8. ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ʙᴀʙʏ

Modern!AUPairing: Wanda Maximoff x GN!ReaderWarnings: Slight Angst, Fluff.Words: 4.5kItalics: Character's thoughtsBolded Italics: Flashback/Memory

You had never even thought this could ever happen, not in your sixteen years of friendship. Your body was not trained to deal with this type of thing.

This high of a level, and it was boss level.

Or maybe it was all in your head? Just overthinking? Reading too much into something that could have been easily explained?

But explained how? What exactly would be the explanation? That was the hard part to figure out.

It would be easier to have an answer on how wrong you were with your assumption. Maybe you went with it because that was what you really wanted.

Who would not want it tho? A dumbass would not.

And you were not one of those. At least, you hoped so.

What if you were tho? There was no way she had meant it like that. She could not have.

And after all these years? She surely would have said something sooner if it were real.

But how else were you supposed to take it?

You had been spiraling, pulling a lever to spin your thoughts even more than they already were, and they had been rolling through your head for the last hour.

Maybe two?

You were not sure how much time had passed with your ass glued to the bar stool and eyes to the spot on the quartz kitchen island.

The words kept ringing in your head, only adding more to the insanity.

"I'll see you later, baby."

Baby.

She had never called you baby. Not like that.

Babe? Sure, you had been best friends for over a decade.

But baby? In that tone? No.

She had been rushing to work, the kids had still been getting ready and had to be dropped off at school.

The morning had been completely crazy. A new client had called her at 6 am, demanding an emergency meeting. She'd barely had time to eat the breakfast you'd made for her in the short time you had been given.

Maybe it had all been the adrenaline, the stress, the time-sensitive case.

It could've just slipped out.

Accidentally.

Probably.

Mmm...unlikely.

Nodding to yourself, your brain started calming down the storm that was running through it.

Just a small accident.

She was not one to do things by accident.

For sure.

Not at all.

Turning on the stool, it was time to stare at the fridge as your hand ran through your hair.

"Fuck me."

Fishing out your phone from the pocket, it almost fell out of your hands as you anxiously typed in the password when the facial recognition did not want to recognize you.

"Stupid shit." Angrily mumbling to yourself and scrambling to find the contact you needed, your fingers clicked on letters in an attempt to send a coherent message.

A cry for help more like.

You could definitely cry depending on the outcome of this ordeal.

In the end, you knew there were two options.

You would either have to move out or die.

Or both.

——

"So, what does it mean?" You could not stop pacing back and forth, your hand tapping against the top of the chair. "She loves me? She hates me?" Your eyes were wide as crazy thoughts were spilling from your mouth. "She is joking around? Maybe making fun of me?"

So many questions and so few answers. You needed answers.

"Just sit down, okay?" Your friend was slowly sipping on a drink while your little breakdown was still in motion.

He had seen this a million times before. Had it been a job interview, a new crush, or your new boss calling you in to the office.

Bucky had mastered the art of your spirals. The first time, he had fallen into the loop of insanity along with you when he'd had no idea what to do.

You both had ended up sitting in a corner of your room, eating ice cream while staring at nothing.

But it had been in high school, he had more knowledge now. He knew exactly how this process would go.

"Sit down?! Are you mad?" Your eyebrows were pulled together as you looked at him like he was crazy. "Fine, yeah, could be good."

The mood swings were nothing new either. He could only shrug his shoulders when you took a seat next to him. Your fingers began anxiously tapping all over the glass as your bottom lip was trapped between your teeth.

Bucky was observing you from the corner of his eye, trying to determine what level of emergency it was this time.

"Okay, okay." He assumed a high one when the blood started coming out of your lip from how hard you were chewing on it. "What happened? You were just rambling, I could barely understand a word—"

"She called me baby." You burst quickly, turning your head to face him before going back to staring at the glass.

"Who?" He could not be this dense.

"Wanda!" You yelled out in a cry. "Oh, God." It was time for fear, rejection, and fear of rejection play with your head as you started about the million ways she could crush your heart as soon as she would come back home.

"Listen, you need to take a few breaths—"

"That's what she always says too." Your face scrunched up in agony before shielding it with your arms.

Bucky's eyes rolled at your antics, his lips pressing in a thin line before he put his hand on your shoulder. "She is your best friend, right?"

A quick nod of your head was the only answer he got. There was nothing more he could get out of you at this early stage of your self-sabotage.

"You had lived together for the last eleven years and it has been great, right?" Another nod of confirmation. "She loves you, you've been helping her with the kids before they were even born."

The snort that escaped you was impossible to keep in.

You knew she loved you. As a friend. You had never doubted that.

Ever since you had met in high school, you had been attached to each other's hip. She'd always been the most precious human in your life. You'd always done everything to keep her safe and help her.

Something as easy as homework? No problem.

Sneaking out when her parents would say no? Of course, even if you had felt guilty after for going behind their backs.

They had always been nice to you and treated you like their own.

It did not matter what it was, you would always be there for her.

But there was one bad time.

Vision.

You hated that name.

Your hand tightened around the glass as you clenched your jaw in anger at the memory.

She had been dating him for a few months, gushing all the time about how amazing he'd been.

And then, she had gotten pregnant.

Even though you had warned her about him multiple times.

He had been an asshole. You could bet your entire arm he still was.

But she would not have stopped defending him and calling you 'overprotective'.

It had been one bad argument.

Long story short, he had not wanted anything to do with the child. So, there you had been, taking care of your pregnant friend just to move in together and make it easier for both of you.

Just to find out there were two.

And it had been ten years since they'd been born. Wanda and the twins still were living in the house you had bought a few years ago.

"What do you want the answer to be?"

Bucky's question caught you off guard, making your head whip to him with a confused look.

"Huh?"

"If you ask her what she meant by it, what do you want the answer to be?" His eyes were focused on you.

And you were losing your focus.

What did you want it to be?

Did you want her to want you?

Of course, you did.

You had never counted on being together. But now that the possibility was peeking through?

You wanted it more than anything.

However, could you ever be more than friends after so many years? What if it ruined everything?

You loved the boys like your own, it would be impossible to survive if you never got to see them again.

"Y/n?" Bucky's voice snapped you out of your thoughts.

"I—" Your eyes were stinging as you opened and closed your mouth repeatedly. "I've always loved her, but—" The words died in your mouth, your face scrunching as you had no idea what to think.

"But?" Bucky kept pressing the matter.

"Everything's always been easy with her." Your lost eyes looked at him like he would have an answer. "But how do I know I won't ruin it?"

And maybe he did.

His smile looked like he did.

"Well, you two fell into a domestic life pretty easily." He lightly tapped your shoulder. "Maybe it's the familiarity of it." He shrugged his shoulders before taking a sip of his drink and puckering his lips. "Or maybe it's always been easy with her because she's your person."

Your head tilted in thought.

My person?

He gave you a look like the case was solved, like you just had to think a little bit more with your little brain before getting it.

Well, you still had an entire day ahead of you for that.

And you would think about it more than needed for sure.

——

It had been the most exhausting day of your entire existence. Not only had you had a rough morning, but work could not have gone worse as well.

Your boss had not been too happy with the recent choices you had made for one of the clients.

It was his lucky day that you had been in your head for hours, otherwise, you would not be able to contain your anger.

You had done exactly what the clients had asked for. Nothing more, nothing less. Not without their approval.

You had barely done any work as the only thing you could have done was thinking over and over again about Wanda's words.

"—baby."

The rest of the sentence was gone, only one word haunting you even on your way back home. Even as you picked up the kids from their friend's house.

They had talked enthusiastically about what had happened at school, how they'd been on the same basketball team during the PE class and destroyed the other one.

Their math tests had been graded and they'd both aced them. Obviously. They had always aced them.

Their mother had always been more excited about history class than anything else, but she would be proud of every grade they'd gotten.

Just like you.

"And then Ms. Altwell said our project was spectacular!" Billy yelled out in happiness, a huge smile plastered on his face.

"And Kyle's volcano did not go off! I knew it wouldn't." Tommy's cheeky smirk almost made you laugh as you tried to keep up with all of their stories.

Everything had been mentally exhausting, but you did your best to make them feel heard.

You would not let your own problems get in the way of being there for them.

"I know, you were right!" You told Tommy. "And good job, you both nailed it!" Their small hands reached up before smashing with yours in high fives. "What do you want to eat?"

They put their backpacks away before going to the kitchen, you following behind. "Can we have ice cream?" Tommy asked in a sweet voice as both boys took a seat at the kitchen island.

"Ice cream?" Your eyebrow raised.

They knew better than that.

Just as you were about to answer, your phone vibrated in your pocket, making you take it out.

The smile you had slowly started vanishing when you read the message.

Won't make it before dinner, I need to stay late.

You read it five times in your head, letting your dark thoughts take over again.

"What about waffles?" Billy's suggestion broke you out of your trance, causing you to blink rapidly in confusion.

You forgot what they were talking about already.

"What about spaghetti?" Your lips puckered, fingers drumming against the quartz surface as you waited for their answer.

Doing their twin stare, they looked at each other with squinted eyes before slowly turning their heads to you.

"Mom is not coming, is she?"

They were getting way too sly lately.

"And why would that be?" Trying not to let them get the upper hand, you counter-asked.

"Because you never propose spaghetti over pizza unless she's not coming." They were too smart and too observant for their age.

You were impressed, but also in shit because you knew they would try to get their way. And it could work. You were not as unflinching as Wanda.

"So, what if we have waffles and then we can also have ice cream with waffles." Tommy began, the smirk back on his face as he already looked like he won. "It's the only right way to eat them."

You could not give up. You would not.

You knew Wanda would not like it.

And it was not the time to do anything that would anger her to any extent.

"Spaghetti it is." Clasping your hands together, you quickly turned around to get the pot as unhappy groans sounded from behind you.

Now, you only had to gather enough courage to have another difficult conversation with someone else.

But not tonight.

You were not sure how you felt about her staying late.

Did she actually have more work or maybe she was just scared because of what she called you?

You had no idea what could be going through her head.

Maybe it was not serious at all and you were making it a huge deal for nothing.

But not knowing was eating you alive.

"What do you want the answer to be?"

Bucky knew very well what you wanted it to be.

You just had to say it to yourself.

Nobody but her could make you feel like yourself.

——

"I fucked up! I so fucked up, Nat!" The panicked ramble was so loud that the redheaded woman had to cover her ears to protect her eardrums from bursting.

It'd been so long she was not sure how much time had passed ever since the brunette woman had barged into her office with terror all over her features.

Wide eyes that looked like they were about to cry a waterfall at any moment with shaking hands running repeatedly through the brunette hair.

She was frantic.

She looked like a wild animal.

"Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut? Say 'love you' like always and just leave?" She was pacing around the room, scolding herself with an angry face while throwing her arms in every possible direction.

You did not know it, but she had almost died when the word had slipped out of her mouth. If it had not been for the fact she'd been rushing out of the house, she would've actually died on the spot.

She had been lucky to turn around and disappear behind the wall when the word had already gotten out to the world.

Her face had become completely pale and she did not even remember how she had gotten to school and then to work.

Everything had been a big blur since she had run out the door.

She'd been trying to bury herself in work the whole day just to avoid facing the problem that was unavoidable.

The problem she had created by not keeping quiet and not sticking to the routine.

She hadn't even been able to risk a second just to see your reaction. She had no idea if you had even heard what she'd said.

She hoped not.

A part of her did.

Another part would give everything to make you finally notice.

It'd been a war in her head ever since she'd realized her love for you hadn't been only platonic. She was still not sure when exactly it had changed.

But she did not care about when or how. She loved you and wanted you so badly. She'd been hiding it from you for long enough now.

Maybe it was the universe forcing her to finally take action.

Or maybe the universe wanted her to fail and be miserable without you by her side.

"They will leave me." Her blank eyes stared at the floor as she anxiously chewed on her nails.

A huff-like chuckle escaped her mouth and Natasha immediately looked at her in fear that the woman would start crying.

"Okay, you need to stop there." The redhead was serious as she pointed an accusing finger at her friend. "They will not leave you." She tried her best to prevent the river from spilling. She could not deal with tears today.

"But—"

"No buts, Wanda, they love you. They have been raising kids with you for the last eleven years." Natasha tried to reason and put some sense into the Sokovian.

She was overthinking the situation, making it look like a horror scene in her head.

It was only you.

Nothing scary.

Besides the fact that you could literally hate her for wanting you and never speak to her again.

The tears brimmed in her eyes at the thought as she stared at her redheaded friend, her chin scrunching with the bottom lip curling inwards.

"No! Wanda, no." Natasha quickly got up from her seat before rounding the desk and coming up to the woman. "You need to talk to them. It's been four years since I found out and who knows how long you have felt like this."

The Sokovian knew her friend was right.

She needed to talk to you.

But what if you hadn't heard the pet name? What if she would start the conversation just to be completely humiliated and rejected?

And boys? They would not survive if you two drifted apart.

"Do you think anyone would be running around like a madman to cater to their pregnant friend? And then move in together for, so far, eleven years? Just to raise their friend's kids?"

Wanda's head tilted, debating how possible it could be for that to happen purely from friendship.

"No one, Wanda." Natasha answered for her when the other woman was taking too long to get the obvious answer. "They probably don't realize themselves. Just like you didn't know until something struck you."

The Russian's hands went to Wanda's arms, rubbing them in a comforting way.

Could she be right?

Wanda wanted her to be right.

It would make everything so much easier.

It would finally put an end to her acting, to pretending like she was fine with just the friendship.

She wanted your touch, your body against hers. She wanted your lips whenever she felt like it. Not only imagining those things in her head.

"Okay, yeah." She sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "I will talk to them. I can do it." Giving herself a pep talk, she started feeling a little bit better.

The world was not crumbling underneath her feet anymore.

Natasha's proud face scrunched up in thought a second later. "Shouldn't you be home now?" Her eyes went to the watch around her wrist, seeing how late it was.

"Oh." Wanda chuckled, waving her hand dismissively as if nothing happened. "I told them I had work and had to stay late." She kept staring at the redhead with a smile, blissfully unaware of the consequences.

Until Natasha's eyes widened in shock and panic. The Sokovian looked at her confused before she mimicking her expression.

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed." The Russian said quickly. "If they heard you today, they are probably losing their mind right now."

You probably were.

Fuck.

"I have to go."

——

You'd been asleep by the time Wanda had come back home. It'd been a rough battle between your thoughts and tired eyes which had eventually been resolved when the darkness had taken over.

You were making breakfast in the kitchen for everyone while they were still in their beds.

Last time you had checked on the boys, their little mouths had been drooling all over their pillows.

It was too frightening to open Wanda's bedroom door. You did not know what you were so scared of seeing there, but it was easier to walk past it and to the garage.

Her car was there, so you knew she was here too.

You still had bed hair. Normally, you would not get up so early. 6 am was only for emergencies, but here you were, mixing the waffle batter and trying to make any sense of yesterday.

There was no point in plaguing your mind with horrible thoughts anymore.

You needed to talk to her regardless of the outcome.

You needed to know what to do next.

"Hi." Your head whipped around in shock upon hearing a small voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Her pure face, her innocent laugh—you were already melting on the spot.

"You didn't!" A quick and quite loud response came from you before you remembered the boys were still sleeping. Your eyebrows furrowed. "What are you doing up so early?"

Grabbing the bowl and placing it on the kitchen island, you stood facing the brunette you'd had a breakdown about just yesterday.

"I could ask the same." Your gaze dropped to her hands when you saw them grasping for the sleeves.

She was slowly walking farther into the kitchen before stopping at the corner of the island.

The silence completely took over and it was killing you. You wanted to say something, your head battling you once again.

The pep talk was not helping too, no boost of confidence could help now that she was right in front of you.

Your eyes dropped to the bowl as you kept mixing. Poking out your tongue, you ran it over your lips before biting the bottom one.

"Listen, Wanda—" You began, looking up and at her just to catch her eyes below the line of yours. Her mouth parted as her vision seemed blank. "Yesterday—"

"I love you!"

The quick words hit you like a ton of bricks before an entire truck would add to the damage.

"I—" Her face instantly became anxious, her hands playing with the material of her long-sleeve again, eyes darting all over the room. "I was so scared you would hate me and leave me." Her chin scrunched and the whisker fell out of your hand at the sight. "And the boys, and I just—" She looked panicked as she ran her fingers through her hair.

She kept rambling about everything and nothing while you could only stare.

In shock.

In surprise.

In confusion.

And happiness.

She loves me.

Your lips were slowly curling into a smile as it was impossible for you to take your eyes away from her.

"—and then it slipped out yesterday, I thought the ground would swallow me, it was terrifying." Her chuckle barely sounded amused. "But—" She swallowed thickly, finally meeting your gaze.

Her eyes, you loved those eyes.

You could look into them forever.

"I don't want to pretend anymore." Her expression changed to determined, but you could see anxiety was running through it as well. "I love you." The way it sounded from her was music to your ears. You wanted to put it on replay. "And it's okay, if you don't—"

"Wanda." She immediately went quiet when she heard your voice. Her fearful eyes stared into yours with hope. "I won't lie, yesterday, it caught me off guard." Wetting your lips, you glanced down at the bowl. "And I freaked out." You laughed dryly, meeting her eyes again.

Just in time to see the despair pushing through on her features.

You were about to make her day better very quickly.

"And I realized, after a long spiral, that—" That you could not imagine your life with anyone else. That what you were looking at now was the only thing you wanted to keep looking at for the rest of your days. "That you are my person."

A choked cry sounded in the room before her hand went up to her mouth. "I—"

"I love you too." You quickly cut her off. "And it's taken me way too long to figure it out." You both chuckled with tears brimming in your eyes. "But I do." Stepping away from the island, you rounded it and went up to the Sokovian. "And if you'll have me—"

"Yes!" She almost yelled out, her mouth opening widely in a smile as she stared at you with glossy eyes. "Yes, I will." Her hands grasped onto your shoulders before cupping your face like she wanted to make sure you were real.

You couldn't help the stupid grin.

All those horror stories your brain had played in your head yesterday were for nothing.

The dread, the fear of rejection.

It was all unimportant right now.

She loved you.

"I guess I should take you out on a date first." The words made her laugh, her hands sprawling on your face as she moved them to cup your jaw.

"I'll make an exception just this once." Your entire body felt like on fire when she kept looking at you like this.

You felt like a teenager again with her lips so close to yours, making a million things run through your body.

And when they finally connected, it was like fireworks erupted in you. The softness of her lips surprised you and your hands went to grab her waist, causing her to gasp at the feeling.

It had felt like nothing before. The way her lips fit with yours could not be better. The way her body would press against you could send shivers down your spine.

The way her touch could awaken all of your dirty feelings and thoughts was driving you crazy.

Every fiber in you was screaming for more.

And your blood was boiling hot.

None of you wanted it to stop as your heads turned, switching sides. It stayed gentle and calm, but full of desire.

You could feel it by the way her palms were holding onto your face.

But eventually, you had to pull away when the air became the problem. Your foreheads connecting as grins on your faces were impossible to be wiped off.

That was how it felt to be loved.

To have your soulmate.

"Now, I finally get to do this every day." Her teeth trapped her bottom lip in a seductive way, making your cheeks heat up.

It was nothing new to you how confident of a person she was once her fears were gone.

"I bet you can't wait." The tough act was not really working when her hands slid down your front, her head tilting up slightly.

"Oh, you'll see how long I've waited."

She sent you a wink before stepping away and leaving you completely frozen and hot in your spot.

She was already so bold.

You were not sure if you were excited or terrified of what she could do.

But you were sure of one thing.

It all would be worth it.