Natasha sat alone in the room, waiting for whomever she was paired with to join her.
It was simple, 36 questions, ranging from random stuff to deep stuff, she and some random girl would just sit there and answer them. It was for some study to see if it'd make them fall in love, which was absolutely stupid, love was for children, and yet here she sat, in a stupid eggshell blue room, on a stupid grey couch, holding a stupid fuzzy pillow, waiting to meet her stupid match.
A girl, maybe 5'8, light brown hair with soft bangs, rings on every finger and necklaces adorning her neck, wearing a black dress and cardigan and docs came stumbling in; the man conducting the study standing behind her.
She smiled brightly and waved, somehow managing to gracefully plop down on the armchair opposite her, swinging her legs over an arm. "Hi!"
"Hey," Natasha replied giving her a look and a slight smirk.
The man cleared his throat. "I will be sitting in a different room, you two will be alone. All you have to do is answer the questions on the paper as honestly as you can." He explained, glancing between the two. "Quickly introduce yourselves and then we'll get started."
Natasha nodded. "I'm Natalia Romanova, I prefer Natasha, I'm a law student."
"Wanda Maximoff," The girl - Wanda smiled. "I don't have a nickname. Um... Oh, I'm majoring in child psych!"
The man grinned and slipped out of the room, leaving the two alone.
Natasha sighed heavily, this girl was far too happy and enthusiastic for her liking - this was gonna be a long while...
"First question," Wanda read out. "'If you could invite anyone in the world to dinner, who would it be and why?'"
Natasha shrugged but sighed, "And we have to be completely honest?" Wanda nodded. "Okay, um... My parents. They died when I was really little and I don't really remember them and I don't know, it'd just be nice I guess."
"That's a good answer." Wanda empathized. She seemed sweet, Natasha thought. "Honestly, I'd go with my parents too. I haven't seen them since they died and that was... jeez eleven, twelve years ago now? I miss them."
Natasha gave the brunette a lopsided yet empathetic smile and picked up the paper, "I'm sorry."
Wanda shrugged but gave her a grateful smile nonetheless. "It is what it is. Thank you though"
The redhead nodded. "'Would you like to be famous? In what way?'"
Wanda smirked mischeviously. "I would want to be a singer. That sounds fun, y'know, making music and performing it for people. And plus my brother would love it." She told Natasha, grinning t the thought of her brother. It was endearing.
She noticed Wanda was twisting one of the rings on her finger, it must be an anxious habit.
"I'd want to be... A superhero." Natasha answered after a short moment. "That sounds so childish, but I'd love to help people," Natasha said quietly. They did tell her to be honest...
Wanda smiled at the ceiling. "That's a great answer. Mine seems so selfish."
"No, it isn't." Natasha rushed to say, almost jolting up from where she was laying on the couch. "Pursuing something you love isn't selfish at all, especially if you're improving other people's lives."
Wanda sat in thought for a moment, muttering a quiet 'huh' before picking the paper back up and looking at the next question. "Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?"
Natasha shook her head and smirked. "I live on the edge."
"I do," Wanda replied softly. "I have anxiety so yeah, it's just easier if I run it over a few times in my head." She explained.
"Is that why you fidget with your rings?"
She nodded.
As Wanda continued to reveal things about herself, Natasha found it easier to talk to her. She was a lot, yes, but when she got serious Natasha found she was beginning to enjoy spending her time with the girl.
"'What would constitute a perfect day for you?'"
Wanda lit up immediately with an idea. "Watching sitcoms with my brother without him complaining. I love them but he always starts yelling at me for it." She laughed softly.
She had a nice laugh. It sounded like a goddamn song.
Natasha was really beginning to rethink her previous reservations about this whole study. Wanda was honestly very nice. Not to mention, incredibly polite and genuinely gorgeous.
"Going to Six Flags with my best friend. He took me once when I first came here and I just- really introduced America the right way." Natasha explained, smiling at the memories of Clint screaming on a roller coaster.
"Russia, yes?" Wanda asked. Natasha raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You're from Russia?" The woman clarified. Natasha nodded. "Sokovia."
Natasha chuckled. "Would you look at that, huh? Next question darling."
"'When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?'"
Natasha thought for a moment, wracking her brain as to when exactly she'd last sung until it hit her.
"Last week, I was... having nightmares..." She took a breath to steady herself. For science. "So I started singing my favourite Russian lullaby that my- my sister would sing to me when we were little." She explained softly, looking over at Wanda shyly, through her eyelashes.
Wanda reached out a hand in comfort, offering her a reassuring smile. "That's really sweet. I just sang in the car on my way here."
Natasha laughed shakily but was still smiling. "Um... 'If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?'"
"Mind because I just know I could pull off the alt grandma look," Wanda smirked, a thought coming to mind. "Imma be such a milf one day just you wait!"
Natasha laughed at Wanda's childish admission, she was adorable. No, not adorable just... cute! No wait-fuck! This was supposed to be a stupid useless study and yet here she sat falling for this girl she barely even knew.
"I'd say mind because let's be honest, I could pull off being a milf too," Natasha smirked, her own inner turmoil not apparent to Wanda.
Wanda nodded in agreement. "Oh absolutely." She replied, eyes raking over Natasha's body. She blinked. They both blinked, just staring for a moment before Wanda coughed and looked at the next question.
"'Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?'"
Natasha nodded casually. "Potassium to the tongue. Just you wait and see."
Wanda's eyes widened in concern and Natasha laughed. "Oh I- I always thought car crash. My brother is a reckless driver." She laughed again. Natasha loved it.
"'Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.'"
Wanda bit her lip and shrugged. "We're both Slavic, we both have siblings and we're both gay?"
"Yeah, yeah that's- yeah. Um, we both love spending time with our loved ones, we'll both be epic milfs someday," She joked, causing Wanda to burst out laughing. "And... we both have childhood trauma?"
Wanda nodded and gave her another small, reassuring smile. "Next, 'For what in your life do you feel most grateful?'"
"Clint and Yelena," Natasha answered quickly, not even having to think. She loved them more than anything in the world. They were her everything. "Clint is my best friend and Yelena is my sister." She explained softly. "I just- Yelena was the only happy part of my childhood, and Clint he- he saved my life multiple times for multiple reasons; I owe him my entire life. I love them. l both so much." She explained softly, playing with the arrow necklace sitting on her collarbone.
Wanda nodded solemnly. "I owe my twin, Pietro, everything. When we were ten our apartment was bombed and our parents died. Another bomb came down and we sat there for two days waiting. He pulled me under the bed and whispered stories to me trying to calm me down when he was just as young and scared as I was." She explained softly.
Natasha didn't know how to respond to that. Her own childhood wasn't great but ten? They were ten and their apartment got bombed and they had. to sit there across from their parent's dead bodies while they waited with bated breath for their inevitable death? That's too much for any ten-year-old to deal with and she felt horribly for the woman.
"Thank you for sharing that," Natasha spoke after a long pause.
Wanda nodded. "You too." She bit her cheek. "That's another one we have in common, family is everything."
Natasha cracked a small smile. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked back at the sheet and smiled, "Number ten; 'If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?'"
Wanda shook her head. "Nothing. We weren't rich, far from it. In fact, we were very poor, but I loved my childhood. Maybe I'd take away my parents dying, but honestly? No."
"I would've gotten out of there," Natasha whispered. "I would've left before they even saw me coming..."
They both sat quietly, basking in Natasha's words for a long moment before Wanda cleared her throat and smiled nervously. "'Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.'"
Natasha nodded. She hated her childhood; hated it. But honestly? She felt oddly comfortable telling Wanda this aspect of her life. Something that only Clint and Yelena knew. "Just a warning it gets... real bad real fast. Um... okay, so I was born in Stalingrad and lived there for... Two years. Then, my house burnt down and my parents died, hence, why I don't remember them. I was sent to an orphanage, they dubbed themselves the Red Room. They... They sucked, a lot. Um, they abused us. Forced us to train in ballet for hours on end until our feet bled and we passed out from blood loss. For some reason, I still dance though?" She laughed sourly, tears forming in her eyes. "Anyway, as I said, they... sucked, they hit us a lot, made us sleep handcuffed to a bed. I- I learned English because we were all forced to sit in a classroom and recite Snow White from memory - I can't watch it anymore. We- we were raped a lot too so... that's great." Wanda frowned and reached her hand out to hold Natasha's.
"I was there until after Yelena turned eighteen so I was... going on nineteen? After we finally left, we came here. Luckily we were still educated and graduated high school, so we both applied for university. I decided to major in law, minor in dance which is absolutely stupid but still. She's majoring in dance at Juilliard - I'm so proud of her. Despite everything we really are amazing dancers, professional ballerinas, um... I was a principal dancer at the Bolshoi, believe it or not. So was she. So yeah... That's my story. The story of a horribly abused, prima ballerina turned lawyer."
Wanda looked at Natasha with all of the appreciation in the world and squeezed the hand she held. She didn't comment on the tears dripping down the other woman's face, just quietly made her way over to the couch Natasha sat on and wiped the tears away.
"I don't know if anyone has ever told you, but you are so strong and so brave and you deserve so much in this world," Wanda reassured her quietly.
Natasha let out a hiccup and laughed, more tears streaming down her face. "Thank you."
Wanda nodded and pressed a quick kiss to Natasha's cheek. "My turn," She whispered. "I was born and raised in the capital of Sokovia. Like I said before, we were very poor; we lived in a single one bedroom apartment, but it was cosy, felt like home. My papa-" She smiled. "Papa, he'd bring home sitcoms and movies on VHS to play on our small tv. Every Friday someone would choose something and we would all have to speak in English all night. My favourite was the Dick Van Dyke Show. It was what we were watching when the explosion happened too actually... Anyway, we had a good childhood. We went to school for a while, until it became too dangerous and expensive. Mama used to make our Halloween costumes... It was nice. Then, of course, the bombs. Pietro and I were sent to an orphanage and we got bumped around for a few years until we were... I'd say thirteen. We spent the next three years living on the streets, which by the way, I do not recommend. Being homeless in the middle of a war is not ideal." She chuckled. "Anyway, we saved all of our money and eventually we came here. We got social workers and things and managed to finish our education and come to university. I chose to go into child psych to help kids like me." She explained. "That is all."
The two sat in a sad, yet overwhelmingly calming silence. Natasha had just spilled her guts out in front of Wanda - to Wanda - and she was nothing but empathetic. Why did she have to be paired with such an incredible person?
She felt for the woman. Wanda had been through hell and yet she sat with such wisdom at such a young age. It was admirable really, her resilience and ability to still get up and function every day.
Natasha cleared her throat and nodded. "'If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?'" She read softly.
"Telekinesis or teleportation. Oo or reality warping!" She grinned.
Natasha grinned at the other woman's nerdiness, it was incredibly endearing. "I'd say invisibility."
"'If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?'"
"Why me?" Natasha asked quietly, looking at Wanda who still sat with her on the couch. "I mean, of all of the people in the world, even in the Red Room, why was I the one who got it the worst off? Why was I the favourite who was worked a thousand times harder, who was yelled at a thousand times more, who was hit constantly and adored by the men? Why did they take away my entire sense of self? Why me?"
Her voice broke off at the end and she once again broke down.
Wanda sat quietly with her as she cried, whispering sweet nothing's as she rubbed the red head's back. Natasha was really starting to see how people could fall in love after these.
"Because," Wanda began. "They knew that you were too resilient and stubborn. They knew you would bounce back better than ever and they hated it. And don't say they took away your sense of self. They may have created Natalia, but Natalia and Natasha are not the same person. Natasha is the strong, kind, beautiful, stubborn woman who stands before me. You killed Natalia, she's gone and she's not coming back. Natasha is who you are, not Natalia." Wanda told her quietly, still holding her hand.
Natasha offered a weak, tearful smile. It was a grateful smile though. How did they get to this? Talking about their childhoods, offering each other comfort. It was strange, yet oddly comforting to her.
"I'd want to know if I ever do really find anyone. I don't really feel like I would end up meeting anyone and spending the rest of my life with them so... I'd want to know if I really would." Wanda admitted quietly.
"I get it. It's the same for me."
Again they sat in silence, Natasha still revelling in it. How it was so comfortable and nice with Wanda. It was strange. Wanda was practically a stranger, but for some reason, spilling her guts out just seemed right?
"'Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?'"
"Um... be in a movie... and I've never done it because you know, I'm not an actor." Wanda laughed softly.
Natasha nodded. "I'd say go to a concert."
Wanda's eyes lit up with excitement. "My brother snuck us into Eurovision a while ago! We saw Marina and it was crazy good. We should go to one of her concerts sometime."
Natasha smiled. They'd see each other again. She liked that. And she liked Marina too. This girl was perfect. "I love Marina, like, a lot."
Wanda grinned again and nodded. "It'll happen."
"'What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?'" Natasha asked.
Wanda shrugged. "I feel like for people like us it's just... leaving. Y'know? Leaving home, leaving the entire country, really."
"Yeah, that's what I was gonna say." Natasha agreed. "I'm really glad we're doing this stupid thing. You're- honestly really great." She admitted quietly.
Wanda smiled and rested her head on Natasha's shoulder. "Yeah." She cleared her throat and sighed deeply. "Okay, um... 'What do you value most in a friendship?'"
"Honesty, kindness. Someone who listens to me when I just need to talk - who understands me." Natasha quietly admitted.
"Me too... Wow, we're really similar." Wanda laughed quietly.
"We really are." Natasha smiled. "'What is your most treasured memory?'"
"The night my parents died, that's weird and sad but, what happened before they died was just... so happy..." Wanda smiled at the memory, softly intertwining her fingers with Natasha's.
Natasha smiled and looked at the girl. This right here was... somewhat amazing. Two people who barely knew each other, revealing their deepest stories to one another. It was genuinely incredible.
"Mine would be the first time I danced at the Bolshoi. I was little and was Christmas and I was Clara in The Nutcracker. It was magical."
"I can imagine. I mean, ballet in Russia? Jeez, that sounds like something out of a movie." Wanda offered. "'What is your most terrible memory?'"
"This one day- well... It was like, the middle of the night and- and I woke up and just... pain. And cold. And I realized what was happening and I-" She gasped at the memory of it all "-couldn't do anything and I just quietly sobbed and pretended to still be asleep." Natasha laughed self-deprecatingly. "Sorry."
Wanda shook her head and jolted up, still holding the woman's hand. "No. Don't apologize for that. I'm sorry Natasha. That is not at all fair to you. I can't believe it..."
Natasha bit her lip and quickly wiped the tears threatening to spill. "I was-" She coughed. "I was six."
The other woman stared silently, tears spilling. "You don't deserve that. You know you don't, right?" Natasha just shrugged. Didn't she though? That was what they always told her - that she had deserved every bad thing that came her way.
"Well, you don't." Wanda continued. "You absolutely don't. God, I'm so sorry."
Wanda pressed a soft kiss to Natasha's hand and offered her a small, comforting smile.
Wanda was like an angel sent down from the heavens. She was stunning and kind and sweet. Her voice was smooth like butter, her laugh was like music, she was intelligent and so nice. It was insane; she was insane.
"My worst memory," Wanda began to speak softly, laying her head back down. "Was when Pietro and I were fifteen and we got broken up in a crowd and I couldn't find him for three days. We both thought the other had died, and I was genuinely certain that I too, would end up dying. I didn't though, so that makes me happy."
Natasha twisted her body around so Wanda was laying against her body. Wanda adorable wiggled to get comfortable again, and lightly kissed her shoulder before looking up and making sure it was okay. Natasha nodded and mouthed an okay, before continuing.
"'If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?'"
Wanda pondered the question for a moment. "Hmm... I would want to live greener. That's so random but I've always been meaning to do it and every little bit helps, right?"
"That's really sweet." Natasha mused, smiling. "I would say that I'd want to spend more time with my friends. I'm so absorbed in school, an immigrant trying to get through university and all that, I'd just try to spend more time with all of my friends and my sister."
"I like that. If Pietro and I weren't attached at the hip I'd say that." Wanda laughed. Natasha was loving the way Wanda spoke of her brother. It was obvious that she adored him and it was beyond sweet. "Alrighty, 'What does friendship mean to you?'"
"Friendship is the ultimate stage of association for me. I don't have a lot of friends so if you're my friend, you're really important and I trust you and stuff." Natasha explained. "You're my friend." She added softly.
"We've barely known each other an hour." Wanda gently reminded her.
Natasha made a dismissive noise. "Time means nothing; it's the connection that does."
"I don't really have friends," Wanda stated sadly. "I have my brother and... I have you, but that's it. Nobody else. So I couldn't be sure."
Natasha frowned sadly. "I'm always here. Um... 'What roles do love and affection play in your life?'"
"Well... I love my brother, and I'm an affectionate person around people I trust, so not a big role but I suppose an important one."
"I don't tell people I love them. I know I should, we could die tomorrow, but I don't. The words just carry too much weight. And I don't really like any sort of affection. I mean, Clint kisses my cheek and Yelena gives me hugs and they both tell me that they love me, but I don't ever reciprocate it. Somewhere in my childhood, the click stopped and I don't remember that affection is... good... anymore." Wanda moved to sit back up and give the woman some space but Natasha quickly stopped her. "It's okay. I- I like it with you. Trust me, I'd tell you otherwise, might even strangle you, these thighs are pretty strong." Natasha joked, wiggling her eyebrows, a mischievous glint to her eye.
"Go ahead," Wanda muttered under her breath, clearly thinking Natasha hadn't heard her.
She did.
Natasha choked on air and coughed to cover it up as Wanda casually moved onto the next question as though she hadn't just said Natasha could strangle her with her own thighs. "'Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.'"
"Easy, your smile. It quite literally lights up an entire room." Natasha answered quickly, holding up her thumb to count.
In turn, Wanda smiled. "I'd say, the way to talk. I dunno, it's just you sound so smart and it's great."
"I am a lawyer." Natasha mused. "Your ability to always know exactly what I need to hear. It's... so refreshing. So thank you for that, by the way."
"You're welcome." Wanda returned. "The fact that you're a ballerina. It's a, like, super cool, but b, it means you have all of these skills and you're flexible and coordinated. I dunno it'd be cool."
"Oh, are you hitting on me Miss Maximoff?" Natasha asked jokingly, raising an eyebrow.
"You'll never know Miss Romanova," Wanda replied in the same tone, accenting Natasha's name.
Natasha cleared her throat. Damn, that was hot- "Okay, so that's two. I'd say the way you dress. It's so uniquely you, and I'm here after years of wearing uniforms and leotards, in jeans and a white tee shirt."
"Yes, but see, you can wear a white tee shirt without it getting stained. And that's where-"
"The ballet!" Natasha butted in, the two burst into a fit of giggles, smiling.
"I'm gonna say, the way that you talk about your friends like they are your everything because I mean, they probably are; but you let the world know it and that's what's important."
"The fact that you're majoring in child psych so you can help kids. That makes me really happy to know that there aren't only selfish people in the world." Natasha told the woman softly.
"Thanks." Wanda smiled. "I'd say the fact that when you left Russia, you waited in your own personal hell for months so you could leave with your sister. You're so selfless it's... it's amazing." Wanda admitted quietly.
"And for my last, I'll say the fact that you love and appreciate your brother so much. There are so many people who complain about their siblings as a joke in front of others to hide their love for them, but you're so open about how much you love him and I admire that."
"And for my last," Wanda giggled. "I will say, the fact that you have been so open about your past. Thank you so much for that."
Natasha nodded, not able to get words out past the lump in her throat. Wanda was too nice.
"Okay, 'How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?'"
Wanda twisted around and looked at Natasha. The two locked eyes and began to die laughing.
Wanda composed herself ever so slightly. "So I'd say not warm, definitely on the colder side, considering where they are-" Wanda morbidly joked and Natasha's eyes widened but she burst out laughing once again. "And up until I was ten, it was pretty average. After that, no?"
"My family was definitely pretty hot there for a second but um-"
"Natasha!" Wanda scolded jokingly.
Natasha rolled her eyes playfully. "But um, definitely not a great childhood. Negative five out of five stars," She laughed.
"'How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?'" Wanda asked.
"Hey, sir!" Natasha yelled. "My mother died when I was a child!"
Wanda giggled. "When my mom was still alive we were really close. I loved her a lot."
Natasha gave her a soft smile. She couldn't help but notice the small twang of envy that struck her at the thought that Wanda had a loving mother. For all Natasha knew, maybe she did, but she'd never remember because they took that away from her and it plagued her every day.
"Onto the big guns baby, gimme a drum roll." Wanda tapped her fingers on her thighs where her dress had rid up some. "' Make three true 'we' statements each. For instance, 'We are both in this room feeling…'"
"We are both in this room feeling... Comfortable?" Wanda asked, looking up at Natasha for approval. Natasha nodded. "We are also both feeling like we're getting something out of this. A friendship? Something... more?" She asked carefully. Natasha nodded once again, grateful for Wanda making sure she wasn't overstepping. "And we are both feeling good about this, yeah?"
Natasha nodded. Jeez, this was a hard one. "Ugh, you took mine!" She complained dramatically. "Hmm... We are both feeling surprised?"
"Oh, definitely." Wanda agreed, laughing.
"And we are both feeling positive. And... we are both feeling like we made one of the best choices of our lives?",
Wanda nodded. "Yeah, very much so, yes." The two smiled at each other before Wanda carried on. "'Complete this sentence: 'I wish I had someone with whom I could share…'"
"I wish I had someone I could share my heart with," Natasha replied softly. "My whole life I was taught that love isn't real, that it was for children, I could never see myself marrying a man - anyone for that matter, but of course, I thought being gay was bad so... Anyway, then I realized that it's okay for me to be with a woman but even then I still wasn't sure but..." She looked directly at Wanda. "Now I think I might be able to."
They stared at each other for a moment before Wanda cleared her throat and spoke, still looking at Natasha.
"Me too. About... the sharing my heart with someone bit. And yeah... yeah."
"'If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for them to know.'"
"Um... I'm really messy. That's so random but I'm a disastrous mess. Not like, physically messy but my brain is just all... crazy, so I can be a lot to handle at times." Wanda admitted shyly.
Natasha nodded. "Don't worry. It's endearing, honestly. Um... mine would be that I don't really take the best care of myself. Yeah, um. Clint's found me in my bed after I hadn't moved for three days once it was... not great. I put everyone before myself and that combined with the flashbacks and the nightmares and the legitimately crippling depression I just- it can be a lot for me to take a shower or get myself out of bed."
"And that's okay," Wanda told her. "It's okay, and I will always be here for you when those days come around." She reassured the woman gently.
Natasha felt like she was going to cry. She just admitted that she was a complete mess and Wanda gladly said that she'd be there for her. She was amazing. She'd never get tired of talking about how amazing Wanda was and for what? It wasn't fair how wonderfully imperfect Wanda was. Natasha was ready to flip off the Red Room because this? This wasn't for children. This was amazing and wonderful, and if she believed in a god she'd be thanking her because wow was she grateful she had met Wanda.
Wanda smiled softly. "Next question, 'Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.'"
"I like how- I like how you make me want to cry because you are so incredibly nice and just- amazing. I- I told you about my terrible childhood and you sat there and comforted me, who- who just does that Wanda? You're amazing and it's insane and I just, I cannot believe I met someone as incredible as you." Natasha rambled, eyes wide with appreciation and emotion.
Wanda smiled the sweetest, most appreciative and content smile yet and Natasha could not believe she was the one who put such a smile on the woman's face.
"I like how you're obviously a very conservative, closed-off person, but you still trusted me with your entire life story which definitely is not a pretty one. It takes a lot and I admire that and I'm really proud of you." Wanda replied, looking directly into Natasha's eyes.
The two sat just smiling at each other like dorks for a moment.
Natasha was definitely falling far more than she'd like to admit.
"'Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.'" Wanda read, smiling at Natasha like she was the only person in the world who mattered.
"I tripped once during an invited dress. There were tons of important people there and I just slipped. It was horrifying." Natasha answered, eyes wide at the memory. She was doing an arabesque and her ankle rolled. She paid dearly as a consequence...
Wanda's eyes bugged out. "Oh, that must've been terrible!" She empathized. "I remember when I was little I tried to beat up a kid on the street for making fun of my brother and I felt so cool and then like, seven kids took me down and everyone else saw. For a thirteen-year-old homeless girl in Sokovia, it was the worst thing ever. I was so tiny too. Looking back it was hilarious."
The two laughed for a moment at the thought of a small, scrawny Wanda attempting to beat a kid up before Natasha moved on.
"Phew, we're almost done. 'When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?'"
"Well, we've both cried multiple times within the past little while so there's that one," Wanda answered, a sweet smile on her face.
Natasha found herself fighting back the urge to kiss the girl. Now wasn't that a thrilling thought?
"'Tell your partner something that you like about them.'"
Natasha lit up. "Oh, this one's easy, your laugh. It makes me so happy."
"Really?" Wanda asked softly, a smile gracing her features. "People always told me I have an obnoxious laugh..."
"I adore it," Natasha replied softly, squeezing Wanda's hand. "It's so pretty and it's like an instant serotonin boost. Don't listen to those assholes darling."
Wanda looked at Natasha in appreciation. "I'd have to say your eyes. They're just so... stunning. And they're so pretty you could just get lost in them." Wanda answered softly, staring directly at the feature in question.
Natasha smiled shyly at that one. "Thank you. People don't often compliment my eyes. Thanks." She looked at the questions. "'What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?'"
"Other people's trauma," Wanda answered immediately. "It's not your place to joke about it, but if they are it's fine because it is their own and they are coping. You don't know the limits of how much you can joke, therefore you shouldn't."
Natasha nodded. "That was my answer too. It's just not your place for it."
Wanda hummed in acknowledgement before speaking again. "'If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?'"
"Not telling my family that I love them. And you already know why I haven't. Oh, and not telling you that I'm glad you came into my life. And look at that I just told you." Natasha answered softly, grinning.
Wanda chuckled. "Mine would be... not telling Doctor Evans how much I appreciate her. She helped Pietro and me out a lot when we came here and she deserves a lot for that. She's great." Wanda explained.
"Mm, that's a good one. I've heard great things about her." The redhead replied. "'Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?'"
"My jewelry," Wanda answered, playing with a ring on her finger, twisting it around and around. "My brother stole stuff for us so we could live, and I always love wearing jewelry and had some things my mother gave me when I was little but that was really it. I hated when he stole, so he would save up to buy me things instead of stealing them and it was... so sweet of him. So that's what I'd save. Plus my mother's stuff is in there and that's all I have left of her." She pulled a necklace with a ring hanging from under her dress. "My mom's ring was on the counter when we left. She forgot to put it back on after doing the dishes that night and I grabbed it on my way out."
Wanda unclasped the necklace and handed it to Natasha. The ring was beautiful. A small sapphire stone in the middle, a few diamonds on the band. Minimalistic and gorgeous.
"It's the ring I want to use if I ever propose to someone. It's really special to me." Wanda admitted softly.
Natasha hummed and looked directly at Wanda's eyes. They were a dusty blue. "It's a gorgeous ring."
Wanda whispered a soft thank you and motioned for Natasha to answer.
"Yelena and I spent a few days wandering through Moscow and she found me a music box that played my favourite lullaby, it was the one she'd quietly sing to me in the night. I listen to it when I have nightmares and still sing the song, so I'd save that. Definitely." Natasha informed the other woman, a bittersweet smile crossing her face.
"You'll have to show me someday. 'Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?'"
Natasha puffed. "My sister's because I mean, I have nobody else and I love her so much it'd be weird without her."
Wanda nodded in agreement. "Pietro is my twin. We are part of the same person, I don't know how I'd go on without him." She mused.
"Last question darling, you ready?" Wanda nodded eagerly. "'Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how they might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.'"
They both sucked in a breath. This was such a loaded question which, depending on what either of them chose, could change the course of their relationship, but of course, wasn't that the point of this stupid thing?
"How do I know I'm making the right choice? You know, leaving Sokovia and going to America. I mean, my life is obviously far better than it was at home; it's not at all safe and I'm grateful I left, but... how do I know that America was the right choice? What if I would've been better off in Canada or the UK? What if I somehow messed up and made the wrong choice?"
Natasha shook her head and grabbed Wanda's hands. "There is no 'right' choice." She explained, using air quotes. "Are you happy here? Happier than you were in Sokovia?" Wanda nodded.
"Of course," She replied softly
"Then you made a good choice. We can't dwell on our past decisions. You made a choice and it has bettered your life and that is what matters. I think you already know, deep down, that that is the case, but movies make life seem different so it can be hard."
Wanda nodded. "God, you're smart. Heh, thanks. Um... Yeah, go ahead?"
Natasha bit her lip nervously. "How do I know when I can let someone in to love me? I want a relationship that means something, not a stupid fling, but I just don't know how to trust anyone anymore... You know, between what they taught me back home, and all of the stupid fucking trauma I've been through I just- I dunno, I don't feel like I deserve it, I guess? And I just don't know how I'm supposed to be able to let someone in. Is there some sort of magical connection that you feel where you just know? Will it all someday feel just... right?" She asked.
She knew the answer, at least, sort of. She had felt that sort of connection, that deep gut feeling that somehow this would be right, which genuinely sounded stupid but it was true, and she felt that connection with Wanda. The woman just felt right to her, she understood her, didn't bring her down, and yes, she barely even kew the girl wearing a thousand rings with soft curls and a smile that made her heart melt, but Wanda knew more about her than almost anyone in the world. She had honestly planned to walk out of this stupid study early, thinking it was all a load of bullshit, but maybe it just wasn't...
Wanda frowned sadly at Natasha's admission, not knowing exactly what to say. "Well, first of all, it seems like you're struggling a lot with that. Um... Here's what I think, I think that you really will know when you find the person. It'll just click." She chuckled. "Now look, I'm not saying that soulmates really exist, but I am saying that I think it'll just hit you and you'll know. Maybe it'll take a while to hit, but it will someday I promise. You deserve love, please don't think otherwise, everyone does and you especially. You're a very loveable person." She assured Natasha.
"And what do you do when it does?" Natasha asked quietly. "Hit you, I mean."
"You run with it," Wanda whispered.
Natasha nodded a pressed her lips to Wanda's. Wanda let out a strangled gasp in surprise, but she didn't pull away. Neither wanted to pull back, so they didn't. It was quite honestly one of the greatest moments of Natasha's life. It felt oddly freeing kissing this girl who she barely knew, yet already had an incredible bond with. Slowly she pulled back some and rested her forehead against Wanda's.
"Holy crap." Wanda breathed, dilated pupils and swollen lips.
Natasha nodded. "Yeah."
"So I guess the questions worked?"
"Yes love, the questions absolutely worked."