Give your heart a break

Give your heart a break
CHAPTER II

The world changed.
Not just for her, but for everyone.

With her look lost in some point inside that cell, Wanda kept quiet, wondering why the hell she agreed to go on that mission in Lagos. Mission where she made the biggest mistake of her life and because of that, the Sokovia Accords were created and therefore, she ran away with Clint from Stark's house to fight with Steve in Germany.
Everything was chaos in a matter of hours.

Now locked away in some remote part of the world, with a straitjacket and a stupid Stark Tech collar so she couldn't use her powers, Wanda was just devastated, she allowed herself to shed a tear.

'Please, stay with me. Don’t go…'

Wanda remembered Y/N's words and closed her eyes, cursing herself. Why didn't she listen to her? Why didn't she stay with her that night? Sharing the warmth of the bed, just feeling Y/N’s heartbeat, the sound of her breath.

Now that picture seemed so far away.

‘How do you feel now? You freak.’ The raspy voice of one of the guards was heard, but she didn’t allow herself to see that man. Wanda clenched her jaw and held on until he left, she wasn't going to let him see her defeated like that, how the icy cold sadness embraced her.
All she could think about was Y/N, just her, to survive.

"Don't listen to him, kiddo."

She heard Clint's voice since his cell was next to hers, trying to comfort her in some way, so she wouldn't feel alone.
Too late.

The lights flash for a few seconds, drawing everyone's attention. Before the guards could say anything, a blackout darkened the entire place.
The surrounding darkness made Clint and Sam lean against the bars and talk to each other, though Wanda couldn't even move. 

The sound of many men falling down made her feel nervous, what if it was Hydra again? No, they were already defeated.
But what if it was someone else?

She had never felt so vulnerable. The anxiety began to devour her slowly until  that voice brought hope back to her shattered heart.

“I told you that no matter what, if you need me... I'll be there.”

Like a beautiful sunrise, a smile was born on Wanda's lips; Steve was there.
Next to him, Natasha was ready to get her friends out of there. Whatever it takes.

“Are you sure?” The Sokovian asked feeling her heart race, taking the folder with shaky hands. She was in a van with her best friend, trying to go unnoticed. Wanda wearing sunglasses and a beanie to appease the cold while Natasha just left her recent blonde hair loose.

“Safe as houses.” The russian spy sighed, noticing how Wanda was looking at the pictures in the folder. “She still goes to that café, not as often but… she does.”

The pictures showed Y/N graduating, some in the cafe talking with Jules, some of the brunette listening to music with her headphones on the subway, or in different places.

“How long have you been following her?” Wanda asked, her fingers running gently over the picture. Oh, how long it had been without seeing her. Especially when they were running from one place to another to avoid being caught.

“Since we got rid of Ross in Spain.” Natasha glanced sideways at the picture. “Plus, the barista is kinda cute.”

Wanda raised an eyebrow, turning to see her.

“What? She’s cute.” Natasha rolled her eyes. “Apparently she’s her friend now. Thanks to that I was able to find out more about your girl.”

“Flirting with the barista?”

“Someday she will stop being the barista and will be the owner, she has dreams... she's different from us. From me.” The currently blonde handed her the binocular so Wanda could watch. “Anyway, Y/N's still single, she finished Med School, although it was delayed a bit when you disappeared. Now she’s doing the residence.”

“Still looking beautiful.” Wanda sighed as she watched Y/N from a distance. The brunette was at her table, writing something in her notebook and listening music on her headphones. This time she wasn’t wearing her leather jacket, she was wearing a grey hoodie that Wanda recognized perfectly because it was hers.  Her heart melted. “She changed her hair style a bit.”

“We can say we understand her. She needs to blend.”

Wanda sighed and put the folder aside. “What else do you have?”

“Wanda.” Natasha tried to get her attention. “I think it's time to face it. We have no time for doubts.”

The redhead sighed and shook her head.

“Now?” Wanda hesitated for a moment, really worried. What if Y/N didn't want to see her anymore? Or call the police?  Or worse... what if... “What if she hates me?”

“We don’t have much time, we should fly to Scotland in a few hours.” Natasha grabbed her keys, ready to get out of the truck. “It may be the last time you see her.”

Remaining thoughtful and silent for a moment, Wanda looked out the window once more. This was her chance, she must take it or let it go. But she had to choose now.

“Let’s go.”

“Here you have, my friend.” The barista set the coffee mug next to Y/N, sitting down next to her. "Just the way you like it."

“Thank you, you're the best.” Y/N smiled kindly and drank some of it, but not before adding two tablespoons of sugar. “That guy bothered you again?”

Jules shook her head.

“No, he was snooping around for a while but when I told Ross that Wanda was only here for coffee and they did the ‘truth test’ with that stupid weird machine, he left me alone. Plus, Matt helped me as the most caring and amazing defense attorney in the world. ” The barista leaned on the table to play with a sugar packet. “I'm glad your friend deleted the videos… from the cameras, you know.”

“It was nothing nothing, Daisy said she didn't leave any traces.” Y/N sighed deeply, remembering that in those videos you could see how Wanda and her met for the first time. How difficult it had been to erase them from existence. Now those memories remained only in her memory. 

Seeing the melancholy in her friend's eyes, Jules asked: “Did she call you already? Or something...”

“No…” Y/N sighed a bit tired, putting her laptop aside. “Though I did find out some stuff, Daisy didn't know as much as I expected, I must admit, but she taught me a few tricks.”

“How about Tony Stark?” Jules narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “He must know where she is, or if you can see her. At least! I mean… she’s your girlfriend!”

“But nobody knows that we are girlfriends, and it’s the safest thing for her, I haven't been near Stark Tower since the last time we tried to get in and you got locked up.”

Jules tried not to laugh at the memory. “But it was worth it, wasn't it?”

Y/N smiled when she remembered that moment, of course she was able to intrude in the place thanks to Jules making a fuss in the main room. What it cost her to be questioned by the General Ross himself about twenty-four hours. And Y/N being 'kindly' kicked out by a some big man with a scruffy beard that everyone called Happy.

The door bell rang again as two customers entered the café. Jules walked over to take the order but smiled widely when she saw it was the blonde.
Y/N smiled, the crush Jules had with that stranger reminded her of herself. She  just turned her gaze to her laptop to continue with that job.

“Hey.” Jules grinned, resting her hands on the counter. “You came back.”

“Yeah.” Natasha nodded and pointed to the person behind her, who was looking at the ground a bit shy. “I brought a friend, I think she will really like your coffee.”

“Oh, a friend…” The smile on Jules's lips began to fade, she felt her chest deflate for a moment until Natasha's 'friend' removed her sunglasses. She could finally recognize her, with a different hair color but it was her. “Oh my…goddess.”

The barista turned on the coffee machine to make some noise, necessary so that no one would hear them. Not even Y/N who was sitting with her back to them.

“You’re here! We thought you were locked up somewhere! We saw you on TV!” Jules picked up two disposable coffee cups, writing two random names on them. “You looked so badass, by the way.”

“Please, don’t say anything.” Wanda whispered trying to go unnoticed, worried there would be bugs. “Can I trust that you won't rat us out?”

“You have my word, she’s there alone. Go…” Jules whispered and then cleared her throat, raising her voice again: “Sure! It's four bucks for both lattes.”

“Thank you, Jules.” Wanda whispered and walked away from her, Natasha stayed talking to Jules and making sure no strangers entered the place. Wanda smiled when she heard 'you didn't tell me you were an avenger! I thought your name was Natalie!'

Each step towards her made the heartbeat increase, what to say? How? Wanda watched Y/N's back and how she scratched her head trying to think.
Oh, she loved that. She was so adorable.

Wanda took a deep breath, working up all the courage to take a seat across from her. Unlike the first times they'd met, Wanda this time sat down and stayed there until Y/N looked away from her laptop.

“Sorry, this place is…” Y/N started but then her jaw drop open. Wide open eyes, her heart skipped a beat.

Wanda was there, with the cutest shy smile and that lovely red hair contrasting against her skin. Although those green eyes showed so much nostalgia, this time the tears were of joy, to see Y/N again.

“Wanda...” Y/N gasped, quickly getting up to hug her tightly. Between giggles and tears, Y/N buried her face in the redhead's neck to sniff her scent, feel her presence once more and make sure she wasn't crazy.

She was there. After so long they were together again.
In the distance, her friends watched them smiling and happy.

“Are you okay?!! The brunette took the face of her beloved in her hands, still unable to believe that she was there. Her Wanda.

“I’m fine, detka.” The sokovian nodded quickly, smiling through the tears. Without thinking about it anymore, without caring about the consequences, Wanda ended the distance and kissed the lips of that woman she loved, the one who had her crazy since the first day they met.

The warmth of her mouth, the need to feel her one more time. Both were lost in that kiss until they both needed oxygen. Y/N rested her forehead against Wanda's for a few seconds, until they decided to sit down. They had to keep up appearances.

“We thought you were locked up in that awful prison.” The brunette sighed taking Wanda’s hand.

“I was, but we were able to escape.” Wanda said in a low voice, closing her eyes as she felt that soft caress. She hadn't felt something like that for so long. “I missed you, lyubov.”

Oh, she missed that Sokovian accent so much.

“I missed you so much, Wands.” She felt a tear escape, down her cheek but she soon brushed it away. “You never told me you were an avenger.”

“I'm sorry.” Wanda bit her lower lip, trying to swallow the pain. “I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the truth, I wanted you to be for me, just for me… for this to be different from what I had. I was afraid you'd be scared.”

“It's okay.” Y/N nodded. “Although I really didn't think that was it, just that maybe you were involved in some weird shit, some strange cult or something.”

They both laughed together once more, feeling that maybe for a moment everything was back to normal.

The warmth in Wanda’s belly mixed with the pain in her chest, everything she had in front of her and couldn't keep. Damn it.
She now she understood the pain, now she understood what Nat told her, now walking away would hurt even more.

“I'm sorry I left that night.” Wanda whispered regretfully.

“Okay, I understand why you did it.” Y/N nodded. “I'm proud of you.”

'I'm proud of you'.
Such simple words, yet so powerful. Enough to make Wanda shed a few tears, of happiness and sadness at the same time.

“I can't stay.” You can hear the deep pain in her voice.

Y/N smiled tenderly. “I know.”

They both spent a while catching up on everything that happened, until Y/N began to look for something in her bag.

“Take this.” Y/N handed her a small device that she put in the redhead's pocket. “It looks like a tamagotchi, right? It's funny. Every time you want to send me a message, you have to open this app. And send it to me.”

“I don't think I can have this where I'm going, detka.” Wanda looked at her tenderly but Y/N shook her head, giving it to her anyway.

“A friend did it for me, it's very reliable. It's encrypted, many layers of encryption, it is even necessary to do it from a specific place, really impossible to trace. I had the idea a while ago, I figured you'd come someday. So, I asked her to do it because she owed me.”

“Who?” Wanda frowned at her, doubtful. Maybe a little jealous.  “Is she trustworthy?”

“Daisy Johnson.”

Hearing that name, the redhead nodded and took that device, knowing that she could completely trust Daisy. At least they were on the same side.

“How did you meet Daisy?”

“Oh, that story is for another day. I'll just tell you that I had to patch many wounded running away because of the Accords.”

“You are amazing, detka.” Wanda bit her lower lip, completely captivated by her.

“Wanda, we have to go.” Natasha said looking at her watch. 

“Can't we stay a little longer? Please.” She begged, those green eyes asking Natsha and whatever higher beings to give her a few more moments.

“You know how it is.” Nat sighed and adjusted her cap, ready to go out again. “Steve needs us.”

“She’s right.” Y/N kissed her forehead, in the sweetest and most supportive way possible. “Go, okay? I will be here.”

“Y/N, I…” Wanda stopped. She didn't know how to express those words, were they correct? Was she rushing? But did that matter? She was running from the government -not just one- for more than a year, of course it was worth saying. “I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you, Wands” Happy to finally say it, Y/N smiled widely and kissed her lips once more. Not just once, but many times until they had to break up.

“Be careful, okay?”

“You too, take care, please.”  The Sokovian sighed, feeling her heart split in two as she moved away. “They will do anything to find us.”

“We’ll do it.” She nodded, then looked at Natasha. “Take care of her.”

The spy nodded as if it were a promise, although the truth would be that they would both take care of each other. But to Natasha's surprise, Jules came over to her with a big brown paper package.

“Take this.” The barista handed her that package that inside seemed to have a few bottles of water, bagels and chicken sandwiches. “For the trip, I guess where you guys are going won't be close.”

“Thank you, Jules. You’re kind.” Wanda smiled gratefully.

“Wanda?” Y/N tried last time.

“Yes?”

“Red looks beautiful on you. Red is still yours.”

Smiling, Wanda waved and left that café, ready to drive out of town where the quinjet was parked.

In the cafe, Y/N kept watching the door for twenty minutes until Jules decided to close it, it was time to go home.
Of course Y/N was going to wait, she didn't know how long, but she was going to wait.

And together they battled the adversity and distance that separated them each night, especially Y/N's constant concern for Wanda's life.
They communicated through encrypted messages from each city where Wanda arrived, once she was safe she would send a message that only they knew to show that everything was okay.

The second invasion in New York was something that nobody expected, of course. As soon as she saw that on TV how New York was under attack again by the Black Order, she quickly left with Steve and Natasha to the Compound.
The imminent war against Thanos coming to Wakanda.

‘Are you okay?’ Send.

‘Please, detka, say you're okay...’ Send. 

She typed and waited impatiently as they flew to Wakanda.

Wanda sighed deeply, a bit defeated and tired of going back and forth from one place to another without being able to stay where she wanted to be.
Now the planet was at risk -again- and a mad titan wanted to kill one of her friends to get a stone. Cool.

“She’s okay?” Natasha asked as she sat down next to her.  

“I don't know.” Wanda lowered her gaze, watching her reddish knuckles. Some cuts on her pale skin, she couldn't remember when was the last time she had a moment of peace. Her heart doesn't have any rest.  “I'm tired.”

“I know.” Natasha pursed her lips and leaned back against the quinjet wall, closing her eyes. “I promise this is the last time.”

“Don't promise something you don't know, Romanoff.” Wanda whispered, knowing so damn well that this wasn’t the last time. There was always something else, always somewhere to run.

Maybe half an hour later that device vibrated, taking her attention. Wanda sighed with relief.

‘I’m okay. Working, the hospital is full of wounded people. Those aliens left a mess here! Where are you? What’s going on?!’ - received a minute ago. 

‘I'm about to stop all this. I love you.’ Send.

‘I love you. Please be safe, come back to me, Wanda.’ Received. 

“She’s fine.” Wanda told Nat who seemed less worried now too. “We must stop them.”

Wanda didn't want to lose Y/N, didn't want to lose her best friend, Vision.

“It's what we'll do.” Natasha nodded and got up to make sure they were close to Wakanda, as they seemed to be losing altitude.
Watching once more the messages from her beloved, Wanda closed her eyes when she heard Steve tell them that they were about to land.

One last time.
One last time and we'll be together.

"She'll come back, of course she will."

That was what Y/N told herself over and over again, ever since the afternoon New York was attacked by Thanos.
Hours later, Thanos's snap had disappeared half of the Earth and of course, half of the universe.

Chaos and horror reigned in the lives of many people who lost their loved ones, and some people who had to pay for the crazy decision of the mad titan and lose their lives.

Watching the ashes around her, Y/N walked through the hospital corridors, seeing how people disappeared, turning into ashes. People who screamed for their relatives or for their doctors. She was speechless.

Y/N remembered how that day she arrived at Jules's cafe expecting to find a pile of ashes and feel the relief to see her there, so scared, trying to help the people who came looking for refuge.

Y/N remembered how she tried to call Wanda but it was impossible, even though Y/N tried a thousand times, she never answered her messages again.
And she understood why, when the news showed the fallen Avengers, victims of Thanos' snap. How they had been remembered for their great courage, trying to save the planet from that threat.

‘James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff… we owe them so much, we are forever in debt.’ Said the president next to the ruins of what used to be the Mets Stadium. 

“Now you remember them?! After spending a whole year hunting them all over the world like criminals!” Y/N exclaimed angrily watching the news, getting up to storm out of that cafe. “A fucking Witch hunt!”

Five years from that day, that day when she asked herself: why not me?
Where she should be glad to still be alive, but carrying the weight and pain of surviving in a world where those she loved were gone.

Five years where her life changed completely, she was no longer a girl doing a residency but was now a doctor.

Five years where New York City gone from being a beacon of light to a slightly darker place. A gray that would never make you feel alone, but not safe either.

“You haven't slept at all for twenty-six hours, you should eat something other than ham bagels and coffee!” Jules's voice snapped Y/N out of her thoughts as she tried to stay awake over the counter.

Jules, her best friend who had been by her side these five years, poked her nose. The woman looked exactly the same although with a rather attractive bi bob haircut.

“Its what I must do. I promise I'll eat better or healthier.” Y/N smiled somewhat wearily as she drank her coffee, happy to have two days off.

“I’m just worried.” Jules shook her head.

“I'm okay.” She assured. “How's everything around here now that you own this place?”

“Oh, don't even tell me. It's chaos, I never thought it would be doing the same thing I already did, but with more responsibility. And even more tired and stressed… but happier.”

Y/N rolled her eyes and giggled. “What about Natasha?”

“The last time we talked, she was videocalling a space raccoon... that was flirting with me. A self-centred little thing if I tell you.” She joked, shaking her head. The relationship with Natasha strengthened even more all those years, Thanos' snap changed everything.
Y/N and Jules talked for a while, mostly about their lives until one of the customers caught their attention, pointing to the television.

“I repeat, a ship landed on what used to be the old Avengers compound!” exclaimed one of the journalists while running. “Be careful, we don't know if this is a new attack on New York or-”

The journalist suddenly stopped when he saw how people began to appear around him.

“OH MY GOD, THEY'RE COMING BACK!”

Astonished, Y/N and her bestfriend watched as the people who disappeared years ago, now returned there or outside the store. Y/N rushed out to help those in need, accidents began to happen. Helping those who were scared or disoriented without knowing what was happening, the world was once again in chaos... five years later. 

While the Avengers fought against Thanos once again, united, every place in the world was chaos itself.
About five or six hours later, from afar it was heard how many people celebrated the return of their loved ones in the streets. Jules was turning off the lights of the coffee shop when she heard the jingle of the door bells.

“Sorry, we’re already closed. If you need help I can take you to the City Hall and...” Jules said without even looking, taking her jacket to leave but when she turned to look, her mouth dropped open in surprise. 
The redhead was wearing a gray coat and a burgundy sweater that fit her perfectly. She looked beautiful, as always, but mostly she looked hopeful. And somewhat worried.

“Wanda…” Jules gasped, she remained still for a few seconds before approaching to hug the redhead. So tight, even Jules missed her so much. “Damn, it’s true. You look like... you look exactly the same. Wow.”

“It is. You still look beautiful too.” Wanda said with a small shy smile, but as she pulled away she asked: “Where is she?”

“In her apartment.”

So confused, the sokovian shook her head. “I was there, there’s no one living in that place.”

“Oh, yeah. It's just that she moved two years ago to be close to the hospital.” Jules took a piece of paper and a pen so she could write down the exact address. “Here you go, she's a few blocks from New York-Presbyterian.”

“Thank you.” Wanda nodded quickly walking towards the exit when the woman's voice caught her attention.

“Wanda… Do you know where Natasha is? She doesn't answer my calls, I understand that after all it must be difficult to talk. But… I’m getting worried here.” Jules tried to look smiley but she seemed quite worried because inside her, she felt that something wasn't quite right. "I'm terrified, she never does that."

“Jules, I… umh… I'm sorry.” Wanda lowered her head for a moment, not knowing what to say. How to begin, she didn’t even thought about everything that happened. Apparently Nat and her were close.  “I thought you knew.”

Taking a deep breath, the brunette just tried to hold back her tears and nodded.
Natasha talked to her many times, explaining the situation in which she would always be. Preparing her for what she considered inevitable.

She was an Avenger.
Someday she would die as one.

“Go, I'll be fine. We will talk about that later.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, please. She will be happy to see you.”

Wanda nodded and left that place quickly, willing to get to that place as fast as she could. 

The good news was that Y/N wasn't that far away, the bad news was that the streets were packed with people. Wanda used her powers to levitate between alleys, shortening as much as she could.

She was so focused on the TV that the sound of the coffee maker made her jump. The news channel decided to show the lovely reunions instead of focusing on the riots, to appease now the great problem that was now coming, called overpopulation.

Y/N got up to get some coffee when she heard the doorbell.
So confused, she set the coffee pot aside and walked to the door a bit worried. Maybe it was Jules with something new, she didn't know anyone else after all.

Each step toward the door seemed like an eternity, as if something was going to happen and her heart knew it. Because when she barely opened the door, her heart rushed out to its true owner.
Taking her breath away, there was Wanda Maximoff, more beautiful than ever, as if nothing changed for her. Y/N thought she was living in a memory, Wanda looked exactly like the last time she saw her.

“Hi.” Wanda mumbled between happy, flushed and excited. She thought of all the things she wanted to say, all the things she mentally wrote down to say to Y/N, but she could only say 'hi'.

“Wanda! Oh my god!” Y/N exclaimed excited and amazed, rushed towards the sokovian to hug her as tightly as her arms would allow her.  “It’s you. It’s really you. Oh my god, you’re here!”

She didn't even think about it, she just kissed Wanda. Kissed the love of her life as if it was their first time.
Closing their eyes for a moment, they both allowed themselves to hold each other for a long time, feel each other one more time. Feel the scent, the warmth of their bodies meeting again, so similar yet so different.

After that kiss, Y/N led Wanda inside the house quickly. Turning around, they faced each other again, not knowing what to say. Just happy looks and big smiles.

“Wow, I can't believe you're back.” Y/N took her hand sitting on the couch together. Oh, how many times she begged to whatever god up there would let her see Wanda one more time.

The redhead took advantage of the moment to take a good look at Y/N, that woman for whom she had fought all this time. One of the most important reasons why she gave her life in that battle, who she felt was her home.

“You look the same... it's so crazy.”

“You look a a bit different…” Wanda whispered, caressing her beloved's cheek. And it was true, although Y/N still looked so damn  beautiful, some things changed. Not many, those eyes and that smile kept taking her breath away.

“Hey, it's not my fault. Five years, you know? I'm a bit older now, but... bit sexier tho. Like a good wine.” Y/N teased, they both laughed, but then pain came like a blast of cold air for both.

Five years away.

Realizing how long it had been since they saw each other, years without knowing about each other. Time felt unrecoverable; years of thinking they were lost forever.
Years where Wanda was not there for Y/N.
Years where Y/N had to move on.

“No, I mean... you're so beautiful. You look the same, I just... It feels as if I saw you for the first time.” Wanda hurried up and shook her head, feeling the bitterness close in her throat for a moment. She cradled Y/N's face in her hands. “I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left. We should have gone somewhere, run away together...”

A tear fell down Wanda's cheek and Y/N allowed herself to gently brush it away, leaving a soft kiss on her forehead.

“That sounds very romantic.” Y/N smiled wistfully, how long did she think about it? How silly she was for not insisting even more. “But you know very well that you wouldn’t, you wouldn’t quit on your friends, you wouldn’t quit on this world if it needed you, and I wouldn’t let you do it either.”

“But I left you, twice. I feel like a failure, 'cause I know that I failed you, detka. I should've done you better…”  Wanda looked down at their intertwined fingers, finally. “I'm scared… Everything has changed so much. And I know, but I'm afraid that you have everything now… and I’ll be nothing without you.”

Y/N smiled tenderly.

“Some things have changed, but my love for you hasn't.” Y/N assured her, kissing her hand in a soft and unique way. “That's something that will never happen,  my love for you will never end. I'm still waiting for you.”

Wanda bit her lower lip, completely in love with that woman. Oh god, how did she find something so good in her life?

“I haven't asked you, but…” Wanda felt a bit embarrassed to ask. “Are you... seeing someone? Sorry, I came here and I just stormed with all this. I didn't even ask you that...”

The brunette giggled, that was so adorable. “You’re asking that after we kissed...”

“What? I wanna know!” Wanda defended herself and gave her a little nudge.

“Ouch!” She tried to stop giggling. “I'm single.”

“Oh, thanks to the universe.” Sighing deeply, feeling a great relief, Wanda just nodded and tried to fight back the tears.

Seeing Y/N again in front of her, so the same and so different, was one of the most difficult tests she had gone through.
They both spent the night chatting about what Y/N's life had been like, that she managed to finish the residency because the decimation -or the snap- changed everything in those five years. Y/N got that apartment because it was so much closer to the hospital, and because the memories of Wanda started to suffocate her. It was too painful.

Wanda's absence opened a great hole inside, so deep that nothing was enough to fill it. ‘It was a deep dark hole that goes all the way to China’, Y/N used to said that because that was one of the songs they both loved, ‘Hole in my heart’ by Cyndi Lauper.

And while Y/N told her everything that happened in the world and in her life, Wanda never stopped smiling. She was so proud of Y/N, seeing her achieve everything she wanted to be.

“I've missed a lot of you.” Wanda stroked her cheek, so slowly. The softness of her skin kept driving her crazy. “I abandoned you so long ago, long before Thanos. I abandoned you when we hadn't even started.”

Feeling the pain in her beloved's eyes, Y/N just leaned down to kiss those sweet lips one more time. A short and sincere kiss, making their heartbeat increase.

“I think it's time to rest.” whispered the brunette, lost in the delicious sensation that Wanda's lips cause her.
Hearing that, Wanda just nodded.

“Yes, I should go.”

“No, not like that. I mean… Where?” Y/N stammered, then looked around. It was 2 am, Y/N turned off the tv. “Where are you staying? I don't think it's good for you to go out alone.”

“I'm an avenger.” Wanda smiled, Y/N despite knowing that she was powerful and capable of defending herself against alien threats or trained agents, she continued to protect Wanda as if she were her treasure. “Don't know. I just came back… I came straight here. I have no place yet.”

“Stay with me.” Without waiting for even a second, stumbling at her own words, Y/N blurted it out without thinking about the consequences. Not caring either, she just wanted that girl back by her side and planned to make up for the time that was taken from her, from now on.
If she let Wanda go before, this time she's going to fight for it.

“Yes…” Wanda whispered, happy. And of course this time she wasn't going to say no. This time she wasn’t going to refuse saying that she should be somewhere else. This was the place where she belonged, this was the place where she deserved and wanted to be.

Smiling, Y/N took the redhead's hand and they walked together into the bedroom, leaving all the chaos behind.
Promising themselves to never let go again.

And fulfilling what they promised, they didn’t separate again.

Except for Tony Stark's funeral, Y/N didn't think it would be appropriate to go there, so she just waited patiently for her.
The bad news was that Natasha hadn't woken up yet, after what happened on Vormir and Steve returning the infinity stones to where they belonged, he found a loophole in that 'deal'.

They were able to rescue Natasha's soul, coming back to life but wasn’t that easy. Natasha never woke up, staying alive but unable to get out of that coma.

Pepper took care of the situation, looking for the best facilities and doctors she could find. Jules never left Natasha’s side, she spent most of her time trying to be with her, and take care of her.

Of course, Jules cried and growled 'that's my girl, always leaving a mess and saving the world' when she found out about the Russian’s sacrifice. Hoping to scold her someday, though she understood that Nat would do anything to make her sister come back, Yelena. And all the people on this planet who needed to come back.

After all, they spent five years together, and had a wonderful and healthy relationship. She knew so well that Natasha Romanoff was a hero, she always had been. Maybe the ring should wait for its owner a little longer.

“Oh my god, that’s so you.” Y/N laughed so hard, watching an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. 

Wanda loved sitcoms and was grateful that they matched so well on it, even though they agreed to alternate their sitcom nights between Malcolm, The Office, and One Day at a Time. The Office could be complex sometimes, but Y/N loved it and Wanda was starting to like it, very much.
Two months passed since everyone returned and the world was beginning to heal, little by little.

“Shut up. You’re Hal, always horny and doing the most random weird things ever.” Wanda snuggled to be closer to her girlfriend, her love, her everything. Feeling the brunette's scent made Wanda smile and close her eyes for a moment, so she could live in that dream, never wake up.

“And you’re my Lois, because you love me anyway.” Y/N whispered as she stroked Wanda's back slowly.

“I love you, and I will love you in any way. In any world.” Wanda confessed by placing her chin on Y/N’s chest. Neither of them seemed to care much that the episode kept playing behind, the connection between their looks could overcome everything.

“Wanda…”

“Mmh?”

“Have I told you that I love your accent?”

“Always, and I love to know...”

“Wanda?”

“Yes, detka?”

Y/N narrowed her eyes and bit her lower lip, thinking that maybe she shouldn't say what she wanted to say. “Do you remember the times we saw each other when you were running away?”

“Do I remember them? Ha. I treasure them in my mind, each and every one of them.” The redhead paused for a moment to lose herself in those memories. The times they'd run away so they could be together, when Y/N took a week's vacation and traveled to Scotland, so they could lose in the romantically beautiful Edinburgh, or travel to Ireland, laughing and dancing in Galway over a few pints of ale.

That night Natasha was so angry... but the most painful thing was always saying goodbye to Y/N.

Now they wouldn't have to do it anymore.

“Remember when…?” Y/N swallowed hard, thinking how to say it. “I would like to know something... rather, I'd like to ask you something.”

“Tell me, Y/N, what's is it? Are you okay?” Concern was visible on the redhead's face.

The brunette sighed and settled on the bed to get a better look at Wanda. After a few attempts to start saying it, she took courage: “Don't you think we've been apart for a long time already?”

“Yes…” Wanda nodded. “Although these months have been wonderful, I don’t understand what you mean…”

“But it's different.” Y/N licked her lips and took Wanda’s hand. “So I was thinking and, well, this place… is… something that I chose, in a hurry because I had to. You know, I didn't even think if I liked that window or if that… room was good… or… one bathroom…”

Wanda narrowed her eyes somewhat confused, not understanding too well where she was going.

“Jeez! Would you like us… to look for a new place together?” Y/N ended up exploding, tired of babbling like a lovesick puppy. But as soon as she realized what she said, her eyes widened.

“Do you want us to live together?”

“Yes.”

Wanda frowned, a bit confused. “Isn't that what we're doing?”

“Yeah, but I mean let's find a place together.” Y/N closed her eyes, expecting the 'no' at any moment. “One that we choose together, that we both like.”

Her girlfriend was quiet and that made Y/N panic, feeling her palms slightly sweaty.

“A home...” Wanda gradually smiled, that smile she hadn't shown in a long time. Such a unique smile, a happy one. The sokovian suddenly began to nod quickly, between excited and happy. “I would like to.”

Y/N smiled too. “Really?”

“No, no...” The sokovian shook her head. “I wouldn't like it, change that. I'll say it better: I would love it! I would love to choose a home with you, detka.”

“You serious?” Y/N smiled and sat up on the bed.

“Deadly serious.” Wanda couldn't say more, she just laughed when the brunette leaned over to fill her with kisses and small bites. “Let's get ourselves a home!”

“And maybe a dog?” Y/N used her best pleading eyes, Wanda just bit her bottom lip, shaking her head.

“Baby steps, detka!”

That was how they both slowly began to repair that relationship damaged by absence and time.

Natasha woke up two months later, happy to know that her sacrifice was worth it and that she was surrounded by the people she loved so much. Now all she had to do was go through a long recovery process, but never alone.

Y/N managed to have better work hours, now she couldn't be away from home for so long. She decided to take a minor position in a nice place called Westview.

Accepting Y/N's recommendation, Wanda began attending a therapy group, to be able to work on all the losses she had. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't impossible.

Although she would never get over Pietro, her family or Vision’s death, she could tell that slowly she was making progress.

Wanda could finally let her heart have a break and, without a doubt, lots of love.