“HEY!”
Natasha’s eye s flew open with a start.
“Look, lady, I don’t care if you want to take a nap or not, but the meter’s still runnin’ and there’s an angry lookin’ security guard headin’ our way, so what am I supposed to do here?” The cab driver’s glare reflected back at her from his rearview mirror as he demanded an answer.
“Shit,” Nat dragged a hand across her face and tried to wake up and clear her head. “Sorry, uh,” she reached into her pocket as she squinted at the total owed on the tiny screen, then fumbled through the bills now in her hand. “Here.” She tossed what she owed plus a ‘just good enough’ tip to keep her from being memorable into the front seat, and muttered a quick, “Thanks.” She grabbed her rucksack from the seat beside her and exited the car into the cold November evening.
“You took your sweet ol’ time there, Nat. I was wondering if I was going to have to drag you out myself,” Happy snarked as Nat shuffled past him and made her way through the automatic doors and into the near empty tower lobby.
“Hilarious, Happy,” Nat scowled at him as he turned to join her, then turned to sneeze into her elbow, “Just my luck, I can survive going head to head with seventeen HYDRA agents at the same time while trapped together in an underground bunker, but can’t fight off the cooties of a snot-ridden toddler with no sense of sneeze etiquette while on a layover in Germany.”
The normally stoic Happy grimaced at her description. “Kids are pretty gross. Is there anything that you need me to send out for? I can send one of the newbies on a pharmacy run for you if you want.”
“I’m fine.” Nat insisted. “So if there is nothing pressing to deal with security-wise, I’m going to go upstairs, finally crawl into my own bed, and sleep until this disgustingness has left me.”
“Well, I should warn you, then” Happy looked uncomfortable, “— if we’re gonna bring up kids and staying at the tower—that Peter Parker is spending the weekend with Tony, so you’ll probably be running into him at some point.”
Nat stopped dead in her tracks and dropped her head in defeat. “Spider-Man is having a sleepover with Tony? Seriously?”
“Yeah. His aunt is out of town for some bachelorette party in Atlantic City. Tony offered to keep him outta trouble till she got back.”
“Well, then,” she contemplated the idea of having to deal with the boy who was Spider-Man and all the drama attached to that decision, then adjusted the strap digging painfully into her shoulder. Why did her room have to require a walk directly through the common room? “I think I’ll go find myself a hotel room somewhere then. Maybe—”
“Maybe nothing, Nat.” Happy pointed to the bag Nat was having an issue managing, “He’s sort of alright, as kids go, and he’ll probably spend most of the weekend with Tony in the lab anyways. Besides, even I can see that you’re sicker than you’re letting on. Now, c’mon,” he put his hand out, “If you won’t let me set you up with cold meds, at least gimme your bag and let’s get you upstairs. I’ll even introduce you to each other if he’s up there.”
Nat shook her head as she dropped the bag to the floor. If Happy was going to help, he could pick it up himself. “Fine.” Nat mock-glared, “You can carry my bag—BUT I don’t need you to hold my hand when all I’m doing is going home.”
Happy leaned over to grab the rucksack. “I never said I was holding your hand,” he replied, “I’m acting as a buffer.
Nat blinked in confusion as Happy made his way to the private elevator. A buffer? What was she getting herself into?
/-/-/
Nat and Happy were met by a pair of mismatch-socked feet dangled over the back of the couch that sat nearest the kitchen in the common room.
She cast a quick glance around the room. Yup. This was the common room, but... was she looking at little tacos and... avocados?
Happy sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Hey, Pete. C’mon, head’s up, kid. You’ve got company.”
In a flash, the feet disappeared and the face of a very confused teenager with ear buds poking out of his ears popped up over the back of the couch in their stead. “Huh?”
The sickly assassin stared at boy in front of them then looked over at Happy with a confused look on her face. This felt warm and familiar to her for some reason, not that she could completely grasp it in her haze. She could only mouth the word, “buffer?” and hope that Happy would explain.
He simply stepped back and spoke softly, “wait for it...”
The boy’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped as his head swivelled back and forth, looking between the two newest additions to the common room. Peter looked to Happy, “Wait a minute—” His attention swung to Natasha, “You’re the Black—” he came back to Happy. “Happy!? How could you do this to me? Dude! You could have texted—warned me! Something so I could be prepared! I thought we had an understanding?!” Peter’s face paled and he cast a quick glance down at himself and came to a realization, “Dude!” Peter was up and pacing as he dragged his hands through his hair, “Black Widow has seen my socks!” He raised fists to the sky, “Why did I have to do the taco/avocado mix today of all days!” He dropped his face in his hands and sort of... deflated. “Kill me, please.”
“Sorry, kid. I’m off duty.” Nat deadpanned.
Happy couldn’t contain the snort-laugh in response, and even Peter giggled at her dry humour. Hell, Nat would have joined them both if not for the memory and the cough that snuck up on her.
“Shit,” she gasped in as she tried to get the coughing under control while she started to wonder if the hotel might have been the better idea after all. There’d be no child-like laughter or witnesses to her weakness, after all.
But then, “Hang on,” Peter called out and bolted to the kitchen. “I’ll get you some water.”
And Nat couldn’t have that—dammit. She couldn’t! “No.” She choked out, “I’m fine,” but she wasn’t because it was all too much like Yelena and those big eyes and silly socks and someone loving her enough to get her water when she was feeling sick and then it was too late...
“It’s okay, Ms. Black Widow, ma’am. It’s no bother. I like to help.” Peter was reaching for the cupboard door.
“NO!” She forced out with an anger that shocked all of them, and definitely stopped Peter in his tracks. “I’m going to my room and I’m going to sleep... but thank you,” she tacked on hastily when she saw the kicked puppy look on his face. She did not have the stamina to deal with this so she simply turned back to Happy, snatched her bag from his hands, and with a scowl, snarled under her breath, “Some buffer you are.”
Both Happy and Peter watched, confused, as the woman stormed through the common area and down the corridor to the private quarters, then turned to stare at each other.
A door slammed, loudly, causing them both to flinch.
After a beat, Peter cleared his throat. “Uh, I think I did something to upset her—”
Happy shrugged and shook his head, “Kid, I have no idea.”
/-/-/
It was hours later when Nat decided to risk heading into the common room so she could make some tea to soothe her irritated throat—granted, the risk was zero as she’d checked and double checked with FRIDAY that the place was empty...
... Unless FRIDAY was a filthy liar.
“Natashalie.”
Nat jumped and clutched a hand to her chest. “Geez!” It was a testament to how miserable Nat was feeling that she hadn’t picked up on the billionaire genius sitting in wait on a different section of the same couch his own protégé had been sat on hours before.
“Tony.” She crooked an eyebrow in response to his. “You’ll have to forgive me for being startled. I was under the impression that I would be alone.”
“Huh,” Tony seemed to be assessing her, and then spoke, “And I was under that impression that you could be trusted to not throw my spidey-intern into an existential crisis over potentially offending one of his Avenger idols by simply existing in the same space as her, but here we are.”
Huh.
“But I’m not here to make you feel bad about damaging the psyche of one of the most pure souls you’ll ever have the absolute privilege of meeting. I’m here to deliver a message—” Tony paused for effect. “Peter has asked me to convey his apology for making you uncomfortable when you were obviously feeling unwell. He wanted me to explain to you that he sometimes has issues with “boundaries,”” Yes, Tony air-quoted as he spoke, “which I personally think is one of his best qualities, and he has a ton of them, so you know. He’s like a love leech or something, but I digress.” He rolled his eyes then went on, “Anyhow, he’s going to do his best to stay out of your way going forward. That’s all.” And it was. Tony stopped talking, sat back, crossed his arms, and waited for Nat to reply.
Nat could only stand there, stock-still.
“I don’t play messenger for just anyone, Nat,” Tony uncrossed his arms and stood up from the couch. “But I had to know—what the hell?!” He looked upset, but not angry. “Happy even told me that you’re feeling shitty, so I know this didn’t just come out of nowhere, but—” He stepped closer, took a deep breath, the upset morphing to concern. “Did something happen on the mission? Do you need to talk to someone? I mean, I know I’m only me, but the kid says I’m a good listener and I could try...”
Natasha eyes brimmed with tears, but a few deep breaths of her own had that under control. “I’m—” She almost said fine, but here Tony was, extending a hand even after all of the chaos of that damned civil war of theirs. She’d risked their friendship once, and knew that this was the make or break moment for the two of them. “I’m missing my sister... Peter reminded me of her for just a second and...” she rubbed at her cold nose and smiled sadly. “Apparently all it takes is a combination of cold symptoms and your baby spider to turn me into a nostalgic mess. I—” she scrambled to find the right words, then, “I didn’t manage it well earlier, and for that, I’m sorry.”
Now it was Tony’s turn to be speechless.
“Bet you didn’t see that coming, did you?”
Tony shook his head, then wrapped an arm around Nat’s arm and steered her back to the couch. “Nope. I did not.” Tony sat her down and then sat beside her before stretching out and putting his feet up on one of the many ottomans. “Every time I think you can’t surprise me, Nat, you go and pull something like this out of your ass. I’m impressed. Now,” he shifted so he was facing her better, “tell me about this sister of yours...”
/-/-/
“ow.”
Nat jackknifed up from her resting spot on the couch, her hand automatically reaching for the glock she normally carried at the small of her back—but she was home and safe with her weaponry stashed safely away in her bedroom. However—
“I am so sorry,” Peter hiss-whispered. “Pretend I’m not here. I’m a figment of your imagination.” He waved his hands in front of himself as he backed away from the kitchen island he’d stubbed his toe on and moved toward the elevator, “I am not the droid you are looking for.”
Nat rolled her eyes and smiled. “Relax, Spider-Man,” she replied. “You’re fine. In fact,” she patted the couch beside her, realizing she had something she needed to do. “Come here.”
Peter eyes her warily. “My spidey senses aren’t going off, but...” he took a step back, “what if your training is so good that you’ve even tricked them. I’m not sure what to do here, Ms. Black Widow, ma’am.”
Her smile softened, “Well, you can start by calling me Natasha... or Nat, even.”
Peter was unconvinced. “Alright, Ms. Black Widow, ma’am. I can do that.”
Nat just shook her head. “If you’d prefer to stay there, that’s fine, but I did want to say something to you, if that’s alright?”
Peter shrugged nervously, “Sure?”
“Perfect,” and now she, too, was feeling nervous. “I, uh, wanted to apologize to you for last night. While I wasn’t feeling my best, I should not have been so abrupt or rude to you. I know you were only trying to help.”
Peter stared blankly at her.
–Which was okay because Nat wasn’t done. “As well, Tony mentioned that you’d try to stay out of my way. You don’t have to do that. In fact—”
Peter had started twisting at the cuffs of his sweater.
“If you’re okay with it, I’ve seen some of the media coverage... I was thinking we could work on your technique when I’m not a contagious mess?”
Peter’s jaw dropped in shock. “What did Tony say to you last night?”
Nat chuckled, then coughed, but only a little this time. “We were just sharing some stories... but what do you say? Private tutoring with me?”
“MJ is going to poop her pants.”
Nat snorted at that, then shivered a little. “I hope not.”
“Oh, my gosh!” Peter rushed forward. “You’re still sick and here I am keeping you awake when you should be resting!”
She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, trying to warm herself up.
“AND your cold! Man, I hate that! Did Tony tell you about my stupid thermoregulation?” Peter had accepted her apology, and had shifted right back into caregiver mode, just like last night, “Ugh. It’s the worst! One second I’m freezing, the next—” Peter pulled the Midtown School of Science and Technology hoodie he was wearing off and thrust it toward Nat without another thought.
“Oh, I couldn’t—” she tried to decline, but her fate was sealed.
“No, seriously, you can borrow it. I know what it’s like to want to snuggle into something warm, and it’s super comfy and look!” Peter shook it out so Nat could see it clearly, “A very handy pocket!”