The Seventh Avenger - (Marvel x OC)

CH 2.23 The Unexpected

Andrew shot up in bed in a cold sweat. He panted and desperately tried to control his breathing as he placed a hand over his heart to feel how fast it was beating.

"It...wasn't real" Andrew told himself out loud.

He looked over at his other hand...he swore he felt the weight of the gun still in his hand. He carefully touched the side of his head where he'd pressed the gun against it.

"Why would I do that?" Andrew asked no one as a tear trickled down his cheek. "I couldn't do that to...anyone."

Andrew threw the covers off and almost stumbled to the bathroom. His mind raced as he walked. That was the worst nightmare he'd ever had, it was so real. He could never imagine doing that to the people in his life. Was that really what he wanted?

Andrew gripped the sink to steady himself through sudden dizziness.

"What is wrong right now?" He muttered to himself.

His body answered by forcing him to keel over and throw up into the toilet...

Fifteen minutes later, Andrew sat on the bathroom floor with his head resting on his knees. He was exhausted, defeated, depressed, more stressed and anxious than he'd been since the war, and it felt like he was glued to the floor.

He took a long deep breath and peeled himself off the ground. He walked to the bed through body tremors and sat on the edge. Andrew grabbed his shield communicator off his bedside table and flipped it in his hands.

The only person he wanted to see more than Peggy right now was Carol...one call and Peggy would be there in a matter of hours. Peggy would know exactly what to do...she always did. She wouldn't mind...he knew she wouldn't.

Andrew started typing out a message, paused, and deleted it.

This would pass...he'd figure it out...no use in bothering Peggy.

Andrew rolled onto his back after setting the communicator back in its place.

He stared up at the ceiling for...too long.

Andrew sighed heavily and held in tears as flashes of his happiest moments with Carol swirled in his head.

He needed rest. He needed sleep...peaceful sleep. But his current situation wouldn't work and he knew it.

Andrew leaned up, scooched Carol's old pillow to the edge of his, and laid down with his head facing Carol's side of the bed for the first time since she left.

Unexplainably, Andrew felt his body involuntarily relax. Maybe Carol's perfume had tricked his body into thinking she was near or being closer to Carol's side felt more natural...whatever the answer was...Andrew fell asleep in a matter of minutes...

Andrew's eyes shot open as he woke up with a sharp inhale. He rubbed his eyes and sat up.

It wasn't great sleep, he'd still seen flashes of his nightmare. Monica, Peggy and Carol's deaths...the gun in his hand.

Andrew yawned and stretched. He didn't want to eat but he knew he needed to. The last thing he wanted was Hayley calling Peggy again.

He rolled out of bed and walked to the kitchen as he tried his best to forget the nightmares.

Andrew snagged a Pop-Tart out of the cabinet and plopped it in the toaster. He leaned against the counter and waited.

Suddenly, gunshots went off in his house. Andrew jumped back and fell to the floor. His heart was beating out of his chest, he couldn't control his breathing no matter how hard he tried, and he despite his best efforts...he couldn't move.