TWO YEARS LATER,
EDINBURGH
CARSON wiped a hand over his face as he looked up at himself in the mirror, his hands tightly gripping the sides of the sink while he tried to block out the booming music coming from outside the mens bathroom.
"Uh, you alright there?" A random man washing his hands in the sink next to him asked, looking at Carson through the mirror. "Your eyes..."
Carson glanced at his reflection once more, blinking a few times to clear the faint red glow. "Allergies."
Lie.
"For a second it looked like— actually, never mind I've probably just had too much to drink." The man shrugged. "But are you sure you're feeling alright?"
"I'm fine."
Another lie.
"Headache." Carson told the man. "Everything is just so loud." He said the last part quiet enough so the man couldn't hear.
"Oh, I've had my fair share of those, believe me. I guess it doesn't help that the DJ is playing crap music, huh? I mean if you've got a headache you at least wanna be able to enjoy it am I right?"
The man chuckled to himself but slowly stopped when he noticed Carson still stood there with a straight face.
He was probably coming across as rude, he knew that. It's not like he wanted to be. This random guy seemed nice enough, if it was any other normal day then Carson probably would've laughed along and actually engaged in the conversation.
But he had other things on his mind.
Things that he couldn't quite figure out yet.
"Um, well anyway... I'm gonna get back out there so.." The man started to walk towards the door. "I hope your headache clears up."
Carson watched as the man left the bathroom then turned back to his reflection with a sigh.
"I hope it does too." He mumbled under his breath.
After a few more moments, once the pains in his head had calmed down, he leant up from his spot at the sink and left the bathroom, making sure to change his demeanour as soon as he stepped out of the door.
Once he stepped back into the room, he took a breath as he looked at his surroundings. Taking in the music, the flashing lights, the huge crowds of people laughing and dancing. His eyes came to a stop when he saw Wanda sat at the bar taking a sip of her drink, he smiled to himself and started to walk forwards.
As the people in the crowd moved around, the view of the bar became a lot clearer and allowed him to see that his girlfriend was in fact not alone.
Oh this would be interesting.
He furrowed his brows at the sight of a blonde haired man sat on the stool next to Wanda, telling her something that apparently must've been the funniest thing in the world considering how hard she was laughing.
A waiter walking past with a tray of shots caught Carson's attention and he grabbed the man's arm, stopping him from waking past.
Carson took a shot from the tray and threw it back before patting the waiter on the shoulder to let him know that he could leave.
"Cheers." Carson told the waiter, trying not to get annoyed or distracted by the sight ahead of him.
He turned his attention back to his girlfriend, his head tilting to the side in confusion as he noticed the change in her body language. She was no longer smiling and happily talking to the blonde haired man. He could practically feel the tenseness radiating from her.
She was sat up straighter, her chair now having moved further away and it being against the wall. Almost as if she was trying to get away—
"Motherfucker." Carson mumbled under his breath as he looked down, noticing the man's hand now being placed on Wanda's leg.
"Are you here with someone?" Carson allowed his hearing to tune into their conversation.
"Actually I am." Wanda responded. "I'm here with my boyfriend, he's just—"
"I don't see anyone here. You're not lying to me to get me away are you?"
"If you would've let me finish, then I was about to say that he's in the bathroom. He'll be back soon."
"So I can just sit here with you until he gets back, no?"
Wanda huffed. "Look, I've been trying to be polite. I've laughed at your jokes, I've entertained the conversation, I've been friendly. But it's nothing more than that and never will be. Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but I think it's time for you to leave, before he gets back, no?" She mimicked the man's tone from earlier making Carson smirk. Atta girl.
"Oh come onnnn." The man scooted closer.
"No." Wanda tried to move backwards but her chair was stopped by the wall. She looked back towards the man and shook her head. "I said no."
His jaw clenched at the sight of Wanda removing the man's hand, only for him to place it back on her thigh. He moved his way through the crowd and headed straight towards the bar, not caring who he bumped into.
It's a good thing they were on run and had to conceal their powers because he would've had that man flung out the window by now.
He approached the pair and cleared his throat, making the man turn around. Wanda instantly let out a breath once Carson arrived and looked up at him, watching his every move so she could get ready to step in if she needed to.
"Can I help you?" The man asked.
Carson hummed and glanced down at the man's hand as Wanda shoved it off once more, now glaring at the blonde man herself.
Forget about Carson launching him out the window, Wanda looked like she was about to do it too.
"You're in my seat." Carson told the man. "Move."
The man scoffed. "I didn't realise that this place had assigned seats."
Carson gave him a wry smile. "I'm not going to ask twice."
"Jesus, alright, fine." The man raised his hands in surrender and stood up.
Just as the man walked past him, Carson harshly grabbed his arm and pulled him back, making the man wince from the force that was used.
"What the hell is your problem?! I said I was leaving!" The man tried to break free but Carson didn't budge.
"Oh, I'm not quite finished with you yet." Carson glared at him. "When someone says no, it means no. When someone pushes your hand off them, that's not an invitation to put it back. You understand?"
The man rolled his eyes and nodded.
Carson let go of his arm and pushed him away. "Good. Now piss off."
He scoffed once more and started to walk away from the couple. "She was nothing but a boring little slut anyway." The man mumbled under his breath, quiet enough that anyone around couldn't hear.
But he wasn't around just anyone.
And Carson knew exactly what he said.
Wanda noticed the look on Carson's face and instantly knew that something was up, pretty sure that the man had said something to tick him off.
She cleared her throat. "Carson wait—"
"Quiet." He told her.
Wanda muttered something else but he ignored it and grabbed the man by the back of his collar, pulling him back and slamming him down on the bar face first.
"What the fuck!?" The man groaned.
Carson chuckled and pushed his face further into the counter top, grabbing his arm and twisting it up his back making the man yell as the bones in his arm cracked. Wanda's eyes widened and she quickly stood up from her chair.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. That looked painful. Hell it sounded it too." Carson faux frowned. "I just didn't quite catch that last line, you mind repeating it for me?"
"Get the hell off me!" The man shouted but Carson just rolled his eyes.
"Nope, I don't think that was it." Carson taunted. "Try again."
"Carson." Wanda spoke up from her spot. "People are watching, just leave it. I'm fine."
Carson looked around at the crowd of people that had formed. He chuckled lightly and leant down closer to the man.
"Alright, how about this." He whispered to the man who was still squirming in his grip. "You apologise to my girlfriend right now, and I won't break your arm in front of all these people. Sound good?"
The man stayed silent for a moment before speaking up. "You wouldn't. You aren't capable of something like that."
Carson gripped the mans hair and picked up his head, only to slam it back down against the bar once more. "You have no idea what I'm capable of."
"You're crazy..."
"Perhaps." Carson smirked. He stood up straight, tightening his grip on the man and turning his body slightly so he was looking at Wanda. "Now go on. Say it."
"I swear I'll kill you once I—"
The man's arm was twisted further up his back. He yelled out in pain once again and Carson grinned at the sound of his arm letting out a small popping sound.
"You know, it's amazing what you can do when you just..." Carson pushed further. "Apply a bit of pressure."
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry alright! I'm sorry!" The man tilted his head to look up at Carson, silently begging for him to let go.
"I'm not the one you need to be apologising to." Carson shrugged.
The man looked back at Wanda who let out a small gasp at the sight of the pain he was clearly in.
"I'm sorry! Please just... get him to stop... please!" He pleaded.
Wanda ignored the man and moved over to Carson, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, look at me."
Carson reluctantly looked at her over his shoulder, his facial features softening once he noticed to look on her face. Yeah, sure, his blood was practically boiling at the mans actions and if he was allowed to use his powers the situation would've gone a lot worse. But in all honesty, he had no idea where this sudden outburst came from.
He hadn't acted like that in a long time. Not since he was forced to. And there's no way he'd be making a habit out of it now.
"It's okay." She whispered. "Let him go."
He kept his eyes on Wanda and slowly released the man from his grip, inhaling sharply. The man stumbled to get up and quickly walked away from them all, gritting his teeth as he held onto his arm.
Carson looked around at the crowd that was still watching them. He cleared his throat. "Alright people, shows over. Get lost."
They all jumped a little at his tone and wasted no time in getting back into the normal swing of things, most of them worrying that if they didn't, they'd be next.
Carson sighed and sat down on the stool. Wanda frowned a little and moved in front of him, standing between his legs and draping her arms over his shoulders.
"Now what was that, hm?" Wanda raised a brow and started running her fingers through the back of his hair.
"I know, I know." Carson gave her a small apologetic smile and placed his hands on her hips. "Sorry."
"Well there's no need to be sorry dorogoy." Wanda chuckled. "He kinda did deserve it."
"Kinda?" Carson scoffed. "If we weren't surrounded by people or not keeping our powers on the low then I—"
Carson was cut off by another shooting pain in his head. He winced a little and gripped the bridge of his nose as he waited for it to pass over.
"You okay?" Wanda cupped his face. "What is it?"
"It's nothing." He shook his head. "Just a headache."
"Just a headache?" Wanda fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. "You've been having a lot of those recently."
"I wouldn't exactly say a lot..." Carson replied, scratching the back of his head.
"There's nothing else bothering you is there?" Wanda looked up at him. "If there is you can tell me, you know that right?"
"I know love, I know. But there's nothing to worry about." Carson smiled and kissed the top of her head. "It really is just a headache."
Alright so maybe he wasn't exactly being completely honest with Wanda. But it's not like he wanted to lie to her, he didn't enjoy it. The truth was, these 'headaches' weren't the only thing that had been effecting him recently.
For the past month or so Carson kept having the same reoccurring dream. Everything seeming to be exactly how he left the last time.
He'd wake up, surrounded by trees, with no one around. He was in a forest, he knew that much, but he had no clue where. There would always be multiple spears dropped on the floor in the exact same place, broken armour scattered on the ground.
He couldn't explain why, but he knew that people were supposed to be there. That they was there with him at some point.
But they were gone.
Everyone, was gone.
As he would look around in search for anyone, for anything, he'd always get this feeling that would rush over him. At first it took him a while to understand it but once he did, it instantly send shivers down his spine.
Grief.
Rage.
Death.
Overwhelming amounts, of death.
There was no way he could tell Wanda about it. How could he? He barely understood what it meant himself, there was no need to worry her about it too.
Everything had been perfect for the past two years. They'd travelled all over the world together since the whole Red Room situation, hopping from country to country on the run. And Carson wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of the plans he had for the future. For their future.
Especially not some stupid dream that meant absolutely nothing.
Because it didn't mean anything.
Right?
"We can go back if you want." Wanda told him. "The music won't help."
Carson shook his head. "No, no, it'll pass, besides it's not that bad."
"Are you sure? You know I don't mind."
"I'm sure." He smiled at her. "I love you."
"I love you too dorogoy, so much."
Wanda took ahold of his hand and started walking backwards, pulling him off the stool and along with her. Carson chuckled and shook his head when realised what Wanda was pulling him towards.
"You gonna dance with me, Mr. Swan?" Wanda smirked.
Carson felt his phone buzz in his pocket so before he replied to Wanda, he took it out and quickly glanced down at the screen to see what it was.
M: The ring you picked out will be ready to pick up tomorrow, some time in the afternoon.
He smiled down at his screen and slipped his phone back in his pocket before taking a step closer to Wanda and sliding his hands down onto her waist.
"I'd love to, Ms. Maximoff."
~~ ᗢ ~~
Dw i'm gonna give them more time before everything goes up shits creek 🥲
[Not edited]