RIPTIDE | wanda maximoff

two.

2015
New York, New York

Reagan sat at the café, her leg bouncing nervously as she waited for her sister. She took a sip of her drink and wondered if she should have gotten so many espresso shots. She felt like her heart was about to beat through her chest.

Reagan noticed Kennedy approaching and rose to her feet as Kennedy drew closer. She pulled her sister in for a hug before taking a seat across from her.

"Hey," Reagan says, her leg still shaking.

"Uh, hi?" Kennedy responds, "How many shots of espresso did you get?"

"Five," Reagan mutters.

"Reagan! You shouldn't have more than six-"

"Which is why I got five," Reagan responds, "Besides I asked for six and they wouldn't give it to me."

"Good," Kennedy responds.

Reagan shoves a drink toward Kennedy, "I got your drink already, it's still warm. I hope you enjoy – and by the way, when did you realize you liked women?"

Kennedy's eyes snap from the drink to her sister, "What?"

"I mean you're marrying Natasha so you must like women – or are you pansexual and like you just like people?"

"Um I don't know," Kennedy mutters, "I've never really liked anyone other than Natasha."

"It was the autism, wasn't it?" Reagan asks.

"My autism?" Kennedy asks.

"Yeah! It's why you never really dated in high school and college – I mean aside from Fitz – It's because you're mildly autistic so it was hard for you to date people-"

"Okay!" Kennedy interrupts, "We're talking about you, and I don't know I just always knew it was Natasha. As far as liking girls, I don't really label myself."

Reagan sighs, "I should have known you'd be no help."

"Did something happen?" Kennedy asks, brown eyes full of concern. That was Kennedy for you, the soft edge to Reagan's rough one. Reagan can remember a time when they were kids, Kennedy was about sixteen and Reagan was five. They'd been at the mall and Kennedy had been shopping for something to wear to the homecoming dance since her best friend, Marin, was forcing her to go. These girls had been standing by, watching Kennedy and snickering amongst each other. When Kennedy had finally picked out a dress, she was going to the changing room to try it on when the group of girls blocked her path.

Kennedy had been polite and said excused me, but the girls ignored her and just started making fun of her. Kennedy wasn't ugly by any means. In fact, Reagan wished she looked more like her sister. Kennedy would never hurt a soul, not even when that soul was hurting her.

So, Reagan decided that if her sister was going to be the gentle one, then she was going to be the one to protect her sister's gentle spirit. So, at the age of five, Reagan had sent three sixteen-year-olds crying from the mall for messing with her sister. Kennedy had scolded her, but Reagan didn't listen. No one messed with Kennedy.

Her older sister had always been so caring and attentive, taking care of everyone but herself. It wasn't until a few years ago that Kennedy started being a little selfish, emphasis on the word little. Reagan was certain her sister didn't know what the word selfish was or meant.

Reagan shrugs at Kennedy's question, "I may have kissed someone."

Kennedy's eyes widen, "A girl?"

"Yes," Reagan answered and the words began to spill, "It was the girl Kiara from the elevator during move-in. Our friends are friends, so we have to be friends and there was this party and she was all like 'I want to be your friend' and I was like 'we'll see about that' and then she got me alone and she took advantage of me!"