Chapter 19

Nat's POV

 We ended up winning the battle by a landslide, but so much destruction and death has occurred from this battle. Loki ended up perishing in battle as well, not by the hands of Thor though. A member of the Black Order got sick of him and killed Loki himself. Vision has recovered for the most part but most of us are injured including myself. I've been shot twice, once in each leg. It's going to be awhile before I can walk again. Bruce wasn't happy about that one bit. He's lucky though, all he has are scars and bruises. He's the most unharmed of us all because he can turn into a big green monster and all that jazz.

  The funeral and burial for Steve is set for tomorrow when we get back to New York, well what's left of it anyways. A majority of the city is no doubt in ruins. All of us are beyond drained and some of us look like we're on the verge of death. Bruce won't leave my side at all. A small part of me loves that extra attention but overall, I feel for him. The amount of additional stress he's going to be under for awhile is heartbreaking. I'd tell him not to worry but at this point, that concept doesn't exist anymore.

   We all ride back to New York in silence for the most part. Everyone who fought in this battle wanted to be there to honor Steve, which means the world to us Avengers. Steve's funeral being tomorrow is really making it set in that this is it, Steve is gone and not coming back. One of my best friends in the world, one of the few people I trust with my life is dead.

    Tears well up in my eyes and everyone stares me in unison. I was one of the worst injured in the battle and I really don't like all of the attention. I can feel myself beginning to have an anxiety attack so Bruce wheels me off into the corner, attempting to comfort me and calm the both of us down. His eyes shift back and forth between his normal brown ones and Hulk's green ones. I tame Hulk inside of Bruce by hugging Bruce tightly, also comforting him too. I'm so lucky to have him. Bruce is truly the one. I'm going to marry this man one day.

    We stay like that for a few hours, tuning out everyone else around us, whom to be frank is immersed in their own pain, whether that be physical, mental, emotional, or all of the above kinds of pain. Each kind of pain is valid pain. No one wants to say this aloud but we've finally come to the point where we're broken beyond repair. No matter how much we try to rebuild and get our lives back on track, it's never going to be the same. We can't replace the precious lives that were lost in battle. Thanos may be dead but in a way he won, he managed to destroy half of the universe before we were able to successfully kill him.

  "Nat, if it's too hard for you, we don't have to go to the funeral, let alone you having to speak in front of everyone." I hug him tightly. "I don't want to go but I have to Bruce. He was one of our best friends and the original Avengers, we need to be there. I'm just lucky to have you help me through it. If you had died in battle Bruce, I honestly would have died too..."

     Bruce looks at me in the saddest way he ever has. "Nat, I would never want you to do that. Your life is so important, far more important than mine. People depend on you, people love you unlike me. Most people fear me Nat, I just got lucky that you're one of the few people who doesn't." I mirror his sadness. "I'm sorry Bruce. I didn't mean to make you sadder, I just wanted you to know how much I loved you and that I truly couldn't live without you. You managed to worm your way into my heart and now I'll never be the same."

    Bruce pulls me closer to him and presses a tender kiss to my forehead. "Well none of us are ever going to be the same, that's for damn sure, but I love you so much Nat. One day, we're going to get married. I'm thinking sometime soon because let's face it, life is too short to wait around and not go after the things and people you truly love. That's the lesson that extreme battles teach us. Well that and to always remind the people we love just how much we love them, whether it's by saying the words aloud or doing so through our actions."

    I look at him in awe. "Your intelligence and wisdom never ceases to amaze me Bruce." He blushes and looks at me lovingly. "Don't sell yourself short Nat, you're very intelligent and wise too, just a little bit more bold than me is all." I laugh sadly and lean my forehead against his. We stare into each others eyes for a few minutes before beginning to kiss each other gently on the lips. The gentle kiss then becomes more passionate but truly showcases the love we have for each other.

Hoped that you guys liked this chapter! :) -Mary