Chapter 15
Epilogue
Pietro hadn’t woken up for days.
Wanda blocked out whatever was happening outside the hospital, and took to sleeping in the empty bed next to his. It was a parade of doctors constantly coming in and looking him over. They rarely spoke to her, but she could hear their thoughts that Pietro was coming out of his injuries very slowly. They seemed mostly positive, but she still couldn’t leave the room without fear of him taking a turn for the worse if she left.
The only time she could really relax was when Steve was in the room. Only then, did she take a shower or try to watch the news.
An entire country could be left in ruins, but when enough time passed nobody really wanted to talk about it anymore. It might have made her angry, but all she could focus on was Pietro and his unconscious recovery.
“I have to meet with the others, but I’ll be back tonight.” Steve tells her, after she’s showered and had some dinner.
There’s only the smell of disinfectant and rhythmic beeps of Pietro’s heart being monitored, the hum of thoughts around her, but she’s able to focus on Steve when he’s saying goodbye.
“I’ll be here,” she has to stand on the tips of her toes to reach him. It’s a quick kiss but she knows he’ll be back in the evening as soon as she can.
She watches him leave down the halls. Most people wouldn’t realize who he was or how much he meant to her, but she watches until he’s out of sight.
And it’s just when he’s gone that thought comes, completely out of the blue and not hers at all.
Disgusting.
She whirls around, her eyes wide and heart pounding in her chest, “Pietro?”
He makes some noises, groans and grunts before he gives up.
Hear me?
“Yes! Yes, I can hear you.” she rushes to his bedside, just barely noticing the way his eyebrows have furrowed and how distressed he seems despite his eyes closed.
You and him- makeout away from me so I don’t have to hear that.
She smiles for the first time since Sokovia fell, taking Pietro’s hand in her own and giving it a small squeeze.
“Sorry brother dear, but you’re going to have to get used to Steve and me.”
She felt the slightest twitch from his hand as he tried to squeeze back.
As long as you’re happy.
“I am.”
There was a long beat of silence when Wanda thought he’d fallen unconscious again.
Fine then.
“Finally found a nice girl, then?” Bucky asks, hours after things have settled down and they can talk one on one.
Steve glances over to where Wanda curled up and fell asleep after her first attempt at getting rid of Bucky’s trigger words. It would be an ongoing process, but Wanda seemed to think she could at least make it easier for Bucky to resist Hydra’s indoctrination.
“The nicest.”
“I’m happy for you, glad you have somebody now.”
“I hope you know you don’t have to go through this alone.”
Bucky was silent after that, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.
Steve heard the rush of air and stillness that always seemed to occur before Pietro’s arrival. It was no surprise to him when the other Maximoff twin was suddenly in the room, but it did startle Bucky into jumping up and preparing for a fight.
“No trouble intended,” Pietro put his hands up, the grocery bags he’d brought in swayed so much from the run and sudden stop that Steve was sure they would rip.
Luckily, the bags had been doubled up, probably in anticipation of Pietro’s constant need to run everywhere at the fastest possible speeds.
Not that Steve minded. Ever since Wanda’s brother had recovered and moved in, Pietro’s curiosity of the city as well as his incredible speeds meant that he was often picking up groceries or liked doing errands around town.
Wanda startled awake after only getting a short nap, “you’re back.” She stood and stretched, her voice still heavy from sleep, “did you get the frames?”
“Yes, why you needed so many though…”
Wanda ignored him while grabbing the bags. Steve didn’t think much of the interaction, but later when he looked around his apartment he realized just how much it had changed in the months since Wanda’s arrival, he couldn’t help but be glad she was around.