The Quinjet, fifteen minutes later
Victor Faust POV
The atmosphere in the ship was thicker than in the building. All things considered, the mission turned out to be a success. S.H.I.E.L.D. got several Hydra agents, all very eager to start interrogations, he assumed, and the victims ended up with help. As soon as Edmund died, the spell that locked Vision in place dropped. He decided to stay and help rescue crews.
"The entire building will need to be torn down, or it will collapse on its own." Said Steve from the pilot's seat. "That and the entire street will be closed off for repairs for at least three months." After a pause, he looked over Victor's shoulder. "We would all appreciate some explanations."
Victor saw her and placed his head on Wanda's shoulder. She did not leave his side since the moment they entered the ship. She slowly rubbed his back, spreading warmth to his cold body.
"My mother died in childbirth. Supposedly because I sucked out her magic." If it was possible, the ship would get even quieter.
"My father is or was obsessed with the idea of bringing her back. He of course blamed me for Mom's death, which he made sure I remembered at every possible second. Eventually, he tried to 'follow my example,' as he said. He thought that by sucking the souls of sorcerers, he would get strong enough to bring her back."
"Is that possible?" Natasha's whisper pierced the quietness.
"No. There is no way to bring dead people back. Especially not the way you would want, but father was blinded. I wasn't aware at first, but he trained me in hopes of strengthening my soul. Like making a pig fatter before butchering it. Once my grandmother realized what he was doing, she took me in. Sadly, she passed away, and I was forced to go back to him. I had 10 years; I couldn't say no."
"Your grandmother was an angel." Said Wanda, while still rubbing his back.
"Long story short, he continued to... train me, and one night he sneaked into my room, pinned me to the wall, and tried to suck my soul. I run and hide in Sokovia. Then Ultron attacked, and you know the rest." Everyone was silent. "I swear I had no idea he would join Hydra. If I knew... he killed 35 people because I ran away."
"You can't think this way, Victor."
"Wanda's right. With what you say, it sounds like your father would do it either way." Sam pointed it out.
"What matters is that you put a stop to him. Although next time I expect you to inform us about such unexpected situations. Someone else might have ended up with him and been unprepared." Steve said from behind his seat. Victor cringed thinking about such a scenario.
"Yes, I believe a punishment is in order." Smirked Natasha. "You will spar with me for the next two months, every. Single. Day." Her eyes promised pain.
"I deserve it. I'm sorry, everyone. I promise it won't happen again."
"You good man?" Asked Sam. "With your father being..."
"Dead? I honestly thought I would be happy, but now I just feel empty." Wanda gently caressed his hair. "I will be fine."
"If you ever need to talk, Victor, remember you have us." Steve said it this time with a warmer voice.
The rest of the flight went by in silence. When they arrived back at headquarters, Wanda led Victor back to his room. Victor dropped onto his bed and closed his eyes. Briefly, his body blinked blue, and he went back from his costume to regular clothes.
"That was a long day." Wanda did not respond; she just closed the door and shifted into her regular clothes. She lay on the bed next to him in silence. "You know, I didn't want to kill him; at least I did not try to. His body was so unstable due to so many souls that once they started to fly out, he did not have a chance. I wonder what my grandmother would say."
"She would bake her apple pie and tell you she loves you." Wanda caressed his cheek.
"Mmm… You are right, Wanda."
"I usually am." Victor smirked. Then Wanda put her arms around him. Wanda started to quietly sing a Sokovian lullaby. She even gently made him remember all the good memories he had with his grandmother, her, and Pietro.
They just lay there in complete silence.
Time Skip: six months
Avengers Compound, December
Wanda Maximoff's POV
Wanda entered Victor's room and was immediately bombarded with the colors and aromas of his potted plants. Victor came back from the bathroom. He smiled at her while fixing his wet hair. Once again, Wanda felt warmth on her cheeks.
"It's always the same with him." She thought while smiling slightly.
"Oh, hi Wanda, is this the time for our training? I must have lost track of time."
"No, it's not that, Vic." Wanda giggled as she observed his plants. They were all fantastically gorgeous, especially since they pulsated with his magic. She notices a new addition, which looks like a black cactus without any needles. She came closer to it.
"Don't touch Bob."
"Bob?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Bob releases gas when touched, which puts him to sleep."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah. It's still in the test phase. People at S.H.I.E.L.D. asked me if my herbs could be applied somehow for common use. I try to make a better version of anesthetics."
"It's amazing, Vic!"
"Why thank you, Wanda. Not that I complain, but what brings you to me?" Victor asked, leaning on the desk.
"Well… Clint called and invited us for Christmas dinner."
"Say what now?"
"He will pick us up at 5 p.m." Wanda smirked.
"But Christmas is in three days."
"Yes, but his family moves out, so he invited us today." Victor bites his lips.
"Control yourself, Wanda!" She screamed in her mind.
"We can't go empty-handed."
"I was thinking you can handle flowers, and I will get some wine."
"Pushy witch." Victor smirked at Wanda.
"I'm only pushy with you, Victor. I will see you downstairs in an hour." She winked at him and quickly went back to her room. She locked the door and hid her hot face in her hands. She couldn't keep going like this. Every day, she feels more and more for Victor, and she is reasonably sure he feels the same way. But what if she breaks their friendship? With a groan, she went to the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. She needs to get ready, or Clint is going to keep making girly jokes for the rest of the evening. She straightened her hair and combed it into a side-swept style. She put on a long, slim, jumper-like dress in a dark red color. While leaving, she also put on black over-knee boots and pulled out a bottle of wine from her secret stash that only Natasha knows about. She went downstairs, where Victor was already waiting for her. He wore an elegant white shirt, slim, creased black pants, and a black jacket. Wand shivered, feeling his gray eyes look at her from top to bottom.
"You cleaned up very nicely, Vic. Do you have the flowers?" Victor nodded and pulled out of the closet a gorgeous plant with thick red leaves.
"That's the best I could do at such short notice." Victor then pulled out Wanda's dark blue cloak and helped her put it on. Once he got dressed, he opened the door for her. "Clint is already waiting in the Quinjet."
Wanda smiled and slid her arm into his. She started to feel a twist in her stomach. Clint was always good to her, but she couldn't remember the last time she had a normal Christmas dinner. The world outside was covered in a thick layer of snow. Wanda saw her breath escaping her mouth, and she leaned in closer to Victor.
"You look absolutely radiant, Wanda." He whispered into her ear.
"Thank you; it's nice to dress up from time to time." Wanda bit her lip, and in a sudden surge of courage, she tilted her head and added. "Maybe next time you can invite me somewhere, and I will dress up for you."
The look on his flustered face was absolutely adorable.
"I… Uhm, wow..." He was saved by Clint, who stepped out of the Quinjet wearing a thick winter jacket.
"Hello there, you two. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes, we are Clint." Wanda said, giggling slightly.
The flight was very quick, and they soon got to a nice home in the middle of snowy fields. Once inside, Wanda and Victor give their presents and are welcomed with overwhelming kindness and warmth. The Barton family was incredibly inviting and fun to be around. Cooper and Lila bombarded them with questions about the Avengers as they sat at the dinner table filled to the brim with delicious specialties. Throughout the meal, Wanda and Victor continued to share brief looks and gentle smiles. After dinner, Laura and Clint shared a meaningful glance.
"Hey Victor, could you help me with something really quick?" Asked Clint, standing up.
"Yeah, sure."
"Oh, and Wanda, can you help me with the wine bottle in the kitchen?" Wanda stood up and went after Laura.
Victor Faust POV
Victor followed Clint outside, where they leaned on the porch.
"So, you and Wanda, huh?"
"Pardon?"
"Come on, Victor. A blind man would see the tension between you two." Victor just smirked and looked at the snowy fields. This place, this home—he could not help but imagine himself in such a place in years. With a real family. "Listen, we all live a very dangerous life. Every day can be your last, so it is important to hold on to the good parts. Trust me when I say that having Laura and my kids gives my life meaning. No matter what happened during the job, I always knew I would go back to them. There are a lot of people who would do anything for that."
"What if I mess it up? Wanda is my closest friend; if she rejects me or we don't work out, then our friendship will collapse. I can't even imagine how I would live without her." Clint smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Nothing needs to change between you two. The best relationships are built on trust, respect, and friendship. That's how it started with me and Laura. You would do anything for Wanda, and I know she feels the same way, so just tell her how you feel." As he was leaving, he also added. "There is this beautiful tree close to the barn; this old man would consider it even romantic." Clint went back to the house.
"You simply have to live and love. You will see one day." Grandmother's words echoed in his mind as he played with the snow on the porch. Wanda stepped out of the house and joined him.
"You will catch a cold if you stand here, Vic." Victor took a deep breath, probably the deepest in his life.
"Can we walk, Wanda?" She blinked but put her arm in his own. Victor started to lead them to the tree Clint mentioned.
"Is everything all right?"
"It's perfect. You, me, this place... Everything seems like a dream." Their boots shuffled in the snow. Once they stood at the tree, it got lit up with dozens of white lights. They laughed, surprised. "I just wanted to say that... I'm so happy you knocked on that door all these years ago."
"The feeling is mutual, Victor." Wanda's smile was getting bigger.
"You are the brightest part of my life, Wanda, and I don't want it to change. Ever." He took her hands in his. Wanda raised her chin a bit higher to look deeply into his eyes. Her nose and cheeks were red as snowflakes started to slowly fall on them. "I want to ask you to be my light, Scarlet Witch, because I love you, and I'm yours."
Wanda's green eyes started to get glassy, but her smile radiated more warmth than ever. She moved her hands from his and put them on his neck. She leaned in, and their lips met. As their lips moved slowly and gently, red and blue magic danced around their bodies. Victor put his hand on the back of her head, delicately pushing her closer to him. After what felt like an eternity, they broke the kiss.
"I love you, Victor, and I want to be yours forever."
The snow slowly fell around their little world.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading.
Take care :)