known informally as asperatus clouds, this atmospheric phenomenon gets its name from the latin aspero, which roman poets used to describe the sea as it was roughened by the cold north wind.
though the cause of their formation remains unknown, it is likely that the undulating and lumpy underside is a result of warmer, moister air from above and colder, dryer air from below meeting at the boundary between the lower and middle atmosphere.
when high level wind passes over rolling terrain, you get the same wavy effect as on the surface of water. but despite their ominous appearance, asperatus clouds tend to dissipate without a storm forming.
photos by (click pic) ken prior and allan gathman in perthshire, scotland; bryan and cherry alexander in qaanaaq, greenland; ti cranium in ohio; robert lurie in cape town, south africa; witta priester in new zealand; jesse klein in wisconsin
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 4/? Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wanda Maximoff/OC, Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov Characters: Original Characters, Wanda Maximoff, Vision (Marvel), Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Tony Stark, Pietro Maximoff Additional Tags: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), wlw, Bisexual Female Character Summary: A/N: This is a work with an Original Character. The first few chapters take place during AoU, and the rest of the fic is the events following up until Wandavision. This is mostly for me, but drop a comment if you enjoy it! I like validation.
The sight of your ceiling etched itself permanently in your mind because that was all you were capable of doing. Staring at the ceiling. Wasting away. The concept was much more appealing than the decision that awaited you when the sun rose over the horizon.
Regardless of what you did you’d be breaking the heart of someone you loved. You had to face that.
Your own heart be damned. You’d break yourself a hundred times over if you believed for even a second that it would spare them.
Except you knew it wouldn’t. You knew that even not making a decision would be making a decision. Your heart thudded anxiously against your sternum at the thought, the deafening sound ringing in your ears.
The words they’d both said playing over and over in your mind. Every touch… every kiss.
All of it spinning rapidly in your mind until you were sure that no other thoughts would ever be capable of existing there ever again.
__________________
It had been twenty-four hours since you slept, give or take, and it took everything within yourself to drag your body out of bed and into the shower as a last-ditch attempt of clearing your mind.
It didn’t work. Of course, it didn’t.
Why would it?
After getting dressed, you took a deep, calming breath hoping that even for just one second the world would stop spinning and you would be able to focus your thoughts.
Again, it didn’t work.
Without thinking, you grabbed your keys and left the seclusion of your home. You needed to do something, not just wallow in your own agony and hope the answers would appear out of thin air. They deserved more than that. They deserved effort.
When you arrived at your destination, your hands trembled with each step you took up the familiar path. You clenched them into fist just for the sake of eliminating the issue.
Everything was amplified as you willed your hand to raise and knock on the door. The knock against the door reverberated through your sleep deprived mind. When the door swung open and your eyes met hers, you felt the tension drain from your shoulders. Even if it was just a bit.
“Wanda.” You breathed out, leaning into her automatically, sighing contently when her arms wrapped tightly around you.
You could vaguely feel her pull you into her apartment. “Y/n, you look exhausted. Did you sleep at all?”
Shutting your eyes, you hummed against her shoulder. “What time is it?” You asked dazedly.
“8 am.” She replied wearily.
Her fingers soothingly running through your hair almost lulled you to sleep until you heard her call your name again. “Oh. Right. No, I didn’t.”
The feeling of her gentle touch on your cheeks forced your eyes open again as you met her worried eyes. Those gentle eyes that you’d come to live for. “Moya lyubov’. You need to sleep. Come with me.”
Every movement felt disconnected from your body as the lack of sleep finally caught up to you. Wanda gently guided you over to the bed you had spent dozens of nights comfortably tucked into. The feeling heaven sent as she pulled the comforter over your shoulders.
You felt cared for. Loved.
“Wanda?” She hummed. “Can you stay with me?”
There was no response and for a moment you were sure she had left until you felt the warmth of her body gently turn you on your side as she crawled into the bed behind you. The familiar feeling of comfort overcame you as you felt her arms wrap tightly around your midsection and pull you close.
The scent of sandalwood invading all of your senses and the soft sound of her humming in your ear was the last thing your mind processed before you drifted off into a dreamless slumber.
When you opened your eyes again, you saw the sun significantly lower in the sky than when you had first arrived. Rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you made your way out of the warmth of Wanda’s bedroom and into the cold of the kitchen where you found the other woman at the stove.
The sight was familiar. Soothing.
“Wanda?” You called out, your voice still thick with sleep.
She spun around to face you, her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but the smile on her face was warm. “Good morning, Krasivaya. Well... afternoon I suppose. I was wondering when you’d finally wake up.” She said lightly.
You wandered over to her and rested your head on her chest as her arms wrapped easily around your waist. “Is that hot chocolate?”
Her lips pressed lightly against your hairline. “It is. I thought you could use a pick-me-up.” You smiled lightly with the ease of the moment. The ease of being with Wanda. The ease of… Everything.
“What time is it?” You eventually asked after allowing yourself to relish in the peace for just the briefest moment.
You could feel her lift her wrist to her face. “It’s just about to be 5. You slept for nine hours.” Her body shook slightly with her giggle and you couldn’t help the way your lips quirked up at the sound. Until you remembered what that time meant.
“I… I have to go.” You mumbled, stepping back awkwardly.
Wanda’s smile faltered, and your chest clenched at the sight. “I understand.”
You pressed a soft kiss to her lips, lightly brushing your thumb along her jaw.
When she pulled back and looked at you with a mix of love and pain you knew you couldn’t lose her. The thought alone terrified you.
With one final kiss, you turned and made your way to your car.
Love was supposed to be easy. With Wanda it was easy. It always had been. Falling in love with Wanda was as simple as breathing. You couldn’t lose that.
The racing thoughts in your mind made the drive feel like it passed in seconds. Your heart was anxiously pounding against your rib cage, and you were sure it was moments away from beating right out of your chest.
A selfish part of you wished that it would because then you would be spared from having to hurt someone.
Glancing at the clock on your dashboard, you saw it was 6 which meant there would no more opportunity to avoid the inevitable.
It was time to face the reality of what was about to happen.
The steps you took down the path felt never ending, each movement heavy. Heavy to complete, heavy on your heart. The situation felt familiar though, as if you had tread this path before.
The further down the path you walked, the more you became sure that the path would be something you could never come back from. You would never be able to change the outcome.
When you finally reached the clearing, you found her, and you couldn’t help but think back to all the moments that you had spent here with her before. The happy moments. The moments before life caught up to you both. A place of happiness.
A place that had originally started out as yours, until you realized that everything that was yours was hers too.
Leigh’s smile when she saw you made your heart clench, but you kept moving forward. You found yourself unable to stop yourself from smiling back at her. Especially since this might be the last smile she would ever give you. You wanted to curl in on yourself at the thought alone.
“How do you even remember this place?” You asked, still surprised that she was able to find you in a place you hadn't been to together in years.
Her shoulders lifted slightly in a small shrug. “Because I spent the last two years coming here when life got too much.”
Your breath hitched with her words. “Why?” You asked even though you weren’t sure if you wanted to know the answer.
“Because it always reminded me of peaceful times.” She laughed slightly. “Looking back now, I guess I would just come here and hope in the back of my mind that one day you’d be sitting under this tree like you used to when we were kids.”
For a moment you let the words wash over you because even if you didn’t say it out loud, that was why you found yourself seeking out this former place of comfort as well. “Leigh…”
Her smile fell when you finally met her gaze. The eyes that were shining happily just moments before were now filled with tears. Your heart broke at the sight. You couldn’t do anything to make her feel better though because you were the cause.
You caused her pain.
“It’s her.” She whispered, her voice thick with emotion. It wasn’t a question. You didn’t have to say anything. Leigh knew you well enough to know where you stood without words.
She sounded like she was about to cry, then she took a breath and it was gone. “I’m setting you free, Leigh.” You murmured passed the lump that had formed in your throat.
“Maybe I don’t want you to set me free, Y/n.” The response was quick. Like the slipping of words that weren’t intended to see the light of day. Her sharp intake of breath confirmed that. The words dug deeply into the furthest crevices of your heart, making the world around you darker as you fought to push down the emotions that they evoked. “Did you love me too?”
The silence that hung in the air was heavy with words left unspoken. Heavy with emotion that pressed down on your chest like bricks. “I did love you, Leigh. Beyond words. And I think… I think that sometimes you loved me too.” You eventually said. Your words were quiet, as if they were a secret meant just for you two. You kicked absently at the leaves beneath your feet to distract yourself. “We were just never able to get our timing right. And maybe that was a sign.”
A weak chuckle filled the air around you. “I didn’t love you sometimes, Y/n. I loved you always. Even when I didn’t say it. Even when you walked away... Even when I walked away” The tears that fell burned a path down your cheeks as you quietly listened to her. “We didn’t lose each other because of time. I think we lost each other by waiting for the other to admit that we were in love... Two soulmates who could never find each other even when we were standing right in front of each other.”
Your heart fragmented and you could feel the broken pieces hammer in your chest. “Leigh-”
“You know, I may not have been daylight for you… But you were my moon and stars… And when you left you took them with you. You were my light in darkness. I’m sorry that I turned off the light.”
The air became razor blades around you as it became impossible to breathe.
You couldn’t find it within yourself to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry, Leigh.” She didn’t respond, and you didn’t expect her to. “I’m so sorry.”
A tense silence hung in the air as though you were both trapped in limbo. Both terrified to move. To let go.
“Do you regret it?” You asked softly, the words so quiet you were certain they barely reached her ears.
Your heart thudded in agony when she refused to look at you. “Do I regret what?”
“I don’t know.” Your voice shook. “Everything.” Leigh was quiet for a long moment and you could feel heat burn the skin of your cheeks. You knew you should have left well enough alone.
Just as you opened your mouth to apologize to her for asking, she finally said, “Just because we didn’t work out doesn’t mean that you weren’t the best thing that ever happened to me… Because you were.”
“Yeah.” You said thickly, feeling the tears prickle in your eyes. “You, too.” You wanted to tell her that you wanted to fight for her, but you didn’t know how. You wanted to tell her of the fear that had become a permanent fixture in your heart. You wanted to tell her that it wasn’t her fault.
The battle had felt like it was lost long before it had even begun.
Instead you said nothing.
Leigh stepped closer to you, her eyes glazed over with unshed tears. “One last kiss.”
Your hand found her cheek as your palm slid against her skin. You nodded and pressed your lips to hers.
Soaring.
That’s what it always felt like when she was pressed against you like this. You felt the rush of helplessness, and a surge of emotion that filled you with warmth and she clung to you as if you were the only solid thing in this dizzying world.
Her mouth was insistent against yours and you could feel the shake of her lips that sent tremors through every nerve ending in your body. You slowed the kiss down. You needed to remember this. Everything... Before it was gone for good. Like how sweet her lips tasted even over the salty tears that fell from your eyes.
The kiss goodbye lasted years in your mind, yet it still wasn't long enough.
Then she stepped away and the spell was broken. You dazedly allowed your fingertips to brush away the stray tears on her cheeks even if they were replaced with fresh tears a moment later.
“I won’t love you forever, but I’m terrified I might. I won't stand in your way though” Leigh whispered, the words against your lips, sending chills down your spine. “Goodbye, Y/n.”
Before you could say anything, she pulled away, her hand slowly trailing down your arm until it stopped at your fingers. You could feel her lightly squeeze three times before she turned, and you quietly watched her walk away.
Every word stolen from your lips because what could you say? You had made the choice. When she had disappeared in the distance, your gaze fell to the grass where she had just stood and couldn’t help but ache.
Losing her was one of the worst things you could face, but you survived it once before. Loving her was a worse pain. It had to be.
You knelt slowly in the grass, the weight of the situation forcing you to your knees. When you attempted to stand again, you couldn’t move. It was as if the grief you felt changed everything within yourself entirely.
If this was what you wanted, why was it killing you inside to let her go?
___________________
Wanda shifted slightly in your arms and you tightened your hold around her, pulling her closer. Always pulling her closer. You could see her shift closer to you in her sleep and you couldn’t help but smile slightly at the sight.
You glanced at the clock to see the time glaring brightly back at you. 6 am. You hadn’t slept well in the last three days, but you didn’t want Wanda to know that. She would just worry.
Eventually, you were able to fall into a fitful sleep as the sun began peeking over the horizon.
The door opened, and you forced an unconvincing smile on your lips. “I did it. It’s over.” You said quietly.
Wanda just stared back at you with her brows furrowed in concern. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.” You mumbled as Wanda let you inside.
The concern never faded from her features. “You don’t have to pretend to be. It’s okay if you’re not.” Wanda said cautiously, her arm wrapped around you.
As if she said the magic word, the fake smile crumpled, and you felt the tears begin welling in your eyes. Wordlessly, she pulled you into her arms. You melted into the embrace, bunching your hands into the front of her sweater as quiet sobs fell from your lips. “I choose you, Wanda… but it hurt to let her go.” You whispered through tears.
With a start, you opened your eyes to the bright room, groaning when you saw how late in the afternoon it was. Even though you shouldn’t have, you closed your eyes again. The world was dull. And you couldn’t get out of bed.
You should be happy. So why weren’t you?
After another hour in bed, you knew you couldn’t avoid it anymore. Using all your willpower, you rolled out of bed and made your way to the bathroom. Forcing yourself through the motions as you brushed your teeth, showered and got ready for the remainder of the day.
It wasn’t until you looked in the mirror that you stopped. In the mirror your eyes met your own and you could hardly recognize yourself. You forced a smile, quickly dropping it when you realized how unbelievable it looked. You sighed.
The feeling was reminiscent to the night of the wedding. Only this time you made the decision. You made this choice. You loved Wanda. You wanted to be with Wanda. She was your daylight. You loved her. You just needed to get out of this rut.
The mantra looped in your mind as you made your way downstairs and into the living room. You smiled slightly when you saw Wanda curled up on the couch, an old sitcom playing on the screen in front of her.
“Hey.” You said, getting her attention, before you took a seat next to her. “What are you watching?”
She smiled back at you, but it was soft. Sad even. “I think we should break up.” Wanda replied suddenly, ignoring your question.
“What?’ You sputtered in shock at her words. If your heart wasn’t already broken, you were sure it would have been now.
Wanda reached a hand over to soothingly stroke your cheek. “Y/n. I love you.”
You placed your hand over hers to keep her there. To anchor yourself. “If you love me, why are you leaving me?”
A sigh fell from her lips as a single tear rolled down her cheek. “Because you made the wrong choice.” She whispered.
Her thumb soothingly running along your cheek bone did nothing to ease the chaos in your mind. “What do you mean? I lo-”
“You’re not in love with me.” Wanda interrupted quietly. “I know that we would be happy, and I can see us spending the rest of our lives together… but you weren’t meant for me.”
Tears prickled your eyes as you stared helplessly into the beautiful emeralds that you’d come to adore. “I choose you though, Wanda. I want you.”
The tears that fell down her cheeks made you want to scream. You never wanted to hurt Wanda when all she had done was love you, yet you had still managed to do it anyway.
“Who you want and who you need are sometimes two different people.” She said sadly. “It would be selfish of me to keep you when I know your heart is with Leigh.”
You gently wiped away her tears. “But Wanda, I-”
“I’m setting you free, Y/n.” The words hit you and you recoiled slightly. She licked her lips as she seemed to contemplate her next words. “I’m setting you free because I love you and I don’t want you wonder what could have been if you had actually listened to your heart. I’ll be okay.”
All you could do was collapse into her chest, the tears flowing freely and feeling like they would never end. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” You repeated until your voice was horse.
The tears the fell onto your neck made you weep more as Wanda stroked your hair. Both of you allowing yourself to relish in the embrace. As much as you tried to fight the knowledge, Wanda was right. It was Leigh. Even if you desperately wished it was Wanda, you couldn’t change the composition of your heart.
You loved Wanda, but you’d never be able to match the love she gave you. Not when the vast majority of your heart would always be in the hands of another as long as you were breathing. It wouldn't be fair.
Two years away just taught you how to muffle the way your heart still screamed out her name.
After what must have been an hour, Wanda pulled away, her eyes still distraught. “Remember that night when you said that we can chose what to define ourselves as?” You nodded slightly, your mind drifting to the night you spent together looking at the stars. A fond memory. “Don’t let yourself be defined by your fear… As much as it breaks my heart to say this, go get her. Let yourself be defined by love. Don’t let the end of us be in vain.”
You swallowed thickly. “I do love you, Wanda.”
She smiled weakly at you. “I know. I love you, too.” Wanda pressed a soft kiss to your forehead and you closed your eyes at the contact. “I should go now.”
When you opened your eyes, your heart clenched in your chest at the sight of her. The sight of her pain. “I’m sorry, Wanda.” You repeated again.
She shook her head slightly. “I’ll be okay.” As she made her way to the front door, she turned to face you. “Learning to forgive ourselves and others because we haven’t chosen wisely is what makes us human. We make mistakes. You and Leigh have made mistakes. Don’t let the fear from the past ruin the future.”
“I won’t.” You whispered, she sent one last weak smile your way before leaving. The door closing behind her sent a new influx of tears rolling down your cheeks as you tried desperately to process what had just happened.
________________________
After the talk with Wanda, it took you several days to work up the courage to reach out to Leigh again. The fear of the past and the fear that you had ruined the future still kept you up at night and made it almost impossible to function. You had to try though. You couldn’t let her slip away without her knowing that it was her… Even if she didn’t want you anymore. She deserved to know that her love wasn’t in vain. That she was right. It was always going to be her.
A quiet curse slipped past your lips when your call when straight to voicemail and a quick glance at your text messages further confirmed what you had already suspected. You were blocked. You couldn’t even blame her because when the roles were reversed you fell off the face of her earth entirely.
Your heart dropped at the thought that you would be forced to live through the same outcome once again. Stuck in the cruel cycle of tragic timing.
Except you wouldn’t let that happen again. You couldn’t. You refused to let her be the one that got away. Never before had a decision been clearer to you. Once the walls fell, everything else came crashing down around them.
As you ran around your house searching for the keys to your car you pulled up Jules’ contact and hit call hoping that she would answer. After several rings you were sure the attempt was fruitless when-
“What could you possibly want, Y/n?”
You winced at the bite in Jules’ words. Sometimes you forgot how punishing Shaw’s could be when they wanted to. “I just-… Is Leigh there? I think I’m blocked.”
“For good reason.” Jules snapped. “She just stopped crying. And I don’t mean a couple of tears because she was sad. I’m talking about collapsing and sobbing at the sky tears.”
Tears began falling down your cheeks with Jules’ words. You clenched your eyes shut to push through. “Jules, I’m sorry. I need to make this right. Please. Help me make this right.” You took a shaky breath. “Is she home? Can I see her?”
“We’re leaving, Y/n.”
The world stopped spinning. You were sure of it. “What?” You choked out.
“We’re leaving.” Jules repeated, her tone softer. “I’m going to Vietnam and Leigh decided to come with me. I don’t know how long we’ll be gone.”
Your knees felt like they would give out under the weight of her words. “When?”
There was a brief moment of silence. “Today. We’re leaving in a few minutes actually.” A lump built in your throat because you couldn’t believe that you lost her. Again. And you were entirely to blame.
“Jules-”
“I have to go now. I’m sorry, Y/n. Take care of yourself.”
Before you could get another word out the dial tone filled your ears. “No.” You mumbled to yourself. “No, no, no.”
Grabbing your keys, you sprinted out the door, breaking several laws to get to Leigh’s house. You had to see her. To tell her that she was right. That no one else made sense. It was always her from the very beginning and it would always be her until the very end.
Your heart was Leigh Shaw and it didn’t matter how hard you tried to push her out, you couldn’t. You’d spend the rest of your life with her name etched into every part of your soul. She was in your veins and there was no way you’d ever get her out. You didn’t want to. Not when you finally knew that she loved you too. Not when you were finally ready to face your fears and take the leap of faith.
A loud curse slipped past your lips when you were a block away from Leigh only to see the road blocked off from some unnecessary LA construction. That wasn’t going to stop you.
You could run the rest of the way. You’d crawl there if you had to.
Quickly parking your car off the side of the road you stepped out and began sprinting in the direction of the house. Hoping and praying with everything within yourself that you weren’t too late.
The sight that greeted you when you finally made it to the house made your heart stop. You slowed to a stop. Leigh’s mother was making her way back into the house after waving to a car that had already made it half way up the street. Even sprinting you wouldn’t be able to catch it.
You were too late.
Leigh would become your greatest what-if. No matter how hard you tried it seemed the universe was adamant about keeping you two apart. The timing of the car in the distance proving that more than anything.
Except this time you had no one to blame but yourself.
With a heavy heart, you dropped your head and turned around. You couldn’t bear to see the car disappear from sight. Taking with it the love of your life and the one thing you never got right.
Desperately you fought back a sob, as you began your slow trek back in the direction you came from. The hole in your chest making the task feel almost impossible. You just wanted to be alone and wallow in the misery that was a cause of your own indecision.
Everything around you quickly faded into nothing as your body went numb. The feeling reminiscent from the night of her wedding when you lost her the first time… only this was worse. So much worse. Your heartbreak was caused by your own hands and it was your burden to bear alone. You could have been happy.
Almost. Maybe. Perhaps. So close. Could have. That’s all you had ever been with Leigh and it seemed that you were destined to finish that way as well.
Heartbreak would be her name, echoing over and over again in your mind until the end of time.
“Y/N! Y/N!”
Your heart leapt in your chest at the sound as you quickly turned. The sight rendered you immobile because there was Leigh. Not in the car. Not disappearing in the distance. Not in another country. There. Running at you with tears streaming down her cheeks.
The ability to breath became almost impossible as she got closer and closer. Then suddenly she was where she was always supposed to be. In your arms.
Her tears soaked through your shirt as she openly cried into your chest and you could do nothing but allow your tears to flow as well as you just held one another tightly.
As if you were both scared any movement would make the other disappear.
“I love you.” You gasped in her hair. “I love you so much and I’m so sorry. I was scared. I don’t expect anything back. You don’t even need to reply. I just needed you to know that I love you, Leigh Shaw. I always have and now I know that I always will.”
Leigh pulled back slightly to stare at you with parted lips, her watery eyes searching yours. “I love you, too.” She breathed out, giving you a watery smile. “That was just the end of the chapter, not the end of our story.”
Your heart soared, and you gave her a smile of your own. Because finally… finally. There was no one running away, you were just running towards one another like you always should have been.
Like two magnets, you were both drawn into a passionate kiss. The kind of kiss that breaks open the sky and steals your breath away.
The kiss showed you that every other kiss you’d had in your life had been wrong.
Her fingers slid into your hair, pulling you closer, as close as physically possible. You were sure your heart had exploded under her touch. All you wanted was Leigh. The feeling of her in your arms – all of her – pressed flush to you. It was right, and your heart had never felt more whole.
The moment was interrupted by a hand lightly tapping your face. You and Leigh pulled apart with matching expressions of confusion, your arms still wrapped tightly around one another. “Hi, yeah, did you forget about something?” Jules asked sarcastically.
Your heart dropped as you looked over at Leigh, remembering the fact that she was leaving. “Jules, I-” Leigh began.
Jules face broke out in a smile. “I was kidding. Don’t even worry about it” She waved a hand dismissively. “You were planning on buying your ticket when we got to LAX anyway.”
You could feel Leigh lean into you in relief, her head tucked just under your chin. “You’re not mad?”
“Of course not. I’ve been waiting for you two idiots to admit you were in love since I was five.” You smiled, feeling a blush creep up your neck. “Besides... now no one will judge me about how I do things on the trip. I'm kind of relieved.”
You chuckled as you absently ran a hand up and down Leigh’s back. “I resent that.” Leigh mumbled.
“But do you deny it?” You asked teasingly.
There was a short pause. “No... but I resent it.” You could feel her press a kiss to your collarbone and you smiled.
For a moment the three of you stood in comfortable silence. “Leigh?” Jules called.
“Mhm?” She mumbled into your neck.
“I’m happy for you…” She paused and looked at you meaningfully. “For both of you. I think this is where you both have always belonged.”
Leigh lifted her head and smiled back at Jules. Your heart fluttered at the sight. “Yeah. I think so too. How about you?” She asked as she looked at you with glimmering eyes.
You melted under her gaze. The sharp edges faded away. “I think so.” You breathed out, smiling lovingly back at her.
Jules clapped and you both turned your heads to look at her. “Alright, kids. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone. Like elope or something.” She pointed warningly at Leigh. “I’m serious. I have dibs on maid of honor. You can’t take that moment from me because I’ll be out of the country.”
You laughed awkwardly as Jules got back into the car and drove off. “I think Jules is planning our wedding for us and we aren’t even official yet.”
Leigh stroked your cheek tenderly. You felt every nerve ending in your body burst at the simple touch because of the love in her eyes when she did it. “Well, I don’t know when you’ll be ready for titles, but I hope you know I don’t plan on letting you go again.”
She leaned in, so her lips were ghosting over yours. You smiled. “I don’t plan on letting you go either.”
With a smile, Leigh connected your lips again and you lost yourselves in one another.
And when Leigh proposed to you a year later you said yes without hesitation because while there weren’t many things in life you were certain of, you would always be certain of her. You loved her and you didn't plan on letting her go.
And with that... we have concluded with the Leigh/ Wanda story. I would just like to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for reading this story and being so passionate about it. I would not have done it without the support from all of you.
I loved each essay I got defending the girls and every single comment that you all made defending your position. I am a little heartbroken to see this story come to an end because as much as I love my other stories, this is my favorite thing I've ever written.
Anyway, sorry for getting sappy. Please let me know all your thoughts and comments I'm so excited/ nervous to hear what you all think! I hope you enjoyed taking this journey with me.
p.s. shout out to @sokoalex and @abimess for helping me find the Leigh gif!
Using idioms while speaking is the hallmark of a proficient speaker. If you’re looking forward to enhancing your level of vocabulary, then the list of idioms given in this post, we feel, will be of tremendous help to you.
Expressor The Literary Juggernaut Idiom Ten Idioms You Might Want to Use While Conversing Ten Idiomatic Expressions
adulthood is just a constant struggle of, “man, i want cookies for breakfast, but I also recognize this is a bad nutritional decision. On the other hand, the only one who can stop me is me. i know that fucker’s weaknesses. i could totally take me in a fight.”
Summary: Wanda has a plan, but will everything play out the way she expects it to?
Pairing: Wanda x female reader
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Lovers
Words: 3k
Warnings: swearing, blood, gunshots
A/N: Dropping this one and running again, sorry not sorry.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five
Part Five- The Escape
Wanda didn’t tell you what her plan was, telling you it was better if you didn’t know all the details. All she said was to be ready when she gave you the signal and that she would come back for you.
She wouldn’t tell you what the signal was either. Just that you would know it when you saw it.
Whatever that meant.
You go to bed that night with restless energy, feeling more alive than you had since walking into that hidden surveillance room. Had it really only been eight days ago?
Your mind wanders to the team, wondering where they were and if they’d had any leads on your location yet. You miss them terribly. The way Natasha would tease you constantly with a smirk on her face, the way Sam would joke with you like an annoying older brother, the way Clint was always there to listen when you needed it, his arms always ready with a hug. You even missed Steves’ strict training schedule. You knew a lot could go wrong, but you were hopeful that Wanda knew what she was doing.
You wondered what her plan might be. Not only were you both locked in your rooms; but the base was patrolled by heavily armed guards, not to mention Wandas’ powers were still restricted by her collar.
But you trusted Wanda.
You knew how smart she was, you had seen it first hand on countless missions.
If anyone could get the two of you out of here, it was her.
So you let yourself drift to sleep, praying that you both made it out of here alive.
//
A loud pounding wakes you up, and you shoot up in bed at the noise. Someone is pounding on the door to your cell, and you stumble out of bed towards it. Your mind is still groggy from sleep as you try and make sense of what is happening.
As you get closer to your door, you realise that the noise is coming from elsewhere.
“Help!” you hear Wanda call out from the next room, your heart dropping at the panicked tone of her voice. “Help!” she calls out desperately again, pounding at her door.
You hear a commotion out in the hall, boots slapping loudly against the concrete as guards rush toward the cells.
“I can’t breathe,” Wanda yells, her voice sounding choked and strained. “I think there’s something wrong with the collar, it’s tightening.”
Her voice is muffled by the wall, but there’s no mistaking the sound you hear next. Wanda is gasping for breath, still pleading for help, the words coming out broken.
You rush to the wall, trying to peer through the small hole. The room is dark, but you vaguely make out the shape of her near her door. You watch as she falls to the floor, her hand desperately clawing at her throat.
“Maximoff!” you call out, your voice cracking on the word as you watch on in horror.
“Help!” you scream out, not sure if anyone could even hear you, “you have to help her, she’s dying!” You feel tears streaming down your face, genuine fear gripping your heart as you watch on helplessly.
You hear the door to her room swing open, the sound of guards rushing into her cell. You watch the shadows crouch down beside her, straining to hear them talking to each other.
“She’s not breathing.”
“Her pulse is weak.”
“We need to take her to the medical wing.”
“Quick, get this collar off her. Strucker will kill us if she dies, his entire plan hinges on her.”
You hear a click, and then the sound of something hitting the ground. The guards grunt as if they were lifting something, and then the sounds of rushed footsteps fade into the distance.
The only sound left now is your harsh breathing as you try and process the last few minutes.
You can’t lose Wanda, you’d only just gotten to know her. The thought of her death had you spiralling, your thoughts racing as you try to figure out your next move, pacing the length of your cell.
With Wanda gone, you’d have to figure out a way to escape Strucker on your own. She hadn’t filled you in on her plan, so you’d have to create your own.
You stop pacing suddenly, a single thought stopping you in your tracks.
Was that the signal?
Surely it wasn’t a coincidence that the collar suddenly started malfunctioning the same day you planned to escape. You felt hope bloom in your chest at the thought that Wanda was okay after all.
You didn’t let yourself consider the alternative.
With renewed energy, you quickly get dressed. You lace up your shoes and wait on the bed, unsure of what to do next. Wanda had told you to be ready, but ready for what?
The silence is deafening now, the seconds dragging on. You fidget nervously, playing with your fingers as they rest in your lap.
You hear gunshots in the distance, the sound causing you to stand and rush to the door, peering through the small window but seeing nothing. The noises continue, but they’re not close enough for you to make out what is happening. You hate the uncertainty of not knowing what was going on, not knowing if Wanda was safe or not.
You hear what sounds like an explosion in the distance, the sound only increasing your anxiety. There are more gunshots now, they sound closer but still, you see nothing.
Then silence.
You begin to think the silence is worse.
Is the fighting over? Has Wanda been captured? Is she dead? Did she leave and they’re following her? Will anyone come for me? Did she not tell me the plan because she was leaving me behind?
All these thoughts echo in your mind as the silence continues. You start to panic again, the anxiety coursing through you and making it hard to breathe.
Suddenly you hear footsteps rushing toward your cell. It sounds like the boots of a guard, and you step back from the door, hiding under your bed, your fear rising.
The door bursts open and someone steps inside, but you can’t quite make out who it is.
“Harriet the Spy?” you hear Wanda question and you scramble out from your hiding spot.
“Wanda,” you breathe in relief. She looks exhausted but she’s smiling at you.
“I told you I’d come back for you,” she tells you, and you can’t stop yourself from flinging yourself into her arms, hugging her tightly.
You hear her hiss in pain and you pull back, noticing the way she clutches her shoulder. You bat her hand away, your stomach dropping as you see the blood staining her shirt.
“You’re hurt,” you whisper, tugging the collar of her shirt aside to look at her shoulder. There’s a small bullet hole there, blood oozing out.
“I’m fine,” she shakes off your hand, “but we need to go.”
“But-” you try to argue but stop at the stubborn look on her face, “okay, fine.”
With her good arm, she takes your hand, dragging you down the hallway. You follow her as she leads you through the base, you notice bodies littering the ground around you, the walls full of bullet holes.
“Maximoff, what the hell happened?” you ask, amazed that she managed to take them all down on her own, only suffering a single gunshot wound.
“You don’t want to know,” she tells you, and the tone of her voice makes you believe her.
You don’t ask her how she knows where she is going, trusting her enough to keep her promise to get you out of here. You begin to smell smoke, the acrid scent filling your lungs and making you cough.
“Is there a fire somewhere?” you ask as the smoke grows thicker.
“Yeah, diversion,” she offers as an explanation, turning down another hallway. The smoke is thinner here and you can see the exit up ahead.
You break through the doors, the moonlight illuminating the field in front of you. The base appears to be in the middle of nowhere, a dark forest surrounding it on all sides.
“I guess we going through the forest,” Wanda offers and you nod. She goes to take a step forward but stumbles a little. You catch her, worry filling you as she looks at you with glazed eyes.
“Sorry,” she mutters, “got a bit dizzy.” You frown, noticing that the blood has stained more of her shirt, the dark red shining in the moonlight.
“Hang on,” you tell her quickly, ducking back into the base. You find a supply closet, opening it and grabbing what you need before heading back to the exit, stopping on the way to grab a handgun from one of the unconscious guards, tucking it into the waistband of your pants.
You rush back to Wanda and see her leaning against the wall next to the exit.
“We need to try and stop the bleeding,” you tell her, gesturing to the items in your hand. She nods at you, sitting down against the wall.
You frown, not knowing where to begin. “This might be easier if I could see the wound,” you tell her, expecting her to roll up the sleeve of her shirt.
Instead, she surprises you by removing her shirt completely, and you try not to stare as she sits there in just her bra. Focusing on the task at hand, you open a package of gauze, pressing it against the wound while she flinches in pain.
“Sorry,” you mutter, using some tape you had found to keep the gauze pressed tightly to her skin. After that you wrap the bandage over the top, keeping everything in place.
“That should buy us some time,” you say, smiling at her. She smiles back softly, and in the moonlight, you can see the tears shining in her eyes but you don’t comment on them.
You help her tug her shirt back on before the two of you get to your feet and begin walking off toward the forest.
//
You’re not sure how long the two of you had been walking, using the moon to guide you through the trees, but you’re beginning to worry about Wanda.
Her steps are slower, her feet stumbling over the smallest branches. You’re doing your best to help her, her arm slung around your shoulder as yours rests around her waist, supporting as much of her weight as you can. She still asks to rest often, but you try and get her to push through, trying to put as much distance between the HYDRA base and the two of you as you can.
Wanda had told you a bit about what had happened, you still didn’t know how she took down all those guards but she did confess that she didn’t know where Strucker was. She hadn’t seen him during all the commotion.
You tried to reassure her that he probably hid when all the gunfire started, not wanting to go up against someone so powerful. That comment had gotten you a smile. You wanted to believe your words so badly.
Wanda asks to stop again, and you can feel your own exhaustion seeping in so you agree, walking over to rest on a fallen log nearby. As she rests you look over at her, noticing how pale she looks. Despite your best efforts, she’s still bleeding slowly, her shirt now more red than white. You know that some of her blood has soaked through your clothes too, you can feel the way your shirt clings to you, sticky with her blood.
Even though the air is warm, Wanda is shivering as she sits, her teeth chattering. You slip your jacket off, putting it on her as she thanks you. You sigh, knowing that you’ve rested long enough and help her up to continue the journey, her steps even slower now.
The sun has begun to rise, the forest bathed the orange glow of the morning light. Now that you can see better, you can see what bad shape Wanda is in. But you don’t want to scare her, so when she asks what you’re looking at, you joke and tell her you thought the wicked witch was meant to be green, not red. She just rolls her eyes at you, but you still see fear flash through them.
Finally, the trees begin to thin and you can make out the shape of a town in the distance. You begin to hurry now, having a clear destination motivating you. When you reach the edge of the forest, you leave Wanda behind. You need to be able to find out as much information as you can, and in the state that she’s in, she would just slow you down. You promise that you’ll come back for her though, repeating the same promise she made to you.
The town is just beginning to wake up as you sneak through. You snatch a jacket hanging up outside as you pass one house, quickly pulling it on to cover up the blood on your shirt. No need to draw any more suspicion than you already were.
You walk through the town, keeping your eyes out for anything that would tell you where you were. You pass some shops, their signs large and colourful, but everything is written in a language that you don’t understand.
You find a payphone nearby, and you quickly swipe the wallet of a passing pedestrian, using the money inside to dial a number you knew off by heart.
“C’mon, pick up,” you mutter as you press the receiver to your ear, comforted by the fact that it’s actually ringing.
The phone picks up by the fourth ring, the voice on the other ended sending relief flooding through you, “Hello?”
“Nat,” you choke out, and you hear her gasp at the sound of your voice.
“Y/N,” she says, her voice urgent, “where are you?”
“I-I don’t know,” you tell her, looking around again, “some town on the edge of the forest. Can you trace the call?”
“Already done,” she assures you, “you’re not far, we can be there within the hour.”
“I don’t know if we have that long,” you confess, your mind straying to the teammate you left behind.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she questions, “Are you guys okay? Where’s Wanda”
“She got shot when we escaped,” you inform her, “she’s lost a lot of blood. I don’t know if she’s going to make it.” You’re crying again, the events of the day catching up to you.
“Fuck,” you hear Natasha mutter. “Alright, we’ll be there as soon as we can. Do everything you can to keep her alive until we get there,” she commands.
“What if it’s not enough?” you ask her, unable to hold back the fear.
“It has to be,” is all she says before you hear the dial tone, indicating that she had hung up.
You take a breath, trying to calm yourself down. You wipe your tears before squaring your shoulders and beginning the walk back to Wanda.
You leave a trail of clues for the team to track when they make it to the payphone, leading them straight to where you would be waiting with Wanda.
You make your way back to the treeline, finding Wanda exactly where you left her. She looks worse than she did when you left, but she was thankfully still awake.
“I thought you might have forgotten about me Jason Bourne,” she jokes as she sees you walking up. Her voice sounds weak, and you frown.
“Impossible,” you tell her, earning a soft smile. “The team are on their way, we just need to hold out for another hour or so.”
She nods at the information, and you sit down beside her, letting her rest her head on your shoulder.
The two of you sit there in silence while you wait, too exhausted to talk. You can feel Wanda shivering again, and you give her the second jacket, wrapping your arms around her to try and keep her warm.
The sun has risen fully now, and you watch as the town comes to life before you, scanning the crowd for any flash of your teammates.
You hear Wanda groan, and you look down at her. Her face is so pale, her lips trembling. Her eyes are struggling to stay open and when you check you can barely feel a pulse.
“C’mon Maximoff,” you say, nudging her gently, watching the way her eyes flutter, “not much longer now.”
“Y/N, I don’t think I’m going to make it,” you hear her reply, and you feel the tears collecting in your eyes.
“Don’t be ridiculous Maximoff, I’m not letting you die out here,” you tell her, trying to sound more certain than you felt.
“I’m serious,” she tells you, raising a clammy hand to your cheek. “Make sure they bury me with my brother,” she whispers.
“What, no. You’re not dying on me, you hear me?” Your voice is frantic now.
She laughs weakly, “It’s not like I have much of a choice here.”
“The team will be here any minute now, just hold on a little longer,” you plead with her, desperate for her to hold on.
Her breaths are shallow now, you watch as her eyes flutter closed.
You shake her gently, “Maximoff, hey, wake up. C’mon, don’t mess around.”
When you get no response, you close your eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling.
“Wanda, please, please wake up,” you beg, pressing your forehead to hers. Your tears fall faster as you clutch her desperately, her breaths the only indication that she is still alive.
“Well isn’t this cute,” you hear a voice nearby, and your skin crawls at the familiar tone.
You look up to see Strucker emerging from behind a tree nearby, his grin wide and menacing.
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