Multi-Fandom Fics

dentist

distillery

docks

dovecot

dyer

embassy

farmer's market

fighting pit

fishmonger

fortune teller

gallows

gatehouse

general store

graveyard

greenhouses

guard post

guildhall

gymnasium

haberdashery

haunted house

hedge maze

herbalist

hospice

hospital

house for sale

inn

jail

jeweller

kindergarten

leatherworker

library

locksmith

mail courier

manor house

market

mayor's house

monastery

morgue

museum

music shop

observatory

orchard

orphanage

outhouse

paper maker

pawnshop

pet shop

potion shop

potter

printmaker

quest board

residence

restricted zone

sawmill

school

scribe

sewer entrance

sheriff's office

shrine

silversmith

spa

speakeasy

spice merchant

sports stadium

stables

street market

tailor

tannery

tavern

tax collector

tea house

temple

textile shop

theatre

thieves guild

thrift store

tinker's workshop

town crier post

town square

townhall

toy store

trinket shop

warehouse

watchtower

water mill

weaver

well

windmill

wishing well

Fake-dating; either because you have to, (friends, family, a wedding, job) or because you two made an agreement when you were younger to get married. 

Having to vet the other’s SOs. 

Soft touches. A brush on the shoulder, across the waist, through the hair. 

Everyone knowing that, oh, it’s those two. 

People asking where’s the other if only one is present. 

Minted keys to each other’s apartment. 

^ (Bonus if it’s the only copy). 

Sleepovers because you're sick and they don’t want to leave.

Their parents always asking how you’re doing, and yours asking about them. 

Bets on your relationship. 

That kind of laughter that ends up like squeaking because you can’t hold it in anymore. 

Confessing your love in the worst ways. (In the middle of an argument, while in danger, in a drunken stupor, simply because you’re tired.) 

Using them as a seat, because that’s what you’re used to. 

Slow dancing. Totally platonic. 

Prom with one another. 

Spending sad anniversaries on the couch with buckets of chocolate, their arms curled around your shoulders. 

They only trust you with their problems. 

And you only have them to cry on. 

“Goodnight” and “Goodmorning” texts. 

“Did you get home safe?” texts. 

“If anything ever happens to you, call me.” 

Self-sacrificing behavior because neither of you can live without the other. 

Chiding the other while patching them up, inches away from their lips. 

When they throw themselves into danger, you’re there to pull them out. 

“Can’t sleep, come over?” 

Movie marathons. 

Hiding each other whenever you’re not supposed to be in their room, giggling.

“I can’t imagine being with anyone but you.” 

Petty jealousy. 

“Where are you?” 

Always sitting by each other in [school]. 

Fixing each other’s clothing; ESPECIALLY tying their ties, fingers brushing against their sternum. 

“I’ve wanted this forever.” 

Them being the only person who notices the small changes you make to either your appearance or house. 

Emergency contacts. 

Sleep-deprived nights because the other’s in the hospital. 

Platonic love proclamations, until they're not. 

An accidental kiss to the cheek that leaves both of you stunned. 

“I can’t keep going without telling you how I feel.” 

That awkward phase after you start dating where everything is new and you really don’t want to mess it up. 

“It’s just me.” 

The whole exaggeration about their dating. (E;g, we’ve been dating since I’ve known them.) 

“I didn’t know you loved me.” “I didn’t know you loved me.” 

Semi-protective behavior. 

Knuckle kisses that get progressively longer. 

Dreams shared in the darkness.

Working together—which means no productivity, basically. 

Playful arguments. 

Being able to resolve actual arguments because they both value the friendship too much.

“Take the bed.” “Not without you.” 

Stargazing, your head on their shoulder. 

Being there when things go bad with each other’s families. 

The “do you want to talk?” with pinched eyebrows. 

Knowing the exact shade of each other’s eyes from memory. 

Coffee trips in the middle of the day. 

Dropped off lunches. 

Random midnight snack runs. 

Nighttime road trips. 

A shared music taste and a bass that rocks the car, windows down. 

“Don’t replace me… please. I can’t lose you, too.” 

Straight-faced covering for them, even while they sneak out the backdoor behind you. 

Mutual shenanigans despite the consequences of said shenanigans. 

“Hey, what if we—” “No.” 

That first kiss that’s a tentative touch, then turns into a fervorous kiss, hands on shoulders, jaws, cheeks, squeezing their sides. 

Wanting to take their relationship slow. 

Each milestone meaning more than the last. 

Soft singing to put one another to sleep—perhaps a song that they’ve sang since childhood. 

Being ready to drop everything to go help them no matter what. 

Smiling when thinking about them [and being called out on it]. 

Objects that you have to get for them.

Board Game competition. 

Zipping up their dress, or tying their tie and fixing their cufflinks. 

Secret languages. 

“What are we?” “What do you want us to be?” 

Standing in front of them on the [train]. 

Memories that you can’t forget. 

Growing old with one another. 

Kids who they can’t decide which looks like who. 

The most outlandish anniversaries you can think of. 

“Happy That Time We Almost Died For the Second Time!” 

Communicating through simple expressions. 

And finally, the ability to trust utmost in one another. 

The girl, America Chavez, took a step forward, there was a desperate look on her face. “You can’t! She’ll send her monsters after me again! She wants my powers!”

Her fists were closed, a white glow surrounding them, but it soon disappeared as Doctor Strange placed a hand on her shoulder, taking a step forward as if to challenge you.

“America’s right, her powers are unique, in the wrong hands they could do irreparable damage.” He said, his eyes then leaving you to focus on Wanda, a snarl marring his features “And we can’t leave Wanda free to do whatever she wants to this universe, not after everything she’s done already.”

You took your eyes away from the sorcerer and looked at the young girl with a hardened look on your face. “You humans think you’re so special, so exceptional” you scoffed, eyes focusing on the doctor once more “what makes you think her powers are unique at all? And what makes you think you have the right to decide who gets punished and who gets a free pass?”

Strange took a half step back as if he wasn’t expecting you to point fingers at them. He furrowed his brows as he looked at you, his fists clenching.

“You humans?” America whispered, looking at him.

The sorcerer didn’t pay her any attention though, he seemingly gathered his courage and took another step forward, his head held high.

“Do you not think what she did deserves punishment after all the lives she took?” Strange asked then, pointing at this version of Wanda as if she were a criminal.

It was your turn to clench your fists; there was a part of you that would always crave to deliver punishment to those unworthy, to be what your Father created you to be, but you couldn’t fall back into your old habits, not after all Wanda and Natasha sacrificed for you. Not if you wanted to protect your children, to see them grow…

“Don’t you think you deserve it as much?” you asked through a clenched jaw “after all if you had just given her the girl, none of those deaths would have happened.”

“No,” it was the Scarlet Witch that spoke, her wide eyes looking right at you as if you somehow had the answers she’s been seeking “he’s right, I…” she started to cry again, her eyes then focusing on the boys.

You felt your heart breaking all over again as you took in that sight, the redhead kneeling dejectedly on the floor, her green eyes red from crying, her face tear-stained. Seeing her like that just reminded you of how you couldn’t save your Wanda, your darling witchy, nor Natasha, your beautiful widow; they were gone, you couldn’t protect them.

You and the boys were left alone, left here to forever remember the smiles you’d never be able to see again. But at least you had them, Billy and Tommy, and after all that happened you swore you’d protect them from everything, even if it meant protecting them from yourself.

And this woman before you was a threat; she came into your universe unannounced, attack you and put your children in danger. You should be protecting Billy and Tommy from her… But she didn’t want to hurt them in the first place, did she? This… This was still Wanda, and she clearly just wanted her boys back.

But that was the thing, wasn’t it? They weren’t her boys, they were yours.

“Ma, what’s happening? Who are these people? Why are they trying to hurt you?” as if on cue Tommy asked you, his eyes landing on the witch.

You saw the heartbreak in this Wanda’s eyes when she heard Tommy’s words, when she heard him call you mom, but there was nothing you could do to ease her pain. These were not her kids, they were yours.

“Billy, Tommy,” you said in a grave voice, the sound booming inside the house, gathering everyone’s attention “why don’t you go upstairs? This is adult business.”

“But-” they tried.

“Now.”

The boys left; you knew they’d be listening from upstairs, but all you wanted was for them to be as far away from these people as possible until you had everything figured out.

You looked at Wanda again, then, and saw the heartbreak you felt mirrored in her eyes.

“You’re already being punished,” you said, barely above a whisper “your children get to call someone else mother, that ought to be enough.”

Strange took yet another step forward, the furrow in his brows evident. “How is it punishment if you’re giving her what she wanted all along? This is more of a reward, if anything.”

You turned to give him your full attention. You didn’t know if he was just the kind of person that saw everything in black and white, good and bad, with no middle ground; or if he simply was taking something out on her, like maybe his frustrations, maybe his unhappiness, maybe his grief.

“Is it really a reward if she’s only getting back what was rightfully hers all along?” you asked then, your eyes boring into his.

“Those children were never hers, she made them using magic.” He said, gritting his teeth.

You tilted your head a little. “That’s what every mother does.” And upon hearing those words the Scarlet Witch looked at you with wide eyes, a small smile playing on her lips “Let me ask you something… Do you believe in souls, Doctor Strange?”

“What kind of question is that?” the girl, America, butted in, still clearly agitated about the prospect of Wanda being free.

You didn’t pay her attention, though, your eyes were still trained on the sorcerer.

“Answer me. Yes or no?” your voice took a graver tone.

He hesitated. “Yes.”

“Souls? Really?” America scoffed.

“They’re real,” Strange said, tearing his gaze off you just long enough to look the girl in the eye, as if to tell her through that single look how serious this was “it’s one of the most complicated, forbidden topics in magic; not many people know they’re real, few have seen them, even fewer have any power over them, but they are. Real, that is.”

“So were Billy and Tommy,” you said, trying to keep your voice from wavering “the ones from your universe.”

“They were real,” Wanda said, seemingly getting mad again “if they weren’t, they wouldn’t exist in every other universe.”

The doctor shook his head. “You created them using-”

“It doesn’t matter how she created them,” you cut him off, raising your voice once again “they had souls of their own, which means they were alive. They were real.”

“How would you know?” he asked, his head still held high as if he thought himself better than you.

“Because I felt it when they vanished, I felt their souls leaving, I felt them going back to…” you were saying through gritted teeth, but you didn't want to say too much, so you closed your eyes and took a deep breath “I can feel every soul from every universe, Stephen Strange, and let me tell you, those boys were as real as you and me.”

The sorcerer looked at you with wide, fearful eyes then. “How’s that even possible? What are you?”

The star-shape portal behind them flickered and closed, America’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. “Shit! I can’t re-open it!” She said, making motions with her hands again, and again, but to no avail. She kept the portal open for too long, now she was probably drained.

Strange looked at the girl before bringing his eyes back to you, not giving her much attention “Where is the Wanda from this universe? How are you even strong enough to hold off the Scarlet Witch?”

Tired of all this mess you ignored both of them, your eyes back on Wanda. You walked towards her and got to your knees, your faces now inches from each other, your eyes meeting.

“I need you to promise me something,” you said then, but she didn’t say anything back, just kept looking at you “I need to know that you’ll never do anything that could potentially harm Billy and Tommy.”

She gritted her teeth, her eyes going scarlet-red again. “I would never-”

“But you did already,” you cut her off, looking deep into those glowing eyes “you, by attacking me in this house, put them in jeopardy. I need you to promise me you’ll never do something like this again. I don’t care if you want to fight me, but do so far away from my kids. If one of them gets hurt because of you…”

You closed your eyes tightly once more, not being able to stop yourself from picturing the mangled bodies of your children.

“They’re my sons too” Wanda insisted.

You shook your head. “I don’t want to hurt you, Wanda, but if my children are in danger, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect them. I guess you know the feeling.”

“You can’t really think we’re just going to let her go after everything” Strange said, his hands surrounded by yellowish magic. The Chavez girl just nodded, getting into a fighting stance, her own hands glowing white. You had forgotten they were there for a second.

A heavy sigh left your lips. “It’s time for you to go.”

And just like that, with a wave of your hand you opened a portal to their universe, using your magic to push both of them through it, leaving only you and this version of Wanda in the living room before closing it again.

“Are you going to behave or should I send you away, too?” you asked.

She closed her eyes tightly and nodded. “I promise I’ll never put them in danger.”

You nodded back, got up and extended your hand.

“Let’s go then, let’s introduce you to our sons.”

-----

"I don't know, Y/n, I don't wanna lie to your family." The redhead objects once again, making her way into your shared room in the dormitory. You follow closely behind.

Every year your family gets together for the holidays on the farm your parents have in the countryside. This was never a problem for you, since you always went with your girlfriend, Shuri, and your parents were very chill about it.

In the middle of the year, however, you found out that your girlfriend was cheating on you with a girl named Riri Williams, who is on the same project as her in the engineering department.

You were devastated, you had been together for three years after all. It was hard and it took a lot of support from your friends and a few months of healing for you to recover.

Eventually you did. But now, seeing your family in person for the first time since the breakup, you knew that this would be a regular topic, and you couldn't bear to talk about it anymore.

To avoid the inconvenience, you had the brilliant idea to ask one of your friends to be your fake date for the family reunion. And Wanda, your best friend, was being the victim.

"Neither do I, but worse than lying to them is listening to them talk about Shuri all holiday long. Do you have any idea what a nightmare that will be?" You continue your insistence, making the best pleading look you can manage.

The redhead, who was putting some notebooks and books into her backpack, sighs heavily, an unconvinced expression on her face.

The truth is that Wanda has a crush on you. No, she is in love with you. As much as she hated to admit it even to herself, that was the truth.

And she could handle it in her everyday life. It was never easy for her to see you with someone else, but she managed. But pretending to date you? That had to be some kind of joke.

Noticing that the girl was about to deny you once again, you hold the top of her arms in a pleading manner, and the redhead reluctantly raises her eyes to you.

"Please, Wands, it will be fun! Besides, I'll owe you big time." You say, looking at her with your begging eyes, and Wanda huffs. She hated being unable to say no to you.

"I will not forget it, Stark." She replies without any amusement, but you smile broadly, pulling her into a tight hug afterwards.

"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you." You repeat, depositing kisses on the top of her head, and Wanda can't help but giggle.

"I love you, you're the best." You say as you pull away, and all the redhead can do is flash you a forced smile, swallowing dryly.

"I'm gonna go let them know now." You tell her, already pulling your phone out of your pocket and walking out of the room.

When the door closes, Wanda throws herself dramatically in her chair, burying her face in her hands. The winter break was going to be a long one.

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"Hold on, tell it again." Pietro asks amid laughter and Wanda huffs, crossing her arms and leaning back on the couch again.

Today is the last day of class, a few days have passed since the day you asked Wanda to pretend to be your girlfriend and that was all the girl has been able to think about since then.

After the History of Cinema class, the redhead went to meet her brother and his girlfriend, Monica, in one of the university's common areas.

Sitting on the couch facing hers, the other girl gives her boyfriend a scolding slap on the shoulder. "Leave the poor girl alone, Pietro." Monica says, but then she looks at Wanda with pitying eyes, and Wanda shoves her face in her hands. "Ugh I hate my life."

"Don't be like that, little sister," Pietro says, more gently this time, "at least you get to spend one of the most romantic times of the year with your longtime crush." The boy sneers once again, unable to contain himself. Wanda lifts her face in time to see Monica glaring at him.

"Y/n said there's a lake there, maybe I can throw myself in it and hope to freeze to death." The redhead ponders bitterly and the other two let out an empathetic chuckle. "Come on, Wanda, it won't be that bad."

"Did you hear the part where I'll have to pretend to date the person I'm in love with?" Wanda asks, with each passing second that idea becoming more and more absurd.

"But that's only when the family is around. When it's just the two of you, which I imagine will be most of the time, it'll be like it always is. It'll be fun!" Monica argues, trying to cheer her friend up. Pietro, on the other hand, was not willing to do the same. "Or you can hope for a Christmas miracle."

At yet another teasing from the boy, Wanda throws one of the pillows in his face, getting up from the couch afterwards.

"If I come back alive from this trip, I'm gonna kill you." The redhead warns dangerously, her index finger pointed at her brother's face. The blonde raises his hands, pretending to be afraid, and Wanda rolls her eyes next, slapping her brother on the head lightly.

"I'd better go back and make sure I packed everything, we leave in an hour." The redhead says next, checking the time on her cell phone. When she looks at the other two again, she does so helplessly. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, sestra." Pietro says with an encouraging smile, which matches Monica's perfectly. "Everything will be fine."

Wanda nods and, after saying goodbye to them, goes back to her room.

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"Ready?" you ask as soon as you both get in the car, your backpacks in the back seat. "Of course!" Wanda replies, the complete opposite of what is in her mind. "Are you?"

"I'm never ready to see my parents." You joke, starting the car and driving away. Wanda giggles. "It's gonna be fine."

"Of course it will, I have you with me...girlfriend." You joke, wiggling your eyebrows suggestively, and the redhead rolls her eyes, amused. "Just drive, you idiot."

After that you laugh, but remain silent. As the drive continues, the sound of the music playing on the radio surrounding you, Wanda tries not to think of all the things that could go wrong.

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Several hours later you arrive, the sun already setting on the horizon.

The Stark winter farm is gigantic, imposing. Wanda has been there a few times, on other trips you organized with your friends, but she was always mesmerized by the magnitude of the place.

As soon as you get out of the car, backpacks in hand, the front door opens and you are greeted by Tony and Pepper, both smiling fondly at you.

"Y/n! Wanda! It's so good to see you." Tony greets as he hugs you both, the older two hurrying you inside.

"How are you two doing? How is college going? I wanna know everything." Your mother fills you with questions then, and you and Wanda giggle awkwardly.

"Jesus, calm down, woman, they just got here!" Tony says to his wife, who apologizes amidst a giggle. He then turns his attention back to you. "You must be tired from the trip.

"Absolutely, six hours in a car is not for everyone." You reply and Wanda agrees shortly thereafter, an timid giggle escaping her lips that you can't help but find cute.

"Of course. I've arranged a room for you upstairs, second one on the left." Pepper informs, pointing upstairs, and you and Wanda murmur in understanding.

"Try not to be too loud, if you know what I mean." Tony says next, smiling suggestively as his gaze switches between you and Wanda. As the redhead's cheeks turn as red as the locks of her hair, you laugh awkwardly.

"Jesus, Dad." You respond with a frown of disapproval. Pepper pats the man's chest reproachfully, and he slightly raises his hands in surrender.

"Come on, Wands." You call out with a motion of your head, and soon you and the redhead are walking up the stairs.

"Join us for dinner. I'm making shiitake risotto." Your mother announces from downstairs and you both say your agreement.

You cast Wanda a discreet look of disgust and the redhead laughs as you continue up the stairs.

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It takes less than an hour for you and Wanda to sort out your things in the bedroom and take a shower.

Now you are in the dining room, the meal on your plates as you chat pleasantly.

Your parents tell you about their accomplishments with the company, but neither you nor Wanda fully understand what they are talking about.

You also talk about your semester at college, and you smile appreciatively at the genuine attention they pay to the redhead.

Everything is going very well. You and Wanda are already quite affectionate in your friendship in general, so your interactions are quite organic. Everything seems simple, easy. Until your parents decide to bring up the subject more directly.

"I'm not saying." Tony says eventually, and the rest at the table looks at each other in confusion. "No, I won't say." He repeats, and you look at him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

"Okay, fine, I'll say it." He says eventually, as if he is being forced to speak, and you giggle at your father's antics.

"We always knew you'd be together." He comments, his gaze switching between you and Wanda. As the redhead's eyes widen at that statement, you choke on your drink. "We even had a bet-"

"Tony." Pepper scolds, and you look at the two of them in confusion. "Fine, we didn't, she didn't want to participate." Tony tells you, and you let out an awkward giggle.

"But anyway, we knew it was only a matter of time." He finishes, and you and Wanda look at each other, not knowing what to say.

"What your father is trying to say, in the most inappropriate way possible," your mother interjects, smiling fondly at you both, "is that we are very happy for you."

"Thank you, Mom." You respond with a smile, holding Wanda's free hand on the table. The redhead is surprised by the touch, but tries to disguise it.

"I'm very happy, too." You say, your eyes fixed on Wanda's. She knows it's all acting, that you don't mean it. Still, she feels the blush climb up her cheeks.

Not knowing what to say, the redhead leans in, placing a soft kiss on your cheek. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Tony and Pepper watching the scene with happy smiles on their lips.

She then moves away from you, turning all her attention to the food on her plate.

It was still the first night and this situation already managed to make her heart race. This holiday would be harder than she imagined.

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Back in the bedroom, you and Wanda get busy sorting out your pajamas for bed.

"Sorry about that, my parents have been nagging me about it since we became friends." You say, picking up your things and heading to the bathroom to brush your teeth. Not knowing what to say, Wanda just mumbles in understanding.

"But don't worry, I said you didn't like me that way." You say next and the redhead's eyebrows immediately frown, her heart beginning to beat faster.

"What made you say that?" she asks cautiously, putting on her sweatpants and hoodie. "You were with Jean when we met." You answer simply and Wanda blinks a few times as the realization comes, an embarrassed giggle accompanying it. "Oh, yeah, of course."

A few minutes later you come out of the bathroom, already in your pajamas, chuckling at what you're going to say next. "But I'll be honest with you. I don't think I ever told you this, but I had a huge crush on you when we first met."

"Really?" Wanda asks, trying to keep a coherent train of thought. All that was too much information, so she decides to sit down on the bed, standing upright seeming to take too much effort.

"Mhm, but you were with Jean and then I met Shuri and, well, things changed." You reply casually, putting your cell phone down to charge. "Now you're my best friend in the whole world."

"That's wonderful." She replies amid a hoarse laugh in an attempt to disguise the bitterness that this information has caused her. You don't seem to notice.

You had a crush on her? And she missed her chance just like that? The universe was clearly not in her favor.

This was all too much information to take in, especially considering that the two of you were on a holiday trip with your family, pretending to be together. Life really seemed to mock her.

Wanda wonders how she will process it all. But she doesn't have to, because soon you are speaking again. "Hey, wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure." She replies promptly, eager to do anything that will take her mind off the conversation you just had.

"Okay, go ahead and pick, I need to get something." You say as you kneel down next to one of your backpacks. Wanda, who is already with the remote control in her hands putting a movie on the TV, hears the sound of bags being moved and looks at you with her eyebrows furrowed in curiosity. "What's that?"

"Real food." You announce, holding up the snacks and candy in her field of vision and Wanda smiles amused. "Don't be rude about the shiitake risotto."

"I don't think I'm being rude enough." You hit back with a disgusted grimace and Wanda lets out a giggle. "It wasn't bad." She argues and you raise your eyebrows. "You don't have to defend my mom's food."

"But her food is good! It's not my fault if you're a picky eater." She teases as you sit down next to her on the bed, and you look at her with an offended expression. "That was uncalled for, I'm not sharing my candy with you."

Wanda lets out a little laugh then, rolling her eyes, and you smile as you settle down next to her.

A little over an hour passes, the two of you genuinely entertained by the movie as the packages of candy rest around you, some of them already empty.

Suddenly you hear knocking at the door. On instinct you pull Wanda into a hug. The redhead is startled for a brief second, but soon she is hugging you back, her head resting on your chest.

"Come in!" You say when you are properly presentable as a couple in love and soon the door opens, revealing Tony and Pepper on the other side.

"Hi, lovebirds." Your father teases with an insinuating smile, and you just smile back. "Sorry to interrupt, we just wanted to see how you were doing."

"No problem, we're just watching a movie." You reply, pointing at the TV, and the two older ones nod, "And we're good."

"Everything is great, Mr. and Mrs. Stark, thank you very much." Wanda then replies in a lovely tone of voice that makes you smile genuinely.

"We're glad to hear that." Pepper replies with a fond smile. "Well, good night to you both." Your father then says, his hand back on the doorknob.

"Good night." You and Wanda reply together and soon the door closes, the two of you being left alone in the room again.

"I think they're buying it." You comment, unpausing the movie. "I mean, they have no reason not to." Wanda replies, her eyes on the TV as you two chat.

"I'm sorry I hugged you like that, I should've let you know or something." You say next, but without making any attempt to pull away. Wanda tries not to think too much about it.

"No, it's okay. Actually, maybe we should keep it that way, you know? Just in case they come back." She suggests before she can contain herself and at the same instant she internally scolds herself.

"Sure, that's a good idea." You agree, settling comfortably on the bed. Trying to ignore your hand on her lower back, Wanda does the same.

"If you wanted cuddles you could've just said so." You tease after a few minutes and Wanda lets out a giggle. "Oh shut up."

You both remain that way after that. Exhausted, neither of you notice when you fall asleep.

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"Good morning, folks." Tony greets you as soon as he sees you and Wanda coming down the stairs. He and Pepper are already in the kitchen and you all exchange greetings. "Did you sleep well?"

"I would've slept better if Wanda hadn't kicked me all night." You tease, glancing at Wanda, who rolls her eyes in amusement. "At least I don't snore."

"Excuse me? Neither do I." You retort with a grimace, but the redhead raises her eyebrows, crossing her arms afterwards. "True, you almost growl."

"Oh no Maximoff, you didn't." You say, narrowing your eyes at her, and it takes only a second for Wanda to understand your intentions.

"No," she says firmly, a finger raised warningly in your direction. But it's too late. With one swift movement, you advance against her, tickling her.

"No, Y/n, stop!" she pleads amidst giggles trying desperately to hold your arms. "Stop." She scolds when she finally manages to catch your wrists, her eyes in admonishment on yours, but you smile amused.

In response, you lean in and deposit a small kiss on the tip of Wanda's nose. "You idiot." She mumbles, pulling away from you, hating how her cheeks seem to catch fire.

Your parents, who were watching the scene amused, giggle, and soon you are talking and eating together.

Not long after you have sat down, your father's cell phone rings and he frowns when he sees the name on the screen. "It's Banner. I need to take this, it may be important." He says, and when your mother nods in agreement, he looks at the two of you apologetically. "Sorry, guys, excuse me."

Then your father is leaving the room and heading for the study, and the three of you continue your breakfast. Not long after, however, he appears at the door again. "Honey, where do you write down our finances?"

"Excuse me, darlings, that one over there can't find anything by himself." Your mother comments with amusement as she gets up and you and Wanda giggle. When the two of you are left alone in the kitchen, you look at the redhead. "Do I really snore?"

"A little." She answers and, noticing your disgruntled expression, she hastens to add, "But it's almost nothing! It's kinda cute, actually." She says and you smile. Feeling her cheeks start to heat up again, she decides to change the subject. "Did I kick you during the night?"

"Nah, you didn't even move. You look like you're dead." You respond casually and Wanda immediately opens her mouth in an offended 'o'. "Y/n!" She complains and you giggle.

"I hate you." She says, nudging you lightly, and you chuckle. Your family returns shortly after, telling you what Bruce's call was about.

Out of the corner of your eye, you watch Wanda, and try to ignore the uneven beating of your heart.

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At lunchtime, your parents decide to have a barbecue, since it was not snowing today.

Outside, in the covered area, you and Tony set up the grill, the accumulated snow from the previous days making the surrounding scenery even more beautiful.

You chat about a variety of things, from reliving some of your childhood moments and talking about relatives you haven't seen in a long time, to plans for the future and the stock values of the company.

"You're just like your old man." Tony eventually comments with a smile, stirring the meats on the grill, and you frown in confusion, but return the smile. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it also took me a long time to realize I loved your mom." He explains and you finally understand that he's talking about Wanda. "I was always a complete disaster when it came to this love stuff, you know?"

You smile at your father's nostalgic expression, enjoying the way he talks about him and your mother. "I didn't realize your mother was the love of my life until years after we met. Luckily, she waited for me. I'm glad yours waited for you too."

Faced with that, you just nod for a moment. It was confusing, to say the least. And even though it had recently resurfaced, none of those feelings were new. But they were wrong, so you would keep them hidden, as you always did.

"Yeah, me too." You make a way to finally respond, trying to sound as genuine as possible. Your voice comes out unconvincing anyway, but your father doesn't seem to notice.

In an attempt to push all those conflicting thoughts out of your mind, you go back to asking about the company.

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"Wanda, dear, would you mind helping me with lunch?" Pepper asks as soon as she sees the redhead coming down the stairs, and she smiles promptly as she approaches the older woman. "Of course not, Mrs. Stark, it would be my pleasure."

"Please, you can just call me Pepper." Pepper says tenderly and Wanda flashes her a shy smile in response. "Here, can you cut these for me?" Your mother asks, pointing to the tomatoes on the counter, and Wanda rushes over to them. "Sure."

"Good hands for cooking, I see." Pepper comments after a few minutes of silence, and Wanda chuckles politely. "Yeah, I like cooking, it helps me relax." She tells and the blonde nods with a tender smile. "That's nice."

Working together in the kitchen just the two of them, the redhead can't help but feel increasingly nervous.

Wanda already knew your family, of course, and she knew they liked her as well as she liked them. But this time it was different. Nothing had changed between you and her, but your parents had no idea.

And if there's one thing the redhead realized over the years, it's that your parents loved you enough to protect you from everything they could protect you from. And that's where her apprehension crept in.

In their eyes, she was your girlfriend now. And this would obviously come with a series of uncertainties and possible "dangers" for you.

She wonders how long it will be before they decide to have the talk. With Pepper's next words, she realizes that not even a little.

"Look, Wanda," the woman begins, stopping preparing the salad she was making and looking at her. The redhead feels like she should do the same, so she rests her knife on the countertop and turns her attention back to the other woman.

"It's my duty as a mother to have this conversation, especially after what happened with... That girl." Pepper adds the last words in disgust and Wanda swallows dryly. She would never want to earn that woman's contempt.

"But I know you, I know you would never hurt Y/n." The next words did not hint at the direction Wanda expected that conversation to take. In an attempt to disguise her surprise, the redhead blinks a few times, smiling in agreement afterwards.

"You know, I would never say this, of course, but since you two are together now, I guess it's okay." The blonde continues her monologue with a broad smile, but Wanda crosses her arms tightly against her chest in discomfort. "I've always wished with all my heart that you guys would be together."

"Oh." The redhead lets it slip with that confession. So innocent given the circumstances you and Wanda have created. A pity Pepper has no idea of the outsized weight those words have on the redhead. With the fond smile on the woman's face, she doesn't even seem to take notice.

"You seem so happy together, you bring out the best in each other and that's wonderful..." She continues, but noticing that she has been talking for too long, she lets out a small giggle, waving her hands dismissively. "I'm sorry, I'm just really happy you two are finally united."

"It's okay." Wanda uses her words finally, ignoring the effort the action requires. "I'm... I'm very happy too." She replies almost in a whisper, which the woman in front of her misinterprets as shyness.

"But still, I beg you." Pepper says, approaching the redhead and placing her hands on the sides of her arms in a mixed posture of affection and pleading. "Please, Wanda, be good to my child."

"I will, I-" Wanda replies, but stops when the lump in her throat hurts more than she can bear. Blinking a few times to keep away the tears that begin to pool in the corners of her eyes, she breathes in heavily.

"If I can, I will be." The redhead completes eventually, the subtly ambiguous meaning imperceptible to Pepper, who smiles gratefully. Wanda, however, feels her heart breaking at that line, at that situation. She would love to be able to, but she never would.

"Are you really cornering my girlfriend right now, Mom?" You arrive in the kitchen then, interrupting the moment, and Wanda doesn't know whether to feel grateful or not.

"Of course not!" Your mother replies amidst a giggle, "we're just talking." She then explains and Wanda nods in agreement, but you look at the two of them suspiciously.

"Okaay," you reply unconvinced, drawing another giggle from the older woman. "Dad's calling you guys, the meat is almost done."

"Alright, I'll bring the salad." Your mother says, already picking up the platter she has beautifully organized and hurrying to the outside of the house. You look at Wanda then, smiling amused, but she barely returns it, looking away from you shortly thereafter.

"Hey," you call softly, placing your hand gently on the redhead's shoulder. But she still doesn't look at you, her attention on one of the pans on the stove as she takes it in her hands. You frown. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," she replies too eagerly, turning to you with a smile that you've known her long enough to know is fake. Before you can comment on that, she adds, "let's go now. Let's not keep them waiting."

You watch Wanda walk away with hurried steps. Confused and worried, you follow her.

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A few days have passed since the event in the kitchen and things haven't gotten any easier.

In fact, with each passing day everything seems to get more unbearable, more overwhelming. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but, damn it, did it need to be this hard?

Everything hurts. The way you treat her in front of your parents hurts, the way Tony and Pepper look at her like she's part of the family now hurts, the fact that it's all just make-believe hurts...

She just wanted it all to be over. She needed it to. At least it was ending, just a few more days. After that everything would go back to normal. So she hoped, at least.

"Hey, love, have you seen my phone?" You ask casually as you come out of the bathroom, your hair wet from the shower. "You don't have to call me that, Y/n, your parents are not here." Wanda replies harshly, without even raising her eyes from the book she was reading.

"Oh, y-yeah, sure." You agree with an awkward giggle, the name having escaped your lips with ease. "I didn't know, so I didn't want to risk it, you know?" You make up an excuse, but Wanda doesn't even react, her eyes still on the pages of the book.

"Well, my parents had invited us for hot chocolate by the fire this morning. Join us when you can, okay?" You invite then, and receive only a hum in confirmation.

Wanda has been acting weird these past few days. You're not an idiot, of course you've noticed. Still, you had no idea why. Maybe you shouldn't have insisted that she come, maybe she had better plans for the holiday than to come here.

Whatever it was, she clearly didn't want to talk about it. So, even though it hurts immensely, you decide to give her the space she needs.

With one last smile, which she also missed because she was still ignoring your presence, you leave the room.

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A little over an hour passes after you leave the room and Wanda puts the book aside, shoving her face in her hands guiltily.

She shouldn't have taken her frustrations out on you, it's not your fault she liked you more than she Huffing Snorting, the redhead gets out of bed and puts on something warmer before going downstairs.

Outside the house, a few feet away, she sees Tony and Pepper cuddled up together, sitting on a log in front of the fire. But oddly, there's no sign of you.

"Where's Y/n?" She asks as soon as she approaches the couple, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Went out for a walk." Tony replies simply and Wanda nods, sitting down on the log facing theirs on the other side of the fire.

"Is everything okay between you two?" Pepper asks after a few moments, seeming to scan her with her eyes, and Wanda feels the urge to look away.

"Yes," she replies, but feeling her voice coming out uncertain, she adds, "of course." The woman then nods in agreement, but Wanda can't tell if she actually believed her or not. "Why?"

"Y/n seemed a little upset before leaving." She replies, looking at her knowingly, and Wanda closes her eyes briefly. She must be the worst friend in the world.

"I bet it's not a big deal, you must be overthinking it." Tony says next, shrugging casually. "The kid probably just wanted some time alone, we need that sometimes."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Pepper agrees, snuggling up against her husband next. All Wanda can do is nod slowly, concern evident in her every feature.

"Please, Wanda, help yourself." Your mother suggests then, indicating the bottle of hot chocolate and mugs on a nearby small table, and Wanda returns the other's fond smile with a small one.

"Thanks." She murmurs as she stands up and pours herself the hot drink, returning to her previous position on the log soon after.

The trio remains silent then, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the sweetness of the drink. But all Wanda can do is think about you.

It wasn't fair, none of it was fair. She needed to talk to you. As scary as it was, she needed to tell you the truth. Taking a long sip of her hot chocolate, she tries to muster the courage to do so.

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A few hours have passed since you left. Wanda is in your shared room now, pacing back and forth as her thoughts form a whirlwind in her mind.

Before she can worry about you any longer, the bedroom door opens, and you enter the room immediately. Without a second thought, the redhead walks over to you. "We need to-"

"I was wrong." You interrupt her, visibly disturbed by whatever is on your mind right now, and Wanda decides to allow you to speak first. With a nod of her head, the redhead encourages you to continue and you do so.

"I said my feelings for you were gone, they're not. They're back." You confess and Wanda's breathing hitches. Having all thoughts driven from her mind, the redhead finds herself unable to speak, and you take advantage of the silence to keep going.

"The truth is I shut them down because I thought I'd never get a chance with you. And I learned to live with them without affecting our friendship. But this holiday, with you... It's all back again. And it was so hard to keep in mind that this was all pretend..."

You stop talking when you see Wanda completely reactionless in front of you. But you already started that mess, you might as well just finish it. Swallowing hard, you go on. "I'm sorry if I'm ruining our friendship right now, but I can't keep it to myself anymore. And if you-"

Your endless monologue is cut short by Wanda stepping forward, her hands on the sides of your face as her lips crash against yours.

It takes a single second for the shock to go away and you match the kiss just as eagerly, your arms wrapping around the redhead's waist and pulling her as close to you as you possibly can.

When breathing becomes an issue, you two pull your faces just far enough apart, your foreheads touching as you remain embraced.

"You were the reason I broke up with Jean." Wanda confesses breathlessly after a while and, noticing your astonished expression, explains, "I realized I was starting to like you, and so I broke up with her. But then you started dating Shuri and I thought it was better not to talk about it."

"What?" you let out, unable to speak anything else due to the surprise of that revelation and Wanda laughs, her fingertips playing with the hair on the back of your neck, "I know, perfect timing for us." She comments sarcastically and you laugh.

"Well, we're here now. We don't have to worry about timing anymore." You say, an ear-to-ear grin on your lips and Wanda smiles, biting her lip as she nods. "We don't." She agrees, and with a contented giggle, you lean in again, the redhead meeting you halfway.

As you kiss her deeply, Wanda smiles to herself remembering her brother's words. Maybe Christmas miracles do exist after all.