Bloom // WandaNat Florist AU

Violet

"Are you sure you don't have any work to do?" Wanda asked again, causing Yelena to toss an eraser at her in exasperation. "Sorry, sorry, I just want to make sure."

"For the millionth time, Wanda, no! Now let me help you," the blonde responded, pouring over the brunette's chemistry homework. For the past hour, Yelena had been kind enough to assist Wanda in her studies. After watching Wanda struggle with the same concept for a week straight, Yelena wanted to at least take a stab, hoping Wanda would keep up her progress and not be discouraged by a befuddling chapter or two.

Wanda sat back, grabbing her now cooled mug of tea from its place on the old wooden table in the back of the flower shop. She took a small sip and watched the gears turn in Yelena's head, watched the rain pour down in sheets outside, thankful it was not yet cold enough to be snow. She watched Natasha as she took a phone call, disgruntled expression gracing her usually placid features.

Natasha had been a bit... off this afternoon, at least to Wanda. Yelena seemed to pay her sister no mind, so perhaps Natasha's more sullen demeanor was not out of the ordinary, but Wanda had never seen her like this. Agitated and less animated, less amiable to customers. Not rude, not quite annoyed, but thoughtful and in her head. Clearly, something was on her mind as she stared out the store's front window, one arm crossed, the other supporting her cell phone, but Wanda could not work up the courage to ask what.

"Ah," Yelena started, pointing to the paper, though Wanda's eyes stayed on the redhead. "You just have to... Wanda, hello?"

Wanda's eyes snapped back to her school work as she sat up in a hurry, placing her tea carefully back down. "Sorry, what?"

"If you could stop ogling my sister for a moment and pay attention, that'd be great."

"I was not- pft, me, no way-"

"Gonna stop you there. Don't embarrass yourself." Yelena redirected her attention back to the problem set, explaining in simpler terms what Wanda had missed. What was great about Yelena's tutoring style, Wanda learned, was that she phrased her teaching in terms Wanda could grasp; brought it down to her level. "You see?"

"Huh, I think I actually do, Yelena." Wanda started furious work on the problems, writing quickly as if she was afraid her newly acquired knowledge would fade. "Thanks."

"I think you'd just been looking at it too long," the blonde said, twirling a pencil in between her fingers. "Sometimes you need a new perspective."

Wanda hummed, half paying attention. It became increasingly difficult to focus as she slogged through countless examples and problems because from the front of the store, Natasha's responses to whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the other end of the call turned more aggressive in tone and louder in volume. It got to a point where Wanda, concerned, turn to Yelena and asked, "God, who is she talking to?"

"I don't know. She gets these weird calls every few months, never tells me who, but I think I know. Natasha is not very good at the whole opening up thing." Yelena sat back, watching her sister run her hands through messy red hair. "I'm sure she would tell you if you asked, though."

"Me?"

"Don't act so surprised, Wanda. She trusts you."

"Why would she trust me? I'm a mess."

"Yes, you are," Yelena confirmed with a small laugh. "Maybe that's why she trusts you. You get it."

"Why won't she tell you? You're like, her favorite person."

"Probably trying to 'protect' me. Sometimes I feel like she still sees me as a kid. I'll always just be her little sister."

"Don't take that for granted, Yelena," Wanda advised. "Having someone looking out for you. You may come to miss it some day."

Natasha hung up, mumbling to herself and shaking her head. She flipped the door sign to 'closed' and Yelena stood to help her sister in nightly clean up. Neither said a word as they swept the shop and organized shelves, and Wanda tried her best to finish the chapter she toiled on, but her thoughts consumed her. Truly, she was worried about the redhead. Few things shook her up, and Wanda wanted nothing more than to take her on a walk and ask what was wrong, but the rain fell too heavily and Wanda's anxieties screamed to leave it alone, so she did. For the most part, at least.

When Yelena excused herself to start dinner, Natasha leaned against the front counter, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing. She stayed in that state for several moments, prompting Wanda to call her name quietly.

"Shit, Wanda," Natasha replied, standing. "I kind of forgot you were here..."

"Yeah, I'm good at blending in, I guess." She chuckled awkwardly. "Are you alright?"

Natasha cocked her head, as if unsure what Wanda meant. In Natasha's mind, she had been doing pretty well at hiding her exasperation, though apparently Wanda and presumably Yelena picked up on it. With her sister absent, Natasha saw no reason to lie to Wanda. The two had shared plenty of heavier information between them, and though only knowing Wanda for a short time, Natasha trusted her with anything, not feeling judged or misunderstood.

"Guess I'm not as poker faced as I thought..." Natasha started, finding words difficult. "You actually want to know?"

Wanda stood and crossed the store to Natasha, sitting on the counter with a concerned expression. "Of course I want to know. If you're comfortable, that is."

"Why?" Natasha blurted before she could stop herself.

"Because, well... I care about you. I want you to be able to share these things with me. I have a feeling you're the type to bottle things up and you know that never ends well, Nat."

The words were so sweet Natasha nearly cried. Most of her life was spent guarded, not letting anyone in for fear of vulnerability or putting her sister in danger. Responsibility had come before self care; for so long she had put others first and ignored her own needs, but Yelena was growing up, and for that matter she was too. Maybe it was time to take some walls down, and who better to start with than Wanda, who made her feel so seen and heard with her soft eyes and gentle touch.

Nervously, Wanda took one of Natasha's hands like she had in her apartment a few weeks ago, like she had on the sidewalk, and in front of her dorm. "So, what's going on?"

Natasha fully embraced Wanda's warm, soft hand in her more calloused one, thumb brushing the back. "That was our father."

"Your... father?" Wanda asked, caught off guard. When Natasha talked of her mother's death and taking Yelena in, she had not even considered the sisters' father. She assumed he left when they were young, or was never in the picture to begin with.

"He's been in prison," Natasha said, eyes flitting up to meet Wanda's. "I haven't seen him in twelve years, but he calls all the time."

"You don't visit?"

"I want nothing to do with that man."

"What about Yelena?"

"What about her?"

"Does she visit? Does she want to?"

"I don't really..." she trailed off, lips pursed. "I don't know."

"Natasha," Wanda whispered. "She's not a kid anymore."

A statement like this from anyone else and Natasha would have recoiled, told them they did not know what they were talking about, bristled against the insinuation that Natasha was too protective, too overbearing. But from Wanda, the comment came without judgement against Natasha, just concern for Yelena and her agency. Wanda understood that taking care of a younger sibling must not have been easy, and granting Yelena a little more freedom would do both of them some good. Less responsibility for Natasha, more independence for the blonde. Letting go, though difficult, was necessary.

"You're right," Natasha whispered. "I'll talk to her."

"I promise it'll be worth it. Like you told me, people shouldn't carry this type of stuff by themselves."

Natasha met Wanda's eyes once more, warm and sincere. She brought Wanda's hand to her lips, planting a chaste kiss on her knuckles. "You're right. They shouldn't."