As you stepped from the shower, you were disappointed that the massage of the hot water didn't relax you as you had hoped. Looking at your reflection in the mirror, you cringed at the sight of the dark circles under your eyes and your pale complexion. You looked older than you were, so much older than you looked just a week ago; before the party, before Sokovia, and before the team lost one of their own. Nightmares plagued your attempts at sleep, and your mind was downright cruel in its replay of traumas you had both witnessed and experienced at the hands of Ultron. You had given up on traditional remedies, declined Wanda's offer of a sleep trance, and refused medications that could interfere with your powers. You were on your own, and began to feel hopeless. The clock read 12am when you finally closed your eyes and turned off the small lamp on your bedside table, sighing in defeat as you anticipated another night of horrors. When you woke with a shock, yelling to no one and covered in a cold sweat, the clock read only 12:30am.

Bruce

"Bruce, can I come in? I don't want to bother you if you're working on something." You poked your head thru the lab door, seeing the doctor surrounded by screens and images of calculations and formulas that you couldn't begin to comprehend, though he navigated them with ease.

"Come on in, (Y/N). I'm almost done."

Even though you didn't understand what he was working on, it was impressive. The man was a genius, but you would never know by looking at him, or even interacting with him. He was very humble in his intellect, never using it to gain stature or position, only for the greater good. He was a very noble man, and you could understand why he feared losing control of that as the other guy.

After several minutes he removed his glasses to rub the fatigue from his eyes, setting them gently on the table, followed by his stark white lab coat. He looked at you, no, examined you as you stood before him, waiting for him to say anything about the exhausted appearance that was now yours.

"How much sleep have you gotten this past week?"

"About three hours."

"Each day?"

You paused, taking a slow breath, "All week."

He rushed around the table, holding your arms as he looked at you closer now, his eyes wide as they assessed you in a way that definitely felt diagnostic. "Oh, no, (Y/N). This has to stop. You can't survive on that. You can't function on the team with that. Hell, you just can't function period." He released you, holding up a finger to you to pause the moment as he left the room.

It wasn't anything you didn't already know. You could feel your power weakening with each lost hour of sleep. Your reflexes were dull and your mind was slipping, forgetful and jumbled. When he returned seconds later, he was holding a bottle out for you to take, along with a large glass of water.

"No, Bruce, I can't take medications. I never know how I'll react." You held your hands up in front of you, beginning to back away from him. "The last time I took anything, I kind of...sent a tornado into...Brooklyn. I don't think Steve has forgiven me yet." You rubbed your hands against your face, tears about to build in your tired eyes, "these nightmares have to stop eventually, right?"

His expression was soft and sad as he regarded you, searching his brilliant mind for a solution, but resulting in nothing. "What can I do to help you, (Y/N)?"

"I can't stand being in my room alone right now. It never ends well." Before the question was even asked, you prepared yourself for him to decline. "Would you come with me? Just for a while?"

With a small smile and a hand placed on the small of your back, he led you from the lab. "Lead the way."

Once there, you could sense that he was uncomfortable being in your room, but he promised to help you and was not one to back out. He stood at the door, waiting, his hands folded in front of him. "Where do you want me?" His words brought a small smirk to his lips, with a quiet chuckle, "I mean, where should I sit?" You directed him to the large recliner in the corner of your room, and he quickly obliged. As he settled himself, he lifted his arm to invite you next to him. "Come on, honey, let's get you to sleep. I'll protect you."

Steve

You knew the Captain had dealt with nightmares; you remembered hearing his stories of the war and how the sight of Bucky falling from the train, just out of his reach, would replay in his mind until it nearly drove him mad. With all of the violence and heartbreak that he had seen in his years, he must have figured out a way to keep those thoughts from his mind so he could sleep.

It was so late, though. He said he would try to help, but that probably meant during normal hours, right? He would probably be upset if you woke him now...right? There was no way that you were going to find sleep again tonight, and the thought of seeing him felt more and more necessary. You pulled your robe over your shoulders and quietly opened your door, peeking down the corridor to be sure you weren't seen.

As you approached Steve's door, you hesitated, chewing on your thumbnail anxiously. You paced back and forth trying to make the final decision to knock or retreat back to your own room.

Knock.

No, wait.

Yes, knock.

"Miss, do you require assistance?"

You cringed at the sound of FRIDAY, resonating thru the hallway. "Shut up, FRIDAY! No, I don't need-"

"If FRIDAY can't help you, might I be able to?"

Slowly turning to face him, opening one eye, then the other, your body relaxed when you saw him and you exhaled a breath that you didn't realize you were holding. He looked so...comfortable. If you could just rest your head on his chest and hear his heartbeat as he slept, you would certainly get the sleep you so desperately needed. How could you possibly be any safer than with Steve?

"Um, well...maybe?" You hung your head and began to wring your hands together, trying to control the shake coming from deep within you as you spoke. "I had another nightmare, and I was wondering if I could take you up on that offer of help?" You paused to look up at him, your eyes almost pleading now, "I think I'm in trouble, here, Steve."

"Come on," he took your hand and led you into his room, pausing at the door as he closed it behind him, watching you as you sat on the edge of the bed.

His room was always well organized and just decorated enough to know it was his. He tried to not have too many pieces of memorabilia around, focusing more on the here and now that on his past. It was clearly a man's room, but you found comfort there during the few times you had visited.

Steve moved to sit next to you, his shoulder touching yours. He leaned towards you slightly, nudging you a bit with a small laugh escaping his lips. "You look like hell, (Y/N). When was the last time you actually slept more than an hour?"

"The night before the party."

"Damn." He reached for your hand, pushing himself up to stand in front of you. "Alright, let's remedy that." He directed you to the side of his bed and stood silently, waiting for you to make a move. When you didn't, he slipped the robe off of you and gestured for you to get in. Now that the thing you wanted was happening, you were more nervous than ever.

You silently crawled in, shifting until you were under the covers, laying your head on the pillow next to his. You knew that you were staring at him, likely with a look of utter confusion, but you couldn't force your eyes away. You were definitely certain that your eyes were bulging out of your head when he climbed in next to you and you felt his body touching yours.

"Come here." He lifted his arm, inviting you to lie against his chest. As you shifted your position towards him and rested your cheek on his warm skin, you felt a kiss on the top of your head. "I'll protect you."

Natasha

Maybe a movie would help to clear your mind; a nice romantic comedy, something light and fluffy. It was late enough for the rest of the team to be in their rooms, likely enjoying the sound sleep that you so desperately desired. You grabbed your slippers and headed towards the common room to distract yourself from the terrors that come every time you fall into that damn bed.

If you were going to be sneaky, then you might as well just do it right. With a quick pass thru the kitchen, you loaded a plate full of cookies and grabbed a glass of milk before making your way to the couch. Steve wasn't here to give you the disapproving look that he used far too often, and no one was around to tattle.

"FRIDAY," you whispered into the darkness, "you never saw me."

"I saw nothing, miss." She whispered back, and you stifled a small laugh, impressed with the personality that Tony had designed for this A.I.

"Wait, before you ignore me completely, can you run a movie for me? Something funny. No blood, no fights, no...death."

As you set your snack on the table and grabbed a soft, warm blanket, you dropped back onto the couch and sighed, hoping that this would get the sounds of battle out of your head. The screen lit up with FRIDAY's selection; as the opening credits began you laughed, pleased with her choice for you.

"What's Your Number? Nice, FRIDAY. Very nice." You tucked your feet up into the blanket, grabbing the plate of cookies, balancing it carefully on your lap. "I see you appreciate gorgeous leading men like I do."

"Mind if I join you? I can appreciate a naked Chris Evans as much as the next girl."

Her voice startled you, jumping enough to drop the plate on the floor and cracking it in half. "Dammit, Nat! Not cool!" You bent down to clean up the mess with a huff, pissed that your attempt to cheat on your training diet was ruined. "Why the hell are you awake?"

"I heard you." She jumped over the back of the couch, quickly wrapping herself in your blanket, leaving almost none for you. "We're gonna have to work on your stealth skills, (Y/N)."

"Excuse me? Manners?"

"What?" She spoke with a mouth full of cookie, reaching for your glass of milk, "Since when don't we share?" Your stern look did nothing to stop her as she finished the entire drink quickly. "Calm down, I'll get more, you big baby."

You laughed and grabbed her arm when she tried to stand, "No, no, it's fine. Stay." With a jolting tug, you pulled the blanket back so that you could both be covered and leaned against her, relaxing with the contact. You both sat in silence as the movie continued, occasionally laughing quietly so as to not wake any of the others to interrupt this impromptu girls night.

"I still can't sleep, Nat. Not since before the party." You wrapped your arm around hers, pulling yourself closer to her warmth. "The nightmares just won't stop."

"Are you serious?! (Y/N), you need to find a way to rest. This isn't healthy."

"Obvious statement of the day, thanks."

Natasha rested her head on yours with her arm around you, stroking your hair. "I'll stay here with you, okay? You sleep, I'll protect you." You hummed quietly in agreement, your eyes beginning to get heavy as you felt your muscles finally beginning to relax.

"Hey, wait," she whispered, her tone suspicious, "that Evans kid looks an awful lot like Cap, don't you think?"