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need your hearing aids?

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Bruce wasn't scared. Not of Natasha, he couldn't be. Besides, she should have been the one afraid of him. Not the other way around.

Only a little nervous, though, he pushed the door open to the terrace, and saw her standing there, rigid, staring out at New York City below them.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asked, which caused her to turn her head.

She scoffed. "With that thief in the house, I won't be able to sleep. Just think: she'll be taking any opportunity to take things from us." She gestured to the man in front of her. "Like your research, all you've learned. One touch from that sticky-fingered girl and it's gone."

He shook his head, smiling a little. "What would she do with that?"

"I don't know, but it's the thought that counts," she said, already exasperated. "And what about Tony's suit--well, suits? Imagine what would happen. About 50 different models of Iron Man flying around the city."

"I...she doesn't know about that stuff, Nat."

"Not yet," she spat angrily, and then rubbed her temples wearily. "I just don't trust her. How can she walk in here and then--" she made a gesture with her hands that didn't really make sense to Bruce.

"She didn't walk in here, you dragged her," he reminded her.

"Now's not the time, Banner," she said in a dangerously dark tone.

But he wasn't afraid. He knew what was bothering her now. Laughing softly, he ignored the look of pure frustration in her eyes and stepped up to meet her. "I know what's wrong."

"What?"

"I know what's wrong," he repeated. "You're threatened by her. You think..." he searched to find the right words. Once he found them, he continued, "you think she's here for me, just because I bumped into her."

"You didn't just do that," Nat said in a quiet voice. "You paid for her first month of living in an apartment. That's a little different than a little 'coincidental meet', Bruce."

He put his hands up, accepting the guilty card. "Yeah, I did that. But not to...no, Natasha, I was just being a friendly person."

"I thought you were practically broke! How'd you manage to pay for a stranger's rent?" She looked half confused, half angry.

"I was broke, pretty much," he said grimly. "And now I'm literally broke."

"Oh."

"Nat," he looked into her eyes fiercely, making sure she would understand the coming words. "You shouldn't feel threatened at all by Cara. Besides, she's a teenager, and I'm pretty sure that's illegal."

She looked down at the ground. "I know, it's just..."

"You've got nothing to worry about, I promise," he said, and wrapped her up in a tentative embrace, but she surprised him by returning it rather strongly. Her arms were around his middle, preventing him from letting go. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know," she mumbled against his chest. "But I haven't been able to do this in a long time."

Bruce smiled.

-

"Seriously? You're not going to say anything?"

Steve had taken to interrogating Cara, but in what he though was the friendliest way possible. To her, though, it was just downright annoying. She hadn't said a helpful word since Bruce left to comfort Natasha.

Really, she had the nerve to drag me by my ear, and put me in an elevator against my will--which happened to be the most beautiful elevator ever--and get me stuck with Grandpa over here, she thought. Seriously, he's like a ninety-year-old stuck in the muscular--and super attractive--build of a thirty-year-old man.

"Cara."

"Mmm?" She turned her head to face the blue-eyes hunk and raised her eyebrows.

"I asked you a question."

"And I didn't hear it," she replied, and smirked as she watched the tips of his ears turn pink in annoyance.

"I asked you," he huffed, still trying to keep calm, "if you would say anything about us to the public."

She cocked an eyebrow, seemingly bored. "No, you guys aren't worth starting a riot over. I'll just stay here and learn all of your deepest, darkest secrets," she said in a mock seductive tone.

Steve's eyes were wide. "What?"

"I said," she made a mockery of him by raising the volume of her voice, "I'll just stay here and learn all of your secrets." Sitting back and smirking again, she added smugly, "turn up your hearing aids, Grandpa."

"What?" He said again, and this time, looked genuinely confused.

"Because you're like a ninety-year-old stuck in--well, your body," she explained. When he looked at her with eyes as big as saucers, she threw up her hands and shouted, "Oh, forget it, you're hopeless!"

"Hope is a very important part of our daily lives," he said then.

"What. The. Fuck, Pops," Cara spat out each word with annoyed exhaustion.

"Language," he told her sternly.

"Oh my god, I'm leaving." She got up, and turned to leave, but Steve wrapped his large hand around her smaller wrist.

"Wait, I--we have to talk to the others."

"Others? You have more of them?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ugh, nothing, forget I said anything. Go on," she prompted him.

"I need to ask the others--the family--if...well..."

"If what? Did you lose your train of thought again, Grandpa Stevie?" Cara said it with a playful smirk on her face, but when she looked at his, he was serious.

"You need somewhere to stay, don't you," he said. It wasn't exactly what one would call a question.

"What?" She was astonished.

"Need new batteries in your hearing aids, sweetums?" He mocked her quietly, as if he was unsure of himself.

But Cara was impressed nonetheless. "Huh," she pondered aloud, "who would've thunk it?"

"Well, do you? Need somewhere to live?" Steve went back to the previous question.

"No," she shot back quickly, defending herself. "I have an apartment."

He nodded, acknowledging what she'd said. "But judging by what you tried to get away with tells me that you won't be able to pay the rent."

She looked at the floor, not meeting his sad eyes. He looked like a puppy.

"That's what I thought," he said, and stood up. His face was set, and she was sure that whatever idea had intruded his mind wouldn't be taken out easily. "Get your things from your apartment."

"What, why?" But she knew, deep down.

"I'm going to ask first, but they'll have to say yes." He turned to her.

"I'm going to ask if you can stay here."

"What?" Cara squeaked, hardly able to believe it. She'd attempted to steal that woman's money--she now knew her as Natasha--and now she was being asked to stay here? With all of them? She barely knew them!

"Don't try to deny it, Cara, you need somewhere to sleep. And you'll get the most protection if you sle--live--here with us."

What. The fuck. Is going on?