He shot up from his bed, covered in sweat with his hair in a tangled mess. His mind tormenting itself with the images of his dying brother. His dying mother and father. Even of his saying sister.
Unable to even take comfort in waking up in his own home, in Asgard. Instead his eyes were darting around the vaguely familiar room that had been assigned as his at the Avengers compound.
He took a deep breath, pulling a hand over his face. Trying to push those devastating memories from his mind. After a deep, shaky breath he threw the twisted sheets from his body and stood from the bed.
A walk. He needs to take a walk. He wasn't sure where he was going as he left his room, but he needed to get away from that room. Away from the nightmares. He went from hall to hall. Into the kitchen and the living room. Finally he walked outside, only to be distracted by a soft hum from around the corner.
He followed the noise until he reached the grass, seeing a girl laying in the grass. She stared at the stars with her arm stretched above her, as if she could touch the stars with her fingertips.
He recognized her as a new addition to the team. A dream bender is what she had been introduced as.
"Having trouble sleeping?" She asked, turning her head to make eye contact with him. The smile she gave him was soft, understanding.
"What brings you out here? It's rather cold tonight." He said, avoiding her question. He sat beside her in the grass, prompting her to sit up beside him. Carefully he lifted his hand, pulling loose pieces of grass from her hair.
"I missed the stars." She hummed, looking up towards the sky. "They aren't very visible here, but I can see them enough I guess."
He nodded, looking with her into the sky. A comforting silence fell between the two, chills skating across their skin as a breeze blew through.
"They told me you are a dream bender?" He asked carefully, as if he were afraid she'd know why he asked.
"I am." She answered, offering no more information on the topic.
"Can you tell me how that works?" His words were quiet. So quiet one might think he would be the only one who heard them. But she was waiting and she was listening. Waiting and listening for that question.
"Well, there's a few different ways it can be handled. It depends what kind of help is needed." She began to explain, "For example, for a person who is battling nightmares, I could lull them into a deep sleep and influence them to have peaceful dreams. Or, I could wait for them to fall asleep and monitor their dreams."
"What do you mean monitor?"
"Basically I would lurk around the person's subconscious and try to find what triggers their nightmares."
He processed her words, brushing off the nightmare example as a happy coincidence. Would it be weird to ask for her help?
He looked over to her, debating if he should ask for help. As he looked into her eyes he could've sworn he saw galaxies in her pupils.
"Do you think you could help me?"
His chest tightened at the wide smile that pulled across her lips. She stood from the ground, tugging on his hands so that he would do the same.
She rambled about good sleep habits as he led her towards his room. He had subconsciously grabbed onto her hand, his fingers delicately tracing her knuckles.
Upon finally reaching his room he shuffled awkwardly on his feet, unable to meet her gaze.
"Whenever you're ready, you can crawl into bed and I'll lull you into a peaceful sleep." She whispered, causing the tension to slowly disappear from the room.
"What if they come back when you leave?" He stuttered out.
"Then I won't leave." She smiled. "I'll stay right here."
With a quick nod, he climbed into bed. He placed his head softly onto the pillow. He watched her carefully as she moved next to the bed and settled herself onto the floor. She perched on her knees, eyes perfectly in line with his. The galaxies hypnotized him.
"Just close your eyes. Before you know it you'll be asleep." She said while placing her hand gently on his temple.
He slowed his breathing before finally giving in and closing his eyes.
His body became light as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
.
.
.
.
His eyes fluttered open. He hadn't felt this well rested in what felt like years. The sun glared into his eyes making him turn his head away from the window.
His breath caught at the sight of her. There she slept on the floor her chin resting on top of her arms on the mattress.
She didn't leave.
Gently, he tapped a finger to the tip of her nose, smiling as she scrunched it in response. Slowly, she woke from her sleep.
It took her a moment to remember where she was, but as soon as she saw him a smile grew on her lips.
"How did you sleep?" She asked cheerfully, stretching with a yawn.
"The best I ever had." He confessed. "Thank you so much."
"It was nothing." She brushed off.
"It was something to me." He said.
She blushed at his attention.
"How can I ever repay you?"
"Let's start with coffee."
They shared a soft smile with each other, both hoping for this to grow into something more.
