TEARS ROLLED DOWN his face as he read the last words of the letter. Y/N looked out the window of their hotel room in Edinburgh, leaning his arm against the glass.
Wanda stood up from the bed and went over to him, putting her hands on his shoulders and stroking the top of it. She had an idea of what the letter was about, and didn't need to ask before Y/N summed it up.
"She's gone. Two nights ago she..."
Y/N's grandmother passed away. She was the only blood-related family he had left, and now she was gone.
Throughout the last two years on the run he would occasionally visit her in Chicago, flying over there and using his invisibility to not be seen. The only people who would see him were his grandmother and her caretaker, the latter is who sent him the letter.
His grandmother didn't really understand the situation he was in. She didn't get the Accords and why it affected his life so much. Y/N always told her that they would figure it out so he can be able to freely see her again. She would also ask how Wanda was and wanted to know if he was still happy with her. Y/N was always glad to say he was.
Wanda kept rubbing his shoulders, "I'm so sorry, moja láska (my love)."
Y/N looked down. The witch lifted his head back up and wiped away the tears on his cheek with her thumb.
"She knew you were still there for her. She never felt alone. And she's happy that you're still okay."
He gave a shade of a smile. He was still dispirited, but appreciated the words Wanda gave him. He ran his fingers along her hair.
"She'd be happy that we're both okay. She cared about you too, Wanda. You are family."
He looked into her eyes for a moment then leaned in to kiss her. The past two years could've been worse, but they were bearable because he had her alongside him.
"We should get some sleep. Come on." Wanda said.
Y/N gave a simple nod, and Wanda started walking over to the bed nearby. He still held the letter, and went over to the dresser to put it away. He opened one of the drawers, and saw the box he kept his things in. He opened it and put down the letter, but saw another piece of paper that he recognized.
He picked it up and unfolded it, looking at the deed for a property in Westview, New Jersey.
Y/N went out of his way to try and look for a place to spend the rest of his life with Wanda in. He wanted to settle down instead of checking into hotels every other week while on the run. Vision helped, and found a place in New Jersey that was both nice and pretty isolated.
Having Vision as a close friend was a blessing. He'd always visit and spend time with the two of them throughout their two years away from the United States. Y/N offered him a place with him and Wanda in Westview, which was the least he can do since Vision was the one who acquired the place.
Vision said he'd think about it, him not being sure what Tony and everybody else would think. He did mention that he can permanently shut off his transponder though.
Y/N kept looking at the deed, seeing both Wanda and his name on it. He even wrote in the middle of it and drew a heart over the text.
To grow old in.
Y/N smiled, he planned on one day surprising Wanda with it. Then maybe...propose to her in some way.
"Y/N?" Wanda called out from the bed.
He snapped out of his thoughts, folding the paper and placing it back in his box. He closed the drawer and turned around.
"Sorry...just got lost in my thoughts." He replied.
"No need to apologize. Come."
Y/N went over to the bed and laid near Wanda. She wrapped her arms around him and planted kisses on his shoulder. She knew he was still hurting, and wanted to comfort him as much as she could.
"Sladké sny. (Sweet dreams.)" She said.
"Dobrú noc, moja láska. (Good night, my love.)"
• • •
HE SAW THE ORANGE PLAINS AGAIN. The wind blew across his face and he tried to shield his eyes.
He's been here several times before, and he remembers the first time he entered this realm.
The Soulworld.
It's not a place he can enter at will, it's very spontaneous. It's still a mystery to him.
Being connected in a way to the Infinity Stones, and in his case the Soul Stone, seemed to give him access to the realm. He hopes to one day fully understand it.
Y/N walked along the plains of his vast orange surroundings. The area then started forming in a neighborhood, and once a few trees and houses appeared, he recognized it.
His grandmother's place.
"What?"
The house fully formed and Y/N jogged over to it. Everything was still pretty blurry and had an orange tint, he didn't know what was real. He opened the door and went inside.
"Hello?" He called out.
Y/N was in the living room. Everything looked as how it is in her real home, from the sofas, to the art on the wall, to the frames on the tables. He went over to one of them, picking it up and seeing a faint photo of him with his grandmother. That exact picture was taken about a year after his parents died.
"Welcome home, hun." A voice spoke behind him.
Y/N put down the frame and looked back. There, he saw his grandmother standing by the sofa. It's been a while since he's seen her out of her bed and able to freely walk.
"Ma?" He breathed out.
"You've been hurting. Come here." She extended her arms, offering him a hug.
Y/N didn't hesitate and went over to embrace his grandmother. He didn't know if this was real or just a dream. He didn't know if this was really the spirit of his grandmother of just a figment of what the Soulworld wanted him to see.
"What is this?" He asked as he continued to hug her.
She didn't answer the question and left the embrace to caress his cheek.
"All you need to know is that I love you, Y/N. Even gone, I always will. We're proud of what you've become."
"We're?"
"Me. Your mother. Your father."
Y/N's eyes widened. Even though he's been to the Soulworld several times already, he has yet to run into his parents.
"Where? Are...are they here?" He stuttered.
"You'll see them one day. You will."
Y/N sighed. He should've known it wouldn't be that easy. It wasn't going to be like a lucid dream where things can go his way.
"I miss them, ma. And now you're gone..." He started to speak as he looked down.
She interrupted him, "Are you happy?"
Y/N looked back up at her.
"Are you happy with what you have right now?" She asked again.
"Yes...even though our circumstances aren't ideal, I am." He answered.
"Even with us gone, you are not alone. You don't have nothing, you'll always have something."
Y/N thought of Wanda. He thought of Vision. He also thought of his current team that included Steve, Natasha, and Sam.
He still had them.
"Family isn't formed just by bloodlines, it's formed by the struggles and successes you and a unit go through together." She explained.
A unit.
A team.
The Avengers.
Y/N nodded, understanding what his grandmother was saying. He needed to hear these words. He was glad to see his grandmother again.
"Thank you, ma."
They hugged again, and their surroundings began to dissipate. Y/N knew he was either waking up or being transported back out of the realm, but he still held his grandmother until everything disappeared.
• • •
HE WOKE UP, opening his eyes and seeing the ceiling above him. Wanda was asleep beside him, Y/N hearing the rhythm of her breathing. He remembered the first couple times he's come to from these dreams and how he'd wake her with his yelps. Now they are more calm, especially the one he just had.
Y/N adjusted himself on the bed and faced the window, looking out of it and seeing the buildings of the town they stayed at.
He did have something. He didn't have nothing. And that made him happy. He was grateful for everything he had now.
Nothing would be able to take that from him...
...or so he thought.