MCU (Avengers) Imagines Part Two

Nebula X Fem!Reader - Here With Me (Requested)

A/N - This chapter was requested by user: @Corin9. I ended up listening to 'Here With Me' by Dido on repeat whilst I was working on this piece, so it's had a lot of influence over the story. I hope you all enjoy it.

"Neb?" you called out, your throat sore and aching as you attempted to clamber over the rubble that had been left behind by the battle. Something was wrong, you could feel it deep in the pit of your stomach, and yet all you could think about was getting to Nebula as quickly as you could. 

You stumbled as you landed, your ankle twisting as you fell forward. This was getting ridiculous. No matter how much you tried to push yourself up from the grounds, it seemed that moving was getting harder and harder. 

When you glanced back at your legs, splayed out awkwardly behind you from your fall, you couldn't quite make sense of what you were seeing. Your legs were still there, but your feet were fading, turning to dust in front of your eyes. You gulped down a shaking breath, attempting to shove yourself up again, only for your legs to begin to dissolve too. 

"Shit," you yelped, reaching down in a futile attempt to piece yourself back together, only to send the dusted parts of your body drifting off in the wind. "Shit," you started again,  your voice thick with panic as you tried to make sense of what was happening. Thanos had succeeded and now you were dying. "Neb," you yelled, praying that she would be able to hear you from wherever she had ended up during the battle. 

You lifted your head, your eyes darting around, looking for anyone. You couldn't go like this, not on your own, not on some planet you'd never even known about a couple of hours ago. It was right. 

When you looked down again, your legs were completely gone, and your hands had started to turn into fine dust. Tears welled in your eyes, your stomach twisting itself up in knots. Nebula was so close, you could feel it, and yet part of you knew that she wouldn't be able to reach you before you were gone completely. 

"Neb," you repeated, the word coming out as a whimper as you felt the tingling sensation building in your chest, spreading up your arms and into your shoulders, overwhelming you.

When Nebula finally crested the top of the debris, you were already gone, the only evidence that you had been there at all, a small dusting of soot catching on the wind as her eyes darted around the spot she had heard your voice coming from. She was too late, and you were dead. She had helped her father in his quest to do this to billions of people, you included. 

*Time Skip*

The time that Nebula had spent floating around space with Tony had been uncomfortable. He spent much of it trying to draw her out of her shell, to dispel some of the boredom with little games and light conversation, but all Nebula could think of was you. You had been the only person to make her feel something. The only person who thought she was worth saving. And now, you were gone, and she was left feeling completely empty. 

Upon landing on Earth, Neb had finally gotten the chance to experience the world you had been so fond of. When you had spoken of your home, you would light up, your love of the wilderness had been something Nebula could listen to for hours at a time, and now she got to see it for herself. But without you, it felt wrong. Like she was betraying you by being in your favourite place without you at her side. 

And yet, she still couldn't make herself leave. Earth was overwhelming and terrifying, but it was the only place where Nebula felt connected to you, and she wasn't willing to give that up for anything. So, she spent five years trying to do what you would have done in her position. She supported the people suffering, tried to keep the peace at the Avengers compound, and helped when Scott and Bruce started coming up with their plan to go time travelling. And all the while, she thought of nothing but you.

*Time Skip*

Your eyes flinched open suddenly, your chest heaving as you tried to catch your breath. A cough slipped out of you, shaking through your entire body as you pushed up to your feet, your mind reeling as you tried to make sense of how you had ended up here. You were dying, you were certain of it, and then in a blink of an eye, you were fine again. 

"Y/N?" A soft voice started, and your eyes landed on Mantis, all wide-eyed and confused. "What's happening?"

"They reversed the damage that Thanos caused," another voice started, and your head quickly swivelled to find Strange standing on the other side of the debris. "We need to get back to Earth. They'll need our help."

 Your mind was still reeling as you regained control of your body, your stomach tied up in a tight knot. "How-"

Before you could finish your question, a portal opened beside Strange, and you felt your heart clench. There was a good chance that Nebula would be on the other side of that portal, waiting patiently for you to step through, and without a second thought, you threw yourself through.

You stumbled as you came out the other side, your eyes roaming over the wasteland you'd landed in, filled with faces you'd come to know over the years. But, however hard you tried, you couldn't find the one face you needed. The one you wanted to see more than anything. 

And then, the world was thrown into chaos as the two armies collided in the middle of the battlefield. You felt sick as you watched the alien creatures headed in your direction, only just composing yourself quickly enough to defend yourself. 

With each opponent you faced, you continued to search for Nebula, silently praying that you would find her amongst the fray. 

You'd practically screamed in terror when you felt a hand on your elbow, dragging you away from the chaos and into the hollowed out shell of the Avengers Compound. When the hand released you, you lashed out, landing a firm punch to your attackers jaw, before your eyes widened in horror. Nebula. Your mouth dropped open as you cupped the spot you had hit, trying to convey your apology with your eyes as your words caught in your throat.

"You're here," she started, her hand lifting to cover yours against her face. "You're back."

"I'm back," you confirmed quietly, leaning forward to press your forehead to hers. "I'm not going anywhere," you added, feeling her arms snake around you to hold you close. 

You felt a shaking breath slip out of you. The embrace felt as though it was the most perfect thing to ever happen. It was as if nothing could ever be wrong when you were standing together like this. "I was so worried I would never get to see you again," she hummed out, her words fanning out across your skin. "I couldn't bare the idea of having to exist without you."

"You don't have to," you murmured, pressing your lips to hers in a gentle kiss. "You'll never have to again, I promise." 

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