You’re Not Alone, Wanda
Surprise! Here is one of the probably many collaboration fics with the amazingly talented, @pegasusflight77! We hope you enjoy 😊💕
Just after the collapse of the building, Nat saw Wanda's face collapse in horror as well, and ran to her to hug her and shield her from the falling debris.
Wanda trembled and moved away from Natasha, convincing herself that she wasn’t deserving of any comforting or protection. “Oh god what have I done?” She whispered.
"It was an accident," Natasha tried to soothe, "You were trying to save those people. You didn't know the building would collapse." She tried softly, hugging her tightly and rubbing her back, "We have to get out of here," she said, her eyes soft, but face tense with urgency as she was worried what the city's response in person would do to Wanda's already damaged self esteem and grief.
“Maybe I should just stay here and accept my fate.” Wanda replied quietly, feeling the guilt drown her, she had already killed so many innocent people, she probably deserved whatever anger people would take out on her anyway.
"No, you're an Avenger now, Wanda. We're a family. However messed up we might be, we stick together," she said, and with that she put Wanda on the back of her bike and sped back to the Quinjet where the team rode back to the compound.
Wanda sighed, wrapping her arms around Nat as she remained silent for the entire journey. The second they arrived, Wanda swiftly got off the bike and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her and collapsing onto her bed, allowing her emotions to get the best of her as she broke down in tears.
Natasha bit her lip, and as she always did, she put on a brave face after the mission debrief. With Steve, Tony and the others, she and Clint both defended Wanda and talked about their own mistakes. Nat then did her routine of showering, and she changed into a soft tank top and shorts before coming to Wanda's room and gently knocking, "Hey, it's me, sweet pea,"
Wanda froze, forcing her tears to stop as she tensed up. She curled up a little tighter as she heard Nat’s voice, thinking she was going to yell at her now she had chance to process what had happened. She didn’t say or do anything in response due to that, and just mentally prepared herself for whatever Nat was about to say to her.
Natasha gently opened the door, her eyes soft, maternal. She took a look at Wanda and went to the bathroom inside Wanda's room, grabbing a wash cloth and wetting it with warm water. She gently sat on the bed with her, "May I get some of the debris off you?' she asked in her softest voice.
Wanda silently shrugged in response, a little surprised that Nat was still being kind to her despite what she had done. Although it felt somewhat reassuring to know that the Black Widow wasn’t mad at her, she was still convinced that the rest of the world hated her. She stayed in her curled up position, still feeling unworthy of comfort.
Natasha took one of Wanda's hands as softly as she could and began wiping the silt and soot from the explosions off of her. Her hands gently wiping away the day.
"Red ledgers, red magic. We've all had more red in our lives than we care to admit. Passion can lead way to poor positioning, but that doesn't lessen your value, little one," said the redhead, and booped the younger woman's nose with the wet cloth.
Wanda winced occasionally whenever Nat went over a wound, listening to her words before simply shrugging in response. “Why are you being so nice to me? I did something awful.” She murmured sadly.
"You saved a lot of people today despite the ones lost in the crossfire. You didn't take lives with intent. It doesn't change that they were lost. Or that you grieve. Or feel the guilt. But you are not a bad person, Wanda," she said, looking deeply into her green eyes as she softly wiped her face, and then cupped the young woman's face with her hand.
"You are just learning these powers. The world is afraid of what it doesn't understand. I released my history when Ultron was taken down. You should read it sweet girl. I've taken lives when I had a choice. This wasn't you choosing to take them," Nat said, a tear dripping down her cheek, but her voice remained steady. She simply embraced the young woman softly, "You're not alone, Wanda. You never are."
Wanda let out a sigh, her eyes shifting everywhere but into Nat’s, she trembled a little as she shrugged slightly. “I’m sorry…” she murmured in response, looking down as her thoughts now floated around letting the team down in general.
Natasha bit her lip a little, "Would you like me to braid your hair?" She asked quietly, the statements slightly abrupt, but she sensed the witch needed a distraction.
Surprised, Wanda looked up at her with a confused look on her face, out of all the things Nat could’ve replied with, that was one of the last things on her mind. “Uh… sure, I guess.” She replied, slowly turning around so her back was facing Natasha.
Nat grabbed Wanda's hairbrush off the nightstand and gently brushed from bottom to top, before working her expert fingers through the brunette's locks. Occasionally, her fingers would skim the back of her neck as she worked.
Wanda leaned into the feeling, wincing a little as Natasha got the knots out of her hair. She began to zone out for a little while until she flinched the second she felt a feathery sensation along the back of her neck, she bit her lip and managed to stay silent.
Natasha smiled fondly, her ability to read even the smallest changes in body language working to her advantage. Although this time, it was to help a friend smile instead of identifying weaknesses in a target. "Wanda? Are you..ticklish?"
Wanda’s eyes widened briefly, her whole body froze as she took a moment to process how she could answer. On the one hand, she could say that she wasn’t, which would probably mean that Natasha would either give a few pokes before giving up or just respect her answer. On the other hand, she could admit that she was and be subject to the playful torture.
Although, she didn’t necessarily hate it as it reminded her of the playful fights she had with her brother. Eventually, she just shrugged in response, fiddling with her fingers awkwardly.
Nat being as perceptive as she was, asked teasingly, "Would you like me to see if you are? If you don't tell me no, I'm going to take that as a yes, sweetheart,"
Wanda already knew what the answer was, probably, it had been a while since Pietro got her, at least 5 years. But she always lost those playful fights they had as kids. Nat was met with yet another shrug as she looked down and continued to play with her fingers.
The Widow smiled playfully and gently spidered up Wanda's sides, "I bet you've never been spider-tickled by a Widow before," she winked.
The young witch immediately flinched, slamming her arms back against her sides as she tried hard not to react too much. She shook her head in response as she wriggled around slightly.
"Awwww Wanda, it's okay to laugh! C'mon, coochiescoochiecoochie coo! Ticktickticktickle!" Nat teased and spidered her fingers up toward her tummy.
Wanda curled up a little, flinching and letting out a tiny squeal as she tried hard not to giggle. She covered her belly with her arms to protect herself, feeling unworthy of laughing.
"Awww Wanda you're so cute like this! Ticktickticktickle!" Nat smirked and managed to slip her spideringly fingers up her top.
Her eyes widened as she arched her back, she let out another squeal as she gently shoved at Nat’s hands. “Nonono bare skin!” She whined a little.
"Oooh? Ticktickticktickle like thiiiis?" Natasha cooed fondly and skittered up and around her bare belly right under her top, watching Wanda's face playfully as she squirmed to see where she might be most sensitive.
Wanda shook her head as she eventually broke into giggles, scrunching her face up whenever Nat's fingers went under her bellybutton. She squealed and shoved at her hands gently. “NEHEHE!”
Nat smirked, "Awww Wanda has a ticklwish tummy!! Right heeere?" She teased as she shook in gently right under her tummy button
“NEHEHEHEAHAHAH!” Wanda protested as she squealed with high pitched giggles, covering that spot with her hands as she arched her back and squirmed.
"Oh myyyy, who knew the big bad Scarlet Witch was soooo ticklwish??" She cooed and skittered in rapidly and up Wanda's ribs, gently spidering and poking and prodding.
Wanda shook her head, falling backwards onto the bed as she shook her head in response, giggles poured out of her as she continued to gently shove at Nat’s arms. “Shuhuhuhut uhuhuhup!”
Natasha giggled and straddled her, knees softly pinning Wanda's magical hands, she pulled her top up, "I wonder if Wanda woo likes raspberries?" She asked, pausing for just a moment before raspberrying all over her tummy.
Despite Wanda being an incredibly powerful being, she felt completely helpless the second the first raspberry hit her belly, she screeched with laughter and kicked out, shaking her head even quicker as she tried to buck Nat off her. “NOHOHOHPE-“
"Oh noooo! The Scarlet Witch's kryptonite is raspberries????" She gasped and raspberried in as she wiggled a finger into her tummy button too.
“GEHEHEHEHT OHOHOHOFF!” Wanda screeched out, still trying to throw Nat off her waist as she giggled helplessly, although there was a part of her who didn’t necessarily hate this.
Natasha chuckled, stopping only for a moment, looking down at the adorably flustered young woman, "You really want me to stop?" She asked, lightly tracing her fingers in patterns all over Wanda's tummy.
Wanda blushed, scrunching her face up as she let out light giggles, she refused to answer her question as she sucked her stomach in and wriggled around.
Natasha chuckled, shaking her head and rolling her eyes fondly as she smirked, "Wanda you realize I'm an expert in body language-" she blew a huge raspberry and squeezed her sides right along her ablines, "I know you don't totally hate this," she winked and nuzzled her tummy.
“BUHUHUT I DOHOHONT DEHEHESERVE IHIHIT!” Wanda protested, feeling flustered at Nat’s last sentence as she laughed adorably and continued to squirm.
"Oh but you dooooo, yes you doooo, ahhh coochiescoochiecoochie coo! I put a spell on you! You! You!" She poked Wanda's tummy with each "you" before raspberrying at the last, and then squeezed up and down her ribs and sides before bouncing her fingers playfully all over the young witch's tummy.
“I DOHOHOHONT!” Wanda replied, squealing with giggles at the bouncing sensation on her belly, the motion feeling a lot worse than she thought. “MEHEHEHEHEHEAN!”
"Ohhh you wiiiiike the bouncies??" Nat cooed and tried a few more.
Wanda shook her head, despite her giggles clearly saying otherwise, she tried twisting away but to no avail, Nat was wrecking her and they both knew it.
Natasha smirked and decided to go for the grand finale, bouncing all over Wanda's tummy as she raspberried her at the same time, "I've got the Scarlet Witch! She's been neutralized by the TICKLE WIDOW!"
“THEHEHEHEHE WHAHAHAHAT?!” Wanda laughed out as she kicked and thrashed, before slowly beginning to run out of breath and get weaker at every little thing Nat did to playfully torture her until her laughter went silent.
Nat then stopped, rubbing Wanda's tummy and pulling her into a snuggle, she kissed the brunette's temple and ran her fingers through her hair. "I got you," she said, well aware of the double entendre of her words as she had both just wrecked Wanda and now was holding her close and lovingly.
Wanda took in deep breaths, cuddling into Nat and growing closer and more comfortable with her. She nodded silently in response as she felt herself relax properly for the first time that day, feeling the stresses melt off her.
Natasha smiled and kept brushing through Wanda's hair, and then offered, "Would you like to cuddle here for a while and then maybe get yourself ready for bed so I can properly get these knots out of you?"
Wanda clung onto Natasha, feeling safe around her for the first time. She appreciated the physical affection a lot, so she pressed herself further into her, nuzzling her face into her shoulder as she closed her eyes and let out a yawn.
Nat chuckled, "Plan B is I just hold you until you sleep sweet girl," she said, melting at the younger woman's softness, she rubbed her back and held her so close, admiring her sweet face, Nat's thoughts couldn't help but ache as she knew what it was like to be a weaponized child. Wanda deserves all the love in the world. "You deserve all the love in the world, little one," Nat murmured sincerely.
“Meh…” Wanda murmured sleepily in response, feeling herself drift to sleep after a life altering day. She cuddled further into Nat as her body relaxed even more, finally close to falling asleep.
The redhead smiled, her heart full at being able to successfully comfort Wanda and she began humming a Russian lullaby she hoped the younger woman might even faintly recognize, hoping to lull her into a blissful sleep as she continued holding her.
She knew she'd be having the first of many sleepovers with the Scarlet Witch, a beautiful, sweet, misunderstood young woman. Nat knew then she needed to take her under her wing and protect her and guide her as best she could.
