Re-crossing Paths: Finish Line

Chapter Summary: Steve's reaction was all the indicator Bruce needed. Watching as Steve left to do the laundry, Bruce couldn't help but follow after him. He couldn't just leave the super soldier hanging without telling him how he felt in turn.

S/N: Yo! Shoutaro here! This here's the last chapter for our Bruce and Steve story, and will continue in the upcoming Collaboration Story. So thanks to everyone who's reviewed, faved our stories and put us on alert. I hope Philip and I didn't disappoint. Anyway, hope you guys keep on staying tuned. *adjusts Fedora* This one's bound to be a bit more of a fluffy ending, but enjoy it all the same.

Bruce watched as the front door closed after Steve. The good doctor's hair was still dripping wet with the change of clothes in his hands. He was done and over with teasing Steve about it. Time to get dressed. Bruce turned on his heel and moved back inside the bathroom, closing the door behind him to perpetually get himself into Steve's clothes. He wondered how well they would fit.

Funnily enough, Steve's clothes were just that size bigger. The fabric was soft. Just how Bruce liked it. A smile was plastered on his lips as he neatly folded up is used towel upon completely drying off his hair and placed it on the bathroom counter. After collecting his emotions, he went ahead and found some furry slippers and walked to the door. Time to head down and pay the good captain a visit in the laundry room.

'By the looks of things, we're probably on the same train of thought. That's a relief,' Bruce thought eagerly to himself. At least he wasn't the only one who looked and felt silly about the two of them. As if the whole 'shacking up' term Steve used earlier didn't about sum it up.

Bruce looked around every so often during his little walk, navigating his way to the laundry room - wherever it was. Steve was great enough not to tell him where exactly it was, so he relied on his knowledge of most building concepts and decided to guess that it was in the ground floor where it was most accessible for the tenants. Hearing the soft whir of the washing machines in use signified that he was close. Really close. After taking a look around, he saw a door slightly ajar and assumed it was the place in question.

"Only one way to find out," the gamma specialist muttered before advancing. Pushing the door open a bit more, he peeked inside and saw the familiar equipment, including Steve who was staring at the machines, clueless on what to do after chucking the clothes inside.

Steve looked like a lost child as he crouched down in front of the machine, looking at the opening wondering if there was a sensor or something like those at Stark Tower. Seeing none he got up and looked at the dials dumbly. "What now..." he muttered.

"You need to slot in some quarters here," Bruce said helpfully, walking up beside the captain and produced some change, placing them accordingly in the slots for Steve.

Steve blinked and looked at the machine for a while and stepped towards it again before turning a dial experimentally and jumped backwards in surprise when it turned on. He then blushed when he realized that he had bumped into Bruce. He then started rapidly wondering when the doctor got behind him.

The distance between them was surprisingly close. Bruce had intended it. And he had very much anticipated the reaction from Steve once the washing machine had sprung to life. It was an old model, after all. Bruce flashed Steve a smile and helped him stabilize himself on his feet. "Your clothes are a little big, but at least they keep me warm," the doctor explained with a chuckle.

"W-well, I'm just glad they fit, Doctor.." Steve said with a little nervous smile.

"By the way, I have... something I wanted to confess to you..." Bruce continued sheepishly, averting his gaze for a while.

"Confess?" the soldier asked, confused and at the same time nervous.

Bruce played with the fabric of Steve's shirt for a while, noticing a stray thread that he pulled at. "Well, it's nothing special, but I've been meaning to tell you about my uh... feelings. For you." He smiled and chuckled to himself before facing Steve, locking gazes at those innocent blue eyes. "I like you a lot," he said blatantly. "But if it's going to get you confused, what with us being two guys, I'd understand," he added quickly, smiling serenely, his eyes showing evident hurt if that was going to be the case.

"T-that's not it!" Steve said immediately, sensing the pending hurt that the other was anticipating. "I-I like you a lot too and and..." he paused before looking away sheepishly as he scratched his cheek with his finger. "It's not...all that uncommon now, is it?" he asked carefully. He HAD seen couples that he, at first, had considered strange before realizing it was the norm. Men making out with men and women making out with women. It took a loooong time getting used to and he even chickened out in confirming it with Stark but he knew that it wasn't something generally looked down on.

A wave of relief passed through Bruce's features. This was a good sign. Even more so that Steve seemed okay with the idea. He'd have to remember to reward the good Captain for being so accommodating - 'And not to mention reciprocating the feelings,' Bruce added in his head with a fond chuckle. Reaching out in experimentation, he gripped Steve's hand and squeezed it. "Those will sound off once they're done, which will probably be in about... half an hour. What do you want to do in the meantime?" he suggested.

"Erm... I don't really know. How about you?" came the sheepish reply.

Bruce looked up at Steve thoughtfully. Their distance was teasing the super soldier, and that was probably what he wanted to emphasize. He even pulled Steve close so that their lips grazed before he pulled away, as if struck by another idea. More temptation on the table. "I can teach you how to play some cards," he said instead, smiling.

"C-Cards?" Steve asked, face a fiery red because of the fleeting moment that they were less than an inch apart. Carefully reigning himself in he nodded. "S-Sounds good," he said with a nod of his head.

"I think I found a deck in your apartment. I'm sure we'll hear the machine from there if we keep the door slightly ajar," Bruce explained plainly. "Should we get going?" he offered, reaching out and offering his hand.

Steve merely nodded, mind still processing what happened. 'It wouldn't hurt, right?' he thought before gingerly reaching out to take Bruce's hand.

It was all the affirmation Bruce needed. Confessing was enough. Now all he expected was to spend some quality time with the good captain before any karma came rolling his way over his teasing business. After all, how else would he avoid the stress? Bruce triumphantly kept a firm grip on Steve's hand as his fingers locked around it before leading him out of the laundry room and back up to the apartment where an innocent game of "Go Fish" was in order.

END