525,600 Minutes

Married Life

Natasha waits for Bruce to step out of his shower, waiting at the door in her workout sweatshirt. She's panting still, all from her wrestle with Clint in the tower's gym. Since the wedding, he's around a bit less and hardly at the tower- busy with Laura, Garrett, and their coming baby.

Natasha smiles when Banner exits;

"Hi."

He offers a quiet smile in return, moving to pick out his clothes for the day. She assumes he's mad based on the lack of communication. Bruce won't always talk about his feelings or his days as of late but the absence of a hug after a week apart doesn't leave Natasha feeling confident enough to even ask for one. She crouches at their bathroom cabinet for a towel;

"By the time I came to bed last night you were already asleep."

He tugs on a dark top, brushing behind her with a quick retort, "It was a busy day."

Her mouth contorts, noticing his tie out on their dresser;

"Do you have an event later?"

Bruce rolls up his sleeves, head low as he sits on the edge of their bed;

"Um...It was yesterday."

"Oh,' she tucks her head, 'I know those things make you nervous."

"Yeah,' he wants to share more, discuss the reveal and everything from that evening but she seems distracted, 'That, mission went longer than two days."

It's still on her mind, the week-long chase and long hours. Her knee hurts and her wrist is aching with a purple tinged bruise. Romanoff knows that's exactly where his eyes have landed when he asks if it hurts.

With an awkward shifting in her weight from off her sore right knee she finally speaks, "It's nothing."

He knows otherwise without needing her to elaborate. Natasha can't look at him which means she's done something bad in her own eyes, and probably his. She clearly needs to talk but her awkward movements signal nothing but discomfort.

"I missed you," he offers.

Her head nods as if it's an involuntary response, blinking excessively which means she's over analyzing.

"Talk to me, Tasha?"

"My mind is on those kids-."

"Abram has a meeting with a potential family at 12."

"That's good. Any, updates yet for Riley or Linda..."

Bruce huffs an exasperated sigh, "Not. Since the incident."

She bites her lip over the reminder of Linda almost blowing up a kind-hearted man and his partner. Though patient, they weren't too keen on Linda's lack of self-control or explosive abilities which ultimately scared them away.

And Riley's interviews have ended in equal disasters- more often than not because of the girl's lack of a filter.

"Have you called all of my contacts?," Natasha asks hopefully.

"Not yet-."

"Why not."

He laughs, "I've been a little busy."

Her hand tugs at the towel in hand, "So have I."

"I know."

"You're acting weird."

"Don't read into this,' he prefaces, 'With you away more often, it's been a lot on me honestly and I'm just tired."

Natasha hand waves with her defensive explanation, "I'm tired too. I've been working every other week."