INNER DEMONS ▹ B. BARNES [slow updates]

one.

Lorna chilled on the rooftop with a small smile still playing on her lips after finishing her call with Morgan. Her goddaughter was clever like her father but level-headed like her mother, inheriting the best traits of her parents.

Lorna always had a great time chatting with the little girl, especially because she was one of the reasons why Lorna was still around.

Tony wouldn't forgive her if she left his daughter without her Fairy Godmother. That's why she made sure to visit her and Pepper at least once a month and have weekly video calls. Her talks with Pepper helped both women heal from their loss.

Lorna pressed "play" on her phone, resuming the audiobook she had started that morning. It's been her only hobby for the last few months, and it was more practical and affordable than buying books. There was no room in her small apartment, with one bedroom only and two people living there.

Curiously enough, neither of them used the bed.

James slept on a blanket on the floor in front of the tv. He wasn't used to the comfort of a mattress, and the tv was a poor attempt to push the nightmares away. Lorna would sing some Russian lullaby when she happend to catch him in the middle of a night terror. She found out it helped him sleep better.

Her, though, felt better on the rooftop, where she could feel the breeze on her face and be alert to any suspicious sound. She didn't enjoy the feeling of confinement, and didn't feel safe even after Thanos' defeat. As long as the human race lived, violence would prevail.

None of them slept well at night, that was a fact, but they still managed a peaceful coexistence by not interacting altogether. The brunette man rarely saw her, as she only returned to their apartment to shower and change clothes. And none attempted to get to know the other better.

Dr. Reynor, James' therapist, a middle-aged woman with stern eyes, told him countless times to make an effort to approach her, to talk about what they've gone through. She believed they could become each other's emotional support.

He always said he'd try, but both knew those were empty promises. The former soldier didn't know how to connect with people other than Steve. He was an over hundred-year-old man who looked like still in his mid-thirties. He definitely didn't feel like he belonged.

"So, Mr. Barnes, are you still having nightmares?" The doctor asked. His mind recalled the events of his past as the Winter Soldier, which prevented him from answering. "James, I asked you a question. Are you still having nightmares?"

"No." His voice was monotonous.

"We've been doing this long enough that I can tell when you're lying," she countered. "Well, you seem a little off today. Did something happen recently?"

"No." The ice-eyed man maintained his lack of enthusiasm.

Dr. Reynor suppressed an exasperated sigh.

"You're a civilian now. With your history, the government needs to know that you're not gonna..." She motioned with her fist. "It's a condition of your pardon. So, tell me about your most recent nightmare."