New Recruit

Thanks For Breakfast (Chapter 78)

*Y/N*

Another week goes by with little progress being made. Well, y/n has been able to grasp on to a few memories thanks to Gwen and Bruce's first attempt at an antidote but since then they haven't been able to conjure up any memories of their past in quite that much detail. There have been moments of remembrance, and a lot more instances of deja-vu, but the full picture of their memory still proves to be lost within their subconscious.

"Y/n, sit up like a normal person."

Natasha is sitting on the couch in her bedroom with y/n right next to her. Y/n however, is flipped upside down with their head dangling off the edge of the couch with their legs hanging up and over the back of the couch.

"No."

Natasha quirks her eyebrow at the response she just heard. "Stop being a child and sit up."

"No. I'm trying to see if I let all the blood rush to my head if it will somehow magically fix all my problems and help my brain stop being a little bitch." Natasha rolls her eyes and flicks y/n in the head. They grumble and swat her hand away, rubbing the spot that was just flicked.

"We both know that isn't going to work, so sit up before you give yourself a headache."

With another grumble y/n flips their legs around the couch and sits up in a normal position, "Yes, mommy."

Nat's hand connects with the back of y/n's head and she gives them a slightly unreadable look, "Don't ever call me that again..."

"From that response we both know you are into that." Y/n catches Nat's hand before it can make contact with their head again. "No need for the violence, I already have a headache." Natasha opens her mouth to let out an 'I-told-you-so', but y/n cuts her off before she can get the words out of her mouth, "and don't be smug, I already had the headache before I started sitting upside down."

At their words, Natasha slightly softens. "The headaches are back?" Y/n shakes their head 'yes', not answering with words. Overly tired of talking about the fact that they are not getting better. There are moments where it feels like things are taking a positive turn, but those moments are fleeting and don't last very long, leaving y/n feeling stuck. But almost worse than feeling stuck in themselves, is the feeling that quickly follows when they see the way to familiar looks that appear on Wanda or Yelena's faces when their shared memories become more and more one sided. Natasha does a better job at hiding her emotions than the others, which is why y/n tends to find themself with her more often than anyone else. Though, today Natasha seems to be having a harder time hiding her feelings.

"I thought they got better, or at least were happening less frequently?"

"I lied. I was tired of everyone looking at me like I was broken into a million pieces all of the time."

Natasha doesn't say anything, there is nothing else left to say to y/n at this point. The truth is their body isn't healing their brain on their own and even though the first attempt at an antidote was hopeful, it wasn't 100% successful. The headaches haven't stopped and the pain from the headaches is more or less a constant reminder that y/n is in fact, not doing better.

The two sit in the silence that has fallen between them, neither uncomfortable but still slightly unnerved by the reality of the current situation they find themselves in. Natasha is the first to break the silence as she stands up and reaches her hand down, grabbing y/n's hand and pulling them off the couch and to her bed. "I know you're not sleeping much when you're left alone in your room. Tonight you're going to stay here with me."

"Natasha, I–"

"And before you protest, don't." Natasha smirks at you and you simply give her an eye-roll. "Now sit here and look pretty while I get you some comfy clothes from your room and snacks."