A year to Remember. Part 3, The Conclusion

Sparkles and Rings

It took the beta team a minute to calm Hulk down, managing to reason with him to protect Peter. Also too about a minute for Pietro to speed a shirtless Bruce to the avenger's med bay.

"Thank you but I need you to leave", Pietro frowns insulted but Bruce stops his retort, "I need to set up and sterilise the OR room and myself. You can't help in here and shouldn't see this, go!".

Bruce closes the glass doors between them and PPE's up.

Pietro remains looking through the glass, unyielding. "I know you're worried about him but you know how protective Peter is over your anxiety. He'd want you to stay calm. I'll let everyone know when I-".

"We", Cho interrupts walking in, speeding through the same safety procedures Bruce is finishing. "When we're done. Ok?", he finishes, making sure Pietro left for the waiting room before debriefing Choi.

It's not what he wanted to hear, and having FRIDAY track the jet wasn't any better, he opted to run to his room. "You saw that, right?", Wanda checks with Vision after a trail of silver and blue flashes in front of her. "Your brother? Yes". She sighs, "Tell everyone we'll be down later, I'll handle this".

In his room, she found a tornado of silver and blue, flying papers, sheets and stationary. "Pietro!", she yells, trying to get his attention, deaf ears. It's not a fight she can win, so she cheats. "Hey! Put me down!", she traps him in a flurry of scarlet sparkles, over his bed. "Not if you're gonna keep running!", her counterargument held more of a command behind its tone. He grumbles, "Promise to sit still if I do". He stays quiet, Wanda thoroughly ignoring him and settling down on the nearest chair locked in place. He breaks, "Fine! Fine, I promise to stay".

She smirks, "good", moving him from the chair and settling him down gently on the bed next to her, "I can feel your anxiety, it's drowning me. Speak". Wanda's always favoured the direct approach because even the speedster can't run away from confrontation there, and the emotions emanating from him were like the worst scented candle she ever smelt. He can however still be a drama queen.

"What isn't wrong? Peter's hurt — in surgery by now! And there's nothing we can do- Fuck. We hunted him, hurt him, what's he gonna think? Oh, he's gonna break up with me isn't he, of course he is, why wouldn't he-" Wanda shuts his mouth with her magic, not only having her own anxieties to handle but now Pietro's over flowing ones. And maybe she found great catharsis in doing it, maybe.

She presses her hand on his chest, pushing and releasing at a slow calming pace, his breathing coming to match it. "Ok, other than anxious, what are you feeling?". Pietro knows this dance, he's had it before even if with a different dance partner, calming down enough to follow along, "Worry, Guilt, Fear".

Placing a hand around his back, resting his head on her shoulder, she says, "Start with Worry".

Sighing in pain, he starts, eyes pressed shut and with tight breaths. "Peter's hurt, he's hurt and being operated by Bruce. I've been there, kinda, and I'm terrified he won't wake up, or that he might but then not be ok". The memories of Sokovia, of Ultron, it's all either of them could think of then- all they could feel. She hugs him. "Don't forget that I was you last time". His eyes snap open in realisation, being the one in the coma means you're spared of most of that anxiety. "I'm so sorry to have put you through that, I never-"

"I know", she quiets him, she assures him . "And I get it. I'm not holding that against you, I wanted to bring it up so you'd understand". He doesn't, needs a little push. "Would you regret what you did? What got you into the coma?", Pietro shakes his head 'No'. "And do you resent Clint for ending in that position? Or any of the rest of us for not being there to help?".

He droops, slouching over, resting his eyes on his palms. "No, I could never". Smirking, she delivers the finishing blow, "and therefore, do you regret what you did?". He sighs, "no".