I couldn’t stay without making a psd of the two best characters of marvel. Imagine Tony and Natasha waking up before time travel… . I miss them so much
I saw this on the @ironstrange-is-the-endgame account and wanted to give it a shot with what I think. It was fun.
General:
Rate the Ship - Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs
How long will they last? - forever. tony and natasha are endgame. they know each other since a long time ago.
How quickly did/will they fall in love? - I think that i was almost immediate, they just took their time to clear their thoughts and make it work.
How was their first kiss? - It was in Tony’s birthday party, arround IM2.
Wedding:
Who proposed? - Tony
Who is the best man/men? - Rhodey and Strange
Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - Yelena and Wanda.
Who did the most planning? - Tony hired someone but Nat ended doing all the work
Who stressed the most? - Natasha 100% because she wanted everything to be perfect
How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.
Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Ross
Sex:
Who is on top? - Tony and sometimes Nat.
Who is the one to instigate things? - Nat if Tony was working in the lab.
How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 |9|They are humping each other on the couch right now
How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 |8|9| Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head
How long do they normally last? - Too long, mostly Tony because he will make Nat come again and again.
Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - No, Nat will probably have most of the orgasms
How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.
How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2| 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.
Children:
How many children will they have naturally? - One. I have the headcanon in the red room, nat had a tubal ligation (Black widow prelude Comic) which is reversible. But they would only have one daughter who would be their little princess
How many children will they adopt? - Probably just Peter.
Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Tony for sure.
Who is the stricter parent? - natasha without a doubt. Tony is a child himself
Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Nat wouldn’t want his daughter to get hurt, so if he couldn’t stop her, Romanoff would teach her how to survive.
Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - I swear they would forget about it and they would give her extra cash.
Who is the more loved parent? - Tony.
Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - They would take turns, although natasha is more responsible with that, tony is usually the most fun at the meetings.
Who cried the most at graduation? - Nat because it was her baby.
Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Tony would ask nat if he could post bail and nat would just do it without hesitation.
Cooking:
Who does the most cooking? - Tony
Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Tony
Who does the grocery shopping? - Happy
How often do they bake desserts? - No time for desserts
Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Meat lovers.
Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Tony.
Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Tony because he want to do something special for her
Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Natasha would make a mess in the kitchen, I’m 100% sure.
Chores:
Who cleans the room? - Tony’s bots.
Who is really against chores? - Non of them.
Who cleans up after the pets? - Tony will hire someone to do it. they will have a cat named Liho.
Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Tony when he’s tired.
Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - They only invite their best friends or people they trust. There is no stress involved.
Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Tony because he always drops the bills out of his pocket.
Misc:
Who takes the longer showers/baths? - tI think all their baths would be long, as I assume they would be together. But if I had to choose, it would be tony.
Who takes the dog out for a walk? - Tony.
How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Halloween & Christmas.
What are their goals for the relationship? - Retiring from saving the world and living a quiet life. Most of all: to have each other
Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - None of them, because they both have insomnia.
Request from @shamelessmarvellove: What about tonynat in age of ultron at the barton farm instead of brucenat?
Sorry this took so long to write! I’ve come to the conclusion that Age of Ultron is a mess beyond fixing lol, but hopefully I made this scene a little less awkward and also addressed Natasha’s trauma a with a little more sensitivity.
Trigger warning for mentions of past child abuse (Natasha talks about her Red Room experience in less detail than in AOU)
– – – – – – – – – – – –
The Barton farm was one of the places Natasha felt the safest. But even now, sitting on the bed in the guest room she always stayed in, with her knees tucked under her chin and her arms around her legs, she couldn’t shake off the chill of the Scarlet Witch’s touch.
With a flick of the fingers and a few red sparks, she was transported back to when she was a little girl, at the mercy of a cruel headmistress and even crueler men. When she ran away from the Red Room, she promised herself that she would never let herself be terrified or out of control again. But now, seeing how easily her precious control could slip out of her mind’s grasp, she knew that the scared little girl would always be a part of her.
A footstep on the floorboard outside and a knock on the door, and Natasha immediately uncurled herself, affecting a more casual position with her legs crossed. “Yes?” she called, expecting Clint.
Instead it was Tony who opened the door. “Hey,” he said quietly. At the sight of her boyfriend she relaxed into her pose, inhabiting it more naturally.
“Hey.”
He stepped in awkwardly in socked feet, making sure to shut the door behind him. None of their teammates knew about their relationship, except for Clint, and Natasha only told him because she knew about Laura and it was only fair.
There was a cut on the bridge of Tony’s nose and a bruise beginning to form on his brow. Marks from his fight with the Hulk.
“How’s Bruce?” Natasha asked.
“In the shower,” Tony said. “It helps him decompress after Hulking out, I think.”
Like a sensory deprivation chamber, Natasha thought. That had been comforting for her, too, in her early days after the Red Room. “Good,” was what she said out loud. “He needs it, probably. How about Steve?”
“Pfft. Golden boy is fine. Totally unshaken by his encounter with the Maximoff girl. Laura has him helping with chopping wood in the front lawn.”
“And you?”
“You know me,” he said with bravado. “What’s a throwdown with the Hulk? Just another day at the office.”
Natasha would have chuckled but all she managed was a watery half-smile.
A shift in Tony’s expression—a slight softening of the features, a relaxing of the brow. He moved closer to the bed and sat on the rug at her feet, close enough to touch but respecting her space. She reached out to him, tracing her hand over the black bruise forming on his forehead, over the ridge of his brow and down his cheekbone.
“How about you?” he said in a low voice. “You okay?”
The answer was reflexive. “Always.”
“You sure about that? Cause you look”—he faltered as she withdrew her hand and fixed him with a cold look that would have cowed someone with weaker nerves or stronger self-preservation instincts—“like you’d seen some shit.”
“It’s fine.” Her lips quirked up bitterly. “I’ve lived through it once.”
“Lived through it—” Tony’s eyebrows shot up in realization. “It was a memory.”
Natasha nodded. “The Red Room.” She confirmed. Her fingers curled into a fist, tight enough to dig into her palms. The sharp pinch grounding her to the present, to the fibers of the bedsheet in the Bartons’ farmhouse. So that she wouldn’t be lost again in the cold, sterile halls she was raised in. Tony slipped his hand into hers and her grip fixed around his hand instead, a different, solid kind of anchor. She forced herself to meet his gaze—one more thing to tie her to the present. “I thought I was done feeling that way. So powerless. Like a victim.” She spat the word out.
“Natasha.” Tony knelt up so that their eyes were level. “Look at me”—he squeezed her knee—“you are not a victim.”
She regarded him with anguish, but he knew enough about self-loathing to see that it was directed at herself. “You’re not a victim,” he repeated. “You got away from it.”
“Yeah, but not before they did… everything they did to me.” Natasha’s grip around his hand tightened even more. “They made me into a killing machine. A monster of their making. And the worst part is, I let them.”
Marvel League - Team Cap vs Team Iron Man - (2021)
Vintage baseball trading cards inspired by the legendary 2016 “Team Cap Vs Team Iron Man” fight (and also by the latest campaign of a famous US clothing brand ^^) Note: I chose the numbers on the shirts at random, except for some characters: it’s their birthday.
Request from @littlemsstark3000: What about TonyNat as platonic friends but they are subconsciously being couple-y already? Like how much they know about each other’s whereabouts, or how they attend to the other’s needs, or how concerned they are of each other, people around would really mistake them as more than friends.
———-
Natasha had just picked up her paneer makani from her local Indian restaurant and was ready for a casual night in, when her phone rang. She fished it out of her pocket and checked the caller ID – it was Tony.
She tapped the green button and held the phone against her ear. “Stark if you’re about to tell me that aliens are attacking I swear –”
“No.” His voice sounded strange. Strained. “No, Nat, I’m calling cause Pepper and I…”
She braced herself for Pepper and I are getting married.
“We broke up.”
It hit her like a fist. “I’m sorry, Tony.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. People didn’t come to her for comfort, that was more Sam’s forte.
“And I… I really need a drink,” Tony continued. Natasha stopped in her tracks. Shame and self-loathing laced his voice. “I don’t think I can be alone. Please, can I –”
“Tony,” she said, her voice even and matter-of-fact. It was the voice she would have taken had he said that there was a bomb at her apartment, or there was a killer outside his door. “Are you sober now?”
She knew even before he answered: “Yeah. Trying hard to stay that way.”
“Good.” She let go of the breath she’d been holding. “I want you to get in your car right now, and drive to mine. Can you do that?”
“Yeah.” He sounded almost like he was convincing himself, too. “Yeah, I can do that.”
“Good. I’ll see you in half an hour.”
“Okay.” Tony promised.
Natasha waited until he hung up, then she turned around and headed back to the Indian place, already dialing their number. “Hey, can I have a chicken tikka masala and naan to go please…”
Both my darlings now have MTV Generation Award! RDJ got it years back and today Scarlett received it, too! Such awesome actors and human beings. So proud of my Iron Widow / TonyNat ❤️ Well-deserved, heroes!
i kinda wanna talk about why i love tonynat so much
i just think tony and nat would be great for each other y’know. like seeing the other thrive would inspire them to work on themselves too. they’d highlight their best qualities and being together would strengthen them. just two fully-fledged individuals in a healthy, supportive relationship who are constantly striving to do good and trying to improve the world bit by bit. although their backgrounds are very different they’d find common ground in their goals at first and then they’d realize they have more in common than they thought (i’ve got red in my ledger and i’d like to wipe it out). I just think it’s beautiful to picture the two avengers who spent years unapologetically staining their hands with blood and then wearing masks to hide their shame putting themselves out there together to face a world that hates them so they can build a better future for everyone.
hope nobody minds but i wanna hear why other shippers love them too so i’m gonna tag some people :) @katebishopofearth@autumnwoodsdreamer@queeenpersephone@littlemsstark3000 i just kinda miss having these discussions and i’ve been missing them really hard lately so any ironwidow wholesomeness is welcome
Thanks for tagging me, my dear!
Oh how I looove these two individually and so much more when together. They are a perfect pair for me in a sense that they are both strong, smart and independent, they both underwent a lot of horrible circumstances in their lives and came out better, and they see through each other because of these similarities. There is that bond and trust between them even if they don’t actually talk about it. There is understanding with just a smile, one look, a smirk - no words needed. I see them supporting each other, constantly pushing each other to get better. And they can be vulnerable around each other because they know that they will not be judged nor will be taken advantage of.
Aaand it is a plus that they are are both physically beautiful. ❤️
Fandom:Marvel Pairing:tonynat Characters: Natasha Romanoff | Tony Stark Rating: T (for mentions of blood and general inaccurate medical grossness) Additional tags: angst | hurt/comfort | arc reactor issues
written for day 10 of whumptober 2021: Oops I did it again | hospital | flare up | ice chips
close.
He’s cut it way too close again. Tony knew this even as he took a nosedive from the top floor of the skyscraper, pain racing through his torso from the inside out.
He shouldn’t have gone into the field with an arc reactor that was only at 12 percent. Technically he wasn’t even supposed to be in the Iron Man suit at all. Natasha had chided him for it, but Tony hid from her and the rest of their teammates the network of blackened veins that spread from the arc reactor all across his skin. The poison that slowly killed him spewing from the device that was keeping him alive.
There wasn’t anything he could do about it, except avoid using the Iron Man suit and to change the arc reactor. The former was hard to do, and as for the latter – he forgot, or was distracted, until one thing led to another and he was flying straight down as fast as he could, after the screaming civilians who were fast approaching the pavement.
Tony yelled – half from exertion, half from pain – and put on a final burst of speed. Friday’s warning – “6 percent” – went ignored as Tony caught one of the civilians, then another, and finally snatched the last one out of the air barely a foot above the concrete and splurged all his remaining energy on reversing the nose dive so they wouldn’t all end up as pancakes and scrap metal.
Before he could gain any altitude, he dropped from the air and rolled several feet on the pavement.
“Arc reactor at 2 percent capacity,” intoned Friday. “Replace at once, to avoid certain death.” She was surprisingly blithe about the whole thing.
Tony removed his face plate, gasping in air, though he knew it wouldn’t do him any good now. His veins were filled with toxic from the arc reactor, through his entire body, to his lungs, his face, his brain. This was it. This was the end.
Natasha.
Her name was like a prayer in his mind when he blacked out.
students Tony and Natasha, who do not change their tradition of lying on the table, are discussing their common research project.. or a plan to steal donuts from the cafeteria? no one knows
life imitates art. but sometimes it’s the other way around. this appearance of Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain stuck in my mind and served as my inspiration for new TonyNat art piece
It has come to my attention there’s no Ironwidow fic-rec masterpost going around. That is, of course, ridiculous, because my OTP is perfection, even though there are very few fics out there that encapsulate how flawless (in that non-flawless way) Iron Man and Black Widow are.
You see, I am very emotionally invested in this pairing, SO YOU ARE GOING TO SIT THE FUCK DOWN AND READ THE SHIT OUT OF THIS. (But only if you want to, of course; I can’t tell you what to do. ✿◡‿◡✿)
The Other Oneby Marilyn Cane — “Pepper sees more than she likes to admit.” A two-chapter story from Pepper’s POV, yet written on 3rd; clever, subtle; Pepper is spot-on; first chapter>second chapter
learning the colors of all your moodsbystarkly — “It takes time, but Natasha fits into Tony’s life in a way he never expected.“ Fluffy one-shot made of drabbles; a whimsical piece with good characterization
perks of the jobbyikebukuro — ”(the big office, now with more bureaucratic boredom)“ Slightly out of character au smut one-shot; highly enjoyable witty banter, role play
Stark Spouse #NbyTigerKat — “In which Tony is married to everyone.” [Chapter 8] While the premise is out there, the characters and the dialogue are beautifully written; drabble
until nothing stood but two.bySavageDefender— “She teaches him how to sew flesh up pretty. He teaches her how to make the perfect cup of coffee.(‘As black as Principal Fury’s heart, my dear.’)” High-school au that briefly explores Natasha’s past; simple retelling of a different, innocent side of the pairing
Patience (Or Tony Stark’s Missing Virtue)bysaysomething09556 — “Tony tries to distract Natasha, Natasha retaliates, and the result is a mutual win.” If you only have time to read one, let this one be it; on character smut; The Ultimates comic canon-ish
Time Horizonbyyugimutos (weatheredlaw) — “I couldn’t kill you, Stark. Even if I wanted to.“ "Ah.” He downs his drink and smirks. “So you admit to liking me. I knew I’d get it out of you.” No more than a hot rendevouz; plane smut; better than the summary
Enyo’s Daughterby butterfly — “Natasha’s always fallen in love with weapons.” Full-lenght story; beautifully written, on character; PAIN
Fires of Hephaestusby butterfly — “In all honesty, Tony is beginning to wonder about his taste in women.” Sequel to the previous rec; while butterfly’s stories get how an Ironwidow canonical relationship would work, she hasn’t updated this story in ages; MORE PAIN
Fire and Iceby SatinSatire — “A collection of short stories that will show how friendship and a romantic relationship develops between Iron Man and Black Widow.” While sometimes completely out of character, the dialogue is engaging and fun; full-lenght story that doesn’t take itself too seriously
Off the Beaten Pathby Butterfly — “Clint has been captured; Tony and Natasha are on the trail.” Rather slow start, but the last half is gold; witty, sharp dialogue
there are many names in history (and all of them are ours) by pprfaith — “Russia is born in the wake of a falling wall. America rises from the ashes of war. Tony and Natasha just try to make it.” Highly poetic, barely any dialogue; gorgeous rendition of what the pairing could represent; au-ish
Clandestineby makokitten — “Sometimes there really is only one way to get the information you need, and that way involves undressing your fake boss before his birthday party.” Very script-like; works as a deleted scene to IM2
Because Of How I Feel About You by Snapjack — “Look out,” Clint would say, balancing a naked GI Joe on top of a purple My Little Pony and balancing himself atop the bed so he could fly the duo up to the ceiling: “My boss unicorn queen has rescued her wounded bodyguard and prepares to seek bloody vengeance on your Barbie Palace of Lies and Deceit.” “Whatever, cupcake,” Natasha would reply from the floor, not batting an eye as she racked a marshmallow gun and placed it carefully on the shoulder of a Holiday Celebration Kira in the manner of a rocket launcher. “My imperial palace guard is ready and loaded for bear.“ This stuck with me; primarly Clint/Phil, but the Ironwidow is so subtle and delicious, it deserves a mention
DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE GOTTEN RID OF ME!??!!!?
I AM NOW 24 YEARS OLD AND ONE DAY I’M LIKE “Mhh… I wonder what Archive of Our Own is up to. I haven’t been there in a couple of years…”
AND BOOM!!!!!!!!! I GET HIT WITH THE FEELLLLLLLLLLLLSSSSSSSSSSSS
Tony: I want to wake up with you for the rest of our lives
Natasha: I wake up at 4:30
Tony:
Tony: I want to see you at some point every day for the rest of our lives
natasha, quietly to herself at 4:30am the morning after she and tony finally get together: i want to go to sleep next to tony for the rest of our lives FRIDAY, unprompted: Boss goes to bed sporadically between 2 and 5am natasha: natasha: i want to wake up next to tony as he’s finally going to bed for the rest of our lives
And here’s the second part before they both get posted to AO3 as a oneshot:
“So here’s how it’s going to go,” Tony said, arm bent at the elbow as he leaned against the doorframe of her quarters in the tower.
She grabbed his collar in both of her hands, tugging him inside and he looked around once before closing the door behind him.
“You can come to the mansion to ensure your privacy. No one’s going to come after me if I do it there, right?”
“No. I don’t think.”
“Good.” He nodded. “I’ve equipped JARVIS to assist, however there will be a S.H.I.E.L.D. surgeon on call in the immediate vicinity should a life threatening emergency occur.”
She looked up at him, her hands still on his shirt.
“She can wait upstairs, you’ll never even have to see her. And more importantly, she’ll never see you,” he clarified.
Natasha swallowed hard, her throat thick with emotion. “You’re going to do it?” she asked quietly.
“I’m going to do it,” he replied softly.
A tight half-smile formed at the corner of her mouth and she let go of his shirt long enough to reach up and fling her arms around his neck, ducking her head into him.
He carefully wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close for a moment. “We’d better get going,” he said gently. “Jet’s waiting outside.”
XXXXX
She followed him into the side entrance of his garage, her brows narrowing as she wondered why she’d never noticed that there was a side entrance into the place before.
The lights were already turned on in the back half that made up his lab, with the ballast directly above the counter in the center on the brightest setting. Her mouth quirked up when she noticed his robots clearing the space.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Tony said, gesturing around his workshop.”Don’t mind them. They’re just sterilizing the equipment.”
She silently noted the calm and confident demeanor he projected as he moved about his space, a stark contrast to the nervousness he’d shown when she’d first approached him with her problem.
“Sir, your second guest is arriving,” JARVIS informed him.
Tony nodded. “That’ll be the S.H.I.E.L.D. surgeon.” He turned to Natasha. “Did you change your mind about letting a pro do it?”
She shook her head, her eyes trained on his.
“I figured. Hold on a second, I’m going to talk to her upstairs and show her to her office for the next few hours.”
He gave her a forced smile. “I always thought the circumstances would be way different when I finally said this to you, but why don’t you take your clothes off and lay down?”
She silently watched him go up the stairs, only turning her head away when she couldn’t see him anymore and focusing her attention on the low whirring sounds coming from the console. She could smell the antiseptic as the robots meticulously cleaned the counter and the tools on the small table that had been set aside for the procedure.
Then she undressed slowly, arranging her clothing in a neat pile on the couch in the center of the room one garment at a time until she was left in her black sports bra and matching boyshort panties.
She scooted up on the counter the robots had cleared, her eyes sweeping over the table to get a closer look at the makeshift medical supplies he’d selected.
“Good?” He asked quietly from his perch at the bottom of the stairs, his hands gripping the banister as he peered at her.
She nodded. “Looks like you did your homework.”
“JARVIS, lock down the workshop,” he commanded, pulling on a pair of nitrile gloves as he approached.
“I’m on it, sir.”
“Any last words?” He teased, holding up an uncapped marker.
“Funny,” she said dryly, leaning back on the counter.
“Relax,” he murmured, but she couldn’t tell if he was saying to her or himself.
He spread a gloved hand over her stomach, pressing down and holding her steady while the other hand drew a meticulous line to mark the spot where he’d make the incision.
She kept her eyes trained on his face, tongue peeking out from between his teeth as he worked. His hand on her skin went a surprisingly long way in soothing the nerves she wouldn’t let herself admit she was feeling.
His eyes met hers and he offered her a soft smile. “Ready?”
She wordlessly nodded again.
“JARVIS, stay with me buddy,” she heard him say. The slight uncertain tone to his voice betrayed the steadiness and confidence in his fingers, but for some reason it made her feel better. She distantly heard JARVIS’s voice, but she didn’t make out the response.
XXXXX
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”
Her eyelids slowly fluttered open into the harsh light and she turned her head to find Tony close by, his hand holding hers tightly.
“Oh, thank God,” he muttered quietly, clearly thinking he’d only been saying it to himself.
“Hi,” she managed once she could make her throat work.
“Hi,” he said softly, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled somewhat proudly.
“It’s done?” she asked a little groggily.
“It’s done.” He reached to help her sit. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay.” She looked down to admire his handiwork, finding perfectly precise stitches binding an incision that was much shorter than she’d anticipated.
“Should fade completely with proper care,” he said with pride still edging his voice. “Otherwise it’ll just match the other side,” he added, gesturing to the small scar a couple of inches to the left of her belly button.
“A souvenir from a mission gone wrong,” she explained.
He nodded. “Well, hopefully that won’t happen this time. And you didn’t think I could do it.”
She raised her eyebrows. “That was you,” she pointed out.
“Right.” He gestured with his head over to the table. “I’ve got a topical antibacterial for when you clean it, but the doc also recommended an antibiotic injection to flush out any potential infection on the inside before she left. Wanted to wait for you to be conscious so I could ask.”
“You cut me open with a razor, but you were afraid to stick a needle in me?”
He slid over to the table, producing a small pamphlet and handing it to her. “Easy, feisty pants. You’re not allergic to any of those things, are you?”
She read over the ingredients, shaking her head.
“Then sit up a little straighter. It goes in your side,” he said, slowly filling a syringe. “Do you want to do it?”
“You can,” she said, bracing herself on her hands.
“Okay. C’mere,” he murmured, carefully and gently administering the antibiotic.
“You really do think of everything,” she murmured admiringly as he depressed the plunger and the needle pierced her skin.
“Isn’t that why you came to me?” He asked, looking up at her.
“Yeah,” she said softly, meeting his gaze. “That and….”
“And what?” He asked quietly.
She shook her head. “I don’t… I don’t know.”
They sat looking into each other’s eyes for a moment until Tony rose up from his perch on his chair and scooped her up in his arms, lifting her from the table with one arm around her waist and the other under her knees.
“What are you doing?” She asked, her arms going around his neck instinctively as he carried her.
“You’re probably going to be a little sore,” he explained, setting her carefully down on her feet. “And you don’t want to put too much strain on those stitches.”
He turned from her abruptly as if suddenly remembering something and reached for the table before turning back to her. “Here,” he said. “What do you want me to do with this?”
Her throat tightened involuntarily when he produced the small chip between his forefinger and thumb, clearly cleaned after being extracted from where it’d spent all those years wedged in her body.
“Destroy it,” she replied, her voice catching.
He narrowed one eye as he regarded her, still holding out the chip. “Hammer? Toss it into the ocean? Have a Hulk step on it? Blowtorch?”
“Blowtorch,” she said.
“Okay.” He moved into the garage part of his workspace, returning a moment later with the tool she didn’t realize she’d actually requested and she laughed.
“You do it,” he said, placing it on the edge of a workbench and holding out the blowtorch.
Her smile faltered. “You can.”
He shook his head, motioning with his hand for her to come over and she took a few tentative steps.
He pulled a pair of safety glasses out one handed and adjusted them on her face, gently smoothing her hair back with his fingers once his hand was free. “Nah, it’ll be much more satisfying if you do it. Come on, just pull the trigger right here.”
She swallowed hard, wordlessly taking the tool from him, her eyes narrowing as she held it away from her and squeezed the trigger.
The chip blasted into a few tiny pieces, most of them melting under the heat.
“Ha!” he said, clapping his hands satisfactorily. “What do you know? You’re a good shot with more than just one weapon.”
She set the tool down and threw her arms around him, ignoring the slight discomfort in her midsection as she leaned up to hug him tightly.
“Thank you,” she whispered into his ear.
“Anytime,” he promised, his strong arms encircling around her waist and pulling her into his body as he hugged her back.
When they broke the embrace, she stood up on her tiptoes, closed her eyes and pressed her lips softly to his cheek in a long, lingering kiss.
She felt him swallow hard, then his breath was warm on her face as she slowly pulled away, opening her eyes to find his lips parted and a vulnerable, slightly dazed expression on his face.
“Tony,” she whispered, suddenly realizing that she was still in her underwear.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, anyway I think you just gave me an idea for an upgrade to the Iron Man suit.”
She raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Microchips under the skin to attract the armor.”
“Seriously?”
“What? It’s nano-tech. And it can be injected.”
“And you don’t think that’s dangerous?”
He pursed his lips. “You’re really going to talk to me about what’s dangerous now?”
“Um, do you want to take me home?” She asked to change the subject.
“To New York? Actually, I was thinking. Maybe you should just spend the night here tonight. That was I can keep an eye on you, in case you develop an infection, or something.”
She rolled her eyes as she made her way over to the couch and reached for her clothes. “And you don’t think I can handle that on my own?”
“I think friends who pressure friends into doing something dangerous that they’re not exactly comfortable with can at least humor their friend for peace of mind.”
She sighed.
“Come on. I already have a room ready for you upstairs,” he insisted.
She nodded silently, realizing that she wasn’t going to win this one and followed him up the stairs.
“I already called Cap and told him you’re not working this weekend,” he said a little more gently as she peered into the room he’d had prepared.
She had to admit, the plush queen size, rows of pillows and oversized blankets did look inviting.
“How are you doing? Do you want any painkillers?” He asked.
“Not yet,” she said.
“Will you at least let me help clean it and bandage it up before bed?”
“Sure,” she said softly, sitting on the bed and lifting up her shirt.
The small night table was already loaded up with first aid supplies and he reached for some cotton balls, dousing them in rubbing alcohol before gingerly pressing them to her wound.
She winced slightly at the sting, but his hands were gentle and practiced and he knelt down on the floor in front of her, blowing softly on the area to soothe it and sending goosebumps up her side.
“Can I make a friendly observation?” He asked quietly as he covered the stitches with a thin layer of gauze and sealed it with some medical tape.
She nodded, grateful for anything that would make her stop thinking too hard about this hands on her skin.
“You are pretty reckless when it comes to things from your past,” he said softly, his brown eyes wide and caring as he looked up at her.
“I guess you’re right,” she admitted.
He slowly rose up and sat on the bed next to her. “Maybe you could try leaning on your friends a little more often,” he suggested.
She leaned her head against his shoulder, her hand reaching down between them to cover the fresh wound he’d made.
“It’s okay,” he whispered, wrapping his arm protectively around her shoulders. “It’s over.”
“For now,” she said in a low voice.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.
She shook her head. “Can’t we just sit?”
“For now,” he replied, drawing her in closer and resting his cheek against her hair.
She closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to spill as she breathed him in, her body and her emotions raw as he held her.
“Hey, Nat?” He asked after awhile.
“Hmmmm…..?”
“What’s this?” he said.
“What’s what?” She asked, raising her head a little so she could look at him.
He moved the hand that wasn’t full of her hair and pressed his thumb into the tiny arrow charm that sat just above her collar bone.
“Oh… it’s just something I wear for a friend. To keep him close.”
“It’s pretty obvious who that friend is,” Tony muttered.
She raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Are you jealous?” She asked, trying and failing to keep her lips from quirking upwards. “Cause you know that you’re the friend I wanted for this, right?”
He looked back at her. “Most of the time it’s a boyfriend who buys a necklace for his girlfriend,” he said evenly.
She laughed. “It’s never been like that between me and Clint,” she insisted. “It’s just… I don’t know. When I first started at S.H.I.E.L.D., Clint and I were paired on every mission together. Dangerous stuff.”
He gazed back at her skeptically.
“But… after awhile I started to earn my own reputation. And we wouldn’t be paired for everything.” She shrugged her shoulders. “This is my way of reminding myself of him. Kind of like he’s there, even when he’s not.”
“I see. Well, should I buy you a diamond bracelet or something to remind you of me, when I’m not around?”
“It doesn’t really work like that,” she said with a smile. “Besides, I have tonight to remind me of you,” she added, reaching between them and threading her fingers through his.
He squeezed her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly. “How are you really feeling?” he asked.
“Honestly? It feels a little weird,” she admitted. “But it’s better with you here.”
He smiled softly, a tired, but genuine smile.
“Tony?”
“Hmmmm?”
“Thank you.”
She grabbed his collar in both of her hands, tugging him inside and he looked around once before closing the door behind him.
“You can come to the mansion to ensure your privacy. I’ve equipped JARVIS to assist, however there will be a S.H.I.E.L.D. surgeon on call in the immediate vicinity should a life threatening emergency occur.”
She looked up at him, her hands still on his shirt.
“She can wait upstairs, you’ll never even have to see her. And more importantly, she’ll never see you,” he clarified.
Natasha swallowed hard, her throat thick with emotion. “You’re going to do it?” she asked quietly.
“I’m going to do it,” he replied softly.
A tight half-smile formed at the corner of her mouth and she let go of his shirt long enough to reach up and fling her arms around his neck, ducking her head into him.
He carefully wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close for a moment. “We’d better get going,” he said gently. “Jet’s waiting outside.”
XXXXX
She followed him into the side entrance of his garage, her brows narrowing as she wondered why she’d never noticed that there was a side entrance into the place before.
The lights were already turned on in the back half that made up his lab, with the ballast directly above the counter in the center on the brightest setting. Her mouth quirked up when she noticed his robots clearing the space.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Tony said, gesturing around his workshop.”Don’t mind them. They’re just sterilizing the equipment.”
She silently noted the calm and confident demeanor he projected as he moved about his space, a stark contrast to the nervousness he’d shown when she’d first approached him with her problem.
“Sir, your second guest is arriving,” JARVIS informed him.
Tony nodded. “That’ll be the S.H.I.E.L.D. surgeon.” He turned to Natasha. “Did you change your mind about letting a pro do it?”
She shook her head, her eyes trained on his.
“I figured. Hold on a second, I’m going to talk to her upstairs and show her to her office for the next few hours.”
He gave her a forced smile. “I always thought the circumstances would be way different when I finally said this to you, but why don’t you take your clothes off and lay down?”
She silently watched him go up the stairs, only turning her head away when she couldn’t see him anymore and focusing her attention on the low whirring sounds coming from the console. She could smell the antiseptic as the robots meticulously cleaned the counter and the tools on the small table that had been set aside for the procedure.
Then she undressed slowly, arranging her clothing in a neat pile on the couch in the center of the room one garment at a time until she was left in her black sports bra and matching boyshort panties.
She scooted up on the counter the robots had cleared, her eyes sweeping over the table to get a closer look at the makeshift medical supplies he’d selected.
“Good?” He asked quietly from his perch at the bottom of the stairs, his hands gripping the banister as he peered at her.
She nodded. “Looks like you did your homework.”
“JARVIS, lock down the workshop,” he commanded, pulling on a pair of nitrile gloves as he approached.
“I’m on it, sir.”
“Any last words?” He teased, holding up an uncapped marker.
“Funny,” she said dryly, leaning back on the counter.
“Relax,” he murmured, but she couldn’t tell if he was saying to her or himself.
He spread a gloved hand over her stomach, pressing down and holding her steady while the other hand drew a meticulous line to mark the spot where he’d make the incision.
She kept her eyes trained on his face, tongue peeking out from between his teeth as he worked. His hand on her skin went a surprisingly long way in soothing the nerves she wouldn’t let herself admit she was feeling.
His eyes met hers and he offered her a soft smile. “Ready?”
She wordlessly nodded again.
“JARVIS, stay with me buddy,” she heard him say. The slight uncertain tone to his voice betrayed the steadiness and confidence in his fingers, but for some reason it made her feel better. She distantly heard JARVIS’s voice, but she didn’t make out the response.
XXXXX
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”
Her eyelids slowly fluttered open into the harsh light and she turned her head to find Tony close by, his hand holding hers tightly.
“Oh, thank God,” he muttered quietly, clearly thinking he’d only been saying it to himself.
“Hi,” she managed once she could make her throat work.
“Hi,” he said softly, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled somewhat proudly.
“It’s done?” she asked a little groggily.
“It’s done.” He reached to help her sit. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay.” She looked down to admire his handiwork, finding perfectly precise stitches binding an incision that was much shorter than she’d anticipated.
“Should fade completely with proper care,” he said with pride still edging his voice. “Otherwise it’ll just match the other side,” he added, gesturing to the small scar a couple of inches to the left of her belly button.
“A souvenir from a mission gone wrong,” she explained.
He nodded. “Well, hopefully that won’t happen this time. And you didn’t think I could do it.”
She raised her eyebrows. “That was you,” she pointed out.
“Right.” He gestured with his head over to the table. “I’ve got a topical antibacterial for when you clean it, but the doc also recommended an antibiotic injection to flush out any potential infection on the inside before she left. Wanted to wait for you to be conscious so I could ask.”
“You cut me open with a razor, but you were afraid to stick a needle in me?”
He slid over to the table, producing a small pamphlet and handing it to her. “Easy, feisty pants. You’re not allergic to any of those things, are you?”
She read over the ingredients, shaking her head.
“Then sit up a little straighter. It goes in your side,” he said, slowly filling a syringe. “Do you want to do it?”
“You can,” she said, bracing herself on her hands.
“Okay. C’mere,” he murmured, carefully and gently administering the antibiotic.
“You really do think of everything,” she murmured admiringly as he depressed the plunger and the needle pierced her skin.
“Isn’t that why you came to me?” He asked, looking up at her.
“Yeah,” she said softly, meeting his gaze. “That and….”
“And what?” He asked quietly.
She shook her head. “I don’t… I don’t know.”
They sat looking into each other’s eyes for a moment until Tony rose up from his perch on his chair and scooped her up in his arms, lifting her from the table with one arm around her waist and the other under her knees.
“What are you doing?” She asked, her arms going around his neck instinctively as he carried her.
“You’re probably going to be a little sore,” he explained, setting her carefully down on her feet. “And you don’t want to put too much strain on those stitches.”
He turned from her abruptly as if suddenly remembering something and reached for the table before turning back to her. “Here,” he said. “What do you want me to do with this?”
Her throat tightened involuntarily when he produced the small chip between his forefinger and thumb, clearly cleaned after being extracted from where it’d spent all those years wedged in her body.
“Destroy it,” she replied, her voice catching.
He narrowed one eye as he regarded her, still holding out the chip. “Hammer? Toss it into the ocean? Blowtorch?”
“Blowtorch,” she said.
“Okay.” He moved into the garage part of his workspace, returning a moment later with the tool she didn’t realize she’d actually requested and she laughed.
“You do it,” he said, placing it on the edge of a workbench and holding out the blowtorch.
Her smile faltered. “You can.”
He shook his head, motioning with his hand for her to come over and she took a few tentative steps.
He pulled a pair of safety glasses out one handed and adjusted them on her face, gently smoothing her hair back with his fingers once his hand was free. “Nah, it’ll be much more satisfying if you do it. Come on, just pull the trigger right here.”
She swallowed hard, wordlessly taking the tool from him, her eyes narrowing as she held it away from her and squeezed the trigger.
The chip blasted into a few tiny pieces, most of them melting under the heat.
“Ha!” he said, clapping his hands satisfactorily. “What do you know? You’re a good shot with more than just one weapon.”
She set the tool down and threw her arms around him, ignoring the slight discomfort in her midsection as she leaned up to hug him tightly.
“Thank you,” she whispered into his ear.
“Anytime,” he promised, his strong arms encircling around her waist and pulling her into his body as he hugged her back.
When they broke the embrace, she stood up on her tiptoes, closed her eyes and pressed her lips softly to his cheek in a long, lingering kiss.
She felt him swallow hard, then his breath was warm on her face as she slowly pulled away, opening her eyes to find his lips parted and a vulnerable, slightly dazed expression on his face.
“Tony,” she whispered, suddenly realizing that she was still in her underwear.
He cleared his throat.
“Um, do you want to take me home?” She asked.
“To New York? Actually, I was thinking. Maybe you should just spend the night here tonight. That was I can keep an eye on you, in case you develop an infection, or something.”
She rolled her eyes as she made her way over to the couch and reached for her clothes. “And you don’t think I can handle that on my own?”
“I think friends who pressure friends into doing something dangerous that they’re not exactly comfortable with can at least humor their friend for peace of mind.”
She sighed.
“Come on. I already have a room ready for you upstairs,” he insisted.
She nodded silently, realizing that she wasn’t going to win this one and followed him up the stairs.
“I already called Cap and told him you’re not working this weekend,” he said a little more gently as she peered into the room he’d had prepared.
She had to admit, the plush queen size, rows of pillows and oversized blankets did look inviting.
“How are you doing? Do you want any painkillers?” He asked.
“Not yet,” she said.
“Will you at least let me help clean it and bandage it up before bed?”
“Sure,” she said softly, sitting on the bed and lifting up her shirt.
The small night table was already loaded up with first aid supplies and he reached for some cotton balls, dousing them in rubbing alcohol before gingerly pressing them to her wound.
She winced slightly at the sting, but his hands were gentle and practiced and he knelt down on the floor in front of her, blowing softly on the area to soothe it and sending goosebumps up her side.
“Can I make a friendly observation?” He asked quietly as he covered the stitches with a thin layer of gauze and sealed it with some medical tape.
She nodded, grateful for anything that would make her stop thinking too hard about this hands on her skin.
“You are pretty reckless when it comes to things from your past,” he said softly, his brown eyes wide and caring as he looked up at her.
“I guess you’re right,” she admitted.
He slowly rose up and sat on the bed next to her. “Maybe you could try leaning on your friends a little more often,” he suggested.
She leaned her head against his shoulder, her hand reaching down between them to cover the fresh wound he’d made.
“It’s okay,” he whispered, wrapping his arm protectively around her shoulders. “It’s over.”
“For now,” she said in a low voice.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.
She shook her head. “Can’t we just sit?”
“For now,” he replied, drawing her in closer and resting his cheek against her hair.
She closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to spill as she breathed him in, her body and her emotions raw as he held her.
“Hey, Nat?” He asked after awhile.
“Hmmmm…..?”
“What’s this?” he said.
“What’s what?” She asked, raising her head a little so she could look at him.
He moved the hand that wasn’t full of her hair and pressed his thumb into the tiny arrow charm that sat just above her collar bone.
“Oh… it’s just something I wear for a friend. To keep him close.”
“It’s pretty obvious who that friend is,” Tony muttered.
She raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Are you jealous?” She asked, trying and failing to keep her lips from quirking upwards. “Cause you know that you’re the friend I wanted for this, right?”
He looked back at her. “Most of the time it’s a boyfriend who buys a necklace for his girlfriend,” he said evenly.
She laughed. “It’s never been like that between me and Clint,” she insisted. “It’s just… I don’t know. When I first started at S.H.I.E.L.D., Clint and I were paired on every mission together. Dangerous stuff.”
He gazed back at her skeptically.
“But… after awhile I started to earn my own reputation. And we wouldn’t be paired for everything.” She shrugged her shoulders. “This is my way of reminding myself of him. Kind of like he’s there, even when he’s not.”
“I see. Well, should I buy you a diamond bracelet or something to remind you of me, when I’m not around?”
“It doesn’t really work like that,” she said with a smile. “Besides, I have tonight to remind me of you,” she added, reaching between them and threading her fingers through his.
He squeezed her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly. “How are you really feeling?” he asked.
“Honestly? It feels a little weird,” she admitted. “But it’s better with you here.”
