Raelynn POV
It had been a week since I first woke up, and the pain hadn't stopped for a second. Sometimes it was hardly even a dull throbbing, but other times it was as if there were thousands of knives stabbing me. Most of my wounds had healed thanks to Dr. Cho's healing chamber; the only one left was the cut on my chest, which Dr. Cho thinks should be healed in another week. Pietro visited me every day, talking to me about anything and everything, occasionally bringing Wanda, who I now know is his twin sister. I still can't seem to wrap my head around that fact. They looked and acted so differently that it was hard to see them as twins, but at the same time it made sense. Wanda was very levelheaded and deeply passionate while Pietro was the careless one who threw himself into the first fight he could find. Pietro was the classic example of the older brother (which he proudly boasted about, "I am twelve minutes older than her, you know.") who cares so deeply and fiercely protects those he cares about, and I greatly admired that. He comes off as an arrogant bastard but once you get to know him, he's a real arrogant sweetheart.
I still don't remember anything about my past, and it doesn't seem as if I ever will. I would never tell Pietro, but it was destroying me. I could feel myself falling into depression and no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't stop myself. It wasn't that I was sad, I was just numb. I couldn't remember what it felt like to be happy, when the last time I truly smiled was. It was as if my life was a movie that I was watching, I knew what was happening but I didn't feel like a part of it. I didn't leave my bed, I slept until noon, but when Pietro came, I always acted as if everything was okay. I knew he already blamed himself for what happened to me, I didn't want to make it any worse.
"Why don't you try taking a shower today, Raelynn?" Dr. Cho asked when she came to check up on me. "It might make you feel better."
"Yeah, maybe" I say, agreeing with her so that she would leave me alone. I did feel disgusting, but I couldn't bring myself to do what Dr. Cho suggested.
I stood there in my white towel, watching the water run into the tub. I tried to keep myself focused, but the flashbacks were too much. I can't. I can't even stand water, I told myself. How useless am I? It wasn't long before I couldn't stand it anymore, and I dropped to my knees, sobbing into my hands.
Pietro POV
"Good morning, lijep," I say, letting myself into Raelynn's room. My heart dropped in panic when I saw that she wasn't on her bed like she normally was. I glanced around the room, my heart racing, looking for clues as to where she could have gone. I was about to turn around and race out to get help when I heard a soft sob coming from the bathroom. Creeping closer, I heard yet another sob, almost inaudible over the sound of running water. I knew instantly that something was wrong.
"Raelynn?" I called, knocking on the door. The sobbing stopped, and I knew she was trying to cover it up. "What is wrong, dragi?"
"Nothing," came her small voice.
"Can I come in? Are you decent?" The only response I got was a sniffle, but it was good enough for me. I opened the door and I felt sick to my stomach with what I saw. Raelynn was curled up on the floor, wearing nothing more than a towel, with tears staining her beautiful pale cheeks. I rushed over and took her face in my hands, looking into her red-rimmed, tear-stained grey eyes. "What is wrong, moj mjesec?"
She shook her head, her ashy blonde hair falling in front of her face, hiding her from me.
"You can tell me. Please let me help you," I pleaded, brushing her hair out of her face, not taking my eyes off of her.
"It... It was when they had me," Raelynn started, and I felt the familiar pang of guilt in my chest. "They wanted to know where you went, and I told them I didn't know." She sniffled and ran the back of her hand across her eye, wiping away some of the tears that were falling. "They didn't believe me, so they tortured me." I knew that she had been tortured but I had no idea it had been because they wanted me. I took her shaking, sobbing form into my arms and held her as close to me as I could. "At one point, they brought in a tub of water. They asked me, 'where did he go' and when I said I didn't know, they would hold my head underwater. Sometimes it was for a second, sometimes until I nearly drowned. I was sure I was going to die. It's the water, Pietro. It brings back the memories." She turned her head and sobbed into my chest. I took a deep breath and ran my fingers through her soft, silky hair.
"How about I help you," I suggest. "I will join you and make sure that no more water is on you than necessary. Is that alright?"
"Promise you won't try anything?" Raelynn asks, still sounding unsure.
"I promise."
"Okay."
I help her up and after making sure the water was the right temperature, I turned on the shower and aimed the head so that the majority of the water would be hitting the wall. When I turned to Raelynn, I saw her nervously fiddling with the top of the towel. My eyes met her silvery grey ones and she quickly dropped the towel before lowering her eyes and bringing her arms up to cover herself.
"Do not bother," I say in the most calming voice I can, "you are beautiful. I did also promise not to try anything, and I mean to keep it." Raelynn simply nodded.
I helped her into the tub and joined her after taking my shirt, shoes, and socks off. When I entered Raelynn was cowering in the corner, trying her hardest not to touch the water. She looked so afraid, my heart broke. Slowly, so she wouldn't be startled, I gently grasped her hand and brought it under the spray of water. She flinched, but kept her composure. I continued to do this until it was time for her to put her head under the water.
"It is okay if you do not want to do it," I told her, but she insisted that it was something she had to do. As soon as Raelynn got her head under the water, she began hyperventilating.
"Wash my hair and get me out of here," she commanded. For once, I did as I was told. As soon as the last drops of shampoo were out of her hair, I picked up her shaking, goosebumped body and ran her out of the bathroom before speeding back in and returning with her towel. While I was turning the water off, Raelynn had gotten dressed in nothing but a pair of underwear and my shirt, which hung slightly past her waist.
"I am so proud of you, dragi," I told her, placing a kiss on her head before walking toward the door.
"Wait," she called, her voice much stronger than it had been all day. "I was going to take a nap. Will you stay with me?"
Sighing, I walked over to her rather small hospital bed and frowned at the thought of laying on it.
"Only if you come to my room. My bed is more comfortable than this, I am sure."
"Promise not to try anything?" she asked for the second time that day.
"I promise."
"Tell me a story," Raelynn asked as I carried her into my room and placing her on my bed. The room wasn't quite mine yet, it had still needed my personal touches. The walls were still white and the sheets were a plain grey, no personal belongings in sight. I laid down next to her and she rolled over so that her head was resting on my chest.
"Alright," I said, scouring my memory for a good story. "Have you ever heard the one about the boy and the sea?"
"No."
"Once, there was a boy who lived by the sea. He was always alone and was happy. One day, a girl comes in on tide. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, with hair like the sun and eyes like the sea. There came a time when he feared she would soon have to leave to return to the sea, so the boy said to the sea: 'Take my life, but do not take my love from me.' And when the time came, the sea remembered."
I looked down to see Raelynn sleeping peacefully, her damp hair strewn about and the scent of her violet and lemon shampoo warming my heart. I gently placed a kiss on the crown of her head before pulling her closer and surrendering to sleep.
I AM SO SORRY THAT IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET THIS OUT! I had a ton of stuff going on and this story got put on the backburner for a (long) while, so I tried to make it up to y'all by putting some angsty fluff in this chapter!
I'm going to try to update this story more often, but I'm busy and forgetful, so don't hold me to that.
Thank you so much to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed! (I LOVE getting reviews, by the way)
Until next time xx