Patch Ups

[deadlylittlespider]

Malibu. It was the last location she had known him to be in. The house on the cliff. It was also away from anywhere anyone would think to look for her. So the location was ideal. If he wasn't there she'd break in, but she really hoped not to have to do that. She had no idea what systems he had set up here and wasn't ready to fight it all just to find a safe house.

The flight had been long and the flight attendants were starting to worry about her too much. She had cleaned up as best as she could, taped up with actual tap at one point, and had scampered, taking a flight to Malibu and a uber to Tony Stark's place.

She stood there at the front, having managed to get through the gate easy enough, but standing at the front door she stalled. Was this a good idea? She was pale, sweating and bloody, though she had hid the blood well enough in a stolen coat. She just needed somewhere safe to hide out for a bit. To... pass out, for a bit.

Her breaking in over the gate should already have caught his attention, but her buzzing the front door a few times would indeed bother him out of working to come answer the damn door. Or so she hoped.

If he wasn't here she wasn't sure what else she was going to do. She was pretty sure she wasn't going to be standing much longer.

Comments

[doesntpaint]

As luck would have it, the buzzing did bother him after the first two times. He was downstairs in his workshop, tinkering away as usual. He thought he'd ignore the buzzing, because anytime anyone came to his door, they usually stopped after the first five times went unanswered. But whoever was at his door now was persistent, and clearly not going away.

"DUM-E, hold the fort, and don't blow up anything or break anything. I still have that dunce cap just for you." He let out a long sigh, grumbled a little under his breath, and made his way up the stairs back to the main level of the house.

Once there, he peered at the footage from the security cameras, and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. It wasn't every day Black Widow herself (to use her Avengers codename) stopped by. Well, actually, she'd done it before, and usually when she did, it meant something bad was about to follow.

Opening the door, he leaned against the frame in a would-be casual stance.

"Hello, Agent Romanoff." All right, so they were kind of past the whole stiff formality thing, but Tony prided himself on being unpredictable. Of course, all witticisms fled from his mind when he got a good look, he arched an eyebrow. "Gee, I'd hate to see the other guy. What happened to you?"

[deadlylittlespider]

Persistent was her temporary middle name. The buzzing wouldn't stop for a while either, not if she had any say in it. Mostly because she might pass out on the button if he left her there too long. But in all seriousness, when he came to the door she stopped buzzing, seeming almost relieved that he did make an appearance.

"Stark." She said back as he elected to call her Agent instead of Natasha. They had moved well past the formalities but if he was playing that way she'd drop right back into old habits too. A simple greeting. A hello of sorts. She stood there, trying to correct herself by fixing her stance. Do not pass out. Do not look weak. She tried to play it off as if she was okay, but Tony had eyes, and the duct tape wrapped around her middle, was just barely hidden by the coat.

And a coat in this weather? In this location? Silly.

"I'd hate to see the other guy too. That's why I'm here." Literally, she would hate to see her attacker right now. Now was not the time to deal with ex KGB agents. Now was a time to come inside. She looked up at him, sweat on her brow and a smudge of red at her temple. "You going to invite a girl in?"

[doesntpaint]

Upon closer look, he noticed some things about her that worried him. For one thing, the way she was carrying herself was off, but also, her skin seemed paler somehow. She was a little bit pale to begin with, but this was definitely an unhealthy kind of pale. It concerned him, and if anyone was the subject of concern, Natasha was usually the last one. She was such a kickass that concern and Natasha were never in the same sentence.

"Hey, uh- Yeah, you're coming in." No time for quips now. "Uh, how're you doing with the whole walking thing?" Ordinarily, he'd just scoop up anyone who looked as bad as she did without asking, but Natasha could kill him fifty different ways, even when looking like she'd been through hell.

"I mean, do you need a hand? I kind of want to give you a hand." And coming from Tony, that had to be saying something.

[deadlylittlespider]

She was generally a pale red head, yes, but this was some how worse than normal. Like the blood had left her body some how. I mean, the knife wounds might be part of that, but you never know. Especially as she was hiding it all pretty well. Or well enough to have made it here.

"I'm still standing, aren't I?" Standing and Walking aren't the same thing, but she was stubborn and trying still. Had he actually scooped her up she would have been surprised but also would have given in instantly, she was that tired. But Natasha was Natasha, and so she would force herself to keep moving.

So she moved towards him and the front door, determined to come inside and get out of view, for one. "A hand... wouldn't be a bad thing right now though." She said and let out a shaky breath. "Need a few stitches." She finally said. "How steady is your hand?" She knew it was steady, or she wouldn't have come here.

[doesntpaint]

"Yeah, but I've never known you to do anything different." Natasha was tough as nails; it didn't take a genius to see that. And he hadn't yet ruled out scooping her up, if he decided it was necessary. When she all but asks for a hand, regardless of any possible meanings to the phrase, he readily gives it, reaching for one of hers but stopping short of taking it, to allow her the decision of whether or not to accept the help.

In his experience, he tended to bristle a lot less when he was at least given some semblance of a choice, rather than having something forced on him. Although, to be fair, if it was Fury doing the forcing, that was more or less the only option.

He didn't want to be like Fury, he decided, hence his giving Natasha the choice. "How steady is my hand?" He let out a dry laugh. "Very steady, or else I'd have a lot more scars going on here." He had quite a few already, but oddly enough, none of them were caused by his attempts to patch himself back up whenever he needed it. "Don't worry about a thing. I've given myself quite a few stitches in my time."

And it was as close to subtle as he could make it, but as they moved through the door and into the house, his arm snaked around her back, as if to add a little extra support.

[deadlylittlespider]

There was actually a smile pulling t her tired face as he said that, about not knowing any different. Damn right she was still standing. Sure, it might be on pure spite alone, but she was still standing. Alexi hadn't got her down for good.

One thing that Tony was not, was Fury.

She trusted Nick, as much as she could at last. He'd put her through hell though. Death and back again. Secrets. Assignments she'd rather not do. Still, she considered him close. Close enough that it upset her when he died.

Tony was not Nick. Tony was a softer shape than Nick. A softer being, even behind the hard exterior. She gave him his amount of shit to be given, but over the years she was learning when to back off or not. He had weak points she had discovered and tried not to poke them.

Much like Tony tried his best to give her space if needed, but also a helping hand. She took his hand and let him lead the way, wanting to protest that his house was too damn big, but that would show weakness.

"Good. Because mine are not so steady right now." And they weren't. He'd find she was almost shaking with the effort to stay mobile. "It's been a long, long day." And about half way in, she actually leaned on him for the support now, eyes heavy. A feeling of safety washing over her as she was inside. Some place safe. It wasn't the house really, but the company.

[doesntpaint]

"Never thought I'd say this, but you really look like you've been through hell. So, here's what we're gonna do. You're gonna sit down while I patch you up, then it's a dose of stuff to take the edge off, and you're going to sleep." He's not exactly scared of her, but she can be damn intimidating sometimes, so he hopes she doesn't take his words the wrong way.

Rest is what she needs right now, even if she probably doesn't need as much as an average person, but she came to him for help, and he means to give it as best as he can.

"Couch okay with you? I'm guessing exam tables aren't your thing." Besides, no one likes a cold metal table when they could have a soft plushy couch.

[deadlylittlespider]

There are times when she is non nonsense and no desire to have others help her, and then there are times when she knows she needs it. This is one of those times that she isn't going to growl at him for trying. She did come here for help and though she might not say it, she's grateful to his putting up with her right now.

"Something from my past rared up and bit me in the ass is all. Hope you don't mind that I hide out here for a bit. I figure your security measures would give me some warning if it follows here." She said honestly. It was hard to admit that her past was coming for her, but he was helping and deserved that much truth.

"What? And let me bleed on your couch? How kind." She said, but nodded, because honestly she didn't think she'd make it to the table.

[doesntpaint]

"Something from your past, huh? Whoever or whatever it is must have some muscle behind it in order to bite you." Because Natasha is tough, and nothing and no one gets her down for long.

"But hey, my place is your place. And you can stay as long as you need to." That's kind of what this place is built for. Granted, it's mostly a safe house for him, but the same security that keeps it intact can also protect others. "Speaking of security measures... Remind me to make some adjustments once I get you settled."

He'll remind himself, of course; it's just something to fill the air.

"I have a couch upholstering service on speed dial. It's no big deal. Now, come on. Down you go." He keeps a firm but gentle hold on her so as not to disturb anything as he guides her towards the couch and into a sitting position.

[deadlylittlespider]

"There was muscle. Yeah." She said simply, letting out a long slow breath as they moved. She was in no place to argue anything right now, and not in the right mind to argue a thing either. Right now she wanted to be safe and this was as best as she was getting. Hopefully she can heal here well enough to sneak out and go before Tony gets hurt too.

"I appreciate it, Tony." She said, and as he said to remind him of making adjustments, she gave a halfhearted smile. "Need to up security around the gate, huh? I might be messed up but I still made it over that."

She grunted softly as she lowered herself to the couch, moving to pull the black trench coat off. A gun in her belt was removed and sat down to the side, a knife from behind her pulled out and sat beside it a moment. With the coat off he could see duct tape was used as a pressure bandage around her middle. She let out a sigh as she relaxed into the couch a moment.

"You mind if I sleep this off once we're done?" Sleep it off, steal one of his shirts, grab her weapons and go, most likely. The last thing she wanted to do was get him caught up in this.

[doesntpaint]

"What was it? Or who was it? Not HYDRA rearing its ugly head, or- Loki or any one of the big bads we've had to put away." Those were mostly the Avengers' enemies. This situation seems personal. And Tony has only a surface idea of who Natasha is and where she came from. He understands not wanting to talk about one's skeletons, so he's never really pushed, mainly because he's sure she'd have his head.

"Never mind. You know, it's not important. I don't even know why I asked. I'm just here to patch you up, give you a safe place to stay. Asking questions isn't my job." At least, it's not his job right now.

"And yeah, you know, thanks for that. I'm always looking for weak points, so- You've been helpful. Although, next time you decide to break through, I hope it's for less drastic reasons than this. But, that being said, you can always come here if you need a hand." Because he doesn't want to make her think she's inconveniencing him. He'll always be available to help out a friend.

Before he answers her question, he gives her a good once-over, noting the makeshift bandage. The sight of it makes his eyebrows dip as he frowns, but he understands desperate measures. "I think I'm gonna need to take your shirt off. Just to get a better look, you know?" He eyes her midsection again, wondering if he can get her outer layer off without hurting her too much. "And yeah, once we're done here, I've got some sleep meds with your name on them. Or if you think you can manage without them, that's doable too. I've got blackout curtains just for that purpose." He knows not everyone likes the idea of needing to be drugged in order to sleep.

And he has a soundproof room too, so she should be able to sleep soundly.

[deadlylittlespider]

He's babbling. It's actually almost endearing. She sat there on the edge of the couch, taking small and easy breaths and just letting him babble. Even the topic she didn't want to talk about was still fine to listen to him ramble about.

It was something about his voice that was almost soothing. Jesus, Romanoff, are you really that badly out of it? She thought to herself. And before she could even consider giving him an answer, he was saying it wasn't important. Never mind. She considered letting it go then, but maybe he should know too. Maybe she should tell him just in case it followed her here. Or maybe he can help.

"I'll tell you more about it once I get my head clear. Maybe you can... help me with it." She almost seemed to wince as she, wow, asked for help. It must be bad if she was considering asking anyone for help.

He was saying she could always come here if she needed a hand, and that was sweet of him. If she wasn't so tired she might have made some half joking comment about never needing a hand, but even now she doesn't feel the half comment. Instead she reached a hand out and up to touch his face, lightly. "Tony. You're rambling." And then she pat his cheek twice, lightly before moving back.

Her hand went to pick up the knife, simply holding it in one hand a moment and sighing. "The shirt is ruined anyhow. Cutting it off works fine." There was a moment there where her brain thought.... well, maybe she'd ask him to stay while she slept, but that was a childish thing to want, isn't it? Childish to want him to watch her back as she slept, or just... be there. To be close. The last time she tried being close to anyone was Bruce and that ended up badly.

This was such a bad idea, but she found Tony safe, secure and charming? Jesus, she must have lost a lot of blood.

[doesntpaint]

It's a trap he falls into sometimes, usually when he's excited or nervous about something. But oddly enough, he's neither of those things right now. Natasha's going to be fine; her injuries don't seem life-threatening. She just needs some good bandages, a little TLC, and some sleep. She'll be right as rain in no time.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I am. Sorry." He rubs the back of his head with one hand, looking almost sheepish. It can't be that he's worried about her, not at all. "But once you're back on your feet, I'd like the rundown. Maybe not the whole story, if you don't want to tell it, but I'd sure like to know who's ass I should be kicking." Hell, the rest of the Avengers might want in on it, if Natasha feels up to letting them in as well. Not that he can blame her if she doesn't.

"Cutting it off it is, then. But I have scissors for that. Not that your knife doesn't look- sharp." He reaches for the scissors conveniently placed within arm's reach, and sets about cutting through the fabric. "I'll get you a new shirt later, okay?" The perks of being a millionaire. New clothes come easily.

"So, I'm gonna clean off that wound and bandage it up. Sound good?" Of course, she couldn't know that the thought had occurred to him to maybe hang back after she'd fallen asleep, just to make sure everything was all right. He didn't anticipate any threats breaking in, but he figured it would make both of them feel better if an extra set of eyes was in the room.

[deadlylittlespider]

She doesn't mind the rambling at all, but she can't pass up the opportunity to point it out either. "And if I don't want you getting involved?" She asked, wondering if he was going to say he was already involved. Of all of the Avengers, she could trust Tony to try and help with out pushing. She thought maybe she scared him. "Not that I am saying I wont let you. I think I might need the help, but I'd rather you not get hurt because of my past." She said at last, being honest and open with him.

As he started to cut the shirt, she bit back a wince as it was peeling off the cuts. Two of them at her side, shallow enough not to be deadly, but long enough, each, to be large slashes. When the shirt was cut enough to remove it, she unashamedly lifted her arms and helped him get it off, leaving her in a black bra and no modesty.

She leaned back a bit, servings the cuts. "Should make for nice scars later." She said lightly, as if trying to joke. "Thanks. Though I might just raid your closet until then." She warned, letting out a sigh. Now that she had leaned back into the couch her body wanted to give out and rest. She had to tell herself to stay awake though, pushing to sit up right again.

"That sounds like a great plan. I might even take those sleep aids you were talking about." And really knock out, though she looked so tired now that she might not need them. She at least felt better just being here. Trusted him enough to be here like this. To show some vulnerability.

[doesntpaint]

"I'd say it's too late for that. I became involved the minute you scaled that wall." His tone is mild, but there's a sudden intensity in the look he's pinning her with. If it makes him predictable, then that's just how it is. "On paper, I'm just a consultant, but I like to think I contribute something to the team." He has no insecurities about his role, of course. Now isn't the time to bring up his issues, however. Natasha's his priority, and that includes getting involved and putting whoever did this to her down.

"I appreciate that, I do. But you got hurt first, and someone out there's going to have to pay for that. I'd like to be there when they do."

He notices the winces she's making, and he gives her a more apologetic look. "Sorry. I know this can't be comfortable." But he's quick to gather up the bandages and his stockpile of alcohol swabs, because first things first, those wounds need cleaning. "If it helps, you have my permission to use me as a punching bag later. For retaliation, you know." When she's recovered, he means. What he's about to do isn't going to feel like a tickle.

But then he's back to chuckling lightly in spite of himself. "Consider my closet yours." If that sounds weird, well, no one's listening but the two of them. He unwraps the first alcohol swab and lets it hover over the first cut. "Ready? Sorry in advance." Sure, she's made of tough stuff, but alcohol and fresh wounds is just a recipe for discomfort.

[deadlylittlespider]

She honestly shouldn't be surprised, but there was still a small flicker of surprise cross her face as he said that. Not the consultant comment, or that he contributes to the team, which he does. A lot. But to the fact that someone hurt her and he wants them to pay.

She knows Clint would do the same thing. Time to go take out some trash. She thinks she knows that Steve would maybe do the same? But Tony. She's not sure why it surprised her, but it did. In a good way. He might notice it took her a moment to clear her thoughts enough to respond to that. "I'll brief you on it later. Just know Alexi is ex KGB and your security measures need to be high." See? Opening up, a little.

The fact he, what was this? Wanted to protect her? The fact that he was seeming protective actually had her heart skip a moment. Which was the most childish feeling, she felt. SO childish. To feel an attraction to the guy after all this time. After all the problems she had experienced with attraction to anyone. It's just a stupid instinct to want someone protective she thought to herself, with a slight huff.

"You're fine." She said a bit more flatly to the apology for her comfort. "Maybe when I heal I can knock you around. Sure." Be it in the boxing ring or in the sheets--Natasha, No. She told herself firmly, in her head, no. Jesus, he was just patching her up, no sense letting old crushes rear it's ugly head again. Look what happened with Bruce. It'll just be a worse rejection from Tony in the end.

"Ready." She said softly, not looking at him anymore. "This is the easy part. Stop apologizing, by the way. It's not your fault I was slow on my feet." She said, leaning back just a bit so he could get better access.

[doesntpaint]

He figures it might not be exactly what she's thinking, but he used to be selfish and arrogant, thinking only of himself. He likes to think he's changed a lot since then, and really, being part of a team has helped with that. There's no ignoring the fact that he cares about them, even when they butt heads and argue like children.

He'd argue that they only do that because they care about each other.

"That, I can do. I'm always working on improvements because let's be honest: the people who want to break in and screw things up are crazy levels of smart. But then again, so am I. It's kind of a race to keep up with each other." And while it is a high stakes race that he doesn't take lightly for a second, he enjoys the hell out of it.

"So bring on your KGB big bad. I'll make sure I'm ready." Big words, perhaps, but no one messes with Natasha and gets away with it.

"I'm holding you to that. For all I know, it might be therapeutic or something. I'm not the one to ask about that mumbo jumbo." With both of them being ready, he sets to work cleaning off her wounds with the alcohol swab and a cloth he dips in water, careful to give her a break as often as he can.

"Maybe not, but I can't help but feel that someone should have been there with you."

[deadlylittlespider]

That wasn't at all what she was thinking about him. Maybe a few years ago, but she had watched him change from what he was to what he was now, and over the years, it was a drastic difference, even if it seemed like it was not. If any of them had changed at all, it was Tony Stark. Still arrogant, sure, but there was care there.

Which is why she shouldn't have been surprised, but she was. She does know he cares, and she cares about him, and the others, in return. It was hard not to care for these fools.

"So are you." She said as he said he was smart too. There was a soft smile on her face as she said it. "I trust you and your security." She actually said out loud this time. She wondered if he understood how very little she ever used the Trust word. She meant it though.

"But I would rather not bring the big bad at all. He got the jump on me in my own home. Might be why my guard was down." She thought it was Cat that tipped over a glass only to find a big guy and a knife coming her way. Served her right for not taking precautions.

She leaned back and watched him wash the cuts. They weren't too bad, now that the blood was gone. Stitches needed but just a few would be god, she thought. She can barely look at him as he said someone should have been there for her.

"You can't always be there, Tony. This wasn't a mission or a job gone bad. Nick didn't send me out anywhere. This was personal."

[doesntpaint]

Well, in complete fairness, Natasha's one who actually has bothered to look and see that Tony's not the same man he used to be. Sure, she's just the tip of an iceberg and she's intimidating as hell, but she's never written him off, as far as he knows.

As for the caring part, it really is hard to turn that off. Even with all the bickering and baiting that goes on when they're not on a mission (or even when they are), they're still a family: an incredibly dysfunctional family, but as far as Tony's concerned, each one of them is important, and if he can do anything to keep them as safe as possible, then that's exactly what he's going to do with the resources and skills that he has.

"I feel like I should be recording this. Not for blackmail because that's just low, but for posterity's sake." He chuckles even as he works at cleaning her injuries. "Not gonna lie, it's nice to be trusted." He trusts her all but implicitly, having come a long way from when he tried to fire her when he learned she actually worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., but it's nice to have someone trust him in return.

And of course, he figures it isn't every day that Natasha puts her trust in someone other than herself, so he considers this a huge honor.

"Well, yeah, of course. No one ever wants the bad guy showing up in their living room, but really, when do any of us get what we want?" They're the Avengers. Trouble and bad guys go hand in hand for them. Never mind that this wasn't Avengers business. Tony's just of the opinion that if someone messes with one Avenger, they might as well have messed with them all.

"And I know that, but come on. You're part of the team. Personal or not personal, don't we watch each other's backs?" Maybe they bicker more than anything else, but he can't help but think that at the end of the day, if one of them needs a hand, no one would hesitate to give it.

[deadlylittlespider]

Natasha tended to try and see past all of their masks, because they all had one on one way or another. Tony tended to hide behind bravado, wealth and power to do what he wants, but she's seen, over time, the change. She likes the change. He's come a long way from when he hired her to now.

Then again she's come a long ways from being a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent to an Avenger.

"Too late. I've already said it and I don't repeat myself." She said in a tease, more like her normal self. She was still worn out, but her sense of humor was still in tact. But he said it was nice to be trusted. Her smile turned more tender at that. She knows the others Bicker with him a lot, but she also knows they all trust him. Sure, he's managed to make murder bots and make Natasha's eyes roll, but he's done a lot of good as well.

And when do they get what they want? Never, right? It's been apart of her life that anything she did want generally came at a price, if it came at all. He might notice she was s taring at him while he said all this. That it's nice to be trusted. That they never get what they want. That they have each others backs. Her eyes watched him for a bit too long, eyeing his face, but they softened a bit as well.

her hand grasped at the hand cleaning the wounds and held it still a moment. She leaned forward and pulled at his hand to pull him in closer. When he was closer she leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. Light at first, but her chin nudged it a bit firmer after a moment, eyes closed and taking a kiss from him. It was the easiest way to express herself, and even then it would come across as confusing, she was sure.

Backing up just a inch from the kiss she whispered. "I do trust you. I just don't want you, or the team, to get hurt because of me. You of all people don't deserve that." She whispered closely.

[doesntpaint]

It's no small feat, considering how so many of them hold on very hard to their masks and try their best to keep them in place so no one can see the real them. And while every one of them have things they try to keep private, some of them have tighter grips on their masks than others. That used to be Tony, and it still is in some ways, but whether intentionally or not, he's been letting more people see past the mask.

"Fine. I should have known better. Always be prepared, especially when it comes to you." It's a joke, really, but there's a grain of truth to it. Natasha is very good, highly capable, and she's unpredictable too. It's what makes her so dangerous but also so very intriguing. It's good to see that she can still banter back at him, even in her current compromised state. Of course, he knows it'll take more than this to knock her off her feet. She'll be back at the top of her game in no time, he's certain of it.

He's about to keep dabbing away at her wounds, but she stops him by grabbing his hand. Looking at her, eyebrows raised in question, he's completely unprepared for what comes next. The kiss she plants on his lips takes him completely aback, but before he knows what he's doing, he goes in too, deepening the contact between them. When she backs up just a little bit, he can't help but fix her with a confused look. Sure, their relationship is fairly solid, with both of them having been known to trade sarcasm and barbs with ease, but he never could have predicted this.

He's not complaining one bit, though. "We look out for each other, though. Someone takes one of us down, there's no chance in hell we're letting that go. No chance in hell I'm letting that go." He emphasizes the word "I", because this is one of those incredibly personal matters. "And I wouldn't have taken this job if it was 100% safe. Nothing's 100% safe, which I know you know. But you know what else?" Spurred on by the fact that she initiated the kiss first, he leans in a little closer so that their lips are all but brushing.

"You don't deserve that either. They're not getting away with this."

[deadlylittlespider]

"You should have." known better that is. She wanted to say more to that, to banter back and forth or to joke a bit more about his security, or how she's surprised this room wasn't recorded, the creep. But she couldn't bring herself to it, and besides, she kissed him.

Her hand still held his wrist, keeping it still, the cloth he was using to dab at the wound hovering over it and fine for now. She should have let him finish with that first, but his words struck her into moving. The devotion and protection of the other was a lot. A hell of a lot.

The last person she knew that was this protective of her was Clint, and kissing him wasn't something she could do, family and all. He was more like a brother to her by now anyhow. A partner in crime. Tony was... different. They weren't 'partners' but they worked well together. She trusted him and he oddly trusted her, even after all the shit she'd put him through with S.H.I.L.E.D.

He spoke about the team again, not letting it go, but then spoke that HE wasn't going to let it go. It pulled at her heart, tightening in a grip. 'But you know what else?' he said, so close to her lips. "What?" She whispered, feeling his lower lip brush hers as he said it.

She deserved better too. She's not sure she believed that yet. There was still so much she had to clean from her records. And this, her past showing up like this? That proved there was still a lot to sponge from it all.

"You're doing that thing again, Stark. Being nice." She said softly on his lips, leaning in just a bit more to kiss him again, perhaps a bit more pushy this time, her hand keeping him held close by the wrist.

[doesntpaint]

"I know, what was I thinking?" He rolls his eyes, pretending to be disgusted with himself. "Totally missed a golden opportunity." Growing tired of holding onto the cloth, since it doesn't appear she's letting go of his wrist anytime soon, he drops it onto the couch, where he can easily pick it back up again once the cleaning process resumes.

If it does. He's not complaining about any of this right now.

Honestly, he's not sure why he feels so protective towards Natasha, aside from the fact that they're teammates. She's half the fighter he is, and she doesn't even need protective armor to be dangerous. Of course he knows she doesn't really need his protection, but something about seeing her battered and scraped up makes him feel things he wasn't expecting. No one likes to see a friend hurt, so that's part of it, but the rest? It's strange, but he's only giving himself a headache trying to understand it.

He might not be Clint Barton, and he probably never will be as close as the two of them seem to be, but he can at least try to help when the opportunity presents itself. Which it's doing right now.

"I know I'm a colossal tool, but I have my moments, don't I?" It's a tease, but there's that annoying grain of truth contained in it. "Besides, you've had a rough day, so you deserve it." Her kiss silences him, though, and for a few seconds, he forgets all about running his mouth and just drinking her in. This will probably never happen again once she's recovered, so he figures he better enjoy it while it lasts.

[deadlylittlespider]

"And it will never happen again." Oh, it would. He's learning to be.. nicer. To her team mates at least. To Tony, who has been trying, so hard, for these past few years. Oh sure she agreed with somethings and not for others, but he was still a good man.

When he drops the cloth she does let his hand go, but just to move it to his upper arm a moment, her touch light. Still had blood under her nails and unapologetically a mess, but she wanted this strange moment of closeness. It was rare, and didn't come easy, and maybe it was his confessing his protectiveness to her that jumped the gun, but she wanted to let it linger a bit. The touch, the closeness, the safe place.

Maybe she lost more blood than she thought, or maybe she was just overly tired, but it felt nice. If only he realized how very rare it was for her to allow anyone to take care of her. Even for a little bit.

She broke the kiss again, still hovering close to his lips however. Eyes closed until she drew back a wee bit more, peeking at him. Her free hand coming up to touch his jaw, tracing his unique beard lines a moment. "You're not a tool, and you do have your moments. Aaand... it means a lot to me, that you're..." she paused, as if to try to find the right word. "... helping me." She said at last, then added, "trusting me."

Her fingers curled along his jaw and to his neck a moment, her guts twisting up in a knot. This is such a bad idea. It's such a bad idea to get close to anyone. Look what happened last time. She's going to be told to leave and she wouldn't blame him for it. "And I'm not just using you right now. I promise."

[doesntpaint]

"Ha, I knew it." What does he know exactly? Well, if she weren't currently injured, he'd drag this out and make her guess. But hey, he's being nice, so he just says it. "When you first walked in, you know what I was thinking? I was thinking, hey, here's a person who's on par with unicorns and dragons. She's as rare as those are, and so that makes things like the opportunity I just missed even more valuable." He puts on a pretend frown. "I'm kicking myself right now, really."

If it's closeness she wants, he'll gladly oblige. He just wants her to be comfortable, to feel as safe as she can under the circumstances. But cleaning her up can happen after they've gotten close to each other, if that's what she wants. He's pretty much at her beck and call right now, and hopefully she's enjoying every second. Because like unicorn sightings, this is also fairly rare.

So, yes, he does realize what a gift she's giving him by allowing him to get this close. It's not something he plans to waste or take for granted.

"You know, I really appreciate that. Not many people have told me that before." He's been called a tool so many times, he thought about adding that on as a middle name. Except it really has a terrible ring to it: Anthony Edward Tool Stark. Just the thought of it makes him frown in disgust. "I'd help anyone who came to my place looking like roadkill." Wait, he said that out loud. She looks bad, yes, but roadkill? Too much. "Not that you do, of course."

And there he went, opening his mouth and sticking his foot in. "As for the trusting part, well- That's also what people on a team do." He goes silent momentarily as her fingers brush along his jawline and ghost over his neck. Tony's more or less the king of bad ideas, so if this is one as well, it can just go on the list along with all the others.

"I'm just going to say that I never thought you were, but also? If this is you using me, then consider me a willing participant." That attempt at a joke probably falls flat, but her touch is distracting him.

I have a laptop again! Tag ho!!

[deadlylittlespider]

For a moment she didn't remember what the hell was said that he should have recorded, mostly because he threw her as he said she was a rare being. Like a unicorn or a dragon. She blinked, staring at him, like he might have had two heads on for a moment, then... smiled, very faintly. "Do you ever listen to the words that come out of your mouth sometimes?" He was calling her rare and who ever did that? Unicorns and Dragons, huh.

Still, he made a good point. This was as rare as a unicorn. This honest to goodness need for closeness. To be near anyone, let alone him. Clint was maybe the one person who could manage to get close, but there was a huge difference there. He was her best friend, and a married one. His wife? She was allowed in as well, but not like Clint. Steve was... well, she'd kissed him before, in a moment of hiding. He'd shocked her when he said he trusted her too. She didn't want to kiss him when he said he trusted her. This felt different.

The fact that it felt different was good, but also bad, right? She shouldn't want to be close to anyone, yet here she was, running fingers down his jaw and resting t his neck, looking at him as he explained that no one has ever told him ... what? That he's not a tool? That someone trusted him? There was a faint frown on her face at that, fingers curling at his chin, looking his face over for the honesty there. He wasn't any teasing there. Until he mentions looking like Roadkill.

She actually smiled about that, shaking her head and looking away a moment as he retracted the statement. "Roadkill, hmm?" She hummed, looking down at herself. God, she was a right damn mess. "It's not far from the truth, really." She let out a soft groan, relaxing a bit again. Okay, maybe she should let him finish cleaning her up.

"I've only just started to work well in a team, Tony. Most people would assume the Russian Master Assassin who worked on her own for so long couldn't be trusted in a team." Especially when at any moment she could flip the script on them for her or Fury's own gains. "You shouldn't trust someone like me." She said it flatly, with no heart or meaning at all. His joke does fall a little flat, but she lets her hand trace his jaw one more time, thumb rubbing a bit. "You have no idea if I'll stick around or if I'll disappear the moment you're done fixing me up."