8Bruce walked slowly to the gym. He really wasn't sure how to tell Natasha what he'd found out and he was just a little afraid of how she was going to react. Deep in thought, he ran into Steve. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"I'm fine. You don't look fine. Something on your mind?" Steve walked beside him.
"I just need to talk to Natasha about something."
"She's training with Wanda right now." Steve knew about Bruce and Natasha, even though they weren't exactly open about it. "Just tell me you're not going to break up with her. Clint would kill you if she didn't."
Bruce shuddered inwardly remembering the fun time Clint Barton had cornered him and told him to take care of Natasha or else. "No, no, nothing like that. I think we're fine. We just keep to ourselves and keep mostly everyone else out."
Steve laughed. "Mostly everyone knows. They just mind their own business because they're scared of her."
Bruce stopped and looked at him. "Seriously? I'm the Hulk and they're scared of her?"
Steve shrugged. "Well, have you seen in her action? She may not turn green but Nat is a force to reckoned with."
He could not deny that. He had seen her in action more then once. They reached the gym and there she was, in action once again. At least this time there was no bad guys, just a Sokovian orphan who looked like she'd rather be anywhere but on the sparring mat with the Black Widow.
"Hey, Nat, let me have a turn. Can't let you have all the fun with our new recruit." Steve stepped toward the mat.
Wanda looked slightly relieved at this change in partners. She'd learned quickly that Natasha was relentless and a perfectionist, Steve expected the same but was a bit kinder as an instructor. He tossed her a water bottle, which she barely caught, "Take five, then we'll run laps." She glared at him and laid down right on the mat, too tired to move. He turned toward Bruce, "Natasha is now free."
Bruce wanted to glare at him too like Wanda had, but reminded himself he was not a teenage girl. He cleared his throat as Natasha did in fact stare at him expectantly. "Oh, um, I had something to talk to you about. But if you're busy, you know, we could do it later."
"Well, since Rogers has taken my student, I'm now free as he said." Natasha swiped a water bottle out of Steve's bag. "So, you needed me?"
Um, I think it'd be better if we talk alone." Bruce was suddenly very nervous. How was he supposed to explain the impossible to her anyway?
" If you insist. I should probably head toward the showers anyway. You want to wait for me, should we talk first, or...? " She left the last trailing, her meaning obvious.
He hesitated. "Go ahead and shower if you want. A few more minutes won't matter." And it wouldn't, he knew. "Meet me in my quarters when you're ready."
"All right. Give me ten or so."
Bruce paced his quarters while he waited, thinking about what to say. About what to do. He didn't know how she'd react, or how he was supposed to react. The knock on the door startled him. He was still not prepared for this anymore then he'd been fifteen minutes earlier when he had found her in the gym.
He opened the door, Natasha was standing there in clean dry clothes but hair still wet. "I didn't think you'd mind if I didn't blow dry my hair, you seemed pretty anxious to talk to me." she said, walking in and not waiting for him to say anything.
"No, no, I don't mind. It's your hair, do what you want." he answered, feeling stupid about it.
She glanced at him. She thought he was acting even dorkier then usual but didn't say so. It was usually rather endearing to her but this time seemed strange.
" All right so um, you know, how after we did that last mission and I insisted everyone get that bloodwork done because we were potentially exposed to certain diseases and I thought it was a good idea to get everyone checked just in case because you never know and it's better if you catch these things before they become big problems? And not all of us have super serum like Steve, you know? " Bruce said in a rush, sitting on the chair opposite Natasha.
" I'm following. I'm not sure exactly where you're going with this unless you're going to tell me I'm sick which wouldn't be a big secret. " she answered.
" Yeah, no, you're not sick. Have you been feeling sick?" he leaned forward, closer to her.
"No. Why would I be?" she was now completely lost as to where he was going with this conversation.
"Okay. That's good, that's fine." he leaned back and took a deep breath. This was harder then he thought it was going to be.
"Bruce, what is going on?" Natasha asked him.
"I've read the results several times, even ran the tests twice. I just don't know how it's possible." he raked his fingers through his hair.
"How what is possible? You just said I wasn't sick so what is it?" she demanded.
"Nat, you're pregnant." Bruce finally burst out.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible, I told you about the graduation ceremony." she didn't believe him, which he understood, he didn't quite believe it either.
"Look, you can read the results yourself. Somehow someway, it is possible." he gave her a folder, thick with papers. He'd printed every result.
"It's impossible. You've got it mixed up with somebody else's."
"Nat, there's only two women here. And unless Wanda is sneaking out at night, I don't think so. Besides, I ran hers again too, just to be sure." Bruce had thought of that already.
"I see that." Natasha was quiet, looking through the papers. The damning evidence was written in black and white right before her. It shouldn't be possible, it couldn't be possible, even with the proof in her hands, she was having a hard time believing it." Bruce, this isn't possible. It just isn't. I mean it, that ceremony is final, no way possible. Nobody who has gone through it ever gets pregnant."
"I can't explain it. I don't know how to explain it. I can do further tests, an ultrasound, but the blood work is pretty conclusive at the moment."
"Yeah, let's do that and then figure out what's going on because this, this is impossible." she threw the folder back on the table.
"The past few years we've seen some pretty impossible things happen. This doesn't seem so unbelievable compared to an alien army attacking New York or an entire flying city. Ordinary people in ordinary relationships have babies." Bruce tried to make sense of it for her.
She snorted." Except neither of us is ordinary and I don't know if this is considered an ordinary relationship by original plan was running away, which we didn't do."
" Still could, although I'm thinking now there could be a wrinkle on that plan. Natasha, whatever this ends being, it'll work out. Somehow. " He wasn't sure exactly that the Hulk should be anywhere near a child even if was his. Hulk was too unpredictable.
" You are seriously considering the two of us setting up and playing house? Do your damn tests, because it's got to be something else. " she stood up to leave.
"Hey." he grabbed her hand. "I'll do the tests, we can do them right now, but you might want to prepare for the impossible."