Fandom The New Avengers - POST ENDGAME (Closed RP)

[cosmicforce]

Rowan relaxed into Leighton’s touch, allowing her to support him. But before he would leave there was one other person he needed with him. “Isa,” he made some kissy noises and the bird hopped up onto his shoulder, bringing with him another little bit of comfort.

“Okay, let’s go,” Rowan said. He began to lead the way to his room, moving slowly despite his plea for his legs to move faster.

As exhausted as he was, Ace waited for the two to leave before slipping out into the common room. He was asleep before his body hit the couch.

It didn’t take Rowan long to guide them to his room, and he took a seat on the edge of his bed. The difference between the two sides of the room was unbelievable. The side that was very obviously Ace’s was littered with dirty laundry, playing cards, and a bedside drawer was opened revealing a hidden snack stash. Rowan’s on the other hand had everything folded neatly. His bed was made and his dirty laundry resided only in a laundry bin at the end of his bed. He didn’t seem to have any personal items at all.

“Thank you,” he said once he was sat down and settled. “For all your help and kindness.”

 

[PixieDust]

“It’s no problem, honestly,” Leighton said as she looked around the room. The contrast between the two sides was so stark that it made her laugh.

“You know, I could’ve guessed which side of the room Ace is on with one glance. Luckily for me, Saphi is almost obsessively organised. She even tried to colour code my wardrobe.”

Once she saw that he had settled, she made to leave, not wanting to intrude at all. She stopped mid way and turned back to him.
“I can stay and keep you company if you like. I know I wouldn’t want to be alone after....that.” Her eyes darkened at the thought of that awful place.

 

[cosmicforce]

Rowan watched as Leighton turned to leave, trying to hide the sheer terror in his eyes at the though of being alone. He kicked off his shoes anyway and pulled himself into bed, moving so he was half laying down and half sitting up against the head board.

When she stopped and turned to look at him he could feel the tension start to leave him again. “Please,” his voice was small and weak, the complete opposite to what it usually was. He pulled his legs up to his chest to give Leighton more room to sit - he doubted she would want to sit on Ace’s bed with all of its filth.

 

[PixieDust]

Leighton almost felt relieved when he gave her permission to keep him company. She took her place on the edge of the bed beside him, concern still evident on her face.

“You know Rowan, I really admire you,” she found herself saying. “You probably think I’m crazy for saying that, but it’s true. With all the things you’ve been through...well...” she paused for a moment, trying to get her her words. She looked at him earnestly, “no matter what those people told you, you’re not a failure. You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

 

[cosmicforce]

"I'm not brave," Rowan said softly. "Bravery is strength in the face of pain. Someone who's brave wouldn't be bothered by any of this." It didn't bother him much, not seeing himself as brave. It wasn't something he strived to be. All he wanted was to get through the day, and then the week, and eventually, hopefully, a few more years.

"We've all seen shit, Leighton. It's part of the job description. I'm not a hero for it if anything that makes me more of a villain. I hurt too many people while working for HYDRA." He laid down, turning on his side and curling in on himself. He really was exhausted, and his body was easier to hold like this. Plus moving kept him from crying. There was a pause, his eyes fixed themselves on the white wall, they were still distant, he wasn't truly seeing anything he looked at. "That wasn't even the worst of it," he mumbled, almost inaudibly.

 

[PixieDust]

Leighton watched as Rowan curled up onto his side. She could see he was exhausted and their seemed not to be anything more to say.

Instead she lay beside him, intertwining her hand with his again. She could sense how much of his emotions he was suppressing. Squeezing his hand lightly she said,
“It’s okay to cry if you want to. Whatever you do, we’re here, Isa and I.” With that she fell silent, not obliging him to do or say anything.

 

[cosmicforce]

That was enough to set Rowan off. All day his tough guy persona had been chipped down bit by bit until finally, the walls seem to collapse. He turned to his other side, hesitating, but letting himself move closer to Leighton before beginning to cry. They weren't loud and ugly sobs, they were soft, almost unnoticeable except for the fact that his shoulders were shaking with heavy, strangled breaths. It was the most he had ever let himself cry, the most vulnerable he let himself be. Isa perched between the two and eventually nudged his way under Rowan's chin, which made him cry harder as he realized just how gentle and fragile life was.

His head was moving to fast to form a coherent thought. All he knew was that he wanted to feel safe and Leighton was the closest thing he could get to that. He squeezed her hand, holding it close to his chest in an attempt to feel the safety. He hated how pathetic he felt and no doubt looked, but now that he was broken down there was no fixing it.

 

[PixieDust]

Leighton’s gaze softened as she reached to brush the tears from his cheeks again with her thumb. There was a vulnerability in his tear filled eyes that she had never seen before and all she wanted to do was be there for him. Gently so as not to cause him any pain, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug as he shook from all the built up emotion. A subtle glow formed around her as she hugged him. It was warm and comforting but she hardly noticed it.

The redhead smiled a little when Isa perched between them. She somewhat reluctantly pulled away from Rowan so that the little glowing bird had more space to move.

It was sweet that the bird was so attached to Rowan. She didn’t understand it, but she knew Isa would always protect him. She watched the bird fondly for a moment before returning her attention back to Rowan.
“You two really bonded fast...Do you think you’ll be okay with just Isa now?” She asked.

 

[cosmicforce]

The hug was enough to melt some of the tension away. Rowan relaxed, although the lack of contact when they pulled apart was more upsetting than he wanted to admit. Truthfully he didn’t want Leighton to leave him, and he knew that if she did leave he probably wouldn’t sleep anyway unless the throbbing pain in his arm and the emotion of a hazy mind knocked him out.

Instead of saying all this he just kept a gentle grip on her arm, looking up at Leighton. His eyes were still filled with tears but he was no long actively crying, just existing and letting himself really feel for the first time in a long time. “You don’t have to go,” he said quietly. He dropped his hand, trying to show that if she wanted to she could leave.

 

[PixieDust]

The gentle grip Rowan kept on her arm and the way he looked at her told Leighton all she needed to know. She made no move to leave. Instead she leaned in closer to him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, almost without thinking before curling up beside him again, closer than before.

It was only then that she realised just how exhausted she was. The wave of exhaustion was almost overpowering. Her hazel eyes began to close and soon she had fallen asleep beside him.

 

[cosmicforce]

Rowan fell asleep in seconds with her beside him. His eyes fell shut and he was consumed by what - at first - was a most pleasant darkness with just them, warmth and safety. He had no dreams late into the evening, just a rest that was deeper than any he had before.

It was close to 11 that evening when things turned bad. Pleasent darkness turned into cold hospital rooms and a sense of safety replaced by a sense of pure, unadulterated terror. Every nerve in Rowan’s body told him to run but when he tried he found himself strapped to that bed again, wires and machines hooked to every inch of his body. Each one pumped something different inside of him. It made his insides freeze and then feel like he was on fire, it created bumps and bubbles under his skin, threatening to surface and create holes in his muscles.

In his bed he screamed and tossed and desperately grabbed in an attempt to pull the tubes out of him.

 

[PixieDust]

Leighton’s eyes snapped open in an instant when Rowan began to scream. She sat up, alert, wondering where the danger was until she realised he was having a nightmare.
“Rowan,” She said firmly, placing a hand on his cheek and the other keeping him in place so he didn’t thrash too much.
“Rowan listen to me. It’s just a dream. They can’t hurt you! I’m here...look at me. It’s me, Leighton.”

Although she was incredibly concerned, she kept her voice even and calm and kept her eyes on his face until such time as he opened them.

 

[cosmicforce]

No matter how hard he pulled the wires didn’t come out, they just wiggled inside his body, brushing against bone, branch and muscle. It was inside of him and it was growing. He was growing, and moving, and they could feel every single part inside him.

In his bedroom, his large hand curled around Leighton’s arm. In his mind, it curled around a tube. He squeezed, just on the verge of it being painful when he heard her voice. It was soft and safe. He could feel her arms around him and he relaxed just slightly. “Get them out of me,” He whispered, both in person and in dream.

“Please, get me out of here.” He was beginning to blink his world back into view. The colour came back to his face first, followed by slowly readjusted breathing and his eyes started opening.

 

[PixieDust]

Leighton winced when Rowan gripped her arm so tightly, but continued to speak as calmly as she could.
“It’s okay, I’ll get you out of there, just open your eyes and we can escape.” She spoke to him as though it was his dream. When he finally opened his eyes, she looked at him with a smile meant to put him at ease.

Not wanting him to panic or feel disoriented in any way, she kept her arms around him. “You’re safe, you’re out of there. See, you’re in your dorm,” she gestured vaguely around the room, “there’s just us, Isa and a whole lot of Ace’s crap everywhere.”

Leighton paused for a moment, glancing around the room one more time. She ran her fingers through her hair and chewed her lower lip thoughtfully.

As cool as the idea of Avengers HQ was, she missed being able to go wherever she wanted, like the movies or a diner or just anything.

They were so far away from anything here, that she could see how easy it was to get lost in thoughts.

“Fresh air, that’s what you need...” she said, more to herself than him. “All the training and simulations....it’s almost robotic.” She sat up a little more, looking at Rowan again. “My mom always used to tell me that fresh air brings fresh perspective.”

She used to agree with her mother on most occasions, but couldn’t help recounting that fresh air never changed her mother’s perspective on how finding out her daughter had the mutant gene was apparently enough of a reason to fear and disown her entirely. That was one perspective Leighton wished she could change.

Shaking her head as if to clear that thought from her mind, she clambered off the bed.
“Why don’t we take a completely spontaneous pre-midnight stroll, raid the kitchen for some food and have a picnic?”

It was probably a stupid idea considering they could easily get lost, but considering she had just awoken from a very long sleep, she was proud of it. Saphira had clearly rubbed off on her.

 

[cosmicforce]

Her voice was so gentle, and she remained so remarkably calm despite everything that was happening that Rowan could feel himself start to relax almost instantly. But, she was right. He needed out of here, out of the robotic schedule and the constant training. The idea of being anywhere but here, in this room, surrounded by these memories, was welcomed. "Yeah, a picnic would be nice." He forced a strained smile, pulling himself out of bed first.

He grabbed a hoodie out of the small closet and slipped it on, then grabbed a second, a light grey colour speckled with black, and handed it to Leighton. "It'll be chilly," he said softly. Isa crawled into his hoodie pocket, chirping excitedly and that was enough to make the strained smile completely and totally real. This would be fun, it would be relaxing and most important everything would be okay.

 

[PixieDust]

Leighton’s smile grew even more enthusiastic once it was clear Rowan was on board with her idea. She put on the hoodie he had handed her, chuckling at how it managed to reach her knees. Even though the arms were overly long, she didn’t roll them up as she made her way out of the room. It almost looked like she had no arms at all.

“I think Isa is more excited over the idea of picnic food than either of us!” She laughed as she meandered her way back towards the direction she guessed the kitchen was in.
“You know, I have no sense of direction, so if we end up on some creepy corridor with a giant, hungry three-headed dog you can blame me for not bringing giant dog treats that are like two feet taller than me.”

 

[cosmicforce]

Rowan liked this side of Leighton. Maybe it was the mental exhaustion, or the tremendous relief of physical exhaustion their nap had brought, but she seemed more...goofy. It showed on her face and in her body, too, and Rowan couldn’t help but chuckle at how cute she looked in his hoodie.

“Seven foot dog treats are essential, you know,” he said as he turned her to face the right direction. “You’re very lucky I know my way around this place or you’d be dog food.”

 

[PixieDust]

Leighton playfully rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive hand at the mention of being dog food (although it looked like she was just waving a disembodied hoodie sleeve).

Considering it was almost midnight, she was in high spirits. It felt good to just have a normal, completely random conversation.

“Me, dog food? Please, I’m an Avenger now, that dog doesn’t stand a chance!”

Once they reached the kitchen, she began opening cupboard doors, peering at the contents with a frown.
“Unless you really like Doritos and Twinkies, I feel like this is gonna be a pretty unconventional picnic basket."

It seemed people had made short work of most of the actual food. If only Saphira were there she'd be able to make something nice. After scanning the kitchen again she noticed a bowl of red apples and picked up a couple with a grin.
"Or there's apples. Not poisoned I hope."

 

[cosmicforce]

Rowan grinned, grabbing two twinkies and an apple for himself. He was wide awake, with Isa perched on his shoulder as the bird often did. Both of them seemed excited to get out for a breath of fresh air; the compound became stuffy once you spent a few days in there.

He shoved two bottles of water into a bag as well and then started leading the way outside. The wind had a nice chill to it but it wasn't cold enough for Rowan to handle. He simply pulled his sweater closer to himself, letting the wind nip gently at his nose and ears. "You want to do the honours?" He asked, pointing to the vast field that lay in front of them. At the edge of the field was the beginning of a forest. It was the most isolated part of the land that Tony owned, but also potentially the most dangerous of all. Rowan knew only vaguely of it's stories.

 

[PixieDust]

The slight chill nipped at Leighton’s cheeks and nose as she made her way out into the night. She wrapped her arms around herself as she looked up at the moon.

For some reason, the silvery light from the moon always seemed eerie to her, but also hypnotic and beautiful. It took her a moment to tear her gaze from the orb of light and toward the vast field they were now stood in.

She set down the blanket before sitting down, hugging her knees to her chest as she glanced around her at her surroundings.

Truth be told, she could not see very much. It was lucky that Isa was with them considering he was made of pure light. Leighton could make out a forest in the near distance and she looked it over with a sudden urge to explore it.

“I didn’t think Mr Stark was into forests. I’d love to explore it. Maybe there are deer. I think they’re the most beautiful things.” She patted the space beside her to sit with her. The crisp night air made her feel so much more alive than she had for days.

“Isn’t it gorgeous out here?” She sighed, leaning back on her hands as she looked up at the starry sky.

 

[cosmicforce]

"I read up on him before I came here. Mr. Stark raised his family in a wooded area, I think he liked lots of things he didn't tell people about." Rowan took a seat next to Leighton, crossing his legs childishly. He stared up at the night sky, admiring the stars. He spent so many years of his life never seeing the sky that nights like these; away from most light pollution, with a sky full of dazzling stars and a moon that cast a gentle glow over everything.

"It's beautiful," he replied, turning to look at Leighton. "It really is." He had a rare grin on his face and moved quickly to make sure she wouldn't catch him staring. Now wasn't the time to act like a mushy idiot; there was never a right time for that.

"Have you ever seen the stars like this?" He changed the subject quickly, wanting to think about anything other than how beautiful she looked in the moonlight.

 

[PixieDust]

Leighton glanced over when Rowan asked whether she had seen the stars so clearly before. In truth, she hadn't. It was hard to see the beauty of nature when everything was always so corrupted by pollution.
"No, never. I've always lived in the city and no one ever really takes the time to just stop and take in the world around them," she mused, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she took a bite from her apple.

A little way off in the distance amongst the trees, something bright caught her attention. She narrowed her eyes a little to see it a little better. A glowing pink light emanated from the area, the brightness dimming and growing repeatedly.

Leighton couldn't help wondering what it was and began getting to her feet, almost as though she were compelled to.
"Do you see that light in the forest?" she said to Rowan, her gaze still fixated on the light. She began to walk in that direction, not really minding whether he followed along with her or not. She simply had to investigate.

 

[cosmicforce]

Rowan didn't notice it at first; the faint, glowing pink light that came from not far away. It compelled him to get to his feet, moving towards it with his own apple still in hand. His branches poked through his skin, curling around his arms and legs and peeking through the sleeves of his hoodie. There were a few leaves on the ends of them now, despite the way they had withered and fallen off during his simulation.

"Be careful, Leighton," he warned, though he continued to walk only a few steps behind her. He wasn't sure either of them was ready for a fight and that was definitely where this was headed. In the last few days, he had learned one thing for certain and that was that nothing was ever simple or harmless around here, not even the people who were supposed to be on your side.