Chapter 11
So I showed him all my teeth and then I laughed out loud
cause I never wanted savin', I just wanted to be found
-"The Lighthouse" by Halsey
Warnings for referenced torture, referenced sexual assault, referenced self-harm, violence, and Wanda being a BAMF
Steve and James and Sam split up and did a quick search of the hotel. Beatrice was alone in her suite as far as James' and Steve's heightened hearing could tell. They were still the only guests, and all the other rooms were empty. They met back at their room with the same grave conclusion. Wanda wasn't in the building. James felt that cold focus slipping over his mind, narrowing everything to a singular focus: LOCATE.
"Alright, let's check in town before we widen our search." Steve said, and James had no idea how the man could sound so damn calm.
"Should we split up?" Sam asked.
"I'll go to the Northern end." Steve said. "Sam, you want to go South? Buck, you want to start here and move outward?"
The early morning air was chilly and a thick fog was hovering in the air. James jogged slowly around the hotel, scanning the surrounding area for Wanda. She wouldn't have actually left, right? And how the hell did she get out of the room without anybody hearing? There weren't many people out and about, but James could see most of the houses had lights on. People getting ready to go to work. Kids getting ready to go to school. Once upon a time he'd thought that would be his life after the war (if he survived), now it seemed so foreign it was almost alien.
Twenty eight minutes later, when the panic was starting to rise in his throat and his brain was screaming LOCATE like a siren, he finally heard her voice. He ran towards it and through the mist a tall narrow church steeple appeared. The big front double doors were cracked open. He slipped silently through them and crept through the darkened foyer. He could hear Wanda clearly now, but where the hell was she?
She was talking about…architecture? Something about the steeple and gothic spires. An older male voice responded, making his teeth clench. He moved through the quiet church pews in the sanctuary. There was an open door to the side of the stage. The voices got louder as he moved down a narrow hallway. Finally he saw an open door with light streaming out of it. He debated drawing the knife in his boot, but Wanda and whoever this man was were talking about Notre-Dame de Paris, and it seemed friendly enough. So he tried for a neutral expression and approached the open door.
Wanda and a round little man in church robes were both looking at a large book, pointing at photographs of various buildings. He knocked gently on the open door to get their attention and they both jumped. Wanda's eyes widened when she saw him and the priest looked startled. Whatever the man saw in James' expression made his face pale, so mission failure on looking nonchalant.
"James!" Wanda exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Vous connaissez cet homme? [Do you know this man?]" The priest asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Oui, désolé, c'est mon ami James. [Yes, sorry, this is my friend James.]" Wanda said quickly.
"J'étais sorti courir et j'ai entendu ta voix. [I was out for a run and I heard your voice]" James said, trying to ignore the way his heart was pounding at the relief of finding Wanda safe and sound. "Que fais-tu? [What are you doing?]"
Color was rising in her cheeks as her expression went from surprised to confused to guilty.
J'étais en promenade et, oh, c'est le père Gauthier, je l'ai rencontré hier avec Béatrice. Nous parlions justement du bâtiment de l'église et il a dit qu'il avait un livre… [I was out for a walk and, oh, this is Father Gauthier, I met him yesterday with Beatrice. We were just talking about the church building and he said he had a book…]"
Wanda was practically babbling, but James suddenly noticed that Father Gauthier was staring at his hand. He was wearing a long sleeved shirt, but he'd forgotten to grab gloves, so his metal hand was exposed. He looked at the portly priest's face, his adrenaline spiking, quickly scanning through his options. Steve wouldn't be happy if he took lethal action, but what if-
"Appartient."
Passcode recognized.
Everything in his mind went silent. His body returned to an at-rest position, muscles slack. His eyes stayed on the face of the handler who had spoken, waiting, ready to comply.
Wanda stopped talking mid-sentence, looking from James to Father Gauthier. The priest seemed taller somehow. The meek, friendly expression was gone and now his gaze was hard and calculating. The hair on the back of her neck rose. She swung her gaze back to James. The Winter Soldier was staring at Father Gauthier, expressionless and seemingly waiting.
No.
"Bonjour, soldat. [Hello, Soldier]" Father Gauthier said, a horrifying smile creeping over his face.
Wanda edged slowly away from the priest, her heart in her throat.
"Retenez la fille. [Hold the girl.]" Father Gauthier didn't even bother to glance at her, like she was nothing.
James moved towards her and even though she knew it was pointless, Wanda still tried to duck under his arm and get to the door. He caught her easily around the waist and spun her around so that her back was against his front. His metal arm was around her neck, holding her in a headlock just tight enough that she was on her toes and grasping uselessly at his arm. Father Gauthier smiled and turned back to his desk. He pulled a key out from under his robes and bent to unlock a drawer.
"James!" Wanda choked out. "James, wake up!"
Father Gauthier chuckled, removing a cell phone from the locked drawer.
"Oh he is awake, my dear." He said in perfect English. "This is who your James truly is."
"James!" Wanda clawed at the metal arm around her neck, tears filling her eyes. "Please!"
James didn't respond at all. Father Gauthier punched in a number on the phone and then brought it up to his ear, watching them.
"Who are you?" Wanda demanded, trying to sound braver than she felt.
Father Gauthier's smile didn't waver. "Heil Hydra"
NO.
He looked amused at the horror that filled Wanda's face. Then he began speaking into the phone in Russian.
"У меня Солдат. [I have the Soldier]."
NO!
Wanda closed her eyes and focused, gripping James arm to hide how her hands were shaking, and slipped into his mind. I'm sorry. She whispered, hoping some part of him heard her. I'm so sorry, James. Her skin crawled again at the emptiness inside his head.
Focus.
Moving through his mind felt like wading through mud. It looked barren, yet movement was difficult. She fought her way forward, searching. Finally she seemed to break through the emptiness and everything splintered into fragments. It was like being in a maze of broken mirrors. She reached out and touched one floating near her face. She could see half of Steve's face reflected in it, smiling in an army green uniform. The sensation of touching it was like gentle sparks caressing her skin. She moved carefully now, gently moving the fragments out of her way. It felt like she walked for hours and the broken fragments seemed to stretch into infinity. Finally, as she brushed aside an image of a much smaller Steve glaring stubbornly, she felt a chill. She turned towards it and it was like the images she'd seen of black holes. The wrongness of it made her shiver. It was black emptiness, like it would swallow her if she walked into it. She forced her feet to move, feeling physically ill as she approached.
She felt a flash of agony, saw the bright lights blinding into his skull, heard voices speaking in Russian, but they all seemed to jumble over each other. James Buchanan Barnes. 32557038. He just wanted to sleep. How long had it been since he slept? His eyes drifted shut, but the high powered spray of ice cold water hit him directly in the face, jerking him back awake.
She took another step and heard the jangle of chains, felt the metal biting into his wrists and ankles, felt the gnawing hunger and the ache of thirst, the way his parched lips cracked painfully. She heard the pleas he held back behind clenched teeth. James Buchanan Barnes. 32557038. James Buchanan Barnes. 32557038.
Another step and there was only pain. She clutched her head, clenching her teeth to keep from screaming. Tears rolled down her face. One more step and she could hear screaming, but not her own. It was James' screaming until his voice was raw. James Buchanan Barnes. 32557038. She felt the blade sinking into his flesh and screamed with him.
She fell to her knees. I don't know what to do.
She made herself look up at the malevolent darkness. This was wrong. This had been methodically placed here through pain and torture. She could taste the word in her mouth, metallic like blood.
Желание. [Longing]
She took a shaky breath through her teeth.
You cannot have him.
Acting more on instinct than anything, she held out her hands towards the darkness and summoned the scarlet lights to her fingertips. The dark thing seemed to recoil.
You CANNOT have him.
With a scream, she used all her strength to send her powers directly into the center of the darkness. It felt like it fought back, her ears ringing with a shrill shriek, but her powers roared with her as she enveloped the dark thing in red light. She pulled with all her might and memories of yanking out stubborn weeds in the community garden as a child flashed through her mind. With a horrible ripping sensation, it came free, and she had to fight the urge to cringe away from it. It was a monstrous thing full of pain and horror. She brought the scarlet energy down on it like cleansing fire. She braced for an explosion, but instead the dark thing imploded. There was a whistling sound as the scarlet light and the darkness seemed to suck into itself and silently vanished in a burst of red light.
Wanda panted on her knees, feeling dizzy. Slowly she got to her feet. Her head was pounding fiercely. With a great effort she propelled herself backwards, trying to see the scope of Hydra's cruelty. There were nine more dark things planted criss-cross like shadowy chains across his mind. She felt a moment of despair, but steeled herself. She had to hurry before Father Gauthier realized what was happening.
Ржавый. [Rusted]
It took longer to pull out than the first one, but it too imploded under her powers in a blinding flash of light. Wanda dragged herself to the next one.
Семнадцать. [Seventeen]
She coughed as she got to her feet, stumbling towards the third. She wiped an arm across her mouth and it came away smeared in blood.
Рассвет. [Daybreak]
Печь. [Furnace]
A man with round glasses peering at him, lips curling into a disturbing smile. "Sergeant Barnes." She heard the whine of a saw, felt the blistering agony of metal cutting into his bone. "The procedure is already started." Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire. He screamed until his voice gave out. He wanted to die. Please just let me die. The little man with the round glasses laughed at that. "You are to be the new Fist of Hydra."
Девять. [Nine]
Добросердечный. [Benign]
Hands touching his skin, going places he did not want them to be. Не двигайся [Do not move] The voice was mocking and cruel. Не издавайте ни звука [Do not make a sound]. The pain and shame intertwined together into something ugly and broken. Wanda was on her hands and knees, retching. Get up. She told herself desperately.
Возвращение на Родину. [Homecoming]
Один. [One]
Flashes of Hydra propaganda flickered past like an old movie reel. Heil Hydra! Heil Hydra! Heil Hydra! The words were so loud it felt like a bullet drilling into his skull. Heil Hydra! It went on and on never ending until he couldn't tell if it was inside his head or out of it. Heil Hydra! She heard James' voice screaming in defiance Fuck you! Fuck you! But his screams eventually gave way to sobs, a hopeless, exhausted despair. Heil Hydra! No one is coming to save you. Heil Hydra!
That's not true. Wanda thought as fiercely as she could towards the memory of his tearstained and bloody face. I am coming.
Товарный вагон [Freight Car]
The pain felt like it was ripping her in half. She held that image of James' tortured face, giving her the strength to rip the final thing free and obliterate it. The lights as it imploded were like fireworks in a dark sky. And right before everything went black, she could have sworn his eyes met hers.
The Winter Soldier breathed in and James breathed out. The Priest was staring at him, eyes bulging in fear, one hand pointing a pistol at them and the other holding a phone up to his ear.
"-ведьма. [-the Witch.] He was shouting in Russian. "Ведьма что-то делает с солдатом. Мне нужно подкрепление! [The Witch is doing something to the Soldier. I need reinforcements!]" Then to James he shouted, "Appartient! Appartient!'
James felt his muscles tense at the anticipation of the passcode, but nothing happened. He slowly curled his lips up into a smile that showed all of his teeth and the Priest went white. "Sorry, pal, doesn't seem to be working anymore."
He saw the moment the man decided to cut his losses. James moved fast, swinging Wanda around out of the line of fire and reaching out to palm the muzzle of the pistol with his metal hand just as the Priest pulled the trigger. The bullet was blocked by the vibranium hand and the whole pistol exploded. The Priest went down backwards, his mouth forming an almost comical "o" as he went, shrapnel flying everywhere. James felt some slice into him, but the pain was easy to ignore. The Priest wasn't so lucky. Blood was quickly staining the man's white collar. By the time he hit the floor, he only had time to gurgle a bit before he was dead.
Sorry, Steve, but good riddance motherfucker.
James gathered Wanda into his arms and scanned her quickly. She was unconscious, blood trickling from her nose and her mouth. Her face was deathly pale, but she was breathing.
"Hold on." He told her fiercely as he pulled her tight against her chest and ran.
Sam was in the room when James burst through the still broken door. He whipped around, saw James carrying Wanda, and swore as he hurried over. James laid her on the futon and Sam began taking her vitals.
"We've been made." James said tightly.
Sam looked up. "What the hell do you mean we've been made?"
"Priest was a Hydra agent."
"What?! Father Gauthier?"
"He knew a passcode for the Soldier too. Must have been higher up."
Sam's eyes narrowed "What do you mean a passcode?! Start talking, man."
"I found Wanda at the church, talking to the priest. He saw my hand and said a code that made the Soldier take over. He told me to hold Wanda there. He didn't know who she was until it was too late. He called Hydra though, told them he had me. And Wanda, she….she went in my head and she found the trigger words." His throat felt tight, the awe of what just happened overwhelming him. "She destroyed them." He met Sam's gaze, aware that his eyes were wet. "I think they're gone."
Sam's eyes widened, his mouth falling open slightly. They stared at each other for a moment in mirrored shock and amazement.
"What happened to Father Gauthier?" Sam finally asked.
"I came out of it and he tried to shoot me. I blocked the shot." He held up his metal hand. "The pistol exploded and killed him." Sam winced. "Wanda was like this when I came back. I don't know…I think removing the trigger words hurt her somehow."
Sam frowned, moving his examination down Wanda's body. "I can't do much about head stuff." He sounded frustrated. "But looks like she's got some shrapnel in her legs. Can you get the bag?"
James fetched the first aid and handed it to him. "Where's Steve?"
"He went upstairs to ask Beatrice if she'd seen Wanda." Sam glanced up at him as he rifled through the bag. "Go grab him."
"The Priest was calling for reinforcements." James warned.
Sam held up his glock and then placed it within easy reach. "Go get Steve. I got this."
Wanda swam back to consciousness in a haze of pain. Her mouth tasted bitter and slightly metallic, like blood. She cracked her eyes open and winced at the bright light, groaning.
"Hey Wanda." Sam's voice came from somewhere nearby. "It's ok, you're safe."
His face appeared above her, looking concerned. Wanda squinted at him. It felt like someone was hammering a metal stake into her head.
"Bucky, I might need your help." Sam called.
Wanda's heart skipped a beat and then James was there, smiling softly. "Hey."
"Hey." She said hoarsely.
"Wanda, I'm in the middle of digging some shrapnel out of your leg. I don't have any pain medicine stronger than Advil, so it's gonna hurt like a bitch." Sam looked at James. "Bucky you're gonna have to hold her still."
James knelt down over her head and reached both hands out. "Can I have your hands?"
Wanda managed to grasp his hands with her trembling ones. He pulled them down so that her elbows were bent and her hands were just below her shoulders, resting on her chest. He kept a tight grip on her hands and settled his forearms heavily on her shoulders, effectively pinning her down. Panic burst in her head like a firework and she strained against him, her breath coming in sharp gasps.
"I'm sorry." James' eyes were tortured. "I promise as soon as Sam gets this last one, I'm going to let go."
Wanda didn't have a chance to argue because suddenly white hot pain lanced through her leg. She almost bit her tongue, snapping her jaw shut to keep the scream from escaping. Her entire body struggled to get away, but between Sam and James, she couldn't move. Tears pooled in her eyes and spilled down the sides of her face.
"I know, hold on, Wanda. I've almost got it." Sam said from somewhere she couldn't see.
James leaned forward until his face filled her vision. "Look at me." He said gently. "I know it hurts. Sam's almost done. You can do this."
"Got it!" Sam sounded relieved.
The pain receded to a fierce ache instead of the stabbing pain and Wanda heard something clink lightly into a glass. James immediately lifted off of her body and released her hands, but Wanda grasped his metal hand before he could fully pull away. He paused, looking down at her.
"Did it work?" She choked out.
James' smile was like sunshine. "It worked."
Wanda felt her body relax a little, her eyes closing in relief. She felt James wrap both hands around hers and gently press a kiss on the inside of her wrist. It made that fluttery feeling in her stomach come to life.
"Father Gauthier?" She murmured, her eyes still closed.
"Dead." James' voice sounded far away.
Wanda knew she should ask for more details, but sleep pulled her under again.
The next time she opened her eyes, her headache was slightly less sharp, though her legs still fiercely ached. It took her a moment to realize she'd been moved into the bedroom. The lights were off, but the door was cracked open. She could barely hear low voices coming from the other room.
"-most strategic position..." That was Steve talking. "...to make…Beatrice."
"...take her if she's…." James' voice was low, but angry. "They'll torture..."
Sam said something too quiet to hear.
Wanda forced herself to sit up, slowly and grimacing in pain. Her legs were covered with a light blanket from the futon. She peeled it back to see three different places where her legs were bandaged. And then her stomach dropped. One of the bandages was over the wound she'd given herself in the shower. Fear and shame flooded her body. They'd taken her leggings off. She was just in her shirt and underwear. So they must have seen the ugly lines in various stages of healing running down her thighs. She pulled the blanket back over her legs feeling nauseous. What would she say when they asked?
The door opened slightly and she started, looking up to see Sam.
"Hey, you're awake." He said, entering the room. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Wanda lied automatically, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
Sam sat next to her on the bed and raised his eyebrows. "Well that's hard to believe seeing as I just dug two pieces of metal out of your legs with no anesthetic after you waged a psychic battle all by yourself."
Wanda couldn't hold his gaze. She dropped her eyes, her face hot. She could feel him studying her in the silence and heard his soft sigh.
"Wanda. It's ok." His voice was low and gentle. "Yes, I saw the marks on your legs. I'd like to talk about it when you feel ready, but you don't have to explain anything right now. We all care about you. None of us want to see you hurt, and you've obviously been in a lot of pain that you've been carrying all by yourself. We're here to help you when you're ready."
Wanda had to bite the inside of her cheek hard to keep her emotions in check. She felt so exposed, like a raw nerve, but a part of her just wanted to collapse in the relief of being seen.
"Right now though, we have a favor to ask if you're up for it."
She looked up at that. Sam looked conflicted.
"Bucky wants to double check that the trigger words are gone. He wants to know if you remember what they are."
Wanda hesitated, but then nodded apprehensively.
"Do you feel well enough to say them? Steve and I will be here, just in case."
"You want me to say them right now?" Her voice sounded hoarse.
"Better you doing it now than a Hydra agent doing it in a fight."
Wanda thought back to the words and a shudder ran down her spine. She didn't want to say the horrible things. She wanted to forget they existed. But Sam was right. They needed to be sure James was free before he fought Hydra again.
"Ok." She said.
Sam fetched Steve and James who both came in looking tense. James sat on the foot of the bed and Sam and Steve stood next to him like sentries. James' was staring towards the wall and every muscle in his body seemed to be taught. Wanda leaned forward and tentatively touched his leg. He finally met her eyes.
"Are you sure?" She asked low.
"Yah." He said tightly.
Wanda took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"Желание"
James closed his eyes, his breath coming faster. Steve and Sam were watching him closely, anxiety rippling from them like waves.
"Ржавый"
"Семнадцать"
"Рассвет"
Wanda could taste the blood in her mouth and nausea rose in her throat. James' face twisted like he was in pain.
"Печь"
"Девять"
"Добросердечный"
"Возвращение на Родину"
James opened his eyes and they were flooded with tears. She faltered briefly, wanting nothing more than to stop and comfort him, but forced herself to continue.
"Один"
"Товарный вагон"
They stared at each other in the silence. Sam and Steve were like stone statues beside James and Wanda barely dared to breathe. Finally James took a huge shuddering breath. Then the tears overflowed, spilling down James face, and his face broke into the widest smile she'd ever seen.
"It worked." He managed to say.
"You're free." Wanda breathed, her own eyes filling with tears. "James, you're free."
Everyone in the room seemed to take a collective breath. Wanda glanced at Sam and Steve. They were both beaming. Tears were rolling down Steve's face. He leaned forward and clasped a hand on James shoulder and leaned down to say something quietly in his ear. Sam moved over to Wanda and put an arm around her shoulders, squeezing gently.
"You did it, Wanda." Sam said, smiling down at her.
Steve was next, leaning over and pulling her into a tight hug. "I can never thank you enough." He said hoarsely into her hair.
"Can I have a minute with Wanda?" James asked.
Steve and Sam filed out of the room, shutting the door behind them. Wanda twisted her hands together nervously, watching James' profile. Once the door shut, he turned to face her, those blue grey eyes so warm on her face. Some of her apprehension melted away. He leaned forward and gently took her hands.
"I owe you an unpayable debt." He said softly. "I was prepared to live with those damn words in my head for the rest of my life." He swallowed hard. "I never imagined a life where they would be gone. And you…you are incredible. You've saved me, Wanda."
Wanda smiled softly at him as her eyes overflowed once again. Everything she wanted to say to him felt like it was stuck in her throat. Then James leaned forward, releasing one hand to reach up and cup her cheek, and her heart nearly stopped.
"And just so you know." He continued in a low voice that made her skin break out in goosebumps. "I've wanted to do this for so damn long."
He closed the distance and his lips met hers. This kiss was slow and gentle, and Wanda let her eyes drift shut, let herself dissolve into the warmth of the moment. He kissed her with reverence, like he was memorizing the taste of her. Her hands moved into his hair, clinging to him, kissing him back and mapping the fullness of his bottom lip between hers. She tilted her head, licked deeper inside, and was rewarded with a sound James made low in his throat that made her toes curl. His kiss deepened, devastating and thorough. She matched him stroke for stroke until they both reluctantly pulled back. He rested his forehead against hers, his vibranium fingers cool on her flushed cheek.
"M' sorry about last night." He said quietly. "I wanted to do this right, yah know?"
"I know." Wanda said softly. She pressed a kiss to his temple. "But I just wanted you."
He shuddered, looking up at her through his eyelashes, his eyes dark. "God, I don't deserve you."
It was Wanda's turn to gently cup his face. "You deserve everything, James."
He turned his face, pressing a kiss into her palm. Wanda wanted nothing more than to pull him down onto the bed with her, but she forced herself to focus. She remembered Father Gauthier pulling out a phone and making a call, heard his smug voice echoing in her head. I have the soldier.
"Is Hydra coming?"
He frowned. "We have to assume they are. The Priest was calling for reinforcements."
She shivered. "Do we have to leave?"
"That would be the safest option for us, but if Hydra knows we stayed here, they might try to torture information out of Beatrice." He saw Wanda's face pale, and squeezed her hand. "Which is why we are not leaving. Right now the plan is to stay, see who shows up, and fight if we have to."
A soft knock on the door made them both look, and Steve came in carrying a steaming plate of something that looked like chicken and vegetables.
"Wanda, you hungry?"
Wanda hadn't realized she was starving until she smelled the food. While she ate, Steve and James filled her in on the rest of the plan. It was going to be a tricky balance, continuing on like nothing was wrong, but keeping an eye out for Hydra. They needed to keep Beatrice in the dark, but keep her safe at the same time. The church had already become a crime scene. Steve had heard the sirens and reported that a small crowd of curious gossipers had gathered around the crime tape. Beatrice had joined for a brief time, but then came back and retreated to her room. After dark, Steve and James planned to go back to the Hydra safehouse and get some more supplies.
"What time is it?" Wanda interjected suddenly, trying to gauge the time of day from the curtained window.
"It's just past three in the afternoon." Steve reported after glancing at his wristwatch.
Wanda blinked in surprise. She'd slept for hours then. So why was she still so exhausted? Now that she'd eaten, her eyelids felt so heavy. When she stifled a yawn, Steve and James immediately noticed.
"You should get some more sleep." Steve said, taking her plate and standing up.
"All I've done is sleep." Wanda grumbled.
"Sam thinks that's the best cure for any injuries you got up here." James tapped the side of her head gently. "How's your head feel?"
"It hurts." Wanda grudgingly admitted.
"Then sleep." James ordered.
Wanda obediently laid back. The blanket was still over her legs, and it was actually ok, so long as it didn't move past her waist. Steve left the room, but James lingered. Wanda watched him check the window to make sure it was locked and fidget with the curtains. A small smile crept across her face. He was stalling.
"James."
He turned and looked at her and she was struck by how handsome he was. He was wearing one of the hats they'd found at the thrift store and there was a few days worth of stubble on his face, but his eyes were so striking and that little crooked smile that was creeping over his face made her heart beat faster.
"Like what you see?"
"Hmm." She made a thoughtful sound. "I don't know, you're too far away."
He was grinning now. "If you want me in bed with you, doll, all ya gotta do is ask."
Wanda felt her face flush and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Doll?"
He hesitated, uncertainty flashing across his face. "Sorry, uh, that was the 1930's slippin' out."
"If you call me a 'dame,' I will smack you."
He moved closer, a remnant of his grin returning. "How bout sugar plum?"
Wanda wrinkled her nose.
"What, I love plums." He braced his hands on the side of the bed and leaned in. "They're delicious." He murmured against her lips and then his mouth was devouring her. Wanda responded hungrily, but he pulled back far too soon. "You are supposed to be sleeping." He said sternly, that cocky grin fully back on his face.
Wanda glared at him and he laughed.
"I was promised body heat." She arched an eyebrow at him.
"Oh so you are inviting me into your bed?"
"Technically it's your bed."
He grinned. "That's true. I gotta say, I like this bed a lot better with you in it than Sam."
An actual giggle escaped her mouth as she shook her head at him. "Will you get over here?"
He toed off his boots and slid into bed, his eyes laughing at her. "Alright, but no kissing." He said sternly. "Doctor's orders."
Wanda curled up into him, his heat seeping into her. She pressed her cold nose against his neck and smiled at his shiver. Her hands fisted in his shirt, relishing the warmth. He tucked her tightly against him with his non-metal hand, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"I thought you said no kissing." Wanda murmured, eyes closed.
She felt him grin. "I was never good at followin' the rules."
She huffed a laugh into his collarbone, feeling drowsy and warm and safe. His fingers brushed gently through her hair. She wanted to stay awake to bask in this feeling, but in just minutes, she was asleep.
AN: I have switched around how the chapters are laid out, so major apologies to anyone who is confused!