The Scarlet Apprentice 2: The Multiverse Between Us

Surprise guests

The walk to the dining room was quiet and, at some points, awkward, as the two couldn't think of what to say to each other. Y/n didn't know how to start the conversation since she didn't know what was happening, but Wong didn't speak to her for reasons that she didn't realise at that point.

When the double doors to the unused dining room were pushed open by Wong, y/n could see everyone sitting around the table. Not just everyone in the sanctum, but every one of her friends.

Strange sat at the very head of the table, his eyes falling to y/n's immediately. He watched the way she looked at every single occupant on the table. Monica, Sam, Jimmy, Katy, Wanda, YoYo, Darcy, Simmons on one side. Daisy, Mack, Fitz, Bucky, Deke, Shang on the other. And even though the room was so full, there were still empty seats around the massive table.

Wong didn't wait another second to occupy his seat, but y/n stood still at the doorway, looking into the room with shock and confusion.

"What's this?" Her eyes darted to Stephen, her worry visible as she wondered if he'd told everyone about her fate.

Panic had never hit her so hard. The thought of being exposed to everyone - having to admit to everyone she's ever loved that she was going to die - had consumed her entirely all in that moment, drowning her in a shaky and sweaty feeling.

Her mind raced while her heart leapt out of her chest with every guest that she looked at. Anytime she saw something that wasn't a smile from a guest, her heart dropped even further. Her mind swirled, her breath shortened, her heart raced, her thoughts-

"We're celebrating our progress so far," Sam smiled proudly.

Oh. She took a breath and calmed down - managing to hide the sheer panic she'd just felt.

"We are?" Y/n furrowed her brows and looked at Stephen for the confirmation.

"Yep," Stephen nodded to her, truly, "we've predicted where Agatha's going to be tomorrow."

"T- tomorrow?" Her heart dropped, purely because of nerves, "you mean we fight her tomorrow?"

Stephen couldn't bring himself to speak - he couldn't use his voice without it cracking or stammering mid sentence - so he nodded solemnly, knowing exactly what it meant. Everyone else in the room celebrated as they prepared for the long and strenuous fight to finally come to its end, but that's not what Strange thought.

"Come sit, y/n," Katy politely offered, "I'm fucking hungry and we can't eat until everyone's here."

"Everyone? Who else is coming?" She stood frozen, not being able to fathom the idea that more people were meant to be there.

"Long time, no see," a voice spoke, but it wasn't from anyone in front of her.

The team looked behind y/n and smiled at who it was. Even the ones who had never met them before knew who it was. They'd heard the stories, whether it was told by y/n or someone else. They knew exactly who the people were, so they knew how much they meant to y/n.

When she heard the voice and guessed the person behind her, she froze. Slowly turning on her heel, she took in a breath before she saw who it was. After not seeing them for such a long time, she let out her deep breath and immediately swooped in for a hug.

"Coulson!" She excitedly squealed whilst he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, agitator," he smiled at her after gently pulling out of the hug.

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you just used the nickname you know I hate because I miss you so much. Its been so long," she turned to the woman beside him, "May! Do you still hate physical affection, or can i get a hug?"

"I hate physical affection, but you can get a pass," she hid a smirk.

With the confirmation, y/n hugged May for as long as she could until they pulled back. After y/n smiled at the two with a sense of wonder and gratefulness, she turned to the team behind her.

"Who arranged this?" She asked.

Fitz, already getting out of his seat to greet the two, answered for the team, "Stephen thought of the idea, and I just had to contact Coulson and May. I just knew they'd be so proud of you so far, I needed them to see how well you're doing. Besides, you've got a few new skills to show them, haven't you? We were going to bring Alya so you could meet her, but now didn't seem like the best time. You can meet her after this is all over though, right?"

Gulping down her urge to cry, she forced herself to nod her head, "yeah. Of course."

"Good," Fitz almost sounded relieved, "because she was heartbroken to find out that she couldn't come today. Bit dramatic, she only has to wait a few more days, but... she's an impatient little one. She gets that from her mother," he whispered, "don't tell Simmons I said that."

Even though it felt like her heart had been pulled out of her body, wrung of its life, and placed back in her aching hands, y/n smiled. Nursing the shattered pieces of her hope in her own head, she took a breath and followed Fitz down to the spare seat beside him at the table.

Coulson and May sat wherever they could at the table, greeting the rest of the team and introducing themselves to those who they did not know. While all of the guests made themselves comfortable around the table and the crowded conversations became forming mumbles, y/n dropped her attention to her hands to her lap and aggressively fidgeted with her rings and nails.

The seat that she sat at was beside Fitz, beside Bucky, and opposite Wanda. It was good that she could look up into those reassuring eyes whenever she needed comfort, but the fact that she couldn't hold Wanda's hand in her own whenever she wanted to was what unsettled her.

Bucky, noticing her discomfort, leant in and allowed the loud murmurs of the guests to cloak his voice as he whispered, "I've got good news."

She turned eagerly, desperate for a distraction, "hm? What is it?"

"I'm going to tell Sam how I feel," he admitted, "all of it- I'm going to tell him."

Y/n had expected to have to fake her interest, but when Bucky said that, she couldn't contain a gasp. Finally, finally, she had a good feeling that night.

"That's amazing!" She whispered back, "are you telling him tonight?"

"Not tonight, I'm going to tell him after we defeat Agatha. And I need you to be there, I can't do it without you," he told her. The moment he finished his sentence, his eyes fell to y/n to study her every move. Any twitch, nerve, or shift that she'd make, he'd notice and use to solidify his suspicions.

Her breath hitched and her excitement was immediately snatched from her; Bucky noticed. Even when he'd had the confirmation handed to him right then and there, he didn't stop.

"Can you promise that you'll be there?" He asked, looking her in the eyes to make it real.

Although her eyes wanted to be looking anywhere else, they met his. "Yeah," at first, her voice weakened and faded, but she cleared her throat and repeated it, "yeah. Of course, Buck. I'll be there with you. Every step of the way."

Nodding to himself at the realisation, he leant back into his own chair and looked down at his own hands in his lap as if he was suddenly filled with the same anxiousness that y/n was.