2. Girl Talk
Pepper tilted her hand holding two mugs as she smiled at Natasha. She looked very comfortable on the sofa with her feet propped on Barton's lap. Since that afternoon, Bruce had replaced her cloth with a heating pad, which made more of the pain subside.
Clint was nice enough to rub her feet as he patiently listened to her complain.
Miss Potts chuckled, "Your so good to her Barton."
The archer rolled his eyes needing a break from the russian, "Tell her that. I haven't eaten all day and I'm starving! Did Thor eat all my tacos Pepper?"
Natasha complains, "Oh, you just don't want to sit with me anymore?"
He throws his head back wanting to sleep, "No! I'm hungry and Thor's going to eat all my food! I sat with you all day!- ugh! I can't win. Your so moody."
"Win what?! Your so weird!"
"I'm tired Nat! Your literally draining me. Just tell me what do you want!"
Pepper taps his shoulder, urging him to go upstairs. She'd have it under control, "Go ahead Clint. I'll stay with you Natasha." He sighs heavily appreciating her statement now more then ever before.
She parks herself on the coach taking Clint's place, "Oh, Tony was taking Steve to pick up Pizza. Want to go for a ride with the boys? Keep them in line?"
Clint shakes his head, "No thanks! I'm exhausted. I just want my tacos and some sort of therapy to keep me sane! Where's the doc?"
Pepper covers her smile with her hand, "Upstairs, in the lab. I think Thor is lingering up there too."
He whispers a swear as he heads for the elevator.
Natasha pushes herself up to a sitting position smiling as Pepper holds out a mug in her direction, "No coffee my dear. Just warm tea."
She smiles taking the mug, "Burst my bubble Pepper."
"Sorry hon. You can't have coffee with your little friend's in town."
She snickers, "Little Friend? Your funny."
Pepper brushes her orange hair behind her ear as she crosses her legs, "Yes, it sucks I know. Always snaps the energy away from you."
"I feel like crap Pepper!" Natasha throws her heating pad to the ground in an attempt to release her anger. She stomps her foot on the sofa before curling up into the corner.
Her friend calmly replies appearing as if nothing ever happened. Her motherly instinct take over, "Are you eating a lot of vitamin C? Cranberry juice is good for that."
Natasha glares at her friend in a sarcastic way, "Ew."
Pepper shrugs her shoulder sipping her tea, "It's good for you, and I like the way it tastes."
She shrugs her shoulders with an attitude holding the warm mug closer. Pepper wrinkles her nose, -My God, is that what I look like?! Poor Tony!-
"You know, the good part about this whole experience is that you get whatever you want."
Natasha shifts her glance upward, still sarcastic, "Seriously!? Hello Pepper! There is blood pouring out of us for five damn days! Cramps Pepper! Nausea! It's like a living hell!"
She covers her mouth laughing at Natasha's comment, straight to the point. The girl was as assassin, chased by murderers, aliens, strange creatures and that was all fine but she couldn't handle this? Pepper at least got a good chuckle from the 'little miss tough girl.' She waited until Natasha inhaled giving her an oppertunity to open her mouth, "I wouldn't talk like that if you want Clint to sit with you and rub your feet."
"Whatever. He doesn't care."
"Actually, i'll tell you a story. Tony won't admit it but when I get mine, he's always rubbing my back, cuddling me, we watch those cheesy romance movies. He'll come up with some lame excuse about why he did it,' Pepper changes her voice to imitate her boss, ''I have nothing else to do, I'm bored, I just feel like touching you, is it Monday yet; you know pulling that masculine shit."
Natasha smiles at her comment, "Why do they act so wierd about it!"
"Sweet-heart, don't even bother trying to understand the male species. You'll always come up empty-handed. Right now, you've got a whole house full of stupid men trying to figure out how to make your life a little better. Just say 'thank you' and be honest because if you want something, they will get it for you. All they see is you laying on the coach kicking and screaming and they want to see you to be okay. They don't understand what's going on, they never will, so just be patient and appreciate their help."
"Do you have any idea what their 'help' includes? I really don't feel like getting Asgardian hugs, I swear I'm waiting for Steve to ask me what a fricken tampon is!"
Pepper gives a smirk, "Be honest; you love them all for their quirky ways of telling you they care."
Natasha looks in her mug swirling the warm liquid. Her tension seems to lessen as she contemplates her statement, "Oh, it's quirky alright. But Thanks for the tea Pep. And for listening to to me rant."
She lifts her hand to her shoulder, gently rubbing with her thumb, "Listen, we're all crazy and go through our little emotional rollercoasters. Just remember to bring me tea when it's my turn."
Steve enters the living room with a nervous smile, "Miss Potts, Miss Romanov. We brought food. You guys hungry?"