Fire and Smoke - Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Chapter 94

The jet should be louder than what it is as it tears across the night. I almost forget I'm high above the clouds, and it's almost as though my problems have been left far below. I'm sitting, alone, in my regular spot, staring out of the window, trying to recognize the stars dotted on the sky. They seem so far away, and make me feel so inconsequential. Nothing I do matters. Well, except for when I went back in time and fucked everything up. But I'm almost able to forget that, like it's all alright, looking at the sky. I stare at the stars, wondering what their names are and how they came to be. Unfortunately for me, I am and always have been shit at recognizing anything in the sky except for the moon, so my pondering is not particularly fruitful.

The plane is almost deadly silent in the wake of the hungry engines. Natasha and Steve are in the cockpit, Yelena and Darcy left me a while ago to go play chess, apparently, and Wanda and Vision are in the front of the cabin, but I'm facing the opposite way, so I can't see them. What a shame. I'm all alone as usual.

As I watch the sky and the hundreds of differently bright, twinkling lights, I suddenly remember the old, battered iPhone I've been given by Darcy as she deems my old information compromised and I agree, knowing fully well how easily the FBI would be able to track me should I use any of my old tech. My fingers fumble in the sadly empty duffel bag by my feet until I close my fist around something cold and metal. I pull out the iPhone and tap it, watching the screen come alive with the lock screen I haven't bothered to customize. With a sharp pain in my chest, I briefly remember my old phone with the image of my niece and me at the beach a long time ago. I sigh heavily, pushing away my old life that doesn't exist anymore. I can push it all aside, let it all go. There's no use in letting something that does not exist, exist in my head, either. It's a could-have. Not a will have.

I unlock the phone silently and scroll through the couple apps on there, feeling oddly empty. It's rather pitiful. I quickly find what I was looking for. I tap on the app and point my phone at the window as it opens the camera, quickly calibrating and then showing me the names of the little white dots in the sky. I let myself be childishly entertained by the phone for a little while all the while I have a sad feeling in my chest.

"What are you doing?" I jump slightly, quickly turning to my side as her familiar raspy voice reaches my ears, her accent as always distinguishable.

I'm met with the sight of Wanda, who's hugging herself as she looks at me through eyes that resemble huge, green mirrors. I'm not fond of what they reflect. She gives me a little half-smile as she cautiously sits down on the free seat in front of me. She looks slightly concerned, watching me closely, as if I might break. I glance around, noting how everyone else is not in immediate proximity. Yelena's and Darcy's voices are muted. I turn back to Wanda, who looks at me patiently. A warmth fills my chest at her expression, which is no longer entirely cold as she regards me. There's a small shift in her.

"What are you doing?" I shoot back at her, using her words, and she wets her lips with her tongue, not looking away from me as she smiles nervously. She looks so... so approachable, her cardigan wrapped around her, sleeves pulled down low, her jeans worn and her hair slightly tousled and soft. Her round eyes are, as usual, as expressive as always.

"I'm... Vision went to help Yelena win against Darcy. So I..." She pauses in contemplation, a small furrow on her eyebrows as she watches me closely. "You felt sad."
"Oh." Is all I reply with, wondering if she felt my emotions as I was thinking about my old life, and that's why she came over. Would that imply that despite not really knowing me, or remembering me, she still cares, subconsciously? Stop dreaming, Liv, the annoying voice of my consciousness chastises my thoughts.

"I'm okay." I lie. I pause, then continue, wanting to make her stop looking at me with that expression on her features.

"I'm stargazing." I give her a wonky smile, lifting the phone up and shaking it slightly in front of me to show her.