As we begin another new year, be like Spidey and take the time to check in on your friends. And as Daredevil put it, in 2026, “May we all find more than we lose.” 🙏
Hello! Will there be any Variant 2? If there aren’t yet :)
I loved it, discovered your writing with it (gonna repeat myself but I love it)
Variant: Part Two
Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader
Link to Part One [x]
[A/N] Ever since this request came in I wondered what direction to take this story in and eventually settled on this ❤️ Thank you for the request lovely anon, I'm glad you enjoyed 'Variant' and hopefully you enjoy Part Two as well 😘
You’ve spent a big portion of your life wondering whether you’re a good person. To most people, the answer would be yes. You’d joined the Avengers, dedicated your life to saving people. Was that a front though? A way to live with the all-consuming guilt and reality that beneath all of it, maybe you actually weren’t that good of a person.
Thinking back on your dating history makes you cringe. Back from that first girl you’d dated in High School, you’d never exactly been a good girlfriend. Your head was easily turned, and you quickly grew bored. Every time you met someone new, you’d tell yourself that she was the one, the one that you wouldn’t mess around, the one who would finally change you. It never happened. You’d bounce from girl to girl, always looking for the next best thing.
You look across the room at Wanda, blowing cigarette smoke out of your mouth. The Wanda from your universe wouldn’t have put up with you smoking in the bedroom, there would’ve been a blazing row before you’d even managed to light it. God how sick of those arguments you’d been at the time but now you’d give anything for your Wanda, the one you’d left behind, to snap at you, to raise her voice, to get angry. This Wanda, the one you’d gone with, never complained. Never argued. She was just so grateful to have you back in her life that she put up with near enough anything.
And God, were you bored of it.
You stub out your cigarette into the ashtray, feeling awful all over again as you watch the way Wanda bends over her journal, scribbling something down. She looks up and gives you a small smile that makes your heart squeeze. She’s so sweet and kind and loving. It’s not her fault that you’re like this. If you’d let her keep looking across the universes, maybe there was a version of you out there that Wanda actually deserved. One who could love her the way that she deserved to be loved.
You realise now you hadn’t wanted to be with Wanda, you’d just wanted to travel the universe, something this Wanda had been keen to do too at first. Well, so she’d said. She’d brought you back to her own universe, telling you she wanted to get settled before you began travelling. That had been months ago. Every time you bring it up, she just smiles and says ‘soon’. You’re beginning to realise that soon will never come. Wanda loves being at home with you, and she’s clearly in no rush to go anywhere.
You’d loved this home at first. Wanda has a cabin in the middle of the woods, far away from civilisation, somewhere she can freely practice her magic. It’s peaceful, right by the lake, and it had been a lovely summer when you’d first arrived, so you’d spent your daytimes exploring, splashing in the water with her, always laughing and smiling, then at night, the two of you would lie in bed together, exploring each other’s bodies, moaning and gasping until the early hours. There was no work to be done, no rush to be anywhere other than in the moment. The peace had been much needed at first.
Until winter had set in, and so had the boredom. It wasn’t like you were a prisoner here, you could borrow Wanda’s car and go into town whenever you wanted but Wanda always asked that you were home by dinnertime. You’d tried to convince her to have a night out with you, but she’d just shake her head, mumbling something about wanting you all to herself as she wrapped her arms around your waist, kissing your cheek. At first her cuddles had felt comforting, now they felt stifling.
The familiar boredom has definitely set in. It’s not unusual for you to feel this way eventually and you know that it won’t go away on its own. Your relationship with Wanda has run its course. You’re starting to find yourself missing the Wanda you’d left behind which is ridiculous because that had also run its course. Besides, she was almost definitely dating Carol by now. If only you could explore the multiverse by yourself, you would think… You didn’t have powers like Wanda though. You were stuck here.
Wanda snaps her journal closed and crosses the room to sit on the bed next to you, pulling you out of your thoughts. She wraps an arm around your waist and kisses your cheek, “I love you.”
“Yeah… Yeah, you too,” You mumble half-heartedly, feeling another sharp stab of guilt for being such a horrible girlfriend.
Wanda leans her head on your shoulder with a content sigh. Her hand finds yours and she whispers, “This is perfect.”
You swallow hard, “Sorry if the cigarette smoke bothered you.”
“It didn’t, don’t worry. I don’t mind.”
You wonder what you’d have to do for her to finally snap. Maybe if you burnt her journal, or gave her the silent treatment for a full week… Even then you can only imagine her responding with patient understanding. It was making you feel sick with anger, but also sick with guilt. Why did she have to be so perfect all the time, so good? It drove you insane. What you wouldn’t give to get into a blazing row with your Wanda about something stupid again.
Your mind flashes back to the words you’d said to your Wanda the night you’d left. “If things don’t work out with Carol… And if I regret going to the multiverse… Then we’ll have our answer.”
You suddenly miss your Wanda with a ferocity that surprises you. It’s true that you’re always looking for the easiest option, the most fun, the next thing but you’ve never missed an ex before. Even when things with your new partner got complicated, you never considered going backwards, only forwards, on to the next girl who batted her eyelashes at you, who promised fun and a good time. Just like this Wanda had.
You made a mistake, you realise now. Things hadn’t been easy with your Wanda for a while but running away had been the wrong option. Even if this Wanda who’s cuddled into your side right now finally agreed to travel the multiverse with you, you realise that the only place you truly want to go is home. Home to your Wanda. How could you have ever felt attracted to Natasha or any other girl? Especially this one cuddling into your side who might look like your Wanda but most definitely wasn’t. You’d give anything for Wanda to roll her eyes at you, to snatch your cigarette out of your hand and stub it out whilst lecturing you on how you were endangering your health, and that it was a disgusting habit. The corners of your mouth twitch up into an almost smile as you imagine it.
“Wanda,” You say gently, turning slightly to face her, her arms still loosely wrapped around you. She meets your gaze and you swallow hard at the small, loving smile she gives you. “Wanda-”
“I was thinking we could go to the farmers market tomorrow,” Wanda says, reaching up to cup your cheek with her hand. “There’s a really cute one not far from here. We could get some nice food, come back and have a quiet meal together-”
“I- That sounds awesome, it’s just-” You turn your head away, though Wanda tilts it back gently with her hand. You avoid her gaze as you mumble, “Look, I… I’m sorry Wanda but… I think it’s time… I think it’s time I went home.”
Wanda’s eye-brows furrow and she stares at you for a moment before spluttering out a laugh, “What do you mean? You are home.”
“No, I mean… My universe. The one that I came from.” Your voice drops quieter with every word that leaves your mouth as you watch Wanda’s expression shift from contentment into confusion. “I… I shouldn’t have left. It was wrong and I’m sorry, I should never have-”
“Wrong? What do you mean it was wrong?”
“I know that we said love would come later,” You say quietly. “But… Love never came, Wanda. I don’t love you. I love… I love the Wanda that I left behind. I miss her and I want to go back.”
Hurt flashes across Wanda’s face but it’s quickly replaced with anger. You’d longed for her to snap at you for months, to disagree with you, to finally fight you on something. It seems you’ve finally struck a nerve. “We’re the same. You can’t love her but not love me, that doesn’t even make sense. You can’t miss her, I’m right here-”
“You’re… You’re not the same though. Look, I’m really sorry but you deserve better than me-”
“You agreed to come with me, I didn’t force you-”
“Yeah, I know, but… I’ve changed my mind. I want to go home.”
“You’ve changed your mind? So you’re just going to leave me here by myself?”
“I’m sure there’s a Y/N out there who’s by herself, who would-”
“Do you know how many universes I went to before finding a variation of you that agreed to come with me? How many rejections I had to suffer from the woman I love more than anything?” Wanda snaps, her voice rising. The ferocity in her face and voice frightens you – perhaps it’s because she’s usually so agreeable, so soft-spoken. This Wanda is far scarier than your Wanda. “How many years of searching it took me? So many universes where you were already dead or you loved the variant of me too much to leave. You chose this Y/N. You don’t get to back out, not after everything I went through to find you.”
“Wanda-”
“I’ve treated you well, haven’t I? We- You have a good life here Y/N. You were bored with the Wanda in your universe, you’ll only grow bored of her again.”
“I- I don’t think that’s true though, I-”
“Is it because we haven’t done our multiverse travel? I know how much you wanted to, I just… I was alone for a long time; I just wanted a year to truly enjoy you. Is that so wrong?”
“Wanda, I want to go home.” You say in the firmest voice you can manage though your hands are shaking now.
Wanda’s mouth turns into a thin line as she purses her lips before shaking her head, “No.”
“Wanda, please-”
“I said no. You can’t get back without me and I’m not sending you.”
You feel sick to your stomach, your palms turning sweaty as you shift back on the bed. Wanda’s arms tighten around you, pulling you closer again. “My beloved, don’t act like this-”
“I hate when you call me that. I want to go back Wanda, I’m sorry-”
“And I’ve already told you, you’re not abandoning ship just because things aren’t as fun as you’d like. You chose to come here, this is your universe now, your home. I’m not sending you back just because you’re bored.”
Your cheeks heat up as she calls you out. “Wanda, this- This isn’t funny, you’re freaking me out. If you won’t send me back home, then… I’m not just going to stay here while you pretend everything’s perfect between us. I’ll leave. I’ll go somewhere else, start a new life with somewhere else. You can’t just keep me here.”
Wanda’s fingers gently brush over your cheek and she suddenly smiles, a dark smile that sends a chill down your spine. “Oh my beloved… You’re not going anywhere.”
There’s a flash of red before everything goes dark as you lose consciousness.
When you eventually wake up you find yourself in a dark room, with strange carvings on the wall and candles lit around the room. Probably the basement, you think, where Wanda practices most of her magic. You find her studying a book across the room and go to sit up only to discover your hands are tied behind your back and your ankles are also bound together. Panic sets in and you squirm, attracting Wanda’s attention as she looks up at you.
“It’s okay my beloved,” Wanda says softly, looking back down at the book again. “This is only temporary.”
“Please just send me home,” You beg, squirming in the ropes. “Wanda, there are so many Y/N’s out there who would be thrilled if you-”
Wanda holds up her hand, and you find you can’t talk anymore. She must be using magic to prevent you. You want to ask what she’s doing, what she’s going to do to you, to beg, to plead, to curse at her, but there’s nothing you can do. You can’t make a sound and although you squirm desperately, you can’t free yourself from the ropes. You think about your Wanda in the universe you left behind and your eyes water. A choked sob nearly escapes your lips, but Wanda’s powers are so strong that you can’t make any kind of noise at all. Silent tears trickle down your cheeks as you imagine her back at the Avengers compound, probably with Carol. It makes your heart hurt to imagine her with someone and you wish you could scream.
Finally Wanda crosses the room, squatting down in front of you and giving you a warm smile as she reaches across to brush a tear away from your cheek, “It’s okay,” Wanda says. “I’ve found the perfect spell. Everything’s going to be okay, just trust me.” Wanda pauses, her expression softening as she looks at you. “I know this isn’t what you want,” she says. “But I can’t lose you again. I just can’t.”
You try again to sob but you still can’t make any noise as Wanda sits back, crossing her legs and closing her eyes as she prepares to cast whatever spell she’s found in that book of hers. You close your own eyes and think about your Wanda, praying again for her safety, her happiness, as you prepare for whatever this Wanda has planned for you. No matter how much the image of Wanda and Carol cuddled up together hurts you, you hope Wanda is happy. That she’s loved, that she’s safe, that she’s moved on. Because you realise with a chilling finality that you’re not going anywhere. Not anytime soon.
“Come inside,” Natasha urges softly. “We’re watching a movie.” Wanda simply shakes her head, staring out at the night sky. Natasha sighs, “Wanda, it’s been months. It’s time to accept that she’s not coming back.”
Wanda had already tried to move on. Back when you’d first left she’d gotten with Carol, just like you’d advised. And it was… Nice. It was okay. But she wasn’t you. The two of them had only lasted a month until they’d broken up. Carol was amazing but that spark Wanda had thought was there had fallen flat almost immediately. They didn’t actually have much in common – Carol had returned to space, and Wanda had stayed at the compound.
After weeks of sleepless nights Wanda had finally realised what the real problem was. She’d been looking for an old jacket of hers when she’d come across a box of cigarettes, realising you must’ve hidden them away. For a moment Wanda had been furious and she’d gone to shout at you before remembering. Instead, she’d burst into tears, falling to her knees in the middle of her bedroom and sobbing until she’d thought she might throw up. Her grief for you was dull and constant, made worse because she knew you weren’t dead. Just out there in the multiverse with a girl who looked just like her, but wasn’t her.
“But she might,” Wanda eventually replies quietly. “And if she does, I’m going to be right here. Waiting for her.”
