More Than Just Friends? | Wanda x Reader (1/3)

Chapter 2 ~ Birthday Project

Y/N sat in their lab... alone, working late... again. Y/N's, Tony Stark Small, apartment in Avengers Tower was connected to their lab, so Y/N often worked late. Tony, Bruce and Y/N meet with other key SI scientists and at our last meeting we'd been joined by some SHIELD execs. One had floated the idea of AI Iron Men Suits stationed in every country around the world, to which Tony quickly shot down, saying it was far too risky. Both to the public and to give SHIELD, and by extension the US Army, access to Iron Man suits. SHIELD had insisted and so Tony had suggested defensive-only technology, pressing that SI would retain ownership and decisions on its use. The three of them had spent the last few days working on it, as SHIELD had pushed for an AI implemented into it, and they were all trying to achieve one that would not end up making its own decisions. Nobody wanted a rogue AI, if we could help it. Y/N's lab assistant had left hours ago now, and it was rapidly approaching midnight. Y/N was no stranger to late nights so they continued with their research.

"Mx L/N, I must recommend that you sleep, you've been awake for the last 20.4 hours," said JARVIS.

"Thanks, but no thanks JARVIS, but I'm starting to make some real progress here, I'm good" Y/N replied, yawning heavily through the late part.

"Maybe I should get some sleep.", I thought to myself.

"Would you like me to continue the running Test 45-B, throughout the night, Mx L/N?"

"Did I say that out loud?"

"Nah, I'll finish it tomorrow. You can close down the lab for the night." Y/N said, switching off their laptop and pushing papers back into their respective manila folders.

"Of course, Mx L/N." JARVIS' smooth British voice replied.

Standing up and stretching, Y/N gathered their laptop and folders under their arms and left their lab through the door to their apartment, as the lights dimmed behind them.

~~~~~

Awaking around 6am the next day, and after some laps of the Tower's Olympic-sized Swimming Pool, Y/N was, once again, back in the lab.

"Hey Y/N."

"Mornin' Bruce" I replied, looking up to see him walking into my lab.

"Did you sleep in here again tonight?" Bruce asked, setting down a coffee mug, in front of Y/N.

"Oooh thanks Bruce", Y/N said, picking up the warm mug before continuing, "And no, I was good last night." Y/N replied, a little sarcastically.

Bruce smiled, sipping from his own mug, "Any progress on Test 45-A?"

"It's Test 45-B now..."

"Wait, what!? I thought we had the formulas balanced perfectly?"

"We do"

"But...?"

"But, it keeps frying itself. The use of dual-core lithium-ion batteries, as a power source, is too strong, but I don't see an obvious alternative source."

"Have you tried... " Bruce started, before being interrupted.

"Hey Nerds! Breakfasts ready!" Tony yelled down the lab hallway, with Bruce sighing at the nickname.

"Go to breakfast, Nerd. I'll be along in a minute." Y/N teased, watching as Bruce walked out of the lab, grumbling about how "We are both 'Nerds'" and how "Tony was also a 'Nerd'".

~~~~~

Y/N smiled to themselves, "JARVIS, bring out Test 4-A, please."

"Of course, Mx L/N."

The familiar hiss of air caused Y/N to turn to their left as Test 4-A slid down a pressurised tube and into their view. Reaching down to pick it up, Y/N unfolded it and looked it over. Test 4-A was the current iteration of an armoured version of Wanda's trademark red leather jacket, a project Y/N had been designing since a bullet had grazed her right forearm on a mission. Y/N hoped to have it ready in time for her birthday in a months time.

"If it gets finished on time, maybe she'll see me as more than a-" Y/N's thoughts were cut off by JARVIS's voice coming over the speakers.

"Mx L/N, the other avengers request your presence in the communal living area."

Putting Wanda's gift back in the pressured tube, and sending it back to storage, I answered JARVIS. "Tell 'em I'm on my way."

"Certainly, Mx L/N."