Fire and Smoke - Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Chapter 40

"Alright, are you ready?" Wanda's eyes are shimmering with excitement in the low visibility of the inside of the dark, wooden cabin.

"I mean, normally I can't really, you know, with someone looking at me..." I joke awkwardly, trying to lighten the air a little bit. Wanda chuckles and shuffles slightly closer to me on the couch, so that the both of us are sitting cross-legged, our knees now touching.

"Don't worry, it happens to everyone." Wanda winks at me and I actually feel myself blushing, and I hope she can't tell in the relatively dim lighting.

"Seriously, though," I divert the conversation, my voice trembling ever so slightly with nerves. "I don't have a clue what the hell I'm supposed to do."

"You've done it before." Wanda tries to comfort me, but it doesn't quite appease the butterflies flying around my chest, making me feel all jittery like I've just chugged five coffees. Instead, it almost makes me feel more nervous, if possible.

"On accident, and it was just me. I didn't try to go back in time, it just happened!" I squeak and Wanda shakes her head.

"But you did try in Romania when you tried to find me." Wanda corrects me, placing a steady hand on my knee. I look down at her hand. She's placing all her hope on me; I have to stop dancing around and just get on with it.

"You're right. Let's just do this, or else I might puke. Or faint." I smile awkwardly at Wanda, who I know notices my nerves, but she must be feeling slightly nervous herself, as she doesn't point it out or make a joke.

"Remember what I told you. Connect to it, it's in you and a part of you. You just have to focus it. You'll be amazing. I'll be right here."

I feel pressured by the trust she's putting in me, but I've decided to give it a go, and I cannot back down now that I've gotten her hopes up.

"Alright. Um. I guess I'll just uh, do it, then?" I blubber and she nods, smiling her stupid supportive little smile. Oh god.

"Here." Wanda extends her hands out in front of her towards me. "Take my hands. It might be easier."

I nod and shakily put my hands in hers and her warm fingers close around my slightly cold ones. My stomach lurches, but I tell myself it's the nerves. I'm about to turn back time, for god sake.

"Breathe." Wanda softly tells me and makes an effort to breathe out visibly so I can follow her breathing. "Good. That's it. Close your eyes."

I do, feeling like I'm twelve, holding hands with my cr- no, I'm not going there. Breathe. Focus. This is serious.

"Ok, that's good, Liv, keep breathing. Now feel your magic, connect to it, it's right there with you." Wanda whispers and I look inward, instantly feeling the buzz of energy just below my skin.

"Good." Wanda's voice breaks slightly with excitement and I know she must see the silvery wisps of my magic start to appear around our hands. "Focus on what I told you. Focus on you and me. I'm right here. Bring us back."

I frown, willing my magic to move freely, looking for that same feeling of pure energy I felt in the square. My magic happily complies and I feel it swirl around in every vein of my body, completely inhabiting me and I feel my hands slightly shake in Wanda's as I try to keep the energy going. Wanda's hands squeeze tightly around mine, holding me in place. Come on, come on...

I start to feel a slight buzzing in my ears and I know I'm close now, I just have to push a little further... the buzzing grows louder and I will myself to keep thoughts of Wanda on the forefront of my mind. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I keep going. Wanda told me about a specific time she wanted us to go back to, right in the middle of the battle of Sokovia. I obviously do not have any recollection of that moment as she's the only one who lived it, but she's told me enough for me to hopefully be able to visualize it well enough.