Beyond Time (Avengers X Reader)

Chapter 16

You groaned for what could very possibly be the fiftieth time that day. Now that Tony was on your side, you had access to more information but despite all your efforts, you were unable to identify the killer's whereabouts or pinpoint his strategy for that matter.

Tony had been watching you for some time now and to him the distance was beginning to become unacceptable. It had only been a couple of days and you two were already inseparable.

He rested his elbows on the table and plopped his head on his palms. "You know, I have some serious attention deprivation going on."

You gave him a smile but continued with your work. It was quite a while before you spoke. "Touch me, Tony."

"Woah there, (Y/N)." Tony was taken aback for a moment but he quickly slipped back into his playboy ways, "I know I'm irresistible and everything but we haven't even been on a proper date yet."

"Ha ha. Very funny. No, touch me. I'm hot." Your brows furrowed and your head tilted to one side in slight embarrassment. "Okay, yeah this time I heard it too. But seriously, touch me. I think I'm running a fever."

All playfulness disappeared from Tony's face with such efficiency that one could claim it had never been there once in his entire lifetime.

With a swift movement which was quicker than your brain could infer, he touched your forehead and immediately drew his hand back. "You're burning up!" He all but screamed.

"Okay. Okay, Banner's in Milan but I think I can get him on the phone. He'll know what to do." Tony looked around frantically, as if forcing his mind to work in a collected manner when it completely and utterly disallowed it.

"Tony, it's just a fever. Get me an antibiotic and I'll be fine." You tried to calm him down, even though you partially liked the fretting.

No one had done that for you, except for Twyla, who was hired help and even the best of her worrying couldn't hold a candle to the concern of someone who actually cared about you.

"Yep. Just a fever. An antibiotic. Right." Tony walked out of the room,  repeating your words like a delirious person.

"You're going to call Dr. Banner, aren't you?" You asked.

Tony was already out of sight. "You bet." His faint reply came from a distance.

-

You huddled closer to yourself in your sleep. A smile formed on your lips when a familiar scent hit your nose. It was Tony's. Almost as if he had fallen asleep next to you on the couch, which was a delightful feeling in itself.

You weren't surprised either. With the way he was buzzing around you, feeding you soup and changing the wet patch on your head, it would be startling if he didn't doze off the moment he let himself go.

You woke up to something a little less delightful, but delightful all the same. The scent wasn't coming off of Tony's actual physical presence, rather his jacket which he had draped over you because you had been shivering in your sleep.

Much against your will, you abandoned sleep and sat up. Cinching Tony's jacket tighter around your torso, you began your endeavour to find him.

The tower was eerily silent. Where was everybody? Most importantly, where was Tony? He wouldn't leave on a mission, no, not without writing you a note or leaving a message with JARVIS.

"JARVIS?" You asked anxiously, "Where's Tony?"

"Mr. Stark is out to buy more tissues and medication. He did ask me to notify him if you woke up, which I have done...." The A.I. paused for no more than a moment, "....now. He'll be back any minute, miss."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks." You were relieved that he was only two blocks and not two countries away.

Resuming your futile walk around the tower, you came across Natasha. She was slumped over the dining table, on a huge stack of papers which you later fathomed out to be a mission report.

Not only did she look supremely peaceful but also you couldn't remember a time when you last perceived such a sight. You were almost positive that there wasn't one.

Everything happened as if you had lost control of your body. You sat near Natasha's feet and rested your head on her knees.

She never knew you were there.
Tricking the Black Widow's instincts was an art you had achieved peak prowess in; you had been doing it since you were four.

What came over you was beyond description. You felt a chocking sensation in your throat. Warm tears flooded your eyes and canvassed their path down your cheeks.

And finally, after years and years of bottling it all up, you cried. Reasons there were none, or maybe too many, but every emotion stewing inside you seemed to find its way out.

Having cried your eyes out until they were red and puffy, you eventually fell asleep.

A/N: Sorry for dragging this out but heads up, you've managed to piss off some very important and powerful people. Best of luck!