Natasha opened the car door and was about to climb in when she heard footsteps crunch on the gravel driveway.

"Natasha?"

Natasha looked over the top of the car. "You want a lift back to New York?" she asked Stephen Strange, who was once again in casual clothes, which included his ridiculous cape.

"No," he answered, "Thank-you, but no. Agent Hill has offered me a room here for the next couple of nights, and said that she herself shall see me back to New York. I've called the hospital and rearranged my roster. I want to be sure Barnes quite right before I depart."

"Ok," Natasha said and nodded, "Yeah, great."

"And there is also some extremely interesting technology here that I would not normally have access to."

"Yeah, just don't go making any murder-bots. We've already done that. Didn't end great."

"I know," Strange said, "Although electro-robotic artificial intelligence isn't my area of speciality."

"No," Natasha said, "Turns out it wasn't Tony's either."

"No," Strange said.

"So, you alright if I go? I've got some guys waiting."

"What?"

"What? Oh," Natasha said, "My - Matt and his friend. They'll be waiting. It's nothing weird, I promise. Well, it's a bit weird, but not - you know."

"If you're all happy," Stephen said, moving out of the way of the car, "I'm not one to judge."

"What? No. Oh, whatever. Anyway," Natasha said, "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you around then," she said and half sat down in the car.

"Natasha?" Strange said before Natasha closed the door.

"Yes?"

"I, ah," Strange shuffled his feet. "I just wanted to say thank-you. For hooking Barnes up to the IV. You - I didn't think you would. I didn't think any of you would."

"Well, the world's just full of surprises, isn't it?"

"I suppose so," Strange said, "And you're certainly one of them."

"Oh, about time you're back," Foggy said, "Huh, and look, there's Matt's hoodie too. You know that out of all his clothes, that grey hoodie was the one thing he asked for?"

"I was wearing it this morning," Natasha said, closing the door to Matt's apartment behind her.

"Yeah, well I forgot," Foggy said and pushed himself out of the armchair. "Tag team, you're up."

"You don't want to hear what happened?" Natasha asked.

"You saved him," Foggy said, adjusting his jumper.

"How…?"

"You're here, aren't you?"

"Right," Natasha said.

"Look," Foggy said, "I'm not trying to be a jerk, so right now, I'm just going to go home, eat some food and go to sleep. Do not call me until like nine tomorrow at the earliest. I'm just too tired. Anything right now, I just don't wanna know."

"Where's Matt now?" Natasha asked, noticing that Matt was no longer on the couch.

"In bed," Foggy said. "I helped him move a couple of hours ago. He's had all the meds he's allowed for the day, so no more until the morning I guess."

"Ok."

"And he had half a bagel around lunchtime, a banana this afternoon, and a whole bagel for dinner. So he won't starve at least."

"Thanks Foggy," Natasha said, "Really."

"Yeah," Foggy said, "Well get your guns off the bathroom floor. And your knickers. I bet this is what having teenagers would be like. They need you at all hours, they leave their weapons and their underwear lying around everywhere, they never tell you everything, they have increasingly mental girlfriends, they get shot with guns and shit. Uh, people suck. See, now I'm all cross at the world and teenagers and you and Matt and everything and stuff."

"Time to go home?" Natasha said.

"Don't tell me what to do. I mean yes. Right," Foggy said, "Goodbye."

"See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, well, goodnight" Foggy mumbled. Natasha watched as he left Matt's apartment and then went into the bedroom to find Matt lying on his side on the bed.

Natasha looked at Matt. He lay with his eyes shut, but Natasha had a feeling he was still awake. She ran a finger through his hair, but he didn't stir. Natasha climbed out of bed and went to make a cup of tea. She sat on the kitchen bench while she waited for the jug to boil. Steve always told her off for doing that. "Sit on the chairs or sit on the floor, but get off the bench." Natasha chuckled at the memory. She should probably call Steve, she thought, just to check on him. She should probably call Clint too, to fill him in. He'd pretend to be upset to have missed all the drama, but not actually mind. And Tony. Someone had to call Tony and ask him what was going on with all this legal stuff. They were allies, friends, but this was creating a rift between them, even if Steve was yet to admit it. But not now.

Now the jug boiled and Natasha poured the water into the mug. She would call Clint in the morning and tell him she was coming up to the farm next weekend. A break from New York and Matt Murdock and The Avengers and Steve Rogers and James Barnes. A couple of nights being Aunty Nat and playing with the kids and helping out with the baby and jut hanging out with Clint and Laura and pretending to be normal. She could put off calling Tony until Monday.

Natasha carried her cup of tea back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed.

"Nat?" Matt whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Ok…" Matt mumbled.

"You alright?"

"Eh,"

"Do you want me to get off the bed?"

"No,"

"Ok. Because I wasn't going to."

"K…"

"Ok," Natasha said, and took a sip of tea.

"Nat?"

"Yeah?"

Matt grinned.

"What?" Natasha asked.

"Did Foggy… yell at you because your Widow stuff… is in the bathroom?"

"I think he was more concerned about the guns and the underwear."

Matt tried to suppress a laugh, but it came out as a half-laugh, half-choke. "Don't - don't make me laugh. It's hurts."

"Why's it so funny?" Natasha asked.

"B - because your underwear is on my bathroom floor and Foggy saw it."

"It's not even fancy underwear," Natasha said.

"Foggy Nelson's seen Black Widow's underwear. Not even I have done that."

"I think that's the pain-meds talking," Natasha said, and took another sip of tea.

"I mean, I've taken your underwear off…"

"Matt!" Natasha laughed.

Matt smiled. That smile made Natasha want to stay. Stay here, in this small apartment with that stupid neon sign with the blind lawyer, and his best buddy and his nurse friend on call. Matt tipped his head toward Natasha and looked in her direction with his unseeing eyes.

The look made Natasha think of Bucky. The way he'd looked at her. The way it it had felt as though he was looking right inside of her. Natasha had no idea what to think about him. What on earth had possessed her to kiss him? And why had it felt so good? She had definitely lingered, and she was quite sure that however ill he was, Barnes had kissed her back. Should she tell Steve? What if Scott or Strange said something? What if Bucky said something? Natasha sighed and took a sip of tea. Today had been long enough. She would worry about Barnes later.

"Nat?" Matt asked.

"Mmm?"

"Good…"

"Goodnight?"

"No," Matt whispered, a tired smile on his lips, "Just good."