Wanda honestly had far more important things to attend to on a Friday evening, but she unfortunately found herself being dragged off to one of the local bars by none other than Natasha Romanoff, her right hand and best friend since college.
It has been a busy, yet eventful day at the Avengers Private Practice, and since the day held many accomplishments the team had decided to call it a night once eight thirty hit. The boys had spent a majority of the day with the intention of spending the evening at one of the local lounge bars that Tony swore held the best view and customer service in all of Manhattan. They convince Natasha to come along during their lunch break that Wanda had skipped as she was in the middle of a case that needed her immediate attention, the redhead practically tugged Wanda out of her office when the work day finished. It took some persuading, being that Wanda typically spent her Friday evenings working late. Surprisingly, it was her personal assistant Vision who claimed that she deserved a night off after such a successful work day, the man hitching a ride with Banner whilst Steve carpooled with Tony.
"Wands, come on! It's a Friday night, live a little. There is nothing more stress relieving than a night on the town, even better, Stark is buying all the drinks for the evening." Natasha laughed, offering the bronde haired woman a gleaming grin as she looked like she'd rather be anywhere then on her way for an out of office gathering with the team.
In all reality, Natasha knew firsthand that there was no better medicine than a possible lay with a one night stand and it was apparent Wanda was in dire need of it.
"Right, because there is nothing more fun than being in a crowded bar on a Friday night where anyone and everyone's thoughts are on the rise." Wanda replies back sarcastically, the woman cringing to herself at the thought of encountering any uncomforting thoughts while under the influence of alcohol. She could already feel the headache forming at the base of her skull at the chance of being bombarded by a board of drunken thoughts from men and women alike.
It wasn't that she was incapable of blocking the thoughts out, it was just the fact that whilst under the influence other people's thoughts, regardless of her mental wall would still filter through at random. It was one of the most annoying setbacks of her abilities, she never really encountered true peace and silence.
"Oh, you'll be fine." Natasha says, waving off Wanda's excuse. Of course, there was no way for her to truly understand the impact that Wanda's powers had on her mentality, but she knew the bronde haired woman long enough to know the immense control she had when it came to her overall abilities.
"I overheard Steve saying that he invited Pietro, maybe seeing your counterpart will cheer you up."
Wanda and Natasha weren't in a rush as they took in the cool, mid September breeze. It was particularly refreshing after the busy they had today in the office, though, it appeared that only one of them was ecstatic to be out and about on the slightly crowded New York sidewalk. Natasha led Wanda by her arm towards the entrance for a bar lounge called the 'Night Owl'. People were being allowed in by the bouncer, and light music could be heard through the doors, as they gave Stark's name. The bouncer not even batting an eye, as the red haired woman led Wanda through the doors.
It was a slight surprise that despite it being a Friday night, there weren't as many patrons as initially assumed in the classy, almost vintage style lounge. It didn't take the two very long to find their group as they immediately caught sight of Tony, Steve and Bruce in a well heated discussion most likely about some new product Stark was in the motions of creating. Vision was sat on one of the faux leather couches, listening intently to the discussion with a pocket sized notepad in hand as Pietro stood behind him, sipping on a beer while peering over the blonde haired man's shoulder at his notes in hand with a furrowed expression, his silver hair falling slightly over his eyes.
"Looks like the party started without us, couldn't wait any longer boys?" Natasha teases, as she releases Wanda's arm, finding herself a spot on the couch right in the mix of where the men sat conversing.
Tony scoffed. "Says the woman who's twenty minutes late to the gathering." He replies back, his lips pursed as he peers slightly over his glasses at the redhead who had no problem with interrupting his debate with Rogers, while Bruce mediated the conversation in a calm manner to keep tensions from rising.
There was one thing that everyone knew and that was Bruce's aversion to being caught in the middle of heated and anger fueled situations. He is typically a well mannered, laid back sort of guy so when and if he was caught in the middle of something that could be handled better it annoyed him to no end. He found himself most often keeping a close eye on Tony and Steve to keep things from escalating and getting out of control.
"Only because a certain someone didn't want to leave the office." Natasha snarks, shooting Wanda a pointed look as the woman of topic settled herself next to Vision, on the couch across from her.
Wanda's jaw dropped slightly at how quickly Nat had managed to throw her under the bus, she couldn't help but scoff and this was sixteen years worth of friendship. "Well damn, don't pretend like I didn't tell you to go on ahead without me."
"You're right. Next time, I'll leave you behind to be a hermit." She replies nonchalantly, a smug expression on her face as she holds eye contact with Wanda for a moment. Letting out a chuckle at the glare she received back, the bronde haired woman squinting her eyes, a hint of red that only she could make out appeared briefly before dimming back to her natural green orbs.
"Oh, come on sestra! You know our outings wouldn't be the same if you didn't come along. You practically live at the office." Pietro cut in, his Sokovian accent thick as he wrapped his arms around Wanda's shoulders playfully, giving her a slight squeeze.
Wanda pulled at Pietro's blue tie that fell over her shoulder, tilting her head to look at him with piercing green eyes. Holding back a chuckle at the way he physically gulped. "That's a bit biased coming from you, we've been joined at the hip since birth, you literally can't live without me brat." Wanda spoke humorously, tugging at the garment a little more.
"Ms. Maximoff?" Vision questions, his eyebrows raising up slightly as he watches Pietro's face flush light pink. He learned from the first day on the job that Wanda was not a force to be reckoned with and this was her brother. It was clear she was being playful, so he couldn't imagine what it would be like to witness her in a full rage. She was the definition of someone who was dangerously beautiful.
It was apparent to Pietro that Wanda wasn't in a very playful mood today. Maybe Natasha was right when she claimed that his sister needed to get laid and the sooner she did, the better. "I didn't see that coming." Pietro says, a sheepish smile on his face as he releases Wanda from his embrace and pulls back his tie from her grip, adjusting the tie since it had become particularly tight around his neck.
"Pietro is right, Wanda." Steve remarks kindly, his blue eyes meeting green with the utmost sincerity.To him, Wanda worked too hard, yes, she is the founder and CEO of one of the most removed Private Practices in Manhattan but in no way did she have to take it on alone. Not when she had them, and they would always be there for her. No matter what.
"It wouldn't have been the same if you hadn't come out with us tonight. We're a team after all."
"Alright." Tony states, clapping his hands together with a grin.
"I'm sure the boss knows how much we love her. Now, time for some drinks." Without another word, Tony immediately walks off towards the bar, Bruce following behind him as they order some celebratory drinks. It didn't take long till they began to recap their conversation before Natasha had interrupted earlier.
Pietro moves to sit between Wanda and Vision on the couch, practically squeezing his body between theirs when there were clearly other spots available. Nonetheless, Wanda and Vision scooted apart in order to make space for the silver haired man. It didn't take long for Stark to come back bearing a bottle of Chateau d'Oupia, a red blend of Carignan and Syrah. Followed by a tray of glasses filled with single-malt scotch. Bruce followed behind him, two bottles of Yuengling Traditional Yager per hand, the man handing one off to Steve and VIsion who grabbed the bottles in thanks. Pietro did not waste a second as he reached for a glass of single-malt scotch from the tray Tony was carrying.
"Care for a glass Ms. Maximoff." Tony asks, not waiting for a reply as he fills two glasses with the red wine, handing them off to Natasha and Wanda, who claim the glasses gratefully.
"Too hard days of work" He announces, lifting up his own glass of scotch in the air and together the group cheered to another successful day. Every new day held trials worth surpassing and all of them deserved a night off.
It didn't take long for the group to become a tad bit tipsy, as they settled around comfortably in a circle amongst one another. Wanda found herself blocking out the conversation floating around since she couldn't really relate with the topic at hand.
"Mr. Stark, how have things been since your engagement with Miss Potts? Did you two pick a date out for the wedding already?" Vision asks curiously, it was known amongst the group that Tony proposed to Pepper the week prior. They apparently dated off and on for quite a few years, so it was quite the news that he finally found the courage to pop the question.
"We're thinking January of next year, Pepper really adores the idea of a winter wedding and who am I to deny what my girl wants." Tony answers, taking a sip of his scotch. He knew that when it came to Pepper's happiness he would do whatever it takes to make it happen.
"She's been doing a lot of research for possible venues, I'd say that everything is going really well, I'm happy to one day be able to call her my wife."
"That is so sweet." Natasha mocks playfully, shooting Stark a wink. Placing her empty wine glass on the coffee table in front of her, having finished off her third glass of the evening.
"Stark is growing up on us, finally getting hitched after how long?"
"Seven years." Bruce coughed into his fist, avoiding eye contact from Tony who sent him a glare.
Steve knocks back the rest of his Yager, placing the bottle on the table as he nodded to Natasha and Bruce's words, the blonde haired man holding back a chuckle. Tony and Pepper had been off and on for a while, though it was evident Pepper and Tony couldn't live without one another.
"Too long, I'm proud of you Tony."
Tony waves Steve off, Steve was far too sentimental for his taste sometimes, especially while under the influence of a good drink."Yeah, yeah, thanks Rogers. Isn't it your anniversary soon, going on what, three years?
"It's going on fifteen years." Steve says happily, a sparkle appearing in his eyes at the mention of his wife, Peggy.
She will forever remain his first everything, his true love and the two practically grew up together while Steve was training to become a member of the Marines. Peggy supported him and even requested to keep in touch as he was sent off on his first tour till he came back home after his fourth due to injury. It was the accident that made him decide to pursue a career in Sports Psychology.
"Wait..." He trails off, eyes wide while he remembers something that slipped his mind. "Nat, how are things going with Bucky? He mentioned you last week while we were on our weekly phone call."
"I miss him, honestly." Natasha admits, knowing that Steve understood what it was like to have a loved one away whilst in the military.
Steve had actually been the one to introduce him and Natasha while James had been visiting New York after being on leave for two months after being stationed in Iraq. They got to know one another over lunch, and after a few dates became inseparable since they became official.
"He's touring in Sokovia right now, they're trying to wind down the more dangerous areas to better protect the public from terrorist attacks."
Wanda listens intently to Natasha's words, being well informed on the ruins that was her home country, Sokovia was in the midst of war right now and a lot of people were being affected, especially the local villages where Wanda and Pietro were born.
"That's awful." Vision says, his heart aching at how terrible things were going for foreign countries right now. Primarily Sokovia who was in the middle of a war that the United States Military was trying to maintain and keep under wraps.
"As much as I would looove to hear more about my home country." Pietro stands up from his spot on the couch, taking the last sip of his second scotch.
"There's a woman over there who is calling me with her gaze." He brushes his fingers through his silver hair, placing the empty glass on the table before walking away from the group towards a beautiful dark skinned woman, with professionally coiled dark hair as she gave him a grin, biting her lip the closer he came towards her.
Steve glances at his watch, whistling at the late hour as it was bordering on eleven o'clock and it was always in his best interest to get home to Peggy whenever he could, the man very well aware of their very busy schedules "As much as I'm enjoying spending time with the team, I best get home to Peggy, I'm sure she's waiting on me as we speak."
He stands up from his spot on the couch, bidding everyone a pleasant night as he gathered his jacket and left the group to continue amongst themselves. Vision takes the opportunity to excuse himself to the restroom while Tony and Bruce move to the bar once again in a deep conversation on how to convert an app to help prioritize good sleeping habits for teens and adults alike struggling with irregular sleep patterns from anxiety and depression , while also providing tips and breathing exercises to maximize overall healthier habits.
Since the boys had gone their separate ways, it left Natasha and Wanda to converse amongst one another while they sat in a comfortable silence, both women contemplating on getting another glass of red wine or settling for the evening. Unfortunately for Wanda, now that she was starting to relax the slight murmurs of voices started to make themselves known in the back of her mind.
Some are far more provocative than others.
"I apologize for Pietro's dismissive behavior when you were speaking about Sokovia." Wanda apologizes, her voice slightly husky and accent thick from the amount of alcohol she consumed. Her body felt positively light, the woman well aware that she was going to sleep flawlessly tonight when she got home.
Natasha waves off the apology. "Don't even worry about that, it's a hard conversation to have especially for you two, Sokovia is your home country, the very place you originated from. It's understandable that talks of war and disaster would hit close to home. Soldiers like Bucky, they are the ones who sacrifice their lives to keep places like Sokovia and Iraq from falling completely under terrorist control."
Wanda hums in response, her heart aching at the reminder of what she had lost due to her home country undergoing war and economic ruins. Natasha was right about one thing, it wasn't an easy conversation for her or Pietro, since losing their parents in the bombing of their village when they were still children. The very day they became orphans, and it was something that Pietro never moved on from. For Wanda, despite the pain of losing them she could only pray that they were not in a better place, one of peace and everlasting happiness.
That traumatic day would forever be something Pietro and Wanda would never forget, and moving to America to seek higher education didn't wash away the memories they held deep within from their home country. Going to college and making a new life had allowed them to grow as individuals but it did not change where they came from. Sokovia would always be their home.
"I've begun my application to become a monthly donor for the Sokovian Affairs Association." Wanda starts off, her mind already calculating a way for her to possibly become a key contributor to the organization. Maybe, Natasha and her could come up with a Charity Fundraiser event for local and even out of state Private Practices to attend and encourage them to donate to the SAA cause. Tony would have a field day with the idea, and there was no doubt Steve and Bruce would contribute any way they could.
"As much as I would love to continue with this very charitable conversation, let's put a pin in it and save it for another day because I think there is something far more important that needs to be discussed." Natasha remarks, giving Wanda a knowing look. The bronde haired woman has a very loving heart, but she tended to put herself last and it was very selfless. There was not anything wrong with being selfless, until one became a hermit like Wanda and decided that her romantic life was unimportant.
They had been lounging comfortably for a few hours, and not once had Wanda tried to look out for any potential suitors or one night stands. Yes, it was an outing with the team, but if she really wanted to she could have any man or woman she wanted and she didn't, Wanda didn't care to even make an effort.
Wanda rolls her eyes at Natasha's words, already aware of where this conversation would lead up too. "I don't even have to guess what you're insinuating," Wanda sighs in annoyance, running her fingers through her bronde locks, getting her hair out of her face as she focuses her attention on her best friends.
"I've already told you that I have far more important things to think about than having casual sex or a one night stand." She honestly was not in the right mind to have this conversation again, Natasha was stubborn and sometimes her behavior annoyed Wanda to no end.
Natasha throws her hands up in exasperation, Wanda could be so stubborn and it was so irritating for the red haired woman when she knew that Wanda works too hard to not take the time to live a little. "For god sakes Wanda, you're the literal founder and CEO of your own company, not to mention leading Psychologist in marriage and family counseling both of which you yourself do not have. You have never once settled down, where's the stability?"
"Nat..." Wanda starts, only to immediately get cut off by Natasha.
"Hell, you don't even have to settle down but you should put yourself out there. Play the field a little, I mean even Pietro is..." Natasha explains gently, wanting Wanda to understand where she was coming from. She wanted Wanda to find real happiness, not contentment that gave from her job and achievements, but real love. Not just the comfort of financial stability and enjoying a glass of wine on a Friday night after a successful day in the office, companionship. Wanda was in dire need of a companion, someone who could love her more than she herself even deserved, more than what she would get just being around her friends and brother.
"Pietro is the definition of a fuck boy." Wanda replies bluntly, accent thick as she clenched her jaw in irritation. She was not at all pleased with the advice Natasha was trying to offer her.
It wasn't unknown to her that she was indeed sexually frustrated and in need of a real release that didn't come from her own hands but Wanda didn't want to just have a fling or one night stand. Those things were only temporary and Natasha was right, she wants something with stability. She wants to know and find comfort in the thought that someone could need her as much as she needed them. Something real.
"Hear me out," Natasha demands, slightly annoyed by the way Wanda brushed off the conversation as if it wasn't important. The two had this conversation quite often, but none of the talks actually provided any significant changes in her life.
"Hand me your phone, it'll be easier to show you rather than tell you."
Wanda takes her phone out from her purse handing the device off to Natasha who held out her hand expectantly without another word. Another glass of wine was beginning to sound positively alluring right now, but before she could make up her mind and head over to the bar Nat hands her phone back in record time. All she could do was glance down at the screen, her green eyes widening in utter surprise at what Nat pulled up in her app store.
It was Honeysuckle, a Sugar Baby app, one specifically designed to match sugar babies with potential sugar Daddies and Mommies. Wanda could not believe what she was looking at, had she fell so far down the rabbit hole that Natasha felt the need to recommend potentially paying someone to spend time with her.
"You don't want to settle down, and yet you crave something with stability." Natasha says, taking in Wanda's furrowed expression as she reads her like a book, knowing that as her nose scrunched up that she was obviously considering her options.
"I'm not saying it's for everyone, but you have the money and you could honestly find a really good candidate. Hell, you could even set up a few interviews to find someone who best fits your needs. Whether it be casual sex, or even just someone to watch movies with on a Friday night. You never know, you could be helping them as much as their company is helping you."
"I'm not sure finding a sugar baby is something I need right now..." Wanda trails off, her mind whirling in possibilities of how finding a sugar baby could actually really work for her. She found herself really considering the idea of paying someone to spend time with her and she could find a candidate who genuinely needed funds to better their life.
The arrangement could remain casual, or even become something long-term if she managed to find someone worth getting to know. Questioning herself if she was even Sugar Mommy material, she shouldn't even kid herself knowing that she most likely fit the description.
And that was the end of their conversation, Natasha and her did not continue with the topic, instead opting to call in a night and get home so they could wind down and relax in the comfort of their own homes grateful for the weekend ahead of them. Both knowing that once Monday came means another busy week waiting to be accomplished.
Except, Wanda couldn't relax, even after she'd settled in bed with a book after a nice, soothing honey oat milk bath she couldn't find it in herself to stop thinking about the conversation she had with Natasha. Back to the app she recommended.
Wanda told Natasha that finding a sugar baby wasn't something she needed in her life right now, but how could she truly know it wasn't something that could very well prove to be useful if she didn't even give it a chance. Wanda was tired of contemplating the what ifs and didn't waste another second as she found herself grabbing her phone from the bedside table, pulling up the Sugar Baby app up in the play store and downloading it. It wasn't too long before she was ViP verified, and spent time working on her overall profile. Trying her best not to be overly detailed in her bio, which proved to be a little difficult when she had too much to say. After becoming verified the app pretty much guaranteed her that she'd be matched with other profiles that were also verified and that was really pleasing because she didn't have the patience to deal with scammers and bots.
Her eyebrows furrow at the considerable amount of time she spent swiping through potential candidates, but none of them caught her eye. It felt like every profile she swipes by all had similar reasons as to why they were in search of a sugar Mommy or Daddy, Wanda almost found herself giving up on the idea entirely until her green eyes land on an absolute angel, a young woman with enticing blue-grey irises and freckle covered cheeks that reached the tip of her nose.
Emilia Harvard.
Once again the word angel came to mind, Wanda couldn't help herself as her green eyes trace the innocent girl's features. Her profile picture just oozed pure of heart and she clicked on the profile wanting to read more than just the woman's name. Taking her time as she reads diligently over Emilia's well thought out bio, Wanda became intrigued at the career she wanted to obtain as a postgraduate from CUNY School of Professional Studies.
'She wants to be a Substance Abuse Counsellor.' Wanda thought to herself, wondering silently to what could have possibly led her down such a down to earth, emotional and yet, impactful career choice. Emilia's profile explained that she was in need of money for paying off her outstanding financial debt and medical bills, she went on to say that if she couldn't meet Uni's expectations that she wouldn't be allowed to graduate.
She found herself once again gazing into her blue-grey orbs, eyes scanning over the woman's face. Emilia didn't appear to be unwell, if anything she did appear physically exhausted if the slight dark circles under her eyes was any consolation on her overall well-being. Even with the smile she had on her face, it was clearly a front because all Wanda could gather was that her eyes screamed 'save me, I'm drowning.'
Wanda presses the thumbs up icon on Emilia's profile and became pleasantly surprised when an app notification popped up notifying her that they'd coincidentally matched and now, all she had to do was reach out and possibly consider scheduling time to meet the young woman in person. It was a great thing that CUNY School of Professional Studies was hardly a half hours drive from her penthouse.
Now, it was coming up with what to say that had Wanda nervous as her thumbs hover over her keypad contemplating the right way to introduce herself since this wasn't something she'd ever done before.
A/N: Big thanks to those who actually take a chance on this story, I am really excited to see how this turns out.
~ Emmy Harvey ✨️