Several Nightcaps Later // WandaNat Bartender AU

11

"What's with the mummy hand?" Peter asked, gesturing to Wanda's bandaged hand as he waltzed into the bar, tossing his backpack into an empty booth.

Wanda's head snapped up at the sudden sound. "See, Parker, that's why you lose your backpacks all the time. You toss 'em around like rag dolls."

Peter quirked an eyebrow. "What, was it something embarrassing?"

"I just dropped a glass yesterday and cut my hand trying to clean it up. Nothing crazy."

"If you say so."

Wanda quickly changed the subject. "When are you outta my hair, anyway?"

"I got three days left of work."

Wanda smiled sadly. "You nervous?"

"A little..."

"Don't be, you're a smart kid."

"You seem a little nervous tonight too," Peter observed as Wanda picked at her bandages and her knee rapidly bounced up and down. "Anything going on?"

"It's complicated, Peter..."

"Hey," Peter's voice softened, "you know you can tell me anything. Any secret you have will leave with me in a few days anyway."

The kid had a point, so Wanda bit her lip before blurting out everything she had been holding in the last few days. Pietro's involvement with a gang, Natasha's attempts to stop said gang, and Wanda's upcoming incognito endeavor.

"Holy, shit Wanda!" Peter exclaimed, and Wanda promptly shushed the excited teen. "Sorry, sorry, it's just... you're kind of a spy now. You gotta admit, that's pretty badass."

Wanda cocked her head with a smirk. "Yeah, I guess it is pretty badass."

"And this is going down when? Tomorrow?"

Wanda nodded. "Yeah, I'm gonna talk to Pietro tomorrow morning over coffee or something."

"Speaking of all this spy stuff, where's your girl tonight?"

"My girl is working. Or at least, I assume she is. And if she comes in, you know nothing about anything."

"Copy that," said Peter with a salute. "My best friend," he mused, "international super spy."

Wanda rolled her eyes and got to work cleaning tables, polishing glasses, and serving drinks to the sparse crowd that came in. Her eyes continuously flitted toward the entrance, ever vigilant. She was half watching for Natasha, and half watching for any other unwelcome surprises. The later it got with no Natasha, the more worried Wanda grew. Tonight, the pair were supposed to plan for the confrontation. How Wanda would wear the wire, what she should ask, where to run if things went south...

Eventually, Natasha arrived. Her hair, braided down the middle, was unkempt, though she seemed otherwise unharmed. Without loitering, the spy walked straight up to the bar and spoke with a low voice.

"Are you off of work?"

Wanda surveyed the empty bar. "Might as well be."

"Come on, we've gotta plan. I need you to know exactly what's going down tomorrow, and we don't have much time."

Without another word, Natasha took the other woman's hand and led her to the elevator.

"We're going to the roof for this?" Wanda asked.

"No, my room." Natasha paused. "You can, um, you can stay the night if you want. If it'd be easier."

A cocky smile made its way to Wanda's lips. She loved how flustered Natasha could get.

"I don't know, Nat," Wanda teased. "Do you want me to stay?"

Natasha recovered, kissing Wanda's cheek. "You know I'd love that."

When the elevator door shut, Wanda asked, "So what is the plan, exactly?"

"Well, simply put, get in, get as much information as possible, get the hell out."

"Fair enough."

Following Natasha's lead, Wanda exited the elevator on the 14th floor, waiting as Natasha unlocked the door to her room. Inside was Natasha's sparse belongings; a black duffle bag neatly sat by the bed and a backpack beside the door.

"Don't touch the backpack," Natasha warned, inviting Wanda in.

"Only one bed, Romanoff," Wanda teased, ignoring the caution. "If you wanted me in your bed, you should've just said so."

"I'm a spy, Wanda, there's always ulterior motives."

Taking a seat on the king sized bed, Wanda observed the other woman's nightly ritual of checking the halls, windows, and peephole several times before locking the door.

"You brought an extra door lock?"

"No, I brought four," Natasha corrected as she finished up with the deadbolts and latches. "Can never be too careful in this business."

The closer Wanda got to Natasha, she realized more and more how tough it was for Natasha to trust. The locks, the twitchy fingers instinctively reaching for the gun at her hip, the constant glances over her shoulder. She always sat where she could see exits, she assessed everyone in terms of threat level. Wanda was willing to bet money there was some sort of weapon under Natasha's pillow.

Those facts probably should have scared Wanda away. She was dating a very dangerous, very notorious woman. But mostly, Wanda just felt oddly safe. Natasha, no matter how much she denied it, had a good heart. Wanda felt honored to be the one Natasha was letting down some walls for. Though the bartender didn't know everything about the redhead's past, she knew enough.

So why me? Why let me in? Wanda pondered. She was just the bartender.

Wanda shook her head to clear it as Natasha began going over strategy for tomorrow morning. Pietro had already agreed to meet Wanda at a local coffee shop alone, so the toughest part of the mission, getting him to agree, was finished. Now, just logistics remained.

Though she nearly fell asleep, Wanda gathered the general plan. It seemed easy enough. Talk to her brother, work in a few questions, ditch the operation if anything even remotely suspicious happened. Natasha had warned Wanda that even though Pietro was her brother, he was also a gang member now, and it was possible Pietro knew more than he let on and would rat out the mission to higher level gang members.

"Just promise me you'll be careful," Natasha finished, placing a hand on Wanda's thigh.

"I promise."

"Good."

Yawning, Wanda, slipped off her shoes and changed into the black tank top and shorts Natasha offered. She climbed into bed, Natasha following suit.

"You're actually on my side, Maximoff, but you're tired so I'll let it slide."

Wanda cuddled into Natasha without thinking. She sleepily responded, "you're too kind, Natasha."

Natasha took a long, deep breath and inched over to put an arm around Wanda. Man, she had it bad. With a wry smile, the spy planted a chaste kiss on Wanda's forehead, expecting her to be asleep.

"Natasha?"

"Yes?"

"You won't let nothing happen to me tomorrow, right?" Wanda asked, half asleep. "Like, what if I get kidnapped?"

"Nothing's gonna happen. I'll be right there the whole time. Clint and I will be watching the whole thing from across the street, like we talked about."

This satisfied the bartender, who promptly fell asleep. Natasha glanced down to the curled up form on her chest. She had something good here, something pure, and the spy would fight the entire world and then some to keep her safe.