MHA # 11 | Saturday Morning

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda had spent the last week in a mood that, while not unfamiliar, was foreign enough to throw her off for a bit. Things like that were weird when your previous relationship was with a robot man.

Today felt much more normal. She slept through the night and hadn't woken up sweating and frustrated. Though as she laid in bed, taking in the normalcy, she heard some noises coming from her kitchen.

Wanda groaned, pulling the covers over her head. Whatever it was, it could wait just a few more minutes.

[For me first, then open!]

Comments

[fastandweirdgen2]

The twins were trying to do the cute thing and make their mom breakfast. It was going as well as you would expect.

"Be careful."

[fastandweirdgen2]

"Be careful," Tommy repeated in a mocking tone. He was 10 years old, he could handle getting a carton of eggs from the fridge to the counter, okay?

He shut the fridge door with his foot, playfully shoving at his brother as he made his way to the counter. Unfortunately the playful shove unbalanced him and sent the carton of eggs toppling to the floor.

"Why did you let me do that?!" When in doubt, blame your brother.

[fastandweirdgen2]

"I didn't do anything!" Billy flapped his hands in a little panicky gesture, looking around in the kitchen for something to scoop up the mess. "They're still good, right? Get a bowl."

Mmm. Floor omelet.

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda had gotten away with almost an entire year with no one explaining the fake kids thing to her. If she had known, she would have been living in fear of it. The concept of getting her kids back only to have them leave again...well it would have been too much to bear.

So she was in for a good weekend.

Clearly there were people in her apartment, and Wanda finally dragged herself out of bed, wrapping a robe around herself and hands at the ready in case it was some psycho trying to kill her on Saturday morning.

Then she entered the kitchen and her hands dropped to her sides. She wasn't quite sure what she was seeing at first, wondering if it was a dream. "Boys?"

[fastandweirdgen2]

"Tommy did it!" Billy said, immediately running to his mother for a hug.

[fastandweirdgen2]

"I did not!" Tommy insisted, also going in for a hug.

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda's arms automatically went around her boys, though the dazed shock still hadn't worn off. "Boys--how?"

She looked out the window nervously, checking for any sign of a sitcom life outside. "Did I do this?"

[fastandweirdgen2]

"Nope," Billy assured her, sounding muffled since he was squeezing hard into the hug and not letting go just yet.

[fastandweirdgen2]

"We did it," Tommy said, grinning up at his mother. "We knew you missed us."

[scarlet_chaos]

"I did miss you," Wanda said, brushing a strand of Tommy's hair out of his face. "You have no idea...I think about you every day."

"I'm just a little confused--Billy, was it you?" If so, Wanda would need to explain the dangers of changing the universe to bend to your will, no matter how happy she was to see them.

[fastandweirdgen2]

"No, I can't do that." Not yet, anyway. It'd be cool if he could though! "We just knew you'd be here."

They saw a portal and took advantage, like any 10-year-old would do.

[fastandweirdgen2]

"We knew we'd be okay," Tommy confirmed. And they thought that their mother (their real mother) would understand. "We were making you breakfast."

[fastandweirdgen2]

"Trying to," Billy amended. "Tommy dropped the eggs."

[scarlet_chaos]

"Accidents happen," Wanda said. She still wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but the boys seemed convinced that this was normal and it was going a long way to calm her down.

"Let's clean up a little and then we'll have some breakfast that hasn't touched the floor."

And while that was happening Wanda would try to figure things out.

[heroic_jawline]

Morgan was paying Tony a visit and so Steve needed a little bit of space and also wanted to check up on Wanda just in case this weekend had gotten hard.

So here he was, with donuts, knocking on the door.

[fastandweirdgen2]

Wanda was still trying to clean up the eggs on the floor with Tommy, so she sent Billy to get the door. Look, she knew she could have cleaned up the mess with magic easily but there was a lesson to be learned here. Even if Tommy was doing his best not to learn it.

Billy, meanwhile, cracked open the door to see who was there before flinging it open when he saw food. "Donuts are here!"

And a man, too, but whatever. He'd get to that later.

[heroic_jawline]

"Good morning!" Steve called.

[scarlet_chaos]

"Oh!" Lessons could be learned later. Wanda waved her hands and the egg mess vanished, causing Tommy to give her a 'well why didn't you just do that at the start' look.

"Hi!" Wanda called, heading to the door. "Billy, it's usually polite to greet the person before greeting the food."

[heroic_jawline]

"Well, donuts are pretty swell," Steve said with a grin. "Hi, Billy. It's nice to meet you. I'm Steve."

[fastandweirdgen2]

If Billy recognized Steve at all, he didn't show it. Then again, he probably would have only seen photos during a museum tour and what kid is going to pay attention during that?

"Hi, Steve," Billy said. "My brother Tommy is over there."

"Where's the donuts?" Tommy called. So polite.

[heroic_jawline]

"Right here," Steve said, holding them up. "Do you like bear claws, too?"

[scarlet_chaos]

"Everyone likes bear claws," Wanda said. "Billy, don't crowd Steve, let him come inside. Go help your brother get some plates."

As Billy rushed off towards the kitchen, Wanda really hoped they wouldn't hear the sound of breaking glass.

"Thank you for the donuts." Though it did make her mildly suspicious. "Is everything okay? Because I didn't do anything. I don't think I did."

Let's be real, if she had done something in this town sending Steve with food would probably be the wisest first line of defense.

[heroic_jawline]

"I didn't think you had," Steve said easily. "I just went for a walk and ended up past the bakery. Tony has a visitor today."

[scarlet_chaos]

"Oh, like someone from work?" Wanda asked.

[heroic_jawline]

"Like his daughter Morgan from a timeline where he was married to Pepper," Steve said.

Weird, right, Wanda? How could that happen?

[scarlet_chaos]

Luckily Wanda wouldn't have to attempt to pretend to look surprised, she was too distracted by the concept of Tony having a kid here, right now.

"This is an everybody thing?" Annnnd that was her heart sinking into her stomach.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve nodded. "It happens after prom," he said. "Kids from all dimensions show up for a weekend."

Sorry, Wanda.

[scarlet_chaos]

"So--they're leaving?" Wanda asked, looking back towards the kitchen. "That's--that's not..."

She wanted to say fair. But since when had anything in her life been fair?

[heroic_jawline]

"Not for days," Steve said quickly, "but...yes. I'm sorry."

[scarlet_chaos]

Well that was a punch to the gut. Wanda was feeling a weird mix of sadness and anger that took some effort to shove down. She wasn't about to lose it in front of Steve or the kids. Losing it could happen later.

She nodded once, swiping a hand over her eyes to brush away some tears. "It's fine. It's fine. I'll be okay."

Wanda had given them up once before, surely she could do it again without completely freaking out.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve stepped close enough that he could almost brush shoulders (well, shoulders-ish. There was a height difference) if she needed a little physical comfort.

"And if not, there's donuts," he said with a tiny smile.

[fastandweirdgen2]

Donuts that two boys were waiting (im)patiently for.

Eventually Tommy had enough and zipped into the room in the blink of an eye, just like his uncle could. "What's taking forever? I'm starving to death."

[heroic_jawline]

Steve's smile turned a little poignant to see that. "I'm pretty sure your mom's not going to let you starve to death. 70 percent confident."

[fastandweirdgen2]

"Not a chance I'm willing to take, mister," Tommy said with a grin. He reached out to swipe the donuts and run off with them.

Great, Tommy, embarrass your mother in front of Captain America.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve blinked. "He's quick."

[scarlet_chaos]

"I am so sorry," Wanda said, face turning a little red. "Obviously haven't had a whole lot of time to parent them."

Or, well, him. Billy tended to listen better.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve chuckled. "I'm not judging," he said. "I'm terrible with kids."

Thus the hiding at Wanda's!

[scarlet_chaos]

"I find that hard to believe," Wanda said, nodding her head towards the kitchen. "They're just tiny adults."

[heroic_jawline]

"I've seen Tony move almost that fast to eat donuts," Steve agreed.

[scarlet_chaos]

"Yeah, Tommy takes after his uncle," Wanda said fondly. "Billy takes after me. Only...bluer."

[heroic_jawline]

"Bluer?" Steve repeated. "Like the blue kid around here already?"

[scarlet_chaos]

"Oh. No, not, literally blue." Though the blue kid had seemed nice when Wanda met him! "Like the stuff I shoot out of my hands is red? His is blue."

[heroic_jawline]

"Huh," Steve said. "Wonder what that means."

[scarlet_chaos]

Wanda shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not sure. But both of the boys managed to hold off SWORD by themselves, so they know their stuff."

Look at those little Avengers-in-training.

[heroic_jawline]

Steve gave her a proud smile. "Well, their mom is kind of a badass."

Language, Rogers.