There's Worse Ways To Go

Two

I wake with a gasp. I feel myself sweating, the pillow damp beneath my head and my shirt sticky. I take a few moments to collect myself, staring at the ceiling, before there's a knock on my door.

"Wake up, rookie. Vision's got breakfast for us," Natasha's voice calls.

"Coming, coming," I mumble.

I change out of my clothes into fresh ones, patting myself dry with a towel from the bathroom.

When I come into the kitchen, Wanda and Vision are behind the counter flipping pancakes and stoking potatoes. Natasha is sitting at the island watching them. I slide into the stool next to her.

"You guys make such a cute couple," I say, resting my chin on my hand.

Wanda smiles, rubbing Vision's back gently. "Thanks. You two would too."

She gestures at Natasha and me with her spatula. Natasha snorts, smiling softly.

"Very funny," I say.

"I wasn't joking."

Natasha and I look up at Wanda and see her motherly gaze resting on both of us. She's dead serious.

"I sense there is tension," Vision chirps. He turns his back on us to the stove, trying to remove himself.

Natasha and I share a look, somewhat embarrassed, somewhat intrigued by the proposition. Steve comes in and breaks the weird vibes floating in the room.

"Morning guys. Vic. You ready to show me what you got?"

"Jesus, Steve, give the girl some time. She hasn't even had breakfast yet," Natasha says, taking a sip of coffee.

"Yeah, Steve. I haven't even had my breakfast yet," I tease, keeping my eyes trained on him as I reach over and swipe Nat's mug away from her, taking a sip.

Steve smiles, nodding. "Alright, alright. I can't let you turn down Vision's pancakes."

Vision perks up, turning to him. "You wouldn't be able to turn them down."

Wanda hums, kissing his shoulder as she passes behind him with a plate of potatoes. Steve sits down at the table and Wanda sets the potatoes near him, handing him a plate.

"Are you going to be assessing me too?" I ask Natasha, taking another sip from her mug.

She stares at me, at the cup her lips had touched, now touching mine. She swipes her tongue across her teeth, then takes it back from me, sipping from the same side I did.

"I might tag along. See how good your shot is."

"Yeah, make sure you know how it's done."

She chuckles into the cup, making the coffee ripple with her breath. "Wow, you're big talk, aren't you?"

"I'm not trying to brag. I'm simply telling the truth."

She looks at me, eyes narrowing playfully. "You haven't even seen me shoot."

"I don't need to to know I'm better."

"Really?"

"You heard Stark. I'm the best in the world. Not just the US. Not Iraq. World."

She smirks, handing me the cup. "Watch that head of yours. You're not careful it might float up to the ceiling."

I sip and Vision puts a stack of perfectly round and puffy pancakes in front of me, topped with strawberries and syrup. He places an identical plate in front of Nat.

"Would you like your own cup of coffee, Victoria?" he asks, glancing at Nat's cup in my hands.

I can sense Nat watching me, curious as to what my answer will be. I smile at him sweetly. "I'm fine, Vis, thank you. I like sharing." I take another sip and then slide it over to Nat.