America Forever: Chapter 2
"Alright, the sculpture there. No! Wait! There." Stark's servant sighed as he pushed the giant statue of Wanda Maximoff to the left near the staircase.
Tony Stark clasped his hands together in happiness and turned to Vision. "And I have the best outfit for you."
"Would Miss Wanda want all of this...really? I don't understand your idea of, these...parties." The android floated torwards Tony who was laughing.
"This is what she deserves..." Tony pressed his lips together hard and turned to Vision. He snapped his fingers. "You know anyone she likes?"
"Um, yes Mr Stark. She likes you, Mr Wilson, Miss Romanoff..."
"No! No, I mean. Like!" Stark waved his hands in the air majestically causing Vision to lift a brow.
"Is this 'like' a form of magic? Or a myth?" Stark groaned at Vision and stepped aside. He walked past the tables set up in the ball room and examined a small rose in the middle of one.
Clint? No. Maybe T'Challa? Urg, no he's at a Wakandan conference. What about Steve? "He's with Sharon." He slammed his hands on the desk quickly and stood up.
"Who? Sharon?" Vision looked at the billionaire and slowly floated towards him, his gold cape dragging against the floor. "Mr Stark, are you well?"
"Oh me? Yes fine! Um..." He scratched his back and sighed. "It's just that...Wanda needs someone..."
"Well she has us. She has...'friendship', she likes us.." Vision copied Stark and waved his hands in the air awkwardly.
"No! No a significant other Viz." Stark grabbed his hands and lowered them down. Vision cocked a brow but then lifted his chin.
"I've been doing research on that subject. You want Miss Maximoff to engage in romance?"
"She needs someone." Stark responded while agusting roses on the tables. "She needs someone to, you know, care for her."
"You humans and love, it's strange." Vision shook his head and helped Tony with the tables. "You should talk with a member who has experienced this."
And then, one word entered Stark's mind. It stood out more than anyone elses, it sounded like hope to him.
Banner.
...
"What do you mean...love?"
"Oh c'mon man." Stark shook him playfully and then leaned back in his office chair. "You understand, you are still with Nat and you clearly understand the concept of love and understanding." Bruce cocked a brow at Stark and sighed.
"She's young. And I'm not sure she will need anyone to 'dance' with at the ball. And she's going off to college, she wont have time for romance." Banner noticed Stark's eyes have gotten larger and more 'upbeat' than normal. He is really focused on finding a 'Mr Darcy' for Wanda.
"And I thought you could help me..." He laughed slightly and rested a hand on his temple.
"You're not her dad." Tony laughed at the respond and turned around on the chair then stood up. "Well...maybe Vision then."
"No, he can't understand that. The...concept." He fluttered his hand in the air. Bruce's apartment seemed stuffy and full of chemicals. "I think I need fresh air."
"Hm." Bruce could only respond with.
Tony rested on Bruce's banister outside of his apartment. He began to think. He really wanted to make it up to her. Wanda deserves a lot and for 'locking her in her room' and almost destroying her life, she needed some happiness for once. Maybe the whole love thing is just a fantasy, maybe Stark is treating Wanda like he's her father. He needed to stop.
Stark sighed and a thought popped in his head. 'But, what if...Steve. No, no stop! He's with that Sharon Carter...' Right? Steve really never leaves the Avengers HQ now. And he never mentions Sharon. Maybe they are not together anymore? And Steve has been a bit quiet the past few weeks. Nat told Stark that she noticed.
But would Steve even be interested in Wanda? He is really shy around her, which is strange for a guy like him. It just started not too long ago. Stark let the thought of Steve go. Cap was too busy with other things.
"Welp." He walked into Bruce's apartment and then to the door. "Scrap that, Wanda's perfectly fine."
"Wow, that was...quick." Bruce turned and watched Stark leave. "You sure?"
"Positive. I just need to focus on the plans."
"You know, Wanda isn't a little girl anymore, she's getting to be a young woman. She can make plans on her own, Tony." Stark turned to Banner and scoffed.
"Of course she is." Tony paused and took a deep breath. "I just want to make it perfect for her. I know she 'hates' me, thinks I'm Godzilla who trampled all over her city.."
"I'm sure she's changed by now. Maximoff is growing and I think she is greatful for your...donations." Bruce chuckled.
Tony turned and faced the scientist and smiled brightly. "She sure loves that 120 inch TV screen."
...
"3 days~." Sam sang in Wanda's ear. She groaned slightly and laughed at the same time. She picked up a pillow on her couch and whacked him lightly in the head.
"Tony said Pepper picked out a nice dress for you already." Natasha entered the living room and sat next to the witch.
Wanda blushed slightly and shifted to Sam.
"And it's red."
Wanda perked up in an instant and then turned to Natasha and giggled. "Oh."
"Aw c'mon what's wrong? Nervous?" Sam put his arm around his teammate and shrugged. "I guess if I were you I would be a bit nervous. But you seem a bit over the top."
"And you have all of the emails and work sent. You are basically free right now to do anything." Widow did a half smile and looked at Wanda closer. She seemed...just as nervous and stressed when she first met her. During Ultron's war.
"I feel like I have to...make an impression." Wanda confessed. "You know how many people are invited to a Stark party?"
"10."
"At least 1000." Nat paused and looked at Sam who was laughing loudly.
"I'm kidding. But yeah, a lot of peeps. And who knows, the news might be there." Falcon shrugged and looked at Wanda again. "You don't need to pretend to be someone, well, maybe for missions-."
"I know." Wanda said sharply. "Sorry, just stressed."
"Well you shouldn't be." Natasha grabbed her shoulders and started to give Wanda a message. The witch's eyes traveled to Sam's face. The Falcon's lips twitched into a grin and patted her head.
"Don't worry. They know how you are-." Sam stopped and looked at the enhanced. He only shook his head and let out his signature laugh. "Just...yeah don't worry." Sam really didn't know what to say. People will be paying attention to Wanda, well...because it's all about her. Sort of. Of course Stark might steal the show but in the end the spotlight's on Wanda. People will be proud of her, and Pietro would be too.
...
"It's...a bit much." Wanda stepped back a little infront of the mirror. No doubt Wanda loved the dress. The color was loud, lots of lace, and a big poofy skirt settled to the bottom of the floor, with sequins and glitter all over. She truly felt like royalty.
"I know you love it." Nat crossed her arms while watching Wanda twirl around slowly. "You just need to practice walking. You will be wearing high heels you know?"
Wanda paused and looked at her female friend. "'High heels' is my middle name." It was true, Nat did see Wanda in a lot of high heeled boots, pumps and other shoes. Why even bother telling her that?
Natasha laughed. "Of course you are, now...I was thinking I could give you a more...natural look."
"Makeup you mean? Yes that would be wonderful..." Wanda rested her hands at her side, still examining the dress while smiling. "Maybe a little black?"
"Yeah, whatever you want-." Widow sat in a chair and rocked it back and forth a little, looking around in Wanda's room while communicating. "I-." She started softly, but she was interrupted when the door busted open.
"Miss Sharon." Wanda gasped as the blonde agent pulled her into a hug. "It's nice to...see you."
"I am so proud of you! Any idea of what you will be studying yet?" Sharon Carter finally let go and looked Maximoff in the eye with her hands on her hips.
"No, No idea." She chuckled. Wanda took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm just happy that this dress is working out though."
Sharon smiled and hummed while putting her hands together. Behind her a large muscular figure emerged.
"Steve. Hi." Natasha got up from her chair and approached the super soldier. "How was the date?"
Wanda's eyes lifted and looked right into Steve's. Cap blinked several times and cleared his throat. "Well...it was very." He lowered his voice.
"Great. Very fun! Central park picnics are fun." Sharon chuckled and Steve nodded in agreement.
Natasha continued to talk to Steve and Sharon. Wanda caught him looking at her several times when responding to Widow. She felt, strange. Really strange. Did she do something wrong or was it the dress, no doubt was it beautiful. She would stare at herself for hours in that thing.
"Well we best be off. He said he would get me a new dress today for the ball." Sharon looked at Wanda and lifted her shoulders and smirked happily. Wanda did the same.
"Alright. Thanks for stopping by." Natasha began to close the door and Sharon made her way out, slowly guiding Rogers.
"Bye Steve." Wanda smiled her best and waved like an excited child. She cursed herself for doing it and lowered her hand.
Rogers looked at the ground, then to her, the back again. "Bye you two...have fun." He gave her a quick smile and walked out.
...
Natasha continued to talk about makeup with Wanda for another few minutes and then left the room. The girls had it all figured out on what they were going to do for the ball.
Wanda finished her lunch and sat on her bed and opened her email. She noticed a new message from Stark. He emailed her all of the guests coming and it was quite...interesting. She scrolled down the document and noticed the Avengers, Peter Parker, T'Challa, Jane Foster and her friends. Strange, everyone else were connected to Stark.
'Great, this party will be interesting.' She thought. Tons of 'money' talk and bragging about his or her new manison will be there. She sighed and layed back in her bed. 'Maybe I should-.' She stopped talking to herself and picked up the book and turned back to the page where she drew the hair and the shield on the man in the tailcoat.
She smiled and traced the Sheild. What was she thinking, she can't go out with Rogers, he's stuck with Sharon. Well, not stuck, they're together. But Wanda noticed that Rogers seemed 'out of it' when he's around Sharon. Maybe Maximoff is wrong.
He shrugged to herself and layed back. She started to become interested in Steve when she first talked to him during the fight against Ultron. The way he looked at her... She could feel something inside him. Wanda also had an intrest in Vision, but she knew he could never understand the whole love concept.
But Wanda couldn't think about that now. She just needs to be presentable to everyone.
Even if that meant not bringing a date.