OUR LIFETIME « Pietro Maximoff

8 /| life-saver

[chapter eight]

SAVANNAH GASPED, her eyes shooting open. She didn't know where she was or remember what had put her in a hospital. Helen Cho stood over her, a pair of defibrillator paddles in her hands. "We have a pulse," the woman said in Korean. Another yelled, "She's awake."

But she wouldn't be for long. Savannah grabbed Helen's wrist. "Pietro," she choked out. She finally remembered what she'd done. Helen promptly ignored her, and Savannah's eyes shut as she was enveloped by another bout of darkness. The next few weeks of her life consisted of vague glimpses of the time when she wasn't asleep. She remembered faces above all else. All the Avengers had come to see her, except for Bruce. Even Wanda had come once, repeatedly muttering thank you's to the barely conscious girl. Her sister was a constant though. She was always there.

Savannah remembered moving from her room and finding herself in a new setting. It was the new Avengers compound, Tony had told her.

She was in and out a lot those days. Never once did she actually hear anything about Pietro. She assumed it was good since Wanda had thanked her so much. Yet, no one told her anything. When Savannah had gotten more coherent and was able to hold a conversation for more than five minutes, she spoke with Clint first.

He'd told her of his plans to retire. She was surprised, but saddened above all else, despite understanding.

They talked for a long time.

The conversation ranged from how he felt about his retirement, to how his tiny, clear hearing aids worked, and what his plans for Coop's birthday were.

Next she spoke to her sister, Athena, who'd been disappointed that she wasn't the first to speak to her. Savannah was surprised to hear that Athena had been on a walk with Cap around the compound.

When she'd finally heard something about Pietro it had been almost two months since the fall of Sokovia. She'd missed all the backlash and the constant news coverage but that didn't mean she didn't know what the effects were. It was saddening to hear of all the death and the destruction they'd help caused. She didn't blame Tony or Bruce, even though she had at first, even though Ultron had been their creation. They'd intended to help the world, not hurt it. This outcome couldn't have been foreseen.

Pietro had, in fact survived. She'd helped save him, and he'd saved Clint. Savannah didn't play a hand in his recovery or making sure he stayed alive, Dr. Cho was to thank for that. They'd both spent three weeks in South Korea. He'd been in Cho's cradle for a long time and had been in surgery for a while too.

She didn't believe that she'd cheated his death, because if he was meant to die, she wouldn't have been there in the first place. At least that's what she told herself when she got a minute alone with her thoughts. Would she face repercussions for what she did? Maybe, but she had been willing to accept them in the moment and that hadn't changed despite the absence of the adrenaline. As long as she was the only one who had to suffer because of it, she'd be able to live with herself.

She had yet to see Pietro. When she was asleep, which was more often than not during those days, someone had her moved to her new room in the compound and out of the recovery ward. Therefore halting any chance she had of seeing him.

The room they put her in was bland and she didn't have any of the things from her old room at the tower. Maybe she'd go back, but in that moment she was stuck in bed. Doctors orders.

Athena had donated some energy to her, which had been given when Sav was in a vulnerable state and just touching her skin meant a transfer. That energy was enough to help her escape that state.

And escape her room.

When she finally did so successfully, she found that Pietro was asleep. Visibly he was fine. His five o'clock shadow had grown tremendously, his chest rose evenly, and he looked to be at peace. Through the grey t-shirt he wore she could see the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Now that she was in a calmer setting she could remember something Wanda had showed her. A bullet riddled Pietro that looked very similar to the one she'd seen in Sokovia, and maybe it was just a coincidence but it was admittedly a strange one.

As she turned away, a hand lightly touched hers. She almost jumped halfway out of her wheelchair, something she didn't feel she needed but Cho insisted she have. The doctor must've suspected Savannah would pull something like this.

"Stay," a hoarse voice whispered.

Her eyes darted down to Pietro's, his eyes impossibly blue and his dark roots more prominent than when she'd last seen him. "Pietro."

"You saved me," he said, a small smile playing on his tired face. "You risked your life for me, and I don't even know your last name."

"Martin. Savannah Martin."

"Thank you Savannah Martin." He took a sip from a water bottle at his bedside. "I was not ready."

"Yet, you didn't think twice about sacrificing yourself for Clint."

He smiled a small smile. "It seems that way doesn't it?"

"And it isn't?" Savannah questioned, tilting her head.

"I don't regret it, if that is what you're thinking," Pietro muttered. "A million thoughts ran through my mind in those few seconds, but only one kept coming out on top: he doesn't have to die, not when I can stop it."

She was thankful to him. "That was very selfless of you."

"Says someone who was also willing to sacrifice themselves in hope of saving another."

Savannah chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "That was a one time thing sir."

"I hope not,"  he said quietly. "You look amazing saving my life."

She forcefully blew a breath of air from her mouth, slightly amused. "And when I'm not?"

He smirked. "Absolutely angelic."

"Is this how you talk to all the girls?"

"Yes, but I mean it with you."

Savannah raised an eyebrow. "That's reassuring."

"As it was meant to be." There was a moment of silence. She felt him staring at her. "How can I repay—"

"You don't. I was just doing what felt right. No harm done. I'm fine." She gestured to herself, and physically it was true, she was fine. Aside from a lingering tiredness, she felt great. But the past month had changed her outlook on life drastically. Maybe she didn't deserve to be here, but regardless she was here. Saving Pietro had allowed her to be truly thankful for her powers for once.

Savannah was filled with questions, most of which she had no hope in finding answers to. Fear was almost foreign to her, but living in the dark scared her tremendously, so did the uncertainty and lack of predictability her life held, though she'd never admit it.

"Good to hear." He smiled. "Wanda practically thinks you hung the moon now. She hated you y'know? Said you were a parasite." Pietro's voice was humorous.

"You said I was a parasite."

He chuckled lightly, his eyes shining. "But I said it as a simple fact. She meant it as insult."

"Look, if I—"

"Ms. Martin," Friday, Tony's new AI called into the room, surprising both of them. "Dr. Cho is on the line for you, would you like me to tell her you are busy?"

"No," Savannah said quickly. "I have to take this," she told Pietro, immediately pushing her wheel chair backwards with an apologetic look.

"Its fine. We'll be seeing each other a lot from now on."

And with those words Savannah realized something she'd forgotten to ask him: if he was choosing stay with the Avengers, and it seemed as though he was. She had to admit, she was not totally unhappy with this.