For you, I'll risk it all

IX

A few days later her whole body was still aching. She was used to a speedy recovery, but this level of comfort was unfamiliar to her.

"Don't move. What do you need?" Natasha warned.

"I can't lay here forever, Nat," she protested.

"Not forever, just until Bruce says it's okay."

"And you're going to babysit me till then?" She chuckled, knowing that Natasha was also there to deter her from deciding to run off.

She wasn't used to being so close and taken care of by someone for such a long period. Natasha woke her up every morning bringing breakfast and painkillers. She stayed until noon and then returned with lunch, and they spent the whole day talking. Natasha told Iris about her past, at least a bit of it, the part that had healed. She also shared a bunch of stories about how the Avengers were formed, about Tony, Steve, and the whole story with Bruce. Clearly trained as a spy, she knew exactly which topics to touch on and which to avoid, one of them being Bucky. For days now, the only person she saw was Natasha. Not even Steve, which she had to admit, kind of bothered her. "Is there a reason why I am trapped here with only you?" She slightly turned her head towards Nat, "Tony imposed a few days of vacation on Steve and Bucky." "What? Why?" "When we came back, Bruce immediately brought you in for surgery. Steve rushed behind him, followed by Bucky and the rest of us. Steve started to blame the whole situation on Bucky. Things escalated quickly, and Tony decided that the best way was for you to recover in peace and for them to be alone." So they didn't know. Steve didn't tell them why the whole mission went south and why she almost died. As she tried to stand up, Nat tried to stop her, but she reassured her again that she was fine, and that she just needed to speak with Tony. She changed into something different than a pair of pajamas, but the only thing she could find was a pair of grey sweatpants and a black hoodie that was way too oversized. Nat showed her the way to Tony's office. As she entered the office she noticed Tony's eyes instantly snapping towards her. A small, playful grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Good morning sunshine, slept well?" he chuckled.

"Oh yes, more than you can imagine"

"I must say, I do have a soft spot for women who don't feel the need to dress up to impress me," Tony remarked, gesturing for her to join him on the plush couch near the windows. He positioned himself across from her.

She responded with a cheeky smirk, "Well, next time, I might just show up naked."

"Definitely wouldn't mind that," he retorted with a chuckle, crossing his legs and leaning back into the soft cushions. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm good, Tony," she reassured him. "I've been through worse. When is everyone else expected to return?"

Tony's expression hardened, and his tone turned serious. "What actually happened out there?" His inquiry hung in the air like a heavy fog.

She could still hear echoes of Naija's cries as they dashed through a hail of bullets. The image of Bucky in the jet, likely urging Tony to leave them behind, played in her mind.

Tony's gaze bore into her, scrutinizing her every expression. It was as if he was trying to read her thoughts, to decipher the unsaid words. "He got lost," was all she offered.

He didn't react immediately. Instead, he continued to stare at her, his eyes unblinking as if trying to extract more from her brief explanation. He finally broke the silence, with a touch of his usual playfulness creeping back into his voice, "You know, the great Tony Stark is known for many things, but mind-reading isn't one of them. You're going to have to give me more than that."

She let out a small sigh, "I told you what happened, Tony. Bucky got lost. That's all there is to it."

He studied her for a moment longer before finally breaking into a grin, "Alright, alright. You're off the hook...for now." He stood up, stretching his arms above his head. "You can leave now," he said, moving back to his desk and resuming whatever he was doing before she had walked in.