Chaos (Sequel to Agony)

Chapter 29

||"It's hard to show people everything, you know? You never know what they'll do with it once they have it."||

As the others finished up desert, Wanda helped Tony bring in the dishes out to the kitchen, where they began to wash and dry them. She was thankful for the dinner Tony had set up, because it meant keeping her busy from laying in her room all night, thinking about...everything.

And she dreaded the hour when it came time to sleep, because that meant crawling into an empty bed and cold sheets. Over the last week, she'd grown accustomed to sleeping beside Steve; waking up to his warmth was her favorite part of the day.

She hoped that whatever was going on with Bucky wasn't bad, and that they had a good, safe trip.

"You were quiet tonight," Tony said, dragging her out of her thoughts. She grabbed a wet plate from his hand and wiped it down, placing it in the dishwasher. "Is everything okay?" He handed her one last plate, and she stuffed it in the dishwasher without drying it, then closed the small door and leaned against the counter.

"It was a long morning," she told him, running a sore arm over the other. "I met Jean Grey today."

That seemed to be enough for him to understand.

"She really leaves a mark, doesn't she," he stared off into nothing, perhaps reliving a memory or perhaps thinking of something else, but Wanda sensed that he too had had a strange encounter with the telepath. "Hey, I uh...I never asked you, or your brother, about having Emma and Crystal stay here. I should have talked with the two of you beforehand, but Emma said that there wouldn't be trouble, and that she'd look after Crystal. I just want to make sure you're okay with this. I am the one who offered the compound as your safe haven. I'd hate for you to think of this place as humdrum."

"Humdrum," she murmured, twisting the ring on her middle finger around and around. "I like that word."

"Me too," he said, handing her a glass of wine. "But, are you okay with this setup? Is this going to work for you?"

Wanda already knew her answer, but she kept silent for a minute before answering him. "Of course I am." His chest softened, and she realized he was holding his breath. "This place...it's perfect for me. It's what I need." The tension in his shoulders relaxed as well, and she could clearly understand why her well-being mattered so much to him.

He felt responsible for her—still. Even after all of this time, after everything they'd been through together, he was still in her debt. He still blamed himself for the loss of their parents; he still blamed himself for months she spent being depressed and lonely without Pietro. The guilt would never leave him, and neither would it leave her.

"Let's get back in there before they eat that pumpkin pie," he said, stepping aside to let her walk by first. Her chest vibrated as she chuckled, and the heaviness in her heart withered away, and it felt good to finally settle her bouncing thoughts.

In the dining room, everyone was still seated. Emma was sipping her wine, as elegantly as a Queen would, but Wanda could tell she was thinking. Those clear blue eyes of hers were hazy in thought.

As for Pietro, he was still seated beside Crystal, and he was actually listening intently as she babbled about some memory involving another man who could light himself on fire. John? Johnny? Wanda wasn't sure what the name was, but Crystal's eyes filled with a sort of pleasant bliss that Wanda wasn't used to seeing in her.

"Alright, who stole a piece of the pie?" Tony grabbed the pie from the middle of the table an held it up. There was a tiny corner piece that had been forked out, and Wanda looked around the table, trying to find the guilty face, but everyone held on strong to their poker faces. "You're all dealing with Pepper when she gets here!" he called out as he walked out, and the room erupted with laughter.