Chapter Text
You started working at a local bar just outside of the city shortly after moving away from the town you grew up in, and into a nice apartment just outside the big city almost a year ago. The modest sized bar was known for its great service and fairly cheap drinks but it was mainly a pitstop for most. A place to enjoy a post workday drink with friends or to pregame before hopping on the train into the city for all the high-class clubs and bars. You had immediately applied for the job after you moved in because it was close to the train station, and there were only a few regulars who would be able to recognize you as the famed girl who went missing only to turn up seemingly unscathed after 10 years.
The owner was a kind man in his mid 40s named John who lived in the suburbs with his wife and two kids. When you applied for the job, John didn’t ask any questions about your disappearance even though you could tell he knew who you were. It makes sense he would know; he has two kids at home around the age you were when you went missing; your story is one he fears ever happening to his children. No parent should have to go through the trauma of losing a child and never fully knowing or understanding what happened to them. Missing out on so much time with them due to the cruelty and whims of others.
Your parents didn’t share the same fear. They didn’t think anything about their only child not answering texts or coming home at a reasonable time. In their eyes, you were a reckless teen who often stayed out late at night getting drunk and smoking weed with your "delinquent" friends. All they cared about was that you went to school and didn’t do anything that would reflect poorly on them or their name. They only found out you were actually missing when the school called saying that you hadn’t shown up for school that morning.
—
The night had started out fairly simple, the few regulars had already been in and gone and you only had to deal with one larger group that had been out after work for the celebration of a closed deal, apparently. They didn’t get too rowdy so by the time 11 PM rolled around, you were thinking you would be able to get through the shift without any major obstacles.
But of course, just when you think it’s going to be an easy night, that’s when shit hits the fan.
It was nearing midnight on a Thursday when a group of men burst through the front doors. They were laughing obnoxiously and pushing and shoving as they joked around with each other.
There were only a few other patrons in the bar at the time. A woman sat in the back corner table reading a book while sipping on a gin and tonic, and a small group of four friends were around the pool table near the front windows.
All eyes turned to the rowdy group that had just entered the establishment and wrecked the relaxed mood inside the bar.
“I still can’t believe you bagged a baddie like that Jaeger!” one of the drunken men hollered.
“I can’t believe it either man!” another drunk, presumably “Jaeger” yelled back. “I mean she is one of the hottest pieces of ass I've ever had! I can do whatever the fuck I want and she won’t do anything about it because it’ll ruin her!”
“Her rack is to die for, man! I’d love to get a piece of that sometime!” another hollered.
“I’ll let you take a turn with her sometime! It’s not like she can say no to me!” Jaeger joked.
They all laughed as they staggered up to the bar. You had been tense since they first burst into the bar but after hearing them say such disgusting things your muscles tensed with rage. However, you still had a job to do and it wasn’t the first time you’d dealt with patrons like these douchebags.
You set the glass you were cleaning down and tossed the towel over your bare shoulder.
I’m now regretting the decision to wear my cutoff tank top tonight. you thought to yourself.
It was a hot summer night and you didn't have to deal with any of the sleazy patrons very often. Usually, you weren’t alone during your shifts but Thursdays are their slowest nights, no reason to pay two bartenders when one can handle it themselves.
You plastered on your best customer service smile and got to work.
“Hi guys! What can I get started for you?”
“You can start by taking your top off for us, sweetheart.” one of the men said with a wink and a gross smirk.
The rest of the group laughed and agreed with him, all talking over each other and looking up and down your form like you were a piece of meat they wanted to sink their teeth into.
It was disgusting and you were having none of it. Your anger was just barely contained, you gripped the end of the towel on your shoulder in a white knuckle grip as you stared daggers at the group.
“That won’t be happening. Ya’ll can either order something to drink and treat me with some respect or get the fuck out of my bar.” you said in a deadly serious tone that prompted the other patrons in the bar to take notice of the situation. Even though the bar technically wasn’t yours, you were the only one working tonight so you were acting owner while John was away.
The group laughed in your face but made no move to step away from the bar.
“Aw, come on sweetheart! Just a little peek!”
“Yeah! You’re too cute to be working behind a bar!”
“Grab yourself a drink and come sit with us! We’ll show you a real good time.”
They continued to attempt to get a rise out of you but you didn’t move a muscle, didn’t even blink.
The group around the pool table made a quick exit, not wanting to get involved. The woman in the corner set her book to the side, her place marked with a shiny red bookmark, and turned her body to be fully facing the bar ready to spring out of her seat if anything went wrong.
“I’m gonna have to ask ya’ll to leave.” you said and stared intently at each of the men.
“We’re not leaving until you show us a good time sweetheart.”
“Come on Jaeger, she’s not worth all this trouble. We can get some easy college girls downtown.”
“No. I want this one.” Jaeger replied with a greasy smile while staring at you and started to reach across the bar to grab your hand.
As soon as he made contact, your eyes shot down to his hand and you watched as his hand was crushed into a mangled mess of crunched fingers like his hand had been squeezed by an invisible crushing handshake.
“YOU FUCKING BITCH!” Jaeger bellowed, now cradling his mangled hand.
“She’s a freak! She’s one of those gross mutant things!”
“You’re going to pay for that! You disgusting whore!”
One of them tried to throw a punch over the bar top at you but you just looked at the man it was attached to and watched briefly as his form was pushed away from you into a group of tables. You hadn’t moved an inch from your spot behind the bar, one hand still gripping the towel on your shoulder the other, placed on the bar top in the same position it had been when Jaeger had tried to grab it.
You briefly closed your eyes and let out a breath as the rest of the group tried to surge over the bar and jump you.
You casually stepped to the side of the first man to jump over and watched as he tripped and fell but as he started to get back up, you stared at his head and watched as it was stomped into the floor behind the bar by an invisible boot. He made no move to get up again.
Another tried to come up behind you, but you were already turning around to intercept him and watched as he was shoved hard into the side of the bar cracking several ribs, and slumped to the ground, smashing his head on the bar top as he fell.
The next man didn’t even get a chance to jump the bar top when you turned and locked eyes with him just as he was preparing his jump. There was fear in his eyes as they darted to his friends lying in heaps beside you. You stood there with a sneer and eyes that shined a deep red with your pupils turning into slits.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, bud.” you told him, completely calm, devoid of emotion. A couple others were holding a whimpering Jaeger up between them all looking at you with utter terror.
All the while the woman in the back of the bar looked on with fascination and wonder. She had relaxed back into her chair, continuing to sip her drink, when she realized you had the situation under control.
“Once again, I’m gonna have to ask ya’ll to leave. Now.” you stated, your eyes still glowing, the skin around your eyes turning into what looked like shiny scales such a deep red they looked almost black. The hand resting on the bartop had also started to change, developing the same scales while your fingers began morphing into claws.
The group stared at you for a moment before understanding the unspoken threat that you would not be merciful if they attempted to attack you again. They scrambled out the doors as quickly as their fear would allow, but Jaeger, it seemed, had a death wish and attempted to yell back,
“You’ll regret this! I’ll end you for-” before he could finish his sentence he let out a scream as his other hand was crushed to match his already mangled one.
“And take these assholes with you!” you yelled as you looked to the men you had already taken out and watched as they crashed through the doors throwing Jaeger and his buddies out onto the street in a heap.
You took a deep breath and closed your eyes trying to calm down and prevent your body from shifting further. You didn’t want to explain to John tomorrow why the bar looked like a fire tornado had gone through it.
As you calmed down, your hand returned to normal and your eyes lost most of their red glow. They were still the eyes of your other form but their glow wasn’t nearly as intense as before. Once calm, you slowly raised your head and opened your eyes only to be met with the only remaining patron of the bar.
The woman from the back of the bar had made her way up to you, watching as you calmed yourself and the scales and claws retreated. She was staring at you with a small smile tugging at the corners of her red lips. Her eyes alight with intrigue and awe.
“I was prepared to step in, but it would seem you had it under control from the beginning.” the woman said with a slight accent that sent a pleasant chill down your spine. You’d never heard an accent like it or had a reaction to somebody’s voice like that before. The woman had been coming to the bar sporadically over the past month but it was always on the nights you were scheduled. None of your other coworkers had mentioned the new regular on their nights. You only work Thursday-Saturday and this new regular is here, at her corner table, each of those nights and no others.
The worst part is you’ve never had a chance to ask for her name. Which should be a crime because she’s the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. Her long reddish-brown hair flowed flawlessly down her back and over her shoulders, her eyes were your favorite shade of green and always alight with joy while she sat at her table reading a book. She never asked for the same drink twice, like she was trying out all the combinations of liquor and sodas you could come up with.
As you looked into those beautiful green eyes you were struck speechless by the very slight shine of red, unnoticeable to most but almost intentional in this moment, to reassure you that you were in like company.
“Uhm, I-I-, yeah, mhm, totally under control.” you sputtered. You cleared your throat before trying to speak again, “I’m so sorry you had to see all that. I promise that doesn’t happen often.”
“Are you apologizing for those disgusting boys,” she spat with venom dripping from her words, “that came in here and tried to take advantage of you or for defending yourself with those wonderfully intriguing abilities you have?” the woman responded.
“You think my abilities are wonderful?” you responded, your eyes widening in surprise. “I’m a monster. A freak, as those “boys” said. Most people are terrified when they learn what I am, what I can do.”
“Those boys were the only monsters or freaks I saw tonight.” she said with a sneer. “I’m not most people.” the woman said with a small smile returning to her lips. “I think you and I have more in common than you would think.” Her smile grew to show some of her white teeth and her eyes crinkled slightly at the corners.
“I’m Wanda Maximoff by the way.” holding out her hand for you to shake. “I’ve never properly introduced myself and I apologize for that.” The woman, no Wanda, said with a kind but shy smile.
You took Wanda’s hand, feeling the softness envelop your own and feeling a spark shoot up your arm and settling deep in your chest. Your eyes darted up from your locked hands to look into Wanda’s evergreen eyes and you swore Wanda could see everything you kept hidden inside. There was no fear in that sudden exposure, you were surprised to notice you felt more at ease looking into Wanda’s eyes, knowing that all the darkness you kept hidden deep inside yourself was safe to be let out without fear, without judgement, because Wanda could see that darkness and didn’t cower from it. She met it head on and dared it to try and overpower her.
You quickly took your hand back from Wanda’s safe embrace, regretting it almost immediately.
“No need to apologize, Wanda.” you said after clearing your throat again. Wanda simply smirked with a glint of mirth in her eyes. She thoroughly enjoyed watching you try to be somewhat professional while clearly flustered by your interaction.
“And your name?” Wanda asked with a smirk.
“Oh! Right! My name’s Y/N Y/L/N!” you replied with a little too much enthusiasm for the overall situation. You mentally chastised herself, Damnit Y/N! You’re blowing it! Be cool!
“Y/L/N?” Wanda asked with a quirk of her brow. “Isn’t that the name of that wealthy family whose daughter went missing and reappeared? I saw the headlines for years.” Wanda seemed genuinely curious if there was a connection or not.
You felt all the blood drain from your face and your slight smile disappeared. Wanda noticed the change in mood immediately and attempted to remedy the situation.
“Oh my god. I am so sorry! That was terribly insensitive. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t feel comfortable. I never- I would- ugh, I am so sorry for bringing that up.” Wanda continued to ramble off apologies.
You attempted to bring yourself back to the present instead of reliving your trauma. Wanda saw you stuck in your own pain and gently touched your hand. You jerked back violently at the touch and your breathing turned erratic. Once you realized it was just Wanda and not the shadows in your mind trying to claw their way out, you calmed down and your breathing returned to normal.
“Shit, sorry. Didn’t mean to go someplace else just then.” You said with a half hearted laugh. “But yeah, I’m the daughter.” you said as you rubbed the back of your neck with the hand Wanda had touched. “I don’t really like to talk about it. It was such a high profile case and all, y’know. Not that that was my choice but here we are.” You said with a shrug trying to make light of the situation but could see Wanda staring at you with her brows drawn together and a deep frown.
At least it isn’t pity, you thought, you had enough pity thrown your way for a lifetime. She looked like she actually understood the pain you had gone through on a personal level somehow. The little crease between her brows was adorable and distracted you enough to move on and not throw the conversation completely off the rails.
“It’s okay, really! Nowadays most people don’t recognize me outright but once they hear my name that’s all they want to talk about.” you say with a roll of your eyes like it was simply annoying and didn’t hurt as much as you let on. Most people only wanted to get close to you to know what happened to you or to get close to your parents and their wealth.
Wanda still had her brows drawn together but quickly shook out of her gloom when she realized you were trying to deflect and move on. When you went away for a moment, your emotions and thoughts were so oppressive Wanda unintentionally caught a glimpse of what happened to you. She’ll never forget it and wants to know more if you’re willing but for now, after the chaos of the night, she was fine to move on, for now.
“Of course. I understand.” Wanda said somewhat solemnly. She took a quick glance at the clock above the bar, realizing suddenly that it was nearing 2 AM. She looked around the bar at the tossed around tables and chairs and it looked as though one of the two entrance doors was bent slightly. Most likely from when you tossed those brutes through the doors.
“Well y/n, there seems to be quite the mess in here and it’s nearly closing time. I’d be happy to help you close up considering the hour and the heroics you displayed earlier.” Wanda said with a genuine smile, none of the previous concerns were present in her features.
You took a look around as well and sighed, John is definitely going to fire me over all the damages. How would I even begin to explain this?
“No need to worry yourself, darling. I’ll take care of everything out here. You just do whatever else you need to do to close up.” Wanda said as she smiled at you.
You were caught off guard by the pet name but shook out of it quickly so she didn’t notice your rising blush at its use.
“Alright, if you’re sure?” you ask hesitantly, not wanting her to strain herself and do all your work for you.
“I’m very capable, I assure you. Just leave it to me.” She responded while shooing you away with a flick of her hand.
Just as you were about to turn to start cleaning up the specs of blood that had managed to get on the floor and bartop, a red glow caught your eye. You turned back to Wanda and watched with eyes blown wide as spindles of red energy surrounded her hands. You watched as she waved a hand and the tables and chairs around the bar righted themselves and were put up off the floor. As if she could sense your eyes on her she turned around with a proud smirk, her glowing red eyes seemed to capture yours in a trance and steal your breath from your lungs. She looked ethereal.
Wow. That is so hot. You thought to yourself.
“Thank you, darling. But please, do finish your tasks so we can get out of here at a reasonable hour.” Wanda said with a full grin as she watched your cheeks turn a wonderful shade of pink and make its way down your neck and beautifully bare shoulders.
Damnit y/n! That was out loud not in your head! Get your shit together! It’s not like you’ve never seen a hot woman before! You chastised yourself as you chuckled and shook your head to clear your thoughts before they became inappropriate. You could hear Wanda’s slight laugh as she turned back to continue fixing the bar and you smiled, wanting to hear her laugh again.
—
Wanda had finished fixing up the sitting area and front doors of the bar fairly quickly and wandered to the backroom she saw you enter earlier. When she got to what she assumed was the office, she saw you crouched down below the desk mumbling to yourself as you locked up the safe.
“I can’t believe this is how tonight went. It was supposed to be a chill Thursday but noooo, a bunch of douchebags with dicks for brains had to come in and ruin everything. Now I’ll have to leave my nice apartment and start over somewhere else, hopefully nobody recognizes me. Fuck this.” you whispered to yourself, fed up with yet another good situation in your life crashing and burning because of your past and your abilities.
Wanda was enjoying looking at you from behind, watching you go through your routine but concerned for you and curious about all you had been through. She didn’t know what drew her to this random bar outside the city, but when she first walked in and saw you she knew she’d keep coming back just to see your smile. She enjoyed watching you chat with the regulars like you’d known them for years, and welcoming new patrons with an earnest smile.
She also thoroughly enjoyed watching you when your anger showed itself, although controlled, the raw power you could hold with just a look was intense and typically made any unruly customers think twice before challenging you. It always brought a cynical smile to Wanda’s lips when she saw you put someone in their place. Wanda would do anything to learn more about you, what makes you so strong and ruthless but incredibly kind at the same time. She wanted to know everything about you, anything you’d be willing to share with her. But if you were to leave she’d never get a chance. Wanda just couldn’t bear the thought of you disappearing from her life after just starting to enter it.
“Y/N.” Wanda said softly as to not startle you.
You tensed, not knowing how long Wanda had been standing behind you. You finished closing the safe and turned around to face the beautiful woman with her green eyes looking somewhat sad. She chewed on her bottom lip slightly as if she was nervous.
Why is she nervous? Did something happen? Did I do something to upset her? You started to spiral and assume you upset her somehow by taking too long to close up.
“Sorry Wanda, I didn’t mean to take so long. You can head out now, I just have to lock up on my way out. Sorry for keeping you here so late, you probably have way more important things to be doing at 2:30 in the morning on a Thursday. Well I guess it would be Friday now wouldn’t it? Heh.” You rambled and rubbed the back of your neck while glancing at the floor. Your ears started to turn red as you were embarrassed by the whole situation.
“You apologize too much, y/n. And I have absolutely nothing I would rather be doing on this very early Friday morning.” Wanda said with a wink. “I’m also not about to leave you here by yourself after that nasty business earlier. I’ll walk you home.” Wanda said it with conviction and no room for argument.
“Sor-I mean alright, Wanda. If you’re sure, it’ll just be a minute. I’ll meet you by the front doors. I just need to set the alarm.” You said, knowing there was no use trying to convince her to leave without you.
You had managed to gather yourself as you walked to the front to meet Wanda. You held open the door for her to exit and then locked the door behind you. After making sure everything was secured, you turned around to find Wanda scanning the surrounding area.
“We’re all set.” You say as you take a look around making sure there’s nobody waiting around a corner to jump you, you didn’t want to deal with it tonight.
“Great!” Wanda said excitedly. “Where do you live?”
“Oh! Uhm, just a few blocks from here actually. You really don’t have to walk me there. You’re probably exhausted and want to head straight home.” You try to say it normally but your voice wobbles a bit because honestly, you’re exhausted and don’t know how you’re going to make the short trek home. Using your abilities is tiring, even the partial transformation you did makes your body ache both due to the past trauma and the strain of maintaining the form. You could devour at least 3 double cheeseburgers right now and that still might not be enough. Or you could easily pass out in the alley next to the bar and not wake up until John finds you while taking out the trash in a few hours when he gets to the bar.
Wanda watches your internal struggle and sees your eyes slowly blinking trying to stay open and alert. She shakes her head, what am I going to do with you? She lets out a small laugh and touches your bare shoulder gently.
“Darling, you’re about to fall asleep standing up, I insist on walking you home to ensure you get there safely and don’t sleep in an alley tonight.” Wanda says with a soft smile and a chuckle.
You just stare at her with a dopey smile, “alright gorgeous, if you insist.” you say while slightly swaying on your feet.
Wanda’s eyes go slightly wide at the compliment and the fact you didn’t even put up a fight. A slight blush breaks out across her cheeks and she turns away slightly to cover it up, not wanting to reveal to you how your words have affected her.
“Come on, y/n.” Wanda says while linking her arm through yours to both keep you up and to keep you close. “Are you awake enough to lead us to your place?”
“Yeah, yeah. Like I said, it's just a few blocks from here, 5 minutes tops.” you say as a blush creeps up your neck from her close proximity. She’s warm, and you can feel the slightly defined muscles of her arm as you adjust to hold on to her more.
You begin the walk in contented silence, listening to the quiet of the night, hearing the rumble of the train along the tracks, some sirens in the distance, a dog barking. It’s nice, it allows you to breathe easier, and having Wanda there puts your mind at ease. You don’t know what it is about her that disarmed you so quickly, but it feels nice to not have to constantly look over your shoulder for danger.
“This is nice. Thank you for walking me home even though you didn’t need to, Wanda.”
“You’re right, I didn’t need to walk you home, I wanted to.” Wanda says with a smile as she glances at you.
You stare at her side profile, trying to memorize all the little details of her beautiful face. Her hair blows slightly in the breeze and you catch a whiff of her scent, it reminds you of a cool spring day, fresh cut grass, cool waters, fresh air. It’s intoxicating, especially when you smell a bit of strawberry from her hair. The way her brows are slightly scrunched as she continues to scan the surrounding streets as you continue to walk. The streetlights reflect off her face giving her a beautiful glow. The light reflects off the necklaces that hang down her chest. You catch yourself before you ogle too much at her exposed chest where you can see the top of her bra peeking out from her tank top.
A flush spreads across your cheeks when you look back up and see Wanda watching you with a smirk. You quickly avert your eyes and focus on the sidewalk in front of you. You’re almost to your apartment, dreading the moment Wanda will have to part from you, wanting to spend as much time with her as possible. But you know it has to end at some point, you just hope she’ll continue to visit the bar on your nights, hope that you didn’t scare her off. Suddenly you recall her using her abilities in front of you, not even trying to hide it.
“You have powers.” It comes out as a statement rather than the question you intended, you want to learn more about Wanda, about her powers and their red glow that was so similar to your own.
“As I mentioned earlier, I believe you and I have more in common than you might think. But yes, I have powers, I haven’t had them all my life, however, that is a long and tragic story that I will not bore you with at the moment.” Wanda says and you can tell she wants to tell you more but there wouldn’t be enough time, at least for tonight.
“Of course! I didn’t mean to pry, I was just curious is all. I don’t meet many people with abilities, mutants or otherwise.” you say “I understand not wanting to go into your tragic backstory with someone who’s practically a stranger.” You laugh to try and ease any tension that may have arisen by bringing up the topic.
“Darling, you’re not a stranger to me. I’ve seen you this past month every time I came into the bar, while trying to work up the courage to have a longer conversation besides what I’m reading that night or what drink I wanted to try.” Wanda says with a shy laugh. Your heart skips a beat at the pet name again. You don’t understand why it affects you as much as it does. It makes you feel warm and like a gift meant to be cherished.
Too soon you’ve arrived at the entrance to your apartment complex. A newer complex, with a modern exterior, large windows and balconies scattered along the sides of the building.
Wanda is surprised at the apparent luxury of the place, but then she remembers your last name and how wealthy and well known your parents are. She wonders more about your past and what led you to end up here just outside the bustling, over crowded city.
“Well, here we are.” You say as you regretfully unlink your arm from Wanda’s to pull your keys out of the pocket in your jean shorts.
“Oh no, I’ll be walking you to your apartment too, darling. I want to make sure you actually get there and are taken care of.” Wanda says and steps towards the entrance doors waiting for you to catch up and enter the code to get in.
You shake your head and smile at her antics but don’t argue. The two of you have already made it this far. What's the harm in letting her continue to ensure your safety?
You enter the code as quickly as your sleep deprived mind can manage, it takes a couple tries but you get it eventually. Wanda waits patiently with a soft smile on her lips, chuckling softly at your adorable noises of frustration when you can’t enter it properly. You lead her into the elevators and immediately slump against the walls, closing your eyes, releasing a deep sigh at finally being in a place you consider to be relatively safe.
“What floor, darling?” Wanda asks as you jump at the question, briefly forgetting you weren’t alone in the elevator.
“Uhm, the top floor.” You reply sheepishly. It’s not that you’re embarrassed by having the top floor suite, you pay for it with your own money. You cut yourself off from your parents and their dirty money as soon as you left them. But you don’t like to show off how well off you really are, considering you work as a bartender most of the time, people tend to wonder how you came into the kind of money that could afford a place such as this.
Wanda simply nods and presses the button for the top floor suite. Watching as you return to your relaxed position against the wall of the elevator, your eyes closed and your chest rising and falling slowly with your calm breaths. She takes the time to fully admire you now that half of your body isn’t obstructed by a bar top. Your cutoff tank top shows off the toned muscles of your abdomen along with a multitude of scars, some small, some large and jagged as they peek out from beneath your top and stretch around your sides. She always wondered about the stories behind the patchwork of tattoos you had along your arms, now she sees many of them cover old scars that have faded over time. Glancing down, she continues to admire your strong looking legs, speckled with scars, loosely crossed at the ankles in your high top shoes. She wonders how it would feel to have your beautiful legs wrapped around her waist, to feel the muscles flexing in her hands as she held you up.
Wanda shakes her head at the thoughts, it’s much too soon to be having thoughts like that, she thinks. We’ve only just had our first conversation of any substance tonight for goodness sake! I’m just here to see her safely to her bed, nothing more…yet.
The elevator eventually comes to a stop and the doors slide open revealing a long hallway with only three doors. Two on either side of the hallway and one more on the far end next to the staircase for what Wanda would assume is the roof access.
“Sorry for the silence, just needed to clear my head a bit after y’know.” you say, rubbing the back of your neck. Wanda notices the tic and wonders if you even realize how often you do it.
“I don’t mind a bit of silence, darling. It was peaceful and gave me the opportunity to admire you when you’re relaxed.” Wanda says with a smirk, knowing she’d get to see that pretty blush spread across your face and chest. Her eyes dart down to your chest briefly before meeting your eyes once more.
“Which apartment is yours’ y/n?” Wanda asks with a tilt of her head as she steps out of the elevator, holding the doors open for you to make your way out once you’ve recovered from the shock of her words.
You shake your head and clear your throat, hoping your voice doesn’t crack to embarrass you further after the reaction you had to her blatantly admitting to checking you out. You don’t even know how to start deciphering her reasoning or meaning behind the admission.
“It’s the one at the end of the hall, near the stairs.” You say, with your voice only cracking slightly at the end.
You step out of the elevator and follow behind Wanda as she leads you to your apartment door. You try, you really try, not to check her out from behind, but you just can’t help yourself. She just admitted to checking you out, so she basically gave you permission to check her out in turn, right?
The short burgundy leather jacket she wears cuts off just above her hips and you catch a glimpse of beautifully pale, soft looking skin where the curved outline of her bodysuit arches over her hips. The long, skin tight, black pants she wears hug the curves of her muscular thighs and the knee high boots make your heart flutter.
I would commit atrocities for those thighs. You think to yourself dreamily.
You hear Wanda clear her throat and chuckle at your dazed state. You jump slightly and flush deeply at being caught staring at her. She simply smiles and nods to the locked door of your apartment in front of her and leans against the frame.
You smile at her, too tired to apologize for getting distracted by her beautiful form. You shuffle forward, starting to unlock the door when your face breaks out into a huge grin at the small needy meows you can hear behind the door.
Turning to Wanda with a wide grin, “Just to warn you, I have a very needy cat inside, if you couldn’t tell by the yells.” you laugh. “She’s friendly I promise, she just constantly craves my attention.”
“Oh! That’s alright!” Wanda laughs and matches your wide smile with one of her own, showing off her beautiful teeth and making her lush green eyes shine with pure joy.
“I actually love cats, I have one of my own. Although he’s a bit of a lone wolf, so to speak, he's a big softie when he wants to be.” Wanda smiles as she thinks of her fluffy black cat back home. He’s probably asleep, not even worried about when she’d be home.
You smile at the look of love Wanda has in her eyes as she thinks of her own cat, knowing that your face looks the same when you speak about yours. Turning back to the door, you quickly unlock it and enter to see your shabby orange cat staring at you and meowing up a storm. It’s like she’s yelling at you for worrying her and coming home so late at night. You laugh as you enter and allow Wanda to pass you by as you lock the door behind her. Setting your keys in the bowl on the table by the door you plop down on the floor to take off your shoes.
Immediately your cat tries to prevent you from getting your shoes off by meowing and bumping her head against your hands and legs begging for pets.
“Relax Butter! Gimme a second, damn!” You laugh as you attempt to get around Butter’s begging. You eventually manage to get your shoes off and sweep Butter into your arms as you stand up and give her all the cuddles she begged for.
Wanda watches with a fond smile. Just being around you warms her heart, watching you be completely yourself with no inkling as to the trauma you’ve endured, the only hint being the scars across your body.
“Butter?” Wanda laughs at the name for the cat currently shoving their head in your neck and gripping your shoulders with their paws in what looks like a hug.
“Well, when I adopted her as a kitten she was more yellow than orange so the name Butter just fit, she was almost the exact same color as a stick of butter.” You laugh and snuggle into the now mostly orange cat in your arms. As Butter starts to squirm in your arms you let her down and she immediately trots over to Wanda to sniff and rub against her boots.
“Well hello there sweetheart,” Wanda says as she crouches down to pet the needy cat. “Aren’t you just the sweetest thing?” Butter meows like she agrees with Wanda’s assessment of her sweetness.
“I’m terribly sorry Butter, dear, but I need to get your mama into bed before she falls asleep on the floor.” Wanda laughs as she says it and rises to find you watching the interaction with a soft smile. It sends a slight blush across Wanda’s cheeks and she ducks her head.
In an attempt to put her at ease, you approach and touch her arm.
“I just wanted to say thank you, again. For walking me all the way here and sharing your abilities with me. I know that it can be terrifying to share that part of yourself with someone you barely know.” You can see a glimmer of past pain in Wanda’s eyes as you speak, thinking of her own past traumas that gave her her powers.
“I do it again in a heartbeat, darling. You deserve to be seen and understood, you don’t have to hide your pain from me.” She says as she reaches up to hold each of your hands between the two of you.
Her thumbs rub the back of your hands in soothing circles that make you melt. Nobody has ever held you with so much care and said such kind things. Your eyes glisten slightly, you’re unsure why you suddenly feel like crying. You know Wanda means it when she says you don’t need to hide from her. You know she sees you and won’t shy away when you rip open your heart and show her your darker parts.
You nod in understanding, unable to meet her eyes, stuck looking at your hands in hers. The soft caress of her hands, the rings on most of her fingers cool on your heated skin, shining in the low light of the entry room. Wanda releases one of your hands and brings her fingers to your chin, lifting your gaze to meet hers. You gasp slightly as you see all the emotions raging within those verdant forests. She leans forward slightly, giving you the opportunity to pull away, and plants the softest kiss you’ve ever experienced to your forehead. You forget how to breathe in the seconds that pass with her soft lips on your forehead.
When she leans back, she gives a shy smile, and tucks a loose piece of hair back behind your ear. The path of her fingers leaves a trail of sparks along your cheek. You just stare openly at her, mouth slightly ajar, no thoughts whatsoever.
Wanda presses up on your chin, closing your mouth and smiles. You blink slowly trying to wrap your head around what just happened. It’s too much to process. You blink again.
“Huh?” you say dumbly.
Wanda throws her head back with a sparkling laugh. “You are adorable.” she says fondly, “I asked where your bedroom was, y/n.” she continues to chuckle.
“Oh yeah, uhm, this way.” you say as you finally have a task that you can focus on without becoming distracted by Wanda’s charming presence.
As you lead Wanda across the spacious apartment to your bedroom, she takes a moment to look around. She notices the space is an open floorplan with a spacious living room and state of the art kitchen she desperately wants to get her hands on. The color choices are very you she thinks, deep warm colors, with splashes of lighter ones to compliment the lighting. Artwork hangs on the walls, framed photos of you and Butter, several of nature and what looks like National Parks. She notes there are none of your parents, or any with friends, only one that has you and John at the bar along with what she assumes are your coworkers. She’s only met one bartender other than you, during your Friday and Saturday shifts.
The short walk across the apartment ends at your open bedroom door, Butter following along and passing you both by as she hops on the bed and curls into her spot at the foot of the bed.
You enter your room and let out a breath, finally made it, you think to yourself. You turn around to see Wanda standing in the doorway, not wanting to step into such an intimate space without permission. You step towards her and take her hand, pulling her gently into the room, your eyes never straying from hers. You turn around and walk further into the room, sitting at your vanity and starting on the process of removing your makeup and jewelry.
Wanda looks around your room as you prepare for bed. The walls were painted a boreal green, the furniture a natural colored cherry wood. Potted and hanging plants were scattered throughout the room, and more paintings and photos of forests and wildlife decorated the walls. There was a small couch against the wall under the window, with a book resting on the cushions.
“Do you enjoy reading?” Wanda broke the silence of the room with her question, the only other noises thus far were the sounds of you taking off your jewelry and Butter’s soft purrs.
“I love reading. The other side of my apartment doubles as my office and personal library.” you say as you turn in your chair to look at Wanda. She was sitting on your couch holding the book you had been reading the night before.
At the sound of your voice she glanced up and was struck silent by the sight of you. Clear of any makeup or jewelry you looked just as beautiful, but Wanda was struck by the deep color of the dark circles under your eyes. A long scar, now unconcealed, made its way down from your hairline down the side of your face and continuing to your neck. Her fists clenched slightly around your book in her hands. She wanted to know how you survived all you had been through with your heart still intact. To be willing to bear your scars without shame, except the one on your face. Wanda let out a slow breath to calm herself, and gently returned your book to its place on the couch.
“I would love to see it sometime, darling.” Wanda said as she rose from the couch and approached you. “But not tonight, I’m afraid. You are clearly exhausted and need to sleep.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” you say a little sadly. You don’t want Wanda to leave, but know she needs to. She’s still in her boots which can’t be comfortable and her cat is probably wondering where his mom is.
“Let me walk you to the elevator at least.” You say as you stand up from the vanity, putting on your slippers so your feet don’t get cold on the hardwood floors. You lead Wanda back through the apartment and to the elevators.
“Don’t look so distraught, detka.” Wanda chuckles out. “I didn’t get the chance to finish the book I was reading tonight due to all the chaos. And I really enjoy my corner table, it gives me a beautiful view of the bar.” Wanda says the last part with a suggestive smile.
You’re still hung up on what you assume is a term of endearment spoken in a language you don’t understand, but one you would happily beg to hear again spoken with Wanda’s sultry accent.
“Oh! Right, uhm, yeah!” you manage to stutter out. “You do usually come in on my nights.” you chuckle and rub the back of your neck in your nervous state.
“Like I said, I enjoy the view from my table. I wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to see it.” Wanda says while looking you up and down. Even in your disheveled and relaxed state, you’re beautiful and she wants nothing more than to kiss you senseless against the elevator doors. She held herself back, barely, she really needed to leave so you could get some much deserved rest.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night y/n. Thank you for the evening, the excitement at the bar included, I had a wonderful time.” Wanda said as she took your hand and squeezed gently to ensure you knew her words were sincere.
“Yeah, so did I, Wanda. Thank you, truly. I definitely owe you for all your help tonight.” you say while looking into her captivating eyes.
“I’ll hold you to that, darling.” Wanda says with a smirk. “Goodnight, y/n.”
Before she can pull away you hold her hand slightly tighter, lean forward and press a longing kiss to her forehead, just as she did to you earlier. You feel her breath catch and stutter out against your neck, sending a small shiver down your spine.
“Goodnight, Wanda. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” you say as you lean back.
Wanda smiles with a beautiful blush spreading across her cheeks. Turning around somewhat quickly to enter the elevators. Your eyes never left Wanda’s as the doors slowly closed.
Once back in your bedroom, you flopped face down onto the bed letting out a sigh of exhaustion and nerves. Butter stirred and gave an angry meow for disturbing her sleep. You chuckled, “what am I gonna do Butter?” you asked the cat who had already fallen back into her peaceful sleep.
As your eyes slipped closed, not even bothering to fully get under the blankets, the image of Wanda with her glowing red eyes was the last thing you saw before succumbing to sleep’s dark embrace.