Natasha Harkin (Natasha Romanoff x Y/N Harkin gxg)

The Healing Process

Y/N POV

"Singing in the shower is fun until you get soap in your mouth. Then it's a soap opera." Tony had been reading out of a large red joke book for the past half an hour. Some of them were quite good but many of them were just awful. 

"Put the book down Tony!" I tried to pull it out of his hands but he just stood up and walked to the other side of the room. 

"Why can't a nose be 12 inches long? Because then it would be a foot." He had a smug smile on his face and it bugged me I couldn't stand up to wipe it off. 

"You're making my head pound." He closed the book and dropped it onto the edge of the bed in between my legs.  

"Read one." He ordered. 

"Is this your way of making me do my exercises?" I sat up and grabbed the book and began to flip through the pages. 

"You are getting a bit soft around the middle." He joked as I tried to find a good joke. 

"If you think I'm gonna get fat off of hospital food... you're probably right. There cakes are delicious. Remind me to give you a bite next time I get one." I had been in this room for about 5 days now and I was getting closer and closer to being let out. Tony had stopped by every day for at least an hour and Pepper was normally with him but would stay longer. Today she had already stopped by and had brought my mother. The two had left about two hours before Tony arrived. Natasha hadn't come back since the first day I was in here, I had woken up the morning after Mary Poppins for her to be gone. I tried not to dwell on the fact she had run off after getting what we had back on track. It was hard though and I couldn't help but think I had done something wrong. 

"Well I guess that means I'm waiting until your dinner is served. I have to know what all the fuss is about!" He sat back down in the chair next to me. 

"Talking about food, I found the best joke. A cheeseburger walks into a bar. The bartender says, 'Sorry, we don't serve food here." He laughed and snatched the book from my hands and placed it on the bed side table. 

"Nice one! Though I agree, let's take a break with the jokes." He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the bed. 

"I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have chased you out of the room like that. You were only trying to help and honestly you were right, I was lucky to not have been up in that meeting room." He sat forward again and grabbed my hand as he let out a sigh. 

"I don't blame you, it was hard for all of us. What I said was indeed a bit insensitive seeing as you had just learned what happened." He ran his thumb across the back of my hand as he spoke. 

"Thank you. For your forgiveness and for being here." I said in almost a whisper.

"You were always there for me, it's time I pay back the favor. Also to clear one thing up, you didn't *chase* me out. You can't even walk." He leaned back again smiling. 

"Oh really? I have something to show you then." I removed the blanket and moved to the side of the bed. His eyes widened as I stood up and walked over to him. It was a slow pace but it was getting better each day I spent with the physical therapist.  

"Look at that! How long was this a thing?" He asked and he stood up to make sure I didn't fall over.

"A few days but I was too nervous to test it out in front of people in case I fell." 

"Well you're doing great!" We walked around the room laughing and talking for a bit until we sat down in chairs next to the window. 

"You remember Alec? In Mr. Paul's class?" Tony turned to face me.