Skies Clearing (Maximoff Twins fanfic)

Chapter Eighteen

"I am trying to make sense of this war inside my head."

BLUE

I put the picture on my bedside table, where it will be the first thing I see every morning. Drawings continue to fill my book.

One morning, my eyes open to the four familiar faces, and a different kind of déjà vu hits me in the chest. I nearly fall over, reaching desperately for the black book. I fumble with one dusty, dark pencil to shade in a smooth shape. Five letters spill from the tip of my pencil, almost faster than I can write them.

The full picture comes together. A sleek bombshell, sitting in the rubble, just a few feet away. Its neat black signature proudly proclaims Stark.

Oh.

Oh, no.

*

I open the door to Tony's workshop slowly and carefully, and the classic rock music hits me right away.

There he is, a black, red, and gold suit under his fingertips, a blue hologram floating in the open air next to him.

"Tony," I call.

Somehow he hears me over the music, and pauses it right away. "Quicksilver?"

"Yeah." I lean against the far wall, worrying my lip between my teeth, and hold the black book so tightly that I can feel my fingers turn white.

"What brings you to my castle?" he asks, with a grand gesture to the broken parts around him.

I exhale, and then flip open my memory book and show him the new, dark drawing.

He stops. His face turns serious. "Oh."

I look back at the picture and smooth the name on the bombshell. "This is... your weapon?" I say. "And my family."

He nods once.

"You- you sold this... to the man who killed my parents and destroyed my home?"

"Yeah," he says, looking down. "Yeah." He looks back up and meets my eyes, and he looks almost sad.

"Okay. Okay, right, well...." I flip the book shut. The floor, look at the floor... I don't know what I'll do if I look at his eyes. My wild, confused emotions flicker blue around my shoulders and I shiver at speed.

He doesn't speak.

Finally I force my gaze to his, and take a breath, and step forward.

He closes his eyes.

Then it hits me. He expects revenge. He expects me to be angry, murderous, to attack him. Maybe he thinks, even, that he is going to die.

And Tony Stark doesn't move or speak. Not to call his suit, not to step away, or to fight back.

He thinks he deserves it.

I throw aside the words I meant to say, and run.

Blueprints take flight. The workshop lights up blue, and this time it's not a hologram.

Without pause I pull him to me. My eyes sting with sharp, angry almost-tears, and I turn away to hide my face in case they fall.

The room is silent.

Then, "Quicksilver?" he asks.

"Stark?"

"Why are we hugging?"

"Don't ask stupid questions."

"...Okay." He presses his face into my shoulder like a child and sighs. "Thanks, kid," he says, his words muffled in my jacket. "And I... I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry too." My mouth twitches up. "Tin man."

He almost laughs. "Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Mad scientist."

"Discount Flash."

"...How dare you. Don't make me change my mind."

A/N if by chance any of you are artists... and have free time... I would LOVE to see a page of Pietro's memory book. that would be amazing.

I love you guys, have a beautiful day :)