real life | never alone

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jordan sat beside her, his hand gripping hers tightly, not wanting to let go. he hadn't left her side since last night. every time he thought about sleep, his mind would spiral back to hydra's clutches, to the way they'd torn at her, mentally and physically, while he could only watch. it tormented him.

"i'm right here, tia." jordan whispered, his voice soft and filled with quiet desperation. "you're safe. we're safe now."

she shifted slightly, a soft groan escaping her lips. jordan's heart skipped a beat as he leaned forward, his fingers brushing her hair back from her forehead.

"tia? can you hear me?" he asked gently, his voice barely above a murmur.

her eyelids fluttered, a faint tremor running through her body. her lips parted, but no words came. she seemed caught between dreams and the waking world, her expression twisted in a mixture of fear and confusion.

"it's okay, tia." jordan whispered again, pressing her hand to his cheek. "you're safe."

there was a pause, then a barely audible murmur. "they... they won't stop... they... want me... gone..."

jordan's heart tightened, his grip on her hand tightening in response. "no," he breathed out, his voice thick. "they can't hurt you anymore."

he watched her closely, the flicker of distress in her features unsettling him. she was trapped in some nightmare, still reliving parts of what had happened to her. he couldn't protect her from it. jordan pressed the button next to his chair, alerting whoever was outside that he might need some help.

the door to the medbay opened quietly, and bruce stepped inside, his face still drawn with exhaustion. he had been overseeing their recovery and making sure everything went smoothly. his presence was a comfort, even if it didn't always feel that way to jordan.

"how's she doing? is everything okay?" bruce asked softly, his eyes flicking to his young soulmate's form.

"she's... she's not fully awake yet," jordan replied, his voice low. "but... i think she's trying to fight it. i just wish she wasn't going through this alone."

bruce nodded, his eyes filled with sympathy and worry. "she's not alone, jordan. you're here. and she's going to get through this. you both are."

jordan nodded, though he didn't feel the strength of those words. he'd seen what hydra was capable of. what they'd done to his big sister. what they'd almost done to their cartia.

there was a long pause. bruce watched him for a moment before stepping closer to the bed. "she's strong. just like you."

jordan barely reacted, his attention fixed entirely on cartia.

a few hours later, cartia stirred again - and this time, her eyes opened fully. groggy, slow, unsure. jordan jolted upright, immediately gripping her hand tighter, if possible.

"tia?" he said, just above a whisper. "cartia?"

she blinked slowly. her throat worked, dry and unused. "you're... here."

jordan swallowed hard. "always."

her eyes wandered the room, heart monitor beeping softly behind her. then, her gaze settled back on him. "we made it out?"

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