Fire and Smoke - Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Chapter 33

"Wanda? Are you listening?" Agatha's voice brings me back from being lost in deep thought, miles away.

I look up from my lap, where my hands are fiddling with some old rings I've put back on. Agatha looks at me expectantly from across the dinner table I quickly fixed when we entered the cabin. The single source of light above our heads shines harshly on her face, making her features stronger, more powerful. Even the light is helping her appear more powerful. Her dark brows scrunch up as she regards me.

"Sorry?" I murmur, honestly having no idea what we're discussing now. We've been at this for what feels like hours. Honestly, I've not listened to most things Agatha has been warning me about, despite me wanting her here.

Agatha makes an exaggerated sigh, rolling her eyes and leaning back into her chair. It takes me back to my school days, back in Sokovia, when teachers would constantly sigh and roll their eyes at Pietro, who would be in trouble more often than not. For some reason, the teachers always had me join their lecturing Pietro, as if my presence would somehow help prevent him from being a trouble-maker. It never did help.

"Wanda, you need to concentrate if this is going to work." Agatha crosses her arms, her eyes fixed on me, most certainly analyzing my every little move, or lack of movement. I can faintly hear the murmurs of her thoughts, at times ticking more strongly and less strongly at times, but I try to ignore them just as much as I know she is trying to conceal them from me. I make a conscious effort to stop twiddling with my rings, and her mind switches slightly differently as she notices it.

"I am concentrating." I lie, trying to conjure the same passivity and tranquility Nat always tried to teach me. Agatha's eyes narrow.

"No, you're not. You sought me out, Wanda. I am only trying to help." I bristle slightly at her half-lie, but we both know I need her here, so I refrain from commenting. "Right, what was I saying?"

Agatha's eyebrows scrunch up as I hear the ticking of her thoughts trying to re-board whatever train of thought they were on before.

"Ah, right! At this point, you should be very careful with just exactly how you formulate your hex; now I know you just, feel your way-"

I honestly try to pay attention, but there's a small tug at the back of my consciousness, my scarlet alerting me to something. I let myself broaden my mental awareness, brushing past countless simpler emotions and wants or needs past Agatha, well outside of my cabin. I never tried to measure how far I could go, but whatever I felt a second ago must have moved further away from me, because I cannot distinguish any more complex thought patterns, which I've found set humans aside from animals, who often feel more like more straightforward emotions. I return to myself as I feel an especially strong annoyance radiate from Agatha.

"I am listening." I promise her and she looks slightly more placated.

"Hmm. So, at this point, your hex should be strong enough, but I will add another layer of grip to yours just in case, ok?" Agatha's tone signals she is finding teaching me this intensely tedious.

"Yes." I say just to appease her again, and her face softens slightly, her thoughts lulling somewhat. "I'm sorry, all of this is giving me a headache, can we take a break?"

"I thought you'd want to crack on." She regards me, looking slightly surprised. "I thought it would be easier to do this here, so far from anyone. You still do need to work on curving letting everyone in. It was most difficult traveling with you, you know. Getting splitting headaches each time you get overwhelmed is not right. Didn't our dear, mostly departed -bless their souls-Avengers help you with that at all?" I don't miss the slightly venomous tone she applies to her last sentence and I feel my scarlet threaten to surface to remove whatever is angering me.