Nearly a month had passed since Y/N arrived at the Avengers compound. He found it relatively easy to adapt to his new lifestyle. Similar to the Navy, training as an Avenger was regimented. He was used to having to be somewhere at a certain time to do a certain thing and having superiors to report to. Granted it wasn't the military so he had a lot more personal freedom than he was accustomed to. But he found the transition back to civilian life the most challenging part.
His fellow Avengers made the transition easier. Pietro had found him after hearing there was a fellow gamer living in the compound and the two bonded quickly. Peter Parker, who still lived in Queens, frequently spent weekends at the compound for training exercises. Y/N had started looking at him like a younger brother, as had Pietro, so the two decided to take him under their wing. Tony had warmed up to Y/N some but still kept him at a bit of a distance. Steve was Steve: a good leader and someone who understood the trials and tribulations of military life. Both him and Y/N had killed many pots of coffee in the early morning hours having frank conversations about dealing with the aftermath of war. Y/N found their conversations therapeutic. Steve was one of the only ones who understood the certain things he'd experienced on deployment. There was also Nat, Yelena, Kate, Thor, Clint, Sam, Bucky, Bruce, Scott, Carol...all of them were extremely warm and welcoming towards him. And then there was Wanda.
Since his fateful first night in the compound the two had found any and every excuse to spend time together. He would walk into daily briefings and find the chair next to her empty; she would always make excuses to go and find him when he was in the library; he miraculously found himself in the gym at the same time she was down there training her magic; she would always offer to pace him on his runs which always turned into a race at the end. But beside these so-called "unplanned" meetings, Wanda and Y/N planned time together as well. They could frequently be found in the lounge binging a show, eating dinner together, or going for long walks down by the river. Each day Y/N found himself falling a little more in love with the red-haired witch. But he never said anything to her. He was too scared to put himself out there and make it real. Vulnerability wasn't his strong suit. Emotions were meant to be shoved into a box and not talked about or expressed. His line of work required him to keep his emotions under control at all times and that definitely spilled over into his personal life. He was fighting all of that because he knew if he didn't act soon someone else would come along and swoop her up.
One morning Y/n found himself in Tony's workshop. Tony had asked for his help on some new rocket designs for Rhodey. It was the first time the two had a one-on-one interaction since Y/n first arrived at the compound. Was he a little nervous? Yes. But he thought Tony had at least a modicum of respect for him and his abilities if he was asking for his advice. He had been up there for quite some time working on the dummy rocket trying to figure out the most effective way to wire it and incorporate Bluetooth capabilities into its detonation system. As he leaned over the bench and soldered wires into place, Tony stood over his shoulder and observed him.
"So it seems you're settling in okay," Tony noted.
"Yeah." Y/N was only half-listening. He was more interested in the rocket.
"I noticed you and Maximoff are spending a lot of time together." He stared down at the rocket in Y/N's hands.
"What? Oh, yeah, he's cool. We game together." He flipped his focus to the computer screen on his right, double checking the program that Tony wrote.
"I don't mean Speedy Gonzales. I meant the cute witchy one that you've been seen canoodling with," Tony smirked.
Y/N nearly dropped the rocket. "Woah, umm, Wanda? You think Wanda and I are-?" He whipped his head around to see Tony staring back at him, eyebrows raised suspiciously.
"I don't know, you tell me," he taunted.
"Okay first of all, we don't canoodle or whatever. Second, we're just friends. We're not dating or anything like that" His reply was more flustered than he wanted it to be.
"But you want to, right?"
"What?"
"You want to date her. Woo her, charm her, romance her...You don't deny a rumor like that so, so, so passionately unless there's some truth to it. So let me ask again. Do you want to date Wanda Maximoff?" His tone still retained a sense of playfulness to it, almost like he was enjoying torturing Y/N.
Totally embarrassed, Y/N nodded.
"So what's stopping you?" Tony crossed to the stool next to Y/N's and sat down.
Y/N shrugged. "Not very good at it, I guess. Don't want to screw it up."
"Right," replied Tony as he crossed his arms and leaned back. "Never try, never fail. Good life motto if you never want to accomplish anything. Can I give you some advice?" he asked as he leaned over to Y/N.
"Sure?"
"When you have something good, don't throw it away. I've been through my fair share of women, believe you me. But Pep, man...she's different from all of them. I don't want to lose her. You know why? Because she means something to me. And that something, it makes all the difference."
Y/N nodded. Tony had a point.
"Look, just ask her out. You two obviously like each other. Take her to Giuseppe's. It's like a fifteen minute drive into town. I'll let you borrow the Ferrari. That'll definitely get you laid," he elbowed Y/N in the ribs. "Listen, I've gotta go. Something with Thor." He hopped off his stool and headed for the door. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "She likes sunflowers."
As he left, Y/N groaned and put his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead. I've just gotta do it, he thought to himself.
After he finished up in the workshop, Y/N headed back to his apartment to get changed. He figured a long run would help him clear his mind. He exited the elevator, hung a left, and headed down the hall. As he went to turn right down the next hallway, he nearly bumped into Wanda.
"Oh jeez, sorry," she apologized. "I didn't realize you were there."
"No it's my fault. I wasn't paying attention," Y/N choked out. He could feel his heart beating in his throat.
"Where were you this morning? I missed you at sparring."
"I was up with Tony. He needed help on a rocket he's working on for Rhodey's suit," he explained, rubbing the back of his head. "It took most of the morning."
"Well I'm headed to lunch. Wanna join?" she asked. She had that familiar twinkle in her eye she always had when it was just the two of them.
"No thanks. I'm, uhh, I need to go for a run." He defused bombs for eight years. Surely asking Wanda Maximoff on a date was easier than that.
"Oh. Okay then. See you later then," she replied, her voice tinged with dejection. She stepped around Y/N and headed around the corner.
"Wanda," Y/N blurted before he realized what he was doing. She turned and looked at him. "Do you wanna go to dinner with me?"
Wanda opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it abruptly. She tilted her head as she looked at him. "Are you asking me on a date?" she implored.
"Well, uhh, yeah." He felt himself blush.
She smirked. "Alright. Pick me up at 7?"
"Yeah, that works."
"See you later then, Hemingway," she winked as she walked away.
Y/N felt like he could explode. A date with Wanda Maximoff? It seemed too good to be true. Suddenly he remembered what Tony had said so he whipped out his phone and shot off a quick text:
I'm picking her up at 7 tonight
He practically ran to his apartment to get changed. Throwing off his shirt, he heard his phone vibrate. It was Tony:
Reservations @ 7:30, keys in the car, car out front, condoms in the glove box ;)
Y/N chuckled as he shook his head. Leave it to Tony to be Tony. While he didn't have any intention of sleeping with Wanda tonight, he wouldn't say no to free condoms either.
The rest of the day dragged on unbelievably slowly. The afternoon safety lecture, led by Bruce, lasted for what seemed like hours. But he couldn't help but notice how Wanda kept stealing glances at him and looking away. The meeting lasted until 5:30 pm, so he raced back to his room afterward to get ready for his date. He showered and trimmed his newfound beard and ironed his clothes for the evening: a french blue dress shirt with a charcoal grey suit and brown loafers. He didn't have to go far seeing as Wanda lived right across the hall from him. After throwing his jacket on, he took one last look at himself in the mirror. Not bad, he thought. He buttoned his jacket, grabbed his wallet, and opened the door to find a bouquet of sunflowers and a note lying at his feet. He crouched to grab both and looked at the note.
You're welcome - Tony
He smiled as he tucked the note into his back pocket. As he walked to Wanda's door, he took a deep breath to calm himself down. Once he didn't feel like he would immediately throw up if he opened his mouth, he knocked.
Wanda opened the door a moment later. She looked stunning in her black dress and heels. A tan overcoat and black handbag were draped over one arm.
"Hi," she smiled.
"Hi," he replied. "Wow. Wanda, you look incredible." She blushed at his words.
"Thanks," she murmured. She looked at him before she noticed the flowers he was clutching. "Are those for me?" she asked.
"Yeah. Tony said sunflowers are your favorite." He awkwardly thrust the bouquet at her.
"Well that was sweet of him, wasn't it?" she replied, conjuring a vase out of magic and placing the flowers in it. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, the car's out front," Y/N replied. "We've got 7:30 reservations at Giuseppe's."
"Fancy shmancy," she grinned as they headed down the hall.
It took a little while but Y/N eventually found where Tony had parked the sleek red Ferrari. Wanda's eyes widened when she saw the expensive car. He quickly reassured her that no, he hadn't stolen it and yes, it was their ride for the evening.
Dinner was...fine. The food was delicious, the restaurant itself dimly lit and romantic. But there was a nervous energy between Y/N and Wanda. He couldn't help but think that he was blowing it. He felt awkward and uneasy, which was the exact opposite of how he normally felt with her. Conversation was peppered with awkward pauses and the two nervously interrupted each other. It seemed like this would probably be their only date.
They sat in a pregnant silence as Y/N drove them back to the compound. As he parked the car, they continued to sit in that awful silence. He drummed on his thighs as he stared out the front window.
"So..."
"That was f-"
"I'm sorry!" Y/N blurted.
"You're...sorry?" Wanda questioned. "What are you sorry for?" She was totally confused. Sure the date had been a little awkward, but she'd been completely alone with Y/N and had commanded his attention for the entire evening. She absolutely adored him. He was everything she wanted in a partner and so much more: kind, considerate, funny in his own weird way, level-headed, attractive, a hopeless romantic when it came to literature, a great sparring partner, her list went on and on. She hadn't been able to get him out of her mind since the first day they met and was plucking up the courage herself to ask him out on a date if he hadn't done so when he did.
"Yeah! I mean I don't know. I felt all awkward and weird and I never feel that way when I'm around you. But I blew it and I'm sorry because I really like you and I was hoping this would go well because, well, y'know, I like you...and I'm definitely making things worse now," he groaned as he slammed his head forward onto the steering wheel. He turned his head to look at Wanda, who was glancing down at him from the passenger seat. "Please say something," he begged.
Wanda looked at him, sighed, unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and left.
Well shit, he thought, laying his head back on the steering wheel and accidentally hitting the horn. He signed as he slid his head up. Suddenly he heard the door open and felt the unusually warm night breeze caress the side of his face. He looked to his left and saw Wanda standing in front of him.
"Do you trust me?" she asked.
Y/N didn't respond. Her accent always made his heart flutter.
Wanda leaned down closer to him. "Do you trust me?" she whispered, extending her hand to him. He nodded as he unbuckled his seatbelt and shot out of the car. Time slowed as he watched her grab his hand. They interlaced their fingers as he observed the unfamiliar sight. Her fingers were long and svelte while his were coarse and calloused from years of manual labor. Despite their differences it felt as if their hands were made to hold each other. He brushed his thumb against hers, soaking in the softness of her skin and the coolness of the ring on her thumb. He was so engrossed in their entwined hands that he failed to notice the way she was staring at him as he stared at their hands.
"My hands are sweaty, aren't they?" Y/N realized a moment later.
"Just a little," murmured Wanda. Y/N moved to pull his hand away in order to wipe it on his pants, but Wanda squeezed a tighter grip around it. He looked up at her, their eyes locked in a moment frozen in time. "It's okay, I don't mind." She smiled as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
Y/N chuckled nervously. Locking eyes with Wanda suddenly made him nervous, so he quickly looked back down at their hands.
"Come on," Wanda pleaded as she pulled him away from the car. "I have an idea." Not wanting to lose her, Y/N did a quick jog step to catch up with her. The pair walked hand in hand through the parking lot.
"Where are we going?" he wondered.
Wanda shot him a knowing glance. "You'll see," she replied, her lips curling into a soft smirk. They kept walking, stopping momentarily so Wanda could remove her heels as they reached the grass and headed for the familiar trail she'd led him down his first night at the compound. They made their way over to the small beach. "Come on. We can sit here and watch the stars."
Y/N stopped suddenly as Wanda pulled away and came to the water's edge. He studied the way she moved, the way she looked, the way she existed in that moment. She was a sight unlike any he'd ever seen before. He watched as she sat on the ground and shivered at the coolness of the earth. She motioned for him to do the same. He sat, sticking his legs straight out and leaning back on his hands. She hugged her knees into her chest. They sat in silence looking out at the dark horizon for what seemed like hours, occasionally switching their gaze to the unknowing other.
"You didn't blow it," Wanda finally broke the silence. "If anything I blew it. I didn't even know what to say to you, and I always know what to say to you. But it felt so weird being in such a fancy place. I'm not like that and I know you're not like that either." She gently rocked herself back and forth.
Y/N laughed. "Well I have to be honest...most of it was Tony's doing."
"Tony?"
"He suggested the restaurant...and loaned me the Ferrari...and bought the sunflowers...and the condoms." He practically whispered the last one.
Wanda roared with laughter. "He bought you CONDOMS? What, too scared to go buy them yourself?!"
Y/N felt himself blush as Wanda continued laughing at him. "No! No I'm not! I didn't even ASK him to go get condoms. That was all his idea! I have my own...wait, shit, that sounds like-okay listen-I didn't ask you out just to get in your pants. That's not what this is!"
"He's such a weirdo," she shook her head. "I know you weren't asking me out just to hook up. Besides, I never sleep with anyone until at least the third date," she teased. Y/N wondered if the temperature had randomly risen as he pulled at his collar. "Kidding, kidding," she added as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
Y/N exhaled in hopes that his heart rate would soon slow. "So why'd you bring me out here?"
"Because I knew we could be ourselves here. No fancy restaurant, no fancy car, no weird first date pressure. It's just me and you. And I like it when it's just me and you."
"I'm not good with feelings, Wanda," he admitted as he turned to look at her. "I tend to keep things bottled up. But when I'm with you I don't feel like I have to." He gulped. "Look, I like you. Like I really, really like you. I've liked you since the first day I met you and I haven't been able to get you out of my mind since then. And it's not just that you're beautiful, because you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life and like, wow, I mean you look stunning tonight...but I love spending time with you and talking to you because you're an absolutely incredible person. And I like-"
He was suddenly interrupted as she crashed her lips into his. They were soft and sweet against his, as were her hands against his cheeks. The taste of her lips was intoxicating. She broke away far too soon for his liking as he felt himself practically begging for the feel of her body pressed up to his. As she leaned back he couldn't help but notice that her eyes, illuminated by the full moon, were tinged red with desire. There was a palpable tension in the air as the two gazed into each other's souls.
Wanda smiled . "You talk too much, you know that?"
Y/N smirked as he pushed himself to a more upright sitting position. "Well, I think I'll talk a little less then." He reached forward and cupped her cheek, leaning in close as he greedily eyed her plump red lips. "How's that sound?"
"Stop talking," she breathed as she leaned forward and threw her hands around his neck.
He smiled as he closed the distance between them, kissing her eager lips as she sighed into him. This kiss was longer, more passionate. One kiss turned into two into four into many into Wanda lying on her back with Y/n on top of her, kissing and caressing and exploring each other in the pale moonlight.
"If we keep going I'm not gonna want you to stop," Wanda gasped. Y/N chuckled as he kissed her neck. She playfully pushed against his chest. "Stop," she laughed as he continued to plant kisses up and down her neck and jaw.
"And if I don't?" he whispered in her ear, his voice deep and sultry. Wanda shuddered at the implication. She turned her head slightly and was practically nose to nose with a panting Y/N. A mischievous gleam in his eye told Wanda exactly what he wanted to do to her.
"Y/N," she said.
"Okay fine. Fine," he relented. "Just one more kiss?" he pleaded.
Wanda giggled as she pulled the lapels of his jacket towards her, craning her neck up as his lips intertwined with hers. Without any warning he used his tongue to part her lips and slid it into her mouth. She moaned into his mouth as their tongues wrestled for dominance before he abruptly broke the kiss.
"Yeah, time to stop," he gasped. "I, umm, I'm gonna need a cold shower after this." He pushed himself off of her and back onto his knees. Wanda scooched herself up into a sitting position. As he adjusted his shirt, she couldn't help but stare at him.
"I had a good time tonight," she said. She meant every word.
"Same time tomorrow?" he grinned.
"Only if we do it without any help from Tony," she responded as she twisted one of the many rings on her fingers.
Y/N scratched his head as he thought for a moment. "Okay. Chinese food, Great British Bake Off, my place?"
"I'll be waiting."
He helped Wanda up. As they walked to the compound hand in hand, he gave her a reassuring squeeze. And in the soft darkness he heard a small voice echo through his head:
"Don't let go, Hemingway. Don't ever let me go."