Carmilla ⌖ Pietro Maximoff

Settle

Carmilla's POV

Carmilla didn't have the right to be angry with anyone but herself. She had the chance to escape and instead chose to use that precious time to take advantage of Stark technology. At least Pietro had bought the decoy hard drive. The second one meanwhile pressed against her sternum beneath her top. But the little victory did little to ease her discomfort.

She remained silent as she mulled over ways to justify her choice. Getting a glimpse of that lab could give her the upper hand over Stark. Give her intel to hand over to her father when she finally got out of there.

But what would she tell him? Tony Stark, the man known for his iron suit was making more? How could that be of any use to them? She pictured her father's disappointment at her findings. His lip would curl slightly in dissatisfaction, his eyes would roll in annoyance.

He wouldn't be happy she was back, he would see her as a ticking bomb. She'd have to give him a reason to want her back and giving him obvious information wasn't going to be it.

If she were to do this, she'd have to gain the Avenger's trust. No more running, no more silence. She'd earn their respect and make them give her what she wanted.

They finally stopped before her door. Pietro's hands rough, one on her shoulder, the other holding her wrists behind her back. Taking the one off her shoulder, he opened the door, letting it swing inward.

"You're staying in here until the rest of the team gets back." Nudging her inside, Pietro waited at the threshold as Carmilla turned back to face him.

"And when will that be?"

"When they finish their mission." He crossed his arms over his chest, masking whatever he was feeling behind a false show of confidence. She would play to that.

Carmilla nodded. "While I wait, am I able to change out of this uniform I've been stuck in?"

His eyes dipped over her figure in recognition, as if just realizing the disheveled state of her. He sighed raking a hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah" he gestured vaguely. "I'll find something." He looked tired, beaten down.

Carmilla had half the mind to feel bad for him but her frustration for the man far outweighed any sympathy she might've held for him. She nodded again.

"The bathroom's fully stocked with towels and all that. I know you destroyed the mirror but the shower should work fine."

A tinge of embarrassment rose to her cheeks. She only nodded thinking about how awful she must look for him to suggest it.

He sighed as he reached in to grab the handle, and without another word he shut and locked the door between them.

Carmilla made quick work of checking the bathroom for cameras and hiding the hard drive beneath a stack of wash cloths before stripping and stepping into the steaming shower. She sighed in contentment as the warmth seeped into her weary bones and washed away the days old grime.

As if the experience couldn't have gotten any more surprising, she found shampoo and conditioner perfectly suited for her curly hair. If she closed her eyes and focused hard enough, she could almost convince herself she was back home and that none of this had happened. Almost.

Each time she tried to imagine home, it always brought her back to Nathan and Father. Their disappointed glares and their scheming. Even with intel on the Avengers, Carmilla couldn't help but feel that she'd never be back in their good graces, then again, she never really was.

Wrapping herself in one of the fluffy white towels, she peeked her head out of the bathroom. A neatly folded set of clothes sat on the carpet just before the doorway. A neon sticky note sat on top, with the most horrendous looking handwriting Carmilla had ever seen.