Chapter Ten
Pairing: Wandanat x Autistic!Fem!Reader
Summary: The party guests have all arrived and your nerves are beginning to settle with Wanda & Nay by your side. So what happens when someone unexpected shows up uninvited?
Content Warnings: 18+, anxiety, overwhelm, subtle hints at sub/domme dynamics and polyamory relationships, signs of an abusive relationship
Word Count: 5.9k
Reading Time: 29 minutes
Author’s Note: I can not tell you how many damn tile I re-wrote this chapter. I wanted it to be perfect, but perfection is over rated, so I hope this is enough. Because this is my perfect.
Prologue of The Stones Will Remember
The stones will remember Spotify playlist
Halloween Dinner Party - Part One
The house was thick with noise.
You stood at the edge, a safe space next to the altar but close enough to Wanda and Nat to feel their presence. That if you needed them you, or they, could get to you in a heartbeat.
You needed them.
You always do.
And you couldn’t comprehend why.
Drinks being poured, laugher, chatter, glass clinking. All wrapped in the smell of Vanilla, Cinnamon and sandlewood.
It was perfect.
You held your own glass lightly in your hand, your thumb tracing the rim, eyes flicking up to Wanda every few seconds. The moment she caught you looking, a soft smile reached her eyes. Immediately your face turned away, cheeks turning a shade of pink that made Wanda chuckle and your heart beat faster.
Wanda turned back to her guests, some extra people had arrived whom you had not expected—but Wanda and Natasha both grounded you, reassured you and introduced you to each person.
One in particular was a blonde woman, almost white hair—Sue Storm.
You were in awe of her, not in the same way you were with Wanda and Nat—just something about her felt calm, despite her name—Ironic really.
You took a small a sip of your drink, feeling a little self conscious as you stayed in your corner—your eyes suddenly fixated on another woman, younger, closer to your age, but something about her was different—you weten’t sure what exactly, but there was something.
She was continually bouncing on her toes like an uncoiled spring, running up to everyone, with an excited high pitched tone to her voice, acting more as if she was a bunny or a five year old—you hadn’t quite worked out which—rather than the young woman she was.
“Fauna. Stop.” Sue grabbed the young woman by the arm, yanking her still, forcing her to pause her hyper movements, giving the older woman her best pout—like a scolded child who didn’t get her way.
“Fauna…” you whispered under your breath, her name was unusual, a little whimsical maybe, a little chaotic even, but she seemed sweet enough.
Her hair was dark, almost black, but not quite, with pale streaks running through thick strands. Like moonlight against the midnight sky. She was quite the picture in her black kitten outfit. Cute even. She’d arrived with Pepper Potts, your housing advisor—you weren’t entirely sure of their relationship, either they were very close friends, or—but you didn’t want to assume anything.
You laughed under your breath, assuming things, you were good at, especially when it came to your own life.
Fuck.
Your heart began to pound in your chest as you watched the way Nats hand met with Wanda’s lower back, the way she leaned in whispering something—something that made Wanda Maximoff blush and Natasha smirk, like she had just been given diamonds—yet here you were wishing for someone, you brain paused mid sentence, realising the truth, you were wishing for them to make you feel like that, to make you blush in a crowded room, all the while keeping the content of what was said between the three of you.
But then—before your brain could even lock on properly, or for too long to that feeling—you heard another voice, from the only other woman that was your age.
She was louder.
Not in the same way Fauna was.
She was confident.
Her hair was ethreal, pastel purple, put up in a long ponttail that reached the middle of her spine, a small flower crown similar to yours, but less flowers. She wore a small necklace the lay softly against her olive skin. It was silver. A celtic cross.
She didn’t move fom Rio’s side, not once.
If Rio told her to move, she followed…like she had rules she couldn’t break.
Something niggled in the back of your brain, something that you can never escape.
The cross she’s wearing.
You’d know the date of that from anywhere.
“Sixteenth Century Jacobite cross.” You muttered, a hand going to you stomach to hold your self steady—the butterflies you got when it came to anything history—almost as strong as the ones you got whenever you were in the pressence of Wanda and Nat, but not quite.
You didn’t even notice the look from Wanda—the head tilt, like you had just unearthed the Jacobites themselves.
Then…
CLICK, CLICK, CLICK.
The air shifts, like history pages in the wind, a flutter in your stomach, eyes unable to tear yourself away from the necklace.
CLICK, CLICK, CLICK.
Then, a hand on your arm, warm breath against your skin, the smell of vanilla “Hey Ladybug, you okay sweetheart?” Wanda’s honeyed voice almost making your knees buckle from the warmth of her words.
Fuck.
Wanda.
You swallowed thickly, eyes barely focusing on Wanda, the silver cross still having your attention, but you were scared if you looked at Wanda, she would see right through you.
“I- I’m fine,” you put your glass to your lips again, taking another large gulp, “who is that?” you whispered, nodding towards the girl with the cross, standing beside Rio.
“Ahh,” Wanda smiled, brushing a curled hair back behind your ear “that would be Betsy, she’s Agatha and Rios…well, she’s their friend.” Wanda hummed, she watched the intrigue settle into the creases in your forehead. “You know sweetheart, if the wind changes you’ll stay like that,” Wanda traced her finger across the lines in your forehead “relax for me.”
You felt your whole body begin to loose tension, shoulders unclenching, teeth un gritting, jaw loosening—Wanda’s thumb lingering on your temple for just a few seconds too long. Her smile curving softly as she watched the way you ran your thumb over the rim of your glass again, grounding yourself.
“Betsy? she seems…sweet…” your voice somewhere between loud and quite, an octave only Wanda heard.
“Come on,” her hand gripped your elbow, pulling you gently forward “let me introduce you.”
Wanda’s thumb stayed on the inside of your arm as she guided you towards the group—towards Betsy.
She stood her place beside Rio, who was wearing a dark green satin dress, the sleeves cut into spikes as well as the bottom of the dress which came to the middle of her thighs, and her skin was painted black and white—like—like a skeleton, which confused you. But she looked nice, smelling of earl grey tea and old books.
“Rio, Betsy.” Wanda hummed, her palm moving slowly to the middle of your back “this little fairy here, is Y/N.”
Betsy had eyes the shone like the ocen—sparkling blue—she stood beside Rio like she was made to be there. The corners of her lips quirked upon seeing you, her face softened, as she watched the way you stepped closer into Wanda’s pressence, you hadn’t even noticed yourself doing it.
“Hi Y/N,” She held out her hand, which you took—her grip was tight on your knuckles and she shook and pulled away. “so you’re Wanda and Nat’s girl then?”
The whole room went still.
Silent.
The air itself stopped breathing.
Wanda pauses mid breath, lips twitching like she might correct the woman but changed her mind, eyes firmly back to you.
Nat coughing across the room on her wine.
And you?
Your brain was short circuiting, trying to keep up with it self, attempting to restart as you looked wide eyes at the woman.
What did she mean by that?
You felt Wands’s thumb against your wrist, directly over your pulse—she could feel the way your whole heart was speeding up like a damn Duracell battery.
She’d know she was getting you flustered.
She’d know.
She’d know the parts of you that weren’t ready for her to know.
But maybe that would be okay.
Because it was Wanda.
Soft. Gentle. Kinda, Caring. Protective. Wanda.
You laughed softly, choking out a “What, umm, what do you mean?”
“Betsy. Remember what I told you? She’s not part of this, part of us, she’s not Wanda an Nats girl in that sense.” Rio smirked, looking towards you with a hidden meaning behind her dark irises.
What the hell did that mean?
“Rio.” Wanda’s voice dropped into a warning as the whole room seemed to be focussed in on you and this conversation, which you were hoping desperately to jump out off.
Rio shrugged, her lips turning into a not so subtle grin, sipping at her drink and keeping her eye on you—was there extra meaning behind what she said? Or was that you brain overthinking just a normal conversation?
But it wasn’t normal.
There was something there.
Something you couldn’t see. Yet.
“Oh right. Sorry Y/N.” Betsy tilted her head slightly, and you felt her watch you for a just a moment too long—she turned to Rio, whispering something in her ear.
You’re not sure why but you suddenly felt on edge.
Then, Wanda’s thumb which was still against you wrist began to move, slow rhythmic circles against your flushed skin, centring you to this moment, to her and nothing more.
“Mmm, yes I’m sure,” Rio hummed, then she gave you a curious look too. You wanted to tell them you weren’t a zoo animal, but you weren't brave enough, so you let them, and you took another step unconciously towards Wanda—if you got any closer you’d be melded into her skin, “honey , who did your makeup?” Rio asked suddenly.
Wanda’s arm rounded over your shoulders protectively.
“Vidal.” She muttered. Eyes narrowing, fingers gripping your shoulder as if tethering herself to you.
“Come on Maximoff, you know why I’m asking and who it was." Rio arched a brow in her direction, you saw the unspoken words settle between them, with a nod from Wanda.
“I did my makeup actually, my best friend Lizzy, she gave me a step by step guide, helped me to color match—”
You barely got the words out before feeling Wanda’s fingers tighten around your shoulder, probably turning white, her nostrils flaring, green eyes filled with rage.
“Told you.” Rio smirked liked she just won the lottery.
You don’t notice the head tilt from across the room.
The glass being set down.
The frown.
The jingle of a bell.
Natasha Romanoff was never one for sitting idly by, and as soon as she saw the tension shift, she made her way towards you, jaw clenched.
Her scent of cinnamon and pumpkin spice wrapping round you like armour, and her eyes darting from Wanda’s grip, to a death glare, to Rio’s grin, to Betsy’s curiosity and then to your confusion—and she just knew what this was about.
“Let’s see, something to do with Iris or Lizzy?” Nat asked.
Firm.
Controlled.
Already knowing.
Rio dips her glass, nodding, “ding, ding, ding.” her voice smooth and controlled.
“Rio.” Natasha’s voice dropped—but it wasn’t a warning it was something else, like a question maybe.
Rio stepped forward, not too close but close enough she was able to gently brush her thumb over your cheek.
Your eyes drifted up to Wanda—cheeks already pink from the attention—not Rios, Wanda and Nat’s. Their protectiveness of you, like you were already there’s in every way that mattered—except the one you wanted. “Eyes up here sweetheart.” Rio murmured.
“Rio, she’s not yours to play with. Stop.” Wanda clenched her jaw as the fire behind her eyes only became stronger.
“Oh don’t worry, I don’t want her, but,” Rio chuckled, keeping her eyes on you “would you mind if I changed your makeup a little? This is just too harsh for your beautiful face.”
Your head tilted up to Wanda.
Why you weren’t sure, maybe to make sure it was okay—not that you needed her permission—it was more approval.
Wanda smiled softly nodding her head.
Despite the conversation, she clearly trusted Rio on some level or another.
“Good.” Rio turned to Betsy. Finger under her chin, tilting. “Don’t move okay? I won’t be long.” Rio paused waiting for a response “answer me.”
“Okay…mama.” Betsy looked as if she was about to fall apart as the words left her mouth, only loud enough for Rio to hear.
“Good girl.” And Rio turned back to you, hand reaching for yours. “Come on. We won’t be long, I promise.” Rio reassured both Wanda and Nat, who didn’t take their eyes off you as you were guided away from them and towards the stairs.
Rio guided you up into the bathroom.
You could feel the anxiety in your chest rising—breathing, lungs inhaling and exhaling with every stupid step.
She sat you on top of the closed toilet seat, picked out the brushes, make-up supplies she needed.
Wanda downstairs was so close to cracking her glass with her bare hands.
“If she mentions it to bug, I’ll kill her.” Wanda gritted her teeth “we have a plan, if she—”
“Wands, even Rio isn’t stupid enough, but she may get the ball rolling before we’re ready, so let’s prepare for the, hmm?” Nat pressed a kiss into Wanda’s warming cheek, guiding her face back to her. “it’ll be okay my love. Just breathe.”
But even with Nat’s reassuring words, Wanda’s knuckles turned white.
A single drop of wine sliding over her finger like blood.
Nat cupped Wanda’s warm cheek against her palm “We’ll handle it if it happens, okay? I promise.”
Back upstairs, your feet were bouncing like tigger on the bathroom floor.
A brush hovering inches from your face, gripped between Rio’s fingers.
“So have they asked you to be their sub yet or are you not interested?” Rio brushed her thumb over your cheek, gentle, soft, until she looked satisfied.
“Uhh—” the air in your lungs stopped flowing, eyes wide, tilting your head in the same way Wanda does “Sub? What’s… what’s a sub?” Your whole body paused looking to Rio, completely perplexed as to what she was talking about. The only sub you knew was in bread form and you were certain that’s not what she meant.
Rio froze mid brush “Oh, I guess not,” and she carried on with sorting the rest of you makeup—just as you began fidgeting a little with the material of your dress, fingers moving over the hem, rubbing it between your thumb and finger to try and calm your racing thoughts.
“Wait, what’s a sub?” You pushed for an answer, which was unlike you, but something in you needed to know.
Rio just quirked an eyebrow at you. “That’s for them to tell you, and I’ve put my foot in it, now,” she placed the brush to the side, picking up another item “why don’t you tell me some fairy facts, Nat says you know quite a few.”
“I, I mean I do but,” there was a tremble to your voice, one which Rio noticed but didn’t mention “What if it’s too weird? Or umm, too much for you?” You felt the liquid on your palms, the sweat dripping down to your wrist.
Rio gently catches your chin with her fingers, applying a small amount of blush to your cheeks, just subtle “You’ll never be too much for the right people—your clearly important to Wanda and Nat, which means what you have to say is important, they wouldn’t keep you around—and they certainly wouldn’t have you meeting their friends from this particular circle if they weren’t planning on keeping you around for a long time to come.” Rio turns your head slightly to the side, and wipes of the lip stick “far too dark for you…”
“Well, umm, did you know some historians think ‘fairy encounters’ were used as socially acceptable explanations for trance states, seizures, or neurodivergent behavior. Which is… so stupid honestly.” You pasued expecting Rio to tell you it was a stupid fact that she didn’t want to hear about, but she was just listening, nodding and smiling as you pulled out a sparkly green lipgoss, one that she said didn’t wash you out.
“Pucker your lips for me,” Rio smiled as she slid the new gloss over your lips, then got you to press them together. “Tell me more?”
“Okay, well, did you know that in the Scottish witch trial records, some of those accused of witchcraft actually claimed that they learned magic from the fae, and that’s partly why fairy lore and witchcraft got so tangled together when it comes to their history...” Rio helped you stand back up, showing you a mirror where you saw your face and realised how much better you looked… you were more you, so why hadn’t Lizzy given you that? Why did she make you look so…you just didn’t understand it.
“That’s better. That’s the you they fell for…beautiful.” Rio packed everything away, make up and brushes all settled back inside Wanda’s bag, and then Rio took your hand again, as you continued to talk about the fairy facts as you walked down stairs.
You could hear Wanda and Nat laughing as you stepped down each step, talking fast about the fairies “The Fairies weren’t originally tiny, actually in early Celtic lore they are seen basically as like nature spirits or fallen gods of goddesses. Which I honestly love. Also, Fairy rings were thought to be portals or ritual spaces, so stepping into one on Samhain was really considered extra dangerous. Like, spiritually reckless.” You stopped speaking, a little breathless as you came back into view of everyone else again—completely missing the meaning behind Wandas’s words to her wife of panic “Nat, no! We can’t have that conversation NOW, she’s still too innocent to even know what a riding crop is”
“A riding crop?” You frown, stepping back up beside them, Rio having walked away and back with her wife and Betsy. Fauna was now back with Peggy and Angie, despite now looking a little red and rubbing her backside, even with Peggy telling her to stop every time she did.
“A riding crop? like for horses?” you asked so innocently, making Wanda smirk as she looked down into her swirling wine, and Nat wheezing into the pumpkin dip she had in her hand.
Nats shoulders shaking, whilst Wanda side eyed her telling her to control herself, as you stood yourself between them “No honey, but let’s table that topic, okay?”
“Okay.” You agreed, taking a cracker from the table and dipping into the pumpkin dip that Nat was holding.
With them you were never scared to be yourself, never anxious—well only a little, but not because they made you uncomfortable, but because your feelings were confusing. Every time you thought about it, you began to spiral, which didn’t help with the fact you saw them multiple times a week, but what else could you do? You wanted to spend time with them, you weren’t going to stop visiting them just because you were confused, that made no logical sense.
“Christopher.” Nats voice broke through your spiraling thoughts.
“What?” You practically jumped out of your skin at the name being mentioned, eyes wide and a burning face, and your breathing faster.
“Bug…hey…I was just saying you have a few…missed calls and messages from Christopher.” Nats eyes looked down to where you had dropped your phone on the table before Rio took you away.
“Did you—did you read them?” You felt a lump catch in your throat as you asked, hoping with everything inside that they had not.
“No, no, never.” Nat responded quickly, palm cupping your face “sweetheart, I’d never do that, not unless someone gives me premission, even with Wanda,” she looked towards her wife, both looking as if their anger for this man child was just about to boil over like hot lava “we don’t look at each others phone unless we tell each other we have to, okay?” Her fingers slowly tucking a fallen strand of hair behind your ear, and Wanda pressed her hand to to your back.
Your eyes were brimming, and your voice cracked as you let the next set of words leave your mouth “He’s just…he’s mad I came here, and I told him he couldn’t come.”
Wanda’s knuckes were turning white around her glass, her hand on your back began to rub soothing circles, gentle, in comparison to her other hand.
Then there was Nat—her jaw tight, barely restraining her past.
Over the next hour you got to know everyone at the party. Peggy and Angie were a particularly unsal couple with the young girl Fauna, who you found out was also their partner.
Wanda and Nat couldn’t help but laugh at the way you screwed up your nose in confusion at how that worked, but you didn’t pry just yet.
You and Fauna got on really well, and having a love of witches and fairies and folklore made it so that you could talk all night long if everyone let you. Then there was Agatha and Rio, and their partner Betsy. Again you got on well with Betsy, although she did seem a little more skitish than you expected, but lovely all the same. Rio was someone you seemed to get along with, she listented to you…but something lingered in your mind, something she had said, about this is being who they fell for.
What did she even mean by that?
Your fingers seem to burn against the glass itself, you didn’t have alchol, you never did. Just appletiser, but even so, you watched the bubbles, eyes laser focused as they fizzed and popped in the liquid—Rios own words echoing, etching into your brain like they were made to stay—you didn’t even hear the click, click of the heels walk across the room, but the scent of vanilla caught your nose and you lifted your head just as you saw her soft smile reach your eyes, her fingers curling softly around your upper arm.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” she asked softly, taking a slow sip of her wine “food won’t be long, okay?”
“Mmmhh,” you barely covered up the whimper, and you were certain Wanda had heard with the twitch of her lips. You quickly looked back to Fauna and Besty, hoping for some kind of saving—but they didn’t know what was happening in your brain.
How could they save you from something they weren’t even aware off?
You however, where very aware of your pulse beating in your ear, you could feel it, your blood rushing, your palms sweating so much you had to keep changing hands with holding your glass, and Wanda never took her eyes off you which only made you blush harder.
Trying to refocus your brain away from Wanda’s gentle touch or her unenrving green eyes, or the feel of her breath on your skin or the way you never wanted her to leave your sight again, but you needed to move your brain along, so you tried to focus on the party itself—the chatter, the pouring of wine, the soft laughter from Wanda again, and Nat’s bell around her neck—the other people at the party seemed nice enough, Pepper Potts was there which felt a bit odd with her being your housing officer, but you hadn’t really spoken to her much other than when she had first arrived, then there was Lilia Calderu and Jenny Kale, you didn’t know much about them but Wanda looked a bit put out by there arrival.
They were late.
Wanda didn’t like lateness.
She never had.
But for some reason, with these two, there was something underlying, and when they started to laugh with Agatha and Rio, Wanda looked as if she was going to hex them.
“Dinner is served!” Nat announced, standing in the middle of living area, having already set up the dinner table, where there were names set, at each place setting.
But just as you stepped forward with Wanda, the chime from their front door made you pause—no you froze. Wanda and Nat both looked to each with confussion.
“Everyone’s here?” Nat asked, more as confirmation than a question, as everyone else stampeeded past her into the dining room.
But you stayed.
Something told you not to move, not to go forward and sit down, but to wait—to find out with them who was at the door. Wanda stayed with you. Hand on your back and instinctively pulling you closer, which you very much allowed—Nat though, walked forward with purpose, her bell jingling which if it wasn’t so serious would have been amusing.
Nat looked towards you both with a smile that breathed air into your lungs, she turned back, hand to handle and pulled, to be greeted by a man.
Tall.
Handsome.
But a smile than unerved her.
“Can I help you? This is a private dinner party.” Nat asked.
You couldn’t see who it was yet, Nat hadn’t opened the door wide enough, but you felt it, you sensed it, you could smell him. Your whole body tensed, your muscles turning to led—and Wanda felt it, she scraped your hair back from your face.
Then he spoke.
“Hi, is A Miss Y/LN here?” The mans voice wasn’t one you would expect from a guy in his 20’s. It was almost gruff, making hime sound like he was forty. But then he coughed to clear his throat and his voice went back to normal. “I’m Christopher you see—”
“Oh, you’re him are you? Have to say haven’t heard much about you.” Nat responded, foot by the door as your own heart thumped in your chest—what the fuck was he doing here? How dare he come and ruin the one night you’ve been looking forward to for a week.
You had done nothing but speak about this evening to him and you knew that’s what got under his skin, that you would rather spend tonight with not just people who weren’t him, but it was the fact that it was Wanda and Natasha, and a party that only had women there…you hadn’t entirely realised how misogionistic he was.
You had to swallow down any emotions that you felt bubbling to the surface, you couldn’t let Wanda or Nat see that he did get to you, that his words or even just his pressence hurt you—how was it that it took you until this moment to realise that if he loved you, like really loved you, in the ways that he said he did, he would’t have tracked you to their house—and you knew that was a conversation to be had.
“See we had plans,” Christopher shifted, unnerved by Nats cold voice wrapping around him like a snake, she had ended far worse men than him before having Sorbet. “She really should be spending this time with me, I am her boyfreind after all.”
Wanda stepped forward now, she had heard enough of this nonsense, her fingers brushing your arm and motioning for you to stay put. She reached the door, and stood as a united front with Nat, shielding you from this man. The one you call your boyfriend, not that you had mentioned him much since you came into their lives. “Christopher, I think you should leave. I won’t ask you nicely again.”
“I don’t think that’s your choice is it Ma’am.” He snivelled, saying it like he was the one that was in charge, the one that knew you better than them—no he just liked to control you.
His niceness was always what ended up with things getting bad later, the arguments, the control, the you saying sorry for things you hadn’t even done—but you said it to pacify him. It was easier. You sure as hell weren’t going to let Wanda, Nat and their friends get carried into the damn mess of your life.
Your fist clecneched at your side, before you forced yourself to move towards the door, stomach clenching as you pushed your fairy body between them, wings folding and opening as you moved in front of them. Vanilla and cinnamon mixing, lingering beside you. “It’s fine, I’ll talk to you, but I’m not leaving them.”
The look on Christopher told you he wasn’t happy, but he nodded, accepting your words in one way or another.
“Are you sure sweetheart?” Wanda asked, her fingers gently stroking your elbow, lighting up your nerves and pulling you in to them with every touch, further and deeper.
“I-,” you hesitated for just a moment “I’m sure, give me five minutes okay?” You breathed, but you knew there was no way in hell that they would leave you alone with him, not now that they had met him—and realised the situation was far worse than they had originally realised—and it was about to intensify.
“Ahh see, there’s a good girl.” Christopher smirked, his fingers quickly lacing into yours before you could pull away and tugged you forward, making you stumble just slightly. The absolute fire behind both Nat and Wanda’s eyes, you snapped your head round to them, almost shaking your whole body, to ensure they didn’t pounce—not that, that would have honestly been a bad idea.
You walk with Christopher down the end of the path, your not actually sure how your feet were moving—but by some miracle they were. You needed to let him have this conversation before he left, otherwise it would just be worse for you later. You knew that. You always knew. But they didn’t and you needed to keep it that way.
Wanda and Nat saw him for who he was, but you? You knew the ways he was with you wasn’t healthy, but you still didn’t think he was altogether bad—there was just…no connection. Sometimes you wondered if that was because of you? But there was more to it—more that others didn’t see and more than even you refused to acknowledge yourself.
Each step felt longer and heavier than the last, your breath slow as you felt his sticky hands clinging to yours. He was calm. Too calm. Normal breathing compared to your heavier breaths, coming in spurts.
“That’s far enough, thank you.” Nat called out, arms folded leaning against the door frame—she was not letting him take you any further than the gate. You would stay in her line of sight, so she could keep an eye on you both. At least this way you knew that he wouldn’t do his usual shit.
You fingers were in Christophers hand, but not like that of a loving couple. He was in control. His fingers gripped yours. Tight. His eyes darkened, lips curling upwards in a way that made you shiver, and not in a good way.
“I’m not leaving.” You mumble, all the confidence and fire you had just five minutes ago standing in a room of people who who made you feel good, that had disapated.
Christopher laughed “Oh, I know sweetheart, it’s okay.” His fingers touched your cheek, and you flinched. Subtle, but it was there. Enough for Nat to see it.
“Did you just see that?” Wanda frowned, her hand on the low of Natasha’s back, fingers tightening from seeing you so scared and not even being able to admit the truth to them.
“She flinched.” Nat’s jaw tightened, watching on, her hand reaching for Wanda’s to ground her. “This is the last time he ever gets to see her.”
“Nat, that’s not your choice.” Wanda leaned further into her wife’s body, feeling the tension—she felt it too, they wanted to protect you, they were fierce when it came to you, in way that they hadn’t been with any one else before.
You just didn’t realise how much.
Nat saw you. She saw every subtle movement, every flinch that you thought you had kept hidden.
But you hadn’t. Not from her. Never from her or them.
That woman was terrifying in her own way, but she never made you feel uneasy or on edge.
Not once.
Christophers touch wasn’t gentle in the way that Wanda’s was. His was harsh, threatening and always a warning to you.
Behave or you’ll regret it.
He. Fucking. Terrified. You.
“Okay?” You asked, head turning and glancing up to Nat and Wanda.
Nat was still cross armed, bell jingling everytime she moved, her face filled with pure anger about to snap. Wanda though, stood, back stright and head tilted with a small smile directed only for you to see.
“Yes, I knew you wouldn’t leave” Christopher leaned in, making it look to Wanda and Nat as if he was just kissing your cheek, like a loving boyfriend, his fingers moved down to your hips, squeezing tight, thumb pressing in on the bruise he knew was there from when you walked into the cuboard the other day, making you wince. “You will come to mine tommorrow. Do you understand me?”
No words left you mouth. Almost too scared to speak, incase it was wrong, or more frighteningly, incase it was right.
“Oh I know it’s hard sweetheart with people watching, especially with them, but come on, use your big girl words, I know you can do it.” Christopher smirked in that way that made you feel sick to your stomach, your heart was in your damn throat, and if his hand hand’t been on your elbow, yout knees would have buckled.
You swallowed hard, trying to find any part of you that had the strength to say some truth to him, even if it didn’t end particularlly well for you “We’re not going to last much longer if you don’t change Christopher, but fine. As you wish. I will be there.” You never liked confontation, you always struggled standing up for yourself, but here you were just doing that, even if it was with a shake to your voice.
“And when I text or call you, you answer me.” His grip tightened on your hip.
“No.” You murmured “I’m giving my phone to Nat, and she will hold onto it for the night. I’m not doing this tonight, and you can not hurt me in front of them.” your face was flushed with the pure panick from what you had just said, of standing your ground.
You took a deep breath, holding back the anger that would turn to tears behind your eyes, and just as you turned to walk away he grabbed your wrist, squeezing tight—your muscles tightened immediately, and he whispered something under his breath, but loud enough for you to hear. “They’ve changed you.”
“No, they just showed me who I was hiding…” Your eyes flicked down to where he was holding your wrist “I would let go before Nat snaps your arm in half though.” Just as your words left your mouth Nats bell was ringing as she walked towards you. Christopher quickly unclasped his fingers and left through the gate, not wanting to have an argument about you—not with them.
One thing for Christopher, he always knew when he would not win in a fight.
Your whole body unclenched as Nat reached your side, bell jingling, her fingers gripping your arm, no words, just a look as she held you still for a moment, and you nodded.
You were okay, at last, you were okay.
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