't... That wasn't..." He said pulling back and trying to placate him.

"It's okay," Steve said laughing. "Nobody's breaking any bylaws. It's just she's not the most... open person in the world. But with you, she seems very relaxed."

"No... Natasha... She's..." Bruce argued. "She likes to flirt."

Steve laughed and shook his head and reached over the bar grabbing himself a beer. "That is true. But she's almost never just flirting. She likes you. If you want more..."

Bruce made a small scoffing sound. Hearing it from Steve made him feel a little better. He wanted to believe that Steve Rogers of all people wouldn't be setting him up for humiliation. "I - She... Isn't she with Clint?"

Steve turned and looked at him seriously. "You don't know?"

"What... what... what don't I know?" He asked looking around, that feeling of the punchline about to hit.

"I probably shouldn't be the one telling you. Should come from one of them." Steve said glancing around the room. "They're open. Is that the right word? Where people are together but they see other people? Also, they probably would tell you they aren't together either, that they're just messing around, but they definitely are. Together that is. She's serious about you though. So's he. If you wanted to be a part of that..."

Bruce felt winded. He wasn't sure what he'd expected the end result of all the flirting from Clint and Natasha would be, but it definitely wasn't polyamory. He had enough trouble dealing with the fact that there was one potential relationship let alone two. "What... have... have you? With them?"

Steve laughed and shook his head again. "No. Nearly though. Was kinda lost when I woke up. They're good people and even though they try and tell themselves otherwise, they love very deeply." He took a breath and looked over at where Clint was playing pool with Sam. "Look, as maybe the world's leading authority on waiting too long; don't. You all deserve a win. They're ..." He frowned and Bruce could see the wheels turning. He looked up and smiled, patting Bruce on the shoulder. "Talk to them."

Bruce furrowed his brow and watched him go and while in a lot of ways he was much less confused now, he felt further away from knowing what he actually wanted.