𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒 !! wlw

02 !! into the blue

━━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎 ━━

ೃ⁀➷

Vivienne spent the entire night packing, sifting through her wardrobe for anything that felt even remotely 'vacation-ready.' Her mind buzzed as she folded light dresses, sunscreen, and the few swimsuits she owned. It was surreal. Only yesterday, her brother's wedding had been a distant, if not completely unexpected, event. Now, she was mere hours away from boarding a plane to the Maldives.

By the time dawn broke, Vivienne was running on coffee and nerves. She made her way to the airport, her carry-on and a half-zipped suitcase trailing behind her.

Just outside, Tony waited with a crowd of people Vivienne barely recognized. As she stepped out of the Uber, she took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the chaos and introductions that lay ahead. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders, and her outfit—a rumpled sweater and joggers—made her look like she'd just rolled out of bed. But she wasn't the only one. Almost everyone around Tony wore some form of sleepwear, which made sense, considering it was barely six in the morning.

As she walked closer, a flash of red hair caught her eye, and Vivienne's heart stopped. Her pulse quickened as she squinted, half-convinced she was seeing her—the one person she wasn't ready to face. But when the woman turned, Vivienne exhaled in relief, realizing it was not her

"Everybody, meet my sister! Sister, meet the Avengers!" Tony announced with a grand sweep of his arm, looking every bit like he was already on vacation, a pair of sunglasses perched on his head and a tropical shirt peeking out from under his jacket. Pepper stood beside him, her face lighting up as soon as she saw Vivienne.

"Hello," Vivienne murmured, her voice more tentative than she intended.

A chorus of greetings followed, each new face offering her a warm smile or an enthusiastic wave. They took turns introducing themselves, and she found herself pulled into small conversations about everything from flight times to the absurdity of Tony's early wake-up call. The energy was easygoing and infectious, even if her nerves hadn't fully settled.

Pepper nudged her gently, leaning in with a reassuring smile. "You'll get used to them," she whispered. "They're a lot, but they're good people."

As they waited for the boarding announcement, Vivienne found herself pulled into casual conversations with the group. The Avengers, as intimidating as they seemed on TV, were surprisingly down-to-earth in person. Wanda, the redhead she'd noticed earlier, offered her a small smile and a cup of coffee, which Vivienne gratefully accepted.

"Long morning?" Wanda asked, her voice calm but friendly.

"You could say that," Vivienne replied with a tired chuckle, taking a sip. "I wasn't exactly expecting a 6 a.m. gathering with Earth's Mightiest Heroes."

Wanda grinned, a twinkle of understanding in her eyes. "Trust me, neither were we. This was all Tony's last-minute idea."

"Figures," Vivienne muttered, glancing over to see Tony deep in conversation with Clint, gesturing wildly about something. She couldn't help but smile at her brother's enthusiasm.

"So, are you ready for two weeks of sunshine and Tony's planned chaos?" Wanda asked, raising an eyebrow.

Vivienne shrugged, feeling both excitement and apprehension. "As ready as I'll ever be. This whole thing feels surreal."