The Void had left its mark on all of you.

Each member of the team had been forced to relive something—some shame, some regret—that had carved itself deep into the soul. It had taken something from each of you. But there hadn’t been time to process it. Not really. Because almost immediately after surviving that hell, you, James, Yelena, Ava, John, Alexei, and Bob were introduced to the world as the New A—a title none of you had expected, and most of you didn’t feel ready for.

Once again, you were thrown into the fray. Fighting to protect others, like the old days, as if nothing had happened. As if the Void hadn’t changed everything.

The few years you and James had taken away from it all were meant to be healing. Time to breathe. Time to build something stronger together. You had grown closer—bonded over shared pain, over love that had bloomed slowly, tenderly, and survived the chaos. You thought you could handle anything. You believed you could.

But after the Void… things began to shift.

It was subtle at first. James going quiet. Pulling away for hours without explanation. Less laughing. Less touching. He would stay up later than usual, sometimes not coming to bed at all. When he did, it felt distant—like his body was there, but his mind was somewhere far away.

You knew the Void had shaken him. It had shaken you too. You had your own nightmares, your own guilt replaying in your mind. But the silence between you and James hurt more than anything you saw in that place. You needed him. Craved his closeness, his voice, the weight of his presence to keep you grounded. And instead… he was disappearing.

Not just from you, but from everyone. Though, with you, it was the most obvious.

Weeks passed, and the silence became heavier. Your mind became your worst enemy. The confidence you’d rebuilt after everything Hydra did to you began to crack. The fear crept in—quiet, persistent, corrosive.

Maybe he didn’t want you anymore.

Maybe he regretted everything.

The thought wrapped itself around your chest like barbed wire. Eating became harder. Sleeping nearly impossible. Your stomach was in constant knots, and you found yourself silently crying into your pillow more nights than you could count. You tried to hide it, tried to stay strong. When Yelena and Ava noticed, they gently tried to reach out—but you pushed them away.

Because how could you explain that you were losing the only person who had made you feel whole again?

And then one night… it broke you.

Alone in your room, the weight finally crushed your chest. You fell to your knees, hands over your face as sobs tore out of you—raw, unfiltered, unstoppable. The silence cracked wide open, and the mask you wore for everyone else crumbled to dust.

You didn’t even hear the door open.

Didn’t hear the footsteps rushing toward you.

But then you felt it—arms wrapping around you, strong and familiar. A hand pressed gently to your lower back, the other weaving into your hair. A warm chest against your own shaking one. A voice, low and broken, whispering in your ear:

“Shhh, shhh. It’s okay, doll. I’ve got you.”

He held you close, tighter than he had in weeks. And in that moment, he realized the damage he’d done. The way his silence had hurt you. The way he’d let his own pain drive a wedge between the two of you.

He hadn’t meant to.

But he had. And now, with you crying in his arms, he swore to himself he’d make it right.