Evermore

Chapter 21

Natasha put a light pressure on her foot when she stood. It didn't feel as bad as before, but she didn't want to injure it further, so she settled for limping towards the door.

Nine days with a sprained ankle was not easy for her. Rest and sitting down or lying on the bed was not Natasha's idea of a good time. She was used to staying busy and getting some form of exercise.

When she opened her bedroom door Bruce was in the hallway, arm poised to knock.

"Hey," she greeted him.

"Hey," he put him arm down and began to fiddle with his hands. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You didn't. You're allowed to care about other people Bruce."

"So, Tony is cooking this morning and he's making cinnamon rolls, which are Morgan's favorite. I came to ask if you wanted to come downstairs or eat up here."

"I'll come down there."

"Brace yourself. Thor usually eats way too many and then Tony has to make more."

Natasha chuckled at the image and Bruce smiled.

"Are you feeling better today," she asked him.

"Yeah," he responds while fiddling with his hands. "Thank you for being there."

"You're welcome. I can't imagine how hard this must be from your point of view."

"The petals have been falling faster over the last few months and the timing is unpredictable. The next one could take weeks, days or hours to fall when this storm is over."

Bruce puts his arm around her waist and assisted her down the hallway and despite her protests, he carried her down the stairs and put her down when they reached the last step.

He muttered about her being stubborn in another language and she said, "I can understand you."

"Good," he retorts playfully in English.

She smirked and could feel his gaze on her.

Once they were in the kitchen, Bruce pulled out a chair for her and dashed to grab a plate. She couldn't help but smile as she watched him jog to where the food was.

The morning played out like every other breakfast. The men were bickering and there were the occasional glances from Tony pointed toward her and Bruce.

Thor smashed another coffee cup, earning a "pick it up" glare from Natasha. The others seemed impressed by that because Clint asked, "How did you do that?"

"I use the same glare with Yelena," Natasha replied while shrugging her shoulders. "She's always making a mess."

Bruce chuckled from his spot next to her. She turned her head to face him, but he was already looking at her. They held their gaze for a few seconds until Thor exclaimed, "The floor is clean!"

Natasha turned her attention to her plate and continued eating. She had to hand it to Tony, the man was a good cook.

A few hours later she was throwing knifes at a target when Bruce came into the room.

"You want to try," she asked.

Bruce shook his head no, and she could tell he had something on his mind. He looked like he was making a calculation in his head and his face was a bit scrunched. She had seen him make the same facial expression while he was in the lab.

"Can we talk," he asked after a few seconds.

"Yeah."

"The storm just stopped and if you want, we can get you to our boarder. I'm a little hesitant because of your ankle and how far you'll have to go from there with the addition of walking Fanny, but it's up to you."

All Natasha could do was stare at him in disbelief. She could go home.