Lizzie sat on the bed with no emotions across her face. It was a look that broke Jo every time she saw it. Paul came and sat beside Lizzie. Lizzie looked over and the scene began... "But what is grief if not love persevering?" Tears formed in Jos as she watched the scene play out. Her chest felt lighter when Lizzie smiled lightly.
Lizzie was on wires as she was lowered from the top level of the sword compound down to where Paul laid on the table. When she got down there Paul barely cracked a smile making Lizzie bust out laughing. Lizzie said, "Okay okay this is serious."But he moved again and all Lizzie did was laugh. Lizzie looked out into the sea of crew members to see Jo smiling under her mask. Jo flashed her a wink, making Lizzie's heart contract. Take after take after take the two could not stop laughing. Lizzie looked up to see her wife quickly running off the set and towards the bathroom. Lizzie knew her wife. She knew her movements, her body language, something about the way Jo was moving caused the hair to stand on the back of her neck. Paul could see the distress across Lizzie's face and the turmoil happening within.
"Go," he whispered
Lizzie quickly exited the set at a fast walk that quickly morphed into a jog as she approached the women's bathroom. She gently pushed the door open calling out softly "Jo."
"Lizzie?"
"It's me, baby."
Jo stepped out of the open stall, her hand shielding her nose and mouth. Lizzie stepped towards her "It's just me love you don't have to cover your mouth."
"It's not that," Jo said muffled
"What's wrong?"
Jo removed her hand showing where the tissue was soaked with blood. Lizzie's eyes widened as she moved towards Jo. She moved her wife's hands out of the way quickly inspecting the blood-soaked cotton stuffed nostril. Lizzie pushed her wife towards the sink. "Pinch the soft spot of your nose. I'm going to throw the cotton away." Jo leaned back out of habit as Lizzie went to remove the tissue. Lizzie gently grabbed her wife's chin bringing it down over the sink. "I know it's gross but you have to let it drip. Breath through your mouth."
"How long do I have to do this?" Jo asked, her voice distorted
"Ten to fifteen minutes," Lizzie said, jumping to sit on the sink beside her wife. Jo's eyes widened. Lizzie rolled her eyes "Don't worry time will fly."
"You should go back," Jo said truthfully
"Nope! I am perfect right here."
Jo tilted her head at Lizzie much like how Wanda does something she learned from spending years at Lizzie's side "I'm fine. You guys will get behind."
"I don't care. I am not letting you stand here your head over a basin as blood drips out of your nose alone."
"Fine." Jo surrendered with a smile
Lizzie brought her legs underneath her sitting cross-legged when she said "I'm not prepared for what's about to be filmed."
"The 'I can't feel you'?" Lizzie nodded "How come baby?"
"I know where I'm going to have to go mentally and I don't want to go there. When I look down at Paul I'm going to have to see you."
Jo reached over her hand cupping Lizzies face her thumb caressing her cheek. "I will be right there so when you look up you see me."
Lizzie nodded smiling gently at her wife. "How does your nose feel?"
"I think it's good."
Lizzie gently took a hold of her wife's jaw saying "Let me look, baby." Lizzie meticulously inspected every square inch of her wife's face. Once she was satisfied she kissed Jo on the cheek. Jo kept a firm hold on her wife's face. "Come on you can do better."
"Is that so?" Lizzie smiled
Jo leaned in smiling against Lizzie's lips "I believe so."
They leaned in kissing. Just then Kathryn came bursting into the bathroom "Oh come on! You guys came in here just to make out?!"
Jo pulled away annoyed as Lizzie hid her face in Jo's shoulder "No! My nose was bleeding."
"I don't see where the locked lips come into play."
Jo flicked Kathryn off. Jo went to stand in front of her wife removing Lizzie's face from her shoulder giving her a quick peck before helping her off the counter.
They all three walked back onto the set. Lizzie took her place beside Paul while Jo went and squatted in front of her out of frame. Lizzie looked at her wife taking a deep breath. Tears built quickly in her eyes as she looked down at Paul, her hand hovering over his head, "I can't feel you. I can't feel you."
The truth in her voice made Jos' heart hurt. She said it over and over as they filmed each one becoming more and more broken. Finally, the director yells cut. Lizzie took a deep breath stepping away from Paul. Paul sat up quickly hugging her. Jo could see her wife was holding in. She knew Lizzie had to hold it. Lizzie was quickly whisked away from the set. Away from Jo. She was placed on a golf cart and driven quickly across the backlot. Jo was fuming she knew her wife was doing her job and she knows this is what has to be done but rushing her wife away without checking on her made her so mad. She quickly followed suit, hopping in one of the UTVs. When she arrived she stood back behind the production crew where she wouldn't be seen. She watched in shock and awe as Lizzie sat in a red Buick pulling into what would be Wanda and Visions' home. She watched as her wife in one take stepped out of the car went to the foundation before opening a piece of paper falling to her knees erupting in sobs. "And cut!"
Lizzie stood tears still streaming down her face she looked around the production team trying to find her wife in the sea of faces "Jo. looked over at the director "Matt have you seen Jo?"
"No."
"Is she still at the SWORD set?"
"Maybe... " he said slowly "We kinda just scooped you up and ran.
Lizzie's head was on a swivel trying hard to find her wife. Matt walked up to her but she quickly dismissed him saying "I'm sorry I have to find Jo."
"Lizzie-"
"Matt! I have to find my wife."
One of the long-term crew members who knew Lizzie and Jo very well said "Let her get to her wife."
"But we have-"
Paul walked up saying "Trust me she needs a minute and she will be back and better just let her have a minute."
Jo walked out into the crowd. Lizzie turned to see Jo walking towards her. Gah, she was beautiful. Her blue eyes seemed to shine a little bit brighter. Pools to the soul. Her walk was powerful in every moment something Lizzie was always amazed by. Sure Lizzie knew how to carry herself, knew how to have a powerful walk but it was often based on moments but Jo, her Jo had this presence around her this aura that captured Lizzie from the moment she met her.
~~~
Lizzie was new to the MCU. She was only supposed to spend one day on the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Everything felt new and shiny. It was her first major production at this level. When she walked onto set she was ushered to a small set. She listened to the instructions she was being given when this woman caught her eye. She had to be around her age. She walked with this confidence but brokenness. The mystery woman walked up to her "Hello I'm Jo. The set photographer."
"Lizzie. Lizzie Olsen."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Lizzie. Lizzie Olsen."
"Likewise." Lizzie smiled
"You see that dot on the wall?" Jo asked
Lizzie looked at where the woman was looking nodding.
Jo squatted down beside Lizzie holding her hand in a contorted manner. "Can you do something like this?" Lizzie mirrored Jo.
Jo smiled standing saying "Beautiful. Hold that for me." She snapped a picture. As she stood she helped Lizzie to her feet. "It was great to meet you, Lizzie Olsen."
Lizzie watched as the women walked away. She was something so captivating so mesmerizing. Lizzie looked around grabbing a crew member's attention "Who is that?"
"Jo?" Lizzie nodded
"Josephine Hamilton, world-renowned photographer, tons of awards, been all around the world and back?"
"Really! What is she doing at Marvel?"
"She started here. It's her home I guess. Too bad she's a lesbian I would have snatched her up."
Lizzie smirked to herself as the director walked on barking instructions.
~~
When Jo locked eyes on her wife Jo quickly bounded towards her. When she reached Lizzie she pulled her in quickly whispering. "Hold on love."
Jo quickly ushered her wife onto the UTV driving away from the crowd. Once they were secluded Jo quickly climbed out of the UTV. Lizzie followed around the back of the UTV she latched hard onto her wife breathing in her sweet smell before letting out a gentle sob. She was home. Her wife was safe and she was home.
Jo gently rubbed her wife's back letting her let her emotions out. "I'm okay. I'm right here."
"Why can't I just act? Why do I have to feel it all?"
"You go in wholehearted. It is what makes you the amazing actress you are."
"Thank you, baby."
"For what?" Jo asked with a smile
"Being you."
"Oh, baby. You make it easy."
Lizzie just grabbed onto her wife just basking in her warmth and familiarity. Jo kissed her wife's head asking "You ready to head back?"
"Yeah." Lizzie sighed
"You sure?" Jo laughed gently kissing her wife again
"Yeah, baby I am."
"If it gets to be too much-"
"Find me in a crowded room." Lizzie finished
"Have I become that predictable?" Jo laughed
Lizzies kissed her wife's nose "You? Never."
"I love you."
"I love you more."
"I love you most."
"Never."
"Never." Jo smiled leaning in for a kiss.