Just Us - Wanda Maximoff x Fem!reader

Treehouse

⚠️ TW: Panic Attack, talks of death and grief. Depictions and talks of abuse. Mentions of depression, PTSD and suicide.⚠️

I close my eyes, taking in a deep breath allowing the cold winter air to burn my lungs. I slowly peek my right eye open looking down the arrow towards the target in front, adjusting accordingly when the target moves slightly. I slowly exhale, my hot breath creating a mist in the air as my fingers release the arrow and it whizzes through the air. My target falls to the ground, shot right through the heart, and the white snow is soon coated with a layer of red.

My eyes scan the area to ensure there are no other possible targets before standing up from the fallen tree I was leaning against. I hold the bow in my hand as I make my way through the snow which is at least a foot deep now, the body of the fallen target slowly sinking down as the warm blood melts the snow. I look down to the body smiling sadly. I used to love hunting with Sarah. It was one of the things we used to do together. But it doesn't feel the same anymore. 

"Nice shooting, but you missed your intended target." Kate nudges her shoulder against mine as she looks at the dead creature, as my eyes follow the tracks of the deer that ran as soon as the rabbit was struck.

"I could hardly kill the rabbit, I was not going to kill the deer." I bend down, pull the arrow out of the body and wrap a bit of string around the back legs. I hand the string to Kate who slings it over her shoulder.

"How about we just walk instead? Head up to the tree house." 

"Yeah I'd like that." Kate gives me a sad smile as she starts leading the way through the forest. 

"Do you want to walk and talk, or wait till we are up in the tree house?" I let my eyes wander the snow covered forest, my pace slowing sighting to look up to the tall trees. 

"The trees have ears, the treehouse is a safe space." I hear Kate hum in confusion at my words. 

"You're weird sometimes." I shrug my shoulders as I join her side once again.

"It's something Sarah would say whenever we came out here. Something about a drawing called ' The trees have ears, the field has eyes' and a poem by someone called Catherine Fisher."

"How did the poem go?" Kate links her arm with mine leading us through the forest as I look out to a distant tree, lost in thought. 

"I believe I remember this correctly. I heard her say it enough when we came hunting for it to be stuck in my head like an annoying song." 

"Sarah did like her arts." I smile at the memory of all the paintings that covered our walls and all the poetry books in our library room.

"Yeah she did." I take a small breath before recounting the poem out loud. "Walls have ears. Doors have eyes. Trees have voices. Beasts tell lies. Beware the rain. Beware the snow. Beware the man You think you know. -Songs of Sapphique"

"Wow, that is so beautiful yet the meaning is so deep and so true." 

I hum in acknowledgement as we make it to one of the bigger trees in the forest staring at the wooden treads on the trunk. Following the treads up the trunk, and I see the small hatch for the tree house. It's not overly large, but there is enough room for 4 or 5 people to sit in it comfortably. 

"Have you been here since I was here last?" Kate shakes her head.

"No, I haven't been back here since I last saw you. I've only just made it here this week to see Grandma J, since I'm meant to be training and preparing for a few competitions. Don't get me wrong I love living in New York and doing archery but sometimes it's nice to escape. You go first."