The Girl Who Had the Universe in her Eyes | marvel [2] ✔

EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT
' I STILL LOVE YOU . '

Ash whirled into life the moment her brain regained consciousness. Before she even had a chance to realise it, she forced herself to her feet, black mist forming in her palms, and she whipped around desperately. The information reached a brick wall, leaving her surroundings blurry and constantly moving.

She took in a choked gasp, shaking her head to rid the fogginess. Something moved in front of her, and her magic shot out, throwing them against a wall. Ash grasped her head, and she fell to her knees, tears brewing in her eyes as she tried to breathe.

Her chest compressed, and her throat began to clog, leaving her gasping and heaving. A noise of desperation slipped through the barricade simultaneously as a heavy but empty exhale. The only thing she could see was his blood and his eyes. They flashed through her mind like a broken tape player on a continuous loop. She began to rock, shaking her head to throw anything and everything from her brain.

Just as she realised something was placed over her head, her attention moved to a sudden drum beat. She gasped, a small piece of air finding her lungs, with her eyes still squeezed shut, covered by her hands.

Sometimes I get the feelin' I was back in the old days, long ago, when we were kids when we were young. Things seemed so perfect - you know? The days were endless. We were crazy, we were young. The sun was always shinin'. We just lived for fun. Sometimes it seems like lately, I just don't know, the rest of my life's been just a show.

Ash managed a breath, her knees pulling into her chest.

Those were the days of our lives. The bad things in life were so few. Those days are all gone now, but one thing is true when I look, and I find I still love you.

You can't turn back the clock. You can't turn back the tide. Ain't that a shame? I'd like to go back one time on a roller coaster ride when life was just a game. No use in sitting and thinkin' on what you did when you can lay back and enjoy it through your kids. Sometimes it seems like lately, I just don't know, better sit back and go with the flow.

The melody curled around her, laying heavy in her chest and allowing her to zone in on it. Ash hugged her knees tighter, burying her head between them.

'Cos, these are the days of our lives. They've flown in the swiftness of time. These days are all gone now, but some things remain when I look, and I find no change. Those were the days of our lives, yeah, the bad things in life were so few. Those days are all gone now, but one thing's still true when I look, and I find I still love you.

I still love you.

When the drum beat faded, Ash became aware of the sobs spewing from her mouth. A wave of fatigue washed over her, and she fell back against the wall, her legs falling to the side heavily. Her chest still spasmed with the little choked breaths as Ash tried to stop them before she pushed the headphones off her head and wiped her face. She sniffed, feeling the eyes of everyone on the Quinjet burning into her.

Ash got to her feet, steadying herself against the wall and ignored them, heading to the bathroom and locking the door behind her.

She pulled the headphones from her neck and put them on the side of the sink. She set her hands on the ceramic, sniffing again before her eyes flickered up to lock with her reflections. Running her tongue over her top teeth, she looked at her reddened face and bloodshot eyes.

Suddenly turning on the tap, she cupped her hands and splashed water on her face. She spat out the liquid, which managed to get into her mouth and rested her hands on the sink again. Ash didn't look at herself again. Instead, her eyes avoided her reflection as she pushed her hair away from her face and left the bathroom.

Ash continued to ignore them as she exited, grabbing her laptop and lowering to sit on the ground, leaning against the wall. No one seemed to argue with the lack of conversation. If anything, they seemed to embrace it.

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The Quinjet landed outside a farmhouse, and Ash stepped out cautiously behind the rest. She pulled someone's jumper tighter around herself and waded through the mud towards the warmth.

"What is this place?" Thor asked.

"A safe house?" Stark questioned.

"Let's hope," Barton replied, a grimace pulling at his features. He knocked before pushing the door open and letting them all in first. "Honey, I'm home," he called as he moved to the front to meet a heavily pregnant woman. "Hi. Company. Sorry, I didn't call ahead."

"Hey," she replied, walking up and kissing him.

Stark glanced at Ash, voice quiet. "This is an agent of some kind."

"Gentleman, Ash, this is Laura," Barton introduced.

"I know all your names."

"Ooh, incoming!" Barton's son and daughter ran in, and he picked her up and kissed his head. "Hey, buddy! How you guys doing? Ooh..."

"These are... smaller agents," Stark continued.

"Look at your face! Oh, my goodness!"

"Did you bring Auntie Nat?" the young girl asked.

"Why don't you hug her and find out?" Romanoff replied, and she rushed into her arms.

Rogers shifted. "Sorry for barging in on you."

"Yeah," Stark agreed. "We would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed."

Barton looked at them. "Yeah, well, Fury helped me set this up when I joined. He kept it off S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files. I'd like to keep it that way. I figure it's a good place to lay low."

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These Are the Days of Our Lives - Queen