~The Barton And The Maximoff~ Pietro Maximoff x Reader

Recovering

When I wake up, it doesn't seem like I'm in Sokovia anymore. Everything seems bright. Did I die? Is this what the afterlife feels like? The last thing I remember was shielding Pietro from those bullets. My body is very sore and aches when I try to move. I open my eyes more and see that I'm in what appears to be a hospital room in Stark Tower. As I look around, I spot Pietro fast asleep in the chair to my left, his head resting on the bed while he holds one of my hands in his soft ones. I softly chuckle to myself as I stare at him. He looks so peaceful. But I can spot his tear-stained cheeks and the bags under his eyes. I bring my free hand up to play with his blonde hair, running my fingers through the soft strands. He stirs a bit, but I decide to leave him be. His face shows that he hasn't slept in days and I want him to get as much sleep as he can. I find myself staring at him for about an hour and a half. Not in a creepy way, but more like I was admiring him. I couldn't help but notice all of his features are perfect. The way his hair falls loosely in his face. His sharp jawline looks like it could cut glass. His tender lips are shaped most favorably. I listen to his soft breaths to soothe my worrying. He finally shifts a bit and I can see him trying to wake up. Once he sits up, he rubs his eyes for a second trying to get rid of some of the sleep. As he opens his eyes fully, they widen upon seeing me. We gaze into each other's eyes for a moment longer before falling into a deep embrace. His hold on me is firm but so gentle at the same time, trying to be very cautious of my current physical state. My nose is filled with his sweet scent as I bury my head in the crook of his neck.

"Princessa?" he asks me still not letting go. I just hum in response as I don't want to let go either. "How do you feel? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Pietro finally releases me to look me in the eyes but still holds onto my arms. Like if he lets go, he thinks I might just slip away.

"My chest hurts a lot and I'm sore, but besides that, I think I'm good," I respond. "Probably a bit bruised up though."

"You took a pretty hard hit," he tells me. "We all thought you would be out for at least a few more days..." he trails off. "That's if you woke up." He looks down at his hands and I can see the look of guilt evident on his face.

"Pietro, I promise that I'm okay," I assure him. "Nothing can kill me if it tried." I chuckle with him.

"You scared the shit out of me," Pietro tells me as I see a tear roll down his cheek. He leans in to hug me again. "I thought I'd lost you."

"But you didn't," I reply with a smile, trying my best to cheer him up. "I'm right here beside you. You don't have to worry about me anymore." He lets go of the hug once more and I take his hand in mine. I place our conjoined hands over my heart as we feel the rhythmic thumps following one after another. "I'm alive." I place my hands on either side of his face as he starts to calm down. I brush all of his tears away with the pads of my thumbs.

"Why would you do that?" He asks me as he stares at our conjoined hands.

"Do what?" I ask.

"Take those bullets for me?" Pietro asks softly. "You could've died... and I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. You got severely hurt and it's all my fault."

"And I wouldn't have been able to live with myself either," I say. He finally looks up and stares into my eyes. "That's why I did it. To let you live. To have a life. If I hadn't been there to shield you, you would've died." I stroke my thumb across the top of his hand while he listens to my every word. "But because of that choice... we're both here and surviving together."

"What kind of life would be worth living if you weren't in it?" Pietro asks me. "What would be the point of being here when you would seem so far away? Like how I felt the whole time you were in that hospital bed, but ten times worse. Maybe even more."