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Wanda had just finished a simple reconnaissance mission when she’d got a call from Steve to tell her that she needed to take a commercial flight if she wanted to come back to the compound the same day. True to themselves, Tony had booked her a first-class flight and Steve had asked her to be as discreet as possible. She had then heard Natasha say to Steve that he needed to stop mothering her and she could almost see the spy roll her eyes as she said it. Wanda had chuckled at their behavior, thanked them and said that she would be there in a couple of hours. She hung up and started nibbling on her bottom lip. To be honest, she was a bit stressed to have to blend in with civilians but she really wanted to be home as soon as possible…
Wanda stood up and looked in the mirror one last time, eyeing her outfit. She was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, a gray t-shirt and her khaki jacket. She put on her baseball cap and sunglasses before looking at her reflection again. It was usually enough so that people do not recognize her, especially if she wasn’t in New York. Satisfied with the result, she picked up her duffle bag and her handbag and got out of her hotel room to call a cab that would get her to the airport.
To her relief, everything went smoothly. Wanda had to remove her accessories only for identification. Afterward, she kept her cap but put her sunglasses in her bag to not attract unnecessary attention. The guards then let her through without further questions at the request of Tony Stark himself. Wanda took place in a corner of the boarding area, glad that the few people already present didn’t seem to pay attention to her so far. The clock on the wall was indicating that there was still an hour left before her flight departure, so she pulled out a book from her handbag to entertain herself until then.
As the time passed, the waiting room began to fill up and Wanda started to relax as she saw that people didn’t seem to recognize her. Everything was going fine… Well, until, out of nowhere, she started to feel anxious again. It was as if waves of panic were washing over her and she didn’t know where it was coming from but it wasn’t her own. Slowly closing her book, she took a look around. It wasn’t her feeling, but whoever it was, the fear had to be overwhelming. Wanda’s gaze stopped on a young woman facing her a couple of rows further. You. Your head was tucked down, and you were looking at your fidgety fingers, your legs bouncing like crazy. Wanda’s heart broke a little at the sight. You were about the same age as her and you were clearly near the panic attack. But was Wanda really the good person to help? What if you recognized her? What if you were afraid of her? Tugging slightly on her cap out of nervosity, she looked around again. Steve had told her to be discreet but nobody was paying attention to you besides her and it’s not like she could just ignore your pain. She took her handbag, put her book in it and made her way to you.
You were so deep in your thoughts that you didn’t see or hear Wanda until she spoke.
“Hey,” Wanda said in her sweetest voice but you jumped anyway at the unexpected sound.
You put a hand on your chest as you looked at the redhead, trying to catch your breath. Wanda gave you an apologizing smile, ready to intervene if she had to. She waited patiently for you to come back to your senses but you were still staring at her with a neutral gaze. At that moment, she really wished she knew what was going on inside your head. Were you having an internal breakdown? Did you recognize her? If it was the case, were you afraid of her? She really hoped not. Of course, she could sneak a peek but she had promised herself that she would no longer enter people's minds without permission. She stopped breathing for a minute, waiting for you to react. Luckily, you seemed to come back to yourself and, eventually, you let a small laugh escape your lips. Taking it as a good sign, Wanda let go of her breath and smiled. She stopped to fidget with her rings to point at the seat beside you.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just… wanted to know if this seat was taken?”
You looked at the seat beside you before looking around. There were plenty of places available all over the room but you dragged your eyes back to Wanda and smiled at her the best you could despite the lump still present in your stomach. You certainly could use a distraction right now and, to be perfectly honest, she was really pretty. The more you looked at her, the more you realized that every single one of her features was perfect. Her hands, her smile, her voice. Her big mossy green eyes were almost surreal. Ok... Now you needed to stop staring and answer her. You clear your voice, feeling the heat rise to your ears.
“No, you can take it.”
“Thanks.” Said Wanda as she took place on the chair and put her handbag on the floor. So much for being discreet. She didn’t mean to join you but maybe she could try to take her mind off things by entertaining you a bit. There wasn’t much risk to it… Right? The redhead turned on her seat and extended her hand, praying that she didn’t give away her identity by saying her name.
“I’m Wanda.”
You wiped your sweaty hand on your jeans before taking Wanda’s.
“Y/N Y/L/N. I- hum, I’m sorry for the freaking-out thing... ”
Wanda could still feel your anxiety but it wasn’t as strong as before.
“Oh, it’s ok. Don’t worry, it can happen to everybody.”
You smiled but it didn’t quite reach your eyes. If only it was a one-time thing. Panic attacks were a common thing for you. You were seeing a therapist for it and it helped but in stressful times like right now, it still happened. Feeling that you were getting in your head again, Wanda tried to keep you distracted on something else.
“I really like your shirt, by the way.”
Underneath your jacket, you were wearing a black t-shirt with “Brides Squad” written in gold script font. You looked at it, laughing a bit freely, and Wanda couldn’t help but find the sound endearing. In fact, you were quite beautiful with your bright y/e/c eyes and your long y/h/c hair fixed in a messy bun. There was no denying it.
“Oh, thanks, that’s why I’m here in South Carolina, actually. One of my best friends from childhood was getting married this weekend.”
Wanda smiled and her eyes sparkled at your words. God, those eyes will haunt you for days.
“You’re so lucky, I’ve never been to a wedding but I would love to. How was it, if it’s not too nosy of me to ask?”
You chuckled at her excitement. It was cute.
“It was really great. I mean, the ceremony, the vow, the after-party… Everything was great and it had been so long since we all had been reunited like that. You know, with life, everyone has their own things to do and all. I and two of our friends that live in New York carpooled to get here. A little road trip like in the old times.”
“You didn’t carpool to get back home?”
Wanda saw your smile drop a bit and silently cursed herself. She had to bring back the sensible subject… That’s why she wasn't good at small talk. You gave her a sheepish smile and started to play with your bracelet on your right wrist out of nervosity.
“I wish… But I had to get back to work earlier so it meant coming back by plane and that’s way less nice…”
Wanda opened her mouth to apologize for bringing back the subject but you spoke again.
“I googled facts about accidents related to the different modes of transportation and I know the probabilities of a plane crash are much lower than a car crash, but I just can't get over that irrational fear, you know. Normally, I sit on the aisle side and it calms me down a bit, but on top of that, I'll have to sit on the window side because the airplane is packed and-”
Feeling your anxiety dramatically escalate along with your speech rate, Wanda put her hand on yours. You stopped your rambling and looked at her hand on yours before looking back into her caring green eyes.
“Hey, it’s ok. Take a deep breath.” She said before she did it herself and you find yourself doing the same, calming down gradually. You looked at her and chuckled nervously.
“Thank you and sorry… again. I talk too much when I'm nervous.”
“It’s ok, don’t worry, I don’t mind,” Wanda replied with a sweet smile. You looked at her and saw the honesty in her eyes. Unconsciously, you let your gaze detail her face. The little crow’s-feet in the corner of her eyes when she smiles, the light freckles on her nose and cheeks, her naturally rounded and plumped lips… And that’s when you diverted your eyes elsewhere, feeling the heat rise on the back of your neck and wishing that she wasn’t creeped out by your bluntness.
You continued to look anywhere else but at her until Wanda redirected the conversation to a lighter subject.
“So, was it just you and your friends? None of you were accompanied?”
She didn’t know why she was prying so much but something in her needed to learn more about you. You cleared your throat and glanced tentatively at Wanda but she was looking at you as if nothing had happened so you relaxed a bit.
“Nope. Hum, we decided to go there as single women and it felt nice to just be by ourselves for once. Though, I kind of ended up dancing with this guy that kept insisting all night.”
You chuckled and shook your head at the memory and it made Wanda smile despite being a bit disappointed. It was ridiculous. She just met you for fuck’s sake.
“Tell me more about him. How was he?”
“Oh, no, the poor guy kept trying all night but he really wasn’t my type. He was just so sweet and I couldn’t find it in me to break his heart.”
You looked away shyly as you said the last sentence. Wanda was finding you cuter and cuter by the time. When she giggled, you looked at her again and something fluttered around in your stomach.
“What is your type, then?” asked Wanda bluntly and curiously, while crossing her legs and leaning her elbow on the back of her chair so that she could rest her head in her hand. Her gaze was intense and she seemed really interested in the answer. You felt your face flushed again under her the intensity of her eyes. “You are'’ was the first thing that came to your mind but you didn’t want to sound creepy so you searched for something else to say.
At your lack of response, Wanda realized what she just asked. She frowned her eyebrows, eyes wider than normal, as her hand gripped the back of her chair.
“Oh, god, I’m so sorry! Am I getting too familiar already?”
Usually, she wasn't that nosy. In fact, she didn’t like to talk to strangers. She didn’t trust easily after all she’s been through, but something about you intrigued her. She had felt the urge to help you and now, for some unknown reason, she needed to stay and learn everything she could about you. She was drawn to you and she was feeling oddly at ease in your presence even if she barely knew you.
You put your hand on hers to soothe her. Wanda’s hand was soft but a bit cold and you wanted to warm her up but you kept your hand steady. You settled for a warm and understanding smile.
“Nah, don’t worry. I don’t mind.”
Wanda looked at your hand on hers but didn’t make a move to withdraw it. When she looked back at you, her mossy green eyes were gentle but still intense. Forgetting that you had to answer her question, neither of you said a word as you just kept looking into each other’s eyes. A minute later, it’s the pre-boarding announcement that broke the moment. Startled, you withdrew your hand as she looked in the air with an annoyed frown.
Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 103 to New York. We are now inviting the first-class passengers to begin boarding at this time. Please proceed to gate 3 and have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes. Thank you.
“Well,” Wanda began to say with a sad smile, “seems like I have to go…”
You frowned but quickly forced a smile on your face.
“Seems like it, yeah…”
Wanda got up and you found yourself doing the same, playing mindlessly with the hem of your t-shirt as you watched her gather her handbag on the ground.
“Thank you again, Wanda, for keeping me company. I appreciate it. Really.”
“It was my pleasure. I’m glad I got to meet you.”
“I’m glad I met you too. Maybe… Maybe, we’ll see each other again sometime.”
The end of your sentence sounded more like a question, but even if Wanda wished she could see you again, what will you really think of her the day you’ll see her on the news, discovering her true identity and all the bad thing she has done? She swallowed hard and cleared her throat before answering with a light tone.
“Yeah, maybe. New York isn’t that big.”
You laughed through your nose at her sarcasm and Wanda chewed nervously on her bottom lip. There was nothing else to say…
“Bye, y/n.”
“Bye, Wanda.”
You looked at her as she walked to the boarding gates and waved one last time at her when she turned around to look at you before disappearing from your sight.
Once on the plane, you found your seat and put your handbag in the overhead bin space. The person beside you hadn't arrived yet, so you took your place by the window and closed the shade. It was the best you could do to improve the situation. Though, you could perfectly see outside by the window of the seat before you. Feeling your heartbeats increase, you closed your eyes and took a deep breath, wishing that Wanda would still be with you. You didn’t know her that much but something in her was soothing and recomforting so, you tried to remember her raspy and calm voice telling you to breathe.
“Excuse me?”
Yep, that voice. It was engraved in your memory.
“Y/N? You ok?”
You frowned. Wait. That was definitely not in your head. Your eyes shoot open and you look beside you to find Wanda, standing in the aisle. She was looking at you with a shy smile.
“Would you mind switching seats with me? I would like to sit by the window.”
Your eyebrows shot in the air, surprised.
“You- What?”
“I’m your traveling neighbor.”
“How?”
“Let’s just say that I have good connections,” she simply said with a one-sided shrug.
Realizing that she was waiting for you to move, you stood up, moved aside to let her pass and took the aisle seat instead. Your gaze followed her as you looked at her in awe.
“Wow, I- Thank you, Wanda. It’s… It’s really kind of you,” you said with a shaky voice, feeling the tears rising in your eyes. You cleared your throat. That girl… She was almost too good to be true. You shook your head. “Why are you doing all that?”
Wanda tilted her head with a frown on her face and, you swear, she couldn’t look cuter if she wanted to. “What do you mean?”
“First you take a seat beside me in the boarding area to help me get out of my head and now you switch your first-class seat just so I don’t have to sit at the window… Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for all you did. I really am. But I don’t get why you’re doing all this for someone you don’t know.”
Your expression was genuinely curious. There was no judgment, no criticism in your bright y/c/e eyes. If there was something, it was gratitude, admiration and respect. Wanda felt heat rise to her cheeks at the look you were giving her. She looked at her hand, fidgeting with one of her rings. She wasn’t sure she was deserving of your perception of her.
“I’ve done some things I’m not proud of in my life… Now, I just like to help people when I can.”
You smiled and shook your head at the answer. Wanda had answered like it was nothing, shrugging her shoulders. She was so ashamed of the bad things she had done in the past that she couldn’t see all the good. She was dedicating her life to help people, it certainly was worth something.
“You are something else, Wanda Maximoff. The world needs more people like you.”
At the sound of her full name, Wanda’s heart skipped a beat in her chest and her smile dropped slowly. But you were still looking at her with affection.
“You know who I am?”
“Of course I know who you are. I’m from New York and you, Avengers, are all over the news. Think you could fool me with that cap? Give me some credit, woman.” You said playfully with a raised eyebrow, making sure to lower your voice.
Wanda laughed incredulously as a warm feeling settled in her abdomen. There was no fooling you.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie to you or hide my identity. It’s just that, usually, it’s not the kind of response I get from people when they recognize me, so I try to keep a low profile.”
You frowned at that. You knew that some people had problems with the Avengers and how they operate, especially the Sokovian. Often, there were casualties and collateral damages where they were going. They’re individuals, human beings and, clearly, they’re not perfect but, every day, they’re giving everything to make the world you live in a better place and that's enough for you.
“You know, people tend to be afraid of things they don’t understand and I doubt it has anything to do with you. And, for what it’s worth, I’m not afraid of you. If I feel safe right now it’s thanks to you.”
At your words, Wanda blushed and gave you the most beautiful and heartfelt smile you've ever seen.
The flight went smoothly. The take-off and the landing were a bit more stressful for you but Wanda offered her hand to you and, magically, everything was better. You kept talking the entire flight. Wanda learned that you were a pediatric nurse originally from Louisville, Kentucky. She also learned that you played baseball in college and like to volunteer at the homeless shelter close to your home when you can. You tried to learn to know Wanda and what she likes without bothering her too much with the Avengers and she seemed pleased about that. You learned that she loves sitcoms and books. She also told you that she tried to learn how to play the guitar but failed miserably. Wanda’s Sokovian accent started to appear more and more with time. You smile at yourself, thinking that maybe it was because she was at ease with you. You didn’t see the time pass and were disappointed when it was time to get out of the plane and go home. You wished you had more time with her.
You got out of the airport together and, once outside, you raised your hand to hail a cab. Luckily, you didn’t wait at all as one of them pulled over instantly. You usually hoped that it went that well but, right now, you couldn’t help but be disappointed because it meant that you needed to say goodbye to Wanda.
“Need a ride?” You asked with a sheepish smile, hoping to delay the inevitable.
Wanda gave you a knowing look and shook her head lightly.
“Thank you but I have my own means of transport.”
You nodded with a tight-lipped smile, a bit disappointed.
“Well, this is it then…Thank you, again for everything. I couldn't have done it without you.”
“I’m sure you would have done well without my help… but I’m glad I did.”
“Likewise.”
Wanda giggled and your heart swelled. You opened the door to get in the taxi but stopped yourself. There was no way she could just go without doing something. You turned to Wanda who was still waiting there and took your chance.
“I would like to take you to dinner sometime. If you want to, of course. It would be my way of thanking you properly.”
If you thought that she couldn’t be more beautiful, you were proven wrong when Wanda’s smile got even bigger than before. With the sun reflecting in her eyes, she was amazingly stunning.
“You really need to stop thanking me, y/n… But I would love to have dinner with you.”
You matched her smile with yours but, before you could say something else, you heard Wanda’s name in the distance. Both of you turned at the sound and, surely, there were the paparazzi, cameras ready.
“Damn, I need to go,” Wanda said with a sigh as red mists accumulated in her palms. She smirked when she saw your eyes get bigger at the view of her power. “You know where to find me.”
In one motion of her hands, she took off in the air, before the paparazzi could get to her. You stayed there, looking at her vanishing figure. You closed your mouth when the taxi driver cleared his throat.
“Ready to go, miss?”
You reluctantly tore your eyes away from her to look at him.
“Yes. Sorry.”
With a big smile that wouldn’t go away anytime soon, you got into the car and gave him your address. You looked up to the sky one last time but you couldn’t see her anymore. Instead, you caught a glimpse of an airplane. You didn’t think you would think that someday but, it was definitely a lucky flight.