He gestured for us all to follow him and we all obeyed, leaving our trays at the counter. Sam, Rhodey and Vision joined us as we walked. We made our way to the foyer of the building and stopped abruptly. There was a man standing there, un-shaven for possibly weeks, brown hair messy, and posture slightly hunched over. He looking sheepishly at Nat who was glowering with fury at his presence. I stood behind Wanda, wrapping my arms around her waist protectively. Her body posture was emitting fear at seeing him and so I was concerned.
"Hey, guys." He waved awkwardly.
"Bruce," Steve was stoic in his greeting.
"We thought you'd been killed," Tony was the first to hug him. "The lab hasn't been the same without you."
"I just needed to get away everything for a while. What with there still being a possibility for my arrest after that whole catastrophe in Africa."
"You could have told us you were still alive!" Clint exclaimed. He was inevitably on Romanoff's side.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do. I was scared and I knew I needed to keep myself hidden for a few months." Nat walked over to him, standing directly in front of him. She hesitated before slapping him harshly, his head snapping to the side and so he saw us. His expression changed from nervous to angry. "What is she doing here?" he growled, gesturing at Wanda who stepped back, moving even closer towards me.
"Dr. Banner, I-" She started.
"I don't want to hear it! You don't deserve to be here!"
"Hey!" I moved in front of my girlfriend, acting as a barrier. "Back the fuck off, dude. Don't speak to her like that!"
"And who the hell are you? Run along, kid." Oh, what I would give to tell you who I really am… Do it! Really? Yes! I smiled inwardly.
"I'm Piper Knight, also known as the Ice Queen due to my physical abilities to control anything cold. An Avenger and as well as that, Wanda's girlfriend. So once again. Back. The fuck. Off. No one talks to her like that, not unless they have a death wish. Comprendé?" I growled.
"Wait, what?" The team all asked in unison, all except Vision, anyway.
"You're with her?! Do you know what she did? To me? To this team? I could have killed people because of her!"
"Of course I know. But as I've told people before, we all make mistakes. Everyone; including you, including me. I know for a fact you hate being judged for mistakes you've made and yet you then become a hypocrite by judging others. How dare you? You don't know what's happened to them for that mistake to be made. We all have a story. And Wanda's is beautifully tragic. Just like mine and everyone else on this team."
"My mistakes are different." Dr. Banner didn't know how to react. His anger was dissolving at the prospect of facing not just an angry girlfriend but an enhanced angry girlfriend.
"Also, she has earnt on a place on this team because she is amazingly talented. Of course I'm biased because I love her but no one can deny the beauty, the magnificence, of her abilities." I looked back at her with a loving smile. She smiled back.
He didn't say anything further, there was just some heavy breathing so I turned around and wrapped Wanda up in a hug, calming my ragged breaths and letting my irritation evaporate. She was clinging to me, letting the fear wash away. I kissed the top of her head to calm her, assure her that I was there and not letting go. Every set of eyes belonging to the team was on us, burning holes into us intensely. I lifted my head up to look at them and was met with smiles everywhere.
"A truce then? It seems the only logical idea for all of us. Maximoff?" Bruce offered his hand out.
"Truce." She faced him. "I really want to move forward. I didn't know what I was doing back then. I was disillusioned by hatred and Ultron utilised that, making us think that we had a place in this world, albeit by his side. But I've trained with these incredible people and it's made me a better person." She shook his hand.
"I know you didn't mean to. Your powers are good but I'm good at holding a grudge. I'll try to let it go though. Just don't expect it to be quick."
"Of course not."
"I am sorry about your brother, as well." Wanda visibly tensed. "I suppose he was a good kid when it came down to it."
"Thank you. I miss him every day."
I could see how upset Wanda was at the mention of her twin. "C'mon, love. Let's go back to our room. We'll meet you guys at the planning room in fifteen."
"That was a low blow, Banner," I heard Natasha hiss as we walked away. "She took weeks to even remotely consider speaking to someone after that. It was only when Piper turned up we got her back."
"It wasn't meant-" We lost them from our hearing range.
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the hallway. We climbed a few sets of stairs before she broke down. I hugged her tightly and sat us down, resting her head on my shoulder and rubbing comforting circles into her back until she slowly started to calm down. I don't know how long we were there for but Steve and Tony came to find us. They sat down on a lower step and waited until the crying reduced to sniffling.
"Hey, look. It's Uncle Tony and Papa Steve come to check on us," There was a hoarse chuckle but that was our only response.
"We got worried when you didn't turn up to the planning room so thought it best to come find you both," Tony informed us.
"Thank you," Wanda sniffled.
"His comment really got to you, huh?" Steve was clearly concerned. He patted her knee.
"Yeah, it hurt. I keep thinking that I'll move on from the pain but it always catches up."
"The pain will never leave, but it does fade. It takes time, Wanda."
"I know, but it's emotionally straining. Piper is the only person getting me through it."
"Speaking of Piper," Tony broke into a grin. "You're a couple, huh? That's fantastic. When did it happen?"
"An hour and a half ago. When we went back to our room after the gym session. I nearly broke the gym bag because that's when the realisation hit me."
"And in the shower before and after the gym session…" Wanda remarked.
"Yes, and then. Thank you, dear."
"You're welcome," a smile had started to form on her face.
"We're just glad you finally realised it," Steve smiled gently.
"Thanks, Steve. So are we."
"Let's hit the planning room, girls."
"Yes, boss," Wanda grinned.
I'm trying desperately to get this finished for one of my best friend's birthday but it's not looking good. She will be the first person to get a hard copy though. It may just be an early Christmas present. Love you, buddy, just letting you know in advance.