time lapse ⇒pietro maximoff

VI

Eden

The rest of the day followed in a very terse manner from the moment the confrontation between the team and I ended this morning. More so Tony and I if anything.

Tony disbanded the team with a visibly stressed flick of his wrist and told me in a low murmur that he was watching me but also he was going to make an effort to learn to trust me. Then Bruce approached me for a quick moment to tell me about how he's analyzing the results of my laboratory tests and I should have the results of them soon. Both Tony and Bruce made me feel a little less on edge, just enough to get me to finally feel the effects of flying for several hours. I was exhausted.

Steve stealthily ducked out with Natasha before I could ask him to walk with me to our shared floor, to which I did feel a degree of jealousy. I wasn't sure why I was jealous, as I harbored no romantic feelings towards the captain but it made me feel special that he was mostly spending his time with me, even if he was my babysitter.

With a sleepy, yet light prance, I walked back to my room and collapsed onto my soft grey sheeted bed with a soft sigh and a flutter of my eyes. My muscles and sinew ached with a dull rumble as they finally were able to relax after being tensed for such an extended period of time. Drowsiness tugged at the corners of my eyes as I released a pent-up yawn, my body clearly indicated it required rest.

After attempting to fight off sleep by figuring out how to turn on the television and operate the device called a remote, I finally gave into the irresistible urge to glide into a restful slumber. I couldn't remember when I started to drift off into the land of the unconscious but I remember hearing the ding of the elevator from the inside of the floor's common area. I drifted off to sleep to the sound of Steve softly calling my name.

_

"What is your name love?" He asked me softly, holding my hands in his own warm large ones. I felt a rush of warmth surge through me as if I knew I'd always be perfectly safe in his hold. Nothing else in the world could reach me, as long as I was with him. I felt childish almost when I identified the feeling of sudden possessiveness over this man as he held me. Like there was no other individual in this world that I'd ever allow to come near him such as I was. 

"Ch-Charlotte." I heard myself stammer, even though I wasn't really sure if that was my name exactly. It sounded foreign rolling off my tongue. In fact, all of the details of my life that I attempted to pull from my brain seemed fake, distorted and scrambled. What was happening to me?

"Ah, beautiful name for a beautiful girl, no?" The handsome young man attempted to flirt with me, to bring a smile to my face despite the burning sensation I felt that gnarled at my limbs slowly. Like a slow-crawling wildfire, it spread throughout my body with increasing intensity. Each nerve is more burnt and fried than the last. It was almost impossible to ignore, but the feeling of the white-haired man's hands holding mine made it almost bearable.

I tried to smile but the feeling in my mouth had gone away considerably, so I was left with a nod, hoping he'd understand from the simple gesture that I appreciated his kindness.

"I understand, lovely girl. I felt that way too for a long time- but I got better, and faster. Where are you from?" He asked me as I gritted my teeth together suddenly as the pain began to reach a fever pitch. 

I was trying to prevent myself from screaming. Whoever is watching me all the time- I don't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing that I was in pain. I'm stronger than those cowards, and I'll prove it to them. Even if it meant chewing through my lip to do it. 

To continue to distract myself I focused on the man and tried to respond to him, my vision was a bit blurry so I couldn't make out his exact features but I could tell he was rugged but softly and distinctively handsome. Almost a beautiful roguishness about him, nothing like the men who tried to win me over back home. Everything about him was different.