CHAPTER 19

"Hey, it's me," Pietro greeted as he entered my bedroom.

"Hey," I said back with a tired smile.

"How do you feel?" he asked while placing himself next to me on the bed.

"I'm okay. Tired," I admitted with a small smile.

"I thought you'd be asleep," Pietro mentioned, running his hand over mine; "I just wanted to check on you."

"I don't wanna sleep," I admitted.

"De ce nu, draga mea?" he asked calmly.

Why not, my dear?

"I'm assuming you asked 'why not', to which the answer is nightmares," I replied, a content smile flashing on my lips; "I really need to learn Rumanian."

"I'll teach you someday," Pietro promised; "But as for now, you must sleep. Goodnight, Veronica."

He mentioned to stand up, but I quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Could you maybe... Stay? We could watch a movie?" I suggested. Pietro thought for a second.

"I can stay for a bit, but only if you sleep," he compromised.

"You need to sleep too," I pointed out. He smiled.

"I'll have a sleepover on the floor, then. How does that sound?" He sent me a smile, and I couldn't help but send one back.

"Pietro," I whispered loudly.

"Yes?" he replied tiredly from his spot on the floor.

"Are you asleep?" I asked, a smile threatening on my lips.

"Yes," he replied before I heard him shift around.

"Well, if you sleeptalk, can you sleepwalk, too?" I suggested.

"It seems unlikely," he informed.

"That's too bad," I decided with a grin; "Otherwise you could sleepwalk your way to the comfortable bed." I heard Pietro sigh.

"I need to respect you, even if it is not what you desire," he explained.

"Fine," I muttered before turning my back to him.

"Do you want an extra pillow down there?" I offered, sitting up.

"No!" he cried out, clearly trying not to laugh, which only made me smile more.

"Fiiiine," I repeated, letting my body fall down onto the soft pillows.

"Are you tired?" I asked instead.

"Yes."

"Awh." I thought for a second.

"I can't sleep," I stated.

"I can. Goodnight." I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, you know how in Thomas The Tan-""No!" I sighed deeply before getting comfortable.

I started humming the Thomas The Tank Engine theme-song.

"Oh my god, Veronica," Pietro cried out.

"I told you, I can't sleep!" I complained.

"You haven't even tried!" he argued.

"Well, I feel bad when I know you're down on the floor," I lied. I heard him sigh.

"Fine. If I get in the bed, will you at least try to sleep?" he begged. I nodded. I heard him pick up the blanket and pillow, and could see him manoeuvre over to the bed in the dark. I smiled as I felt the bed bend down beneath him as he first sat on it, then lied down.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

"Do not thank me. I only did it to shut you up," he joked.

"I was talking about when you stood up for me back in the lab," I elaborated.

"Oh," he said quietly; "Well, I only did that to shut them up," he joked instead.

"And for what it's worth," I mumbled, letting my hand find his in the dark; "They wouldn't have a chance at keeping me from you either."

That night I only had one bad dream, but it had barely begun before I felt Pietro's arms around me, entirely blocking it out.

"Dormi, draga mea. Esti in siguranta," he'd said.

Sleep, my dear. You're safe.

"Are you ready to try again?" Pietro asked me. I nodded and took a deep breath from the fresh air on the roof before closing my eyes.

I stepped into the by then familiar storm and let it surround me.

"How does the speed feel?" Pietro asked, his voice in my ear like a kind of headphone.

"As always, I think," I claimed with a shrug.

"No, don't think, feel. Pay attention, draga mea, you can do this," he promised me. I took a deep breath before I tried again.

"You just need to relax," he continued.

I'm trying, I thought to myself, but none-the-less did as told.

"The first time I changed it, I kind of had to grab it, but it's like I'm already holding it now," I informed, trying to hit the exact time.

"You haven't let go since you changed it?" Pietro asked calmly. I shook my head, not sure my physical body even did the same.

"No wonder you slept in today. You must be exhausted," he commented.

"Do you worry about me, Sonic?" I asked with a smug smile on my face.

"In your dreams. And Sonic?" Pietro asked with a smile.

I felt myself relax as I shrugged; "Sonic? That fast little hedgehog? I think it's fitting."

"Let go," Pietro advised me. I sighed before imagining letting go with both my hands, although I knew I held on safely to Pietro as the last few times.

"I think I did it," I stated.

"You did it?" he asked excitedly.

"I did it!"

"That's great, draga mea! You can come out then," he informed, and I might have been imagining it, but I couldn't help but think I felt his lips on my hand for a split second.

"That's great, Veronica. Your dad's been really worried," Bruce commented, attaching the cuff around my arm from the sphygmomanometer.

"Which one?" I joked.

"Aaaaand all your numbers seems to be in order," he continued, ignoring my comment.

"Thank you very much, Doctor Banner," I thanked, removing the cuff myself.

"So. How did you manage to do it?" he asked me, leaning back in his chair. I placed my hand on the table behind me so I could lean backwards.

"Pietro helped," I told him.

"Pietro, huh?" he asked me with an uncharacteristic smile.

"What?" I asked him, smiling myself.

"Hey, I didn't say a thing," Bruce claimed, raising his hands in surrender; "Plus, I think the two of you are cute together."

"We're not together," I pointed out, the smile disappearing from my lips.

"Do you want to be?" Bruce asked frankly. I thought for a second before looking down.

"I don't know," I admitted.

"Do you like him?" Bruce asked instead. I thought for a second.

"I think so," I admitted.

"There you go then." I smiled to him.

"What kind of doctor are you, Banner? I go to you with a physical issue and you solve even my mental ones," I joked.

"Every kind. I have, like, seven PHD's," he replied with a smile.

After talking to Bruce, he'd forced me to talk to the rest of the Avengers as well, explaining what exactly had happened.

While there had been a lot of questions, they all agreed that training it seemed like the right decision. Personally, I couldn't help but think it had something to do with Pietro's speech, although they didn't know I'd been standing outside the door, my curiosity having been triggered by their loud voices.

But, the next day, training began. I would tag along on cap's runs, do some hand to hand combat with Natasha, discipline and concentration with Clint and my favourite; magic.

That was usually done with either Pietro and Wanda, or just Pietro.

Wanda, since she was more knowledgeable and experienced in the general topic than anyone else amongst us, and Pietro because... Because neither of us ever considered not doing it together.