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When Agatha reassigned you to the mentorship of the Maximoff Twins, you were apprehensive about the proximity of their residences.
Since you started working at the Salem Institute, all your students were from the city center, and you were used to the subway ride of at least twenty minutes, the practice of having a cold drink at the local coffee shop became a treasured hobby over time.
But almost six months ago, a new family had moved into the empty house four doors down from your own, and apparently, as soon as they were stabilized, the matriarch looked for school assistance for the children. Billy and Tommy were in elementary school, and both have considerable difficulty in class - most likely because of the switch from homeschooling to the new model.
At first, you were afraid to give up your routine to attend to the Maximoffs, but besides Agatha insisting that you were the most viable option because of the proximity, you met the boys' mother at the street fair.
Wanda Maximoff was something else.
A few years older than you, and undeniably gorgeous. She was distracted by the shopping list and didn't notice that she hadn't backed the shopping cart up properly, but you stopped the little metal vehicle before it crashed and splattered her fruits. She gave a relieved laugh, promptly going to thank you, and you were so charmed by her smile that you couldn't help but introduce yourself.
"Oh, you're tutor that Agatha mentioned!" She suddenly recognized you, and you blinked curiously as Wanda started babbling about having gone to the institute after teachers, and Agatha having shown her on her computer dozens of options. You made a mental note about commenting to Agatha about digital security before focusing your attention completely on Wanda.
And after spending practically the entire morning chatting away with your new neighbor while you were shopping for vegetables together, you couldn't help but agree and immediately assure her that you would be tutoring the twins.
That was four months ago.
Now, you know as much about Wanda as Billy and Tommy know mathematics.
For instance, she is a writer and works from home practically every day - except when she has some appointment at the Agency - so she was always around when you were helping the twins with their studies. She has iced tea in the afternoon, and always saves a place for you at breakfast if you schedule a weekend study session. Wanda has tried to go vegetarian eight times in the last few months, three times in the same week, always having to restart the habit because she forgot her own eating commitments. She also loves Sitcoms - this you found out because you went to say goodbye one afternoon, and when you knocked on her office door you found her watching an episode during a business meeting, and she just raised a finger in front of her lips in a request for a secret and you laughed lightly, imitating an oath in front of your chest.
Wanda was also getting divorced.
His name was Jarvis Vision Stark, and although he was apparently a good father, he didn't seem to be such a good husband. He didn't do anything wrong as far as you know, but you concluded that he was no good at being a husband because he was never around, and if someone has the chance to be with Wanda Maximoff and chooses to be somewhere else, that person must have some problem with them.
As far as you can tell, in all those hours you spent with her, falling in love with Wanda was inevitable. If you stayed around her adorably clumsy and inquisitive personality, there was no other way out. She was simply the most charming woman you knew, and these were just the facts.
On Thursdays, the twins had judo class. And this week, the holiday weekend was with Vision. So you scheduled the class for a later time, having enough time to visit your favorite coffee shop and read a book in the afternoon.
Wanda apparently had the same idea.
The whole place suited her very well indeed. You hadn't even entered the shop yet, catching a glimpse of the older woman through the glass window - focused on a book and biting the tip of a pen, her red hair cascading down and making it almost impossible to recognize her. - and swallowing the nervousness that suddenly rose in your stomach, you made your way inside, and while your drink was ready, you built up the courage to approach.
Then of course Wanda got up to throw some writing drafts in the trash at the same moment you appeared behind her.
"Shit! I'm so sorry!" She apologized frantically, her eyes wide as she tried to diminish the stained mess on the front of your shirt with small napkins she grabbed from the table and making you blush more from the touch than from the curious glances from the other customers.
Wanda seemed to get more beautiful every time you looked at her, and her clumsiness got a soft laugh out of you.
"Don't worry, Miss Maximoff, it will dry." You tease, and she sighs but makes a small grimace at the stain on your blouse.
"I told you Wanda was fine." She retorts, quickly throwing the dirty napkins away and turning to grab her belongings. "Come on, I can't look at the mess I've made on such a lovely shirt."
Despite your insistence that there is no problem, you neither resist the gentle tug Wanda gives on your sleeve, nor refuse to accompany her all the way back to her house, where you exchange a few words about sharing a taste for the local coffee, or the tranquility of the environment for reading and writing that shop provides.
You even asked Wanda about switching the office to a place with other people, but she explained that she needed a change of scenery to get inspiration for the last few chapters of a story she was working on as she opened the door and guided you to the laundry room.
"Let's just make sure the stain doesn't stay, honey." She says as she opens the door and you follow her half-heartedly, suddenly realizing that this must be the first time you've been alone with her in her house. Wanda bends down to pick up some cleaning products and places them on the counter before turning her attention back to you. "Can you..."
"Oh, sure." You immediately agree, letting your nerves control your actions, and without much thought, you pull your shirt out in one motion.
Wanda's eyes widen, frozen at the sight of your torso covered only by a sports top. The redness in her face makes yours warm as well.
"I-I was going to suggest the bathroom. And a robe. " She remarks breathlessly, and it's your turn to widen your eyes, but your embarrassment is short-lived, because Wanda clears her throat, and looks down, holding out her hand for you to hand her the item.
She decides to start working on the stain, and you shift the weight of your feet as you watch her, unsure exactly what to do with your hands.
"Thank you for that again, Miss Maximoff. It was nice of you." You mumble trying to fill the tense silence between you, but Wanda gives a short laugh, raising her eyes from the fabric to you.
"Was it nice to knock coffee on you?" She retorts with amusement, and it's your turn to chuckle, scratching behind the back of your neck as the awkward tension dissipates between you.
"It was no big deal, Miss Maximoff."
She makes a small grimace. "Wanda." She insists again, and you notice the way her gaze falls to your cleavage for a micro second and the intensity of her irises makes your legs wobble. You offer her a small smile before repeating.
"Wanda."
She smiles and turns her attention back to your shirt. Not wishing for the awkward silence to return, you try to pull up a subject while she works. And in less than two minutes you are laughing at her stories.
“[...] Monica was so worried about the whole divorce thing, and I just surprised her with almost twelve thousand words about why marriage is humanity's worst invention." She tells it with an easy smile on her lips, which you share.
Monica has been Wanda's agent since she published her first book - a clichéd novel about the unusual love of a witch and a robot - and now, almost ten years later, she was one of the best friends of the redhead in front of you. You didn't know her in person, but you had seen Wanda talking to her by video call and on the phone a few times.
Wanda leaves your wet shirt to dry and mimics your position of leaning your back on the machine with your arms crossed on the opposite side, your feet a few inches away from each other.
"That sounds like a bestseller." You joke, making her laugh softly. She shrugs her shoulders.
"We won't publish it, but it sure helped me get something off my chest." She says half thoughtfully. "I don't know, it's been two weeks since I signed the papers, and I still..." But Wanda shuts up, shaking her head and sighing. "Sorry, I'm babbling. You don't care about that."
"Hey, it's okay." You assure her as gently as you can, adjusting your posture against the cabinet behind you, but resisting the urge to touch her. "You can vent all you want, I don't care. Or rather, I do. About everything you tell me, I mean."
She raises surprised but impressed eyes to you. And you smile, but Wanda raises an eyebrow.
"Are you sure this is professional?" She asks, and you almost feel embarrassed, but a mischievous smile appears on her lips that makes you understand that she is only joking. To your momentary hesitation, she adds, "Listening to your students' mother whine in the laundry room?"
You chuckle slightly at the description, shaking your head a little. "Well, the contract says I'm here to help." You comment, assuming a thoughtful fake expression. "I suppose serving as a liquor depot is my job..."
Wanda grunts guiltily, kicking your foot gently and making you laugh. "Jerk." She grumbles and you shrug.
"And on top of that getting cursed at, such a toxic work environment." You mock, getting a laugh from the redhead who shakes her head in disbelief.
"Shut up." She mutters with her arms crossed, and your laughter gradually ceases, until the noise of the machine is the only sound besides your soft breathing.
You and Wanda look away from your shoes to each other almost at the same time, dancing around the next subject as you exchange little smiles. You clear your throat a moment later, moving your hands to the countertop and squeezing the wood gently.
"So, if it's okay for you, I'll stay around until the boys' class time." You suggest but Wanda isn't even listening. Her gaze lost on your chest, because of course you had to have leaned in like that and she was just staring discourteously, and without any self-control. You let out a confused laugh, "Wanda?"
She turned as red as her hair, looking away so quickly it only made it more obvious what she was doing.
"I-I..." She tried to formulate a line of thought, grimacing at her own disaster, and sighing in frustration. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"
You laughed, short and impressed. "My class. With the boys, this afternoon. Is it okay if I wait?"
"Oh, sure. Of course." She agrees nodding and swallows dryly as you cross your arms, an expression of virtual delight at having caught her in the act on your face. She clears her throat, trying to regain her composure. "If you're hungry, I can prepare something for us."
You deny it with a nod. "No way Wanda, you already washed my clothes today. I'm not going to make you cook for me." You comment humorously, but she gestures quickly.
"Don't be ridiculous, it was my fault. And it's no problem at all, let's go make us something, I clearly ruined your afternoon meal." She retorts and is leaving the laundry room so quickly that you have no way of denying it - no idea at all that Wanda needed to get out of such a small space before she did something she could regret.
Wanda was going to try to busy herself with food, but the third time she found your exposed chest as she turned around for some pot or supply, she let out a frustrated sigh.
"Okay, you need a shirt." She stated seeming to speak more to herself than to you, who scratched behind your head awkwardly, looking at her with confusion. "Just wait here, I'll be right back."
She disappears for a few minutes, and you busy yourself with the delicious cookies she left on the counter. Wanda returns with a shirt in hand, and you smile at her mischievously as you are caught eating her treats, making her smile affectionately.
"Worse than children when left alone, I see." She jokes getting a soft chuckle from you as she hands you the shirt. The return dies on your tongue as you slip the fabric over your neck, and the garment smells like Wanda and is at the very least intoxicating. She doesn't seem to notice your hesitation, distracted as she goes back to preparing the snacks she started before you left.
You clear your throat after a moment. "And I noticed these are vegetarian options." You comment approaching her at the counter as she cuts the tomatoes. "Is it for real this time?" You tease.
"Hey!" She giggles, throwing her shoulders against yours lightly. "I'm going to make it this time."
"I know you will, honey. I believe in you every time." You murmur sincerely, and you can't help but let your gaze linger on Wanda, especially as you listen to the soft sigh she lets out and notice the way her fingers tremble at the snack preparation.
You lick your lips, trying to think of something else when Wanda asks you to get the plates and you decide to take your cue before you confess something you might regret.
Soon, you both have vegetarian sandwiches in hand as you stand side by side at the countertop.
"Wanda, I really appreciate the gesture, but this tastes really bad." You declare and she is laughing heartily, throwing her head back and you are following her.
Wanda just takes the disastrous attempt at a vegetarian snack from your hands and throws both items in the trash, before going to the cabinets, and soon returning with a package of snacks.
"Here. Not another word about it." She says as she opens the package between you, the very delicious chips forgotten because you notice an almost sad or disappointed glint pass through her eyes, and you ignore the food to move a finger to her chin, asking her to meet your gaze again. The gesture surprises her a little, making her blush, but she doesn't pull away.
"Hey, it's just a sandwich." You comment, studying her face after whatever she was hiding, and Wanda let outs a humorless chuckle, trying to lower her face, but your touch escalates - your hand moves to her cheek and Wanda almost shudders, using all her mental control not to lean in. "You can talk to me, Wanda."
She swallows dryly, hesitating only for a second, and though she is twiddling her fingers nervously, she confesses without stammering, "It's stupid, but I wanted to prove that I can do it." She murmurs, and to your half-confused but patient expression for her explanation, she continues after a soft sigh. "I had a plan, a bucket list. All the way from high school. Like I said, stupid. Vis thought it was childish. I think I believed him because I gave up on most of them, but then we started fighting and I thought I could try those things again. Then he said I couldn't accomplish any of it because I can't even maintain a marriage, and I guess he must be right because I'm a disaster at that and-"
"Hey, hey, stop it." You cut off seriously, moving your other hand to her left cheek. "Don't talk about yourself like that, it's not true."
She let out a short laugh. "Come on, I just destroyed your favorite shirt."
You raise an eyebrow. "How do you know it's my favorite shirt?" Wanda hesitates, looking away and opening her mouth, but no explanation comes out. You laugh, shaking your head. "God, you're so cute."
Wanda looks at you in surprise, but you stroke her cheeks, and the touch is too good for her to question anything. However, she lowers her gaze and you sigh softly.
"Hey, look at me, Maximoff." You ask and wait for her to obey, offering a small smile when the green orbs return to yours. "You can do anything, Wanda. From writing incredible stories to completing a high school bucket list. Those are just sandwiches, and it was just a drinking accident. It doesn't prove anything about you. And god, I knew there was something very wrong with your ex, only a complete asshole would try to manipulate you like that, or worse, leave someone like you."
You blurt out, and Wanda blinks in surprise.
"Like me?" She insists, and since you've already said too much, you just continue.
"Yeah, someone so incredible, beautiful, and funny. I always have such a great time around you, and it seems so unbelievable that you're getting divorced because if I had the chance I would never leave. I would stay, for all the afternoons when you almost destroyed the printer, or set the kitchen on fire. I can hardly imagine how lucky I must be to wake up next to you every morning, or to spend the day with you, listening to you talk, and laugh, or hear your stories! It feels like a dream, and I don't understand how anyone-"
Wanda cuts you off, suddenly moving forward. You choke on a sigh as her lips press against yours, and it's messy and hungry as if she's afraid of you slipping away.
She moans softly at the feel of your tongue on hers once you kiss her back, but it gets calmer soon after until air is needed and you part with gasping breaths.
"That was even better than I imagined." She confesses with her eyes closed, getting a small laugh from you.
"Did you imagine it often?" You tease, and it's her turn to laugh, opening her eyes at you.
"You have no idea." She assures you before bringing your lips together again.
Making out in the kitchen was definitely not your plan for this afternoon, but you weren't complaining one bit. Not when Wanda felt so fucking good between you and the countertop, the warm, low sighs she let escape between one kiss and the next, the steady hands on your shoulders as yours became bold beneath your blouse.
Wanda's legs firmed around you once you lift her up to sit on the marble, and as you moved your kisses down her jaw and neck, missing her satisfied smile because you both have your eyes tightly closed, your hands wrapped around her covered breasts.
"Oh." She moaned affected, shuddering against you, who just squeezed softly and managed another deep moan as her hips went forward.
It was probably too fast, but neither you nor Wanda seemed very willing to stop, especially since the sensation was so addictive. She pulled your face back, sliding her tongue into your mouth and making your head spin.
You squeezed her breasts hard, swallowing her moans before running one hand down your body, your fingers scratching their way down her pants and working the buttons.
And then a car noise made Wanda push you away.
"Fuck, not now." She grunted annoyed, loosening her legs around you, and climbing down from the countertop. You blinked in confusion, mind clouded with arousal, but the sound of the vehicle parking at the front door and children's voices made you react, and start working on your crumpled clothes as Wanda was doing. She finished wiping off her smudged lipstick a second before the door opened, and two little boys rushed in through the front door.
"Wanda?" It was a male voice, and she tensed beside you before shouting that she was in the kitchen. She turned her face to you, exchanging a quick glance before disappearing into the living room.
You overheard the conversation - strained mutterings that were getting louder until you heard the door and the sounds became muffled again, suggesting that Wanda had gone out onto the balcony with her ex-husband.
Taking your cue, you made your way upstairs, deciding that you were going to give the kids some homework before you left. No chance of you teaching anything after what you just did in the kitchen.
Billy and Tommy were equally surprised and happy to see you, although the excitement died down a bit as soon as you left the homework with them. The boys went back to packing for their holiday with their father, and you said goodbye.
Vision and Wanda were back in the living room when you came downstairs, and it was at least embarrassing the look you received from the man with his arms crossed in the corner of the room.
"Good afternoon, Miss L/N." Greeted the man, and you merely nodded.
"Hey, Mister Stark. Good afternoon." You say, turning your gaze to the redhead who is approaching you. "Wanda, I'll be going." You let her know, surprising her.
"But what about the lesson?"
"I don't want to make the kids late for their trip." You clarify with a small smile. "Besides, I gave them some homework, and we can continue tutoring next week."
Wanda hesitates, not because you are not right, but because she wanted you to stay. It's good that you can see this in the look on her face, because it makes the presence of her angry ex-husband in the room less embarrassing.
"Come on, Wanda, she's right. The boys deserve a little rest on the holiday." Vis comments, but Wanda doesn't give him much more than an impatient look.
"I'll walk you to the door." She says deciding to ignore Vision, and you hesitate but decide not to contradict.
Once outside, you offer her a small smile, "I guess I'll see you next week, Wanda."
But it is Wanda's turn to hesitate before she lets go of the knob and grabs your collar, pulling your face against hers. You grunt softly into the kiss, wrapping her waist around you for a second before she breaks with an affected sigh.
"This is how you say goodbye to me now." She orders and you nod affectedly, resisting the urge to kiss her again. "What are you doing tonight?"
Your mind is a complete blur, especially since Wanda is so beautiful and close and has just kissed you hard in the ajar doorway through which her ex-husband can surely see from the living room, but you mumble softly that you are free. She bites a smile.
"One of my wishes was to have the courage to ask a crush on a date." She confesses in a mixture of shyness and mischief, her lips brushing against yours. "Would you take me out on a date tonight?"
"I-I would love to." You murmur immediately, your chest heated with excitement. Wanda steals one, two, intense kisses that make your heart race and your stomach fill with butterflies.
"I guess you're doing me tonight." She jokes against your lips, making you chuckle affectedly before kissing her again and finally parting. "Hey, eight o'clock. Don't be late."
"I wouldn't dream of it." You assure, stealing one last quick kiss before pulling away to leave.
Anyway, as soon as Vis has left with the boys, Wanda appears at your front door. She brought a bottle of wine that you won't even remember to open, but that should be enough of a date. Besides, you will have other opportunities.