Multifandom Imagines And One-Shots

Wanda Maximoff: Warmth

Word Count: 2793

Christmas was hard for you. It reminded you of all of your losses. Your parents, your sister, and your team. Watching the snow fall together only reminded you of those that fell with you during the war. You were always a little more zoned out during the season. Focusing was harder than it ever would be.

You had a new team that was not dissimilar to your military family, the Avengers. This wasn't your first Christmas with them, but it was the first time you couldn't pretend to be filled with the Christmas spirit.

They didn't really know what was going on with you, but they could guess based on your past. Earth's mightiest heroes were string warriors on the field, but they weren't savvy when it came to emotional turmoil. So, they let you sulk to an extent. They would drag you out of the house, but they let you sit out any activities.

That's how you ended up sitting alone in a nearly emptying ice rink Tony had rented out. You watched as members of the team skate on the ice with their friends and family members. Clint had brought Laura and the kids, Tony brought Morgan, Bruce brought his cousin Jen, Thor had brought Valkyrie along with Loki. Even Natasha brought Yelena out for the day.

You hold a sad smile on your face seeing them enjoy each other.

"You aren't going to skate?" Wanda sits next to you adjusting her skates.

You shake your head, "I think I'm good just watching."

Wanda sighs at your words, "Where've you been these past couple of days?"

Your brow furrows, "I haven't gone anywhere."

Wanda jabs a finger against your forehead, "We both know you haven't been present up there. What's bothering you?"

You want to close off and you are prepared to do so, until you catch Wanda's eyes. They're filled with genuine care and worry. As much as you hate to admit it to yourself, you don't want to push her away.

"I miss my family. My parents, my sister, my friends, they're all gone. It's hard to not think about them around this time of year. The past couple of years I've been good at keeping it inside, but it's too much this year."

Wanda understands, probably better than anyone else in the building. She finds herself reaching for your hand, "Tell me about them."

Your eyes grow wide for a second, but nonetheless you search for a memory to share, "For Christmas my mom would always make this pie. It wasn't really a pie, more like a cheesecake. She called it a banana split pie. My sister and I would always have some silly competition for the last slice. One year we did a performance for my mom and dad and the winner was supposed to get the last slice of the pie. So, picture me 13 years old, scrawny as can be, determination on my face, as I belt out the lyrics to Last Christmas by Wham. It's just as over the top as you're imagining it."

Wanda laughs a bit, which only widens the small smile playing on your lips.

"Now my sister wasn't going down that easy, she did a dance routine to All I Want For Christmas is You. My parents were split, they couldn't pick a winner. So, while my sister and I were arguing about who was better, my dad ate the last slice of pie," you can't help but roll your eyes.

Wanda cackles openly this time, "All that hard work for nothing?"

"Exactly! I poured my heart out, I could almost taste the pie."

The two of sat with the warmth of your story. The woman had succeeded in lifting your mood. It almost made you want to go out and skate with the others, but there was a lingering sadness after you realized that you'd never share a moment like that again.