Trust Me, I Will Never Trust You.

Chapter 19

Xpel had been awake for days. Every time she closed her eyes, the memories of Hydra came rushing back to her. The fear and pain were palpable; no matter how much she tried to shake them off, they wouldn't let her be. So instead, she took to sitting on the end of her bed, staring into the darkness every night.

As she walked into the kitchen in the morning, Bruce greeted her with a worried expression. "Xpel, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Xpel nodded, wondering what Bruce wanted to say. He led her to a corner of the kitchen where they were alone and spoke in a hushed voice, "Jarvis informed me that you haven't been sleeping."

Xpel's eyes widened in surprise. She had thought she was hiding her lack of sleep pretty well, but she realised that the team had been keeping a closer eye on her than she had thought.

"I want you to take this tablet and go lie down on the couch. You need to rest, Xpel." He continued, his voice gentle, but Xpel could tell he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"What if..." Xpel began to ask, barely above a whisper.

"This medication will allow your mind to sleep too. But I'll keep an eye on you, and if there are any signs of you having a nightmare, I'll wake you up," he interrupted.

Xpel looked at Bruce with gratitude. The tone of his voice was enough to tell her he could be trusted. So, she took the sleeping medication and made her way to the couch in the common area, sitting down with a sigh.

As the medication took effect, Xpel felt herself slipping into a deep, restful sleep. The tension in her body slowly dissipated, and the fear and memories faded away.

A while later, the team walked through the common area, making their way to the kitchen for a team meeting.

Clint was the first to notice Xpel curled up, sleeping on the couch, as she hugged a cushion in her arms. "Looks like someone's finally got some rest," he whispered to the others.

They all smiled at Xpel, relieved to see her finally getting the rest she needed. Bucky stood by the couch, looking down at Xpel with a soft expression.

"She's been through a lot," he said quietly, his voice filled with empathy.

Loki, who had been standing by the window, turned his gaze towards Xpel. "For a mortal trickster, she looks adorable... almost," he remarked, surprising everyone with his unexpected observation; revealing his soft spot for her despite his front.

Natasha gave him a sideways glance but then turned her attention back to Xpel. "She does look peaceful," she said softly.

Bruce, who had been monitoring Xpel's sleeping patterns, nodded in agreement. "It's good to see her finally getting some rest. She's been struggling with flashbacks and nightmares the past few nights."

As soon as Bruce mentioned that Xpel was having nightmares, Bucky's face contorted with concern. "Do you know what about?" he asked anxiously.

Bruce shook his head. "I'm not sure. It could be anything to do with her time at Hydra."

Bucky's jaw clenched as he remembered his own experiences with nightmares and flashbacks. He knew how hard it was to escape the memories of his past.

"I hope I'm not part of those nightmares," he muttered under his breath.

"Well, she's getting some much-needed rest now. Maybe we should let her sleep." Steve suggested, knowing his best friend would blame himself no matter what.

The others nodded in agreement, and one by one, they quietly left the room, leaving Xpel to her dreams.

• • •

The team gathered in the kitchen, sipping their morning coffee and discussing their plans for the night. Steve leaned against the counter and cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Alright, team. Our next mission is tomorrow night. We need to be fully prepared," he said, looking around at each of them.

Clint nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "What's the target?"

"There's a criminal gang operating in the city, and we have reason to believe they have some advanced weaponry."

The team exchanged glances, already starting to plan out their tactics.

"Bucky," Steve continued, "I need you to stay behind and keep an eye on Xpel. I think it's too early to leave her on her own."

Bucky frowned. "What babysit her?"

He didn't want to be stuck babysitting Xpel, especially not when the rest of the team was out on a mission.

Natasha, who had been standing next to him, elbowed him in the side. "Come on, Barnes, you promised you'd try to do better by her."

Bucky grunted in response, still looking displeased, but he knew Natasha was right. He had promised to look out for Xpel, and he wasn't about to break that promise.

"Alright, I'll stay," he finally relented.

"Good," Steve said, nodding at him. "The rest of us will head out tomorrow at 9 pm. Let's meet in the hangar at 8:30 to gear up."

The team nodded, already starting to make plans and discuss tactics.

Sorry bit of a filler chapter to set up the next few ones x