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[lefthandfree]

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[scarletcast]

[ Wanda's room is at the very end of the corridor, a little too luxurious for her tastes, but plenty of space. T'Challa — or someone — as thoughtfully left a salve on the bedside table that made the marks of the collar fade within two days, and doubles as sunscreen. She claimed one of the smaller training rooms to use with Steve. The first day, the Dora Milaje only watch. After that, they participate. They are quicker and stronger than her, but as Natasha likes to say, it is all good practice. ]

[ Sleep is often fugitive. The bed is too soft, and there's not always something to watch from the window. 3AM finds her in the pantry fiddling with the kettle, a packet of tea bags clumsily torn open on the table. She nods at Bucky when he comes in — she hasn't talked to him much yet, thinking perhaps he might wish to keep away from powers like hers. ]

I am making jasmine. Would you like a cup?

[lefthandfree]

[Another one of those dreams that’s left his nerves rattled and he’s out in the hall because he can’t just lay there and pretend he’s okay when he knows he’s not. His skin feels cool from the light sheen of sweat still there as he makes his way silently down the hall. He isn’t surprised to see Wanda awake. Seems like no one can sleep around here.

He nods back a little stiffly. He’s not sure how to talk to her. She’s really powerful, and he can tell because whenever she’s near, he feels his nerves calm, and alarming doesn’t quite cut it.

But she’s been all but polite to him, so he always gives it his best.]

If it’s not too much trouble. I can vacate too if you just wanna be on your own.

[Sometimes they all do, he’s sure.]

[scarletcast]

[ She flashes him a small smile. It's not that kind of night, so she simply puts the kettle on and takes out two mugs, an earth-coloured one for herself and slides a white one for him. ]

[ Truthfully: she's not afraid. When she was, anger took its place, then grief, and now something else, curious and nascent, is working its way there. The same dryness as his throat scratches at her mouth, but the fractures in his psyche are enough to keep out more than that. She doesn't want to look in. From what she's heard, he's more than earned his privacy. ]

Are you hungry?

[lefthandfree]

[He wants to smile back, at least to be nice, but it’s damn hard when he doesn’t know her very well. Instead he looks at the mugs and wonders silently why they’re different. Not that it's bad, Bucky likes a little variety. It just doesn't seem to fit this place. So he makes up a story in his head on how two different types of mugs were needed in the cupboard. It’s a really short story. He looks up when he’s done because she asked a question, and he shouldn’t ignore that.]

Maybe a little.

[His body needs more calories now, and he's still getting used to managing the right amount between necessity and his own accord. It's a weird divide now that he's had food that sometimes tastes better than the sunrise.]

[scarletcast]

[ There's only white and brown. It matches the scheme of the kitchen. Bucky didn't make it a question, and so she doesn't put voice to an answer. ]

Hm.

[ She opens the cupboard, then the fridge. ]

There are some leftovers. Spaghetti?

[lefthandfree]

[Spaghetti. Always a good one. He remembers whenever the old lady in the apartment below them would make extra and tell them she made too much. She was real sweet, and her pasta was to die for.

He nods again, but then remembers she’s looking away.]

Sounds good. Are...you hungry too? Because if you're not, you don’t have to for me. I can manage on my own if you only want tea.

[It’s not polite to have people do everything for you. He doesn’t like it either, so he’s stepping toward the fridge now so he can take over if she wants.]

[scarletcast]

I will eat.

[ It's impolite to have someone eat alone at the table. It does not take a telepath to sense his intent — Wanda is already moving away looking for plates and spoons. ]

A little bit for me, please.

[lefthandfree]

[He nods and pulls out the storage container with leftover spaghetti.]

All right. A little bit for the lady.

[He’s trying to ease into it. He doesn’t know how okay that sounds to Wanda, but he knows it sounds closer to him than he’s ever sounded when he’s not around Steve.]

...what counts as a little bit for you though? ’Cause when Steve says a little bit, he actually means a whole plate. And maybe a second.

[Yes, making fun of Steve is always the best way to break the ice.]

[scarletcast]

[ The joke, locked, loaded, and deployed, hits home. Wanda chuckles. It comes from a place of fondness she knows not many people have for Steve — he is over six feet and somehow eyes glide over him and down to the star or the shield. He trusted her even after what she did, and he, like Natasha and Clint, offered no empty platitudes for Pietro. Knowledge of the same loss does not make it easier, and she would never feel jealousy for him getting his brother back. ]

Just a bowl. Here, this size.

[ She takes it out. ]

A plate for you?

[lefthandfree]

[He smiles (surprisingly) easily when she laughs, people finding good humor about Steve always something that pleases him. The bowl’s a good reference size though.

And then he has to laugh himself because even though he just made fun of Steve, his portioning isn't much different from Steve's.]

Yeah. A plate for me, please.

[He pops open the container’s lid and sets it top down onto the counter. Smells great even when cold. Food has come a long way. He digs out a fork and starts dishing out the goods.]

[scarletcast]

[ It's a good smile. It crinkles the skin around his eyes. Wanda sets the bowl and plate next to the box, but he already has a fork. She rests the spoon on her bowl instead. ]

I think there is some sauce in the cupboard, but I do not much like condiments.

[lefthandfree]

[Huh.]

You like it plain?

[He starts moving over lumpy, cold noodles into the bowl first. Ladies first, all that jazz.]

What about meatballs?

[That’s in another storage container in the fridge.]

[scarletcast]

I will take meatballs.

[ The box just floats out of the fridge, wrapped in a nest of red, because Wanda is busy getting a fork. It thunks on the table. ]

You?

[lefthandfree]

[He can't help his eyes from following the floating box. He isn't used to being around people who use their powers for menial things like making a midnight (3am) snack.

Bucky starts a bit in surprise from the sound of the box landing on the table because he hadn’t expect her to drop it when she’d pulled it out so gracefully from the fridge. Guess there are trade-offs even with powers like hers.]

Yeah, definitely.

[Meatballs were always a luxury compared to just tomato sauce, so maybe it’s old habit, but real spaghetti isn’t complete without meatballs to him.]

[scarletcast]

[ Part of it is because she wants to normalise it being around for him, if they're going to continue to be in close proximity. Wanda sometimes locks and opens the door with it, and is especially popular when it comes to missing remotes in the New Avengers compound. Make something familiar, and it stops being terrifying. Vision wasn't wrong when he said he kept trying to understand what he lived with. Wanda's not sure she can achieve that, but she knows she needs conquer her fear. ]

[ The kettle whistles, and she brings it to the table with the two tea bags. ]

You first.

[ He is a gentleman and will probably pour hers first or refuse, but she can't not ask. ]

[lefthandfree]

[Gentleman that he is, he definitely goes to serve her cup for her first, throwing her a brief smile as he does because it’s polite when he just went and did the opposite of what she said. Then he’s on to his cup. Before he lowers the kettle, he can already smell something amazing wafting in the air.]

Is...that the tea?

[Because he thinks he’s in love. His heart even fluttering a little, and he wonders how Steve will react if he confesses to falling in love with tea of all things. Tea.]

[scarletcast]

[ Oh, that's endearing. She flashes him a bright smile. ]

Yes.

[lefthandfree]

[He licks his lips anxiously, now eager to try it.]

It smells amazing. Tea’s never smelled this good to me before.

[And he turns to place the kettle back on the stove, a cool burner so it won’t keep boiling away and making a ruckus. While he’s there, he brings the bowl and plate over for the meatballs on the table.]

This is turning into quite the feast though.

[The words come out somewhat dry, but Bucky obviously finds amusement in the fact.]

[scarletcast]

I have a box of different types, if you would like to try.

[ Clint had given the list, when she first was alone in the Avengers pantry at night with no one to speak to and even less who'd listen. ]

Should we call the others?

[ She won't — his thoughts are all jagged but when they are calm, they are startlingly clear. It is soothing to be around when her own mind is agitated or overwhelmed from the feedback. ]

[lefthandfree]

Nah. I think I’ve already found my One and Only.

[The jokes come easier now that they’ve shared a moment. He’s grateful because he doesn’t quite know what to do when he thinks of a good line and can’t use it.]

And no need. Some things are better experienced without a crowd. Don’t you think?

[He smiles at her briefly and picks up the spoon before popping off the lid for the meatballs and starting to serve it out onto her bowl of noodles.]

[scarletcast]

[ Or misery likes company. He's more relaxed than he was when he came in, so she keeps that thought away. ]

I will give you chrysanthemum next.

[ Just to make life interesting. ]

[lefthandfree]

[Chrysanthemum...?]

...what, like the flower?

[Right? It’s a flower, right? Or is it a tea?

???]

[scarletcast]

[ Her mouth curves into a smile. Deadpan, ]

Yes, the flower.

[ trollface.jpg ]

[lefthandfree]

[Huh.]

If you want.

[He’s obviously not so sure himself, but Wanda seems like she knows enough about tea from the way she’s been talking about it so...why not?

He moves on to adding meatballs to his own plate after nudging her bowl toward her.]

Your bowl’s ready if you wanna heat it up in the...microwave.

[That's the name of it, right? Or was it macrowave? Whatever. The heating box. She knows what he means.]

[scarletcast]

[ She sets the cutlery down by the side and sets it for about half a minute in the microwave. By the fifteenth second, the strong aroma is already permeating the kitchen. Wanda blows on her food lightly as she takes it out, not closing the microwave door yet. ]

Would you like to heat yours?