Avengers Oneshots 🕷🏹

[3] chips, nightmares, talking

In which a tough Russian spy and a sarcastic billionaire help each other out...

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 Natasha turned over onto her side, shoving her hands under her pillow in frustration. She knew very well The Avengers had a mission the next morning, yet she couldn't sleep.

After trying to get comfortable for a couple more minutes, Natasha decided to go get a snack, hoping the food would somehow make her fall asleep. She pulled back her silk blanket, slowly opened the door of her room, and tiptoed downstairs into the kitchen of Avengers Tower.

Once she stood in front of the counter, Natasha opened one of the cherry wood drawers to reveal a bag of chips that Steve had stored there earlier that day. Cringing at the loud noise the bag made when she opened it, Natasha stuffed some chips in her mouth and sat on the couch, yawning. She wondered how she could be tired but not even get herself to close her eyes.

There was a very simple answer to that. Nightmares.

Ever since New York, Natasha had reoccurring nightmares of all the Avengers dying. 

Tony never coming out of the wormhole in the sky, Steve's pale face staring at her as the life bled out of him, Clint lying in the rubble of a building, Bruce getting stabbed in the stomach, Thor smashing his head against a rock in battle. Every possible way for her best friends to die flashed through her head at night in a painful hurricane of dread, making it impossible to get any sleep. She just couldn't fathom seeing them die every night. Scared of facing it with nothing but her blanket and pillows.

She grabbed another chip from the bag when she heard footsteps behind her. She didn't even have to look back when she heard his voice.

"Couldn't sleep too, huh?" 

Tony sat down next to her, grabbing a chip from the bag resting in Natasha's hands. She yanked it away, smiling, the only smile brought on by Tony Stark.

"Something like that," Natasha whispered, not wanting to wake up anybody.

"Don't be stupid, Nat. The nightmares get to me too. You're not alone." Tony grabbed her hand and squeezed it, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

Natasha sighed, handing the bag of crunchy chips to Tony.

"Who's the one that shouldn't be stupid? I've seen you thrashing around in your bed, Tones." 

Natasha hadn't told anybody about her nightmares. They would all worry, and it wasn't like they didn't get nightmares too. It just wasn't like what Natasha experienced. The pure fear after she was jolted awake, sweat running down her forehead. 

There was only one other person who understood her, who didn't act like a concerned parent, who helped her get through it. And that was the billionaire beside her.

Tony grimaced, his eyes falling to the floor.

"I hoped nobody would see that." he said sadly.

Natasha put her hand on his shoulder. 

"We're in this together Tony."

He smiled and hugged her, burying his face in her neck.

"Thanks Nat."

"Anytime," Natasha replied, smiling down at the brown-haired man. 

That night both Natasha and Tony had absolutely no nightmares and were able to peacefully sleep for the first time in a while. 

                                                                   ☆☆☆

"They had no nightmares! Isn't that crazy?" Clint asked Steve and Bruce over breakfast the next morning. Steve shrugged, grabbing the maple syrup from Thor for his pancakes.

"I mean, it's a good thing, no?" Bruce asked, glaring at Steve and Thor who were both trying to drown their pancakes in syrup.

"Yes, I agree." Thor remarked. "The fewer nightmares the better!"

"Yeah, it is. Glad to know you guys can get some sleep." Steve said, turning to look at Tony and Natasha watching the morning news. "How do you guys do it? Your not the only ones with nightmares."

The rest of the team nodded, and Natasha and Tony grinned at each other.

"We just talked it out, and comforted each other, I guess." Natasha said. 

"Now that's some sappy shit." Nick Fury walked through the door and leaned on the couch. 

"Get your asses up, we have a mission."

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Sorry if this feels kind of rushed. 😭