Home.
Wanda feels it leaking down her chin. She doesn't know if it's spit or blood, or a mixture of both. She hears it crack, god damn it, she feels it, as she thrusts her shoulder forward. A burning rush fills her veins, as she screamed, it echoes like a cry. Her body fell, tears streaming down her face.
she shook her head, rapidly.
"Please, don't, no, please, no!"
her pleading went ignored.
•
Spring was around the corner, but snow, or ice? still fell against the windowpane. Wanda wiggled her bare fingers, grateful to have her wet gloves off and to be underneath the hot temperature, that blows through the condenser. The monitor is set on 78 or 82, or in the middle of it. She knew outside it was 63 degrees, it wasn't cold enough for the snow to stick, it melts as soon as touches the glass. She couldn't help but smile slightly, as it does.
"So you and your wife had a disagreement, yes?" The therapist's voice, causes her head to turn away from the window. The corner of Wanda's lips lowered, and the therapist continued, "Because she wanted you home."
Oh.
She had hoped the therapist would've forgotten about this topic. And it was a one-session thing.
Wanda nodded, her fingers yearning to reach up and scratch against her bruised skin. She buried her nail into her palm, forcing it into her lap, "Yes, she... uh, she didn't know about what happened... the..." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
Unable, or don't want.
She can't think about it. She couldn't make herself fall back into the dark icy room, where she could only hear her breathing, screams, and cries.
No, she doesn't want to feel that again.
And her therapist already knew, so the woman just hummed.
"So what happened next?" She asked, closing the book in her lap, to give Wanda the illusion of her full attention. The ginger clenched and unclenched her fingers, "Nothing, I went to sleep."
She remembered twisting and turning, even though it was painful to do, she continued because she couldn't rest for a second in that base, not again. Wanda swallowed, "We didn't talk until the next day."
April, 19th, was Faith's day. The day the gods had finally answered her prayers. The ginger laughed, slightly, "And you know, I think that was maybe one of the best days of my life."
•
Base lunch hall,
13:30 hours.
Wanda sat at her table, silently, staring ahead, her teeth biting off the skin on the edge of her nail.
She stayed down there for 243 days, or at least she thinks she did. Agatha never told her how long she was there, she said, she didn't want to anger her. But being beaten and nearly starved to death gives her enough of it.
"You think she hates me as well, right?"
Wanda's brows furrowed, and she pulled her hand away from her mouth, with a frown, "What, who?"
She turned to her friend, who nodded towards someone, "Rio. I think she has a secret unhidden hatred for me," Agatha said, Wanda glanced towards the woman, Rio was a tall brunette, with sharp brown eyes, and an awkward demeanor.
She always looking in their direction, or well, Agatha's. Wanda shrugged her shoulders, "Or she likes you."
Agatha's eyes lit up.
"Sucks, I have eyes for your wife," Agatha teased, with a smirk, wiggling her brows, Wanda rolled her eyes, stealing a carrot from her plate. She pointed it towards the raven, as she leaned back, "Sucks, she's taken."
Agatha sighed, dramatically, lowering her head, as Wanda shook hers, "True, it's so sad."
Wanda chuckled.
"I think you should ask her out."
"Your wife?"
She throws the carrot at her, "No, Rio."
The marine's eyes widened, "No, why would I do that? And based on your assumption?" Agatha shook her head, firmly, causing Wanda to frown, "We both know you have a horrible gaydar."
"No, I don't! I think I have a great gaydar," Wanda defended herself, Agatha scoffed, loudly at that, offending the brunette.
"Of course you do," The older woman sassed, before frowning, raising her brow.
"Aren't you the same girl who spent weeks thinking a girl in a gay club was straight or has my Wanda disappeared?" Agatha asked, tilting her head, her fingers reaching out, and pinching her cheek.
Wanda frowned, pulling back, and slapping her friend's hand. She ignored the loud screech from the raven, as her brows furrowed, did Pietro tell everybody that story?
"I'm right about this one, I see the love eyes," Wanda told her.
Agatha's brows furrowed, "So you're blind as well?"
•
Gloucester, UK,
Middle of 2002.
Wanda tapped her pen against the desk, she had gotten halfway through the letter before pausing. She's currently rereading it, trying to see and fix her mistakes. Her fingers ached, she had written so much, that the words barely fit on the paper, front and back.
She poured out her heart on those lines, saying things she wished she could in person. Her eyes turned to the photo beside the letter, it was of her girlfriend. She was lying against a sheet on the floor or the bed, Wanda doesn't remember. She wore one of Wanda's old hoodies, and even after two years of having it, still seemed to be two sizes larger than her body. The sleeves covered her fingers lying against her stomach.
Her hair was scattered, and loose strands were lying across her face, blocking the sight of her squeezed-shut eyes. Through the copper's messy hair, she could see a grin, one so wide, joyful, and contagious, that Wanda couldn't help but smile back.
"Dear, my beloved sweetheart."
Wanda's brows furrowed, as she looked up to see her browned hair friend, hovering over her shoulder, reading her letter.
"I know we are miles away, but I feel our love getting thicker," Wilson said, mocking her accent, with an exaggerated tone. Wanda shoved Sam to the side, causing the man to tumble on top of the bed. He laughs, while Wanda rolls her eyes, shaking her head.
"You're so down bad."
"Shut up." Shaking her head, with crimson cheeks. She isn't embarrassed by her love for her girlfriend, she doesn't care who knew, she would scream from the roof how much she loved her. She just can't help from getting flustered whenever she teases her about it.
"Who?"
Wanda looks away from Sam, her eyes connecting with Victor's, who stares with a curious smile. Besides Sam and Agnes, Victor was one of her closest friends on base.
Wanda picked up the photo, and turned to Victor, flipping it towards him, and showing him her beautiful redhead. His fingers reached out to take the photo from hers. She placed her hand into her lap, while beaming up at Victor, "Her name's Natasha, she's my world, Vis."
His brows rose, as he looked down at the photo, with a gentle respectful gaze, "She's beautiful." As he looked up, handing it back.
She chuckled, before looking away to see a pair of blue eyes staring directly at her. She frowned, furrowing her brows, even as she looked back, he didn't turn away. She opened her mouth to comment on it, but Wilson beat her to it.
"What's up with the strong look, T? Don't be jealous she's getting some," Sam shouted towards him, the man's eyes widened, his cheeks turning a bright red.
Wanda laughed, loudly, her cheekbones deepening as she smiled. The man opened and closed his mouth, stammering, causing the trio to laugh even harder. She knew his cheeks were burning as hot as lava, as T shook his head, jogging out of the room.
Victor chuckled at the action, narrowing his eyes at the marine, "What an odd man."
And Wanda couldn't agree more.
He’s theoddest.
•
"You don't know what you're doing."
They lay on a hotel mattress, Wanda's chin resting on Natasha's stomach, as the redhead's fingers tangled into her brown waves. The New York sunset shone behind their curtains, as they enjoyed their final days together.
Dipping her head slightly to the side, Wanda cracked a smile, "But that's my problem, right?" Natasha was unamused.
"How long?"
Wanda grabbed her hand, and brought it towards her lips, "I'm serving 3 years, baby, I'll be back before you know it, I promise."
•
Like always Natasha was right.
Wanda didn't know what she was doing.
Because three years became four, then five. She adds three more years to it and that becomes eight years, she puts another year, and then another, on forward and she ends up staying for seventeen years.
Wanda sighed, pulling out her cell phone, as she fell back into an old chair, in the corner of the bunker, where her desk lay.
She scrolled through her contacts, before finding and clicking on her wife's. Wanda bit the inside of her cheek, unsure if she should call, or whether Natasha wanted her to.
She shook her head, of course, she did. Natasha couldn't stand being away from her as much as Wanda did, yesterday's call proved that even more.
She glanced up at the clock on the wall, 18:21. Which meant it was 16:39 in New York, and the perfect time to call. Wanda swallowed before clicking the call button. It took a few rings before her wife answered. And when she did, like it was like happiness awakened inside of her.
"Hello, beautiful," Wanda greeted, with a smile, she swore if they could hear a grin, hers would be loud and clear.
A soft "hey," came out from the other line, Wanda leaned against the desk, her elbow pressing down on her forearm. She felt like a school girl who finally got that call back the guy next door promised, only the thing she's missing is the lip bite and flushed cheeks.
"I'm sorry about yesterday, I—," Natasha begins to apologize, but Wanda cuts her off. The brunette shook her head, "It's okay, you were frustrated, I understand," She interrupted.
The other woman didn't respond, Wanda's brows furrowed, as she wetted her lips, "Is today better?"
"Today is better."
Wanda beamed, "Good."
The pair went silent, it wasn't comfortable, nor uncomfortable. Wanda cleared her throat, picking up a random pen from the cup on her desk, and tapping it against the metal surface, "How are the boys?"
"Tommy is doing better in school and recently won his basketball game, they are going to the finals," Natasha said, the brunette hummed, excited for her boy. Wanda didn't know much about basketball unlike her wife, who surely knows the game from the back of her hand. "Billy joined theatre, his first performance is in two months."
Wanda chuckled, nodding, she believed her son had a mix of their thrive. From her knowledge, the kid was already in three different clubs, plus playing football on the side. Billy couldn't just do one thing. She was happy about him living his life to the fullest, but also worried, and hoping he wasn't overworking himself.
"They are bringing over Morgan to play soccer today," Natasha told her, and Wanda's smile widened, upon hearing the girl's name. Wanda hummed, nodding her head, "that's great, how's the rest of the family?"
"annoying as usual, just last week Sam and Yelena had a hotdog contest, which ended with both of them throwing up on our carpet," Natasha informed, the sound of shuffling also coming from the line, Wanda's brows furrowed.
"Who won?"
"Yelena, obviously."
Wanda chuckled, before furrowing her brows, hearing a crash from the woman's background, Natasha cursed softly, causing the marine to smile, slightly, "What are you doing?" Wanda asked, amused.
"Hiding in my office."
"Do I even want to know?"
"Probably not but it goes back to my last statement of Yelena being annoying," The doctor grumbled. Wanda smirked, pulling her hair back from her face, as she dipped her head slightly to the side, "What, is she doing the water balloon chase? or did she fill the room with the cotton balls again? That was the best one."
She could practically feel the woman rolling her eyes, "Shut up."
Wanda started to laugh, as something tapped her shoulder, causing her head to jerk up. She looked up, relaxing a bit, as she saw Agatha. Wanda's brows furrowed, as the raven waved her hand telling the marine to hurry.
For what, Wanda mouthed, but Agatha didn't answer, just made a gesture of a phone, and hung up. Wanda sighed, then shook her head, "Alright, detka, I got to go, and I hope you beat Lena in whatever you're doing."
"Don't worry, I will, I love you." Her confidence makes the marine smile, "I love you too."
Wanda pulled the phone away from her ear, hanging up, as the raven spoke, "Is everything better now?"
With a goofy grin on her face, Wanda nodded her head, "Yeah." She doesn't even look up at the sound of Agatha's laughter, the only sound that makes her head raise is someone clearing their throat.
Wanda turned her head, to see a tall muscular man, also standing in the bunker. Wanda's brows furrowed, it was Curtis Hoyle, one of her brother-in-law's oldest friends. Which slightly worried her, because they never talked to each other, no matter how many times they were around one another. She frowned, because he would only come to her for Frankie, or...
"Sergeant Hoyle, what brings you here? Is there a problem?" Wanda asked, in a hurry, and almost immediately the brown-skinned man shook his head.
"No, Lieutenant Maximoff, I just came to send off some information," He stated, her frown deepening, her eyes darted towards the raven, as Hoyle began talking.
Agatha was practically bouncing, Wanda narrowed her eyes, like an excited child. Which confused and surprised her, because she had never seen so much happiness on the marine's face. There were only a couple of things that would make the raven happy like this, she knew a deployment would be one of them.
Wanda swallowed, nervously.
"Lieutenant Maximoff?"
She cleared her throat, digging her nails into her skin, turning to the sergeant, "Yes, sir? I apologize, my mind went elsewhere, what were you saying?"
He nodded, brushing her distraction off, as he smiled, lightly, "I said, your discharge papers went through."
She blinked, what?
She didn't realize the words also fell from her lips until a hand touched her shoulder, her eyes darted in that direction, to see Agatha, wearing a wide smile on her face, "We're going home, witch."
Wanda couldn't believe it.