Endearment ▶️ Pietro Maximoff

Ten

I trembled in the freezing weather, waiting for the bus to arrive and take me to the warmth of my apartment. It was nearing the end of the year and I could sense the snow that would soon follow—unforgiving and unrelenting. "Oh, if I had the ability to heat up everything around me.." I murmured, teeth clattering. Whether it be winter or summer, I could never truly get used to the weather. I waited for the bus to arrive but it was taking too long, I needed to get my hands on a car as soon as possible.

Nearly 3 months passed since the incident that had the world quivering, and everyone was just hanging on. The Avengers were always on the news— for good and bad reasons since the entire world seemed to have an opinion about their methods and ways. Footage would get replayed over and over again, on the billboards, on our tv screens, of new people with extraordinary talents and the ones they deemed too dangerous. The latest one making the headlines was a creepy looking spider costumed person—thing, running around New York. Another was the silver haired speedster doing all sorts without a single care in the world. It seemed he could not keep still, wreaking havoc everywhere he went and infiltrating places no one else dared. So impatient, and reckless.

My mind travelled back to the conversation we had just a day ago before he reluctantly let me walk home without following me. My cheeks felt warm thinking about him, he was really cute though. Understatement of the year, Charlie. He's..hot! He was dangerous.

He didn't seem to have a filter when he spoke, something I was starting to realise the more time I spent with him. I wasn't one to get nervous or shy around boys anymore but dear god, he did make me feel like I was a little teenager talking to her crush sometimes. I shook my head slightly. What was I doing thinking like this? I should know better, do better, than to indulge him any further. On top of everything else, he was an Avenger—someone famous with abilities to help the world— and I was..just me. There was nothing between us, I couldn't let my feelings cloud my judgement this way. 

And that was exactly why I ended up not wanting to go through with our little bet we made. I realised it wasn't worth the storm of uncertainty brewing inside me, no matter how tempting. I was kind of panicking about it, to be honest. He made me feel like a high school girl, ready to go along with whatever he planned, and I hated that feeling—I didn't want to feel like that anymore. Yet I couldn't deny that other part of me that wanted to get to know him more, learn more about his life and how he got his superpowers. He was..fascinating, drawing me to him like a moth to flame. Contrary to popular belief, I wasn't an idiot, I could tell he was interested in me with the way his gaze that lingered far too long for something other than sheer interest— I just couldn't figure out why. I sighed, I wasn't cut out for this, not after what I went through. I was going to let him know that I changed my mind the next he came to the cafe, whenever that may be. I had other things to think about, like Thea and Maira's future. I couldn't just let a little crush take control of my life. For all I knew, I was just something he wanted to play around with until he got bored or impatient. "Why couldn't you just find someone else to mess around with instead of me?" I groaned, looking up at the sky dramatically. 

I was momentarily brought back to earth when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Icicles for fingers, I reached into my pocket with one hand whilst balancing the box in the other between my knees, wincing at the movement. It was a text from Thea telling me to hurry up before Maira went to sleep again. Today was Maira's first birthday and I was already getting late for the party. I'd planned and prepared everything beforehand because I knew I'd end up in situations like these—I always did. I couldn't help but feel a little triumphant knowing they couldn't start the party without me. I had the key to Maira's happiness in my hands. The birthday cake. I grinned.

It was just going to be a little family gathering with Sarah, Claire and Lucy—the only people we were fortunate enough to know. Claire and I had become very close and Sarah was just a wonderful mother, loving and warm. I envied their bond sometimes, wishing I could have that with my mother, but Sarah treated me like one of her own and that felt..good. I couldn't help but feel the resentment toward my own mother for not being here with me, with Maira. I couldn't help but wonder why she just couldn't stay home longer than 2 months after giving birth to Maira. 2 months of precious time was all she got from our mother before the accident happened. And it hurt knowing that she was going to grow up without knowing who our mother was. I could only try to fill that void for her, remind her that our parents loved her very much.

Needless to say, they were very much like family to us now so it was just going to be a really chilled out Sunday afternoon with them. Lucy was living in New York, making my life so much easier. I didn't have to worry that Maira was alone anymore. It was nice having them around me, they felt like my family now. 

The hiss of a bus caught my attention, stopping my thoughts from trail too far away. I sent a quick text back, fingers aching as I did, letting her know I'll be home soon. I hopped in quickly, relishing in the warmth for a few seconds and made my way to the back as the bus began to move. I made sure not to squish the cake box in my lap as the bus moved along, Thea would kill me if I did that again. The ride was relatively short and I managed to get home under 15 minutes. As I walked towards the front door of our apartment, I could faintly hear the hums of what sounded like music. At first I thought it might have been our neighbours, but it was too close to our door. Confused, I opened the door carefully and the music became clearer and louder. What on earth is going on? This was supposed to be a quiet little party, but the scene in front of me was far from it. 

Familiar faces turned towards me and my breathing hitched slightly at the sight in front of me. I couldn't deny that I also got to know Pietro but I wasn't going to invite him over—I wasn't crazy. Yet here I was in my apartment, watching my baby sister snuggling in the arms of Pietro Maximoff. And dare I say, it was an absolutely adorable sight to behold.