Natasha Romanoff x Reader - One-shot Collection (PG)

Medbay Revelations

Summary: After months in recovery in the medical ward, you're finally released. And when it happens, you can't contain your feelings for yourself any longer.

Pronouns: not used || Warnings: hurt/comfort, injuries, broken bones, scars, medbay/hospital

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Hiding what you feel from other people is a habit of yours.

You don't know how it started or why. Maybe it's a defense mechanism, maybe it's because you don't want to bother others with your problems. Whatever it is, for as long as you can remember you keep your feelings to yourself.

So during the most difficult period of your life, of course you would do exactly the same.

After a mission went wrong, you ended up with almost every bone in your body broken. Tony joked about it being easier to transfer your mind to a robot, perhaps in an attempt to make you feel better, and you forced a smile, pretending it worked.

Your fellow Avengers always came to visit you. Tony would bring you movies and music to distract you; Steve would ask at least ten times a day how you were doing, and you would lie that you were fine; and Wanda would constantly come over to talk to you, about things you like and updating you on events you missed because you were stuck in medbay.

The person who visited you the most, however, was Natasha Romanoff. The Black Widow spent most of the day with you, either talking, watching movies together, reading, or just enjoying each other's presence. But even with such frequency, you felt a pang of longing whenever she had to leave.

You two were close. Closer than the rest of the team, but not as close as you would like to be. You fell in love with her so easily that before you knew it, it had already happened.

You had plans to tell her how you felt, to finally confess your feelings that had been hidden under lock and key for so long. But then the mission happened, and all your romantic plans would have to wait as long as your body was covered in casts.

As the months went by, the casts and bandages were gradually removed one by one. Now, six months after your recovery began, the only visible signs of what had happened to you were the huge scars along your body.

Every time you caught a glimpse of the marks on some part of you, a giant lump would take over your throat, your eyes burning. But you swallowed it, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath. Things were hard enough with you pretending to have everything under control.

And even with your constant improvement, you still felt tired and weak. And the fact that Dr. Cho didn't mention your release from the medical ward in any of her visits to you only made you more discouraged.

That, however, would end today.

Footsteps to your right revealed the arrival of someone, and an easy smile took over your lips as you saw that this someone was Natasha.

"What's up, troublemaker?" she greeted good-naturedly, sitting down on the edge of the bed and stroking your hand. "Hey, Nat." You reply softly, lost in her beauty.

"I have some good news for you." She tells you, unable to contain a smile, and you frown in curiosity. "What is it?" you ask, and let out a giggle when her smile grows exponentially.

"Doctor Cho just cleared you, I asked her to let me give you the news." She answers, and your smile slowly diminishes to an expression of astonishment. You try to say something, but your mouth is dry, speechless.

Getting out of that hospital bed was all you wanted most during those six long months. But, finally being able to do it, you simply couldn't believe it was true.

Suddenly a plethora of feelings start swirling inside of you, from relief, to pain, to sadness at what had happened, to joy at having made it through, to fear of whether or not you'd ever really be able to fully recover. A whirlwind that became more overwhelming with each passing second.

And before you know it a tear trickles from your eye. And then another, and another, turning into a heavy, loud cry, your body swaying as you break into sobs.

Natasha watches the scene in shock, unresponsive. You two were very close, but never before had she seen you like that. Hell, she had never even seen your eyes water.

That in front of her, you so vulnerable and broken, was completely new. And the redhead couldn't keep her heart from breaking at the scene, her own feelings bubbling up as her eyes filled with tears as well.

"Y/n... Hey, come here." She pushes through the shock, wrapping her arms around you and trying to comfort you as best she can. You startle when she touches you, but then you relax, allowing yourself to cry every tear you haven't cried in the last six months.

You don't know how long it has been since you started crying, but Nat doesn't let go of you at any time, and you feel extremely grateful for that. Eventually, your crying begins to subside.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry." You say, your voice shaky and sniffling constantly. "For what?" Natasha asks, her eyebrows heavily furrowed in concern. Her hands, previously around you, now rest on your legs, offering the comfort you need to keep you from crying again.

"For crying." You reply, wiping your tears dry with your hands, and Natasha shakes her head in denial. "Stop." She says immediately, bringing her hands to the sides of your face, making you keep your eyes on hers.

"Don't apologize for showing how you feel," she says, serious yet gentle, and you sniffle again, "you can always tell me how you feel." She adds with a loving smile, and your heart speeds up at the possibility the moment offers.

"If that's the case, there's something I need to say." You tell slowly, trying to gather the courage you need as you speak, and the redhead furrows her eyebrows curiously, letting her hands fall from your face. "And what is it?"

"I kind of like you." You say clumsily and watch Nat's eyes slightly widen in surprise. A second later, however, she has a playful smirk on her face. "You kind of like me? I think you can do better than that."

"Fine, I love you." You say, rolling your eyes amusedly, "I love you when you have my back and I love you when you change the calendar in the kitchen so that I wash the dishes when it's your day to do it. I love you when you nudge me to pay attention to what Steve is saying in the briefings and I love you when you make me laugh in the middle of a mission and make us blow our covers. I just... I love you a lot and all the time."

You end your unbridled monologue with a sigh, and Natasha watches you in silence, her red cheeks the only indication of any emotion on her face.

But in the next moment she's smiling sweetly at you, her eyes sparkling, and you smile as well. "I love you too." She admits it, and you feel like you might be able to take off flying right now.

"And I never changed the kitchen calendar." She adds then, narrowing her eyes at you, and you laugh softly, shaking your head in amused disapproval. "Yeah, right." You reply unconvinced, making the redhead smile.

"Can you help me up?" You ask then, starting to pull the thin medbay sheet off your body, and Nat nods. "Sure, but I have something important to do first."

You barely have time to frown in confusion before the redhead leans forward, connecting her lips to yours. Your breath catches in your throat at the surprise of the action, but soon you're smiling and reciprocating the kiss just as eagerly.

When you pull away, you keep your foreheads pressed together, your eyes closed as the closeness of each other relaxes your bodies. Not long after that, the redhead pulls away.

"Now let's get you to your room, ailing." She says playfully, and as she helps you out of the medbay, you can't help the silly grin that has taken up residence on your lips.

But that's okay, because Natasha has the same smile on hers, and the reason is the same as yours.