This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Author's Note: This chapter is in Bruce's perspective. It is also mostly fluff and focusing on Natasha and Bruce because I ship them as hard as I ship Steve and Bucky.

Chapter 25: Reconciliation

Bucky lost consciousness while they made their way back to the tower but Bruce managed to stabilize him using the medical supplies in the QuinJet. Back at the tower Tony had two other doctors waiting to assist Bruce in helping Bucky survive the nasty wound. As it so happened, there wasn't much Bruce since the bullet had missed everything vital and Bucky's super healing had already kicked in. After a half hour of examining Bucky, Bruce was stitching the wounds closed and sterilizing them. Bucky had lost a bit of blood but the tower infirmary had the A + blood type in stock for a transfusion so Bruce hooked the severely weaken man up to a bag.

When he finally exited the infirmary, it was to find Natasha, Steve and the twins all waiting for an update just outside. He once more felt more than a little confusion at the apparent bond that seemed to have formed between all of them while he was out of the loop. Steve was the first to speak though, "How is he? His healing should be faster, right?"

"It is faster, thankfully. If it hadn't he may have bled out. He is stable and recovering. Sargent Barnes is also asleep. Now, I get Steve's concern but what about the rest of you?" Bucky decided to be blunt and to the point.

"Should we tell him? Do you trust him, Nat?" Wanda asked in Russian, much to Bruce's annoyance.

Natasha simply nodded but didn't face Bruce, "Hydra apparently had a hand in the Red Room's Black Widow program. Most of those born from the 'breeding' portion of the program were Bucky's offspring. Bucky is my father. It also turns out that Wanda and Pietro were also conceived from that same program but their mother was aided in escaping by one of the guards. They are also Bucky's children and my half-siblings. We found out a month ago."

Bruce's expression was priceless. His shock was so apparent. It wasn't until a few moments later that he finally realized he had been staring at the three of them trying to find the physical similarities and even more shockingly seeing them. He finally looked away from them and towards Steve, "Is this what was being referred to this morning because I thought they were implying that something more romantic was going on between Nat and Barnes but that doesn't seem very likely with this information."

"Yes. This is what they were talking about when saying Nat was opening up to Bucky. There is nothing romantic. It is purely familial in nature. I'm sorry, they had already requested to keep it quiet and I didn't know if they wanted you to know or not," Steve offered before entering the infirmary without waiting for a response. He wanted to be near his lover and since Bucky was going to be ok, there was no reason he couldn't wait for him to wake at his side.

Bruce looked at the twins who shrugged and followed Steve without the slightest sign of remorse over their manipulations. Natasha sighed but still didn't look at Bruce, "I didn't put them up to it you know. They are literally the clingiest bunch I have ever met. All three have been trying very hard to establish a firm relationship with me and I'm not going to argue with it. Ever since I left the Red Room I have held onto a sliver of a hope at a real family, even if it was just one other person who simply loves me. The knowledge that I have three people who love and care for me unconditionally has done more than you can imagine. Sure the others are good in a friends' sort of way and before now Clint was the closest I had ever had to family but there is something that is more tangible. Papa and the twins care about me for me." With this Natasha moved to follow the others into the infirmary. Brace's hand caught on her arm and whispered something before she could get past him though.

"What?" She as softly, not sure she wanted him to repeat it.

"I said four. You have four people who love and care for you unconditionally," Bruce spoke only slightly louder and he was looking away but Natasha could see the red flushing his cheeks.

"Care to clarify what you just said?" Natasha asked, her emotions now rising back to the surface. She just barely managed to keep her expression blank as the turmoil of feelings raged forth.

Bruce hesitated, as if he was fighting some inner battle before looking at Natasha directly, "You know that I am saying that I love you."

Natasha stiffened before removing his hand with her own. She then turned to back the now fidgeting man against the nearby wall, not with force but rather the intensity of her stare. Once he was against the wall she crowded into his space, leaving scant inches between them, "You know, it's funny. The last time I said something along those lines, you left."

"You also pushed me off a huge chunk of rock that was raising into the sky so that I would become the Hulk just after saying that you 'Adored me', it isn't the same thing," Bruce argued weakly.

"I pushed you because you needed the push. You wouldn't have changed willingly, not right after what happened in Johannesburg. Also, do you realize how hard it is for me to accept any feelings for other people? It took me a year to let Clint and Phil close enough to have some tiny form of friendship. I am still learning. You still haven't explained WHY you left," Natasha's voice was just about a whisper as she spoke next to the man who was practically trembling from the intensity of the situation.

It was at this point that Bruce understood what Tony meant about him needing to know what he really wanted before confronting Natasha. He stumbled as he responded, "I-I left be-because I was running away. Because I was afraid of what I was feeling for you, what you made me want. I left because at the heart of it, I have always run and that is because I am a coward." Bruce couldn't look at Natasha as he spoke and felt as if his heart was going to shatter when she took a step away from him.

He was surprised when he felt her hand being used to turn him to look her in the eye, "If you always run, why are you here now? If you claim to be a coward, why aren't you still running? What was it that I made you want that was so terrifying to y-you?" Natasha's voice waivered and Bruce realized she was fighting back tears.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before wrapping his left arm around Natasha's waist and pulling her tight to him and using his right hand to tilt her head so that he could press his forehead to hers, "I came back because I realized that I can't live without at least trying. I stopped running because for the first time in my life I really don't want to. What I want, what is so absolutely terrifying, is to actually give into what you make me feel. What I want is to love you and be loved by you." Bruce whispered the last sentence before pressing his lips to hers tenderly before pulling away just enough to breath, their lips barely separate.

"I can see why that would be scary. You think I wasn't feeling the same thing?" Natasha hadn't tried to pull any further away before speaking and as such her lips brushed his as she spoke.

Bruce's response was to kiss her again, more insistently. Natasha reciprocated, causing Bruce's heart to speed up. It sped up but he didn't feel the bug guy come to the surface so he felt strangely safe indulging even further in the moment, pulling Natasha even tighter to himself as she deepened the kiss. It was at this moment that a throat clearing indicated that they weren't alone. The two didn't jump apart but rather pulled apart slowly despite the fact that they had been caught practically making out just outside of the infirmary where Natasha's father lay injured.

Natasha was the first to look at the intruder, ready to glare when she realized it was Wanda. Her younger sister leaned against the door frame with one eyebrow raised at the two. Bruce blushed a bit at the clique of being caught by the younger sibling. After a few moments Wanda finally spoke, "Papa is awake Nat. He wishes to see you to ensure you are still well."

Natasha nodded and pulled even further from Bruce before looking directly at him, "This discussion isn't over. F.R.I.D.A.Y. Please lift the restriction of my floors for Dr. Banner and at 6:30 tonight remind him he is to be waiting for me at my door by 7 PM." When the AI confirmed what Natasha said, the red head went into the infirmary. This left Bruce and Wanda in the hall.

Wanda eyed the man before breaking the tension, "Do not hurt her again. I may not be able to cut off your balls or kill you but I can easily trap you within your own mind for a very long time. Do not forget that. Now come, Papa wants to know if he can go back to his rooms yet." With this, Wanda turned back into the infirmary and Bruce followed, not wishing to irritate the powerful witch.

Steve was beside Bucky who was now sitting and firmly holding Steve's hand. It seemed to Bruce as if he were attempting to ground himself in the reality of the moment, much as Bruce and Natasha had been doing a few moments before. Pietro and Natasha smiled fondly at the man on the bed and Wanda was quick to join them.

"Hello, Mr. Barnes. How are you feeling now?" Bruce asked as he looked at the read out of the heart monitor that Bucky had been attached to.

"A lot better than a few hours ago. Bullets always hurt like a bitch. I'm surprised you stitched me up though. My experience has always been for the 'doctor' to simply bandage it until it healed itself. It usually doesn't take too long," Bucky's way of saying doctor told Bruce a multitude of how he was handled. A quick glance told him that the blood bag was empty and it was unlikely that there would be a further need for more. He put gloves on his hands and quickly removed the needle from Bucky's arm and shifted the bag on its rack away.

"Well, if it really heals that quickly, let me take a look and we will see whether they are necessary," Bruce responded before lifting the hospital gown of the man on the bed to expose the bandaging. He pulled away the gauze on Bucky's side and applied light pressure to the area. There was no blood oozing out which was a good sign. "How does it feel with my applying this pressure?"

"A little sore but no more than it would be if it was a two-day old bruise, or at least for a normal person," Bucky responded as he watched Bruce examine the injury.

Bruce nodded before checking if the skin had merged back together, which it had. With another nod he grabbed surgical scissors and chuckled, "Well, you can count yourself lucky that you heal so quickly. Anyone else would have had to keep the stitches in for another two weeks. I suppose I can take them out but you have to promise no strenuous activity for the next two days. At the rate you are healing you should be fine by then."

With this Bruce started to remove the stitches after Bucky nodded his understanding and Steve's stern face told Bruce that he would ensure that his orders were followed even if Bucky didn't like it. After Bruce had removed the stitches he let Steve and the others take Bucky off to his rooms. Bruce had a feeling that Steve would be a mother hen for the next few days but it really was best for Bucky to rest in order to recover properly, regardless of what ever super healing he was capable of.