tainted dreams |p. parker ✔️

vi.

tainted dreams | chapter six
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(Unedited, so please excuse any mistakes)
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Rosalie Evans, five years in the future

New York was completely abandoned after five years of silence and lack of human beings roaming around the streets.

Dozens of boats were left, gathered around a dock, all abandoned. A baseball stadium once filled with joyful cries of enthusiastic fans, now lifeless.

The aftermath of the Decimation was evident, and Earth had not coped well.

And neither had Rosalie.

The girl -now a woman- was living her life as a counsellor with Steve. Together, they had created an association for the survivors who struggled with their daily lives, or for people who simply wanted someone to talk to.

Using an abandoned cafe as their meeting point, Rosalie and Steve waited for the rest of the people to join them. The therapy session would start in less than half an hour and she was already dreading it.

Yes, it felt great to help other people in need but Rosalie understood that she was neglecting her own needs and feelings, pushing them down every time they tried to resurface.

Rosalie read the poster on the wall time and time again, the words "where do we go, now that they're gone?" hitting her impenetrable heart with trembling force.

That day's session was supposed to be quite easy and short: seven people who scheduled that day for a meeting were to arrive, speak of their troubles and leave, as everyone else did in their other sessions. They're troubled had to come first, leaving the two heroes submerged by everyone else's problems, plus their owns.

But it never was easy for Rosalie. And she knew that Steve felt the same way.

As the people slowly arrived for the session, Rosalie spaced out and waited for them to take their seats. Soon, every seat was taken and Steve started their session.

"Welcome back, everyone." Steve clapped his hands together and smiled sadly. "As you all now, my name is Steve Rogers and this is Rosalie Evans. We're here to help you, to provide a safe place for your worries to disappear."

"We're here to do everything we can in order to ease your pain and remind you that's there's still happiness out there." Rosalie completed their usual speech and cringed internally.

If only she could follow her own advice and pursue happiness once again. Like Tony had done.

"Does anyone want to start?" Rosalie asked before she could get emotional. She had fought so hard to keep her emotions at bay, she wouldn't let it all go for nothing.