You rustled and tussled in your bed, Pietro still in your arms, but sadly, it was time to wake up. So you sat up and moved your legs to the side of the bed. "Its freezing" you whisper to yourself, standing up and covering Pietro with the rest of the blanket, making sure he was warm.
After doing so, you walked to the closet to grab a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, and walked back to bed. You were careful not to wake the sleeping Pietro, so as slowly as you could, you moved his arms around your torso while you moved yours around his shoulders. With a very still and patient stance, you were able to do so. Or so you thought.
"If you wanted me to hug you, you could've asked" He states, his eyes still closed, moving closer to you. He then quickly opens up his close, furrowing his brows. "You're wearing clothes" He states, looking at you. "Yeah, it's freezing, so i'll keep you warm" You reply, nudging his cheek with your shoulder as he leaned on it sleepily. He groans as a response and moves closer to you, his thigh resting on top of yours, one of his arms under your neck, the other hugging you tightly by the torso.
Your mind was filled with happiness, your heart warm. You smiled and rubbed gentle circles on his back, leaving a kiss on his forehead while you did so. "Love you, you sleepy head" You state in a whisper. "I love you too" He grumbles, proceeding to fall back asleep.
***
Pietro's POV:
I was clueless about the amount of time I spent asleep, but to my knowledge, I was hugging Y/n while I was asleep. That was until I woke up. When my eyes opened, I was met with a pillow. The look of confusion made itself on my face as I sat up to the side of the bed, looking around. What I saw made me even more confused.
All of Y/n's stuff was gone. His bags, clothes, everything. Not a single thing left. It was all my stuff. "He....left me?" I stated to myself. Quickly looking for my phone, I tapped it quickly to unlock the passcode and opening the contacts app. I scrolled through the names, and yet.....His name wasn't there. I shake my head and double check.
I decided I should just look his name up. I typed "Y/n" and it ended up giving m no results, but everyone else's names were in it. I started to panic and take heavy breaths. "Tony....." I state to myself as I quickly speed up to find him.
It didn't take long after I left the room when I found him in his own room. "MR. STARK!" I shouted and knocked loudly. I did this aggressively, and shortly after, he finally opened the door. "What, kid." He asks, annoyed. "Where's Y/n" I asked, my expression, serious, eyebrows furrowed. "Who?" He asks again.
"Y/n. My fiancé" I state once more. "Since when did you start dating anyone" He asks, my eyebrows furrow more and I tilted my head to the left. "You're joking, right." I state, "Why would I be joking at 9am" He replies. I shake my head, "HAHA! Very funny Y/n, pranking me with disappearance. You can come out now, I already know what's happening!" I shout in the hallway.
"Kid, be quiet, people are sleeping, okay?, there is no Y/n, there was never a Y/n" He states, holding on to my shoulders, tightly. "Okay?, go back to bed and get some rest" He states, closing the door on me. I was distraught. Was he right?. No.....He can't be. I was together with him for years, all the memories we made are still with me.
Wait......that's it, the memories are still with me. I took out my phone as fast as I could and opened my gallery. Nothing. Not a single photo of Y/n. At this point I was about to cry.
Was my life....a lie..? Did I never truly meet the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life....? This was the worst thing that could have ever happened to me. But if he wasn't real, why aren't I dead yet. Was he just someone I thought was for me?
Fuck......
I push away the sadness building up inside me and try to gather more information about Y/n, because it's just not possible for him to disappear without anyone remembering. "Steve...." I whisper to myself, before running to his room. "ROGERS!" I shout, aggressively knocking as well. As I expected, after I knocked 3 times, it opened and I was met with his tall figure.
"Yes?" He asks, "Do you know where Y/n is" I reply, still trying to keep my anger and sadness aside, but I was already struggling. It's not so easy hiding the tears and the feeling of missing someone who wasn't real. "Who's Y/n?" Steve asks again. "Bullshit. You know who Y/n is" I state, slamming my fist on his door. My voice stern and low.
He seemed to be slightly intimidated, he back off the door a little when I slammed my fist. "I promise you, I have no idea who Y/n is" He states once more. I back off and place my hands on my waist, roughly wiping down my face with my hand. I shout in anger. "GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!" Steve's door was already closed, but his shadow was still visible in the small gap under the door.
"This cant be happening. THIS CANT BE FUCKING HAPPENING" I state to myself, before running to Wanda. While I ran, I knew that she wouldn't lie to me. After everything we've been through. She'd never lie to me.
I arrived to her door shortly after I started running. I knock calmly, letting out a big sigh, but before I even started talking. She already opened the door. "What is it Pietro" she asks. The look of distraught on my face was enough for her to get the clues. She read my mind, and she looked at me with confusion. "Y/n?" She asks, and for a second. Just for a second, a droplet of joy landed on me. But as much as I wanted it to stay, she said, "Who's he?" She states.
And just like that, the sadness and anger came back. "Is he your crush" She states jokingly, nudging my arm. "No, he's my fiancé" I state, my tone saddened. "Yeah right, if you were dating anyone, I would've know about it." She states more, giggling, "It's too early for your pranks, go back to bed or get breakfast Pietro." She states once more, before she closes the door. I turn my back on the wall, leaning of it, and sliding down, having a seat on the floor.
my eyes started to tear up. My eyes got heavy. "What's.... happening" I state to myself as I cry silently. I look at my hand and see that even the ring is gone.
"Goddamn everything....." I state as I clutch my hand into a fist. My life was a lie...........I close my eyes. Hoping to see him when I opened them again. But I didn't. Everything was a lie. I close my eyes once more, just crying by myself while I take in the sad truth of my life.
"God fucking damn it....." I curse to myself as I kept on crying. Not even caring that I was in the middle of the hallway.
***
The time I spent there was unknown to me. I just sat there. My hands on my eyes. The tears falling down each eye.
But when my eyes opened, I was already somewhere else. It was dark, empty, no lights, just an endless void of nothingness, "Where....am I...?" I ask to myself, walking around, I had no idea where this was, or what it was. "Am I...dead..." I state to myself once more, but a strong light that shone behind me caught my attention. It was really bright, I had to use my hand and squint just to be able to walk towards it.
But it wasn't enough. So I closed my eyes and let my hand tell me what was ahead. I was walking for a while, or at least it felt like it. But it slowly started to feel like I was laying down, and my hand touched something, I had no idea what it was, but it was soft and warm, I held it and took a peek.
There was still light that shone in my eyes, but it was less of an eyesore than the other one, I slowly opened my eyes and squinted. I looked around, and it was one of the rooms in the infirmary back at the tower. There were tubes, connected to the side of the bed I was laying in, and a tube connected to my arm. Bandages wrapped around my whole torso.
But a figure caught my attention, a figure of a man that held my hand, he seemed to be asleep. He looked tired, like he was waiting for me to wake up. I look down at our hands and see the rings. And I immediately knew who it was.
"Y/n....." I stated, my voice tired, like I haven't spoken in years. But I knew that wasn't possible. I was in bed with Y/n only a few hours ago. It was a nightmare. For a moment, a wave of happiness with through me and I started to cry again. Happily.
I sniffle a few times and it was enough for Y/n to wake up.
"Pietro...." He states, standing up, his hand still on mine, the other on my cheek. "Hey...." I replied, my voice still raspy and tired. He started to cry, hugging me tightly. "Oh god... thank God you're alive..." He states.
"Alive..? What do you mean..? I was in bed with you a few hours ago..." I state, confused, trying my best not to sound tired. "You weren't, Pietro, you were announced dead in the mission in Sokovia. I was too late" he replied.
"What...? No...you and Wanda saved me....right...?" I reply, trying my best to smile. "We couldn't...what you remember is the serum that kept your heart beating, Bruce and Tony made it, it was doing what it does best, to keep your heart beating and your mind in a simulation so it doesn't feel like you're dead, I don't really know what they call it, but it helps with your memories staying intact. It was all simulated to turn into the best possible situation" he replies.
"So...you never...proposed to me...?" I state, my tone and expression getting sadder by the second. "That part was true, we've been engaged for 4 years now actually, I proposed to you after a year of being together, remember?" he replies, sniffling with a light chuckle. I turn my head to him and smile. "I thought it was when we were 2 years together?" I ask, "It's simulated, remember. But it doesn't matter, you're here, and it happened"
He smiles back at me. I try to move closer to him, but the bandages made it difficult for me. "Don't do that...you goof" he states, carefully placing me back to my original position and leaning towards me for the kiss I wanted to engage in.
I couldn't explain how it felt, it was like having my first kiss all over again, I wanted more of it, I never wanted it to end. I wanted to feel his lips on mine till I lost the ability to breathe.
His hands find their place on my cheek. My hand on the back of his head, keeping him close to me, my intentions we're good, and I wanted more. But we still had to breathe. So we part, breathless from the kiss. He chuckles and smiles towards me.
"Welcome back love" he states, leaving a quick kiss on my lips. "It's good to be back" I reply with a chuckle. "Stay here, I'll go tell the others" he states, his warm hands parting their ways from my cheek. I yearned for his touch, it felt like I haven't come in contact with him for a long time.
He walked out of the room, the glass door with metal borders closing as he passes through them. "Wait...did he say we've been engaged for 3 years" I ask to myself, "But if he proposed to me when we were a year in......holy shit. We've been together for 5 years, and I've been gone for 4 years." I state to myself, cursing myself silently.
"God damn it, I probably missed out on so much" I state to myself, releasing a big sigh of disappointment.
In the corner of my eye I see smoke forming, scared that an accident might happen, I quickly sit up and observe it. Luckily it was only Y/n warping Into the room with the others. The first thing I saw was Wanda. She was crying while she ran towards me. She cried excessively. She must have missed me.
"I'm sorry" She states while she cried on my shoulder. "Don't be" I reply while I hugged her. She parts from our hug and puts her hands on my cheek. "How are you feeling" she asks, "Fine, a bit sore" I reply, smiling at her. "Y/n was with you after all these years, not once did he let anyone take you away, he was here in every operation and test they made" She states, a smile on her face "He took care of you for 4 years. I guess you finally found the one" She states once more, giggling.
"I guess I did" I reply, turning my head to Y/n with a smile. He smiles back at me and the others started to come towards me. "So, kid, tell me, what was it like wen you started to wake up from the serum" Tony asks, bruce standing on the side, ready to take down notes. "Well, you cant really tell if you're in a simulation, it just felt like living a normal life, but for me, when i was waking up, the simulation removed Y/n from the simulation, and after that, it transported me into a dark room, then this light shines and I just followed it, then here I am." I reply
"I see, so the simulation has an emotional trigger, specifically sadness, so when it happens it means they're about to wake up." Bruce states, writing it all down on a piece of paper. Tony and Bruce walk off to the side and discuss something out o my hearing range, and Clint comes over.
"Hey, kid, I gotta admit, I did not, see that coming" He state, a hand on my shoulder, chuckling "That was the plan" I reply, chuckling towards him. He chuckles and walks away. They were the only ones there, Steve and the rest were missing. Probably out doing something, then the one and only Y/n walks to my bed once again.
"Anything you want to do?" He ask with a smile. "Cuddle" I reply, giggling, he giggles back and says "We will, don't worry, after we have lunch, I'm all yours" He states, before leaning in and leaving a kiss on my cheek. "I've missed you" He states. I smile back at him and wave as he walks out of the room with the others. Who would've known that everything that happened was just a simulation. But I'm glad meeting him wasn't.
***
"Was it weird? Did you remember anything when you started?" He asks while he chewed on the food on his spoon "Yeah, the so called simulation started when you first came to the tower" I reply, letting the food in my mouth go down my throat. "And in the simulation, the day you proposed was in our 2nd anniversary, but tell me, did you really do the dark room thing?" I ask, taking another bite of the food. "Yes, of course, I did it all, the rose, your suit, everything" He replies
"You were always so sweet Y/n" I state, "Of course, it' going to get better, now that I could've lost you, I'm not letting it happen ever again, and I'm making sure I give you all the tender loving I can" He replies, smiling brightly at me. I smile back at him and our eyes connect. "I love you" He states, "I love you too" I reply. He scoffs and looks down.
I look at him and place a hand on his cheek. "What's wrong?" I ask as I felt a tear drop on my hand. "What's wrong love? Did I say something wrong?" I ask once more, he sniffles and looks up at me while he wipes his eyes. "It's been 4 years. I've been waiting 4 years for you to say that again." He replies, sniffling. "I can only imagine how it was like, talking to my unconscious body."
Instead of replying, I let him cry out his tears, doing my best to comfort him, rubbing his cheek with my thumb. "It's okay love, I'm here now, I won't be going anywhere anytime soon" I state, setting aside the food we had, and pulling him into a hug I so yearned for. "You're so warm" I state, hugging him tightly as I snuggle myself into his neck.
I saved him the struggle of having to reply, so I just let him hug me closely, his tears still falling. "Sorry for making you wait love" I state, rubbing his back up and down. "It's fine, I'm just glad you came back sooner than I was expecting" He states, lightly giggling while he cried his sadness out of his system. "This time, I'll keep you closer" He states, sniffling. "You've already done enough, this time, I'll be the one to keep you closer" I reply, leaving a kiss on his cheek.
His arms tightened themselves around me as my words were said. "Oh- getting a bit too tight love-" I state, my voice somewhat sounded like I was getting choked. "Oh, sorry" He replies, parting from our hug, "No no, get back here" I state as I drag his arm and pull him back into the hug. I could feel him smile when his head rested on my shoulder.
"The food's getting cold Pietro" He states, his voice slightly muffled by my neck. "Just a little longer" I reply, snuggling him closer to me. "Pietro~" he states, his voice slightly shaky "Yes?" I ask, "You need to shave, your beard is tickling me" he replies. "Is that so" I state, raising my head from his and tickling his cheek with my beard. Though it wasn't long. "Did you shave my beard when I was asleep?" I ask, "Yep, for 4 years." He replies.
"Can you walk?" He asks, "I don't know, probably, if I couldn't, then my powers would be useless." I reply, parting from our hug and moving to the side of the bed, letting my legs hang. "Here goes nothing" I state, hopping off the bed. As my feet met the cold floor, they shook a little. It wasn't painful or anything, in the simulation I walked around a lot. "Phew" I state, standing straight up and placing both of my hands on my waist.
"Great, now I can do this" Y/n states as he walks towards me and hugs me from behind, his head resting on my shoulder once more. "It feels like we've never done this" I state, "Well, it has been 4 years" He replies, swaying me gently. "I remember our first date" I state, giggling as I look at the rings on our fingers. "What about it" He asks. "Everything, to how I enjoyed the food, to the part where I thought you we're about to propose" I reply with a chuckle.
"Good old days, who would've know that it's been 5 years since that day" he states, leaving a kiss on my shoulder. "Yeah, it's been a really long while" I reply, turning around in his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck.
***
Your POV:
Time seemed to be doing it's work properly, making the hours feel like they were minutes, but I had to face the fact that dawn has fallen and it was already night. I had thoughts about sleeping right next to him, but I had to let him rest, I wouldn't want to rush him, his body was well built, but for now it's fragile since it hasn't had any movement for 5 years.
I watched as he slept on the same bed he's been on for 5 years. "Goodnight" I state, leaving a kiss on his cheek, walking out of the room and turning off the lights. I stood there for a while, just staring at his body in the dark. "Thank you...." I stated, tightly pursing my lips as I quietly began to cry.
I sniffle, wipe the tears off my eyes and started walking through the hall. As I was walking towards the meeting room, I see silhouettes through the opaque window glass walls. I made sure I was presentable and that I didn't look like I've been crying, which was already hard enough because it's what my emotions wanted to let out, but I had to keep them locked up.
I walk to the glass door and enter the room. "Hey, good evening" I state, my voice soft. "Hello Y/n" Steve states, "I'm sure you know why we're here" he continues. "Yeah, the serum" I reply, crossing my arms and leaning back on the chair.
"You know what this means right? We can save lives, endless people who are presumed dead can still exist." Bruce states, using his hands to explain as usual.
"Yeah, but we don't know if it'll work for everyone, we've only tried it on 1 person, and it took him 4 years to get back" Nat replies.
"Maybe we could go to the morgue and check the recently deceased" Clint states jokingly. Everyone at the table looks at him, even me. His face suddenly gets emotionless and he looks down. "Sorry" he states with a fake cough.
"That's a great idea, but we can't just go to a random corpse and just revive it. If we ever do, what if they go back to their family who were well aware that they were dead, they'd get scared, probably even angry. If we're going to do it, we need to inform the family of the corpse." I state, Bruce and Tony immediately stir up a conversation.
"That's really smart, let's get to it......next week" Tony states, looking at his tablet mid sentence to check his schedule. "Then it's decided" Steve states, standing up and walking out, the rest doing the same.
"Thanks for attending Y/n" Bruce states as he walks beside me, "No problem" I reply, still looking down. "I know you have it the hardest around here since you had a 1 in a million chance to get him back" he continues.
"It's no problem, and thank you too, for making that serum, I appreciate it, I hope I get to pay back what I owe you" I reply, turning to look at him. "You don't have to, you've done enough" He states before he walks off to another direction.
I watched as he walked away, the world seemed to be punishing me and blessing me at the same time. Making me feel the weight and pain of losing someone, but at the same time giving me the relief of having him back.