Trepidation || Wanda Maximoff

73|Running

Riley's POV
I had woken early this morning, With the meeting over yesterday I had the whole day to do whatever I wanted. Groggily I walked into the main room. I was in a black gym shirt and some white shorts (A/N outfit above) and was getting some cereal before going out to the running track. It was quite early, 6 AM, so I made sure to be quiet as to not wake anyone. I had woken early, yes, but surprisingly it hadn't been from a nightmare which was nice. I had found it difficult to get out of Wanda's tight embrace and get changed without waking her but I had managed it. Deciding upon leaving a note I had written one a post it note that I had gone to the running track I had left the room.

Currently I was moving my spoon around my bowl of food tiredly. Normally I can get by on little, to no sleep but its been catching up with me and I am feeling exhausted. That could have been because i got a decent amount of sleep last night, and now feel more tired. Or that i just haven't been getting enough sleep generally.

Exercising normally wakes me up, thats why I am going to the running track. Along with the fact that I haven't been for a while. Running is so freeing, especially while listening to music, its a great escape.

Steve have mentioned that I will be going to school starting next week, and I don't know how to feel about that. I miss my friends, and like learning but it gets boring as the work is always so easy. Some days are really good though, but those have slowly become increasingly rare, the longer I have been at school. I head over to the tap and fill up my water bottle as running makes me increasingly thirsty. I also grab a cereal bar to have after my run so I am no too tired and make my way to the running track.

Setting my drink and bar down I begin some gentle stretches to warm up, after surviving Hydra I don't want to become severely injured by pulling or tearing a muscle. Haha, I'm so funny. Wanda would probably slap me if I said something like that to her, and if she didn't Peter would. I could name many people that would. Steve would scold me instead of slapping me though.

With the thought of my teammates and friends reactions I press play on my music and begin to jog gently around the track. To eventually build up my pace, starting off slow is always safer so I can do a warm up. That's what my old coach told me. Never to go to quickly at the start and to allow my muscles to warm up before I do anything too strenuous. While I was jogging Steve and Bucky walked outside, both in sports wear, ready to run. They are both grinning, bright smiles. I wonder what they have been up to. Actually, I don't want to think about it.

I waved to them as they walked over me giving them a wide smile. Bucky and Steve are two of my favourite adults. Bucky really understands me, and what I have been through, and Steve is so kind. He is always caring and looking out for me, along with everyone in the compound.

"Hello Riley!" Bucky shouts cheerfully. He seems exited about something, as the genuine smile on his face is rare. The fake ones are more common but I see through those, but the genuine ones. When they are there, they are amazing, he could light up the room with his genuine smile. It is lovely to see Bucky happy, and so exited about whatever he is exited about.

Steve is grinning too. He waves at me, in almost a childish manor. With how quickly he is moving his hand and the cheeky grin on his face make shim look a little bit like a toddler in his mannerisms and Demeanour. Obviously, he looks like an adult most of the time, with the large muscles and his height.

"What got you two all smiley?" I ask the grinning pair, the two just shrug and try to play it off but, they don't do it too well. The smiles are still wide and their bodies full of energy and life. I just sigh, a small smile on my face, if they don't want to tell me it's fine. It could be a more personal matter, or some funny secret. I don't want to intrude, and I don't need to know everything either.

"Do you want to do some running?" Steve asks. I grin, ready to give a sarcastic response.

"Actually no, I just came here to stare at the track, and Tao my foot against the floor, oh and maybe even glance at the sky to see if I could spot any birds passing by. I really didn't want to run this morning so I came out to the running track" I state. Close to smiling, sometimes i can trick one of the pair with my responses. They may be soldier but they are clueless when it comes to modern talk. or as I like to call it, the Gen Z, language.

"Oh, o-okay thats alright" Steve stutters nervously, looking incredibly confused. Bucky bursts out laughing at his boyfriend, obviously understanding what I was implying.

"Babe, Riley was being sarcastic" Bucky tells his boyfriend.

"Ah, I though you were, but I got confused and doubted it thinking you were being serious" Steve states, chuckling lightly as he seems to go over the comment in his head.

"Steve, would anyone actually do that. Think logically before you get all confused" I say, grinning at the old man. Its times like these where is age really comes through. Bucky is better at the Gen Z stuff, he has tried to keep up with it more instead of being all serious and leader-y.

Steve chuckles and nods "I'll make a note of that, think logically. Okay" Steve jokes slightly, Bucky cracks a grin, seemingly glad Steve understands.

We all begin to run. I sport off quickly, before the Steve and Bucky even start. Laughing. Steve managed to catch up, with Bucky only a few steps behind. But Bucky trips over a shoe that someone had left on the track, from the looks of it, Pietro's shoe. I glance around to make sure he is alright, once I know he is fine i carry on running, trying to continue going fast. Steve stops slightly and hesitates before Bucky ushers him to continue, stating he is fine.

But the damage has already been done. I am far enough a head that it would be very difficult for Steve to catch up. I finish the lap brightly smiling. Brushing the hair out of my face I look over to Steve, who is breathing loudly. I chuckle.

"I didn't know you were still asthmatic?" I ask, grinning. Showing Steve i was only joking, he chuckles and grins back. Jogging slightly, Bucky slowly comes closer to us. He nods to towards Steve? For whatever reason. And walks over to me, as Steve stands.

"Riley, we have been thinking about this for a while, and erm, well. We were wondering if you would be okay with us adopting you?"