Insatiable Habits

Sincerity

You woke in the morning with a blinding headache and Wanda's absence in the bed. The day was spent in avoidance of the others, of anyone for that matter.
For just over a week, you isolated yourself in the common room, wasting the days away watching TV, stopping occasionally when you could sense an outburst coming on. The same routine as day one. On a number of nights you slept on the couch - guilty that every time you slept with Wanda, you'd wake her, even though she was adamant you hadn't. However, when the torment became too tough, you'd cave and make your way to her room before apologetically climbing beneath the covers.

Every time, she let you in.

As the time passed you by, nothing changed. In fact, your longing for Natasha grew stronger as the days progressed.
You lifted the remote from the side of the couch and keyed the TV off, readying yourself for another night on the couch. You were spreading a blanket across the pull out when Steve burst through the door.
"Come downstairs."
You turned to him slowly as he rushed toward you, taking your wrist with force.
"What, I-"
"Please, Y/N just come on."
You allowed him to practically drag you through the compound. Though you tried to keep up, Steve was undeniably much taller and quicker than you.
You stepped through the open doors of the compound as flash of light pulled a magnificent ship to the landing pad - a type you hadn't seen before. Pepper was waiting outside with Wanda and Rhodey. The ship settled as an unknown blonde woman removed herself from beneath it, moving away from the craft. The door swung open and out came a blue creature - robot like with an all too familiar face clinging to it.
"It can't be..."
Steve rubbed circles into your lower back as he looked down at you.
"It is, Y/N. It is."
Pepper ran towards him, kissing his face and holding him in her grip. He was thinner, dirty and worn. But it was him.
You walked toward him with Steve, sharing a hug between the three of you.
"Tony..." you sniffled into his chest.
He looked down at you as you retreated from him, Steve pulling back with you.
"I...I lost the kid."
Peter. Your heart ached a new pain as you felt the blow of another loss infiltrate your emotions - unstoppable tears dripping down your cheeks. Steve held you, his grip tight yet comforting. Another death. How many more could you take ?
Steve brought you inside and sat you in the first common room of the compound as the others followed, passing by, taking Tony to the Emergency Unit. He ushered them away before closing the door softly.
He sat next to you, his hand on your knee as you laid your head against his shoulder.
"I met Natasha back in 2012."
You looked up at him, bemused as to why he thinks you'd want to discuss Natasha at this moment.
"Just...just let me finish. Please."
You resumed your position on his shoulder, too weary to deny him.
"She was so...reserved. It took me two whole years to gain any trust from her. Truthfully, I found it difficult to trust her at first, you know, with the whole spy ; leading a double life, Russian assassin thing but, it was clear - very, very quickly that no one was there for me like she was. She trusted me as much as she could. Something I didn't even think she was capable of. I trusted her too, and although you might not think it, I know her quite well."
Knew, you internally corrected. She wasn't here for him to know her.
You hated to admit it but Steve was right - he knew Natasha. He had been by her side much longer than you.
"She's been with a lot of people. You might not want to hear that but...she has."

You were suddenly questioning why you had allowed Steve to continue.

"Bruce, I thought, might have been the one for her."
Now, you were really regretting enabling him to continue.
"That was until I saw her with you. I'd never seen her like that before. I knew she liked you far, far before you left for Edinburgh together. She just couldn't hide it. And when I saw you step on that jet with her I just...I knew it was you."
You turned your head so that it was pressed further into his shoulder as you felt your eyes welling swiftly at his words.
"She really, really loves you. You drove her crazy, Y/N, take it from me."