"She doesn't love me. She feels bad because I got shot," There was a bite to his voice.
Thor chuckled, pushing himself off the counter, putting himself a little close to Bucky. "A woman does not call out in her sleep to a man she does not love," Bucky rubbed a hand over his face and Steve perked up.
"Whether you see it or not, it is true. It won't be long before that is clear. Nina is a good woman with many people willing to defend her. I would not advise breaking her heart," The thinly veiled threat didn't get past anyone. Tensions rose in the room and didn't settle much when Thor, having said what he meant to say, left.
"He might not be wrong," Steve said after a short pause.
Bucky shot him a glare.
"She trusts you. She cares about you. People aren't exactly lining up to be on your team, Buck. Don't push her away," Little did Steve know, that was exactly what Bucky intended to do.
The sun was low in the sky when Nina finally awoke, feeling well rested. She lied in bed alone, staring out the window as the sky shifted to shades of pink and orange. Her stomach growling and aching from almost an entire day without food was what eventually dragged her out of bed. She changed into more suitable pajamas before wandering out of her room and down to the kitchen.
"Hey, look who's up," Olivia, who was usually much more abrasive, greeted her friend gently. After the emotional distress she had apparently been through the night before, Olivia figured now wasn't the time to pick on her.
Nina ignored her and made her way to the refrigerator, which she stared into blankly, shivering from the cold.
"Here, I'll make you a sandwich. Sit down," Olivia steered her away and got her into one of the bar stools. Nina didn't object. Secretly, she was glad she didn't have to lift a finger.
"How are you feeling," Thor asked as he approached the counter. He looked like he already knew the answer, and it was obvious just by looking at her.
Nina only shrugged.
While Olivia and Thor crowded her, everyone else gave her space. They all knew better than to prod, but her two companions couldn't stand the thought of leaving her alone. It was clear she was barely hanging on. It wouldn't have taken much for her to break down again and they wanted to be there to help if that were to happen.
"What happened out there?" Olivia asked. "I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but...it might help," Olivia was absolutely right. Nina didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to think about it. But she couldn't get it out of her head. So, she told them with a cold indifference that frightened them both.
"I can't believe he left you like that," Olivia said, having already been angry with Bucky all day. Hearing it again only fueled her growing hatred for the Winter Soldier. What Nina was describing sounded like hell. Like literal Hell. And Nina was too soft for that.
"It wasn't his fault," Nina said around a bite of her ham sandwich.
"Yes it-"
"What was he going to do?" Nina interrupted abruptly, the energy in her voice only lasting a second or two before fading away again. "He couldn't hang around just waiting for me to need saving," She didn't try to hide the bitterness.
"He shouldn't have taken you out there in the first place," Thor clenched his jaw and stared through the opposing wall.
Nina didn't say anything to that. On one hand, Thor was right. Nina hadn't been prepared for any of that and it clearly took a toll on her body. Not only that, but she wasn't sure she had made any real difference. Since things were no less blurred together than they had been in the moment, Nina still had no idea how long she had been out there or how many people she had saved.