Bloom // WandaNat Florist AU

Sunflower

The week leading up to Thanksgiving, Wanda spent more time at Natasha and Yelena's shop than her own dorm. Yelena promised a feast fit for queens on the holiday, and Wanda aimed to make enough progress on her unfinished schoolwork to feel like she earned it. So, for practically an entire weekend, she sat at her table, grinding out as much homework as humanly possible. One night she even fell asleep on her history textbook and woke up with a plush blanket and Natasha asleep in the wooden chair beside her.

It was doubly imperative to Wanda that she make significant progress before the break, as after Thanksgiving, final exams were only two weeks away. She tried not to think about finals, though. She tried not to think about a lot of things. Like how this was her first of many Thanksgiving days without Pietro, how she would never taste his famous pumpkin pie again. How her father used to cook the turkey every year, though never quite right, and her mother would always say it was perfect anyway. This week, this holiday, was supposed to be a joyous one. Focusing on what she did have rather than what she lacked, and what she had was two women who cared for her.

Meanwhile, Natasha had been working up the courage to ask Wanda to stay the night. Her apartment had the room, and Wanda was over so often anyway that it only seemed natural. Wanda's falling asleep at the table was as close as she had come, and Natasha wanted so badly to shake Wanda awake and lead her upstairs to sleep more comfortably, but not wanting to cross any boundaries (one of the few still left between them), Natasha gently covered Wanda in a blanket and kept watch beside her. That night it became clear that Wanda suffered from vivid nightmares as she mumbled and shook in her slumber- yet another reason Natasha wished for Wanda to stay over.

Natasha had to admit she was quickly falling for the brunette. No one in Natasha's life ever made her feel like this- so warm and understood. No one had ever helped her open up before, no one had ever bothered to ask. Part of her felt guilty of this attraction that she secretly held since Wanda fell at her doorstep. Natasha flirted right off the bat, loving the way Wanda's eyes lit up when she laughed, the mysterious air behind that million watt smile, but Wanda's situation complicated things. She deserved space and time to grieve, not worrying about anyone else but herself, so Natasha shelved her interest for the time being.

But, recently, Wanda had gotten a little more touchy, more affectionate. Not in any overt way, but the casual way she grabbed Natasha's hands absentmindedly, or kissed her cheek in farewell, made it difficult for Natasha to ignore her crush, and it made her wonder if Wanda somehow reciprocated.

These thoughts swam in Natasha's head as she watched Wanda excitedly cross the street from her window, a dish in hand. The sisters told Wanda she did not have to bring anything as she had no kitchen in her dorm, but apparently, Wanda found a way.

"She's early," Yelena yawned, emerging from her bedroom. "I thought she was just coming for dinner?"

"I told her she could come over anytime." Natasha smiled broadly at Wanda's little jog down the sidewalk. "She looks happy... I'm glad. You remember how the first holiday was after mom died."

"I don't remember much at all..."

"Probably a good thing." Natasha crossed the living room to open the back door before Wanda had the chance to knock.

"Hi," she said upon entry, beaming. "Sorry I'm so early I just... I always watch the parade."

"No need to apologize," Natasha said, taking the dish off of the other woman's hands. "What's this?"

"Pumpkin pie."

"Oh, good, I don't have to worry about dessert," Yelena added, taking the tin foil covered pan to the kitchen and turning on the oven. "You want breakfast?"