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You know that feeling when you consume more energy drinks than societally accepted, in addition to an inhumane amount of sugar in the form of candy, chocolate and straight-up cane sugar from those kilo bags all coupled with a medically concerning amount of alcohol?

No.

Well neither did Nina but she was certain it would feel something like this.

Ever since she'd entered that imaginary door in her head, her mind had been racing like a horse on steroids. Running the entirety of last year through her brain at an impossible speed, forcing her to retain all of the information as it first appeared.

For the most part, it hadn't been too difficult, the start of last year mirrored exactly what Coulson had previously told her and was similar to the things she'd written down in her notebook. It wasn't until the Nina of last year started to feel things towards the team and the people she met, did the memories start to hurt.

"Leo, you are so adorable," she smiled looking up at him, Fitz blushed but positioned himself in a way that she could lean on him without discomfort.

Nina didn't realise how out of character she was acting. This was the first genuine smile the team had seen from her and they all saw it as her becoming comfortable with them, all but Ward who raised his eyebrow at the exchange. It was almost like he was looking at the girl he knew from the academy and not the one who, 2 years ago, broke herself down and rebuilt herself into someone who could become whatever the situation needed her to be.

The memory of Nina ignoring all her mental warnings and embracing her infatuation with Fitz was the first one to hurt. Had she not been unconscious, she was certain she would have stepped back and treated the memory resurfacing in the same way as dealing with the recoil of getting shot.

"Could be an entry wound cauterized immediately," Simmons stated as she got closer to the body than Nina had. A small spark of electricity came from the wound on Cross' head and Nina pulled Simmons from the body at the exact time it dropped back to the ground.

"Freaky," Fitz said, noticing the immediate concern Nina had for Simmons and how quickly she had reached for her. Nina's actions always screamed she didn't want to be there but she would still do her job to the best of her ability, however, her reaction to Simmons being in potential danger showed him that she was seeing them as more than just teammates.

The fact that she cared about Simmons last year didn't exactly come as a surprise to her. She cared about her back when they shared a small apartment in the city, she cared about her enough to be hurt by her response when they found out what she could do and she cared enough about her to forgive her for it.

"Right as always Miss Cavalry."

"You shouldn't expect anything less Miss Executioner."

Neither of them said anything after that. Nina just closed her eyes and listened to the whirling of the plane while May piloted the vehicle. When Nina found herself drifting off, she felt something drape over her body and when she opened her eyes slightly she noticed it was May's SHIELD jacket. She didn't make a scene and just closed her eyes again, snuggling into the jacket and falling asleep.

Even in her unconscious state, Nina wanted to smile at the memory of her and May. Sure, she'd known May before joining Coulson's team but all their meetings were purely that of business or one that mirrored a trainer-trainee relationship. It was nice to see that last year, somewhere along the line, they'd become close enough to feel comfortable in each other's presence.

[2] An Executioner's Requiem | Leo FitzWhere stories live. Discover now