Venomous

27. Blowout

I never left Natasha's side while she was healing. I think half of the reason that she was finally discharged from medbay was because the staff was sick of having to deal with me. She graciously allowed me to help her to her room.

"Can you bring me some water?" She asked, green eyes sparkling after I helped her into her bed in – what she insisted – was a comfortable position. I nodded and backed into the bathroom slightly ungracefully, grabbing her a glass of water and placing it on her nightstand.

"Oh, and can you bring me the book on my desk?" I raised an eyebrow, but walked across the room to her desk, handing her the book after gazing at the cover.

"Bond? Really, Natasha? Isn't that a little bit on the nose?" She shrugged and glanced down at the cover.

"I like it." I smiled and performed a lopsided, over-exaggerated bow.

"Anything else you require, Ms. Romanoff?" Natasha smirked but didn't speak up. I made my way to the door, glancing back as Natasha cleared her throat. "Yessssss?" It turned into an unintentional hiss as AV made an unexpected mini-appearance. Natasha laughed and pointed to her bookshelf.

"Can you bring me bear?" I rolled my eyes.

"I was literally right there, Nat. Come on." The redhead pouted at me, and I huffed as I walked back into the room, grabbing the bear and placing it on her nightstand. She grinned.

"Thank you, Brock." I shrugged.

"Least I could do, you jumped in front of a bullet for me." I hesitated at the doorway again before glancing back at the woman in front of me. "You do remember I'm bulletproof, though, right?" My smile widened. Natasha's eyes widened, and I could almost literally see the gears turning in her head before her eyes opened, and the moment it finally clicked. She laughed, then winced, then shrugged.

"Instinct, I guess." I smiled.

"Goodnight, Romanoff."

"Goodnight, Parker."

....

I was halfway down the hallway towards my own room when I ran into Wanda. Almost literally. My fists clenched at my side, and – to avoid an uncomfortable confrontation – I spun on my heel and started walking in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, I did not do so quietly enough. Wanda spun and saw me attempting to make an exit.

"Parker, we need to talk," she started. I kept walking. I was not in the mood. Much to my chagrin, the witch began following me. I pressed the button for the elevator, tapping my foot impatiently, waiting for the door to open. When it finally did, Wanda moved like she was going to ride down with me, and I raised my hand in warning.

"I wouldn't, Wanda." To my surprise, she hesitated, allowing the elevator door to close slowly, right in front of her face. I blinked in surprise when she was standing in front of the elevator door, waiting for me, when I arrived. "But how did you..." I stopped myself short. As curious a phenomenon as it was, it did not override my anger at the moment. It was worse than anger, really. It was betrayal.

She doesn't like us? I felt a sinking feeling in my chest that I knew immediately did not come from my part of our body. It's almost like they were hurt. Wanda frowned, clearly having heard the voice emanating from my head as well.

"No, Parker, that's not it." I shook my head and sneered at her.

"That wasn't me, Wanda." She swallowed whatever she was going to say back, just looking at me with her eyes wide.

"Can we just talk?" She asked, finally dropping her gaze to the ground and pulling her sleeves further down her arms. I sighed.

"Wanda, this isn't a good time. I can't...I can't talk to you right now." She looked disappointed, but nodded.

"Okay." I moved past her slowly and she let me pass.

Two hours later, I was in the training room, punching a bag silly when the door flew open and my eyes opened wide to find a much-more angry-looking witch standing in the doorway.

"Parker, we need to talk." This time the tone was clear – this wasn't a request. I pulled my left glove off with my teeth, spitting it down onto the floor, tucking my right glove under my armpit to remove that one as well.

"Wanda, I told you..."

"Fine, then you just listen." I glared at her. Was she being for real right now? I huffed and toweled off my face before trying to move past her gingerly. All of a sudden, I couldn't move. It felt like I was trapped in some sort of Jell-O.

"What the hell is this?" I snarled at her, my temper finally making a delayed appearance. Wanda watched me.

"I'm sorry, but I need you to hear me out." I struggled fiercely against the strange sensation, and Wanda's eyes widened as white tendrils began making an appearance down my arms and legs, working in tandem with my hands to attempt to free us.

"Let me the fuck out of here, Wanda." I warned. Her eyes flashed red as she sneered back at me.

"No." The sound of a door slamming distracted her for long enough. I moved past her, bypassing the elevator entirely and bounding up the stairs a few at a time. When I reached the lounge area, I was once again stymied to find Wanda standing there already, not the least bit out of breath. I clenched my fists again, determined not to ask.

"I can't do this with you Wanda," my voice was low, almost a growl.

"When are you going to get it through your fucking head that I care about you, and I want to help you!" There it was. Wanda and I squared off, a couch between us as we each held our ground on opposite sides of the room.

"What makes you think I need your help?!" The quiet voice was long gone, and we were long past the point of pretending to whisper-shout. It was now just full-on shouting. Wanda through her hands up in exasperation.

"Why wouldn't you? You're infected...with that thing!" She was practically shrieking at me now, and my temper snapped like an old rubber band.

"This thing? This thing saved my life, Wanda!" She paused long enough to give me the momentum to keep going. "I was going to be paralyzed for the rest of my life, or worse. They make me stronger, and we are a team, don't you get it?" Wanda's head was shaking and she rounded the couch, getting closer to me. I took a step back for safety. Hers.

"Parker, I saw what one of these things really is. It could hurt you, or worse." I scoffed and almost laughed at the humor of it all.

"Wanda, you don't know shit about me. Or AV. Or us. Keep out of it." The witch's eyes glowed red again.

"NO!" A sound behind us startled both of us out of our little world of chaos, and we spun in unison to see...well...everyone...that had gathered and were standing behind us, watching everything unfold. Perfect. "This doesn't change anything, Parker – it's not good for you."

"Okay, that's enough." I spun towards the kitchen at the sound of the next familiar voice. Natasha leaned against the doorway, eating an apple and watching us carefully. Her voice was low and soft, but the hidden threat was unmistakable. Wanda frowned and looked as though she was going to respond.

"Um, I wouldn't." Clint spoke up from the doorway. Wanda glanced around, wisely reading the room and retreated a few paces. Maybe there was hope for her after all. Natasha smirked up at me, dangling a set of keys from her fingers, and I noticed that she was fully dressed.

"You're supposed to be resting," I growled. She laughed it off.

"Want to go for a ride?"