This is (extremely late) a continuation of the last chapter, Thor has just gotten to the room.
Steve was laid out on a bed, respirator firmly placed over his mouth. Natalia sat in the chair next to the bed, eyes assessing his wounds and injuries again. A huge array of bruises covered Steve's body, making him look like one big, blackish blueish bruise. His left arm was in a cast, his right leg in a splint. Half of his head was shaved, white bandages covered in a coppery reddish color poking out in between tufts of blond hair.
Captain America's bottom parts of the suit were still on, excluding shoes. His chest that showed off an amazing amount of abs and muscles, was wrapped up, hiding bloody cuts. Steve was all around pale and it was terrifying to look at, to realize that this was what Captain America went through to save his country.
Thor gazed at his fallen comrade, feeling scared, an emotion that came out of nowhere. He was aware that it was that he was scared for Steve, scared that he wouldn't get up, scared that he would die, etc.
How can one deal with such a thing? Thor's gaze shifted over to Natalia, searching for an emotion that he knew was there.
All Natalia could think about was Steve and Tony and Hank. And Clint. She knew that Tony and Hank were flipping their shit, Clint was indifferent but going along with Tony's charade. Jan, Pepper and Betty didn't know what to think, just going with the usual freaking worried.
Nat herself was about to go crazy, not wanting to leave Steve, yet wanting to run as far away from him and her emotions as possible. The last time she had gone that far deep...
Natalia shook herself, fighting off the memory.
She didn't want to get into that with Thor in the room.
Thor shuddered, and sat at the edge of the bed, doing his best to not tip the bed.
"What has befallen him?" Thor questions quietly.
Natalia shrugs, "Don't know. He passed out almost right after he got here. When he woke up a half hour ago, he was too out of it to answer."
The God's head bows, and a silent plea goes to his father who he knows will not help, but it was worth a try. Thor truthfully does not know what he is going to do, or how he's going to 'deal' as the midgardians say, if Steve dies.
He doesn't stay long, leaving Natalia to tend to the Captain. There is the long journey of trying to find his way back to where Tony, Hank and the other guy that Thor hasn't met yet.
!#$%^&*()_+
Jan dashes her way to the cell that holds Dr. Banner. She left Nat with Cap, and Pepper was following Betty wherever she went.
She loves Hank, but she doesn't have to be with him all of the time! And, if you ask her, she left Natalia to Steve just because she 'shipped' them like there was no tomorrow.
Oh, Jan's life was terribly confusing. But she didn't care.
Finally getting to Banner's cell, Jan not only worried about what she would say, she worried about Bruce, too.
!#$%^&*()_+
When Steve finally woke up, Natalia was there, waiting for him.
People generally didn't get too close to him, for their 'own safety'. Nat was different, climbing on to the bed, minding his wounds.
She smiled at him, kissed his forehead in a manner that was not like her at all, and put a hand on his shoulder. She looks right into his eyes, and... slaps him.
It doesn't hurt, but it certainly isn't pleasant to his already bruised cheek. Steve's head snaps over to look at Natalia, wanting to know why in the hell she slapped him?!
"If you ever do this again, I will -" Steve cuts her off with a kiss, trying to forget the terrible mission that he had just been on.
Natalia leans into the kiss, and accidentally bumps into one of Steve's many injuries. Said soldier winces, but doesn't act mad or anything. (Underneath the façade of being tip-top shape, even though he knows he's not, that really freaking hurt.)
"Ugh. Please excuse my clumsiness! Sorry." She frowns, like she'd rather not be there, whether that meant in the conversation, or the room, Steve would never know. "Steve... We need to talk."
Steve nods. "I'm just gonna jump right in, okay? Are we... together? Or-?"
"Not unless you don't want us 'together', Steve." She's talking in a seductive tone, and even though he wants to ignore it, 'we aren't married' isn't cutting it anymore. "I would love to be 'together' with you."
Maybe it's the drugs, maybe it's something else, but the usually shy Steve is... well gone. If only for a moment. He leans over to her ear as best as he can, and tries to mimic her tone. "I would too, Nat. If only I wasn't injured. Then, you'd get hoarse."
The whole time he was talking, Natalia was trying to focus on his words, not the way his breath fanned out over her neck and upper chest. Oh, what she would do- she stopped herself there, not wanting to go into any thoughts (*cough* fantasies *cough*) right then, when she was visiting Steve. It'd be terrible if Tony caught them kissing or doing the nasty. He'd never let them live it down.
His smirk is enough to make her suspicious, though.
AN: Guess who feels shitty for not updating in forever? *raises hand* I know this is short, but this is what writers block produces from like three days worth of sitting and doing nothing! YAY! I only own any mistakes I was to lazy to look over, God bless!