Once Upon an Avenger

Chapter 12: True love's kiss

Sam laughed; of course cracking a joke would be the first thing Hope would do after waking up from a weeklong coma. His laugh didn't take away from how relieved he was that she was awake again. "So, you really are a pirate-princess then..."

"The pirate-princess actually," Hope corrected, sitting up in the bed. "But that's a story for another time." Her voice was croaky and her throat dry. Sam noticed and passed her a glass of water. "Thank you," she mumbled before quickly drinking it.

"Look, Swan..." He looked at the floor, still holding her hand. "I'm so sorry that I didn't believe you before, I shou--"

"Nope, I don't want to hear it, Wilson," Hope cut in before he could finish his sentence. "It's perfectly understandable. I did drop a bit of a bombshell on you by telling you that I was fairy-tale royalty."

"Yeah, but I'm your best friend, I should have listened to you..." He sounded sad, still unable to look at her.

"Look at me." Hope took his chin with her free hand, gently raising his head. "None of that matters, do you want to know why?" Sam looked at her, his eyes full of guilt. "You believe now... You broke my sleeping curse, with true love's kiss, something I never thought I'd have." Hope patted his cheek before adding, "even if it is in a completely platonic way." The two of them laughed, both elated to have found each other again.

"Wait, sleeping curse, like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White?" Hope nodded. "The cut on your hand, we couldn't figure out how you'd been cut with your own sword and your last words were 'check again tomorrow for me'." She looked down, from the intonation in his voice; it was obvious that he'd figured it out. She'd told him that all magic came with a price, and that a deal was often made to pay said price. Though, at the time he hadn't believed her. "You made a deal, didn't you? If you took the curse, the nightmares would stop. Why?"

"My suffering for theirs..."

"Why, Swan?" Sam snapped; it wasn't on purpose, but he couldn't help it. He'd spent the past few days at her bedside, worrying, borderline mourning. Wondering how things had gone so wrong on that mission, only to find out that the coma was self-inflicted.

"I had to; I couldn't let them suffer anymore."

"And what about me, Hope?" He asked, snatching his hand away from hers. "What about my suffering? I had to watch you, lying in here, unconscious. Not knowing if you were ever going to wake up."

"Mate..." She hadn't thought of that. "Wilson, I'm so sorry..." Hope swung her legs over the side of the bed, wandered round to where he was sat - trailing the monitor with her - and wrapped her arms around him. The hug felt long overdue.

He sighed, somewhat in disbelief about everything that had just happened. "I know, I just missed you, that's all, we all did..." She stifled a laugh at his comment. "What?"

Hope sat back on the bed, playing with the wires. "I doubt the others even noticed I was gone."

"It's true, Swan; Loki hardly ever leaves your room, Peter and his Aunt May moved in just so he could be close to you and it's a miracle if anybody speaks other than to say that food is ready, or to have a go at each other for no apparent reason," Sam told her. "Even Steve's been upset, not that he would ever tell you that. It was as if all the joy and love in this place was ripped away when you fell into that coma."

"Really?" A faint smile spread across Hope's face, she had no clue she meant that much to everyone. Loki maybe, but not the others. "I guess that makes sense though, given who I am, I naturally radiate a lot of love. So when I was cursed, I took it all with me."

Sam sat on the bed next to her, resting his head on her shoulder. "Given who you are?"

"I'm the product of true love, my mom is too. Making me extra special." Hope laughed, she always did when saying it out loud. "It's ridiculous, I know..."