You've secluded yourself in your room until your bruises fade enough that they can be covered. Once they have, on the morning you finally can go out without questions, you wear long sleeves and pants and put makeup on to cover the bruises you can't hide. You also keep your hair down, trying not to let them be seen.
"Y/n," Tony greets as you walk to the kitchen. You smile at him weakly. "And the hermit returns!"
"Yeah, what was up with that?" Nat asks. "You never stay in your room that long, we were all worried."
"I just haven't been feeling well and didn't want you guys to get sick," you lie, brushing it off. You don't catch the glances that Tony and Nat share when you move to get coffee.
Steve walks in, noticing your presence. "Hey, baby," he greets, pulling you in for a hug and a kiss on the forehead. You wince at the contact with your bruised side.
"Y/n, you okay?" Clint asks, noticing it.
"Hmm?" You question as Steve releases you, moving to grab some coffee himself.
"You winced, when Steve hugged you," the archer explained.
"Oh! Yeah, I just ran into something the other day. Clumsy me," you explain, forcing an embarrassed smile on your face.
"Y/n, we all know you aren't clumsy," Bruce chastises. "Not clumsy enough for it to hurt that bad."
"Yeah, but she has a lower pain tolerance than most people, you all know that," Steve explains for you. You nod, sipping your coffee as he finishes his own and walks out if the room. "Well, I'm going to go train, if anyone wants to join me they can."
The room falls into silence. Once Steve is sufficiently out of earshot, Tony breaks it. "You sure you're okay?"
You fake a laugh, forced smile on your features. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You just... haven't seemed like yourself lately."
"Well, I am. And if you'll excuse me, I have some paperwork to start on." With that, you leave the room, going to your office to get started working.
"I'm worried about her." Nat is the first to speak.
"Agreed, she's been off recently," Clint adds. "No missions, taking over everyone's paperwork as an excuse to get out of them, even though she complains about it. And all those bruises? She's the least clumsy out of us all. Even I don't have that many, and I'm the picture beside the word in the dictionary."
