The car pulled up to an average looking building on the ordinary street they were traveling on. The two agents in the front seat both exited the vehicle before the passenger agent opened the door for Bruce and Natasha. The driver agent stood at the door to the building waiting for the group to catch up with him. Natasha stepped into the building first followed by Bruce and then the two agents. They entered the first floor that seemed to be the lobby of an apartment complex, but continued past the front desk to an office in the back of the room. Inside the small space, the group huddled close together to allow one agent to close the office door, while Natasha entered a secure passcode into the keypad hidden in the back wall.
A new door opened from a panel in the wall. Natasha stepped through and continued down the small set of winding stairs with Bruce at her heels. "Your secure SHIELD facility is in the basement of an apartment building?" Bruce asked.
"This building houses 30 SHIELD agents who rotate guarding the criminals that are being held down here until the board can decide what to do with them." Natasha answered, without looking back at Bruce.
"How many criminals are down here?" Bruce looked over the railing to see a glow coming from below. It was too dark to see anything specific.
"Five now with Qaseem being held here." Natasha stepped off the final step and to the frosted glass door blocking their path. She entered another code and the door opened to reveal a long hallway with four cells on each side. Two guards were posted at the door that Natasha and Bruce walked through. They stepped into a small room to the right of the entrance.
"Agent Romanoff. Dr. Banner." A guard acknowledged from the desk in the center. "Davar is in cell seven. He has been asking to see you." The guard spoke to Bruce.
"That's what I hear." Bruce took a breath to steady his nerves.
"Has the party started yet?" They turned to see Tony standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing here, Stark?" Natasha questioned.
"Hey, I was the one to capture that lunatic. I want to hear what he has to say." Tony looked like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
"How did you get in here anyway?" Natasha said.
"That would be my fault." A new voice replied before stepping into view.
"Rogers, come on." Natasha complained.
"You know how he gets when he wants something. He was eventually going to hack the system and find out." Steve interjected.
"Just because he flashes his puppy dog eyes doesn't mean you give in to him and his antics. I thought you would be stronger than that, Captain America." She returned.
"I do not have puppy dog eyes!" Tony argued.
"Enough!" Bruce interrupted. The group silenced – surprised by the sudden outburst of the normally quite doctor. "You are all acting like a bunch of children. He wants to talk to me, so I am going down there. Alone." Bruce's face took on a serious expression.
The other Avengers looked at Bruce with understanding. Steve shifted his weight to his right foot, uncomfortable, Natasha nodded, and Tony, being Tony, couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Just so you know, I'm going to watch from the monitors." He patted Bruce's shoulder as he walked past him to the screens on the back wall, each one watching a different inmate.
Bruce rolled his eyes and sighed. He took a step toward the door, but Natasha grabbed his arm to stop him. "What is it?"
"Be careful. Don't let him get to you." Natasha warned.
"You think this facility can handle an outburst?" Bruce looked at the concrete ceiling above and Natasha gave a small laugh.
"Let's not find out, Big Guy." She let go of his arm.
Bruce smiled at her then turned and walked past Steve in the doorway and into the hall. He read the numbers above each cell – it was like reading the numbers above the classrooms, trying to find the right class – finally, he reached cell seven.
Qaseem was sitting straight up on his bed looking directly at Bruce as he came into view. He wore an orange jumpsuit and slip on shoes like any other inmate would, but Qaseem acted as if he wasn't confined in a concrete cell; he seemed to be free.
"Hello, Bruce." He grinned. "It is good to see you."
"I wish I could say the same," replied Bruce simply.
"I am thoroughly surprised by the outcome of our situation. I thought I had beaten the great beast, but I will admit I was wrong." Qaseem said.
"It's not the first time I have been underestimated." Bruce commented absently.
"I underestimated the affection you feel toward Ms. Romanoff. I never thought her pain could release the creature from my prison."
"Why?" Bruce asked. "Why is so hard for you to believe I could love someone that much? I understand you hate me for what happened for your wife- "
"I do not hate you." Qaseem interrupted. "I hate myself. I hate what I have become. A man so consumed by vengeance that I attempted to kill my friend." Qaseem was smaller now. His shoulders that were once held back, now rolled forward in defeat, and his eyes held back tears that he refused to let fall.
"Qaseem, I am sorry about your wife. She was a great woman. You and I both know that she would want you to let go of your hatred and forgive yourself." Bruce watched the man sitting in front of him, broken by the loss of his love.
"You are right, Bruce." Qaseem stood from his seat and approached the bars at the front of his cell.
Bruce took a small step back. Natasha had already seen the move coming and had stalked down the hall toward him with two guards behind her. Qaseem stuck his right hand through the bars and held it out for Bruce. Realizing what the gesture was, Bruce stopped Natasha with a look. She held her gun ready to fire, but didn't have a good angle on Qaseem if he had something planned. Bruce reached out his hand in return and shook hands with his friend-turned-enemy.
"I am sorry, Bruce. For causing you pain, and for torturing you." Qaseem smiled genuinely.
"I accept your apology. I won't forget what happened in that room." Bruce answered. He let go of Bruce's hand and walked back to his bed to lay down.
Bruce didn't know if he should say goodbye, but decided against it and left the cell behind. Natasha had holstered her gun – Bruce wasn't sure where – and was waiting for him in the hallway.
"You okay?" She asked.
"Yeah," he nodded, "I feel better leaving it like this." Bruce walked back toward the entrance with Natasha a step behind him.
As they walked by the security room, Tony stepped out into the hall. "That was beautiful. Especially the part where you said you loved Romanoff." Tony smirked as he clasped his hands behind his back.
Bruce went wide eyed as he reflected on the conversation with Qaseem, he had, indeed, said the word love. It had just kind of slipped out in his anger toward the criminal in front of him. Shaking his head, Bruce continued to the stairs that led to the building at street level. He couldn't hear anything except the pounding of his feet on the steps echoing off the walls, but Natasha was following him.
Once out of the building, Bruce got back into the car they had arrived in and was joined by Natasha not long after. The car took them to Stark tower – Bruce had never been happier to see the garish building in his life – now the place he called home. They rode the elevator in silence; awkward silence.
Bruce was standing outside of his door when he finally spoke to Natasha. "I'm gonna take a shower."
"Can we talk about what you said?" Natasha stopped him.
"What did I say?"
"Can you not be a forgetful scientist right now?" She snapped a little harder than she meant.
"Natasha," he sighed, "It was in the heat of moment. Maybe it was true, but I understand if you aren't ready for that and- "
Natasha silenced him with a kiss. She held onto the collar of his shirt to keep him against her. When she released him she explained her action. "You talk too much."
"Yeah, I've been told that." Bruce agreed.
"And I love you. I never thought I would say that to a scientist, but shit happens." She shrugged.
"Huh, see I always thought I would say that to a nurse." Bruce replied. He was rewarded with a slight smack across his cheek that caused him to laugh. "I was kidding, Romanoff."
"You're not funny, Banner." Natasha let go of his collar and walked down the hall to her room.
"I love you," called Bruce after her. She didn't turn back to him only smiled to herself as she entered her room. Bruce chuckled to himself as he entered his room.
Later that night, the Avengers were gathered around the table in the newly restored dining room. They laughed and enjoyed the stories of Thor and his hunting trips in Asgard. Bruce and Natasha sat close together as they now realized how special their connection was. Of course, Tony couldn't let them forget that he had pointed it out to them and only now did they realize the connection. Bruce ignored him, but Natasha couldn't resist an argument.
"I'm sorry to interrupt." JARVIS announced. "But I have information pertaining to Qaseem Davar."
"Don't tell me that bastard got away." Clint rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"No, sir. It is much more dejecting."
"Just tell us what happened, JARVIS. You don't need to be all cryptic." Tony prompted.
"Mr. Davar was found dead in his cell. It seems he was killed by asphyxia." JARVIS replied. "He strangled himself."
Bruce couldn't help but gasp a little at the news. He thought Qaseem would be okay after they talked. He didn't seem like a suicide risk, but neither did Bruce, and yet, he too had tried to kill himself to end the pain.
Ignoring the others' strange looks, Bruce stood from the table and walked out to the balcony. The others shared a look before all staring at Natasha. She nodded her consent and went after Bruce like they all wanted. She came to stand next to him at the railing like they had so many months ago – the roles now reversed with her comforting him.
"He did it to be with her." Bruce said softly.
"Did he tell you he was going to kill himself?" She asked plainly.
"No. It didn't even cross my mind that he would try." Bruce looked out over the city. "I know what it's like to be on the edge, to not know if you could make it to tomorrow."
"Bruce," Natasha placed a hand on his arm.
"I'm not saying I'm going to try anything," Bruce faced her and gave her a small smile, "I just know what it's like. Qaseem didn't see a way out or a reason to live, but I have that. I have the Avengers. I have you." Bruce encircled her waist with his arms.
"Don't make me get all emotional. I'm a spy. I'm not supposed to have emotions." She wrapped her arms around his neck and smirked.
"People change." Bruce shrugged.
"I'm not people." She countered.
"No, you're Natasha," he leaned closer, "and I love you just the way you are."
"Oh, Banner. You old romantic." She sighed.
"Romanoff, you wonderful spy." Bruce leaned in and pressed his lips to hers slowly. She wasn't what he expected in his life; although, he hadn't expected to help people as the Hulk either. Natasha was everything he needed, though: strong, courageous, skillful, caring. She knew she wasn't perfect, but she worked every day to become a better version or herself. She had inspired him to do the same.
As Bruce Banner, he would always be helpful to those who couldn't help themselves. As the Hulk, he would always protect those who couldn't protect themselves. He would always be half man and half monster, but Natasha would be there to balance him out when he needed her, and Bruce couldn't think of a better reason to get up in the morning.
A/N: And that's the end! I hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I had writing it. This was a wonderful task for me to writing a multi-chapter fic about two characters that I thoroughly enjoy. Thank you again to those who have continued to read this story!
