"Your Beating Heart"
Chapter One
By Darthelwig
*** I own nothing. I'm just having fun. ***
A/N: So this takes place in the same universe as Brave New World and Shine. I wanted a place to throw together my little ficlets and ideas for the characters in that AU-verse. I hope you enjoy it. And yes, this is named after the Ellie Goulding song.
The bright sun shone down, and she turned her face up, eyes closed as she absorbed the warmth of its rays. It was the first day of spring, and while there was still a chill in the air, the sun felt life-giving again. She took a deep breath, reveling in the smell of the city, a smell that reminded her so much of the home she and Pietro could never go back to.
"Wanda, come on!" Carol tugged her hand, and Wanda turned her attention to the beauty before her, the most beautiful creature in the entire world, in her humble opinion. She smiled at her girlfriend as she followed behind her. She would follow this girl anywhere, without reason or explanation. Even if their destination this time disturbed her a little.
Minutes later, they were entering a salon, and she fidgeted as as employee greeted them cheerily.
"Okay, I'll be right back there," Carol told her, pointing to the back where there stood a number of barber chairs. A few were occupied, the hairdressers chatting away with their customers as they worked with their scissors and combs and clips and tinfoil and all those other tools of their trade that Wanda sort of hated at the moment.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked her girlfriend. She didn't want Carol to do this, but Carol flashed her an excited grin and nodded.
"This is gonna be great!" she said, giving Wanda's hand a squeeze. "Don't worry. You're gonna love it."
"I will not, but if this is what you want..." Wanda loved Carol's hair just as it was, a shining halo that fell gently onto her shoulders. She loved playing with it, running her hands through it and enjoying the silky feel of the strands between her fingers.
"An hour," Carol said.
"What if you do not like it?" Wanda asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
"It's just hair. It'll be okay."
Wanda huffed but gave her girlfriend a quick kiss. "Go before I carry you away," she said. Carol gave her a kiss and followed the far too cheery employee to the back. Wanda walked outside, unable to watch this travesty.
She returned an hour later. Carol was standing at the counter, laughing with the employee, and Wanda pushed down her instinctive jealousy. Carol was hers, always would be, and she had nothing to be concerned about. Except Carol's newly shorn hair.
Carol noticed her and turned around, running a hand self consciously over her shortened locks. Wanda took a moment to mourn Carol's long hair, then tried to look at it with an objective eye. It really did look better than she had thought it would. Short on the sides and back, longer on top and styled just so, she had to admit that it suited her.
She took Carol's hand and pulled her outside, needing to see it in the sunlight, the light that made Carol shine like the angel she was. And she breathed a sigh of relief when Carol looked the same, the same angel she's always been to her, a bit shy and self conscious, wanting approval and acceptance.
How could she withhold that from her?
Wanda smiled and wrapped her arms around Carol's neck, nuzzling her soft skin and ear. She could feel a shiver pass through her, felt her girlfriend's fingers settle on her hips and squeeze.
"It looks better than I thought it would," Wanda conceded. She rolled her eyes at Carol's smug grin, but she couldn't be irritated. Carol was too happy for that. She looked lighter, more free. If cutting her beautiful hair off was what it took to make her feel that way, Wanda would support it.
"I knew you'd like it," Carol said, a smile in her eyes and laughter on her lips.
"Mmm," Wanda hummed. "Do not push your luck." She ran her fingers through the softness of what remained of Carol's hair.
"Never," Carol said, laughing loudly. "It's your turn," she teased.
"Never!" Wanda said quickly, eyes wide. "I will never cut my hair off!"
"Good," Carol said more seriously, her gaze suddenly heated. "I love your hair. I love the way it feels when I have you on top of me, leaning down for kisses. I love to pull it ," she said, digging her fingers into Wanda's hair. Heat pooled between Wanda's legs, making her knees weak. "Let's go home. I wanna make you scream," Carol murmured into her skin, making her shudder. Wanda nodded shakily.
Carol took her hand and practically dragged her through the streets, and Wanda was no longer aware of the warm sunshine or the bustling crowd around them. Her entire being had focused down to the beauty of the woman before her and the promise between them.