Chaos (Sequel to Agony)

Chapter 34

||"She is proud, she is struggling with herself; but kind, charming, generous."||

Pietro wasn't in his room when Wanda walked in the next morning, but with the way he was acting the day before, she assumed that he was off training off his anger.

His temper...she wanted to talk to him about it. Knowing that he was lashing out at people because of her made her feel guilty, even though she wasn't doing anything wrong. He had a habit of going too far when it came to her safety, and though his love for her was unbreakable, perhaps the lengths he went to in order to protect that love was something that could be worked with.

The living room and kitchen were empty when she walked in, and it daunted on her that she'd woken up extremely early.

The birds outside were still chirping when she found a balcony on one of the upper levels; singing a melodic song to each other from across the land.

It was soothing.

It almost reminded her of Sokovia, and of Nik, and how he spoke of nature as if he were part of it. He loved the wind and the warmth and the scent of earth. He always said he wanted to visit New York City, but Wanda knew he wouldn't find it as beautiful as it sounded. The sound of humans would overwhelm him—drown him, actually.

People talk too much, Wanda, and sometimes they forget to listen. Do you want to know what happens when people forget to listen? They forget to live, Wanda.

A cool tear slid down her cheek, but she smiled as she wiped it away.

"There you are," Pietro said from the balcony doors, and Wanda's smile faded as she turned to look at him. "I'm heading down to workout, did you want to come?"

She crossed her arms and felt her muscles flex. "We need to talk, Pietro."

He stiffened, but managed to walk out and stand beside her.

"What happened yesterday with Emma?"

His head bowed, and she wanted to grab his chin and scold him but he looked so exhausted and dejected that she forced away her need to yell at him.

"I lost it when you went into Cerebro. I didn't know what was happening...and Emma wouldn't tell me so I—I got mad and said some things that I shouldn't have said."

"Pietro—"

"Everyone else is angry with me, Wanda, I can't take it if you are too."

Her lip quivered, and she turned her head out toward the land, where the birds had grown silent, and where the wind was whispering instead of bellowing. They somehow knew that it wasn't the right time to be making a sound.

"You can't keep doing this," she said, gripping the railing until her knuckles went white. "I'm tired of you doing this because of me. You can't protect me from everything, Pietro, it doesn't work that way."

"Everything I do is for you," he said coldly, as if it were a nuisance.

"I didn't ask you to."

He clenched his jaw, breathing roughly through his nose. "It doesn't matter if you asked or not, because you're the only family I have left so that means I do what's best to keep you safe. We're twins, Wanda. We live for each other, and we die for each other—that's the way it works."

The tear that now slid down her cheek was warm and slow, and she wiped it away furiously and stepped away from him.

"I don't want you to live for me...not when it means living life being unhappy."