The Younger Agent - Natasha Romanoff x OC

Chapter 61 - The Romanoff-Banner Dynamic

When Banner had calmed himself down to a decent level, he hooked Clint up to an IV that was pumped full of nutrients and antibiotics, before giving Eleanor a tight-lipped smile and walking off. 

She watched as he went to sit on one of the benches and placed headphones over his ears, blasting classical opera music, but she quickly turned her attention back to Clint who was just lying quietly now, the area was almost numb from all of the pain.

Eleanor simply watched as Clint had his eyes closed, making sure that his breathing was staying regular. Natasha, who had been in the cockpit, turned around and saw her wife watching Clint like a hawk, which was ironic. She smiled softly and made her way over, checking that the IV was acting as it should and that there were no air bubbles or similar.

But when everything seemed to be okay she gave Eleanor's shoulder a squeeze before heading over to a very glum-looking Bruce. With his headphones on he was staring at the floor with his hand rubbing various parts of his face, clearly still not happy that the mission was a 'code-green', the coined term for when they needed the Hulk to participate. 

Eleanor's attention was then divided between making sure Clint was still breathing, and keeping an eye on the interaction happening a few paces away from her. She couldn't hear what they were talking about, but Natasha's tone of voice sounded soothing, and Bruce just still looked guilty, unable to look Natasha directly in the eye half the time.

After deducing that the conversation was an innocent enough one as Bruce hadn't started giving puppy eyes, she turned her full attention back onto Clint. 

She hated how she had been in a relationship with Natasha for six years and had never felt insecure about it before. But suddenly with Bruce around long-term, she felt like her mind was playing high-school games of jealousy and possessiveness. She was an almost thirty-year-old woman, she didn't want to be feeling like that especially as it wasn't just a relationship, she was married. But half the time she put her feelings down to paranoia, and she also didn't want Natasha to react badly.

"Thor, report on the Hulk", Natasha suddenly spoke loud enough for everyone on the jet to hear. Eleanor narrowed her eyes slightly at Thor curious about what he was going to say.

"The gates of Hel are filled with the screams of his victims", he pumped his fist in the air slightly and clapped his hands together triumphantly. That is clearly not the answer that Natasha was looking for, as her head whipped around to face him whilst Banner just sighed. Eleanor's eyes widened and her brows shot up at what was said. If Clint was in the moment she probably would have shared a funny look with him but he was lying there like a limp fish.

"But not the screams of the dead, of course. No, no, wounded screams. Mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and gout", Thor tried to save himself. But at this point Banner had put his head in his hands, Natasha was shaking her head, and Steve and Eleanor were holding in laughs. 

"Hey, Banner, Dr Cho is on her way in from Seoul. Is it okay if she sets up in your lab?", Tony shouted over to Bruce. 

"Uh, yeah, she knows her way around".

Eleanor then watched as Tony walked over to Thor and Steve to inspect the Scepter. She wanted to stay the hell away from that thing, she didn't trust it at all. She knew that it was an irrational fear as it couldn't jump up and start mind-controlling everyone on its own, there needed to be a sadistic controller on the other end of the stick for that. However, she still couldn't bring herself to willingly stand next to it. 

Her gaze eventually once again ended up on Natasha and Bruce who were still talking, though it sounded like it was coming to an end as Natasha started getting up. But not before patting his knee briefly, an innocent enough gesture on her part, comforting a friend. What made Eleanor frown was Bruce putting his hand on top of hers and seeing it linger slightly.