For all of Dr. Cho's amazing medical advances, the treatment for a concussion was simply rest and observation. Wanda had agreed to stay in the small medical unit until her dizzy spells passed. The ward had obviously been designed for an Avengers' worst case scenario – the main room contained six beds with a large window for constant observation by medical personnel. There were privacy curtains for all but the beds closest to the window, one of which she had been assigned. She waved the third shift nurses off as she edged off her bed, using the IV pole as an inconspicuous support to make her way to the bathroom at the opposite end of the room. She paused when she reached the bed furthest from the observation window, where the curtain had been pulled to screen the occupant from prying eyes.

Natasha looked up from the tablet she was using as Wanda looked at her. "Hey."

"Hello."

"Are you all right?"

"Headache. Some dizziness. You?"

"Can't sleep. This cell regeneration matrix itches like crazy. I should know never to volunteer for experimental treatments, but this is apparently a lot cheaper than the plastic thing and has potential for mass production. Am I keeping you up?"

"No. I am just going to the bathroom." She was seized by the urge to ask if Natasha needed anything, but there were three unopened bottles of water on her tray and a call button within easy reach. She moved on.

Natasha didn't look up when she returned from the bathroom, but said, "You don't actually need the saline drip."

"What?"

"How many times have you gotten up to go to the bathroom?"

Wanda considered the question, leaning against her IV pole. She focused on a spot at the end of Natasha's bed. Had there been a band-aid there before? She suddenly remembered she was supposed to be answering a question. "Three?"

"This was actually your fifth. They're over-hydrating you so you have to get up. Then they can observe your gait, if you're moving clumsily, how much you're using the pole for support…"

"That seems…unnecessary."

"Because you said you'd tell them when you felt well enough to leave." She finally looked up with a smirk. "The medical staff always assumes we're underreporting symptoms and injuries."

"Why?"

"It's something we do. Three military tough guys and an ex-KGB agent make the world's worst patients. Look, I'm just saying sorry they assume the same thing about you."

She shrugged. "At least I am allowed to get up. Didn't I hear someone mention a bedpan to you?"

"Hence all the unopened water bottles. I had four, but I was short on weapons when that nurse was here."

"I thought perhaps I had imagined that. Well, good night." Once she was safely under her blankets, Wanda carefully withdrew the IV needle and covered the wound with the band-aid Natasha had given her. She dozed off quickly.

Wanda woke again to the sound of footsteps on the tile floor of the infirmary. She didn't need to open her eyes to know it was Steve; he pushed a cloud of concern ahead of him like a fog. He passed her, stopping at Natasha's bed, where the light had been on all night. Wanda glanced at the clock to confirm; it was nearly five in the morning.

She turned slightly to watch him fold his arms in silhouette behind the curtain. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"You're the one visiting in the middle of the night." Although his tone had been mock-disapproving, Natasha's was dead serious. "Besides, I'm finishing my after-action report."

"You know you don't have to worry about that right now."

"Well, I assume you need to review it and edit the negative bits about the Winter Soldier – I'm sorry, Bucky – before it goes to Fury. Or should I just claim I shot myself in the thigh when I tried to holster my weapon too quickly so as not to frighten the poor boy?"

"Natasha, I came to apologize, but if you're…" He stopped and took a deep, sighing breath. When he resumed, the rising fight had left his voice, "I'm sorry. You're right to be angry. I lose perspective when it comes to Bucky and I know that, but when I see him…I just want my friend back. He was always there for me and I owe it to him to… Geez, listen to me! He put two of my team members in the hospital and I'm still trying to defend him." There was a slight squeak as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "You should be my priority. You are my…all of you, the team, I mean. That's my priority."

"Easy to say now. What about the next time we go after him?"

"I don't know if there should be a next time." The shadow of his hand merged with that of her head. "In fact, I don't think there will be."

Natasha's protective shell cracked so hard that Wanda was sure it was audible even to people without psychic powers. "Seriously?"

"Bucky has fought off all of Hydra's attempts to get him back as an asset, not to mention ours, and I doubt they're using the same minimal-force method we are. He doesn't seem to be a threat to anyone who doesn't threaten him at this point. Maybe it's time to wait for him to come to us."

"You think he will?"

"I'm willing to wait and see. I can't keep putting everyone in danger because I have good memories about a guy who may not be able to come back."

"As long as he's got a friend as stubborn as you pulling for him…" There was a further enmeshing of shadows as Steve stretched out beside Natasha in the narrow hospital bed. Wanda could feel the comfort of proximity and body heat; that was certainly something new. Although she couldn't see them, she could feel Steve's short hair twisting gently around Natasha's fingers as she said, "I can't say I'm sorry we won't be chasing him anymore, though. He's making me look terrible."

"Didn't Dr. Cho offer to remove all your scars?" Wanda shuddered as calloused fingertips caressed said scars.

"It's not that. He's successfully shot me three out of four times. I've got a reputation to consider."

"Big tough Black Widow."

"I'm gonna kick your ass all over the mats when I get out of here, Rogers."

Wanda bit her tongue, suddenly understanding why men were so obsessed with their erections. Steve chuckled. "Seems like you've got other plans right now."

"Lucky you're not poking my wounded thigh." Their lips met and the kiss immediately deepened, flooding Wanda with a nearly overwhelming torrent of sensations. Soft lips, searching tongues, unique flavors, the continued wonder and anatomical confusion of Natasha's hand in Steve's pants. And consuming desire for both Steve and Natasha, though she was fully aware that it wasn't her own. Wanda wasn't a blushing virgin, but none of her experiences had prepared her for something like this. How was she even feeling all this? She found she didn't care as Steve's hand slipped under Natasha's hospital gown. "Better be gentle with me."

"Mmm, first time I've ever heard you say that."

"Captain Rogers!"

The spell was broken with Dr. Cho's incredibly ill-timed arrival. Wanda kept her eyes tightly closed, trying to force the past few minutes from her mind. It was the concussion. It had lowered her threshold of control. Or something. She decided she was going to have to be more careful in the future as she fought to control her panting.

Luckily, no one was paying attention to her. Steve was stammering as Dr. Cho lectured him about Natasha's injury and need for rest in order to ensure complete recovery. "Assuming the matrix is working as expected, you only have to control yourself for another twelve hours or so."

"Is that when you remove the fire ant colony you implanted in my leg?"

"I think the result will be well-worth the discomfort, Agent Romanoff. I would offer you something for it, but I don't want to disrupt the cellular regeneration with any drugs. It appears that you are healing on schedule, so the worst should be over."

"Thank you, Dr. Cho."

"No more of…I suggest you find a way to occupy your time somewhere else until Agent Romanoff is ready to be released, Captain Rogers."

"Yes, Ma'am," he answered sheepishly.

"Yeah, stop taking advantage of me while I'm injured, Steve."

"I would have you both thrown out of my infirmary right now if it were feasible, so…oh, I give up." Dr. Cho allowed the kiss to go on for a moment before grabbing Steve's arm and dragging him out the door. Wanda licked her lips. Steve and Natasha were both surprisingly good kissers.

The experience was so natural and amazing that it took Wanda a few minutes to sit up in shock. How was she apparently the last one to know that Steve and Natasha were in a relationship?

"I assume you heard at least part of that."

She snapped her head around and was surprised to see Natasha looking at her from around the edge of the curtain. "Oh, well…Dr. Cho did shout."

"Uh-huh. I know you're not one to gossip, but…"

"I have a concussion, you know. My memory is not so good at the moment."

"Thanks, Wanda." The curtain dropped back into place and the light switched off for the first time all night.

Wanda was left to lie back down, thinking about how beautiful Natasha's eyes were. Rather, how beautiful Steve thought Natasha's eyes were. Not to mention how she felt staring into his baby blues. Wanda shook her head. This had the potential to get really weird.