Trust Me, I Will Never Trust You.

Chapter 15

The following day, Clint was the first one up for training. He quietly walked through the tower, careful not to wake anyone up. As he approached Xpel's room, he prepared himself for having to wake her up.

However, when he opened the door, he was surprised to find Xpel already awake and sitting on her bed, wearing some athletic clothes.

"Good morning, Xpel," Clint said, trying to hide his surprise. "Did you sleep well?"

Xpel hesitated momentarily before nodding her head. "Yes," she lied.

Clint could tell she was lying, but he didn't press the matter. He knew that Xpel had a lot of issues to work through, and he didn't want to make things any more difficult for her.

"Alright then, let's get to training," he said, motioning for her to follow him.

The two of them made their way to the gym, where Clint began to lead Xpel through a series of drills and exercises. Xpel was a quick learner, and she was able to keep up with Clint's pace.

As they trained, Clint couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Xpel. He knew that she had a lot of trauma from Hydra that she was dealing with, but she could still push through and focus on her training.

After an hour and a half of intense training, Clint called it, and the two started clearing away the equipment.

"You've done great this morning," Clint said, offering her a small smile. "I'm impressed with your grit, kid."

Xpel's face softened at the compliment, and for a moment, Clint saw a glimpse of the person she could be without the weight of her past.

Xpel looked up at him, her expression unreadable. "Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Leaving the gym, Xpel made her way up to the main kitchen in need of a drink. As she entered the kitchen, she turned on the tap and immediately cupped her hands under the stream, drinking greedily, feeling tired from the morning's session.

As she drank, she felt a presence next to her and turned to see Bucky standing there, holding a glass, looking unimpressed at her animalistic ways.

"Thank you, Winter," Xpel muttered, embarrassed, as she wiped the water from around her mouth.

Bucky's face twisted in annoyance at the Hydra reference.

"Don't call me that," he growled, putting the glass down instead of handing it to her. Xpel rolled her eyes in response at the back of his head. He always was winter to her, she thought.

As Xpel finished her glass of water, Steve walked into the kitchen, his bright smile lighting up the room.

"Hey, Xpel, how's it going?" he asked, walking up to her. "You hungry? Want something to eat before your therapy session?"

Xpel shook her head as she drank from the glass Bucky had given her with both hands.

"Alright, well, if you change your mind, let me know," Steve replied with a concerned look.

"Hey, Buck," Steve said, noticing him sitting at the island. "Can you take Xpel to the room where her therapy session will be? I have a meeting I need to get to."

"Fine," Bucky grumbled.

"Thanks, I owe you one." Steve replied before racing out.

Bucky let out a deep sigh, his face clearly showing his displeasure. Without saying a word, he gestured for Xpel to follow him and walked towards the elevator. Xpel felt a sense of unease as she followed him, unsure of what to say.

As they walked, Bucky didn't say a word, and Xpel couldn't shake off the tension in the air. Could he really not remember her?

When they arrived at the therapy room, Bucky didn't even look at her as he opened the door for her. Xpel felt hurt by his cold behaviour but tried not to let it show as she kept her face blank.

"Ah, James. I missed you at last week's session," the therapist said, turning to Bucky.

"Uh, sorry, Doc. I got caught up with things," Bucky replied with a small sigh before turning and leaving without saying a word to Xpel.

"You must be Xpel," the therapist said, turning to face her.

Xpel nodded, feeling a little uneasy as she took in every detail of the room, a habit she had formed during her time at Hydra.

Xpel sat down, her posture rigid and her expression blank. Dr Raynor could sense Xpel's discomfort and decided to approach her gently. "So, how are you adjusting to life at the tower?" she asked, hoping to break the ice.

Xpel shrugged slightly, keeping her face devoid of all emotions. Dr Raynor understood that Xpel was resistant to opening up, so she took a different approach. "Why don't we start with something simple? Tell me about your day. What did you do before you came here?"

"I trained with Clint this morning, and then I went to get some water," Xpel replied.

Dr Raynor nodded, trying to keep the conversation flowing. "How did that go?" she asked, hoping to elicit a response from Xpel.

Xpel didn't say anything, but her body language spoke volumes. She was closed off, and it was clear that she didn't want to talk about it. Dr Raynor noticed this and decided to address it. "Xpel, I can sense that you're feeling uncomfortable. Is there a reason why?"

There was a long pause as silence filled the air. Xpel shifted uncomfortably in her seat before finally speaking up. "I guess... I'm just not used to... talking," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dr Raynor looked up expectantly, encouraging Xpel to continue.

"Uh, Hydra... they didn't allow it," Xpel added, her voice barely audible.

Dr Raynor nodded, understanding the weight of Xpel's words. "I see," she said softly, giving Xpel a moment to collect herself. "It's perfectly normal to feel uncomfortable talking when your voice has been kept from you for a long time. But remember, you're in a safe space now. Everything we discuss here is confidential, and I'm here to help you."

Xpel seemed to relax a little at Dr Raynor's words. "Okay," she said, her voice a little stronger.

Dr Raynor smiled, sensing a breakthrough. "That's all I can ask for. Take your time; whenever you're ready, we can start again."

Go check out the new Characters page call hydra file. Idk why but I kinda love it even if its a bit gimmicky.