SANCTUARY ➸ marvel au

xxxiv.

★彡[ ᴍᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ʙᴏɴᴅꜱ ]彡★

Isabelle slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the soft light of the room. It took a moment for her surroundings to register. The first thing she noticed was the soft, sterile scent of a hospital room, something she was really familiar with. 

Her mind groggily registered the steady beeping of a heart monitor, and she realised she was lying in a comfortable bed. Panic momentarily gripped her as the memories of her being kidnapped flooded back into her mind.

As she tried to sit up, a hand gently pressed her back down, and a soft voice whispered, "Hey, easy there, Izzy. Take it slow."

Isabelle turned her head and found herself looking into the worried eyes of Kate Bishop. 

Beside Kate, Peter and Yelena were also present, a mix of concern and happiness etched on their faces. The three had been by her side for the past three days she had been unconscious, watching over her as she slowly healed.

"I'm glad you're finally awake," Peter said with a relieved smile. "We were so worried about you."

Kate nodded. "Yeah, we thought we lost you back there."

Yelena, who was usually stoic and aloof, couldn't also hide the concern in her eyes. 

"Don't ever scare us like that again, okay?" She said in her straightforward manner while Isabelle managed a weak smile. 

"I promise to do my best," she replied, her voice raspy from disuse while their expressions softened even further, scooting closer to her. Isabelle could see the genuine concern in their eyes, and it warmed her heart.

She shuffled back in her bed into a sitting position, letting out a hiss as a jolt of pain surged through her injured leg. The three were instantly by her side, like she was a fragile piece of glass that would break at any moment.

Yelena quickly adjusted the pillows, helping her find a more comfortable position. "Take it easy, Isabelle. You're still healing."

They sat in a companionable silence for a moment, and then Isabelle couldn't help but chuckle weakly. "I never thought I'd be on the receiving end of your fussing. It's usually the other way around."

Peter smiled, his hand placed warmly on Isabelle's leg over her blanket as he sat at the edge of her bed. "Well, now it's our turn to take care of you."

"I really wanted to kill you guys for getting me involved in your messes," Isabelle stated. "But you're lucky I love you three."

The three couldn't help but share a smirk. "You love us?"

Isabelle blinked. "Did I say that? Sorry. What I meant was you three are idiots. Reckless idiots that I unfortunately tolerate."

Peter and Kate couldn't help but chuckle while Yelena cracked a smile.

"You know, I didn't think you guys would come to save me," Isabelle said quietly, playing with her fingers nervously. "After everything that happened between us before ... well, you know."

The three shared a look before Kate reached out and squeezed her hand. "We're not the type to ever abandon our friends, especially you."

Peter had an apologetic expression. "We're really sorry, Isabelle. We didn't realise how hard it was for you."

"You have no idea how hard it was to deal with your messes on our own," Kate admitted with a smile.

Isabelle chuckled weakly. "I can only imagine."

"Isabelle," Yelena began, her voice sincere, "we really are sorry for not understanding your perspective before. We know it must have been tough for you."

"And I'm sorry for pushing you all away," Isabelle told the three. "I shouldn't have ended our friendship like that. And that was my fault. I was really overwhelmed, and I hated how it made me feel. I just ... I don't know how to say it. I've just always been terrible with this kind of thing and-"

"We get it, Izzy," Kate cut her rambling off.

"You do?"

They three nodded. "Yeah, we do. We really do. Just don't try to push us away from you. You're stuck with us now, for better or the worse."

"Probably worse," Yelena supplied.

Isabelle smiled. "I already knew that the night I met you guys."

They shared a moment of understanding, the unspoken apology accepted and forgiven.

Isabelle's lips curled into a small smile. "Okay, maybe I don't want to kill you, but don't expect me to start calling you 'the best friends ever' anytime soon. You guys are still reckless idiots."

The three Avengers beamed at her. "But we're your reckless idiots."

Isabelle chuckled. "That you most definitely are."

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

"What happened with Hal though? Did you guys catch him?" Isabelle couldn't help but ask.

Peter, Kate, and Yelena exchanged glances once again, but this time they shared a silent agreement. 

Peter finally spoke. "We'll tell you everything, Izzy, but right now, our priority is you getting better. We don't want to stress you out."

Isabelle nodded, touched by their concern. "Thank you, guys."

"Always."