Trust Me, I Will Never Trust You.

Chapter 21

As soon as the team had arrived, Steve made a beeline for Xpel, who was sitting alone in her room.

Bucky had messaged him about what had happened earlier, explaining that Xpel had used her telepathy powers to show Bucky images of Hydra and that he had lost his temper at the girl.

Steve found her sitting alone in the room, staring blankly at the wall. When Steve approached her, she didn't even look up.

"Xpel, we need to talk," he said sternly.

She remained silent, refusing to acknowledge his presence.

"Xpel, I know what happened with Bucky," Steve continued. "Using your powers like that was a direct violation of your probation, let alone how dangerous it was. You could have seriously hurt Bucky or even yourself just by bypassing the power suppressor bracelet."

Steve sighed, running a hand through his short hair. 

"As punishment, I'm going to have you clean the gym. I don't feel taking this any further is necessary, as it's your first strike."

Xpel still didn't respond, but Steve could sense the anger simmering beneath the surface.

As they walked towards the gym, Steve tried to make small talk, but Xpel remained silent. He could tell that she was emotional, no matter how much she tried to keep her face blank, her eyes gave it away.

Steve watched Xpel briefly as she tidied away the weights and equipment scattered around the gym. Once everything was returned to its rightful place, he handed her a mop and a bucket filled with soapy water. He showed her how to wring out the mop properly and instructed her to start cleaning the gym floor, hoping the physical labour would help calm her down and clear her mind.

Xpel took a deep breath and began mopping, working methodically and with purpose. The sound of the water sloshing around the bucket mingled with the rhythmic swish of the mop, creating a soothing white noise that filled the empty gym.

"Where's Winter?" Xpel asked suddenly, stopping in her tracks to look up at Steve.

Steve hesitated for a moment before responding. "Bucky is at a meeting," he said, choosing his words carefully.

Xpel raised an eyebrow. "A meeting?"

Steve nodded. "Bucky has been going to see Dr Raynor to deal with his past. It's not easy for him, and he can be easily triggered by being reminded of his time at Hydra."

Xpel's expression hardened. "Is that what he said? That I manipulated him?"

Steve sighed. "He didn't use those words, Xpel. But he's struggling right now, and I don't want you to do anything that could make it worse. Showing him memories of Hydra, even if it was accidental, can really affect him."

Xpel tightly clenched her jaw and allowed the mop to drop to the floor. 

"You know what? You can mop your own damn floors," she snapped before storming out of the gym in a fit of anger.

Steve muttered "Language" under his breath as he watched her leave, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He knew there was something more to this argument between Bucky and Xpel. All he could do now was wait for her to calm down and hope that she would be willing to talk to him again.

• • •

Xpel stormed through the Avengers tower, looking for a place to hide. 

She found herself in front of a large door. She hesitated for a moment before pushing it open, revealing a spacious library room filled with rows of books and comfortable seating. The smell of old books filled the air, and Xpel found it to be a comforting scent.

As she looked around the room, Loki appeared behind her with a smirk on his face.

"Well, well, well. What brings you to my humble abode, Xpel?" he said teasingly, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

Xpel turned around, her expression icy and her demeanour guarded.

Loki chuckled. "Ah, yes, I can see that you're in a rather foul mood."

Xpel didn't respond, instead choosing to walk to the other side of the room, narrowing her eyes at the man.

"I always thought you had a fiery spirit, Xpel. But now, you seem as cold as ice," Loki said, still smirking.

Xpel didn't respond, keeping her back to him as she continued to scan the book titles. But Loki was persistent.

Loki followed her, still smirking. "So, what brings you to my little hideaway? Did the Avengers finally push you over the edge?"

Xpel shot him a glare, but Loki only seemed to find it amusing. "Relax, I'm only teasing," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm curious, though, what's got you so worked up?"

Xpel's jaw tensed, but she still didn't turn around to face him. "That's none of your business, Loki."

There was a pause.

Xpel hesitated momentarily, taking a deep breath before blurting: "I violated my probation by using my powers, and Steve made me clean the gym as punishment, Bucky and I had a fight. I showed him memories of Hydra, and he lost his temper. Steve is upset with me, and Winter won't even come near me."

Loki chuckled again, shaking his head. "I'm surprised you know so many words, little one," he said, hiding his surprise at Xpel's little outburst with a sly smirk.

Xpel rolled her eyes with a sigh, turning away from him again, picking up a book and pretending to read it. But she couldn't concentrate, not with Loki's presence so close to her.

After a few moments of silence, Xpel finally spoke up. "Loki, I'm sorry for showing invading your mind," she said, her tone still cold but with a hint of sincerity as she remembered her first interaction with the man.

Loki raised an eyebrow, looking at her for a moment before responding. "Apology accepted, Xpel. But don't let it happen again," he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Xpel nodded, and the two of them fell into an uneasy silence once again, both lost in their own thoughts.

Hopefully this chapter is to the same standard - I'm super ill with the flu atm :((

Thank you for all the continued support btw 

Love you guys xx