Chapter 10
With all of the new developments in our lives, there was little time for us to breathe. Tony insisted on making sure the new house was set up with everything we could need for protection. Something that included a security system that was far more advanced for a home, but I couldn’t deny that I enjoyed knowing that we would be safe. There were plenty of people who would love to harm us, and I didn’t want to constantly worry about a potential threat and waste time that I could be spending with Wanda and, hopefully, a smaller version of her. Yelena had been annoyed that there wasn’t a guest house for her to move into, but I knew that she was happy for the two of us. Pietro, on the other hand, had forced us to time how long it took for him to make it to the house and then back to the compound just to make sure it wasn’t too long. Something that felt silly to do for someone who could actually slow the rotation of the planet, but it was understandable that he wanted to make sure his sister was accessible. On top of moving into the house, everyone had been pestering us about wedding plans, wanting to know if we’d put any thought into what we wanted to have at ours. When Kate and Pietro got wind of the fact that we hadn’t done any planning, they took it upon themselves to host an engagement party for us. Being that neither of us had ever been engaged or married before, we didn’t really know what that meant, but we were both acutely aware of how much Tony loved a good party. I wasn’t much for games and theatrics surrounding my relationship; it partly felt like it took away from how serious I was about her, but I also knew her well enough to know that the games were going to be something she enjoyed. Melina was really excited to help them and contribute whatever she could. They’d given us a dress code to follow, and I’d been waiting for Wanda to finish up in the bathroom for at least twenty minutes. Knowing her, she was probably fussing over her hair and wanting to make sure she looked like the picture of perfection in every way. After another five minutes, the bathroom door opened, and she stepped out looking like an angel touching down on Earth.
“Well, aren’t you the most stunning creature alive?” I said as my eyes devoured her.
“Shut up. As if you don’t own a mirror.” She said as a blush built in her cheeks.
“I do. And I love to fuck you in front of it, so you’re forced to accept how beautiful you are. Or do you need a reminder?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
“Well, you… I wouldn’t tell you no.” She said, starting to get fidgety.
“Oh, don’t get shy on me now, pretty girl. Do you want me to fuck you in front of the mirror so you can see how beautiful you are?” I said, closing the distance between us.
“Please?” She whispered.
“Hm, I’ll consider it. But right now, we have an event to attend, and unfortunately for you, we are the main attraction. Which means we actually need to show up.” I said with a gentle laugh as I kissed her cheek softly.
“You’re a tease.” She grumbled.
“As if that’s news to you. Now, come on.” I said, holding out a hand for her.
She rolled her eyes at me but accepted my hand nonetheless. I immediately pulled her into me, causing laughter to erupt from her chest, a sound that never failed to pull a smile to my face. Our fingers stayed laced together as we made our way through the compound to the event room. There was a slight hint of noise coming from the room, letting us know that everyone was probably already there and waiting for us. As much as I wanted to feel bad about it, seeing Wanda looking the way she did was beyond worth being late for. We pushed the doors open, and as soon as everyone saw us, the conversation came to an abrupt close. Before we could say anything, Pietro, Yelena, and Tony broke through the crowd with smiles on their faces.
“Who knew you cleaned up this well?” Pietro said with a laugh.
“Watch it, Sonic.” I warned with narrow eyes.
“Romanoff! Maximoff! Welcome to your engagement slash goodbye party. We’ve done you the favor of having all of the gifts for your engagement and housewarming brought to your new house. Which is finished, by the way. Your only job for tonight is to have fun, and let us celebrate the two of you.” Tony said with a smile.
“Don’t love that you’ve been inside our future home, but thank you, Tony.” I said with an amused smile.
“There’s plenty of alcohol to go around, and we have vegetarian options for our herbivore, and of course, there’s meat for everyone else that gives into those carnal instincts.” He said, sending Wanda a wink.
“Thank you.” She said quietly.
“Of course, little witch. You know I love an excuse for a good party, and since my money was being used, I wanted to make sure it was used properly.” He said with a smile.
“It’s appreciated.” I said with a nod.
“Wonderful, everyone loves me. Now, please enjoy your party!” He said, and the music was dialed up, and the lights brought down.
Wanda and I shared a knowing look. It was foolish of us to think that this was going to be anything like a normal engagement shower. We’d let our siblings plan it, and they included Tony on the planning committee. I pulled Wanda to the food first and then to the bar before we found somewhere to sit down. We ate our food and took in the crowd, identifying people we knew and making a note to talk to them before the night concluded; we also saw people gathering at different stations around the room. When our food was finished, we collected our drinks and began to make our way around the room to talk to people. Our first stop was to talk to Pietro and Yelena to thank them for setting everything up for us. It had really been a miracle that they’d managed to pull this all together since they could rarely agree on something. But that was probably where Tony came into the picture; he was a tiebreaker who knew Wanda and me well enough to help with decision-making. That and the fact that he was technically funding this entire party. They let us know that there were surprises set up throughout the party for us to discover, and I narrowed my eyes, not trusting either of them. We started to move around the room when we came across one of the first surprises. They’d set up a table that had a bunch of pictures of both of us as children, and immediately, I knew that Melina was to blame for the pictures of me.
“Are these really pictures of you?” Wanda asked with a curious smile.
“They are.” Melina interrupted gently.
“You took so many.” She mused as her eyes drifted over the images littering the walls.
“Yes, well… Maybe it started as a mission of convenience, but I think you’ll share my feelings that it’s very impossible not to love the two of them,” Melina said with a soft laugh.
“They both have managed to work their way into my heart, that’s for sure,” Wanda said as her eyes found mine.
“I can’t believe you kept these… After all those years.” I said in disbelief.
“That photo album you wanted so desperately to go back for had been the one thing I was holding on to. The one hope I had of finding my babies alive and well. You came to me easily, and of course, Yelena needed to do things her own way.” She said with a snort.
“At least someone saved it.” I said as I let my eyes look at pictures of a young Wanda.
“I’m going to need copies to hang up in our house.” Wanda said with a giggle.
“Are you excited?” Melina asked, not paying me any mind.
“A little anxious about it. I mean… We aren’t at a normal age to retire, but we’re able to. And the prospect of kids is so exciting.” Wanda said with a happy sigh.
“I can’t wait for grandbabies. You tell me if that one doesn’t pull her weight, and I’ll set her straight.” She said, gesturing to me.
“I have no doubt that she’s going to be amazing.” Wanda said confidently.
“You will both be marvelous, dear.” Melina corrected her.
“I hope so.” Wanda said with a nod.
We spent a few more minutes talking about different memories associated with each image we saw, and it was so euphoric to watch Wanda get lost in memory. Her eyes lit up, and her smile brightened the entire room around her. She could easily pop into my head to show me the memory, but she was always so much better at describing it. I didn’t need to see it; I only wanted to know about it from her eyes. Though their childhood hadn’t been the most amazing, Pietro had still managed to find a good number of photos of the two of them. Something I’m sure Wanda had been keeping safe for the both of them. At another spot, Wanda’s eyes almost fell out of her head. Tony, with his infinite connections, managed to get a video from Dick Van Dyke and Carol Burnett to wish us a happy marriage and future. Tears built in Wanda’s eyes, and my heart was painfully clenching in my chest. This was something that she was going to love for her entire life, and I had a feeling it would be the source of her smile for quite some time. As the party progressed, we ended up getting pulled in opposite directions by different people, and I was waiting until I got to excuse myself from the conversations about my retirement in favor of finding Wanda. After twenty long minutes of trying to end the conversation, I was finally free. My eyes quickly scanned the room to see if I could find her and when I didn’t see her, I went to my next option. I found Yelena easily and made my move, praying that everyone would leave me alone while I was trying to get to her. By some miracle, I was only stopped twice on my way to Yelena, and they were both quick conversations. I gently dropped my hand on her shoulder, and she initially tensed before relaxing when she recognized that it was me.
“Have you seen Wanda?” I asked with a frown.
“No… But maybe Pietro knows?” Yelena said with a shrug.
I nodded and roamed around the party, trying to find Pietro. Maybe it was because he moved ridiculously fast, but I could never find him for more than three seconds before he was zipping away again. It was frustrating, and I finally understood Wanda’s annoyance with trying to keep him still enough to catch up to him without having to break a sweat. Seemingly sensing my struggle with trying to talk to him, Melina caught his attention and got him to zip over to where she was, making eye contact with me. I sighed in relief and moved toward the pair at a slightly brisk pace, unwilling to potentially lose him again. When I made it over to them, he looked shocked to see me standing there, and I wanted to roll my eyes but decided against it.
“I am trying to find your sister. Do you happen to know where she is?” I asked with another sigh.
“I believe she mentioned the bathroom when I saw her last.” He said with a shrug.
“Perfect. Thank you.” I said, nodding.
I turned away from him and began to weave my way through the crowds of people. There was no way for me to know how long ago Pietro had talked to Wanda, but it was the only lead I had, and I was going to follow it. While I moved through people, I kept my eyes peeled and scanned the room to see if she’d made her way back in. She didn’t normally disappear for no reason, and this was supposed to be a celebration for the both of us. It didn’t feel right to celebrate without her. I searched the bathrooms that were on the same floor as the party room, and when I couldn’t find her, I instinctively made my way up to our room, wondering if she’d gone there to feel safe. I gently pushed the door open and could hear sniffling, telling me that Wanda was indeed up here.
“Detka?” I called into the room.
“Natty?” She asked with a frown in her voice.
“What’s going on?” I asked, following the sound of her voice.
“There’s so many people and…” She said, not finishing her thought as I rounded the corner to find her on the bathroom floor.
“And it’s overwhelming, hm?” I asked softly as I sat down next to her.
“I don’t know everyone and… You know more people, so it makes sense that they’re curious about me, but…” She said, shaking her head.
“But it’s still a lot. That’s okay. We can tell everyone who doesn’t live here to go home, dorogoya.” I offered.
“N-no. I want you to enjoy the party.” She said with a hiccup as tears built in her eyes.
“Detka, this is our party. That means your happiness is just as important as mine.” I said gently.
“But you’re always taking care of me, and what if you realize this isn’t what you want? What if we have kids, and you feel like you’re taking care of them all alone because you have to take care of me as well?” She asked, her eyes filled with fear.
“I take care of you in the same way that you take care of me, moya lyubov’. If I had a problem with our dynamic, I would have voiced it. You have no idea how wonderful you’re going to be as a mother, but you are going to be able to connect with them as children. It’s something you’re teaching me every day. So, tell me, if our future children were at a party that was thrown for them and they were overwhelmed, what would you do?” I asked as I pulled her into my lap.
“I would tell them that we could end the party whenever they wanted.” She mumbled into my neck.
“Oh? You would, hm?” I asked with a hum.
“B-but they’re kids, not adults. I’m an adult.” She said with a shaky sigh.
“You’re an adult, detka. No one is suggesting that you’re not. But being an adult is not only hard, it’s not very fun. You’re allowed to let the little you that still lives in your mind and heart make decisions that are best for them, just as much as you’re allowed to make adult decisions.” I tried.
“What if I said… What if I just wanted to stay up here with you and cuddle?” She asked, her lips brushing against my skin.
“I would ask if you wanted to watch The Carol Burnett Show or Bluey,” I said easily.
“Have I ever mentioned that I love you?” She asked in the smallest voice.
“Maybe once or twice, but I’m not against hearing it again,” I said with a soft laugh.
“I love you.” She said with a sigh.
“I love you, now, come on. It’s only polite that you say goodbye to our guests at least.” I said, gently tapping her thigh.
“Do we have to?” She grumbled.
“We do. I promise that I’ll make it quick.” I said with a laugh under my breath.
She groaned against me but listened and rose to her feet. She waited for me to follow her, and as soon as I got close enough, she managed to swap our positions and put me in front of her. It was something I could’ve seen coming; she didn’t want to go back to the party, and I didn’t blame her for that. If it were any other event, I would’ve allowed her to stay in our room instead of saying goodbye, but given that her brother was one of the people who put it together for us, it felt important to thank them for what they’d done and let them know we were going to excuse ourselves from the event. We made our way downstairs, and I explained the situation to Yelena and Pietro. Both were understanding, though there was nothing to say that they wouldn’t be. We insisted that they continue the party for us and promised to see them in the morning. After we’d excused ourselves, I pulled Wanda upstairs to our bathroom and helped her wash her face before she shooed me away and told me I had to worry about myself as well. I rolled my eyes but conceded anyway. I finished faster than she did, and in response, she told me to wait in bed. She’d had a long day and wanted some semblance of control, so I gave it to her, but there was a part of me that wanted to remind her that she wasn’t the one in charge, and she didn’t get to send me off to bed just because she didn’t want to admit that she could use some help from me. I settled in the bed and waited until Wanda finally appeared outside the bathroom with a freshly cleaned face and pajamas on her body.
“Come on, detka. I was promised quality television and cuddles.” I said, patting the bed.
She smiled brightly and nodded before quickly moving toward the bed. As she launched herself at the bed, I pulled Stitch out of her landing zone so he didn’t end up as a casualty, and the second she hit the bed, she erupted into a fit of giggles. I held Stitch for her until she got comfortable and wordlessly reached for him. Once she had him tucked into her arms, she made sure to snuggle her way into my chest and relax. I took it as a sign that she was allowing me to choose what we watched tonight, and judging by how overwhelmed she’d been, I landed on Bluey, knowing that it brought her not only comfort but a lot of joy. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep against me, and I chose to encourage that sleep, turning the volume down and setting a timer on the TV so it would turn off after I fell asleep. She didn’t wake up when I made sure I was comfortable enough to sleep, and I was thankful for that as her weight, once again, settled on my chest.
“Goodnight, detka,” I whispered, kissing the crown of her head as I turned off my light.