we're back lads. another MCU one shot, which semi-relates to my other one. also I saw Spiderman last night and HOLY SHIT. I'll not post spoilers because it's only been out like two days but its in my top five best MCU films for sure. anyway, once again I wrote this on my phone at work so I hope you enjoy! apologies for any canon inconsistencies I tried my best
The cabin was nice, if you could call it a cabin. It was more of a house, but Nat had called it a cabin so that's what Wanda would call it; she thought it sounded more rustic anyway. After the Westview Incident, which was what she had taken to calling it in her head, Wanda had fled to Norway, to the cabin Natasha had once told her about. It was something that Nat had bought with her own money, under a false name, and not even the other Avengers knew about it, but she had told Wanda in case she ever needed to get away for a bit. She had been there for two months, trying to grieve and learn more about her powers. She spent most of her time thinking about all the people she had lost, her parents, Pietro, Vision, Tommy, and Billy, and of course, Natasha. Even though Tommy and Billy hadn't technically been real, she still felt the ache in her chest at their absence, how they represented what she and Vision could've had, had things been different. Grieving Natasha was hardest though, Wanda had come back from the Snap and Natasha just wasn't there, the suddenness of her absence hurting Wanda more than anything else. Natasha had been her mentor, best friend and even an older sister all wrapped up into one, and Wanda truly didn't know what to do without her guidance. Perhaps, if Natasha had been alive, Wanda would've had someone to talk to and wouldn't have allowed her grief and anger to take over so completely and the Westview Incident wouldn't have even happened.
The cabin was filled with things that reminded Wanda of Natasha, and it hurt, but in a good way. The red blanket on the couch, identical to the one in her room at the Compound, but slightly softer, as if it had not had much use. It still smelled like Natasha, her scent lingering through the whole place. Wanda did not know when Natasha had last used the cabin, presumably during the Blip, but she couldn't be certain. There were weapons hidden throughout the cabin, and Wanda found a new one every few days as she explored; guns stashed in hidden nooks in the walls, knives tucked on top of doorframes, Wanda had even found a set of throwing stars stuck to the underside of the kitchen counter. It didn't frighten her, in fact she felt a little safer knowing that there were so many weapons easily accessible, should she need them. The cupboards were stocked with Natasha's favourite foods, and ingredients to make traditional Russian dishes, which Wanda had made frequent use of in the past few weeks, craving something of her homeland.
The thing that hurt Wanda the most, were the little notes scattered across the house. Little reminders Natasha had written herself in her looping scrawl. Reminders to check in with Clint, notes with dates on that held no meaning to Wanda but were clearly important to Natasha, shopping lists and lists of names to buy Christmas presents for. Natasha's personality shone through them all and Wanda could almost believe she had just gone out for the day and would walk through the door at any second. She had also found a few notes with handwritten messages on them, Wanda couldn't tell if they were for her, some of them were generic, but some of them almost seemed directed at someone else, not Natasha and not Wanda, but she couldn't think who else would have visited the cabin; Clint, perhaps, but then wouldn't Natasha just tell him in person? Wanda stared at the newest note she had found, tucked into the pocket of a coat in the wardrobe. Remember, the past does not define us, you get to choose what happens next. Wanda thought this was one that was meant for someone else. While Natasha had told her many times that what she had done in the past did not define who she was, she had never told Wanda that she got to choose what happened next. That seemed very specific, and something that Wanda could not especially relate to. She went downstairs to the study and opened the drawer where she kept all the notes she found; there were three piles, the reminders Natasha had written herself, the generic messages, and the ones Wanda thought were for someone else. It was confusing, but Wanda still found comfort in the strange notes.
Wanda made her way into the kitchen, intent on making herself a cup of tea. Perhaps the most surprising thing she had found so far was the wide variety of teas Natasha had stocked the cupboard with, Wanda had no idea Natasha had liked it so much, having always seen her drinking coffee. Having decided to try all the teas while she was here, Wanda made herself a jasmine tea and went back to the study, she wanted to learn more magic today. She sat in the window seat and opened her spell book to the page she had been on yesterday, warding. She had spent yesterday evening warding the whole cabin and the land it stood on, it made her feel safer knowing she would be alerted when someone crossed the boundary, which was a very real possibility if the government ever figured out where she was, surely wanting to bring her in after her actions in Westview. It had been fairly simple once she got the hang of it, simply drawing specific runes into the earth and linking them to herself. She had been surprised to find it just how much she could do with her magic now that she was the Scarlet Witch. She still wasn't sure what Agatha had meant by that, or what Chaos Magic was, but she was hoping to find out the more she practised her magic. She had decided to work through the book page by page, figuring skipping ahead would just make her more confused if there was something too complicated. The page after warding was on telepathy, in which Wanda was pretty confident in her ability to do, but she thought reading it would be good anyway, in case there was something she hadn't previously known. Just as she was about to take a sip of her tea, she felt what she could only describe as a tugging sensation in her chest. It must be the new wards, she hadn't been able to test them and hoped that it wasn't just an animal crossing the border, she wasn't sure if the runes would pick that up or not. She shut the book and put her tea down before making her way to the front bedroom window. She wasn't sure exactly how she knew, but she knew that whatever it was was crossing the boundary at the front of the property. She stood half behind the curtain and scanned the landscape. She breathed a sigh of relief as she caught sight of a fluffy dog running about in the field, everything was fine. She would have to find a way to edit the runes; it would be no good if she was alerted every time a deer or other animal crossed the boundary she had set up. Just as she was about to turn away, she saw a flicker of movement behind one of the bushes by the lake, that definitely wasn't an animal. Wanda turned swiftly from the window and made her way down the stairs.
Wanda stood beside the kitchen doorway, her fingers brushing lightly over the knife sheathed in the doorframe, she was reluctant to use her powers to fight off an intruder in case it was someone from the government. She could see the front door from where she was, but whoever came
in would not immediately be able to see her. Wanda figured she would probably be able to get the upper hand, Natasha had taught her not to rely on her magic in a fight. The door handle turned, drawing all of Wanda's attention and then Wanda became even more wary. It was a girl. Not much younger than Wanda, probably 19 or 20, Wanda thought. She was blonde, and quite pretty in Wanda's opinion. Why would the government send this girl after her? Unless it was some kind of trap. Wanda watched as the girl just stood in the doorway, listening for something. Wanda sent out a tendril of her magic, trying to see what the girl was feeling. Luckily, she had perfected making her magic invisible a few weeks ago. Wanda allowed her magic to brush against the girl's mind gently, not entering it, but just scanning; the results were unexpected. The girl felt disbelief and hope and also a little fear, that was interesting. Wanda waited, wanting to see what she did next. She took a cautious step into the house before she whispered.
"Sestra?"
Wanda's heart clenched, it had been so long since anyone had called her that, and although she knew the girl was not talking to her, it still reminded her of Pietro. Who called this girl be talking to then? Unless…
"Yelena?"
Wanda stepped into the kitchen doorway, her hand still on the knife, just in case.
Quicker than Wanda could blink, the girl had a gun pulled and aimed right between Wanda's eyes.
"Who are you? Where is my sister?"
Wanda felt pain wash over her. She didn't know, apparently no one had seen fit to inform Natasha's family about her death.
"You are Yelena, yes? My name is Wanda, I was a…friend of Natasha's."
Wanda saw the pain flicker in Yelena's eyes as she registered what Wanda had said.
"Was?"
Wanda nodded, her eyes watering. Yelena hesitated before focussing on Wanda again, the gun still aimed at her head.
"No, you are lying! She has to be here."
A tear slipped from Wanda's eye.
"I'm sorry, Yelena. If you put the gun down, I can tell you what happened?"
Wanda watched as the corners of Yelena's mouth turned down and her hand started shake.
"Only if you take your hand off that knife."
"Deal."
Wanda smirked, trust a Widow to know where the hidden weapons were. She lifted her hand from the doorframe, bringing both of them up by her head to show she was unarmed. She wasn't sure if Yelena knew she had magic, but she wasn't about to reveal it either way.
Yelena slowly lowered the gun and put it back in her waistband, eyeing Wanda warily the whole time. She turned her head slightly, still keeping her eyes on Wanda and let out a sharp whistle, presumably calling the dog to her. It came bounding in. and Wanda barely stopped herself from cooing at how cute it was. Yelena seemed to sense this.
"Her name is Fanny, I got her just after I came back."
"You were snapped? Me too."
Yelena nodded. She eyed Wanda again, still ill at ease. Wanda understood that, it was clear that she knew who Yelena was and she imagined it must be hard to have someone know you without knowing them back. She decided to extend a peace offering.
"Would you like some tea? I just made myself some."
Yelena seemed to think about it before nodding, stepping further into the house, and closing the door. Wanda led her through to the kitchen, using magic to summon her own tea to her at the same time. Wanda watched Yelena from the corner of her eye as her tea came bobbing into the kitchen. She seemed surprised and slightly wary but otherwise did not react. Wanda opened the cupboard with her magic and gestured.
"Which would you like? Nat had quite a few different ones."
Wanda watched as Yelena stared at the cupboard, clearly overwhelmed.
"I do not know; I have never tried tea before."
"Well, which flavour do you think you would like?"
Wanda sensed there was something deeper going on here when Yelena's breathing got slightly shallower.
"Please, could you pick for me? I do not know many of these flavours."
Wanda picked the cherry tea. She thought it might have been Natasha's favourite as the box was almost empty. She said as much to Yelena.
"I think this was Nat's favourite. It's the one that's been used the most."
Wanda watched as Yelena took a deep breath, closing her eyes.
"Okay, hopefully I will like it, yes?"
Wanda nodded, she liked it as well. She flicked the cupboard closed with magic and set to making the tea.
"How are you doing that?"
Wanda glanced at Yelena, who was still watching her cautiously. She assumed Yelena meant her magic.
"I…have magic. Watch."
Wanda let tendrils of magic escape her, visible this time, giving the room a red glow. Yelena watched, fascination tinged with a little bit of fear, as Wanda made the tea using magic.
"Was it you, earlier, in my mind?"
Wanda faltered, almost dropping the mug, at Yelena's question.
"Yes. I am very sorry about that, I had to check you weren't a government agent. Most people cannot tell. Not that makes it okay, I just, I'm sorry."
Yelena nodded.
"I am more sensitive than most would be, I think. Why would the government be after you?"
Wanda didn't question why Yelena would be sensitive to mind magic.
"It is a long story; I will tell you later."
Yelena nodded again, not questioning it further, for which Wanda was grateful.
"Come on, we can sit in the lounge."
Yelena followed Wanda as she led the way through the cabin. Wanda put the mugs down on the coffee table and gestured for Yelena to sit on the couch. After a moment's hesitation, she unfolded the red blanket and draped it over Yelena and herself; it was big enough that they could both sit under it and still maintain the distance Yelena seemed keen on. Wanda watched as Yelena ran her fingers over the blanket before she bought it up to her face, inhaling slightly. Tears came to her eyes as she breathed in the scent. Yelena looked at Wanda.
"What happened to her?"
Wanda tucked her legs up underneath her and sighed.
"She sacrificed herself to bring back half the universe."
Yelena breathed in sharply.
"Of course, she did. How did it happen?"
"How much do you know of what went on right before the Blip?"
Yelena shrugged.
"Not much. I know the Avengers were fighting an alien and that there were stones involved. That is all."
"The alien's name was Thanos, and he used the Infinity Stones to wipe out half of the entire universe. There are six stones: Time, Reality, Power, Reality…Soul and Mind. During the Blip, Natasha and what was left of the Avengers tried to find a way to get the stones back and reverse what Thanos had done. They invented time travel and went to where they knew the stones were. Natasha and Clint went to Vormir, which is where the Soul Stone was. It required a sacrifice, a soul for a soul. They both tried to sacrifice themselves; Clint let me watch the memory. He was willing to die just as much as she was, but she got there quicker. I think I can show you if you would like. When Stark used the stones to bring the universe back, he tried to bring Nat back too, but it didn't work. I have tried to find a way to bring her back, but I have had no luck yet."
Yelena blinked, trying to stop herself from crying.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye. Last time I saw her she was being arrested by that Ross guy."
Wanda flinched. She wasn't sure she hated anyone as much as she hated Thaddeus Ross.
"You know him?"
Wanda nodded, a shiver running through her.
"He imprisoned me and some of the Avengers for war crimes. Nat helped break us out, and then we were on the run together until we fought Thanos."
"I had wondered what exactly she was doing. Do you know what the Red Room is?"
Wanda startled at the question.
"I do. Nat didn't like to talk about it, but she told me more than what she told most people."
"We took it down together. That is how we got reunited. She thought she destroyed it a long time ago, but after I was freed from the mind control, I got her attention, and she came to help. She thought I got out when she tried to kill Dreykov."
"Natasha never mentioned she was mind controlled."
Yelena shook her head and sipped at her tea, smiling at the taste.
"She wasn't. They started doing it after she escaped, so that nobody else would get out. I think they took the formula from HYDRA."
Wanda stiffened. The last thing she had expected was for the Red Room to be affiliated with HYDRA. Apparently, Yelena hadn't missed her reaction.
"You know of HYDRA?"
Wanda nodded jerkily.
"We were with HYDRA for a while, before I joined the Avengers."
Yelena looked at her curiously.
"We?"
The crushing feeling that came whenever she thought about Pietro made itself known in Wanda's chest.
"Pietro and I, he was my twin. We sought shelter when the war in Sokovia got bad. They said they were SHIELD, we thought it would be okay. He sacrificed himself to save Clint and a little boy when Sokovia fell."
Yelena chuckled.
"We should start a club, no? The 'Dead siblings that have sacrificed themselves for Clint' club. The name might need a little work…it is very long."
Wanda huffed at Yelena's joke.
"I don't think we would get any other members; it is a very specific club."
Both the women fell silent, drinking their tea. Wanda had almost finished her cup when she heard Yelena's breath hitch slightly. She glanced over, mildly alarmed to see tears pooling in the blonde's eyes.
"Why did nobody tell me?"
Wanda quirked an eyebrow.
"About Nat?"
Yelena nodded, blinking to get rid of the tears.
"I don't think anyone knew about you. At least, Nat never mentioned she'd told anyone about her family."
"You knew who I was when you saw me."
Wanda shrugged a little.
"She told me about you, not long after we met. She thought the story would bring me some sort of comfort, and it did. She was good at that. I don't know if she had the chance to tell you, but she told me she was proud of you, for surviving in there."
Wanda watched as Yelena turned her face to the ceiling, trying in vain not to cry.
"I never got to say goodbye."
The way Yelena's voice cracked on the last word almost made Wanda cry; she could feel Yelena's cascading emotions, a side effect of her telepathy, and she wasn't sure what to do. After a moment's hesitation, Wanda slowly extended her hand across the distance between them, letting it rest palm up on the couch, giving Yelena the choice to take it if she wished. Yelena glanced at Wanda's hand before her gaze darted up to meet Wanda's briefly. She looked down at her lap again before her hand hesitantly inched closed to Wanda's. Wanda let Yelena do things at her own pace, not wanting to discourage her by moving. Ever so slowly, Yelena's fingers trailed across Wanda's palm before the interlocked with Wanda's fingers, her grip going from hesitant to desperately tight in half a second. A pained sobbed escaped Yelena and Wanda squeezed her hand tighter and rubbed her thumb gently over the back of her hand, letting Yelena know she wasn't alone.
The physical contact between them was causing Wanda to pick up Yelena's emotions much more easily; she still hadn't completely figured out how to not let her emotions influence her magic, and Wanda felt her grief at Natasha's death sweep through her again, making her eyes sting with tears. She wiped them away quickly, this was not about her, she had had time to come to terms with Nat's death, Yelena had not.
"We are a mess, no?"
Wanda looked over at Yelena, giving her a sad smile.
"I think it's okay to be a mess, sometimes."
Yelena gave her a contemplative look.
"I'm starting to understand that."
Wanda squeezed Yelena's hand again, causing the other girl to look down in surprise, as if she had forgotten they were holding hands.
"Oh, I…sorry."
Yelena pulled her hand back, a light dusting of pink colouring her cheeks.
"It's okay, Nat used to do the same thing for me when I was too overwhelmed."
Yelena chuckled.
"I knew it! I knew she was a softie."
Wanda laughed.
"She was. She didn't normally show it around the others, but she was always nicer to me and Peter than anyone else. Clint's kids too."
"Who is Peter?"
"He's Spider-man. He's still in school, he's 17, I think. He was Stark's prodigy or something, but I think Nat was secretly his favourite. He called it a spider bond."
Yelena smirked.
"Spider bond. That is funny. I like that. I will have to meet this boy, I think."
Wanda nodded.
"I think he still lives in Queens, in New York, but he spends a lot of time with Pepper and Morgan, that's Stark's wife and daughter."
Yelena nodded but did not say anything further. Wanda stared into her empty mug, trying to think of something to say. She didn't particularly want Yelena to leave, she had missed having company, but Yelena had come to find Natasha, and since she wasn't there, it made sense she would move on pretty quickly. Suddenly, a thought entered her mind.
"I have something to show you. They're from Nat…I think they're for you, anyway."
Yelena nodded. Wanda flicked her hand, summoning the stacks of notes from the study.
"I keep finding these all over the cabin. Some are reminders, groceries, and things, and some are notes for me. But I think the others must be for you; she told me no one else knew about this cabin. Here, these are your ones."
Wanda handed Yelena the stack of notes she had collected but couldn't make sense of. She watched with a small smile as Yelena began flicking through them, laughing softly at some of the messages, private jokes between the two of them that Wanda didn't understand. A strange sort of contentment filled Wanda as Yelena read all the little messages Nat had left her; she was glad there were still tangible bits of Natasha left behind for Yelena to experience, it was something Wanda often yearned for when she thought about Pietro, there was nothing of his left in the world, all that they owned had been blown up with Sokovia.
"Do you think she knew?"
Wanda was jolted out of her musing by Yelena's soft voice.
"Knew what?"
"That she would not make it. Because some of these make it seem like she did."
Wanda shrugged.
"We'll never know, I suppose. There is no one to ask, and I'm not sure I would like to know the answer."
Yelena nodded, and Wanda watched in fascination as she began to put the notes in various hidden pockets.
"That is a lot of pockets."
Yelena looked up, smiling.
"I know! I can hold so many things. It is useful to have many pockets. I had a vest, with lots of pockets, it was the first thing I ever bought myself. I gave it to Natasha the last time I saw her."
"She was wearing it when I saw her at the battle before the Snap. I do not know where it is now, she must've still had it."
Yelena nodded before looking Wanda up and down.
"You have no pockets. You should get some, you never know when you might need something."
"But I can just create whatever I need, I think. I haven't tried it out properly."
Yelena sat up straighter, immediately interested.
"Show me! I would like to see what you can do."
Wanda laughed before raising her hands.
"Okay, something simple first."
Concentrating, Wanda summoned her magic and a few seconds later a tiny cupcake sat in her palm. She glanced up at Yelena, chuckling slightly at her wide-eyed look.
"Try it, it's nice."
Yelena gingerly took the cupcake, seeming surprised when she could actually touch it. She tentatively took a bit, her eyes widening at the taste.
"It is so good! What else can you do?"
Wanda laughed, delighted in the fact that Yelena did not seem frightened of her powers as most people were.
"I don't know everything I can do yet; I'm still working through the spell book. Yesterday I learned how to create wards, which is how I knew you were here. I can also just create a ball made of magic, look."
Wanda held her hands out again and formed a small ball of the red magic between her palms, moving it about slightly.
"You can touch it; I won't hurt you."
Yelena reached her hand out slowly, slightly tense. She prodded the little ball with a finger, before pressing it more firmly.
"It is…warm. And fuzzy. I like it."
She continued to play with the little ball, and Wanda wanted to cry at how innocent the whole interaction was. Yelena wasn't scared of her, and the simple act of playing with the little magic ball seemed to make her almost happy.
"I'm glad you're here."
Wanda didn't know what made her say it, perhaps the content look in Yelena's eyes or the fact that she didn't feel completely alone for the first time in months, but she meant it regardless. Yelena glanced up, her fingers still idly playing with the magic, and gave Wanda a warm smile.
"Me too. I think…I would like to stay for a while, if that is okay?"
Warmth blossomed in Wanda's chest; she had been hoping Yelena would stay but didn't want to pressure her by asking.
"Of course, that would be nice. And I would be glad for the company. You can have the last bedroom for however long you want."
Yelena smiled and snuggled further under the blanket, shifting ever so slightly closer to Wanda as she did so.
"Do you think Natasha would be happy, that we met each other?"
Wanda glanced over at Yelena, who was picking at the corner of the blanket, determinedly not looking at her.
"I think she might've meant for us to meet at some point. After all, we are the only two people that know about this cabin. And she knew I would need to come here, maybe she expected you to come at some point as well."
"Why would she think you needed this place?"
Wanda sighed. She knew the subject of why she was there would come up eventually.
"During the first battle, right before the Snap, I had to kill my…I had to kill Vision. He was an android powered by the Mind Stone and to stop Thanos from getting the stone, I had to destroy it. It did not matter though, Thanos reversed time and simply took it for himself. I had to watch my love die twice over in as many minutes. It was the last stone he needed, and I was dusted seconds later. When I came back, Vision was still dead, and we had to defeat Thanos again. When it was all over, the government would not let me take Vision's body to bury him properly, they said his parts were too valuable and dangerous."
Wanda felt tears pooling in her eyes. As if Vision could ever have been truly dangerous.
"That was very wrong of them. So, you came here after?"
Wanda let out a bitter laugh.
"Not quite. Vision had bought us a little bit of land, we were going to build a house and leave all this behind us, just be a normal family. I still do not fully understand how it happened, but my magic reacted to my grief and created a pocket reality. Vision was alive again and everything was perfect, and I just let myself get…swept up in it. The magic created children for us; it is the happiest I have been since I was a child. The government figured out what had happened and demanded I stop. I hadn't realised that the magic was hurting the people that already lived there. I have spent my life accidentally hurting people, I did not want to do it again. I had to get rid of the spell, and everything it had created. My husband and children might not have been truly real, but the loss still hurts like they were. So, I came here, it is completely off the grid, it is safe."
Wanda couldn't bear to look at Yelena, not wanting to see the pity in her eyes. To her surprise, a calloused hand made its way gently into hers, interlocking their fingers once again.
"I am sorry. Did none of the Avengers offer to help?"
Wanda scoffed lightly.
"There was no one around. Clint went back to his family straight after Tony's funeral. Steve stayed back in the 40's, Bruce and Thor went to New Asgard. Sol-Bucky and I…do not get along, and I do not really know the others, except Sam maybe but he had to go see his family. The only one who would've helped is Natasha. I was alone, as always."
Yelena frowned.
"Natasha said that the Avengers were a family, they do not sound like it."
"Most of them have real families to go home to, it is not their fault I have lost everyone."
"It is a little bit Clint's fault."
Wanda huffed, trying not to outright laugh.
"Okay, it's a little bit Clint's fault."
Wanda wiped her eyes with her free hand, not wanting to cry any longer. Yelena squeezed her hand, leaving their fingers interlocked.
"Will you tell me something? About Natasha."
Yelena had whispered the question so softly that Wanda almost didn't hear it.
"Like what?"
Yelena shrugged, not really knowing what she wanted to know.
"She always told the boys her favourite film was V for Vendetta but really it was Anastasia."
"I have seen V for Vendetta, but what is Anastasia?"
Wanda smirked.
"It an animated musical film about the lost Romanov daughter. She loses her memory and spends the whole film trying to find out where she comes from. We can watch it at some point if you want. It's very good."
Yelena gave a small smile.
"I would like that. Can you tell me something else?"
"Hmm…she could speak 11 different languages, fluently. She didn't like to show off about it, but it came in handy more than once."
Yelena nodded.
"They taught us six languages in the Red Room, she must've learnt the others on her own."
Wanda glanced at Yelena.
"Which languages did they teach you?"
"English, Russian, French, German, Romanian, and Latin. What else did she know?"
"Czech, Gaelic, Italian, ASL, and Spanish. She taught me ASL and some Spanish while we were fugitives, but I don't think I would be able to hold that many languages in my head at once."
"How many do you speak, then?"
"Sokovian, Russian, English and now Spanish and ASL."
"Impressive, that is not a bad selection."
"Okay, now you tell me something."
Yelena frowned, trying to think of something about Natasha that Wanda would not already know.
"In Ohio, she had blue hair. She skipped school one day and while Melina and Alexei were at work, she dyed it blue. I never asked, but I think it was the first time she had been able to do something outside the rules. Melina and Alexei let her keep it and I thought she was the coolest person in the whole world."
Wanda laughed, trying to picture a defiant preteen Natasha with bright blue hair.
"That sounds just like her. You know she's the one that suggested I dye my hair?"
Yelena squinted at Wanda's head.
"I did not realise this was not your natural colour."
Wanda nodded, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers.
"It used to be dark brown, almost black. When we were fugitives, Steve grew a beard, Nat bleached her hair, and I chose this colour. Nat made a joke, saying the team should always have a redhead. I haven't changed it back, it's like a piece of her is still here."
"It is a good look. Now, your turn again."
Wanda took a deep breath.
"For a while, after I first joined the team, she was the only one that made me feel welcome. The others hated me for what I did to them, but Natasha forgave me pretty quickly. Some days, the fact that there was even one person who might miss me was the only thing stopping me from leaving, and I think she knew that. I'm glad I had her."
"She was my favourite person, you know? Out of all the friends I had back in Ohio, all the people I have met since, she's always been the most important person in my entire universe. I…I do not know what I am supposed to do without her."
Yelena's voice hitched, causing Wanda to hesitantly wrap an arm around her shoulders. Yelena leaned into the touch, shuffling closer so that she was tucked into Wanda's side.
"I just wish we had more time together."
Wanda squeezed Yelena just a little bit tighter.
"So do I. Natasha always said she wanted to wipe the red from her ledger, but I think she had more than made up for it by the time I met her. She never thought it was enough, always doing more than she needed to. I just wish she could've seen that her sacrifice was worth it; that it worked."
Yelena hummed, pushing herself slightly further into Wanda's hold. Wanda wondered when the last time Yelena had received any sort of comfort was before realising it was probably the last time she had seen Natasha. Wanda let her be, just gently brushing her fingers up and down Yelena's arm. She made a promise to herself, right there on the couch, to look out for Yelena for as long as she was able. It didn't seem like the blonde had many people in her life, and Wanda would not dishonour Natasha's memory by abandoning her sister when she needed someone.
Wanda floated her mug towards her and drained the last of her tea before floating it back to the table. Yelena was still resting comfortably against her, and Wanda was loathe to disturb her, but she still wanted to give her the choice.
"Do you want to do anything right now?"
Yelena shook her head the smallest amount.
"Can we just stay here, for a little bit? I…it is nice."
Wanda hummed in agreement, barely resisting the urge to place a kiss to the top of Yelena's head.
"I'm going to read my spell book for a while, if that's okay?"
"Mhmm."
Wanda summoned the spell book, opening it to the page on telepathy. She was halfway through a paragraph on how to link minds, which she already knew how to do, when Yelena interrupted her.
"What language is that?"
Wanda shrugged.
"It looks like Sokovian to me, but I think it has a protection spell on it, so that only those with magic can read it. It will look like nonsense to anyone else."
"What are you reading about?"
"Telepathy, which I already know how to do, it is one of the first things I learnt to control. But I want to read it just in case I learn something new."
Wanda felt Yelena tense up against her and guessed why.
"I will not use it on you, I promise. I don't use my magic on people without their permission."
"Why would someone want you to do that?"
Wanda could understand Yelena's confusion. Having been mind controlled, Yelena must find it difficult to imaginewanting someone in your mind.
"When we were with HYDRA, I linked my mind with Pietro's. They did not often keep us together, and that way we could make sure the other was okay. And Clint let me into his mind to see the memory of Vormir. Other than that, nobody has volunteered. People fear what they don't know, and my magic is something even I don't understand yet, so people are not exactly lining up to let me into their heads."
"I am not scared of you. I do not think I want you in my head, but the thought of it does not scare me; I don't think you would hurt me. Besides, I could easily beat you in a fight."
Wanda smirked.
"I fought off Thanos with one hand. I could beat you easily."
"Okay, I could beat you in a fight without magic."
"Probably. Nat taught me some stuff but I'm nowhere near as good as either of you."
Yelena sat up, looking Wanda in the eyes.
"You do not care that you are weaker than me?"
Wanda tilted her head in thought, trying to think of how to word her answer.
"Not particularly. We all have strengths and weaknesses within us, Yelena, we do not always need to be stronger than the next person. I could beat you in a fight with magic and you could beat me in a physical fight, that does not mean that one of us is weaker. You're allowed to weaknesses, Yelena, it is not a bad thing. Natasha spent a long time trying to teach me that."
Concern filled Wanda as Yelena's face crumpled and her tears began anew.
"I have spent my whole life having to be the best, because if I wasn't I would be killed. I do not know how to not be this. What if I can never stop being this way?"
Yelena put her head in her hands, trying to contain her tears. Wanda reached out slowly, gently cupping Yelena's hands in her own.
"I will help you if I can. You're going to be staying here for a while, and I can help you adjust to the world. You don't have to fight anymore; you can just be. Be Yelena, figure out who that is. And I'll be with you every step of the way, the same way Natasha was for me."
Yelena sobbed, throwing herself at Wanda and wrapping her arms around her waist. Wanda's arms came up to encircle Yelena's shoulders, allowing the blonde to press her face into the crook of Wanda's neck. As the collar of Wanda's shirt grew damper, she pressed a light kiss to Yelena's temple, a few tears of her own escaping.
"I've got you…we'll be okay."
title taken from the lyrics of Saturn by Sleeping at Last
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