Wanda/Elizabeth One-Shots

In Charge (W.M)

"So Wanda, level with us - are you actually the one running things in your relationship with Ethan?"

Wanda nearly choked on her coffee as Natasha's blunt question broke the casual breakfast chatter amongst the Avengers women. She raised an eyebrow at the smirking assassin.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wanda asked carefully, wary of where this was headed.

"Oh come on, we've all seen it!" piped up Hope. "You're constantly keeping that disaster magnet in line. Admit it - you wear the pants!"

The other ladies murmured in amusement and agreement. Wanda rolled her eyes but smiled wryly. She should have known Ethan's antics hadn't gone unnoticed by their teammates.

"Alright fine, I suppose I do take charge frequently with Ethan," she conceded, a hint defensively. "But you know how impulsive he can be. Someone has to talk sense into him."

Ethan's tendency to leap recklessly into chaos without considering risks or consequences was legendary amongst the Avengers ranks. As his girlfriend, Wanda had appointed herself handler of his harebrained shenanigans.

Yes, she was often the stern voice vetoing Ethan's plans to try out untested rocket boots or taste mystery chemicals in Tony's lab. Or physically dragging him away before he could impulsively provoke the giant rage monster they were battling into squashing him like a bug. 

Wanda was also the one ensuring Ethan actually slept and ate real food between missions, instead of just shoveling cold pizza while tinkering manically in the lab for days. Honestly, she didn't know how he had survived this long without someone looking after his basic needs.

"I think it's sweet how you mother him," Hope said kindly. "Lord knows he needs that."

Natasha let out an uncouth snort. "Please, she doesn't mother him - she practically keeps him on a leash! Ethan must ask Wanda's permission to breathe."

Wanda shot Natasha an irritated glare. "You make me sound controlling. I don't order Ethan around, I just...steer him gently."

"Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays?" Natasha retorted sarcastically, eliciting hoots of laughter from the others. Flushing, Wanda stirred her coffee silently.

Truth be told, their teasing had touched a nerve. Because in the early days of her relationship with Ethan, Wanda had worried frequently that she was being overbearing trying to curb his reckless tendencies.

Ethan never complained, but there were times she still wondered if she was tamping down his vibrant spirit too much by always cautioning restraint. He was pure fun-loving chaos; she was serious and calculating. Their opposite approaches often conflicted.

But over time, Wanda had come to understand her protectiveness balanced Ethan's impulsiveness perfectly most days. Together they created a harmony of controlled adventure, if there was such a thing.

And Ethan, bless him, seemed to appreciate and thrive under the care and guidance she provided in helping manage his scattered brilliance. He happily submitted to her calendars reminding him when normal humans needed to sleep. And gave her puppy dog eyes when she confiscated dangerous tech toys until they could be safely tested.

Sure, he still had his moments of ignoring her sound advice in favor of chaotic impulse. But Wanda didn't actually mind indulging those bursts of eccentricity that were such a core part of Ethan's identity. She certainly never wanted to truly change him - just gently steer him towards smarter life choices when possible.

Tony, unsurprisingly, took a less charitable view of Wanda's "handling" of his disaster child...

"I just think you're babying the poor kid," he remarked bluntly to her one day. "Ethan used to be much more self-reliant before you started nagging him."

Wanda's eyes flashed dangerously at the implication. "I'm not nagging, I'm nurturing," she retorted. "Maybe Ethan prefers listening to someone who actually has his best interests at heart."

She smirked as Tony sputtered indignantly. He knew as well as anyone that his careless methods had nearly gotten Ethan killed on many occasions.

"And I suppose you know what's best?" Tony challenged petulantly.

"Clearly better than you," Wanda shot back smugly. Tony opened and closed his mouth, unable to form a decent comeback. They both knew who Ethan deferred to, and it certainly wasn't his old man.

So Wanda had no regrets about taking a firm guiding hand with her reckless partner. Someone had to be the sensible one, and Ethan had no complaints about indulging her protective whims. He simply gave her those adoring puppy eyes that never failed to melt away any doubts.

Until Natasha brought up one final mischievous question over lunch that made Wanda nearly die on the spot...

"So who's really dominating who in the bedroom? No judgements here, just curious," she prodded with a wicked grin.

Wanda instantly turned crimson. "That's none of your business!" she spluttered, scandalized. The ladies erupted into raucous laughter and pleas for spicy details.

"Do not answer that!" came Tony's roar from the next room, having overheard. Groaning, Wanda buried her burning face in her hands. This was mortifying.

"Alright alright, if you must know..." Wanda finally mumbled, still ruby red. She couldn't bring herself to actually speak the words out loud, instead just pointing sheepishly at Natasha and nodding.

The table went wild as Natasha whooped triumphantly. "I knew it! Nice job taming that wild stallion," she chuckled, winking saucily.

"That's my boy!" Tony hooted proudly from the next room. Wanda slunk down miserably, wondering if she could will the floor to swallow her whole. This was why girl talk was a minefield.

"Okay fine, enough gossip at my expense," Wanda muttered, quickly making her escape while the rest were still cackling gleefully over her embarrassment. Sometimes she really regretted convincing Ethan to live at headquarters. There was no privacy!

But later when Ethan came bounding in, clueless to her mortifying girl talk revelations but just happy to see her, Wanda felt her irritation fade away. His lopsided grin never failed to soften her up.

Yes, their relationship dynamic was unorthodox. But they had found their way together somehow. And Wanda wouldn't trade her disaster-prone darling who looked at her like she hung the moon for anything. Not even to silence the relentless teasing.

If corralling the chaos was the price of keeping this wonderfully maddening man in her life, Wanda would gladly pay it forever. Wild stallion jokes be damned! Though she was definitely banning further risque relationship discussions with their nosey teammates.