Hello again.

I've been working on updates for a a couple of fics. So far this has been the most cooperative one. If you're reading other ones, don't worry. I'll get them updated! It's just slow going.

:D

Thanks to all readers and especially reviewers!

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Just like he had told the council, Fury was in fact not currently tracking the whereabouts of the Avengers. However, a month and some change after the Chitauri invasion, Nick Fury knew full well that the tentative "team" was crowded into a certain skyscraper in New York City. For the time being he was still leaving them alone.

On this particular occasion, a small contingent of them were seated around Tony's penthouse where Pepper had invited them for afternoon drinks.

"...Well, I gave them the same floor. Gym, rooms everything." Tony was saying. "We knew they're close. That's pretty obvious. But is it a brother sister or thing or are they a thing?"

"Tony, I don't think it's your business." Steve tried to reason as he took the glass of scotch Stark was handing to him.

"My tower. My business." Tony summarized as he leaned on the edge of one of his bar stools.

A flying ice cube connected with his head.

"Come on, Pep!" Tony whined.

"Your guests aren't your property, Tony." She said, swirling her glass of ice tea, sitting back easily in one of the more comfortable chairs as if nothing happened.

"Whatever." Tony said with a typical roll of his eyes.

Bruce kept quiet. He didn't know, nor could he guess about the elusive pair.

"Pepper's right, Tony." Steve offered. "Nice shot, by the way." He added to Pepper.

"Thanks." She said with a nod.

"Don't side with her." Tony feigned offense.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "Are you going to spy on them?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"Tony. Natasha will kill you." Steve warned gently.

"You can't know that."

"No, but I can guess it." Steve said. "Plus. She's a spy. You can't beat them at their game when their the best at it."

"He's right." Bruce offered.

"Leave them alone, Tony." Pepper added.

He shrugged. "I'll think about it."

Pepper knew he would do exactly as she asked.

"Why aren't they here, anyway?" Tony asked.

"Agents Romanoff and Barton are not currently in the Tower, sir." Jarvis' voice cut in.

"Anti social." Tony mumbled into his glass as he took a sip.

Another ice cube came his way, but he ducked that time.

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Bruce couldn't help thinking about Clint and Natasha as he rode the elevator down to one of the R&D labs. He really didn't care about the nature of their relationship. All he wanted was to make up to Natasha for what he did. What the other guy did. He wanted to know that Clint didn't blame him.

Why Clint?

Bruce realized he didn't think of one without the other.

He shook his head suddenly. Why should he care? He doesn't even know them. Besides, he is the Hulk. It shouldn't be a surprise or disappointment to receive negative reactions after all this time.

The elevator opened on his desired floor. Bruce left his thoughts of Barton and Romanoff behind him went to spend his evening filling his mind with work that he loved.

In thought, Bruce was tentative, not entirely accepting this set up that Tony had offered him. In action, he had fully settled in and was king of his lab.

He loved it.

For over an hour he'd been working with a microscope and had just finished writing something down next to him when his pen rolled off the desk. When he emerged from underneath it, Clint Barton was standing across from him.

Bruce flinched sharply at the surprise.

Barton said nothing. His keen eyes simply assessed Bruce's face.

Banner quickly recovered and tried to respond the same way Clint was acting; as if everything were completely normal.

"How's it going, Clint?"

"It's fine." Clint said without hesitation.

"Can I do anything for you?"

"Yeah."

There was a long pause. Bruce didn't quite know what to do.

"...What is it?" He hoped that did not sound as awkward as he felt.

"Nat said-." Clint stopped. "Look, I wanted to ask you something."

After Clint's terseness on the elevator, Bruce felt like he'd just heard a speech, but didn't let himself show it.

"Of course." He said easily.

Clint took a second to inspect his palms and then rubbed them together once.

"How do you live with it?"

Bruce instantly understood what was being asked and why. He let out a long sigh and thought for a moment.

"It'll take some time I'd wager, but when you realize you didn't choose to do any of it, it'll get easier."

That wasn't an answer. That was advice.

Clint took it silently and left.

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The next morning Clint came into the gym with his coffee. Nat was waiting for him to begin their morning sparring session. But he did not immediately set his coffee down and join her on the mat. Instead, he sat down comfortably on the bench against the wall and casually took a sip from his mug.

Natasha, who had been primed and ready for attack, concealed her mild irritation. Nonetheless Clint knew it was there.

"What's this?" She asked, still itching to get going.

"I just don't see what the hurry is. Join me." He said with a comfortable shrug.

Natasha gave a nod, agreeing that there was no rush, and went to sit beside him. Expertly she took his mug from his hands and enjoyed some of his coffee.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Clint shook his head. "Not really."

"What time did you come back to bed?"

Clint smiled inwardly. Of course she knew he'd gone. "Not too late."

"Was it cold up there last night?"

"I wasn't on the roof."

She didn't press him, but he offered. "Saw Banner."

Natasha said nothing.

"Nat, you should give him a chance." Clint coaxed. "He's cool."

"Cool?"

She wasn't certain how this suddenly became about her, but she'd recognized Bruce's quality as a person well enough from a distance. At the moment she was content with that and felt no need to get close enough to think him cool.

"We talked." Clint said with a small grin. They both knew that when Clint said "we talked" it meant something very brief.

She nodded and did not ask more. It was obvious. When she had asked him sincerely "Are we talking about Bruce?", Clint realized Dr. Banner would understand. He couldn't stay away from the one person who knew exactly what he'd been through.

He continued, eyes now on the floor. "He knows what it's like..."

She nodded, and handed his coffee back to him.

Clint looked up at her again and smiled. He put the mug on the bench and rose. Offering her a hand which she accepted, they walked out onto the mat. As he stood before her she could see his attention slip away again, just as it had a moment before.

"Clint."

He looked at her, his attention snapping away from her feet where he'd been staring.

"You won't hurt me."

He let out a shaky breath. "Yeah." He said. "I know."

She offered him one of her near-imperceptible smiles.

He gave her full eye contact, then they began.

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So, I realize at the beginning of the first chapter Natasha's in her own room when Bruce comes to apologize. Yet, Clint and Nat are very married... It was a one shot that I had no intention of continuing at the time. Nor did I know exactly what I'd being doing when I did continue.

So here's Clint's alibi for the 1st chapter...

Since their marriage is secret they often stay in different rooms while at SHIELD, etc. So after a certain hour, if it's possible to get away with it he'll sneak into Natasha's room, or she'll sneak over to his. Or, they'll sleep separately if it's too risky. This is a routine they would be very familiar with. Stark Tower would be no exception. At that hour Clint would've already snuck in and have been asleep with Nat. However, after all the craziness of monsters and magic and nothing they were ever trained for, he was on the roof brooding. She'd stayed with him for a long time, then kissed his cheek and let him be alone up there. She went to bed, but couldn't sleep and ended up in the window sill looking at the city. Nat likes to sit in window sills. That's when Bruce arrived to Nat's seemingly solo room. Poor post-unmade Clint was still on the roof just hurting.

Ok. Hope you can dig it.

;D