Can't Ask, Don't Need, Won't Acknowledge

Chapter 22: First day

Wanda narrowed her eyes at the two sheepish looking adults. “What clothes have you got me??”

Natasha rested her hand on the younger girl’s shoulder, “we will go shopping for some more clothes for you next weekend, but your school attire is sorted.”

Wanda looked confused for a second, before the realisation dawned on her. “I’m not wearing a school uniform….” She crossed her arms tersely across her chest. Steve looked over at Natasha.

“You have to Wanda, we are in England most schools have a uniform policy.”

“Then I’m not going to school, this is humiliating.”

Steve stood up and walked over to where Wanda was sitting and Natasha was stood. He occupied the space the other side of Wanda, so Wanda was directly between the two adults.

Natasha spoke up, “just think of it as you being undercover.”

Wanda whined, “I still don’t see why I can’t just be an adult undercover.” Natasha smiled over the top of Wanda’s head at Steve. She sounded so young when she was whining. It just confirmed she was doing the right thing in her head and that Wanda was a kid.

“We can revisit it next time Wanda, I promise. We plan to only stay in one location for a maximum of 6 months, so if the accords aren’t resolved by then we will consider a change to the cover then,” replied Steve. Wanda narrowed her eyes at the smiling Natasha who was nodding along to what Steve was saying.

“You are enjoying this too much…” Wanda placed her empty used cup in the sink.

“You going to wash that up?” asked Natasha, as Wanda went to leave the kitchen. Wanda smirked at the older woman, “No I thought I would leave that to you Mama. I better start acting like a teenager now.”

Natasha looked over to the kitchen side, at the spilled sugar and coffee, “I deserved that…” Steve laughed out loud in response.

………………………………

“You ready?” Natasha yelled up the stairs, she was dressed in a pencil skirt and white blouse, checking her watch furiously.

“I’m not coming down…” yelled back Wanda from the top of the stairs. “I Look ridiculous.”

“Wanda we are going to be late, come on.”

Wanda stepped out onto the landing to the top of the stairs. The black skirt fell below her knee; the green blazer with the school shield emblazoned across it. Her white shirt was tucked in, and the school tie finished off the outfit.

Natasha looked up at her from the downstairs hallway, “you are missing the socks.”

“I’m not wearing the socks Mama.”

“It’s part of the uniform Wanda.”

Wanda growled and stomped back into her bedroom. Steve stood in the kitchen doorway watching this all unfold.

“I think she’s right, you are enjoying this too much,” Steve muttered from the doorway.

Natasha looked over at him, “I’m just happy she is behaving like an actual teenager for once, even if it is a little frustrating.”