After dropping the kids off at home, Laura went straight to the shop.
When she comes back, her arms are weighed down by dozens of bags. Wanda and I instantly go over to help, and when we look in them, we see piles of clothes, bedding, paint. In one bag is a handful of order receipts for desks and another wardrobe.
"You can't live in a spare room forever," Clint smiles, coming over and putting an arm around his wife's shoulders.
My face splits into a wide grin, "Thanks, Laura!"
"Yeah, thanks," Wanda says.
We help carry the bags to our room and the four of us start working straight away. I insist Wanda has the current wardrobe, and we paint it red.
That was my idea. When we first got our powers, I thought it would be cool if we wore colours that matched with them. I'm not sure Wanda completely agreed, but she humoured me, and it grew on her.
Laura starts putting Wanda's clothes in the newly painted wardrobe, Wanda puts the new bedding over our beds and Clint and I paint the walls. We decide to do blue with two red stripes toward the bottom. It's a messy job, and it doesn't take long for both of us to have paint all over ourselves. It's hard to know who's covered in the most.
By dinner, the room is finished and we're all laughing. Lila and Cooper appeared to help with the last bit, and now the door and beds are splashed with both blue and red paint and there are footprints on the floor. These get covered with a white rug Laura found in the attic. The splashes get left alone. Clint says they're memories.
That night, Wanda and I fall asleep in brand new, comfy pajamas.
*
When I wake up, it's still dark outside, but Wanda's bed is empty. Panic sets in straight away.
I jump out of bed and flash downstairs, hoping beyond hope she's there. She is. I breathe a sigh of relief as I walk over to her.
She's curled up on the sofa, staring out of the window, a steaming mug of hot chocolate in her lap.
"I made you some, too," she says, "In the kitchen."
I collect it, asking, "Couldn't sleep?"
"No. It feels... weird, you know?"
"I know."
I sit down on the other end of the sofa and sip my hot chocolate.
"What did we do to deserve this?" Wanda asks, "This family, this home?"
"No idea," I shake my head, "But I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts."
"Me, too," she agrees, "If it lasts."
"It will."
"Don't jinx it," my sister laughs, kicking me.
"Oy!" I kick her back.
We fall silent, savouring our hot chocolate, then she says, "I'm glad we're here."
"Yeah, me, too."
Word count: 452
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Two New Bartons (completed)
FanfictionWhat if Pietro never died? They've lost their parents. They've lost their country. At least they still have each other. And their new family. Now, all they need to do is get a hang of being the two new Bartons. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS...
