With basically everything packed up, all Katya had left to work with was a single boxing bag and half of the gym mat, the other half rolled up and packed away along with the rest of the gym's machines and the boxing ring. Didn't really matter, she didn't have a plan- she just had this weird sort of energy she had to get out somehow, and even if Peter was here to spar with, it'd be too much for him. She settled for taking out this weird electric buzzing on an object that wasn't already breathing, so there wasn't a risk of it being her fault if it stopped.
And that's where Tony found her, in the middle of some combos she'd made up for herself, the gauze around her knuckles slightly splattered red. They still hadn't spoken since the rooftop. Katya didn't acknowledge him come in.
"I'd say be careful, but that thing was made for Cap, so I doubt even you could break it with those tiny feet of yours."
Tiny feet, fuck you she grumbled in her mind. It was becoming more clear to her the more she punched that the name for this feeling was anger, but she didn't know why it was flaring up so quickly. She was still frustrated from the ferry, she knew, but she didn't know how else to let any of this out. She punched at the bag again, this time causing one of the red splatters to spread rather quickly, but she barely felt the accompanying pain in what was surely a split knuckle. If anything, some part of her welcomed it- a part she couldn't explain.
"I don't know if you noticed," Tony continued, his voice as deadpan as ever. The word arrogance swirled around Katya's mind like a toxic gas, and she didn't care enough to push it away. "But in your, er, absence we've packed up much of your room. There's just a few things left I figured you'd want to go through on your own."
Katya finished her combination with a mighty kick that sent the whole bag swinging. She stepped languidly out of the way.
"I need a dress."
Tony raised an eyebrow, almost as if he was surprised she'd actually spoken. "A dress?"
"Yeah," Katya bent down to grab the roll of gauze from the floor behind her to replace the ones she currently had on, which now contained a sizeable spread of red. "Homecoming's tomorrow, it's like a school dance-"
Tony smiled, and made to take a step towards her, but thought better of it. "Surprised you're interested in going."
Katya shrugged, peeling off the old gauze from her bleeding knuckles and letting it fall to the floor. She roughly brushed away the blood that was still leaking from her middle knuckle on her leggings absentmindedly. "Everyone else is going, it's a normal thing to do I guess."
"Yeah, I guess it is. Do you have a date?" His voice suggested he knew an answer, but Katya felt it was the wrong one.
"Nope. Just going with Ned and Peter- or, I guess, just Ned now, as friends, since Peter's going with Liz." She chanced a glance over to Tony who actually looked surprised for a second before dropping the expression on the ground and resettling it into his regular half-smirk. "I just know I'm supposed to get dressed up for it, but all I own is like…this." she waved her newly gauzed hand down to the sports bra and leggings she was wearing, "and the clothes i wear to school. But I think it's fancier than that."
Tony let himself smile again, this time…affectionately? Katya wasn't sure, she was still mad at him, but technically also needed his help, so… she set herself back into stance, causing Tony to retrace the one step he'd taken towards her. "I"m sure Happy can take a break from his duties and take you shopping for a bit, if you want."
Punch right, left, uppercut, roundhouse kick one, two, three- "It feels weird to say yes to that."
"Which is exactly why you should." This time, Tony walked up to her, and steadied the punching bag. Katya stopped kicking but didn't break stance. What, was he going to ruffle her hair again and this would all be over?
"You're supposed to be breaking habits here, I know- as much as it pains me to say that- so a school dance would be good for you."
As much as it pains him to say that? Katya grunted and kicked the bag, not in formation, just out of anger. It jostled in Tony's grip but he didn't let go. He had to pick one- he couldn't complain about wanting to use her skill set and then reprimand her at the idea of doing so. It wasn't fair. Tony seemed to read as much in her eyes, as he let go of the punching bag and instead settled himself on the bench behind her, scooting over so there was enough room for her to sit as well, which he patted lighty. "Kid, I'm sorry I said those things the other day."
"'Everything I touch dies?'" she repeated, mockingly, as if the phrase hadn't been ringing through her head constantly every day since he'd said it. Talking about it with Peter had helped, but it didn't make it disappear completely. Tony winced.
"Yeah, that. I could have worded that a little better." He sighed, " I know that's why Natasha sent you here."
Katya turned towards him but didn't take the proffered seat. Words tumbled around in her mouth and head, and she wanted so badly to let them loose, but she didn't know how to organize them, and most weren't even in wanted to yell them at him, beat him down like the boxing bag, but she knew that wasn't fair. He'd made a mistake. She'd made one too, even though she hadn't told him about it. The tension in her shoulders didn't leave, and her heart was still pumping from her combos, but she felt a little less aflame. Still angry, just…bearable. "When can Happy take me shopping?"
