Chaotic Lovers

Steve's POV

I wake from a restless, nightmarish sleep to a scream. It's a feminine scream. I sit upright. I hear a door open and I open mine as well. I see Nat in the hallway. I look at her.

"Wanda." We say in unison.

"Get Clint." I tell her. He'd want to see what's wrong. She nods and goes to open his door, but it opens from the inside.

"Is it Wanda?" He asks.

"Yes." I say just, as she lets out another scream. We run to her room and open the door. She is lying in her bed still asleep.

"She must be having a nightmare." Clint says. "She had them at the Raft a few times. She never screamed though."

I kneel next to her. She is trembling violently.

"Wanda. It's just a dream. Wake up." She lets out another scream, this one of agony.

"Wanda please!" I beg. "Wake up!" I

It hurts to see her like this. Clint is on her other side gently shaking her.

She lets out one last scream and startles awake. I quickly step back as she sits up. She punches Clint in the stomach out of reflex. He grunts in pain and steps back groaning a little. She is only half awake. I am being lifted up in a red swirl. I don't bother to struggle, knowing it wouldn't work.

"Wanda! It's me. It's Steve." She blinks.

"Steve?" She sets me down and Nat turns on the lights. Wanda looks around dazed, and then a look of horror passes over her face.

"Oh no. What have I done?"

"It's fine kid. I wouldn't be an Avenger if I couldn't take a punch." Clint reassures her.

"Why are you guys in my room?" She asks still confused.

"You were screaming." Nat says.

"I'm sorry I woke you guys up." A guilty look passes her face. My compassion for her swells as a small tear traces down her cheek.

"Wanda," I sit next to her, "We all have nightmares. If anyone is an expert on nightmares, it's us. No need to feel guilty."

"I thought I was the mind reader." She lets out a weak laugh. After a minutes he tells us,

"I'm good now guys." Nat gives her a hug and whispers something in her ear, Clint holds her for a minute and she lets out a little whimper. When he lets go, it's just me left in here.

"Wanda, am I allowed to ask what your nightmare was?" She nods.

"I guess, if you want to know." I nod, so she begins.

"It was my most painful memories. The first one was when my parents died. The next one was Pietro and I in a bomb shelter during a bombing of Sokovia. The one after that was my exposure to the Mind Stone. Then I was watching the earth explode over and over again. Then..." She stops and lets out a sob.

"You don't have to continue." I say tenderly. She wipes her tears and shakes her head.

"No, I can do this. I relived Piet... Pietro's death." She pauses to compose herself. She bites her lip and hesitates a second before continuing,

"After that it was Lagos. Then some of the time from when we were the Raft." I wince a little at that comment, knowing it was my fault she was there.

"That's when I woke up." I sit there thinking about my own nightmares and the effect that they've had on me.

"Wanda, are you okay?" I ask.