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

[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."