Siberia | S. Rogers

twenty-seven

.27 | Together

{ This chapter is over 7k words...so brace yourself for a bit of a longer chapter. Wanted to make it extra long since you all have waited FOREVER for the next chapter to come out! <3 }

Merida had lost track of time within the prison of a panic attack.

She had forgotten to breathe the entire way back up to Steve's floor, where she and Ansem quickly ran through the halls and into the private room where she had been staying since first arriving at the tower.

Forgetting to breathe turned into hyperventilating and hyperventilating ended up buckling her knees where she dropped to the floor of her room. She cradled her head between her legs, wrapping her lithe arms around her knees as Ansem rubbed his face against her side gently.

Wisps of brown hair fell over her, fanning out around.

Her throat constricted.

She felt so small.

By the time she started to regain some semblance of control of her breath, there were no more tears left to fall.

At some point, she had made it to the bed where she flopped over on her back.

She had no idea how long she had been sprawled out on her bed in her room with Ansem.

It could have been minutes, hours...even days for all she knew. Time ceased to exist as her mind raced with the thought of being, somehow, linked to Steve in a bond that transcended anything she knew about magic and powers.

Francesca came to see her a long while later. Her slender and feminine form slinking into the room quietly as Merida lay there wordless and cocooned in her anxiety. Francesca had slipped her shoes off and crawled on the bed. She scooted further up than Merida at an angle where she could prop her right elbow up on the bed and her left hand gently ran through Merida's hair.

It was a motherly notion that brought another wave of nostalgia through her. She subtly inhaled the calming scent of honeysuckle and lavender that was Francesca. She must have used a new shampoo while she was here at the tower.

"I'm here for as long as you need," Francesca softly murmured as continued to run her fingers through her hair. "You didn't do anything wrong, Merida...you didn't.." Her words were gentle, but it didn't take away from the inexplicable amount of guilt she felt.

How could she have done such a thing to all people? To Steve!?

It felt as if she had barged her way into his life and had caused nothing but trouble since the get-go. It would have been easier for the star-spangled here to have left her there at the circus, left her, and turned to the other cheek once she was locked up again for being an Alpha-level mutant.

"Was I wrong to have followed him that night at the circus?" Merida looked up at Francesca, seeing her soft smile eased the beast within.

Francesca was such a beguiling woman. Her features were striking, her jawline carefully curved and her eyes were this mysterious and sultry blue. Sometimes they were so dark they looked a different shade. Her aura was radiant and powerful, billowing around her with a confident air.