Flower - Marvel Fanfiction

Twenty-Six

M A Y F L O W E R

Will's apartment was small and run down, and it didn't do well in calming Elena's nerves. It was the perfect place to be murdered, fitting perfectly inside a horror movie. The walls were cracking, and any sort of movement caused the roof to crumble. The floorboards creaked beneath her feet, and it wouldn't have taken much to unhinge the rickety doors.

Hanging out the door, Elena watched Will walk in as if nothing was wrong. He discarded his coat and fell back onto the patched up sofa. He yawned as he rubbed at his eyes. "You can have the room over there," he said, pointing at what seemed like the only nicely decorated room. "As I said, it used to be my sister's, but she—"

Will turned to look at her, pausing. Only then did he realize that Elena hadn't come inside. Sitting up, he blinked. "Why are you still out there?" he said, waving her inside. "Come in! Don't be shy!" 

Elena gulped and stepped inside. She didn't bother to close the door in case she needed a mistake, but Will stood to close it himself. Standing awkwardly, Elena rubbed her wrist. Crashing at a stranger's place wasn't something that she'd recommend. Especially if the stranger lived in such a dejected place.

Upon closer inspection, Elena could see that the apartment was cared for with the utmost effort. Dust was seldom despite how battered everything was, and no object was broken. It was just the apartment, failing with old age.

"If you need to shower, the bathroom is open," Will said, looking at her. "My sister left some clothes in her closet. They should fit you."

The thought of a shower sent Elena moving. She hadn't done so ever since she left Avengers Tower, and it was starting to get to her. Not only did she feel disgusting, she knew she was since spots of dirt had started forming on her arms and neck.

She nodded. "Thank you."

He smiled in response, and Elena entered into the room she had been given. There wasn't anything special in the closet, but then again, she wasn't looking for anything that looked good. Picking out a pair of black sweatpants and a gray t-shirt, she ducked into the bathroom and locked the doors.

She winced when she caught wind of herself in the mirror. She looked like complete crap. So much so that she wondered why Will had bothered initiating a conversation. She looked like a delinquent, and that wasn't too far off from who she actually was.

Her hair had puffed up, becoming bushy with the lack of bathing, and the bags under her eyes seemed to way down her whole body. It looked almost like eyeliner. And then there was the whole situation with her skin. In short, Elena needed a shower badly.

The warm water dribbled onto her face like a mother's love. She sighed as she began scrubbing herself free of the grime and soot. It was satisfying to watch the specks of brown wash away from her body. It felt like cleansing herself from all the harm she had done the past few weeks.

Elena choked on her breath, using her hand to prop herself up against the wall. Her mood dimmed significantly at the thought of all the doctors and scientists that had been turned to stone. Squeezing her eyes shut, Elena tried steadying her breathing in vain. She let out a cry, shivering underneath the water. Her eyes flashed.

If she were to guess, no one in the experiment was aware of what was to happen. She bet that they were all like her, there in hopes of doing something good. And she had ruined that like how Lieselotte ruined her. And to think that she thought the Hydra agent had a nice side!

Elena bit on the insides of her cheek, turning off the water. She quickly dressed, checking the mirror for tears before presenting herself.

Will was sitting on the sofa, playing with a length of string. His feet were on the coffee table, where he had set up a board. He perked up when she appeared, and he grinned. "Do you want to play a game?" he asked, jumping up. "It's been so long since I've had—"