Keira woke up to warm puffs of air hitting her collarbone and a lazy grin broke out on her lips.
Without opening her eyes, she pressed a kiss to Wanda's forehead. "Good morning, my beautiful." She mumbled sleepily, her voice a bit raspy due to the early hour of the morning. Slowly peeling her eyes open, she saw that the first rays of sunshine were trailing through the thin curtains, bathing the bedroom in a soft light.
Wanda didn't answer but merely nuzzled her nose closer to Keira's neck, a soft smile painting her lips. Letting her hands find their way underneath the blonde's shirt, she gently scratched her nails along Keira's back.
A shiver of pleasure ran down Keira's spine and she could feel the goosebumps erupt in the wake of Wanda's nails. Her hands traveled up Wanda's back to run through the auburn locks, something they normally did out of habit. But these moments were what she lived for, just reveling in the peace and quiet.
It wasn't always like this, which was why Keira appreciated these moments so deeply.
Nightmares plagued Wanda's mind, causing her to wake up screaming and crying in the middle of the night. Keira always tried her best to calm Wanda down and pull her back to reality, but sometimes it was easier said than done.
All she could do was to give it time, to hold Wanda close and whisper reassurances in her ear until the brunette's racing heart and rapid breathing calmed down enough to be responsive to the world around her once again.
Of course, Wanda wasn't the only one being plagued by her own mind. Keira had her fair share of nightmares as well, although she tried to not let them affect her too much.
It was more important for her to be able to help Wanda calm down from the night terrors, than to face her own problems.
So far, they had avoided getting caught although there had been some close calls with people who had recognized them. Luckily, Keira was observant of her surroundings, some may even say a little bit too observant, but when a stranger's eyes widened in realization, she was quick to drag Wanda out of there and get out of the country.
It was a pain in the ass to have to travel commercially, with all the security cameras, checkpoints, and guards, but Keira had spent enough time avoiding authority so she knew how to not get caught by them.
They had kept their word during the last year and stayed in touch with Natasha. Mostly through texts, letting her know that they were switching countries and that things were well.
Sometimes, if they deemed it safe, they would risk a call and instant relief would wash over them at hearing Natasha's familiar voice, usually accompanied by Sam and Steve in the background.
Once or twice, they had even dared to meet up. It had gone without trouble, but they knew they couldn't risk it too often, or they would risk getting caught.
With all five of them being fugitives, they couldn't be too careful.
Keira had even made sure to give Maria a call, who had nearly broken down at hearing the mutant's voice again after such a long time. Because while Maria had signed the Accords to keep her job at SHIELD, she didn't believe in them.
She saw past the façade and knew that it was just a way to keep track of any enhanced individuals, anything beyond that was just a political pipedream.
To both Keira and Wanda's surprise, Vision had reached out to them as well. When he had suggested that they should meet up, they had been a bit reluctant to the idea, considering that they had been on different sides with the Accords.
But Vision insisted that he turned his tracker off and that nobody would follow him to their hideout, and when the first visit went smoothly, they decided to trust the synthezoid. It was actually Vision that they saw the most of, out of their friends.
They didn't really do much when he visited, it was more of the same.
So, for the most part, they just played some board games or watched a new show together. It was nice to get updates on the rest of the team that they had split up from though. Rhodey was now up and walking thanks to an exoskeleton that Tony had built him.
The newest piece of information that they had received from Vision, who was visiting them at their hotel in Croatia, was that Tony and Pepper seemed to have repaired their relationship. Pepper was making frequent visits to the compound, which made Keira really happy.
Tony and Pepper were the one couple she hoped would endure forever.
"My love, I think we need to get up before the sun decides to sink down beyond the horizon again." Keira chuckled, pressing another kiss to Wanda's forehead.
Wanda snuggled impossibly closer to the blonde, their legs so tangled under the covers that she barely knew whose limb was who's. "No." She answered with a faint headshake, stubbornly refusing to open her eyes. "You're gonna stay with me in bed. Vis can do the grocery shopping if we need something."
A breathy laugh escaped Keira's lips and she let one of her hands trail down Wanda's side. "Oh, how can I ever refuse you?"
"You simply can't." Wanda smiled against Keira's skin, pressing a kiss to the mutant's collarbone. She let her fingers dance over the blonde's stomach, loving the way that the muscles tensed and relaxed under her touch. "What's this one from?" She whispered, finally opening her eyes so she could gaze up at the woman she loved while her finger was circling a small scar on Keira's hip.
Keira's smile didn't falter at the question.
Her body was littered with all sorts of scars, everything from grenade shards to old stab wounds. But she never felt self-conscious about them with Wanda.
The biggest step she had taken was the first time that they slept together, and Wanda had discovered the old burn wound that covered the majority of Keira's right shoulder blade. At first, Keira had been a bit hesitant about telling the story, but after seeing no hint of judgment in Wanda's eyes, she had disclosed the story about the time she had disappointed HYDRA.
After that, it had become a natural habit for Wanda to ask about the scars she was curious about when she stumbled over them.
Most of them were covered by tattoos though, as Keira didn't want them to be so visible to strangers when she wore a tank top and shorts during summer.
"Oh, that one? Bone marrow." Keira answered simply, but when she was met with silence, she glanced down to see Wanda's uncomprehending look. "They make an incision, then they drill through the bone to extract the bone marrow through a syringe. And let's just say that HYDRA wasn't exactly a fan of anesthetics."
Wanda's previously relaxed face turned into a disgusted one. "That's just awful."
Keira couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped her lips at Wanda's expression and she pressed a kiss to the place between Wanda's eyebrows, hoping it would unknot them. "You're very cute when you furrow your eyebrows together. But yeah, I can admit it's not my favorite memory."
When Wanda's expression didn't change, Keira decided to change tactics and pressed featherlight kisses all over the brunette's face.
This eventually caused Wanda to fall into a fit of giggles, and she playfully rolled her eyes. "You're such a charmer." She untangled her arms from underneath Keira's clothes and cupped the blonde's cheeks, her smile widening as Keira leaned into her touch before turning her head to kiss her palm.
Placing her hand over Wanda's, Keira gave it a little squeeze before letting her hand fall down to the pendant that hung around Wanda's neck. It didn't look special to the world, as it was just a simple gold chain with a circular, dark gemstone, but it meant everything to Wanda.
They had been strolling down the narrow street of a small Portuguese city when Wanda suddenly had slipped out of Keira's grasp to run up to a shop window. It had been a small jewelry shop, full of handcrafted rings and necklaces.
While Wanda had bought herself a silver ring, Keira hadn't missed the longing looks she threw at the necklace. But it had been quite an expensive item, so Wanda hadn't mentioned it. Which was exactly why Keira had bought it when Wanda's attention had turned elsewhere.
And it had stayed in her pocket for a long time while she tried to figure out the perfect moment to present the gift.
Ever since Pietro's death, Wanda's birthday had been a sensitive subject since all it did was to remind her of her brother's passing. But just like both Vision and Keira had said back at the compound, it wasn't all grief. It was her undying love for her brother that lingered.
With time, the burden of his death had become bearable. The pain was still there, but it was... duller. Not as strong as it once had been and she could handle it.
Which was why Keira had finally dared to present the necklace to Wanda as a gift on her birthday.
At first, she thought she had made a massive mistake when the brunette's eyes welled with tears, silently falling down her cheeks. But when Wanda launched forwards to capture her lips in a kiss, her doubts melted away. Ever since that day, the necklace had stayed around Wanda's neck.
She never took it off.
❆
Wanda's wish of staying in bed all day had almost been fulfilled.
Vision had broken the dream when he knocked on the door to ask if they were still breathing. That's when Wanda came up with the idea that she should color her hair in order to not be as recognizable to the authorities.
So, that was why they were both in the bathroom, Wanda sitting on a stool in front of Keira.
The blonde had splayed out the instructions over the sink as she read how long the color was supposed to stay in and so on. They had sent Vision out to get the hair dye, and surprisingly, he had got it right.
Maybe it shouldn't come as a surprise, he was basically a supercomputer after all.
Since Wanda's hair was pretty dark naturally, they had to lighten it up first to get the desired hair dye to stick. "I'm gonna miss your brown hair." Keira pouted slightly as she began working the second dye of the day onto Wanda's roots. She had to work hard to keep her gaze on the hair and not let it wander further south.
Wanda had chosen to pull off her shirt before they began, so she was sitting in only a pair of jeans and her bra to spare her t-shirt from any stains.
Wanda quirked an eyebrow, meeting Keira's gaze in the mirror. "Oh? You're not gonna like me as much when I'm a redhead?"
"Hm..." Keira pursed her lips as if she was considering the matter. She had been a bit hesitant about the color at first, but Wanda wanted it so who was she to protest? After a moment's pause, her lips broke out into a soft smile. "No. You'll be the most beautiful redhead in the universe, my love."
A satisfied smirk played on Wanda's lips and she had to fight down the urge to turn around so she could gaze up at her girlfriend in triumph. "Good to hear I'll be number one. So... I'll outdo Romanoff?"
Keira's mouth fell open as she feigned surprise and a light chuckle left her lips before she focused back on the task at hand, dyeing Wanda's hair. "Ouf, how dare you drag my best friend into this? But yes, you'll beat her by miles. Don't tell her that though or she'll strangle me."
"Hm, no. My hands are the only ones allowed around your neck." Wanda said smugly, watching with satisfaction as Keira's face turned scarlet in the mirror.
"Wan..." Keira groaned, leaning her head back to try and collect herself from the innuendo. But a small smile twitched in the corners of her lips as she was struck by a sudden idea.
As she continued to work the red liquid into the hair on the back of Wanda's head, she collected the hair into a ponytail under the pretense that she wanted to check that she had covered it all before gripping the ponytail and yanking it downwards.
Wanda's eyes fluttered shut and a small gasp of surprise left her parted lips as her head was tilted upwards.
"Do I need to remind you that I was the one who had you on your knees just the other night, my darling?" Keira whispered, leaning down so she could ghost her lips over Wanda's cheek.
Just as Wanda opened her mouth to answer, the door to the bathroom swung open, revealing Vision in his human form. He stood there, hands by his side and his mouth hanging slightly open in shock, his eyes darting between the two women.
"Vis!" Keira exclaimed as she jumped in front of Wanda to shield her from view. "Girl time going on here, dude!" She gestured wildly, having untangled her hands from Wanda's hair just in time to not pull the soon-to-be redhead with her in the process, although one hand was still resting protectingly on Wanda's shoulder.
"Oh." Vision answered somewhat lamely, averting his eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry, I heard your voices and nobody answered the door, which was unlocked by the way. I was just wondering what you wanted for dinner."
"That's all very well, Vis. Next time when the bathroom door is closed though, try knocking. Or you might end up seeing something you never wish you had." Keira sighed, shaking her head slightly at the synthezoid's complete innocence. Didn't he have access to the internet and thereby... less innocent things? "But to answer your question, I'm happy with anything that involves chicken and fries. What about you, Wan?" She asked, turning her head as she still shielded Wanda's half-naked body from view.
Wanda was chuckling slightly and didn't seem particularly perturbed by the intrusion. "I just want something with fries. You mind going out and getting dinner for us, Vis?" She questioned, leaning forward so she could look at the synthezoid around Keira.
"No, not at all." The synthezoid was shaking his head. "Finish your dyeing. I'll be back shortly." He said before carefully closing the door behind him.
"You know, it's cute seeing you all possessive like that." Wanda smirked, giving a light kiss to Keira's arm, whose hand still rested protectively on her shoulder.
Keira shook her head and rolled her eyes before putting some more dye into her girlfriend's hair, ignoring the handprint that now decorated Wanda's shoulder. "I am not possessive, thank you very much." She huffed, treading one long strand and making sure it was fully covered.
"You're not?" Wanda raised a challenging eyebrow. "So, you wouldn't mind if I strolled out right now, like this, and waited until Vision comes back with the food?" She teased, her eyes glimmering slightly as she saw Keira's jaw clench.
"Nope." Keira resolutely answered, purposefully avoiding Wanda's eyes in the mirror while she made sure to cover the last strand of dry hair. With a small sigh, she pulled off the gloves and carelessly threw them on top of the instructions in the sink.
"Okay then." Wanda shrugged her shoulders as she pushed herself up from the stool to walk over to the door. But she was abruptly stopped in her tracks as Keira shot out an arm, blocking the door and making it impossible for Wanda to get out.
"No."
With a smug smirk on her lips, Wanda waltzed closer to Keira, only stopping once their chests were touching. "See? Possessive." She whispered, fighting to keep her gaze on Keira's eyes and not let it dart down to her lips.
Before Wanda had a chance to realize what was happening, her back was suddenly pushed against the door.
Keira had seized her chance to cage Wanda in, one hand on either side of her head while pressing their bodies together. Ghosting her lips over Wanda's, Keira wanted nothing more than to kiss them properly, to melt into Wanda's touch, but she held herself back. "Don't act as if you don't love it, Wan."
Wanda was forced to hold back a moan at the possessive tone, and it took all her willpower to not melt then and there. "I do love you, yes. And I love your possessive side as well." She confessed quietly, and to stop herself from submitting completely, she attached her lips to Keira's neck, kissing and nipping at the tender skin.
Feeling the blonde melt into her touch, Wanda switched their positions, taking advantage of the mutant's temporarily lowered guard. Sucking on Keira's pulse point, Wanda let her hands wander up the mutant's sides to tangle into the blonde mess of hair. "I think I might break you."
"Oh, honey. I'm made of diamond, you can't break me." Keira breathed, her head pressed back against the door as she tilted her head to the side to give Wanda more access to her neck.
Her hands danced down Wanda's curves to finally hook her fingers through the loops of Wanda's jeans to pull the soon-to-be redhead closer. But as Wanda's hands dropped from her hair to fiddle with the hem of her shirt, Keira grabbed Wanda's wrists, halting her movements.
Pure confusion shone in Wanda's eyes as their gazes met but Keira merely smiled.
"Dinner, my love." Keira explained with a small chuckle, pressing a kiss to Wanda's lips before slipping under her arms and prancing out of the bathroom.
Before turning the corner into the small hallway that led to the kitchen, she scooped up a t-shirt from the bed and tossed it at Wanda.
"You're so mean. You know that right?" Wanda grumbled, glaring daggers at her girlfriend while she carefully put on the shirt, making sure it didn't touch the wet hair that she had rolled up into a messy bun on top of her head.
"I'm the mean one?" Keira quirked an eyebrow, having stopped halfway with her hand on the wood panel. "Says the one who tried pinning me to the wall." She winked at Wanda before strolling over to Vision, who was still in his jacket.
One thing Keira appreciated about this hotel was that the rooms weren't just a bedroom, but rather a compact apartment with a combined kitchen and living room area.
"Look, you got the good fries, Vis! Remember to remind me that you're in charge of the food from now on!" Keira exclaimed happily while digging through the bag of takeout, placing the dishes on the table while stuffing her mouth with said fries.
"Auch, I'll remember that, Ria." Wanda pouted, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.
"You know I love both your cooking and baking, Wan. But nothing beats a couple of good fries." Keira defended herself while crumpling up the empty bag in her hands. "Oh, and Vis?" She added, earning a questioning look from the synthezoid. "You don't have to keep your human appearance here. We don't mind your original form."
Keira guessed it had to be exhausting to constantly be in another form, at least judging from her own experience. That had also been a neat trick that Vision had disclosed to them. Something in his vibranium-weaved body made it possible for him to take on a human form.
It was quite fascinating, to be honest.
"Thank you for your concern, Keira, but it is alright. There's a museum not too far from here that I wish to visit. And since I don't eat, I would rather do something useful with my time instead." Vision kindly denied.
"Oh, I see. You sure you don't want company?"
But Vision firmly shook his head. "No, thank you. Wanda still needs to wash the dye out of her hair, and you both need to eat. I'll be alright on my own."
"Okay, it's your choice, Vis." Keira shrugged before pulling the lid off her sour cream and onion dip and grabbing another fry. A small crease had settled itself between her eyebrows though as she watched the synthezoid leave, ignoring the headache pulsating in the back of her mind. "Did he sound different than usual, or am I being paranoid?"
"You're not being paranoid. He sounds a bit off." Wanda answered, playing with two fries in her hand. "We'll bring it up when he gets back. Because like he said, I still need to get the dye out of my hair. And I don't think I'll be able to do it on my own." She added with a pleading look on her face that quickly turned into a smirk.
Of course, she was fully capable of ridding her hair of the dye, but it was much more fun with Keira as company under the water.
"Don't have to ask me twice." Keira smiled, tilting her head slightly.
"Who said I was asking?" Wanda countered, a sly gleam in her emerald eyes.
Keira swallowed thickly, her cheeks reddening at the dominant tone in Wanda's voice. "Shush. I'm still not sure I forgive you for pushing me against the door." She pouted, tilting her head down to hide her blush.
"Oh, sweetheart. You love it just as much as I do. Besides, if you help me with my hair, I have to do something to return the favor, right?" Wanda winked, smiling triumphantly as Keira's cheeks turned an even darker red.