teddy

you trudged up the stairs, away from "your" party, which consisted of your parent's friends, and not a single one of yours. you let out a relaxed sigh as the bass of the music became less and less noticeable in your chest. pushing open the door to your bedroom, you let your foot close it behind you and fell onto your bed.

"this is not how i expected my 18th birthday to go," you groaned into your pillow, grabbing your phone and turning on your side, fully expecting to spend the rest of your day here and not downstairs. your parents wanted you to make connections with some of the people for your "future", but that was the last thing on your mind today. not only did you not want to spend your evening with tens of middle-aged adults, but you also wanted an escape from reality, without having to think about your future too much. at least for today.

while you were lost in your thoughts, you heard the loud rev of an engine, and you stood up from your place on the bed. leaning over your nightstand, you peered through the blinds and watched as a sleek, matte black sports car pulled into your driveway. you stared intently at the driver's side door as the purr of the engine rattled in your chest, reminding you of the bass faintly vibrating from downstairs.

your fingers were frozen in place as you held the blinds open, watching as a platinum-blonde woman stepped out of the car, running a hand through her hair before tying it in a ponytail. you felt as if you were starstruck, watching her adjust her clothes, before she laughed, removing the stethoscope from around her neck. you were almost in a trance-like state, and although you couldn't hear her laugh, you imagined it was the most beautiful sound you'd ever heard.

it seemed as if she'd just left her shift at the hospital, still having on the same scrubs and work shoes that nurses wore. once she felt that she was presentable enough, she reached into the backseat and pulled out a light blue gift box with a white bow on top, using her hip to nudge the door closed.

heart pounding, you stumbled backward, the sudden movement causing the blinds to drop back into place. your mind raced, trying to process the unexpected arrival of this captivating woman. who was she? what was she doing here? and most importantly, why did she have a gift for you?

curiosity tangled with apprehension as you peeked through the blinds once more. the woman had begun made her way to the front door, her steps powerful, yet graceful at the same time. with each passing moment, your intrigue grew, overpowering your initial shock.

you debated whether to remain hidden or confront her. the desire to meet her moved you forward, and with a sudden surge of courage, you hurriedly left your room and padded down the stairs. the distant sounds of laughter and conversation from the party came and left as your mind focused in on the enchanting woman at your doorstep.

you reached the front door just in time to see her positioned to knock, her hand hovering in mid-air. it was now or never. swallowing your nervousness, you opened the door, revealing a surprised expression on her face.

"hi," she said, her voice as smooth as silk. "i'm dr. yu. i apologize for my tardiness, but i was told there's a very special girl here having a party for her very special birthday?"

you couldn't help but be captivated by her piercing gaze and the genuine warmth in her smile. "yes, it's my birthday," you replied, feeling a surge of excitement and curiosity at her gift.

dr. yu's eyes sparkled with amusement. "happy birthday!" she exclaimed, holding out the gift box she had been clutching. "i know we haven't met before, but i'm a close friend of your parents. i've heard a lot about you, and i thought it was only right to put a face to the name.”

you became more flustered at her words as you accepted the gift. "thank you," you stammered, caught off guard by the unexpected gesture. "that's very kind of you."

dr. yu's smile widened. "it's the least i could do. birthdays should be special, and i wanted to make sure yours didn't go unnoticed."

as you stood there, speaking with dr. yu, a sense of familiarity washed over you. perhaps this encounter was the escape you had longed for, a break from the monotony of your party. a break from the constant concern over your future. you found yourself drawn to her presence, yearning to know more about her.

with a sudden burst of spontaneity, you mustered the courage to invite her inside. "would you like to come in? it's quieter inside, away from the crowd," you offered, hopeful that she would accept.

dr. yu's eyes crinkled with a mixture of surprise and delight. "i'd love to," she replied, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "lead the way."

you shuffled through the crowd, hoping to quietly lead her away from the seemingly ever-growing party to her room. as the stairs were in your line of sight, your dad stepped in front of you.

"y/n! i see you've met jimin." jimin eyes snapped from the back of your head, and looked over to your father.

"she really is a lovely girl. you've raised her well," jimin's dark eyes did a once-over of you, making you feel slightly exposed, while simultaneously making your heart race.

your heart skipped a beat as jimin's gaze lingered on you. the intensity in her eyes sent shivers down your spine, a mix of excitement and nervousness flooding your senses. you tried to maintain your composure, feeling slightly flustered as they both looked at you expectantly.

"thank you," you managed to reply, your voice betraying a hint of unease. it was as if jimin's presence had the power to unravel your carefully constructed facade, leaving you vulnerable and exposed.

your father's smile widened, oblivious to the tension between you and jimin. "i'm glad you two met. jimin here is a renowned neurosurgeon at the hospital. she's been a close friend of ours for a long time."

you struggled to find the right words, your mind racing to process the information. jimin, a neurosurgeon? the charming woman who had appeared at your home in an expensive sportscar was not only captivating but also held a respected position in society. the realization only deepened your sudden fondness for the woman.

"i'm honored to meet you, dr. jimin," you said, your voice filled with genuine admiration. "thank you for the birthday gift. it means a lot."

jimin's eyes softened, her gaze lingering on you for a moment longer than necessary. 

"the pleasure is mine," she replied, her voice laced with a subtle undertone of something you couldn't quite decipher.

jimin's words hung in the air, leaving you with a sense of intrigue and curiosity. there was something about her presence that captivated you, a pull that drew you closer. as your father excused himself to attend to other guests, you and jimin stood there, locked in a silent exchange of emotions.

feeling a mix of nervousness and boldness, you gestured for jimin to follow you. leading her through the bustling party, you managed to navigate the sea of people and find your way back to the staircase. the distant sounds of laughter and music gradually faded into the background as you climbed the steps, guided by the dim glow of the hallway lights.

reaching your room, you pushed the door open and stepped inside, inviting jimin to enter. the room brought you back to your senses, making you feel calmer than before, like a sanctuary away from the chaos downstairs. you motioned for jimin to take a seat on your bed while you settled into your desk chair, facing each other.

the atmosphere felt charged with anticipation as you observed jimin. her blonde hair sat on her shoulders, framing her face and accentuating her features. her eyes sparkled with intelligence and warmth, and the subtle curve of her lips hinted at a gentle smile.

"dr. yu," you began, breaking the silence, "jimin. i didn't expect my birthday to turn out this way, but i'm glad you decided to come. it feels like a nice break from everything."

jimin's smile widened, her eyes never leaving yours. "life has a way of surprising us, doesn't it? sometimes the most memorable moments come from the unexpected."

you nodded in agreement, a growing sense of warmth bubbling up in your chest. there was a natural ease in the way you conversed as if you had known each other for much longer than a few moments. unlike the rest of your parent's friends, jimin never once made you feel like an unintelligent child in her presence. you felt as if you could talk to her about anything, and she'd never make you feel judged for it.

curiosity burned within you, urging you to learn more about her. "so, jimin, tell me about yourself. how did you become a neurosurgeon?"

a soft chuckle escaped her lips, and she leaned back, her gaze shifting to a distant point as she dove into her story. jimin recounted her journey of dedication, hard work, and passion that led her to pursue medicine. she shared stories of the challenges she faced, the lives she touched, and the fulfillment she found in her profession.

as jimin spoke, you found yourself hanging on to every word, drawn to the obvious passion she had for her career and the empathy that she held through the way she spoke of her patients. her passion for making a difference in people's lives made you feel more attracted to her than before, as you felt a smile spread across your face while she continued.

in turn, you shared your aspirations, dreams, and the uncertainty you held about your future. you talked about your love for the sciences, your yearning for independence and exploration, and the weight of expectations that sometimes felt suffocating. it was as if the barriers you had built around yourself crumbled, allowing you to open up and reveal the deepest depths of your heart and mind. some that you didn't even know existed.

hours seemed to slip away unnoticed as you exchanged stories, laughter, and shared experiences. the conversation flowed effortlessly, weaving a web of connection between the two of you who had found solace and understanding in each other's presence.

eventually, as the night grew late, you both realized that the party downstairs had quieted down. the house was enveloped in peaceful silence, the remnants of laughter and happiness lingering in the air. jimin's gaze met yours, an unspoken question passing between you.

"thank you for spending this time with me," you said softly, breaking the momentary stillness. "tonight was better than anything that could be in that box."

jimin chuckled, her hands reaching behind her to grab the box. she pushed it into your hands expectantly. you looked up at her and she nodded, gesturing for you to open it. you ripped the paper from the box, opening it to see a red leather box with gold letters engraved on the top. "jimin! i can't take this! how much did you spend on this?"

"don't worry about it, birthday girl. this is your special day, and it won't come again, so enjoy it while it lasts,” she smiled warmly, gently lifting the lid as your eyes settled on to a small silver necklace with two interlocked rings on the end. you lifted it from the box, the weight of the metal leading you to believe it was even more expensive than you'd originally imagined.

wordlessly, jimin took the necklace from your hands, leaning over you to clasp it behind your neck. your breath hitched at the proximity, feeling jimin's warm breath hitting your bare skin. her fingers trailed down the necklace, her eyes never leaving yours. your eyes flickered between hers and her lips, your own slightly parted, almost anticipating something.

"happy birthday," she mumbled, before you pressed your lips to hers, her hands eventually coming up to gently hold your waist. you moved back and looked up at her, looking for confirmation, her eyes half-lidded and her gaze almost unreadable. you pulled her back in for another kiss, lacing your arms around her neck, she grunted as you pulled away, pressing your forehead to hers, giggling at the surprised look in her eyes.

she playfully rolled her eyes, her hands trailing down from your waist to your thighs as you drew her in for a sloppy kiss, your gift box hitting the floor with a light thud. she hooked her fingers underneath your thighs, maneuvering you onto her lap as she deepened the kiss, her hands caressing your back.

"jimin? y/n?" you heard your dad call out. jimin jolted from her position on your bed as if she'd been physically hurt, forcing you to push yourself from her lap and onto the bedsheets behind you.

"y/n, i'm so sorry. shit," she mumbled, running a hand through her hair, the same way she did when she was standing by her car. two complete scenarios, yet you still feel the same rush you did the first time.

"don't apologize, jimin. you didn't do anything. i wanted this." she shook her head, picking up the discarded box from the floor, and letting out a deep sigh.

"y/n, i'm just," she ran her fingers through her hair once more. "this isn't right. not only are you my colleague's daughter, but you're nearly ten years my junior. jesus christ..." she trailed off as the realization hit her, her teeth starting to chew on her lip.

"jimin, i promise you didn't do anything wrong! i mean, i initiated it, and i'm eighteen!"

"yeah, barely!" she let out a huff, tucking the box under her arm. "i'm sorry for raising my voice, y/n. please understand where i'm coming from." she gave you one last look, like a puppy in a kennel before leaving your room. you stared at the space where she once was, feeling as if you were about to throw up. you couldn’t decipher if it was from the adrenaline from her kiss, or the feeling that you’d never meet someone else like her again. just as she'd come, like an angel in disguise, she left, leaving an empty feeling in your chest.

you heard the front door open and close moments later, and you moved into the same position you'd been in earlier when you watched her arrive. she looked up at you and gave you a small smile, waving her hand in your direction. you held your hand up between the blinds as an act of acknowledgment, as if your heart wasn't being shattered as you watched her walk away.

she started up the car, the roar of the engine feeling almost familiar to you at this point, and wasted no time before pulling out of the driveway and speeding down the street. you heard the door creak open and turned around to see your dad standing in the doorframe, a warm and comforting smile adorned on his face. "you like jimin's car too, huh? it caught everyone's attention tonight. i almost thought a lion was in our driveway," he joked, and you could barely find it in yourself to muster up a smile.

"yeah, i like her car."

Everybody Talks - Part Two

You almost give up on going to the dance.

But the dorm is a complete riot, and there's no way you could sleep through all the noise, and you'd also have to deal with disappointing Carol if you canceled at the last minute, so you decide to ignore your broken heart and get ready.

You join some of your colleagues in the bathroom, and eventually accept Monica Rambeau's help with your make-up.

And then you are ready, and leaving the girls' dormitory early, and bumping into Carol on the stairs.

"Wow, you look beautiful." She comments as soon as she sees you. "Beautiful and early."

You laugh, rolling your eyes softly. "Thanks, Danvers. You don't look too bad yourself."

She giggles, offering her arm for you to hold.

"Shall we go?"

Carol leads you along the halls with an easy smile on her lips, entertaining you with small talk the whole way.

The company is pleasant, and you hope to enjoy it as much as you should.

The prom, or Spring Formal, was being organized on the seventh floor, in one of the empty rooms. And the hallways were already full of students, all dressed appropriately. You and Carol exchanged giggles when one of the kids in one of the corners thought you were teachers and quickly hid the bootlegs of booze, only to let out a relieved sigh when he recognized you.

Pietro was outside as well, wearing a suit that highlighted his eyes, and looking really handsome with his messy hair .

You greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you finally going to tell me who your mystery date is?" you ask as Carol moves to get drinks with the kids in the hallway.

"You'll see her in a minute." He mumbles looking forward down the hall, and you sigh impatiently.

Carol returns with the drinks, and you smile as you say thank you.

"Shall we go in?" she asks.

"I wanted to see who Pietro's date was." You comment, but agree to hold her hand. "All right, see you at the party. Good night, Pietro." You lightly mock your friend's worried expression before escorting Carol inside.

Carol is quite popular, especially among the people in your year. You are not surprised that you both end up greeting many people as soon as you enter, and you end up forgetting your drink at one of the tables.

When you two finally make it to the dance floor, you finally catch sight of Pietro's date.

It's Monica, the girl who helped you earlier, and it doesn't surprise you so much. What confuses you is that Pietro has kept it so secret.

You dance with Carol for a moment, before saying that you would like to talk to your friend for a moment, and she comments that she will get you more drink in the meantime.

When you catch up with Pietro and Monica at the food table, the boy lets out a soft exclamation.

"So you finally had time for your friends." He mocks, making you laugh.

“C’mon Pietro, between a friend and a pretty girl, you can’t blame me for choosing the pretty girl.” You tease, making Monica laugh, but Pietro just waves to someone behind you, with a smirk on his face.

“Say hello to your pretty girl friends then.” He warned and you turned around, suddenly unable to breathe properly.

Natasha and Wanda were absolutely stunning in their party dresses.

You felt a familiar tingle in your stomach when you noticed the skin exposed by the cut of the dress, and while you stared like an idiot, Pietro held back his laughter.

"Earth to Y/N." He sneered but you just sighed, unable to look away from the most beautiful girls you have ever seen.

"Pietro help me, I can't stop staring. They are coming here." You mumbled embarrassed, and the boy laughed before gently turning your face to him.

"You're very gay, you know that right?" He teased, and you didn't even disagree.

Nat and Wanda caught up with you the next moment, and you tried to disguise your current state by greeting them politely. The atmosphere was awkward because of your recent argument with Nat, and it only got worse when Carol returned with your drinks.

You exchanged a quick glance with the redhead, before accepting Carol's hand and returning to the dance floor again.

You decided to try to have fun. Because Carol was pleasant company, and your friends seemed happy, and you had a right to be too.

So you danced and danced until your feet hurt.

And when you said you wanted some air, Carol held your waist, looking slightly drunk.

She was going to kiss you. You could tell by the way she looked at you, and you swallowed hard, your gaze meeting the dancing duo a few feet away before returning to the blue orbs in front of you.

And your hand touched her shoulder.

"I can't." You warned her, upset. "I'm sorry."

Carol smiled in spite of everything, and took the hand that held her, using it to spin you around in the rhythm of the music and then bringing you back to her, making you laugh softly.

"It's okay, today was fun." She says, gently swaying the two of you in the rhythm of the dance. And when you rested your hand on her shoulder, and your face on the top, she used the closeness to whisper in your ear, "It's Nat, isn't it?"

You swallowed dryly, your gaze on the dancing duo further ahead, Wanda had a shy smile that made her eyes sparkle, and Natasha was whispering something in her ear that made her cheeks blush.

"I don't know." You whispered back to the blonde, sincere in your statement. Carol sighed softly, but didn't insist.

Soon the dance was over, and you made a soft reference in appreciation making the blonde laugh. She kissed you on the cheek when you said you were too tired and would call it a night.

When she went to join her friends and left you alone on the dance floor, your gaze met Wanda and Natasha, who stopped dancing, and you gave them a sad look before turning toward the exit of the room.

You couldn't find Pietro, and figured he must be hooking up with Monica somewhere, so you left the dance without saying goodbye.

At the first corner, someone called your name, and you turned to find Natasha.

"You have no right to be angry, you know," she accused with emotion in her voice, approaching at a slow pace. You gave a humorless laugh.

"I'm not angry, Nat." You muttered annoyed. "I'm heartbroken."

"You have no right to be that either." She retorted seriously, making you roll your eyes.

"Really? I think I do." You retorted. "You know how I feel, and you won't let me speak, much less tell me if you feel the same way."

"You are such a hypocrite." She accuses stopping a couple of steps away from you. You assume an incredulous expression.

"Excuse me?"

"You want to talk about not assuming things? Fine, let's talk about you not acknowledging Wanda's feelings for you."

You hesitate, blinking in confusion and feeling your heart racing.

"I-I didn't know..."

"Cut that crap." Nat interrupts angrily. "She didn't hide them at all, you were just the one who pretended not to see. And why? Because you couldn't give her the answer she wanted, but you didn't want to ruin the friendship. Just like I'm doing now, and you're acting like I'm doing the worst thing in the world."

You take a deep breath. "I didn't know Wanda liked me." You insist, making Nat give an incredulous laugh. "I didn't know. If I had known... I..."

"What?" she interrupts, irritated. "What would you have done? You don't know! You don't know because you don't feel the same way."

You feel the tears forming, but you keep your gaze steady.

"So you admit it? You admit that you don't feel the same way about me like I asked you before?" You ask angrily, but Nat lets out a tearful laugh, shaking her head softly.

"Merlin, you're so dumb when you want to be." She grumbles, wiping the tears that threaten to fall from her eyes. "It's the exact opposite."

You feel your heart race, and you widen your eyes. But Nat gives you a sad smile.

"I can't. It's different." She says, but you don't care, stepping closer, and Nat backs away until she bumps into the wall, holding her breath when you are close enough to touch. "I can't." She repeats in a whisper and you take a deep breath.

"Tell me to stop, and I will." You whisper back, and wait. It is Nat who breaks the distance, her hands moving up into your hair as she brings your lips together in a passionate kiss that steals all the air from your lungs.

You think everything is spinning. Your body heats up, your hands move up to her waist, and her tongue slides against yours, exploring your mouth.

You've wanted to do this for so long, and it's even better than you imagined.

You sigh, affected, feeling Nat's smile on your lips. She kisses you until your legs are shaking, and you don't want it to ever end.

But there are noises of footsteps that you ignore, but Nat doesn't.

She pushes you gently, and you blink in confusion, only to meet the redhead's upset gaze, looking at someone behind you.

"Wanda, we're not-" she starts, and you turn around quickly, finding the brunette with tear-filled eyes, her fists clenched at the side of her body.

"We're not what, Nat?" she accuses angrily. "Making out in the hallway? It looked exactly like that."

You swallow dryly, taking a step to the side, suddenly too embarrassed to look either of them in the eye.

"We just-" Nat starts again but Wanda interrupts her.

"You said you wanted to try." She says and you frown, looking at the redhead in confusion, and Nat closes her eyes for a moment. " I guess you don't seem to want to try it with me."

"Wanda, it was just a kiss and-"

"Are you serious?" You interrupt angrily and indignantly. "You told Wanda you wanted to date her, and then you kissed me, and you're still going to say it meant nothing in front of me?"

Nat runs her hand through her hair nervously.

"Will you two stop accusing me and let me explain." She complains angrily and you and Wanda let out incredulous gasps.

"No!" you both reply together, and you glare at Wanda.

"Why didn't you ever tell me you liked me?" You ask impatiently, and Wanda hesitates, widening her eyes.

"I don't..."

"Wanda." Nat warns, and the brunette looks down at the floor, taking a deep breath.

"I knew you didn't feel the same way." She declares and you sigh.

"If even I didn't know that, how would you?" You say and Wanda looks at you in surprise, and Nat frowns.

"What the fuck, you just kissed me and you're declaring yourself to another girl?" Accused the redhead making you give a wry laugh.

"Hypocrite!" You retort. "I just heard that you told her you'd like to try, and you kissed me!"

"I never said I liked you!" Nat retorts and you let out an impatient sigh. "I have always been in love with Wanda."

"What the fuck, Natasha?" You ask in a mixture of indignation and hurt. Nat swallows dryly. "Why did you kiss me then?"

"Because I wanted to." She retorts emotionally, her eyes filling with tears again. "I hated seeing you with Carol! I don't know what's going on, I can't be with you, but I can't pretend I don't feel anything."

You rubbed your temple.

"You just said you like Wanda-"

"I do." She insists, glancing briefly at the brunette who has crossed her arms, and looks pensive. "But I like you too."

"That doesn't make sense." You grumble stubbornly, running your hands through your hair. "Who do you like more?"

"I don't..." She starts, and takes a deep breath. "I don't know.”

"Then fucking figure it out!" You retort angrily, and Nat clenches her jaw.

"I don't know!" She retorts, and you sigh in irritation. You were about to tell her to make a decision, but Wanda uncrossed her arms and stepped forward, her hands going up to pull Nat to her and kiss her on the mouth.

Nat sighed in surprise, but kissed back. And you looked wide-eyed, watching. Your mouth salivated, and you felt a twinge of excitement run through your body at the image of the two of them kissing, but you were too shocked to say anything.

Wanda pulled away at the same speed as she approached, her hands still on Nat's shoulders.

"Which was better?" The brunette whispered affectedly, her pupils dilated. And Nat was the same way.

"I don't know." She whispered back, and looked at you. "I can't choose."

You sighed, and moved closer too, kissing Nat, who sighed against your lips.

Suddenly you were enveloped in a cloud of excitement, the idea of Wanda watching you turned you on more than you expected to.

And then you broke the kiss, finding Nat's dilated pupils and swollen lips in front of you.

"It's only fair that you kiss Wanda now." Nat whispers and you nod softly before turning your head to the brunette beside you.

Wanda advances against your mouth, and you gasp, shocked at how much you missed her soft lips.

And this time you don't feel alcohol on her tongue, and it's even more delicious.

You kiss her until you need to breathe, and when you part she kisses Natasha again, but she leaves her arm around your waist as she does so. Your heart is racing as you watch them.

When Nat kisses you again, you hear a hissing in the hallway.

"Geez, girls, why didn't you invite us?" Teases a male voice, and the three of you quickly move away, staring in shock at two tall, appearing drunk boys. "A party like that."

"Fuck off, asshole." Natasha warns taking a step forward, but you suddenly become very aware of what you were doing.

The boys laugh, raising their hands high as they see Nat take out her wand, but you are leaning against the wall, running your hand through your hair.

"Fucking jerks." The redhead grumbles before turning to you and Wanda again. "Are you guys okay?"

"What the hell was that?" You ask incredulously. "What are we doing?"

Wanda swallows dryly, looking down at her shoes. Nat sighs.

"We just... just..." She tries to formulate but looks as confused and surprised as you do.

"I liked it." Wanda declares next, and you raise your eyes to her. "I liked it both."

There is a moment of silence, and then Nat speaks.

"Me too."

You think the hallway has gotten too small. "I can't do this." You say. "I'm sorry, it's too much."

It is your last word before you walk past them, and out toward your dormitory.

All you do along the way is think. In your conflicting feelings, and the feel of Wanda and Nat's lips on yours, and then the image of the two of them kissing.

You can't sleep well, but you force yourself to try. When you dream, it's about them.

//-//-//-//-//-///

You spend Sunday inside the dorm.

Your roommates ask if everything is okay, and you lie by saying yes.

Monica tries to cheer you up by talking about the dance and about being dating Pietro now, but you can barely keep up.

She leaves you alone at lunchtime.

You force yourself to take a shower, and put on a comfortable sweater. You have unfinished homework, but you can't concentrate on anything.

All you can think about is that you were doing something very wrong last night.

As you lay there, hugging your pillow, you think about how it felt to understand that you liked girls. Going through it had been hard enough, and you didn't want to deal with coming out of the closet again.

You couldn't even tell if you were allowed to like two people, if it existed, or if there was something wrong with you.

All you knew was that you were steeped in guilt and melancholy, rejecting the idea that you were in love with your two friends.

Unfortunately you cannot stay locked in your room for the next few days.

The NEWTS were reason enough for you to push those thoughts away, and to refocus on school.

You avoided Natasha and Wanda like the plague, barely able to keep your eyes on them without remembering what you two did.

Fortunately, your exams were keeping you all busy.

It wasn't until the middle of the week after the dance, after your particularly exhausting charm test, that you couldn't ignore Natasha.

"Yes, it was Romanoff's father." You were just going to take a sip of your coffee when you heard Nat's last name in conversation next to you, between two boys who were holding the diary prophet open on the table. You raised your eyebrow. "I heard that the ministry arrived in the early morning."

You turned to him, and leaned in. "What are you guys talking about?"

"You haven't heard?" The older boy asked incredulously, and then grabbed the newspaper and tossed it to you. "The ministry found a connection between Alexei Shostakov and dark wizards from the first war. The front page of the Prophet covered his arrest."

You widened your eyes, grabbing the paper.

There it was. A picture of Nat's father in handcuffs, being taken away by the ministry. The huge headline "Red Guardian arrested in Russia." And some details about how the British ministry had trouble investigating Alexei's past as a dark wizard because he had moved to Russia, and the country's ministry had different laws.

You read the story faster than you would like to admit. The story is about Alexei having worked under the pseudonym of "Red Guardian" during the first Wizarding War, responsible for several Muggleborn disappearances, and even murders. And then there were the reporters' comments about it being a great loss to the wizarding community, the Romanoff family being one of the pureblood families that maintained the stability of blood purity.

You handed the paper back to your colleague, and stood up after thanking him, determined to ask if everything was all right with Natasha.

But when you reached the Slytherin table, you saw her nowhere to be seen. You quickly looked for Wanda, and only found her outside, talking to Pietro.

"Have you guys seen Nat?" you asked, ignoring the way your stomach flipped with anxiety at seeing the brunette again.

" She left, Y/N." Wanda stated and you looked at her with confusion. "Melina came for her earlier today. She has to be a witness at the ministry."

"What?" you asked incredulously. "B-but what about the Newts?"

"Fury said she doesn't have to worry about that." Pietro replied. "He'll let her do the exams when she gets back."

"Have any of you talked to her?" You ask. "Was she okay?"

"She was stressed." Wanda comments, crossing her arms. "And there were these idiots at the dorm door saying stupid things, and she only got worse. But then Fury came in with Melina, saying she'd have to testify on her father's behalf, and she left."

You sigh. "Damn, that's awful." You comment, and there is a moment of silence. "Y-you think it's true? That her father really is a..."

"Murderer?" Wanda completes, sounding less surprised than you. "It's quite likely, Y/N. The first war, well, it was actually a pretty bad thing. The persecution of the muggleborn, the propaganda of blood purity. My father may have gotten his pardon, but he always told us about how cruel the whole thing was."

"You don't think Nat's father regretted it?" You ask, and Wanda and Pietro exchange glances.

"Honestly, no." Pietro says. "Unlike Dad, Alexei never stopped advocating blood purity. You know how Nat was before you two were friends. I just hope she won't be so upset about the whole thing."

You bite the inside of your cheek. "Do you think Melina will make her testify in favor of her father?"

"I don't know, Y/N." Wanda says. "If Alexei really is the red guardian, the minister will want him in Azkaban. It doesn't matter if Melina forces her daughter to lie."

"I wish I could help Nat."

Wanda sighs, nodding in agreement. "Me too. But the only thing we can do is wait."

The lunch bell rings shortly after, and you say goodbye to Wanda to go to the History of Magic room with Pietro.

The test is considerably more difficult because you cannot remember the dates of the elves' idependency when you are thinking about Nat, but Pietro nudges you gently when he notices your lack of attention and you try to concentrate again.

You hope to get at least an acceptable score, but when the test is over you are not so sure.

With the whole Nat thing, and the lack of her in the castle, you go back to talking to Wanda.

It's still superficial, because neither of you bring up the subject of the ball, but it's better than silence.

Alexei's trial takes place on Friday, at the same time as your last exam, and the celebratory mood of the graduates doesn't quite match your nervousness over hearing from Natasha.

You rush out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Pietro at your side, straight into the dungeon after Wanda.

The Slytherin communal hall has its doors open, because the students are celebrating the end of their exams, but you still get judgmental looks for being down there.

Wanda is standing next to a radio, biting her nails, next to her are Loki Odinson and Sylvie Lushton, two Slytherins from the same year as you, who are also listening to the wizarding news.

You and Pietro approach the group.

"Is the result out yet?" You ask as you greet everyone.

"In a few minutes." Wanda replies with her gaze focused on the small stereo.

You stand in silence as you listen to the news, the witch talking about the economy and the weather, until finally the report of the trial of the "Red Guardian" is broadcast.

"And now about directly from the Ministry of Magic, the finalization of the trial of Russian wizard Alexei Shostakov, which took place this morning." Announced the reporter, and you all held your breath. "A surprising twist in the court, wasn't it Miss Weasley?"

"Indeed, Mrs.Lovegood." Agreed the other anchor. "The magic council is having difficulty maintaining a stable prosecution because of the legal differences between the British and Russian ministry, but the allegation by the defendant's own daughter, the witch Natasha Romanoff, has changed the course of the investigation in the ministry's favor."

The reporter's words make you widen your eyes.

"Exactly, Ginny. The judge was about to revoke the defendant's arrest when the witnesses were heard. The defendant's daughter presented a private collection of dark items to the court, as well as letters written by Mr. Shostakov. It was a gigantic commotion at the trial when Alexei tried to assault his daughter for testifying against him."

"An intense trial, but one that ended with a life sentence in Azkaban for the defendant, fortunately for the family of his victims." The other reporter continued, and you and the group let out sighs of shock. "And that story ended well for the killer's family, too, didn't it, Luna?"

"Yes, you are correct." Retorted the other reporter. "With Alexei's confession, the family's entire fortune was divided between the daughters, Natasha and Yelena, as well as the now ex-wife, Melina Vostokoff. The Daily Prophet tried an interview with them, but they asked for space at this sensitive moment and..."

Loki lowered the radio, commenting excitedly about finally having caught up with the red guardian, and you turned to your friends, smiling in a mixture of relief and disbelief.

Nat was fine. Safe, and free from her father. And Wanda seemed to understand the same, because she gave a relieved laugh and hugged you tightly.

Pietro joined in the hug too, but you let go quickly after that. You weren't ready to touch Wanda again. You ignore the way your body trembled and try to disguise it, trying to follow Pietro's suggestions to visit Nat and bring gifts.

After that, you planned to join your friends in Hogsmeade on Saturday, being the last trip as Hogwarts students, where all the students of your year were going too.

You ended up waking up earlier than expected the next day, and decided to disturb Pietro.

He was asleep when you arrived in the boys' dormitory, and you threw a pillow over his face.

Grumbling with dissatisfaction he tried to go back to sleep, but you tickled him until he woke up.

"Merlin, what's your problem?" He complained, finally getting up. "It's still dawn."

You laughed, sitting down on the empty bed next to Pietro. Most of the boys had gotten up for breakfast.

"We're going to Hogsmeade today, you can't sleep until noon." You retorted and Pietro let out a sigh.

"Speaking of which, Wanda got a letter last night." He says stretching and reaching for a towel. "Natasha is meeting us at the Three Broomsticks."

"Oh." You sigh. "Cool. Cool."

Pietro raises an eyebrow, then laughs. "You guys still haven't worked things out, have you?"

"I think we just made it more complicated."

Pietro sighs. "Look, Hogwarts is nearing its end. Maybe things will get easier now that we'll be home, and you'll have time to think far away from each other."

"I don't want to be away from any of you, Pietro." You murmur, making him smile.

"You're so cheesy, Y/N." He scoffs walking away. "I'm going to take a shower, we'll have some beers and lament your lack of ability to flirt with girls later."

You laugh at the teasing, deciding to wait for Pietro in the bedroom, distracting yourself with the collection of cards of famous wizards he has.

You smile when Peter Quill enters the room, looking for a scarf, and he lets out an exclamation when he recognizes you.

"I was hoping to talk to you, Y/N!" He says and you make a playful expression.

"I'm all ears, Quill." You say making him laugh softly. He sits down on the bed in front of you, looking almost anxious.

"It's nothing serious, I just wanted to say that I was happy to hear that there was another witch, and moreover a muggleborn like me, who was also poly." He declares, and you widen your eyes immediately.

"S-sorry, what?"

He smiles confusedly, "I heard about the prom. Well, the kids were being jerks, and saying disgusting things, so I punched them in the face and earned a detention, but before that McFlay commented on you dating Romanoff and Maximoff, and I thought it was amazing to have another polyamorous witch at Hogwarts, because I've never met another and-"

"Wait a minute, what did you say it's called? Poli, what?" you interrupt in shock, and Peter blinks in confusion before repeating.

"Polyamorous, you know? People who like more than one person."

"That's a thing?" You exclaim making Peter smile.

"Of course it is."

You sigh in relief. "Merlin, I thought I was going crazy." You confess suddenly feeling like crying with happiness, and running your hand over your face. "I can't believe there's nothing wrong with me."

"Of course not, Y/N." Peter says, touching your knee with his hand, smiling tenderly at you. "It's okay to like more than one person. Damn, I should have come to you as soon as I knew, I didn't know you were going through these doubts. I would have helped you."

You let out a tearful laugh, touching Peter's hand in appreciation.

"It's okay, buddy, that's helped enough actually." You say and he smiles, "But I'm not dating anyone. And McFlay is an idiot."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He says. "You three are a good match if you ask me. It's a pretty powerful trio."

You laugh shyly, still impressed to know that everything was okay with you.

"Peter, tell me more about this Polyamory thing please?" You ask, and he nods in agreement.

For the next few minutes you listen to him talk about the topic, and are surprised to learn that this long there was an LGBT student alliance at Hogwarts, but that you were never part of it. That would have been very useful. Peter talks about polygamy, open and closed relationships, and you really listen. It is a huge relief to know that you were not doing something immoral or wrong, and that other people felt as you did too. Quill also tells you that he is bisexual, and polyamorous like you, but he has never met another wizard, much less a muggleborn like himself, who was polyamorous.

"And that's basically it." He says. "Of course, there's a lot more to it about many other sexualities, and I think if you join the group you'll understand them all."

"But Hogwarts is at the end." You say confused and Peter gives a chuckle.

"Don't worry, we will continue with a group beyond the school." He says, and gets up to walk towards his own bed. After rummaging through his drawers, he pulls out a piece of paper, and brings it to you.

It is a brochure from the Hogwarts LGBTQI+ Wizard's Union, colorful and magically enchanted. You smile at the paper.

"You can talk to the leader, Steve Rogers, this afternoon in Hogsmeade. We're going to have one last end-of-year meeting and then he'll tell us how things will be organized after Hogwarts."

"Peter, that's incredible." You say turning your gaze back to the boy. "Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it, mate." He says smiling. "Well, I'm off, see you in Hogsmeade?"

"Sure."

When Peter comes back from the bathroom, you are still smiling.

And during the walk to the communal hall, you tell him about what Peter explained to you and he listens to everything carefully.

"But are you sure you are in love with both of them?" He asks as soon as you finish speaking, and you sit down at the Gryffindor table.

You sigh slightly. "I think so."

Pietro gives a short laugh. "That's not good enough, Y/N. You need to be sure. You can't throw that in theirs laps and not even know if you're really in love."

You mutter that he is right as you put cereal on a tray. Pietro is rubbing jam on some toast when you speak again.

"But how can I be sure?" You ask and he raises his eyebrows slightly, before sighing.

"Okay, I was going to say you are joking, but I realized that it took me two years to really understand that I was in love with Monica and not just friends with her." He comments and you laugh softly.

Pietro pours some juice for you. "Why don't you try thinking about how you feel about each one?"

You stir your cereal, sighing softly as you try. "Okay, let me think." You mutter. "The two of them have been my friends for years. I always knew I liked Nat. She's amazing, brave, strong, and clever. I like how she seems so serious and angry to everyone, but when you get to know her she is so soft and funny. She always makes me laugh when I'm upset, and I love her sarcasm."

"And Wanda?"

You have a silly smile on your lips. "Wanda is both the opposite and equal of Nat. She is temperamental, and seems angry and hard to approach when you first meet her, but she is so lovely. And she's gentle, and sweet, and I never get tired of just being around her, or listening to her talk. She knows me so well that it's almost embarrassing. It's ridiculous to think that it took me so long to realize that I was in love with her too."

Pietro takes a long bite of his toast, and you sigh.

"I really think the three of us are in perfect balance, Pietro." You say. "Where Nat needs it, I support her, so that Wanda can support me second. And that works in reverse, in all directions."

"So what's the problem?"

He asks as he notices her upset expression.

"I have no idea if they feel the same way." You say, and then swallow dryly. "And I don't know if I want to choose.”

"Maybe they'll stay together so you won't have to." He comments, and you look at him indignantly.

"Thanks, Pietro." You say ironically, making him laugh.

"Hey, at least if they choose each other, you'll have a chance to meet other people." He explains. "And you'll be able to maintain the friendship. I get the impression that if you choose one of them, you lose the other."

"That really doesn't reassure me." You mutter unhappily, giving up eating as you push the cereal tray aside.

Pietro laughs softly, stroking your hair as you lay your head on the table.

"I'm sorry, Y/N. But I'm here for whatever you need." He says and you mumble a thank you.

Pietro pushes the tray of cereal back to you. "Please eat something. You are insufferable when you are hungry."

You point the middle finger at Pietro, but obey.

Over breakfast, you think about how exactly you are going to broach this subject with the girls.

//-//-//-//-//-//

Everybody Talks - Part One

It was especially cold for spring, but you didn't have time to complain, because you were too excited to get on the field.

You softly hummed a song from your favorite muggle band as you finished putting on your Quidditch boots, your broom resting beside you on the bench.

"Feeling anxious, Y/N?" The voice of your teammate, and Gryffindor team chaser, Pietro echoed in the locker room as he approached you, already fully dressed in his game uniform. You raised your head to smile at him.

"I only get anxious about winning, Pietro." You retorted confidently, making him laugh softly. You stood up as you grabbed your broom, and the team captain, Thor Odinson, waved for everyone to hurry to try out.

In the entrance area of the field, Pietro stood off to the side, and you were fixing your gloves when he gently bumped his shoulder into yours.

"Care to place a bet?" He asked, causing you to raise your eyebrow.

"What kind of bet?"

"Come on, we're playing against Slytherin." He says as if the reason for his proposal is obvious. "I bet I score more points than you do."

You laugh, rolling your eyes. "You wish."

Pietro grimaces in false offense, then holds out his hand.

"First one to get five hits wins." He proposes, and you smile before shaking your hand.

"What's the prize?" You ask, already watching the Okoye coach walk onto the grass to announce the game. Pietro stands thoughtfully for a moment.

"If I win, you call Romanoff to the dance." He declares and you almost drop the broom on the ground, looking at Pietro with wide eyes. He just laughs, but just as you are about to complain about it, the whistle for the team to enter the field sounds, and Thor is pushing you to walk.

During the game, you need to push your thoughts about your longtime crush on your friend, Natasha Romanoff, but it's not that easy, especially since she's in the bleachers, and despite being from the Slytherin house, she's also carrying a Gryffindor flag, cheering you on.

Your history with Nat was a bit complicated.

You weren't exactly friends in your first two years at Hogwarts, because she came from a pureblood family that hated muggleborns, and Nat just repeated the offenses she learned at home to you for a while.

But then you became partners in potions in third year, and over the course of the months, being forced to work together, you discovered that Natasha was actually quite an amazing girl to say the least. The friendship between you blossomed, and as Nat learned to reject the prejudiced teachings of her parents, you fell in love with her.

It was a secret you had been carrying around for a long time, but contrary to what you thought, it was not really a secret at all.

Pietro had been your friend since the third grade, when you joined the Quidditch team together and clicked immediately. And it took him only two weeks to realize that you had a crush on Nat, but he never said anything beyond gentle teasing.

It was an ironic coincidence that Pietro's twin sister Wanda was Nat's best friend as well. Which made you all hang out together like, what Defense Against the Dark Art professor Stephen Strange called "a group of misfits." affectionately.

You were too caught up in your thoughts, and Pietro took advantage of the bet, smiling smugly at you as he scored the second goal.

You took a deep breath, deciding to focus on the game. No way you would let him win.

The problem was that playing with Slytherin was always difficult. The competition felt more meaningful, and by the third time you had to dodge a bludger, you barely remembered the bet, really focusing on not falling off your broom while trying to score.

And then with almost two and a half hours of play, the golden snitch was caught.

You joined your classmates in celebration, laughing and hugging everyone as the Gryffindor crowd let off fireworks, the red lion circling in the sky, roaring loudly.

Someone shouted "Party in the communal hall" and you were being dragged through the crowd back to the castle, feeling so happy that you didn't even remember that Pietro had won the bet.

Back in the communal hall, drinks were distributed, and you giggled at the bottles of Firewhisky that were smuggled in by your seventh year classmates.

"I hope there are no snitches here." Pietro commented beside you, looking around at the crowd of students that was inside the Gryffindor communal hall now, several people from other houses joining the party. Pietro took a long sip of his drink, making a face that made you laugh.

"Merlin, I think Thor is going to make a speech." You then comment as you notice the boy in the center, raising his arms wide, and already looking slightly drunk. You wonder if he had been drinking since Quiddicht's field.

"Friends and Colleagues of Hogwarts!" Thor called out contentedly, and the crowd gradually quietened to look at him. "Let's have a toast for this victory! But first, let's dedicate this year's cup to the stars of the game, come here my friends!"

And then you, Pietro and Sam Wilson, the Gryffindor seeker, were being pushed to the center, until you’re all each up in a chair for the people to see you clearly and you laughed awkwardly at the crowd who were whistling and celebrating loudly.

A Ravenclaw boy started singing a cheer tune saying "Gryffindor kicks ass," and it didn't take long for the whole crowd to join in.

You met Natasha's gaze next, standing a few feet away from you in the corner of the room, feeling your heart miss a beat by the way she was looking at you.

"This is your chance." Pietro whispered in your ear, needlessly since through the noise of the party no one would hear him anyway. You swallowed dryly, slumping down from your chair as Sam and Pietro continued to vibrate, and you mentally rehearsed the words to invite Natasha.

You didn't take a step before someone stopped you, a gentle tug on your forearm, and you barely had time to turn your face to ask what it was, recognizing Wanda's green orbs before she kissed you.

You gasped in surprise, and the crowd erupted in loud whistles and celebrations, and you thought someone let off a firework inside the room, but all you could notice was Wanda.

Her soft lips against yours, and then her tongue on yours, making you sigh. You tasted the alcohol too, and then she broke the kiss and you blinked confused and affected trying to locate yourself.

"I've wanted to do that for so long." She counters with red cheeks, her lips puffy. She looks beautiful, and you are in shock.

"I-I..." You try to formulate a coherent sentence, and suddenly it becomes conscious over the audience, and you clear your throat, nodding for Wanda to follow you out of the hall.

As soon as you are in the corridor, she pushes you against a wall, kissing you again and making you sigh.

But you break the kiss , your hands on Wanda's waist to push her away.

"I'm sorry, Wanda." You say taking a deep breath. "I don't..."

And Wanda takes a step back as if she had been slapped, her expression dropping immediately.

"No! I'm sorry!" She interrupts, "I shouldn't. Damn, I'm so sorry."

And then she is running away and you call out to her, but she doesn't turn around.

You press your face against your hands, trying to understand how exactly everything escalated so quickly like that.

You completely lose the will to party, and as you return to the communal hall, you dodge your classmates' attempts to pull you into the games by going straight to your room.

It's not easy to sleep with the tingling sensation on your lips, and the complete mess your head is in, but you try anyway.

//-//-//-////-//-//-////-//-//-//

You're not surprised at the speed with which gossip spreads at Hogwarts.

It's your senior year, you're used to it. It doesn't mean you're not bothered by the insinuating whistles in the corridors when you leave the communal hall for breakfast, deciding to ignore them and the comments about Wanda kissing you in front of everyone.

You make your way straight to the Gryffindor table, and almost knock over your cereal when a flash of camera light hits your eyes.

"Good morning, superstar!" You greet Peter Parker cheerfully, putting the camera down. You blink a few times.

"Good morning, Peter, may I ask why the photo?" you say, then go back to eating. Peter was a Hufflepuff kid, he was in sixth grade, and he was the school photographer.

"The yearbook, dammit!" He says as if it's obvious. "I need pictures of the graduates, and I thought I'd better take them before you guys are busy with your NEWTS."

You mutter in displeasure at the mention of Hogwarts final exams, and Peter gives a chuckle.

"Why are you taking a picture of me eating breakfast?" you ask curiously before putting a spoonful of cereal in your mouth. Peter checks his camera as he answers.

"I wanted to photograph the moments of the daily routine first." He explains. "Things you guys will miss."

"Owt." You comment making him smile.

"I took some amazing pictures yesterday of the game too." He counters sitting down on the bench in front of you, and you giggle at how comfortable he quickly becomes at your house table. "Did you get any of Sam catching the snitch?" you ask and Peter is already fiddling with the camera quickly, handing it to you.

You smile at the pictures he has taken, and comment on how amazing the ones of the game are. And then there is the picture from last night's party, the moment you are standing in the crowd, laughing, and you stop smiling because you think about what happened next.

Handing the camera back to Peter, you try to follow the conversation, but your mind is elsewhere.

You are forced to focus on his words again, because he is talking about Wanda.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" You ask confused, and he smiles.

"I asked if you and Wanda want me to take pictures of you before the prom." He clarifies, and you widen your eyes slightly.

"Wait, what?" you exclaim. "Prom? Why do you think I'm going with Wanda?"

"You guys aren't dating?"

You let out an incredulous laugh. "What? No!" you clarify quickly. "We're not...where did that come from?"

Peter looks at you with confusion. "She kissed you in front of everyone. I thought..."

"You thought wrong." You interrupt uncomfortably, feeling your heart race. "I don't want to have this conversation during breakfast." You mutter as you stand up quickly, feeling the room getting too small. Peter apologizes half confused, but you are already leaving the hall.

You head back to the Gryffindor communal hall to shower and put on your uniform before your first class, but you bump into Pietro coming out of the boys' dormitory.

"Hey, I want to talk to you." He says as soon as he notices you, and you sigh softly, stopping walking. Pietro signals to the corner of the room, and leans on the window opening as you approach.

"What is it?" you ask with your hands in your pockets, already imagining exactly what the conversation was about.

"Wanda." He says and you sigh. "Don't hurt her."

"Really?" You retort incredulously. "Your sister kissed me, Pietro. Not the other way around. I had no idea she liked me."

"Maybe she doesn't." He then reasons, keeping his voice low because the students are coming down for breakfast. "She never said anything to me. And everyone was drinking at the party yesterday. You're friends, and I don't know, you're pretty, maybe she saw you on top of the chair in all your glory and got carried away."

You take a hand out of your pocket to massage your temples gently.

"Honestly, this is a mess." You grumble. "I didn't even get to talk to her before she ran off."

"You'll get your chance to talk in a few, we have potions with Slytherin in the first period." He retorts and you groan in dissatisfaction.

"I thought I could just ignore it all until things work themselves out." You say making him laugh, and Pietro pushes your shoulder gently.

"Don't think I forgot about the bet." He says next. "Clear things up with Wanda, and then invite Nat to the dance. I can't stand your puppy dog eyes any longer."

"Shut up, I don't have that." You mutter but Pietro only laughs, walking away probably to go get coffee in the communal hall.

You tell him you will meet him after you get ready.

//-//-//-//-//

You were swinging your leg on the stool, sitting at your desk at the back of potions class.

Pietro accompanied you and you were one of the first to arrive in the room, but it didn't take long for the other students to enter.

He shook his head gently in amusement at your nervousness, noticing that you were staring at the door, but said nothing. You held your breath as Natasha and Wanda entered together, engaged in conversation.

You don't know exactly what you expected as a reaction, but you were relieved to know that Wanda didn't treat you any differently.

She wished you good morning with a smile, taking the seat next to Pietro, while Nat sat down next to yours, also greeting you politely.

You were trying to think of exactly how to broach the subject about the party, when Pietro spoke up:

"Yesterday was incredible don't you guys think?" He says loud enough for only the four of you to hear. "I think some of us had more fun than others."

You widen your eyes, kicking him under the table, but Pietro continues to smile, while Wanda clears her throat and Nat looks toward Professor Banner, who is entering the room and closing the door.

"Good morning everyone, let's get started, we have to practice before the final exams." Declares the professor already taking out his wand so that the potions ingredients float to the benches.

Since May was the last month before the exams, you were reviewing previous years contents in most of your classes.

So you weren't surprised that Professor Banner asked you to try the Amortentia potion in class that day, ignoring Pietro's teasing remark about it being a lovely coincidence.

Since the third year, you and Nat have worked together on potions. So you frowned when she joined Wanda, without giving you any satisfaction.

Deciding that perhaps it was just a harmless action, you took out your potions books, and worked with Pietro.

Throughout the class, as Professor Banner circulated the tables to make sure that everyone was preparing their potions correctly, you began to feel slightly dizzy with the familiar scent coming from the cauldrons.

Amortentia, also known as the most powerful love potion in existence, has a distinctive smell for each wizard.

In sixth grade, when you first brewed it, you almost knocked over the cauldron when you finished because you could smell Natasha's perfume and assumed that everyone else could too, and as you rushed to cover the mixture, you almost knocked it over. Pietro mocked you for two weeks.

"Try lowering the fire a little more, Miss Romanoff." Professor Banner warned as he passed by your countertop, Nat's mixture slightly less transparent than it should be. You would have noticed this if you had been working with her.

When you stirred the mixture in your cauldron with the spoon, you can't help but smile softly as you recognized the smells that attracted you. Making Amortentia was relaxing to say the least.

"Do you think we'll have the same incident as last year?" Pietro comments beside you, stirring his cauldron as well.

You laugh softly, remembering. Last year, as soon as the potions were ready, Peter Quill from your house pulled a prank on the school, dripping potion on the coffee muffins. It was a tremendous mess, but fortunately you never got to eat any of them until everything was sorted out.

"Merlin, I hope not." You reply, turning your attention away from the potion to Pietro. "I have enough trouble with love already." You comment softly, causing them to laugh.

Natasha and Wanda look at the two of you with curiosity.

"You guys are full of secrets today heh?" Nat accuses in a wry tone, and you ignore the way your stomach flips with nervousness at having her talk to you.

You were about to let the subject die, but Pietro is speaking again, "We're talking about the prom, Nat. Any plans yet?"

You widen your eyes, resisting the urge to shove Pietro's face into the cauldron in front of him, while pretending to be paying attention to your mix when all you notice is the way Nat giggles, looking at Wanda a moment before looking at Pietro again.

"Actually, I do." She says and you raise your eyes immediately, feeling your stomach sink. "I'll take Wanda."

You drop the spoon hard and hot potion runs into your fingers, causing you to grunt in pain, and attracting the attention of your friends, and also your professor.

After assuring them that you are fine, there is an awkward silence at the table. But you are too curious to care:

"I didn't know you were going together." You comment casually, glancing momentarily at Wanda, who has flushed cheeks but keeps her face close to the fire, and you assume that's exactly why. Nat touches the pages of the potions book gently.

"I asked her." Nat declares and you swallow dryly, pushing all the conflicting feelings down. "That day in Hogsmeade."

"Oh, got it." You mutter, too uncomfortable to prolong the subject.

"That day in Hogsmeade" was about the retrograde weekend where you almost confessed your feelings to Natasha after drinking too much fire whiskey. You were all at the Three Broomsticks, playing explosive snap and telling jokes. And there was this moment where you and Nat went to the bathroom at the same time, and you just looked at her on the way out, feeling dizzy and probably looking stupid. And she looked back, and you thought for a moment that you would kiss. But someone bumped into you, the moment was over. When Nat went to walk away, you held her hand, but lost the courage to confess. And when you came back to the table, she sat far away, and you were too drunk to think about it.

The same silence as before returns, even more tense. You don't speak anymore, though, and when the class is over, and the professor releases everyone after saying that you all would continue the potion preparation in the next class, you practically run out of the dungeons.

Pietro catches up with you already at the door to the Charms classroom.

"Hey, I'm sorry." He says as soon as he arrives, "I had no idea."

"It's okay, Peete." You lie, entering the room with him at your side, and taking the place of one of the chairs at the back. "This has nothing to do with you anyway."

Pietro seems unsure about what to say to make you feel better, and honestly you have no way to help him. You don't understand why Wanda kissed you, much less why Natasha asked her to the prom. And even though you try to pay attention to the lessons, that's basically all you can think about for the next few hours.

//-//-//-//

After lunch, you have Herbology with Ravenclaw.

Unlike Potions, you’re late for this class. Mainly because you’re very distracted with your thoughts and Pietro was busy with wizard chess and lost track of the time as well.

So you two strumble inside the greenhouses a minute after professor Mantis, who gave you a warning look but said nothing as you and Pietro quickly moved to your seats, ignoring the giggles from your classmates.

For the next few minutes, you heard about magical plants that could grow without air and water, but you couldn’t care less.

Then Professor Mantis asked the class to go outside to take care of the Irritable Roots that were big enough to cut, and could be used for potions, and you busy yourself with that.

You’re too distracted with the dirt to notice Pietro moving aside and leaving you alone, and was pretty surprised that your house mate, Carol Danvers, knee down next to you, with a flower that looked like the ones the sixth years were helping grow for the semester.

“This is for you.” She said with a smile, and you blushed hard in both shock and embarrassed, as you mutter a shy thanks, but Carol just kept looking at you with adoration in her gaze. "I wanted to ask you a question."

"Then ask it." You mumble clumsily, deciding to ignore the soft hiss of your fellow Thor, who has noticed the interaction.

"Do you want to go to the dance with me?" She asks still appraising you and you find it too incredible a conciencidence to be true.

"You know, you didn't need the flower in the middle of class for that." You joke making her laugh softly. You swallow dryly before nodding. "I'd love to, Carol."

She smiles, reaching up to take the flower and place it behind your ear, and you smile shyly back, more embarrassed by the attention than anything else.

"I'll pick you up at the door to the communal hall." She says before getting up to go back to her own table.

You barely have time to understand what happened before Pietro is back, holding back a laugh.

"I can't believe you're going to the ball with Carol Danvers." He comments low to you and you ignore the prying eyes to return to your lesson.

"Don't look at me like that, I lost my match." You grumble. "And by the way, the ball is just a dance. I have a right to have fun."

"But with your crush's ex-girlfriend?" Pietro teases and you mumble softly, making him laugh. "Look, Y/N, I love you, but there's not the slightest possibility of this ending well. The least that will happen is an argument, so just remember to call me, I want to record if you get punched."

"Pietro, shut up." You retort annoyed, but he laughs before returning to the lesson.

As you work, you think about the mess you got yourself into. Carol Danvers was in the same grade as you, and in fourth and fifth year, she and Natasha had some sort of romance. You kept your distance while this was going on, which was the period when you were closest to Wanda. When they broke up, whatever was going on, there was tension there, even though everyone treated each other cordially. And now you were going to the ball with Carol.

It didn't have to mean anything if you didn't want to. And that's what you kept repeating to yourself for the rest of the day.

With classes over, you still had a few hours free before dinner, and as you usually did, you joined Pietro on the outside patio, and he was already talking to Wanda.

"You're in trouble." Pietro announced as soon as you reached them, causing you to frown. But you looked in the direction he was looking, and held your breath as you saw Natasha talking to Carol.

"Mind your own business, Pietro." Wanda complained to her brother, but you were really concerned by the way the other girls' conversation seemed on the edge of what could be considered friendly.

And then Carol noticed you looking, and gave you a wink, and you wanted to dig a hole in the ground. Nat said something and turned in the direction where you were standing, her face impassive, but her eyes almost furious.

"Hey, Nat." You greeted clumsily, and swallowed dryly at the way she looked at you.

"Really, Y/N? Carol? Didn't you have someone worse to go with?" She accuses angrily, and you let out an impatient sigh.

"It's just a dance." You grumble. "It's not like we're going to date."

Nat squeezes her eyes shut. "Ah, be sure of that." She says and you raise your eyebrow, but Nat hastens to add. "There's a code of ethics for that. You can't date your friends' exes."

You frown, but Pietro laughs.

"Damn, I think I've broken that rule too many times." He jokes but Wanda rolls her eyes.

"You say a lot for a virgin." She comments and that makes you laugh, while Pietro hums softly. Wanda also looks tense, as much as you and Nat. "We heard she invited you in Herbology class. The whole school talked about it."

"She got a flower and everything." Pietro mocked poking you in the ribs with his elbow, but the comment only seemed to irritate Natasha more, who crossed her arms and sighed, glancing briefly at Carol.

You swallowed dryly, and worked up the courage to ask.

"You don't like her anymore, do you?" The words made Nat's eyes widen slightly and he frowned. "It's just that you seem bothered and..."

"I'm bothered because my friend is going to the prom with my ex-girlfriend." She interrupts with indignation, causing you to shut up. "It's weird to say at least, and I wanted to check with Carol to see if what I heard was true, but she just kept making stupid comments about how ironic it would be if she happened to date you!"

You blink in surprise at this information. "Date me? It's just a dance, Nat. I'm not dating anyone."

"I guess you better let her know that then, because she seems to have high expectations of sleeping with you after the party!"

You frown. "You don't know that." You grumble. "And even if you were right, I'm single. I can sleep with whoever I want.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She retorts angrily. "You really think it's cool to have sex with my ex-girlfriend?"

You sigh impatiently. "I'm not having sex with anyone, I'm just saying that if I want to, I can, and it's none of your business. So stop being jealous and yelling at me because I haven't done anything wrong."

Nat lets out an incredulous laugh at your words. "Jealous? I don't give a shit about who you date, do whatever you want."

You want to pretend that Nat's words don't hurt you, but you can't. The tears fill your eyes as fast and your heart beats, but you don’t cry. You just give Nat a sad smile and tell everyone you’re tired before leaving.

//-//-//-//-//

You’re thin ice with Natasha.

Arguing is better than silence, and you know how much she hates it, so you ignore her.

You’re not even sure about what you’re angry about. Maybe because she didn’t feel the same about you? Maybe you’re just mad about the way she spoke to you.

Nevertheless, you two are not talking. She tried to approach you over the next few days, making casual comments and even mentions of her family' expectations for the end of the year, but while Wanda and Pietro actively participated in the topics, you just listened. And Nat noticed, and oh how she hated it.

You could practically feel the tension growing between you, but if she didn't apologize, you wouldn't do it either.

And with the prom approaching, things seemed to get worse.

You were just about to give up, when everything got even more messy.

The day before the prom, you went out to the great lake with Pietro and your teammates, deciding to practice a little friendly flying. Soon many other students were joining in, and it all turned into an open-air picnic.

At one point, Sam tried to teach you how to catch the golden snitch and after many attempts, you succeeded, but ended up diving into the lake in the process.

Soaking wet, you were in the middle of laughing when someone threw a towel over your shoulders.

You smiled in appreciation at Carol, but she didn't move away, her hands on the towel as she looked at you with eyes gleaming with mischief.

"I'd like to get you wet like this." She spoke not so low, causing you to gasp. Sam burst out laughing, but what you noticed beyond your embarrassment was Natasha looking at the blonde as if she was going to murder her at any moment.

"Really, Danvers? You have some class." You were surprised at Wanda's bitter tone, in fact, you were surprised that she was talking to Carol at all, having stayed neutral to this fight so far.

The blonde giggled, turning her face in the other girl's direction.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Maximoff?"

Carol retorted sarcastically, causing you to frown. Before you could defend Wanda however, Nat was already getting up.

"Watch your tone, Danvers." She warned angrily, pointing a finger at Carol, who just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "In fact, watch how you talk to both of my girls."

You bite your lip. Okay, you are pissed off. But angry Natasha is hot. Calling you her girl is even hotter.

Carol gives a wry laugh. "You always were so possessive, Natty." The blonde comments with a wry smile, "I'm just joking, no need to get angry. And remember, if you want to boss around, get a ring."

Nat locks her jaw at the innuendo, but Carol just waves goodbye to you before walking away to join her group of friends.

And then Wanda is approaching you with a wand in hand, and in a simple spell, she dries your clothes completely.

You smile in appreciation, slightly affected by the way Wanda's eyes look bright at close range before she walks away.

"So, is anyone hungry?" Pietro asks aloud trying to lighten the mood, and you mentally thank him for it.

But Natasha shakes her head, and then assumes a neutral expression again.

"Actually I'm tired, I'll see you guys later at the castle." She announces, and turns to leave. You exchange a glance with Pietro, and he quickly brings up something with Wanda.

You hurry to catch up with Natasha, stopping her just before the castle entrance.

"I'm worried, Nat." You say as soon as she turns to look at you. "I'm worried about us."

She forces a smile. "Don't be. Carol gets on my nerves, but when this dance is over, I won't be angry anymore and we'll be friends again."

You swallow dryly.

"What if I don't want to?" You say and she frowns in confusion. You don't hesitate. "What if I don't want to be just your friend?"

Natasha looks away from your gaze, and you feel your heart shatter.

"Don't do this." She asks softly, and you ignore the urge to cry.

"I have to." You insist by taking a step forward, and Nat takes a deep breath. "I can't hide it anymore. I'm in love-"

"No." She interrupts by placing her hands on your cheeks. "Please don't. You don't know what you're saying."

You sigh, letting the tears flow. "I don't need you to say it back, I just need to say it once."

"I don't want you to say anything, because you don't understand what it means to me." She insists in a whiny voice, and you look at her with confusion. Nat takes a deep breath, lowering her hands to put them in her pockets. "You know what my family is like. You know how my father is. He wouldn't...I could never be with a muggleborn."

You take a step back, shocked by the statement.

"B-but what does that have to do with anything?" You ask confused. "Your father doesn't need to know and..."

Nat gives a wry laugh, quickly wiping away the tears that threaten to fall. "You may be a muggleborn, but you know very well how things work in our world. How long before someone finds out and tells him? How long before he forbids me to see my sister? I can't risk it. I didn't risk it with Carol."

You widen your eyes at the statement, finally understanding why things didn't work out between them. Nat didn't choose Carol, she prioritized keeping their relationship a secret so that her father wouldn't forbid her to see her sister Yelena.

"Is that why you are with Wanda?" You accuse bitterly, causing Nat to assume an incredulous expression. "Because she's a pureblood?"

"I like Wanda." She retorts simply, and you bite the inside of her cheek, "And it's just a dance, we're not dating."

"Did you know she kissed me?"

Nat sighs impatiently. "Everyone knows."

"I was going to ask you to the dance that night." You insist by moving closer again, using your last drop of courage. "And I was going to kiss you if you said yes."

Nat puts a hand on your shoulder to stop you from moving any closer, but her gaze lingers on your mouth before returning to your eyes.

"We can't." She whispers seriously, and you swallow dryly.

"But do you want to?" you whisper back, moving your hand up to her palm extended over your shoulder. "Would you have said yes to me?"

Nat has a tearful expression, and bites her lips before pulling away from your touch. You feel your stomach sink.

"Natasha, answer me." You ask tearfully, but she just swallows dryly, looking away to the floor.

"I can't give you the answer you want." She says simply before turning away, walking out to enter the castle.

You stare at the concrete for many minutes, your tears wetting your shirt, before you decide to go inside too.

//-//-//-//-//-////-////-////-////-////-//

For you age is a number and some of those numbers limit you to certain things but you didn't really care. Whilst joining the Avengers you felt like you fit in immediately, which was a big deal to you.

You absolutely loved missions, people blamed it on you being young and had so much energy but in reality, it was just you being you. You loved kicking ass, especially ass that deserved a good beating.

In a way, you and Natasha shared some similarities, the both of you wanted to save everyone and if anything went bad you partly blame yourself for not acting fast enough, that's why missions with you and Natasha always went smoothly.

That didn't go unnoticed by the redhead, she took an interest in you when she noticed how dedicated you were to everything you put your mind to. In a way it reminded her of herself and she knew she wanted to know more about you.

She wasn't much of a open person so she tried her best when it came to you, at first you were intimidated by the Russian but the more you spent your time around the team, the more you saw her relax, she would invite you to movie night when it was only her and Wanda and even went out of the way to train you which you took without hesitation.

Each training session was Natasha flooring you and you being distracted by her, your mind seems to be somewhere else but you were able to hide it around her. Just because you were distracted didn't mean you didn't get better, you could easily floor Bucky if you really tried which was a success for you.

Natasha took it upon herself to teach you a lot of things and how they were done, causing you to develop this feeling of always wanting to be around her.

The more you spend time with Natasha the stronger your feelings have gotten, to the point where the want to kiss her turned into the need. You wanted to distant yourself from her but you just couldn't, her smile, her laugh and the way she would gently touch you whenever she laughed so hard.

It wasn't possible for you to even distant yourself so you decided to face your fears of rejection which was new to you as you were always confident, but confessing your love to someone that could possible consider you as their child made you nervous and scared.

Taking a big breath, you knocked on her door and when she answered, you couldn't move as if you froze right there, causing the redhead to get up and open the door.

There she stood, in shorts, hair loose and a shirt "Are you okay?"

You nodded "Yeah... Can we talk?"

She eyed you first, trying to somehow read of you why you wanted to talk, she moved to the side to let you in, closing her door and facing you "What did you want to talk about?"

You gulped as she finally faced you, you knew this could go two ways, the rejection way or the okay way "I have something to confess to you"

She narrowed her eyes "Did you find someone else to watch movies with?"

You let out a nervous laugh and shook your head "No, no one can replace you"

She smiled proudly at your words "Well then what's this confession?"

You took a deep breath as your eyes locked with hers "I like you"

This time Natasha froze at your words and you stared at her terrified of her next words but there was no words coming from her causing panic to erupt from you.

"It's fine if you don't, I-I just felt like it would be best to tell you rather than distancing myself. You might like people your age and not like age gaps which is fine! I on the other hand don't mind age gap-"

She melted at the sight of you panicking, the way you ranted at the thought of Natasha not feeling the same, what she did next was surprising to you on so many levels.

She wasn't far from you, so she took couple steps which you didn't notice as you were rumbling, she grabbed your face and pulled it towards hers, your lips met hers.

Your body went into shock but the movement of her lips against yours pulled you out and you matched her lips pace, you were melting at her soft lips so when she pulled away, your eyes were still closed with minimum shock coursing through your body.

She laughed slightly which caused you to open your eyes "Found an easy way to shut you up"

You smiled "Does that mean you like me back?"

She nodded as she moved her hands from your face to your neck and your hands found it's way to her hips, pulling her closer "I'll need you to say it"

She rolled her eyes playfully "I like you too Y/n"

Your smile never disappeared as she continued "I don't care about the age gap either, I just care about the person you are"

She opened her mouth to say something but you kissed her this time, she smiled against the kiss and when you pulled away, you rested your forehead against hers, allowing the moment to sink into you.

And that's how you started to date Natasha, the people who the two of you decided to tell were more than accepting of your relationship which was important to you.

Some say you have a secret relationship but for you and Natasha only important people knew and that was enough.. Or well that's what you thought.

Natasha has never been a jealous type of person but when it came to you, some doubts have resurface, she never wanted to voice it to you but she always wanted to just shout from the roof tops that she loves you and that are you are hers.

But when you wanted to just tell close people, she respected you and decided to go along with it, even if it was harder to do so, she had to do it for you.

There were so many people always staring at you, trying to get your attention, flirting with you but you never cared because you had your eyes on Natasha and Natasha only.

You thought telling close people would be best to not cause trouble for the Russian, especially since you are younger this could cause conflict and you didn't want that.

There was some miscommunication between the two of you that neither knew about, causing doubt jealousy and worry. When the two of you were alone, everything was fine but as soon as you stepped out into crowds, all Natasha wanted to do was kiss you so hard that your head spins and mark you in front of everyone as hers.

Today the two of you planned to spend your whole day together, not leaving each others company and just spend this time watching any shows that you needed to catch up on but things changed untorturable for the both.

You had your head resting on Natasha's chest as she played with your hair, you couldn't concentrate on the movie but how Natasha's fingers felt in your hair, the way she would curl your hair in her finger, letting shivers run down your spine.

Natasha on the other hand was focused on the movie that was playing, she didn't even notice the effect she had on you just by her fingers burying themselves into your hair.

You couldn't hold yourself back anymore, you moved your face more into her neck and when the Russian's attention was back on the TV, you attached your lips to her neck, working your way up to her sweet spot and sucking on it lightly.

Her attention shifted as quickly as it was on the TV "What are you doing?" Her voice was mere whisper as her eyes closed at the feeling of your lips against her soft neck.

You kissed up to her ear, slowly making sure to tease her just enough and whispered "I want you Natty"

Her eyes opened at your words, you always knew how to turn her on with just couple of words, she didn't waste anymore time as she straddled your hips and pinned your hands to either side of your head.

You had a slight grin across your lips as her eyes were consumed with lust "What do you want Y/n/n?"

The way her voice lowered when she asked you the question, you knew it was working so you smirked as you stared into her eyes "I want you to fuck me Natty"

That's all she needed, she smashed her lips against yours as her hands started to wondered over your body, trying to get underneath your shirt just to feel your skin against hers, letting your hands free getting tangled in her hair, pulling her even closer.

You moaned at the contact of her slightly cold hand against your stomach, which she used as an opportunity to stick her tongue to explore your mouth more.

As the kiss started to get more heated with you practically pulling off Natasha's shirt, but you were interrupted "Agent Romanoff, Everyone has been requested to Tony Stark's party tonight"

The advanced AI spoke, making the both of you jump, your breathing was heavy as Natasha muttered "We can skip.."

"Tony said no skipping as according to Mr Stark 'It's very important' that the whole team shows up" The AI spoke up again and this time leaving silence behind.

You sighed as you looked at Natasha's still closed eyes who was breathing heavily "We need to get ready.."

She shook her head as she reattached her lips to your neck "We have time, we can squeeze this in"

You bit your lip to suppress a moan, not wanting to fuel Natasha on, you gently pushed her "I take long to get ready and we still need to shower Tasha"

She groaned as she unglued herself from your neck, looking into your eyes this time "Why does this happen in moments like this.."

Your hands moved the hair our of Natasha's face, holding it in place to have a better view on her face "Lucky isn't on our side today"

You kissed her but she tried to deepen the kiss again, only for you to pull away "Natasha..."

Her hand travelled up and down your body, in places that only she knew would make you melt right underneath her, she remembered every little detail about your body which only made this more difficult to stop.

You were already melting but you knew that there were more important things to attend, so you flipped her so now she was below you, you smiled at her and pecked her lips as you gotten up, earning a groan from the Russian.

"You're starting to act like a grandma, get up and get ready"

She raised her head to look at you with her brows raised "I'm not a grandma!"

You chuckled at her defence "Well then get ready and meet me in my room"

She sighed as you walked out, heading to your room to get ready. By the time you finished showering, Natasha was already ready, she was just waiting until you gotten dressed so the both of you can walk to the party.

Dressing was the easy and the fastest for you, you were dressed as soon as you walked out of the bathroom, all you needed was Natasha to zip you up, which she did. You stood in front of the mirror with the redhead behind you.

"You look красивая (beautiful)" You always loved when Natasha spoke Russian to you, there was something about how it rolled off her tongue with ease that fascinated you.

"Ну ты выглядишь потрясающе (Well you look stunning)" You spoke as you turned around to face her.

She raised her eyebrows at you with shock "Since when do you speak Russian?"

You shrugged with a smile across your lips "I might've been taking lessons on the down low"

She smiled widely at you, she knew that it will be her favourite thing to hear now, the way it sounded made her stomach do flips just at the thought of you speaking Russian again.

She leaned down and planted a kiss, resting her forehead against yours, staring into your eyes, in this moment she wanted to tell you how much she loved you but it was stopping her.

Her doubt and fear was stopping her, she was afraid that you would leave her eventually for someone better than her, so she supressed those words as she pulled away "Let's go"

You forced a smile across your face as you linked your arm with hers and walked out of your room. When you gotten to the roof top, you parted away from Natasha and walked towards the team as they complimented you and were practically drooling.

Natasha hated that, she hated how much they drooled over you. She was jealous of the attention you were getting, she was jealous of how they looked at you; As an opportunity to snatch you away from her.

She always avoided confrontation about her feelings, being afraid it would only drive you away, Natasha has been in relationships before but they never worked out, especially when she raised her concerns they called her crazy and things started to only go down hill from there.

She didn't want that, she would rather suffer in silence than lose you and watch you be happy with someone else. People say love is blinding, because it really is, she never managed to notice the things you would do for her.

Of course she noticed but she never really understood why, she was never treated with the same respect and concern as you were treating her. She loved that you tried to always act like you were older which she didn't mind, she just loved watching you try.

For you on the other hand, you felt like you would never be enough for the redhead, being a lot younger than her could cause some doubts in you as well.

She was a lot more mature and understood life a lot more better than you did, she went through much more than you and you were terrified you would never be as close to what she experience.

But even if you were scared, you always tried to catch it up with something, like learning more Russian to understand Natasha's past better, to someone it might seem small but to you it meant everything.

As you were amongst everyone, Bucky was really close to you, he placed his hand on your hip which Natasha observed from the bar and each time the grip on the glass she was drinking from tighten.

Clint made his way towards the Russian with caution as he looked in the way she was looking "What's making you want to strangle this glass Romanoff?"

She sighed as she let go of the glass and looked at Clint "I'm not sure what you are talking about"

He rolled his eyes "You can try fooling others but I know you" He looked towards you and how Bucky had his hand on your hip to pull you closer into him "Where is the Natasha who would've made her way towards him and nearly kill him on spot?"

She shrugged as she looked back at her glass to take a sip of whatever she was able to pour from the bar "Drowning in alcohol"

He laughed "Y/n changed you so much"

She looked at him as she narrowed her eyes which stopped his laughed "Okay, maybe not"

She sighed again "I just don't want to cause trouble"

He eyed her and then the situation you were in as he leaned on the bar "From what I can see, he is just holding her if he did anything Y/n didn't like, she would've pushed him away"

"That's not the issue here, its the fact that everyone wants her" Natasha finally huffed in annoyance.

"Why haven't you told everyone you're dating her?" He asked as he kept his eyes on you.

Natasha leaned back into her hand "I don't know if that's something she wants"

He looked at Natasha with brows raised "You didn't talk to her about this?"

Natasha shook her head to answer Clint "Why not?"

"I don't want to ruin this, you know my relationships always ended up in the trash" Natasha mumbled as she took a drink.

He shook his head at her "Y/n is different, you should talk to her Nat"

As time went on, you have shifted around the place, more people came to talk to you and you were having an okay time, you wanted Natasha to be by your side but she was just sitting by the bar.

You saw Wanda talking to Tony which you took as an opportunity to approach her, she was your best friend and you trusted her with your whole life unlike some people here.

"Wands, hey!" You greeted her as she pulled you into a hug when her eyes landed on you.

"Excuse me, I will go get something to drink" Tony excused himself as he made his way towards the bar.

"Y/n how are you?" She asked with a smile across her face.

"I'm okay but I wanted to ask you for a small favour.." You showed her with your fingers how small the favour was but she knew you well enough to expect something big.

Her smile dropped as she narrowed her eyes "What is it you want?"

You dramatically scoffed "Uh! It's nothing bad!"

"I just wanted you to read Natasha's mind and tell me why she is so upset"

Wanda's mouth hang open as she stared at you "Why don't you talk to her?"

"I know she won't tell me, I just want to know so I know how to fix whatever is upsetting her.."

"Pleaseee Wands" You begged her which usually worked on Wanda whenever you needed her help.

She sighed as she pitched her nose "Only this time Y/n"

You squeaked as you threw yourself at Wanda "Thank you thank you, I own you one"

"Okay okay, I need to breath" She spoke up as her voice changed a little from the squeeze you were giving her.

You let go of her as you closely watch her do her thing, it took seconds for her to come back as she stared at you blankly "What did you read?"

She shook her head "You two are so oblivious. She is jealous Y/n"

You knitted your brows together at Wanda's words "Why would she be jealous?"

"Because she has to watch as everyone flirts with you and she can't do anything about it" She spilled as you looked at you and rolled her eyes at your obliviousness.

She walked away from you when she noticed that you were trying to understand what she just said, you turned your body towards the bar as you started to make your way towards Natasha but you were stopped by Carol.

"Y/n! There you are, I was looking for you" She smiled from ear to ear.

"I actually need to talk to someone-" You tried to get out of her grasp but it was failed.

"You can do that after a game of spin the bottle!" She excitedly spoke to you as she dragged you towards where the team was gathering.

"Spin the bottle? We are teenagers again?" You laughed as you saw everyone gather around the bottle.

Natasha was dragged by Clint to at least be apart of something instead of sitting by the bar. Whenever it was your turn to kiss someone, the bottle either faced nothing or yourself.

You turned around with your back to the team as you hugged yourself and started to pretend to kiss yourself, making the team laugh, even Natasha cracked a smile at your act.

You turned back as you stared at the bottle "Okay, someone else try this because I feel like this bottle doesn't want me to kiss anyone"

Bucky laughed as he placed his hand on your shoulder "Okay, Carol you can go now"

She nodded as she bend down and span the bottle, it landed on Bruce, they both laughed and kissed and then returned to their places.

Bruce span the bottle as everyone watched carefully, it was close to landing on you but it landed on Bucky instead, you looked at Bucky with a laughter and he just rolled his eyes at you, they pecked each other lips as they both pulled a funny face after.

Bucky smirked as he bend down and span the bottle "Maybe you'll be lucky enough to land a kiss today Y/n"

You chuckled as you shook your head "That's not lucky, that's the opposite Bucky"

Natasha looked down as she smirked, she wanted to walk over to you and just kiss you for just saying that but she couldn't, you looked over at Natasha and saw the smirk which caused a small smile to spread across your lips.

The bottle landed on Thor who was next to him, you had a smug smile across your lips "See Bucky! You were lucky enough to earn a kiss from the god of thunder"

Everyone laughed, they kissed and it repeated until it was Steve's turn, he span the bottle as he watched the bottle spin, it landed on Natasha, you suppressed the feeling of doubt as you watched Steve make his way towards Natasha.

Everyone knew they had something between them and that included you to know as well, you wanted to stop them but it was as if something was stopping you.

Steve had a smirk across his lips "I think we are meant to be Romanoff"

Natasha was speechless, he leaned down and her eyes darted to you, the way you stared at them and before she could move, he kissed her. You cleared your throat as you looked anywhere but at the sight of your girlfriend being kissed by her ex.

He moved away from her and walked back to his place with a smug smile, he eyed every guy standing not really thinking Natasha could be into girls as well.

She wiped her mouth as she bend down and span the bottle, you watched the bottle and when it landed on Steve again, you excused yourself to the bathroom.

Even if it was a game and the kissing probably didn't mean anything to the Russian, it hurt you to watch Steve think he finally claimed Natasha. You expected Natasha to follow you but she didn't, so you took a deep breath, fix the makeup that ran down your face and walked back out there.

They weren't playing the game anymore as they scattered all over the party, so you made your way towards the bar, getting 2 shots and drinking them in one go without anything to chase it after.

You cleared your throat as you watched Natasha force a smile on her beautiful lips as Steve flirted with her, you knew how she felt and you weren't going to let this go on like this.

You ordered another shot for courage, you definitely needed it and watched as Steve pulled the redhead into him like she was his, you narrowed your eyes which was filled with determination as you marched over to him.

You cleared your throat which caused Steve to look over at you "Sorry Y/n but I'm not available right now" He looked back at Natasha with a smile.

You crossed your arms "Actually, I was going to tell you to drop your hands of Natasha"

He looked back at you with annoyance "Why?"

This caused the team's attention to be shifted towards the scene, Wanda smiled as she watch you finally do something about this miscommunication between you and Natasha.

"Could you step away so I can show you?" You asked him calmly as he dropped his hands from Natasha and took a step back.

You watched him before taking a deep breath and shifting your attention to the woman you love "What are you doing Y/n/n?"

"Y/n/n?" Steve questioned but was ignored as you sadly smiled at Natasha.

"What I should've done in the first place.."

Natasha was going to question you but you were faster, you took a step forward as you pulled her into you, just like you done many times before, and smashed your lips against hers, it was a gentle kiss something that happened often between the two of you.

Steve raised his brows at what was in front of him, Clint had a smirk across his lips and Wanda cheered you on as the rest just stood there shocked.

You pulled away as you looked over at Steve "Why Steve? Because Natasha is my girlfriend"

The redhead's eyes widen at your words as she had a smile across her lips, he backed away with his hands up and nodded as he walked away not wanting to argue.

You looked back at Natasha "I'm sorry Natty"

She was going to protest against your apology but you continued "I should've spoke with you about this decision before making one for the both of us. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or cause trouble with the team"

Natasha shook her head "I'm sorry as well детка (baby) I didn't speak up about what I felt either, and you would never make me uncomfortable, I have the best time with you by my side"

You smiled at her words as you placed a little kiss on her lips, whilst everyone around you made cute sounds at the scene before them, you turned your head to look at them with practically tears in their eyes.

Natasha giggled quietly as she rested her head against the side of yours since your face was turned and she whispered "Plus you looked so hot when you get jealous"

You chuckled at her words as you felt the courage wear off but still having enough to say what you finally wanted to. You pulled away from her as you stared into her eyes, swallowing the fear down as she still had a smile spread across her lips.

"I love you Talia" You spilled it out as you had a glimpse of fear in your eyes.

This only fuel her smile to spread more widely at your words "I love you too Y/n/n"

She kissed you as you let out a sigh of relief and smiled at the touch of her lips, with everyone cheering it was only her to could feel and hear. Your heart beating one hundred miles per hour as she confirmed she felt the same, proving that no matter how old the both of you are, she still was just as afraid as you were....

⸻⸻⋙☸⋘⸻⸻

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You walk down the street at a slow pace, your hand firmly pressed against the side of your body in an attempt to stop the gunshot wound from bleeding.

You walk with your head down, trying to draw as little attention as possible, and when you get to the front door of Aunt May's Boarding House, you quickly enter.

"Getting in trouble at this time in the morning, (Y/n)?" You hear the female voice say as you close the door, and a playful smirk takes over your lips. When you turn around and see the woman's eyebrows raised in disapproval, your smile widens.

"It's Friday, May, I'd say I'm late." You retort in a taunting tone and the woman shakes her head rebukingly. As you approach the counter, moving toward the large opening covered by a heavy blue curtain, you see May press a discreet button below the counter.

"Is Nat around?" You ask aloud as you walk to the inside of the pantry, shelves full of food arranged against all the walls. "Yes, she is, and she's not gonna like seeing you like that at all." You hear May's response coming from the entrance of the guesthouse and you chuckle lightly.

As soon as you stop facing the last shelf, leaning against the back of the pantry, it moves to the right, revealing a discreet door behind it. You walk through the door, and as soon as you close it behind you, you can hear the mechanisms working on the other side, putting the shelf back into place.

You walk down the few steps, the yellowish light of the large, cozy, whimsically decorated room only enhancing the contrast between the Avengers' headquarters and the rest of the boarding house. The few members sitting on some of the couches in the room raise their eyes curiously at you, but soon return to their previous activities.

The Avengers is one of the main criminal organizations in New York City. Relying on drug trafficking, the Avengers dominate much of the city and have a motto to "correct police procedures", to give criminals the treatment they actually deserve. Avenge, as it should be.

You still remember as if it were yesterday the day you joined the mafia. After spending the first years of your life in an orphanage, you realized that you were much better off on your own, or at least away from that bunch of purposeless people.

On the run, you began to live on the streets, stealing and doing small jobs that were required of you. In one of them, you were chased and cornered by two policemen in a cul-de-sac. Before the cops could arrest you, however, two gunshots are heard, and the two men fall to the ground soon after.

You watch with ragged breath as a person approaches. The stranger removes the hat, revealing long blond hair. The woman smiles at you, a mixture of curiosity and satisfaction on her face. When she tilts her head, motioning for you to follow her, you do so.

And so the woman, whom you soon discover is Carol Danvers, teaches you everything you know now. As leader of the Avengers, Carol makes you a member of the mob, and it's not long before you become her right-hand person.

But Carol has become much more than your boss, she has become your family. Just as the Avengers were not just your mob, they were your home.

So, with a small smile on your face, you finish walking down the steps. But before you can take another step, a voice that you know well approaches you.

"(Y/n)! What happened?!" The redhead asks worriedly, pulling the side of your suit jacket aside and exposing the blood-stained shirt. "Hey, Nat." You greet casually. "Let's just say I got an unpleasant surprise." You comment with a sly smirk, but Nat is not smiling when she raises her eyes to yours.

"Was it one of the Guardians?" She asks as she guides you into Banner's office and you accept the support she gives you, grateful.

The Guardians are the other major mafia in New York City. Like the Avengers, the Guardians were strong in the drug dealing business. But unlike you, their motto was to protect minorities, especially immigrants, against the injustices of the State.

But the truth is that it is common knowledge among the Avengers that the Guardians would defend their own, regardless of whether they were being unfair or not. While the Guardians would stand firmly against the methods of your mob. You admit, once the Avengers get their hands on some criminal, it's no walk in the park. But everyone gets what they deserve, and that's the way it has to be.

And so the divergence of belief combined with the market rivalry causes the tension between the two groups to grow exponentially, on the verge of exploding. But after many conflicts and irreparable losses, Carol and Erik Lehnsherr, the leader of the Guardians, establish a truce, dividing the territory of the city and setting boundaries for the two mafias.

After that the situation improved, there were no more conflicts, despite some isolated incidents, and the two mobs began to settle down in peace. But tension was still in the air at every moment.

"No, it was just a cop." You casually reply, but the worried expression on Nat's face immediately turns into one of astonishment.

"A cop?!" She asks in shock and you just nod. "Did he see your face?" She asks just as you reach the wooden door. A simple door, with only the words "Dr. Banner" on a metal sign attached to it.

"Of course he did." You answer and Nat frowns at you. "But it was also the last thing he saw." You complete with a smug smile on your face and the redhead rolls her eyes.

As you enter the office, Bruce approaches you with his characteristic calm demeanor. You greet him briefly and he greets you back. As you remove your suit jacket and unbutton your shirt, Nat looks at you with disapproving eyes.

"The Captain is not gonna like this at all." The redhead comments, crossing her arms, and you sit down on the stretcher, pushing your arm away and making room for Banner to treat your wound. "And she's already not in a good mood today." Nat completes, and your relaxed expression falters.

"What happened?" You ask, and the uncomfortable posture Nat assumes makes you frown. "They found another one." She informs and you immediately clench your jaw.

For a few weeks now some members of the Avengers have been found dead out there. There are no marks or warnings, and there doesn't seem to be a pattern between the murders either. But it's impossible not to believe that this is the Guardians' doing.

"Who was it this time?" You ask, apprehensive, and you notice sadness briefly taking over Nat's expressions. "Clint Barton." She says and you close your eyes, taking a deep breath.

Barton and Nat joined the Avengers around the same time, and although you were never really close to the man, you know that Nat and Clint were. "I'm sorry, Nat." You offer your condolences, but Nat just gives you a small, sad smile, shrugging.

"Did you do what I asked?" She asks, clearly trying to change the subject, and you nod, deciding to do so. "Package delivered." You announce, reaching out and picking up your suit jacket thrown over the stretcher. Banner grumbles for you not to move, but you don't listen to him.

"Here's the payment." You say, taking the brown paper envelope and handing it to Nat. The redhead takes the package and tears it open, counting the bills afterwards. When she holds out some of them to you, you frown. "What's this?" You ask, and she smiles.

"Your share, to return the favor." She explains, waving the money for you to take. "Well, you know me, I'm not refusing money." You joke, taking the money and putting it in your pants pocket, but soon your relaxed expression is replaced by a grimace of pain. "Ouch!"

"Sorry, (Y/n), but I warned you not to move." Banner says in an apologetic tone and you grumble in response. Nat laughs through her nose at the interaction, but soon assumes a serious posture again.

"You better go see the Captain when you're done." She says, her voice stern, and when you nod in agreement, she leaves.

-----

"Good morning, Captain." You greet, entering Carol's office. The room, like the rest of the Avengers' hideout, is lit by a yellowish light, and the elegant furniture gives the room an air of power that perfectly matches the blonde's style.

"What did you do?" Carol asks bluntly, without even raising her eyes from the papers in her hands. As she remains seated at the imposing wooden table, you approach, your hands in your pockets and a relaxed posture. You chuckle hoarsely. "What-"

"You only call me Captain when you've fucked up." She interrupts you, finally raising her eyes to you, her eyebrows raised defiantly. "What did you do?" She repeats the question and you huff, throwing yourself into the leather armchair in front of her desk. "I killed a cop."

"You did what?" She says immediately, her voice slightly altered by shock and irritation. Carol throws the papers on the table, running her hands through her hair afterwards, and you look away. "(Y/n), we can't have that kinda thing right now, we-."

"I know!" you interrupt, equally annoyed. Carol locks her eyes on yours, and you hold her gaze. But then you huff. "I know, okay?" you repeat, your voice gentler now, but Carol's expression doesn't soften. "But he shot me first, what else could I do?"

"He shot you? Are you okay?" Carol asks, her expression of irritation being immediately replaced by one of concern, and you let out a reassuring chuckle. "Yeah I'm fine. It just grazed me anyway." You reply, and then the blonde's expression turns serious again.

"Good, because I'll need you tomorrow night." She informs and you frown in curiosity, settling back in your chair. "What's the job?" You ask, assuming a committed posture, completely different from your usual debauched one. "Anthony Stark." Carol informs with a smirk and you widen your eyes.

Anthony Stark is one of the biggest billionaires in the country, if not in the world. Owner of Stark Industries, Stark is the leading name in the arms trade. His monopoly, however, has been threatened in recent years by Justin Hammer. And that's exactly what this is about.

Hammer Industries has been growing significantly in the market, beating Stark Industries to the punch. However, the extra years of business and the undeniable quality of the Stark products means that Hammer Industries has fallen by the wayside.

In Anthony Stark's own words, Hammer has been spreading slander about Stark Industries as a way to elevate himself in business. Which is working, apparently, since Stark wants Hammer out of the picture.

The plan is simple, really, nothing you haven't done before. But when Carol tells you the street where the hotel Justin Hammer is staying in is located, you frown.

"Oh, oh, easy there." You interrupt Carol's long monologue, but the woman doesn't seem bothered. In fact, she watches you intently. "Crown Lane? That's Guardian territory." You say, apprehension evident in your voice and Carol nods, the same apprehension evident in her knitted eyebrows.

"I know but the pay is too high to turn down." She informs, but you just stare at her, unconvinced. "Besides, Stark already gave some of the payment and it wasn't in cash." She adds, a hint of excitement in her voice, and you frown.

"What do you mean?" you ask, curious. "Go talk to Wilson later." Carol just says, a smirk playing on her lips and you grin. Wade Wilson is the guy responsible for taking care of the armaments in the Avengers gang. You can't wait to take a look at the toys Stark gave you.

You ponder for a few moments, taking in the information the Captain has just given you and wondering about the details of how to accomplish the job. The blonde watches you with expectant eyes, but remains silent. Then you nod, and raise your eyes to hers.

"And who's going?" You ask, and Carol shrugs. "Only a few. You, Romanoff and Barnes." You nod again, pleased with your team. "Got it. Anything else I need to know?"" you ask and Carol smiles before answering. "Natasha is in charge."

"What?" You ask immediately, a disgruntled grimace on your face, but the Captain's expression doesn't falter. "Is this because of the cop thing? I don't need to be grounded, Carol, I'm not a child anymore." You complain, and the blonde leans back in the armchair, crossing her arms.

"Well, then you should stop acting like one." She replies, and you chuckle hoarsely, shaking your head in disapproval and getting up from your chair. You say goodbye to Carol and walk to the door, but as soon as your fingers meet the knob, you hear the blonde's voice again.

"(Y/n)." You turn to look at her, and the apprehensive expression on her face gives you a chill in your stomach. "No more casualties." She says, a plea disguised as an order, and you nod in agreement before leaving.

-----

Later that day, you decide to prepare for the next night's service in the best possible way: by going out for a drink.

Walking into the nightclub, you smile as the jazz music fills your ears. While you make your way to the bar, you watch the people dancing. You unbutton your suit jacket as you sit down on the stool, and order a whiskey from the bartender with a friendly smile.

It doesn't take long for your drink to be brought to you, and you take a sip of it as you look around. You exchange glances with a few young women during the evening, but none of them catch your eye enough to make you stand up and go talk to them. Until one does.

In the opposite corner of the bar, you see a woman with red hair sitting elegantly on one of the stools. She talks without much interest to a man who does not hold your attention enough for you to memorize any of his characteristics. Even with the distance, you can notice the redhead's emerald green eyes, and you're sure that she is the most gorgeous woman you've ever seen.

You call the bartender over again and ask him to get the unknown woman a martini. You swing your leg anxiously in anticipation, and as soon as you see the man approach the redhead with the drink in his hands, you look away.

When you look over there again, you frown as you see that the woman has disappeared and soon begin to search the crowd for her, but are unsuccessful in finding her.

"My Dad told me not to accept things from strangers." A female voice sounds from behind you, and the sound makes your skin shiver. But you turn around on the stool with a casual smile on your face. When you find yourself face to face with the unknown woman, you hold your breath and have to control yourself not to get lost in the redhead's beauty.

"I can stop being a stranger if you want. I guarantee you won't regret it." You flirt with a confident smirk. The redhead smiles back, but doesn't seem at all impressed by your comment. "Very bold of you." She teases and you giggle.

"One of my many qualities, yes." You retort and the woman tilts her head slightly, watching you intently. "I don't think I'd say boldness is a quality." She comments and you frown briefly, the smirk never leaving your lips. "And why's that?"

"Boldness makes you reckless. Recklessness gets you in trouble." She argues and you nod slowly. "Interesting point of view..." You drag out the last word, in an attempt to get her to say her name. But in response, the woman just raises her eyebrows in defiance, a small amused smile playing on her lips. You let out a husky chuckle.

"May I know your name?" You ask finally and the redhead's smile widens. "Why would I tell you my name? I haven't even decided if you're worth my time." She replies, making you laugh once again. It's amazing how you feel more and more intrigued by this woman, more and more eager to get to know her.

"I can prove to you I am." You retort, a mischievous smirk on your lips as you do so. The redhead watches you for a few seconds, her green eyes locked on yours, and you hold her gaze defiantly.

A moment later you see the shadow of a smile pass across the woman's lips, and then she walks away. You watch her for a few moments, wondering if she wants you to follow her, and when she glances back, her eyes briefly meeting yours, you stand up with a grin.

The redhead leads you through the salon and with each step you take you feel your body being consumed with anticipation. You then come to a dimly lit corridor and soon the woman enters one of the doors.

You enter the same place, and the dim light prevents you from immediately recognizing that it is a bathroom. You walk through the empty space, looking for the unknown woman, and soon hands pull you into one of the booths.

Before you can react, the redhead is kissing you and you sigh. The kiss is sweet and her lips are soft against yours. The gin taste of her tongue against yours makes your head spin and then you press her against the wall of the booth.

You allow your hands to travel down the redhead's body and the sounds coming from her mouth only confirm that she is more than willing to allow you to do so.

Some time later you are both sweaty, and the sounds and sensations shared in that booth have made you feel electrified.

"Was it worth your time?" You tease breathlessly, and the stranger looks at you with rosy cheeks and trying to regain the rhythm of her breathing. "I'm still deciding." She retorts teasingly and you smile, shaking your head at the redhead's enticement. Before you can retort, however, she is speaking again. "Wanna try something fun?"

Her voice sounds low and suggestive, making your stomach turn anxiously. You nod and the redhead smirks mischievously, kissing you again. She moves her hands down to your tie, pulling it away from your neck, and you give her waist a squeeze.

The redhead pulls her face away from yours, and before you can ask, she wraps the tie around your face, blindfolding you. You let out an anxious giggle as the redhead ties the item behind your head.

"No peeking." She whispers against your ear, and every hair on your body stands on end in response. She kisses you again, and her tongue meets yours slowly and sensually, making you weak in the knees.

The redhead pulls away from you, and you take a deep breath to contain your anxiety. But then nothing happens. And nothing happens for a suspiciously long time. Then you frown and untie your tie.

Being able to see again, you find yourself alone in the cabin. It takes only a few seconds for you to understand what is going on.

You run out of the empty restroom and return to the saloon, looking everywhere for the mysterious redhead. With no sign of her, you leave the establishment, but all you see is the dark, empty street.

Giving a hoarse laugh, you shake your head and walk back inside the nightclub.

Chapter 2

you were very happy when pepper said she had gotten you a dog. except it wasn’t really living, breathing, furry animal you had anticipated. instead it was a robot that stark had created.

“at least this way you don’t have to worry about taking care of the mutt.” pepper shrugged. of course, she didn’t get you a real dog. she didn’t want to risk a dog shedding in her multi million dollar penthouse.

whenever she was away, the dog was on high alert. it made sure no one came near you unless they were there to serve you in some way.

you came to find out that although the dog may have not been real, it enjoyed your affection so you found yourself warming up to it. especially because you were now allowed to leave on your own as long as it accompanied you everywhere you went.

you had an appointment scheduled for today, but bruce was at home sick. you’d been put with dr. potts for the day. bruce knew her, so she must’ve been good at her job.

when you arrived at the doctor’s office, you noticed there weren’t many people around. it was probably just a slow day. once it was your turn, one of the receptionists led you to an exam room that was isolated in comparison to the one bruce would usually see you in.

thinking nothing of it, you stuck around and waited. it was long until a friendly looking blonde woman in a doctor’s coat joined you.

she was touchier than the doctors you had been around in the past, but maybe she was just trying to make you comfortable. while you hated needles, you were due for a flu shot and you weren’t going to throw a fit and tell her you didn’t want one.