I Thought You Were Different

I'm Sorry

"I'm sorry."

Natasha looked up from her tablet and sighed, looking at you with a sadness and regret in her eyes that you had never seen before; in all of your years of friendship, this was new and a little unsettling to say the least. The last time you had seen her she was seething, her eyes full of a fire and rage that scared you, though you would never give her the satisfaction of knowing that. The last time you had seen her, she was your rival.

"I know," she exhaled heavily, "so am I."

"I should've asked you how you felt about my working with Clint. I wasn't thinking past my own wants and I never considered how it might look from your perspective. I'm really sorry, Nat."

"No, you wouldn't need to do that," she replied emphatically, standing quickly to step in front of you, though her posture remained guarded with her hands clasped in front of her. "I don't have any ownership over Clint or what he does. This love thing," she stammered slightly, "...is...it's just...it's new for me, you know? (Y/N), I was way out of line. I didn't expect that kind of a reaction, and I'm really, really sorry for getting all childish about it."

"Does he know?" you asked quietly.

"Well, he was standing right there when I slammed you into the ground..."

"No, Nat," you laughed, taking a chance to connect by reaching out and tapping her arm playfully, "does he know that you love him?"

"Oh! Um, I don't know, actually. I've never said anything about it." When you moved to pull your hand away she reached out and took it in her own, her sad expression returning as she watched your hand rest in hers. "I don't know if I'll ever tell him, (Y/N). People like me don't deserve-"

"Natasha Romanoff, I swear that if you finish that sentence I will pull your hair again," you scolded with a harsh poke in her shoulder, "but this time I won't give it back. Don't you ever let me hear you say shit like that, you understand? You deserve good things. You deserve to love someone and have them love you back." You took her arms and held her straight towards you, doing your best to find a way to make her believe you. "Say it back to me."

"(Y/N), really?"

"Say it."

Natasha bit her lip gently and rolled her eyes, fighting back a smile that you could see was just trying to break its way out. This was the Nat that you loved, the one who would always give in to you, eventually. This Nat was your best friend who trusted you to be right about her even when she doubted every fiber of her own being. "I deserve good things. Jerk."

"Sure, that's close enough."

~~~

"I'm sorry."

"Beg your pardon?" Bruce startled, dropping his pen from his hand at the surprise of Tony moving up behind him without so much as a warning that he was there. "I must have heard you wrong."

"No," Tony replied with a gentle grin that just barely curled at the corner of his mouth, "you heard correct. I'm sorry."

Bruce cautiously put down the rest of his work and turned towards his friend, crossing his arms and leaning back against the workstation. He eyed Tony for a few seconds, trying to get a read on the unreadable man. "What do you want?"

"Nothing."

"Then what did you do?"

"Nothing!" Tony laughed. "Wow, the level of trust has really tanked around here hasn't it?" His smile faded as quickly as it had appeared, his tone returning to a serious one, "Look, I know that I can be quite the companion to trouble, but this time I just felt the need to say that."