Preface
Withholding The Truth
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at /works/56202463.
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: F/F, F/M Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe Relationships: Wanda Maximoff/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Darcy Lewis/Wanda Maximoff Characters: Wanda Maximoff, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Pietro Maximoff, Yelena Belova, Vision (Marvel), Sam Wilson (Marvel), Agatha Harkness, Carol Danvers, Darcy Lewis, Monica Rambeau Additional Tags: Acting, Depression, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Anxiety, Film Director Tony Stark, Parent Wanda Maximoff, Parent Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Original Wanda Maximoff/Natasha Romanov Children, Original Character(s), Scarlett Maximoff-Romanov is the glue of this family, Falling In Love, Again, Slow Burn, i love flashbacks, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Unhealthy Relationships, Slow To Update, Angst, Family Dynamics, Addiction, Lies, Trust Issues, Lack of Communication, Character Death, Bucky Barnes is Good With Kids, Bucky Barnes Being an Asshole, Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Friends to Lovers Language: English Stats: Published: 2024-05-27 Updated: 2024-07-15 Words: 9,967 Chapters: 3/? Withholding The Truth
by amithegamer1
Summary
"I will forever beg for your forgiveness." "do you even know why you're asking?" "no." • Wanda and Natasha were the internet's sweethearts. Everyone couldn't get enough of them. Everyone wanted to see them together in interviews, movies, shows. They wanted the pair to be unbreakable. The couple wanted to be unbreakable. But sometimes things don't work out like you wanted it. Sometimes stories get out, rumors spread, and hearts gets broken. No one knows what happened, no one understands why they suddenly hated each other, and how the old glances of love turned into hatred glares. Everyone could feel and see the discomfort when they were with each other. So the internet split them and they created their own names. They both became successful in what they enjoyed, and they were... decent. But 10 years later, the big screen finally put them back together. And it made everyone wonder...
Will they be civil or is their tension still there and will it ruin everything?
Notes
See the end of the work for notes
"In My Daughter's Eyes." — Martina McBride + "Paradise" — Coldplay
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Natasha was never a morning person.
She despised getting up at unreasonable hours. She would love to be lazy, sit in her bed for days, and be suffocated by her soft cushions and covers.
She wouldn't mind sleeping forever.
"Mommy."
That all changed when she became a mother.
Slowly opening her eyes, a gentle blow of air left her lips, as she released a sigh. A small figure came into her foggy view, she blinked, clearing her vision to see her gorgeous daughter, with her fingers tightly wrapped around a brown mug, which she held close to her chest.
Scarlett smiles, widely, looking down at her mother. Natasha's lips curled upward, a chapped smile forming on her mouth. She pushed her elbows down on the bed, pulling herself up from her laying position, to rest her back against her headboard.
She reached out to wrap her hands around the mug, taking it from her daughter's fingers. Allowing her daughter to crawl onto the bed, Scarlett had watched her mother make coffee so many times that she had learned to do it herself.
She brings the mug to her lips, taking a small sip of the cold java. Although her daughter added a little too much sugar and too little milk, she was grateful.
"Good morning, princess."
Her daughter's eyes, sparkling in the morning's light, slightly widened as she smiled, "Morning, Mommy."
She sat the mug down on her bedside table, as she moved to the edge. "Thank you for waking me. Did you do your routine?" She asked, Scarlett jumped off the bed, as Natasha stood.
"Yes, I cleaned too!" She said, proudly, holding up Natasha's red robe that previously hung on the door. Natasha gently takes it from her daughter's hands, nodding her head, "Good, I'm proud of you."
She didn't know her daughter's smile could get even wider. She lifted her robe behind herself, pulling her arms through the sleeves, "Baby, do you mind going to watch TV while mommy gets ready?" She asked, tying the string of the robe into a knot around her waist.
She hummed, and jogged away, without a second thought, causing her mother to shake her head. She understood why though, Natasha doesn't give the little girl a lot of TV privileges, so when she does have some, she takes it without a care.
Natasha entered the bathroom, quickly deciding to take a shower first, before doing her facial routine. She walks towards the shower, pushing back the glass door, to reach for the knob. She twisted and turned the hot and cold knobs until it was the right temperature.
She sighed, softly, when she entered, as the soothing water poured over her. She grabbed her bottle of sweet rose water-scented body soap and pressed out some onto her loofah. She wets it, before putting the loofah on her body and rubbing it down her chest and neck, cleaning herself.
She stays in the shower, for a few minutes after she finishes cleaning, enjoying the feeling of the warm water against her skin, before deciding to leave when it gets cold.
After she turned off and exited the shower, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her hair. Then ties the robe across her waist, walking towards her sink. She turned on the faucet and started her routine.
She had finished moisturizing her skin, and began to wash her mouth, when the sound of tiny patting hit her ears, which caused her to pause, as a voice shouted:
"Mommy, call!"
Her brows furrowed, as Scarlett waved her phone, gripping it tightly in her hand, making sure not to drop it, Natasha smiled, muttering a thank you, as she took the phone from her daughter's fingers.
The screen read Clinton with a skull and bow emoji beside it, which Natasha doesn't remember adding. Clint, her best friend, her former agent, is a man who's constantly a major pain in her ass.
She sighed, swiping right to answer, as Scarlett raced out. Most likely going to the living room, to watch Bluey. She doesn't know how lucky she is, Natasha thought, as she pressed the speaker button. Before she could ever mutter a hello, a voice shot through, "Guess who booked you the best deal in this nation."
His voice was too chipper for eight, or whatever time, in the morning. Natasha sat down her phone against her marble counter, as she applied the paste onto her toothbrush, "you want me to say you, don't you?"
He ignores her attitude, and says, "So Tony Stark called..." She nodded, as she began brushing her teeth.
Tony Stark, a legend in the film industry, the man who could do anything, as US Weekly would say. And they're not wrong, the man makes fantastic movies. Oppenheimer is one of her favorites. She was surprised when she found out the man had directed and produced the film. It's crazy he did all of that while acting in it.
"He's offering you the role of Julia Rosé in his new movie, Against Society," He told her, Natasha remembers hearing something about that. If she remembers it correctly this was going to be his first LGBTQ movie. Natasha hummed, before leaning down, and spitting into the sink, "I think I'm gonna pass on this one."
The faint gasp, she catches from the other line, almost causes her to roll her eyes. "Why? This could be your big break. Your Natalia Romanoff welcome back to the gay club movie."
She grimaced, Natalia Romanoff.
A name, she used at the blossom of her career, and also her former maiden name. This makes her roll her eyes, "I haven't been Natalia in years, Barton."
"I know but, Natasha, this is your comeback," Clint said, her brows furrowed.
Natasha frowned, "I don't remember asking for a comeback."
She heard a blow of breath against the phone, as he sighed, "Natasha, it's been years. The crowds miss you, and I know you miss the crowds."
Missed it?
Missing it wasn't even close to what she felt. She yearned to be back on stage. Acting was her passion, her dream.
A dream, she had to bring to a pause as Scarlett got older. Natasha personally never liked the idea of nannies or making her parents take care of Scarlett while she was working.
So after she made her mark on the industry, she slowly stopped joining movies and interviews and practically disappeared. She shook her head, "I don't know, Clint..."
"Just think about it!" He exclaimed, interrupting her, "That's all I'm asking."
She took a breath, "I'll think about it," Natasha said, just to get him off back, at least that's what she told herself.
She could practically hear his smile, "Thank you, you won't regret it."
She rolled her eyes, "get off my phone."
She hears the sound of his laughter echoing through the speakers before the line goes dead. She looked up in the mirror, her fingertips gripping the edge of the counter.
Does she need a comeback like Clint said?
She hasn't been on social media for years, so she doesn't know what her people or press wants from her.
But did she want to be back?
She always wanted to be an actress. And she has completed that dream, so why does she feel like something was missing from it?
She turned off the sink, pulling back, why does she feel like she's missing from it?
She shook her head, exiting the bathroom, as well as leaving her room. She walked into the kitchen, hearing Australian voices chatting, her head raised, turning towards the screen, then glanced towards her daughter, whose eyes were glued to it.
"What do you want for breakfast, sladost'?" She questioned, as she walked further into the area.
Scarlett's head immediately turned away from the television, at the topic of food. Her tiny brows rose, "waffles!"
Natasha chuckled because that's breakfast for every morning. She opened the cabinets, pulling out the container of batter. The redhead looked back, at the sound of the TV turning off. She arched a brow towards Scarlett, and asked, "Fruit?"
"Grapes! No, wait, strawberries!" She exclaimed, two of her front teeth were missing, and the absence of them gave her a lisp. Which gives her difficulty pronouncing her s and r's. Scarlett skipped into the kitchen, as Natasha smiled, at her daughter's indecisiveness, "how about both?"
She nodded her head, rapidly, "Scarlett," She said, causing her daughter to stop bobbing her head up, preventing her from getting dizzy. Natasha grabbed a bowl from the rack on the side of the kitchen sink.
"I have the best dream!" Scarlett excitedly exclaimed, Natasha's brows rose at the loudness, which her daughter quickly apologized for.
"You did? What was it about?" She asked, opening the refrigerator door, and grabbing the fruits and other substances for the waffles.
The redhead hummed, listening closely, as Scarlett ranted on about her fantastic dream. Her little girl has an extraordinary imagination.
Ever since her uncle took her to see a superhero movie, she has been infatuated with the idea of them. Over the past months, Natasha has brought multiple comics and helped her create her own.
She has this idea, that in an alternate world, everything she imagines, draws, and the characters her parents performed, are real.
Just as they are make-believe to Natasha, to them Natasha is make-believe.
Scarlett's mind is unique.
She hummed, pouring the milk into the batter, before reaching out for the wooden spoon to stir the mixture, "Was I there?"
"Yes, you was strong!"
Her dreams weren't as long as her story, Natasha smiled, softly, knowing her daughter was adding things as she spoke. She hummed, "Were you the captain of this team?"
She nodded her head, rapidly, stopping at the exact moment, Natasha was going to tell her to. She beamed, "Yes, and Mama was too!"
"Me too, right?" She asked, playfully, her daughter shook her head no, "What? Why wasn't I a leader?"
Scarlett's brows furrowed, tipping her head slightly to the side, in resemblance to her other parent. Her bottom lip formed into an adorable pout, as she said, "Because you're the heart, remember?"
There was always heart, her daughter had told her one day and explained. In every group there's a person, who brings the team together, the mind of reason, the hero of the team.
To Scarlett, that was Natasha.
Her eyes widened, as she feigned the act of remembrance, "Yes, I'm sorry, slipped my mind."
All her daughter does is smile, and say, "It's okay."
And Natasha realizes she doesn't need acting or to be on the big screen to feel whole, to be herself.
All she needs is this little girl right here, and she'll be fine.
"Where are you?"
Darcy's voice shot through her phone, as she pressed it against her ear. She struggled to lift the trunk, thankfully her brother came over, pulling the door upwards, allowing her to pick up their luggage, and put them into the car.
"I'm sorry, I'm on my way, I had to wait for P, he forgot to pack his bag last night," She said, Pietro looked at her, frowning at her lie.
He glares but doesn't say anything. She waved her off, pushing the suitcases further into the car. Darcy sighed, "he should've done that last night."
"I know but— Fuck!" She exclaimed when the trunk slammed against her back. Panic immediately hit the other line, as Wanda watched her brother die of laughter, "What's wrong?"
She shook her head, clenching her jaw. Wanda grunts, lifting her hands, and pushing back, "Nothing, I will call you when we get there, okay?"
She pulled herself from under the trunk door, as Darcy hung up, her brother was already sitting inside the car, by the time she closed it.
She pinched his arm, as soon as she got into the passenger seat, "Asshole."
He sticks out his tongue like a child, "Liar."
She rolled her eyes, as Pietro started the car. She reached up, grabbed her seatbelt, and buckled herself in, as her twin left their (former) lawn.
She stared at the window, as he drove, looking at buildings and pubs when they passed by. The airport was 30 minutes away, she sat there silently waiting, tapping her fingers against the leather compartment, following the rhyme as the song played through the speakers, Pietro hummed to it.
She nodded her head, slowly, closing her eyes. Her or his phone must have automatically connected to Bluetooth because song that played through the speakers didn't come on the radio anymore. It was a song that held so many memories with her. She has a faint memory of her mother humming the melody to her, she remembers Pietro holding her hand and singing it softly to her when she was scared.
She remembered someone else doing it as well.
After a few more songs, they made it to the airport, and got out, as soon as Pietro had found the area he was supposed to park the rental.
The pair walked the hall, Wanda pulled out her phone, as Pietro shrugged up the bag on his shoulders, his grip on the handles of the suitcases tightening, "do you think we have enough time to get some coffee?" He asked, his eyes looking towards the Starbucks that stood at the end of the hall.
Wanda shrugged her shoulders, unlocked her phone, getting ready to call Darcy back, "Dee probably already has you some."
He nodded, before looking down towards all of the stands, as they walked closer to them, Wanda grunted, tapping away on her phone, he wanted something to eat. Wanda was in such a hurry, she was rushing both of them out of the house before he could even grab a banana to smack on.
He wants a cinnamon roll.
His mouth waters at the thought of the soft glaze snack. Wanda bites down on her bottom lip, turning off her phone, "Darcy's at the entrance, our flight leaves in an hour."
He smiled, "Well, then that gives us enough time."
He turned towards one of the cafes, bringing them on a detour, Wanda frowned, following behind him, "for what?" She asked, then she saw her answer, as he rushed into Auntie Anne's.
Wanda sighed. "Pietro..."
He turned back to his sister, who stood at the entrance, grabbing the suitcases he left behind, he arched a brow, and then she told him, "Get me a salted pretzel."
He grins and nods before walking towards the crowd. It took ten minutes for them to get their snacks, but it was worth it.
Wanda had already finished her pretzel by the time they dropped off their luggage, and Pietro was on his second cinnamon bun. As walked towards the entrance, she licked the salty taste off her lips, as they curled upwards, her eyes finding a black-haired woman standing a few feet away from the plane.
Darcy, one of Wanda's closest American friends she met while in London, frowns, as soon as they reach her. Darcy immediately hands Pietro a coffee cup, who smiles, gratefully, then brings it to his lips, and takes a satisfied sip, "What took you so long?"
Wanda shrugged, "Pietro got hungry."
Instead of rolling his eyes like Wanda expected, his grin just widened, Darcy shook her head, grabbing Wanda's hand.
The brunette immediately intertwines their fingers, smiling, as the older actress places her other hand on Wanda's reddish cheek, and gently pulls her down, pressing their lips together.
Wanda raised her hand, flipping her brother off, as he made gagging sounds. Darcy laughed, pulling away.
Darcy pulled her towards the plane steps, as Pietro silently followed behind. The group entered, and for a few moments, they walked down the aisles, before finding their respective seats.
Wanda quickly walked into their lane, getting the window seat, since Darcy hated the spot, and Wanda wanted to bug Pietro, who grunted.
She was heading to New York, or moving there.
It's a foreign thing to think about, moving to New York, a place she swore to never come back to.
In the past 8 years, she hasn't stayed there longer than 3 hours, or a day if she wanted to be nice.
So to think that she's about to make a home out of it again is crazy.
Past her would think she was crazy.
When she moved away, she had left so much drama and her past there that she was kind of scared to come back, to see people she hadn't spoken to in years.
The only thing that kept her tie to New York (no matter how much she wanted to make that place disappear from her record) was her daughter, Scarlett.
She was the reason she flew down there every summer and (occasionally) Christmas.
Now this contract is the second reason she's there.
Wanda had owed Tony Stark because of some deal she had made with him years ago, and now he wants his half. Which is she performing in one of his new movies, Against Society?
It was a lesbian movie with a cliché name. He said it would be a rom-com. The usual trope: forbidden love, enemy-to-lovers, with a hint of comedy bash, is what she thought when she originally heard about it.
But then she read the script, and Tony Stark surprised her.
It was a heartwarming story about two young women, one who's stuck in the imaginary white picket fence lifestyle, and the other who's a struggling unemployed doctor.
It spoke a lot about the struggle of homophobia, sexism, and depression. It talked about the importance of self-awareness and love, all with a little comedy mixed in between that fits so well.
It surprised her, with how emotional she felt while reading the script. She was going to play Dahlia Watson, the doctor. Dahlia struggles with depression and crippling anxiety. She reads Dahlia's fears and struggles with getting through her day, and as someone who struggles with severe anxiety, Wanda understands the character.
A tap on her shoulder, caused her to raise and turn her head to Darcy, "Do you want to take a nap?" She asked, arching a brow, "It's going to be a long flight."
Wanda shook her head, with a little smirk on her lips, "I'm fine, you go ahead though, don't want you to be grumpy when you wake up."
Darcy pinched her side, causing the brunette to softly laugh, the shorter woman's head fell against the actress's shoulder.
She leaned down, pressing her lips against the woman's temple, before turning and looking out the window. The plane slightly shook as it lifted off of the ground, she smiled, softly, knowing this was probably the last time she was going to be in London, at least for a while.
Goodbye, London.
Chapter End Notes
sladost' = sweetness"Evergreen" — Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners + "Welcome To New York" — Taylor Swift