Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was Wanda’s first day, a month after college started for everyone else. She walked onto campus, her tights torn, wearing a short black dress and scarlet leather jacket that matched her Doc Martens.

It was a shitty day. Everyone else around her seemed so happy, motivated, unfazed. She had dreaded this day for so long, and she already wanted it to finish.

A lot of other students were on their lunch break, as she had spent the last three hours putting up with the principal talking to her about guidance, adaptation and improvement. Wanda was aware she would have the same conversation with many of her teachers, well, the ones that cared, anyway.

The intentions were sweet, comforting. But she hated it, especially when it happened in front of other people.

She had lost her family last year, her parents and her twin brother, Pietro. So she left her hometown and transferred to the nearest college, rather than returning to her old one. And despite delaying her return to classes, she had to come back or she wouldn’t be able to resume her studies in the future.

So she went to the cafeteria before her first class, trying as hard as she could to ignore everyone who looked her way. It was a small town, and right next to where she lived, so an accident like the one she was in was a hot topic in people’s conversations back in the day. Many people had opinions about her family, but now mainly about her.

Wanda quickly scanned the place, getting in line to simply order a black coffee and sit at the emptiest table. She put on her headphones, ‘You asked for this’ by Halsey playing as she watched everyone interacting with each other.

It was obvious who the popular group was, sitting together at a table. They talked and laughed, poorly concealing how they mocked others who passed by. Wanda rolled her eyes, trying to look away so as not to get angry.

She didn’t even know how there could be people like that, who thought they were more important or better than others. They probably had the mentality of a high school student , Wanda thought, all of them together .

Unfortunately, her tranquility was interrupted when a boy sat down next to her, intending to talk. Wanda took a deep breath, taking off the headphones, delaying as long as possible, having to look at him.

“What do you want?”

“Your name, to start with?” He asked.

“No.”

“You’re the new girl, right? I want to get to know you. You know…”

Wanda scoffed, got up and decided to go outside to finish her coffee. She didn’t even get to press play on her music again when two girls approached her.

They seemed genuine, friendly. Not like the guy. But Wanda pretended not to hear them; she already had the headphones on, so she just walked and sat on the grass next to a tree, ignoring them.

She didn’t want friends. She couldn't afford to.

She wasn’t going to get attached to someone only to have them disappear at any moment. Not again. So it didn't really matter if those girls were friendly or not; she wasn't going to talk to them or anyone else unless she had to.

“Nothing,” Jen told Rio. “She gave us nothing.”

Rio grunted, dissatisfied with the outcome. They'd seen the new girl leave the building through the cafeteria window, wandering around until she went in. While her friends were laughing about something they didn't care about, Rio had signalled Jen and Alice, who were eating at the table next to them, to go talk to her.

It wasn’t the first time Rio had done this. Jen and Alice were their friends, just not part of the circle they used to hang out with at lunch. But whenever they liked a girl, Jen and Alice would discover the basics for Rio.

“Emo is not usually your type, though,” Alice said. “But I guess lately you’ve been getting your hands on every woman on campus you can, so…”

“Be for real.” Rio frowned, taken aback. “Of course, she isn’t my type. Have you seen her? That’s a loser. Hela says people think she’s homeless. I just wanted to know.”

“That doesn’t even make any sense,” Jen said. “Why would she be in college if she’s homeless?”

Rio shrugged, getting up when her other friend group was about to head out.

“Whatever, I don’t fucking care. Curiosity killed the cat! I have a test to ace, and then I plan on getting laid, so I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Jen rolled her eyes, Alice crossed her arms, and they shook their heads, Rio leaving with their other colleagues. They always admired Rio for their attitude, even envied them a bit.

Rio was one of the students with the best grades –always at the top of their class– they were popular, and so much of a sensation between the sapphics on campus that Rio knew they could have whoever they wanted.

That same night, there was a fraternity party that everyone knew about, which Wanda attended. She was there for less than half an hour, just to drink by herself and sneak a couple of bottles of beer on her way out. 

She didn’t notice Rio, but Rio saw her while they were making out with some girl outside the frat house. Wanda, walking away, rambling as she drank the beers until she got to her place.

The next day, Wanda woke up with an extreme hangover, groaning as her alarm woke her up. She knew this would happen; she knew she was a lightweight.

But that was partially why she drank; now she could call in sick and miss her first full day of classes. It wasn’t like anyone was going to miss her or notice her absence.

With that same excuse, she skipped several lectures on different days, days turning into weeks, spending her mornings alone curled up in bed, letting the hours go by. And the days she did show up on campus, she attended some of the classes and ended up in the bathroom eating alone, so as not to face anyone who might’ve wanted to talk to her.

That was until, a few weeks later, she was wandering the halls before entering an exam, when her name was called over the loudspeakers. Everyone who was around looked abruptly at Wanda. The new girl. Everybody knew her name and who she was –or who they thought she was.

She picked up her backpack, her heart racing, while she walked slowly towards the principal’s office as requested. Before she knocked on the door, she heard that another student had been called in too.

Maybe they were calling everyone, one by one.

Either way, she softly knocked, the response being a voice saying, “Come in”. Wanda smiled at the principal, politely yet anxiously, before sitting in one of the chairs before the table.

After a prolonged, almost awkward, silence where the woman looked straight into Wanda’s eyes, the door opened wide.

“Hey! Sorry, I was supposed to have a test, you know how-” Rio’s gaze met Wanda’s, causing them to stop talking and just look confused at both of them. “What’s this?”

“You’ll both do your exam after this. Sit down, Rio.” The principal said, noticeably in a harsher tone than they used when speaking to each other, having Rio quickly comply.

Wanda closed her fists, suddenly turning around to face only the principal. She remembered Rio from her first day, of course, she did. She saw them in the cafeteria, that and many other times, although now she avoided going there. Rio was always with the popular crowd, either always causing problems or right where the problems were. Rio was the type of person she hated the most.

Silence took over the room for a few seconds before the principal cleared her throat.

“Wanda. I know you probably haven’t been yourself lately, but-”

“I appreciate the compassionate talk, but you don’t know anything about me. You can skip the speech today.”

“Okay then.” She added, surprised yet unfazed by her attitude. “You don’t attend your classes and you don’t pay attention. I wouldn’t care about that if your results were good, but you’re failing practically every single subject.”

Rio chuckled, hiding their face but not their laugh.

“Okay, why is this funny?” Wanda asked. “And why does a stranger have to be here if we’re talking about me? So she can laugh at me, make fun of me?”

“They.” Rio corrected her. “I’m not a she , not a girl.”

Wanda sneered, frowning. “Okay.” She added, almost as a question, shaking her head and facing the principal again. “What do they have to do with me? Besides being condescending.”

“Rio Vidal.” The principal ignored them and continued her train of thought. “You’re an A student.”

“I know, thank you.” They added a brazen, proud smile.

“But you've slacked off in these last exams just enough to not be at the top of your class anymore.” Rio’s face dropped; now Wanda was the one smiling. “I know what that means to you, so I wanted to help you both. A proposal.”

Another long silence filled the office, both Rio and Wanda waiting for her to continue.

“Rio will tutor you for the rest of the semester, Wanda. You have basically the same classes, so it won’t be hard. Wanda’s grades will pick up; they don’t need to be perfect, just better. And it will count as an extracurricular for you, Rio, so you’ll get back on top easily.”

“What?!” Both of them exclaimed at the same time. “No!”

“If you don’t, then Maximoff will either need to magically get an A in every test from now on or will face academic suspension. And Vidal… well, you’ll simply be a student with good grades, nothing else.”

“Are you really threatening me with suspension?” Wanda asked, truly offended.

“I’m not threatening anybody. I’m saying there are consequences for your actions. I’m informing you of what will happen, and I’m offering a solution. The decision is yours, you’re grown people.”

Rio scoffed, then took a deep breath. They glared at Wanda, pulling her hair back and bringing her hands to her face.

Great , they thought, stuck with the most annoying woman in the class . Not to mention, unfuckable. So, even fun was off the table.

“Okay.” They said instead. “Whatever it takes, I’ll do it.”

Wanda looked at them, visibly annoyed yet knowing she had no other option but to say yes. She was fucked either way.

“Fine.”

“Great.” The principal smiled as she stood up. “The counselor will speak with you both from now on. And I will see you around, yeah?”

Both Wanda and Rio nodded, getting up and leaving the room. Before they could think twice, Rio turned around to face Wanda, making her stop walking as she was already putting on her headphones.

“Give me your number,” Rio said.

“You don’t even ask?” The redhead frowned, watching Rio cross their arms. “Fine.”

So Rio pulled out their phone and added a new contact, handing it to Wanda so she could put her number in. But, to be completely honest, Wanda thought her number would get lost among the other girls they probably had on their contact list. And she was ready to make this deal work on her own, attending classes and applying herself.

“It’s Maximoff with two F ’s, by the way.”

“I honestly don’t give a fuck.” Rio shrugged, laughing, and got back their phone.

Wanda had to take a deep breath as she watched them walk away, before putting on her headphones, music blaring as she slowly walked towards class. She stopped by the door, knowing everyone would be doing the exam –including Rio–, an exam she would fail miserably.

So she kept walking, going back to her place.

Later that night, Wanda found herself surrounded by all of her books, notes she didn’t even understand, thinking the world was coming down on her. Not only was she alone, but she felt lonely, especially that late at night. She looked at her phone, 3 AM.

Although the time wasn't what surprised her the most, but rather a series of messages that had arrived a while ago.

Rio : hey

i know it’s late but whatever. i was busy with better things

lmk when you’re free

Wanda had to reread the text messages a couple of times.

She was sure that if Rio went through with that deal, they would simply send someone, a friend, or someone really smart whom they had previously threatened or something, to do the tasks for them. It was what happened in high school to her, and Wanda knew Rio’s friend group were those kinds of people. The closest thing to a bully.

But there they were; that was a start.

Then again, she looked around, knowing she couldn’t do this alone even if she tried. So she added Rio to her contacts and started typing her answer.

Wanda : hi it's even later now, so don't worry lol

what about saturday? or do you have people to bother besides me?

Wanda tossed her phone onto the bed, tidying up the desk so she could go to sleep. But her screen lit up, the phone vibrating briefly.

Rio : were you born this stupid or did you take lessons for that too?

nvm don’t answer i know it’s the first one

library at 5 PM?

Wanda : how are you supposed to help me if we’re in a library?? dumb as fuck

we'll go to the cafe on the outskirts of town, near the road

Rio : likely place for someone like you to be 💀👍

Wanda grunted. She knew exactly what Rio thought about her, and of course, they were among the people who believed the rumors about her. They probably invented some of them, so Wanda didn’t give them the satisfaction of an answer.

The next few days were fairly peaceful. Wanda attended all her classes, now noticing Rio in each one. Their messy hair and oversized clothes, mixed with their presence, made everyone notice them. Wanda was never the only one staring from a distance.

The few times they crossed paths in the hallways or the cafeteria, they pretended not to see each other. But it didn’t matter how much they both dreaded it, Saturday arrived, and the hours passed quickly until 5 PM.

Rio was wearing jean shorts with a basic t-shirt and a striped unbuttoned shirt as they walked in, everything in shades of green except the basic white shirt. Their hand ran through their hair as they spotted Wanda, slightly leaning over the counter as she talked to the girl behind the bar.

Their eyes scanned her body, covered by dark tights and black shorts, a maroon long-sleeved shirt that fell over her arms, leaving her shoulders bare, and fingerless black gloves in her hands. Her hair was tied back in a clip, something that left Rio in a trance for a second, before they snapped back and approached Wanda quickly.

“Should we start?” They said, showing Wanda a notebook without even greeting her.

Wanda looked them up and down, breathing deeply at Rio interrupting the conversation, yet nodded as she gestured with her hand for them to follow her.

She led them to a table at the back of the cafe. “Here.”

“Of course, you bring me to the most hidden, creepy table.”

“What’s your fucking deal, Vidal?” Wanda snapped at them, as she had wanted to act nice until two seconds ago. “Can you stop being so irritating, or do you need to complain and make fun of everything? You’re an idiot, and for what?”

Rio flared their nostrils, rage building up within them as it did towards Wanda.

“This is just an odd place to study, but if the shoe fits…”

“Oh for fucks’ sake…” Wanda threw her phone, along with her bag, on the table, sitting quickly. “Keep being a dick just because I’m not as dense as people who go around kissing your ass. Trust me, being with you is the last thing I’d like to be doing right now. So do your part of the deal, and we'll each go our own way.”

“Fine, whatever. Let's make this as quick as possible.” Rio said, sitting in front of her. “So, what are you worst at? Wait … You’re failing everything, that’s right… So I guess you’re bad at everything ?”

“Such a good tutor…” Wanda jumped, sarcastically. “Are you delaying the teaching because there’s no knowledge inside your brain, or what? At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if you somehow cheated. Everything, the homework, the exams…”

“You don’t know a thing about me.”

“And you know about me?” The two of them stared at each other, a few seconds before they realized they weren't going to stop getting angrier this way, before she continued speaking. “You can start with History.”

“Okay, so we’ll start with Western Civilization then.”

Wanda took a deep breath, trying to contain herself. Without wanting to waste more time, she let Rio have the win, opening their notes on the subject. They tried to explain what they were working on at the moment in class, but Wanda kept groaning every once in a while as she found it pointless.

She tried to focus, but hours passed by, and a familiar voice snapped her out of it. Rio looked at the woman who had just approached, the same one who was talking to Wanda when they came in. She had a tote bag on her shoulders and a grin on her face when she nudged Wanda again, getting their full attention as she had interrupted.

“How’s it going over here, red?”

“Don’t even bother,” Wanda said, rubbing her face as she grunted.

“See you tomorrow, then?”

“Fuck off, Nat.” Rio raised their eyebrows, seeing how someone could get a chuckle out of Wanda that easily.

The other woman, Nat, had her hair slightly redder than Wanda’s, shorter. Rio wondered what they were to each other. She smiled as she came even closer to Wanda, leaving a kiss on her head. “Are you coming with me then?”

Wanda looked at Rio, who was kinda annoyed by how long this interaction was taking, no matter how curious they were.

“Give me a minute.”

And the moment the other redhead walked out, Wanda turned to Rio.

“Can we continue wasting our time another day?”

“Really? You’re just gonna...” Rio stopped themselves, breathing deeply, their head tilting. “Sure. Tomorrow, here too, I guess?”

Wanda shook her head as she stood up, gathering her things. “I can't make it tomorrow. I can't make it during the week either. This is gonna suck, I know, but I have a job.”

“You have a job?” Rio asked, incredulous.

“Yeah. That’s why I told you we could come here, this is where I work, you idiot. I knew nobody would bother us here. Or me, at least.” Wanda slung the bag over her shoulder, already distancing herself from the table. “Thank you for nothing today, I guess.”

“At least I’m trying; it’s not like you can say the same.”

Wanda scoffed, flipping Rio off as she walked away. They stayed there for a few seconds, watching her hug the other redhead, who was waiting outside.

It had surprised them, Wanda having a job there.

The vision they had of Wanda crumbled because it was all based on assumptions and rumors. It didn’t make her a better person in Rio’s eyes, but maybe they were too harsh with a few of the things they had said. It wasn’t compassion what Rio felt, because Wanda was still a dickhead, the person who treated them the worst, probably. But then again, everyone was always nice to them.

So it was curiosity. Probably, yeah. Wanda was peculiar, mysterious. No one really knew anything about her. Except, seemingly, that other woman who was leaving with her.

Rio shook the thoughts away, taking out their phone as they texted Jen and Alice what a nightmare that had been.

Then, they opened their list of contacts and called their latest hookup. It was still early for them, after all. And they refused to let Wanda Maximoff, of all people, ruin the rest of their night.

They didn’t text each other to meet up again. The weekend flew by, and on Monday, Wanda didn’t show up to class. They had midterms, so Rio thought she probably didn’t even want to try. She would fail again, the only thing they both could agree on.

But if there was something Rio was, it was stubborn. Especially in academic terms. So they finished their exam early, as usual, and left quickly. A few hours later, they were entering that cafe on the outskirts of town.

Again .

Rio thought they would never go there willingly, much less twice. But there they were, their hand gripping the backpack hanging on one of their shoulders, as they scanned the place looking for Wanda.

But Rio didn’t see her; they only saw Nat, the same woman as the other day. They braced themself before approaching her, their walk slow and laid-back, clearing their throat before speaking.

“Hey,” Rio smirked.

“Oh, hey! You’re the fucking idiot , right?” Rio’s smile faded, pursing their lips. “I remember you. What can I get for you? Or are you looking for Maximoff?”

“Unfortunately.”

Nat hummed, squinting her eyes as she stared at Rio. “Wait here.”

Before Rio could add anything, Nat had already turned around and headed to the back. And just a few seconds later, Wanda was being dragged out to face Rio.

“What’s your fucking problem?!” She grumpily asked Nat before seeing Rio standing in front of her. “Oh, so it’s my problem, got it. What do you want, Rio?”

She was in uniform. Which made Rio want to laugh, because none of it was black or red, which was her thing. So Rio thought she looked kind of ridiculous, but they managed to keep a straight face.

”We’re going to keep studying. I didn’t know when your shift would end, so I came early, but I’ll wait.”

“I still have another hour, we’ll do this another day.” Wanda shook her head, making them a gesture with her hands for them to go away.

“No, today. You desperately need it. And I’m trying to make this work, I planned a whole-”

“Rio.” Wanda stopped them. “I repeat, I still have another hour. It's gonna get late. And not only will I be tired, but I will get mad, and also, I bet you have plenty of women to deceive by then.”

“You know what? I think that’s your jealousy talking, because I don’t deceive-”

“She’ll do it.” Nat interrupted Rio, her gaze fixated on Wanda’s. “Besides, it’s a chill day and I’m closing, so don’t worry about it, go change already and you’ll have at least an extra hour.”

“Nat, you seriously don’t need to…” Wanda muttered, her shoulders shrugging, while the other redhead tilted her head. But Wanda gave in, grunting and rolling her eyes. “Fine.”

”Great.” Rio said, faking a smile.

The first hour passed by quickly, as Rio showed Wanda a diagram with everything they were going to explain, how much per day and when. Then, they picked up where they left off the other day.

Wanda tried. She tried to focus, she tried to listen. She simply couldn’t do it. It was like something else was stopping her, no matter how hard she tried. And without realizing, it was 9 PM. There was no one else around them, just Nat approaching with her normal clothes on and some keys in her hand.

“Here you go.” She said, bringing Wanda back from a trance as she gave her the keys. “You can stay here for as long as you want. But don’t break anything, please, my mom would fire you and then kill me. And turn off the lights before you go, yeah?”

“That’s cool of you,” Rio added. “Thank you. But at this pace, we’ll spend the night here.”

“I would rather never see another day.” Wanda scoffed, the keys dancing through her fingers as metal sounds came out of them, crashing against her rings. “But thank you, Nat.”

“My pleasure, red.” She said, leaving a kiss on her head as the last time, before walking away. “Oh, one last thing.” She turned around, and Wanda looked at her. “Don’t make noise when you get home, or I will kill you.”

“Please just go.” Wanda chuckled before Nat disappeared, and she turned back to Rio, her face dropping, remembering what they were doing. “Ugh…”

“Okay, Wanda, try to focus,” Rio said, deciding to ignore the last few minutes. “Where were we?”

“I was hoping for my funeral.”

“Ha ha. You’re so funny.” Rio said, their face completely deadpan. “I was serious! Were you even listening?”

“I’m trying! But this isn’t working.” Wanda said, her finger pointing at Rio and herself back and forth. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“Oh, come on, that’s bullshit.” Rio stood up, walking to the other side of the table, sitting next to Wanda. “Listen, you may be dumb, but I don’t think you’re this stupid. A rock in my garden could understand what I’m explaining here. How did you do this before you were this far behind?”

“I don’t know.” Wanda shook her head. “I was better at it. Wait, did you really just call me dumb? And say a fucking rock is smarter than me?”

“I’m saying there has to be a way. You’ve studied, right? In general, at some point in your life?” Rio asked, fearing the answer. “You have, right?!”

“Jesus, Rio. Yes, of course I’ve studied. But it’s stupid and pointless now, I can’t do it. Much less with you. I think it’s better if we just accept it.”

“Stop wasting time now... How did you study? What are your methods, your usual environment? Anything?”

“No.”

Rio stuttered, perplexed by how little Wanda wanted this, suddenly. She seemed to at least try a second ago, but now she seemed hopeless. Her head was somewhere else, and as much as she got on Rio’s nerves, they knew they wouldn’t accomplish anything by insulting her again. So their body shifted slightly towards her, their knees almost brushing against each other, yet not quite there.

“Wanda, give me something to work with. You’ll get suspended if we don’t do this.”

“Sure, that’s what you care about.” Wanda laughed, still not believing Rio’s intentions were good. “Don’t act as if you’re not here for yourself.”

“Well, of course I am.” Rio chuckled. “But clearly our issues can be solved with the same solution. So please, give me something, anything. I won’t judge if it’s some weird shit, I promise, I literally don’t give a fuck.”

Wanda looked at Rio for a brief moment, a slight spark of honesty showing in their eyes, maybe for the first time since they met. She looked away immediately, throwing her head back as she groaned, an honest sigh leaving her shortly after.

“It’s nothing weird. I just… I had help.” Wanda said, Rio raising their eyebrows, expecting her to continue explaining. Wanda gulped, avoiding eye contact. “My brother, he knew how to get to me.”

Rio didn’t fully understand why, but they froze when the words came out of her mouth. Her cadence, her words, everything felt heavy all of a sudden. But Wanda continued.

“I was smart, but he was more clever. We did everything together, and always focused best at night, I don’t know why. We always studied with the lights off, flashlight on, so our parents could sleep and wouldn’t worry.”

Wanda opened her mouth, ready to keep going, caught up in her brother’s memory, but remembered who she was talking to. As Rio said a second ago, they didn’t give a fuck. So she laughed it off, the lump in her throat present but not visible to anyone other than herself.

“Okay,” Rio said, so soft spoken it had been almost a whisper. “I can go to your place. We can do it now, I don’t have anything else tonight.”

“What?” Wanda turned sharply to look into their eyes. “Are you kidding me?”

“What do you mean? I’m no brother, but we can give it a shot. Maybe it works.”

“Even if I say yes, which I’m not , I’m not letting you in anywhere. You’re lucky I let you come here.”

Rio scoffed, nodding. “Sure, if that helps you sleep. Okay, then come to my house. My parents won’t mind. And if it doesn’t work then we’ll keep doing whatever the fuck this was today. I remind you we’re gonna have finals in a month and you don’t even know what the exams are going to be about...”

Wanda shook her head, thinking about it while crossing her arms. “I don’t want to. But fine. I’m not risking suspension, and this is not working.”

“Great.” Rio stood up immediately, regretting the moment they invited Wanda Maximoff into their house. But, to be fair, never in a million years did they think she would agree.

She was desperate, Rio guessed.

They both gathered their things, Wanda closing the cafe before they stared at each other, wondering what to do now. It was awkward; they didn’t have anything to talk about until they got to Rio’s house, and they started studying –or trying to– again.

But Rio pointed to the only vehicle parked next to the cafe.

“You’re not afraid of motorcycles, are you?” Wanda shook her head, looking at it quietly, as Rio lifted the seat, offering her one of the two helmets they had inside.

“Is this what gets you all the girls on campus? An idiot with a motorcycle is enough to make everyone drool?”

“Most of the time I don’t even have to show them the bike.”

“Right.” Wanda laughed as she put on the helmet, and Rio climbed onto the seat.

They started the motorcycle's engine, backing up so Wanda could get on. “You’re not drooling, though.” They said, Wanda lowering her head without stopping, looking into their eyes, her eyebrows raised.

“I know better.”

“Of course you do.” Rio mocked her, imagining how Wanda's idea of ​​better would be any mediocre cis straight white man.

Wanda hopped on the bike, sitting behind Rio, her hands quickly grasping the sides of the bike behind her.

“You can hold on to me if it makes you feel safer,” Rio said, their head slightly turned.

“Get over yourself. I'd rather run after you, even if it means running to the other side of town.”

“You’re unbearable, oh my fucking God...”

Rio swiftly lowered their visor before starting their journey back home. There wasn’t much traffic, nor many people in the street, as it was already dark, so Rio took the opportunity to go a little faster. The sooner they arrived, the sooner they would try to study Wanda's way, and the sooner she would leave.

On the other hand, Wanda had her eyes closed, trying to calm herself under the night breeze that the speed was offering them. But just before a roundabout, a car had the same idea as Rio, passing in front of them and causing them to stop abruptly. Wanda's eyes widened, and her hands quickly clutched around Rio's waist as tightly as she could.

“Dickhead.” Rio murmured, not noticing Wanda’s actions, so her hands simply stayed there. It wasn't until a few seconds later that they felt Wanda’s arms around them so strongly they had to slow down, their body turning to some degree. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah!” Wanda immediately withdrew her hands, returning to hold on to the motorcycle. “Of course. Sorry.”

Rio opened their mouth, ready to say ‘Don’t apologize, don’t worry about it’ , but they stopped themselves. Wanda wasn’t like the rest of the women they had given a ride to on the bike, and she definitely wasn’t a friend. They didn’t have to be nice; their relationship, if one could call it that, was purely transactional.

So for the rest of the ride, only the wind filled their ears —not a single word between them— except Wanda didn’t allow herself to let her guard down, her eyes wandering over the streets as they passed by.

She looked around once they got off, the motorcycle parked in front of one of the prettiest houses she’d ever seen.

They were in the nicest neighborhood of the town after all. It surprised her, but of course, Rio Vidal lived there.

Still without saying a word, Wanda followed Rio inside. There were some lights on in what looked like the living room, but Rio quickly gestured for Wanda to go upstairs, so she couldn't really tell. But as fast as she moved, a loud voice stopped them from sneaking in.

“Rio! Oh my God, finally!” The woman approached both of them, Rio grunting as they walked down the stairs.

“Hey mom.” They said, leaving a kiss on each of the older woman’s cheeks. “This is Wanda, she just came to study for a while.”

“Hi!” Wanda walked down as well, extending her hand for Rio’s mom to shake, a genuine smile on her face. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Vidal.”

“Oh, please, don’t ever call me that again.” The woman laughed. “It’s Lilia. And get that hand away from me, two kisses in this house.”

Wanda chuckled, kinda nervously yet pleased with the level of familiarity Rio’s mother offered. She wasn’t like her child, that was for sure.

“I really like your house, it’s gorgeous.” She said after greeting her their way.

“I like this girl.” The woman smacked Rio’s arm, pointing at them afterwards. “She’s staying for dinner, right?”

“She’s not,” Rio said convincingly. “We’re going to study, and then she’ll leave.”

Lilia tsked, turning around to look at Wanda. “You’re staying for dinner, honey, it’s late enough. Don’t listen to them.”

“You don’t have to, thank you. I appreciate it! But like Rio said, I’m just here to study, I’ll be out of your hair before you know it.”

“Have your parents put a curfew on you? I can call them, I am very persuasive, honey.”

“It’s definitely not that.” Wanda offered a tight, flat grin, not really wanting to explain herself and her lack of family to a stranger. “Well, I guess your food will taste better than precooked noodles…”

Rio’s mother smiled from ear to ear, winking at Wanda and nodding –her gaze then meeting Rio’s, looking at her like they wanted to kill her. “I'll let you know when it's ready. Now go study, kids.”

“Not a kid!” Rio answered as they both went upstairs, now calmly.

After opening one of the few doors, Rio entered before Wanda as she looked around, observing what their room was like. White walls that combined with the green sheets, many plants around the whole room, and another door, which she supposed led to a bathroom. It wasn’t what Wanda had pictured, but she liked it.

She felt like she knew Rio a little better, even though she still knew practically nothing about them.

“Your mom is nice,” Wanda said after a few minutes, turning to see Rio sitting on the bed.

“She can be too much. Especially if she knows I don’t like the guest.”

Wanda smiled —maybe too much, Rio thought. “I like her. And she looks like a good mom, too.”

“She is.” Rio looked at Wanda, definitely not noticing how her face lightly dropped or how her body language reflected her anxiety. They definitely didn't notice how she fiddled with her rings, unsure of what to say next, probably thinking about her mom. “Do you prefer to sit on the bed, floor, or those chairs over there?”

“Uh… The floor is good, if that’s okay.”

“Suit yourself,” Rio said, getting up as Wanda sat down, grabbing Rio’s notebook. “So… How does this work, exactly? All lights out? Or with, like, a lamp?”

“The flashlight from our phones is enough,” Wanda said, her hands beckoning so Rio would sit by her side after turning the lights off.

So they did. They didn’t make any comment about how weird the situation was, because even Wanda seemed like she didn’t hate being there, so Rio simply was silent for a few seconds before picking up where they left off.

Rio was a good teacher, a good tutor. They explained everything calmly, making sure everything was understood before moving on to the next thing. And this had happened every time they had tried to study, but this time it worked.

Wanda didn’t understand if it was the method they were using, the environment being different from the usual, or the lingering memory of her brother feeling lighter and nicer than what it felt until then. Or maybe Rio was being gentler. Maybe that didn’t make sense, but maybe none of it did. Wanda just felt, after a while, that maybe she shouldn’t lose hope.

When Lilia knocked on the door, both of them left everything to go downstairs and have dinner. But just like that, something clicked inside Rio’s head, and Wanda quickly noticed how they started being a prick again.

She met Rio’s other mother, welcoming her like she was family as they had supper. And Wanda, despite having to ignore Rio at times, had a really good time.

“Rio was supposed to be a twin, you know?” Lilia said as they were already having dessert.

“I never would’ve guessed.” Wanda chuckled. “They’re too much of an only child.”

“Why do you talk about me like I’m not here?” Rio frowned, offended by her comment. “Besides, what the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t speak to a guest like that.” Rio’s mother said.

But Lilia held her hand, still with the topic in her mind. “You know this thing of absorbing your twin in the womb is real, right, dear? That’s what happened with Rio.”

“Sure.” Wanda agreed. “So what I hear is that they've been ruining lives before they were even born.” 

Wanda giggled, proud of her joke, as she had been feeling quite comfortable for a while now, infecting both women with laughter as well.

“Okay, fuck you. I’m done.”

“I’m just teasing,” Wanda spoke before Rio stood up and their moms said anything, getting them to stay in their chair.

Rio’s breath hitched, but they stayed quiet about it as they didn’t know why.

But it didn’t take long for them to finish eating, going upstairs once again so Wanda could help Rio tidy everything up. But she felt a little courage, enough to feel much more comfortable with Rio than she would’ve been in any other setting.

So she asked. “Do you think we could keep going? For a while?”

“You want to keep studying? At…” Rio frowned, taking their phone out of their pocket. “At 11:17 PM?”

“Okay, it’s fine.” She rolled her eyes, gathering her notes and her things. “I just thought we were doing fine for once, so might as well take advantage of it.”

“You want to take advantage of me?”

“Come on, Rio! Don’t twist my words just because you-” Wanda couldn’t finish her sentence, when the door opened, Lilia was on the other side.

She simply came in to ask if Wanda was planning to stay, or if she didn’t, then how would she go back home. “I’ll walk.” She said, but they all knew it was too late for that to be a safe option.

Despite Lilia asking, Rio refused to give her a ride. Wanda’s eyes seemed to get bigger every time Rio’s gaze fell on them, as if her eyes were involuntarily pleading, but they stood their ground.

Not even Rio knew where the sudden child-like behavior came from, but they knew something inside them was wrong. Weird. Different. Very weird .

“If Wanda agrees with me,” Lilia began saying. “Either you give her a ride home or she stays the night.”

She continued speaking, reminding Rio how neither she nor her other mother could drive, telling them how things were in the world right now —how Wanda couldn’t walk alone at night to the other end of town. 

But Rio wasn’t listening anymore.

They didn’t move on from the staying the night part. Because, for some reason, it didn’t feel like a bad choice. It felt less annoying.

And they could tell Wanda agreed with their mom, she just couldn’t bear to show like she cared —or to be vulnerable. Or that’s what Rio thought anyway.

“She can stay.” Rio interrupted Lilia’s speech, and Wanda looked at them immediately, as she was caught off guard.

“What?”

“Good! See how it wasn’t so difficult?”

“If Wanda wants, she can stay.” They repeated.

Both of them looked at Wanda, waiting for an answer. It wasn’t like Lilia was going to force her to stay –if Wanda wanted to go and walk back home at almost midnight, then she would. It wouldn’t have been the first time she’d been wandering the street so late.

But she didn’t feel like it.

“Okay.” She said, so softly it surprised Rio.

Lilia smiled, but before she could offer them sheets or help, Rio said goodnight, followed by Wanda. And after closing the door, Wanda giggled, quickly getting Rio’s attention.

“I love your moms. They’re the sweetest.”

“Trust me, I know,” Rio said, as they sat on the floor once more.

And Wanda, who did the same, looked at them in a way that felt new to Rio. The look lingered for a while before she broke the comfortable silence. “Thank you.”

It was a simple, sincere thank you. For everything they had done –or were doing for her. Rio stared at her, not knowing if it was for too long, but not caring about it anyway. They understood her and what she meant. So they slightly nodded as an answer, before they snapped out of it.

“Okay.” Rio sighed, looking around. “So let’s study, I guess.”

And even though they did continue studying successfully, they somehow started talking about other things as well. Nothing too personal, just details like where Rio hid what they smoked, which led Wanda to ask if she could try it.

She smoked –occasionally– so Rio agreed. Besides, it was past midnight, and it didn't seem like they were going to continue studying anymore.

So even though Rio wanted to be the one to do it, Wanda took it off their hands as she called them an idiot once more. She then sat by the open window, rolling a joint as Rio thought about how seamless and cool she made it look. It was a detail, but it made them even more interested in knowing stuff about her.

Time passed as they took turns smoking, between small conversations and long but pleasant silences.

Whenever the other one wasn’t looking, they found themselves staring at each other, seizing the little moments to contemplate each other freely. Because they knew it was odd, barely knowing and definitely not liking each other, yet being there together, willingly.

It was odd, feeling like they had known each other forever, yet knowing nothing about one another. But both of them felt it.

Or maybe we’re too stoned , Rio told themself.

They left her some pajamas so she would sleep more comfortably, and both Wanda and Rio lay down on the bed, as far apart as possible, simply staring at the ceiling.

“I’m a twin,” Wanda said after minutes of total silence, not even turning her head to see if Rio was still awake. “Did you know…?”

“I know you had a brother.” Rio looked at her. “I mean… you mentioned him earlier today. Well, and everyone knows... but I didn’t know he was your twin.”

“Yeah... His name was Pietro. He-”

“We don’t need to talk about him if you don’t want to.” Rio interrupted her, in case Wanda felt obligated to. They wouldn’t mind hearing about it; they were interested in anything she had to say. But Rio could tell, from the slight tremor in her voice, that maybe she wasn’t ready yet.

“I’ve never been as close to someone as I was with him,” Wanda whispered. “I feel like I kinda lost myself when I lost them. My brother, my… my parents. Does that make sense?”

Rio turned around, their body now facing Wanda. “Of course it does.”

Wanda didn’t move; she kept staring at the ceiling with her hands on her stomach, quiet. She felt Rio’s gaze on her. It didn’t bother her.

“I live with Nat.” She spoke again after a while. “She’s the only person who has stood up for me apart from… them.”

Rio listened, their eyes never leaving Wanda’s face. They wondered if she was purely sharing things about herself, or if she was trying to go somewhere with it. Either way, she was opening up, and they didn’t know how often this usually happened, but it felt special. So they just listened.

“I met her outside the cafe because I was wandering down the road. I used to do that every day… I mean, at the time I was ‘taking care of’. I had to go through probate court, and it’s not like I was living under a bridge... But it never felt safe, it wasn’t a good environment, and I definitely wasn’t in the right headspace. And I’m really good at isolating myself, so... I did that. But she saw me.”

“She saw you on the street and invited you to live with her?”

“You’re so stupid.” Wanda chuckled, turning her head for the first time to look at Rio. She obviously knew she’d find them gazing at her, but the depth in Rio’s eyes made her heart skip a beat. So Wanda looked back up at the ceiling right away. “ She saw me as if she cared . No one cared except her. I practically didn’t talk after the accident, so people just wanted to ask me things. Know everything. When I didn’t provide answers, they’d just speculate. People were saying I was the one who killed them… all sorts of things. And that’s a lot, it still is. But she was just there for me; she understood. She knew how to get a smile out of me and offered a shoulder to cry on when I needed it. Then the job was in her mother’s business. We became friends… so she told me to live with her until I could find something better.”

Rio smiled softly, Wanda wiping away the tear falling down her cheek.

”She sounds like a great person, Wanda.” They said, “Are you two… a thing?”

“What?” Wanda laughed, turning around her head again to face Rio. “No, I could never. I mean, I could never do that, I-”

“Right.” Rio interrupted her, turning over onto their back.

It was clear that Rio was not thinking rationally. It felt like a good idea to confirm their suspicions of Wanda not liking women, they thought, but it felt disappointing. They couldn’t help but feel hurt, even.

And Wanda didn’t understand why the sudden change, but she fell silent. She only wanted to say ‘I’d never do that to Nat or her girlfriend’ after all. Maybe Rio didn’t care, or maybe they just wanted to stop talking.

While another silence filled the room —a heavier one this time— Rio thought about what just happened over and over. It wasn’t fair, getting mad over something so trivial. They didn’t want to give it importance, because even if Wanda liked more than just men, she would never like them.

It was pretty clear. Since day one.

Besides, what were they thinking? Rio didn’t even like Wanda —it was just the smoking, and the night, the room, the energy… It wasn’t them.

“I need to have perfect grades,” Rio spoke a while later, Wanda looking at them immediately.

She thought they weren’t going to talk again that night, but Rio wanted to open up a little bit, just like she had done. So Wanda lay on her side, listening to what Rio had to say.

“I don’t care that much, it’s my mom's.” They continued, now their gaze being the one fixed on the ceiling. “They’re the coolest parents I could’ve asked for, I love them. But they just want me to be the best at what I study. It’s always been a condition, I’m at the top of the class because I’m capable of doing it, and they let me be and do pretty much whatever. I can’t blame them; they want what’s best for me, and grades are my way to a better future. Or maybe not, but it makes them happy.”

Wanda nodded, the thought of reaching out to intertwine her fingers with Rio's crossing her mind —yet her body remained frozen. “You’ll get your perfect grades, Vidal.”

“Oh, I know.” Rio tried not to smile, yet turned around to face Wanda once again. They looked at each other, realizing their bodies had gradually come closer together.

Almost too much. So Wanda quickly pulled away.

Rio contemplated saying something, but they knew they shouldn’t. Not that stoned, not that late. Not when they didn’t know how she’d react.

“Goodnight, Rio,” Wanda whispered instead, bringing them out of their trance, a coy smile on her lips. “You’re taking me to class tomorrow, yeah?”

“Do I have a choice?”

Wanda’s smile grew bigger; the answer wasn’t really needed. But it disappeared as soon as she turned around, wondering how much of what was left unsaid was real, part of her imagination or the effect of that night.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Rio woke her up, bumping their leg against hers, already dressed as they looked at their phone.

“Wake up, Maximoff. Time to go.”

Wanda rubbed her eyes, slightly moving her body, with a hangover disguised as confusion. She felt as if the confusion hadn’t left her body since the night before. “Huh?”

“You really sleep like a log, don’t you?” Rio asked, Wanda groaning as she sat up. “Come on, get dressed or I’ll leave without you.”

“Okay, fuck you.” Rio turned around, pretending her raspy voice didn’t have any impact on them. “You could’ve woken me up earlier.”

“Believe me, I tried. Come on, you have five minutes, I’ll wait downstairs.”

Wanda stuttered, Rio not letting her answer before they left the room. When they got downstairs, they made coffee while texting their friends.

Rio : guess who slept with wanda maximoff last night

Jen : are you fucking kidding me

Alice : didn’t you say she wasn’t your type?

Rio : NO GOD NO

I MEAN SHE SLEPT OVER we slept together in my bed

not homosexually

Alice : next time rephrase

Jen : you’re lucky you’re pretty because you get stupider every day

Rio : feeling a little too brave over text there, jen?

anyway, fyi we’ll be arriving together today

Alice : are you sure about that??

Rio : ?????????

Jen : babe, your other friends get embarrassed when you talk to US what do you think is gonna happen

Rio : is it really that deep though

Alice : well you know what everyone is going to think

“It smells nice.” Wanda entered the kitchen, already with her clothes on and a little more awake, looking around while Rio put away their phone. “When you told me five minutes I thought we were running late, it’s not even 7:30...”

“Here.” Rio gave her a cup of coffee instead of an actual answer.

Wanda tried to make small talk, but Rio wasn’t very cooperative, so they went back to their shared silences, now over breakfast.

After finishing, they both grabbed their things and took the motorcycle to go to the university. It felt like a chill, quiet day. The wind ran through their hair, and rays of sunshine fell on their skin. Wanda thought about holding on to Rio, but it remained just that —nothing more than a thought.

Only two blocks before arriving at the campus, Rio stopped slowly on the sidewalk, Wanda confusedly looking at them.

“What are you doing? You okay?”

“You need to get off, do the rest alone. We can’t arrive together, don’t you think? It’s weird.”

“Oh...” Wanda took off her helmet to give it to Rio. “Yeah, sure.”

“No one can know we know each other. It’s easier. I don’t want anyone to think I’m with you in any way, and I guess you don’t either, or you wouldn’t be as mysterious anymore.”

“You’re a dick, you know that?” Wanda nodded, starting to walk away from them.

She should’ve seen it coming. Of course, they wouldn’t want to be seen with her; it was a small town. Rio could be seen with literally anyone, but not with her. And to be fair, Wanda didn’t want people speculating about more things about her —they were right about that— but she was upset with Rio either way.

The night they spent together had definitely been an exception for Rio’s behavior; she should’ve known.

Rio continued their journey to the campus, parking right next to where their friends waited for them. Rio greeted them —Hela, Agatha, Valentina and Dottie— and spotted Jen and Alice on their way to class. Both of them gave Rio a nod of approval by not having Wanda by their side, and even though Rio knew it was for the best, they couldn’t help but feel bad.

Wanda had been nice to them —still a pain in the ass at times, but the kind they liked— and the fact that she was the only woman not wanting to sleep with them, it only made Rio more challenged with themselves.

More curious. More playful. More confused. More offended.

It also made Wanda more desirable.

But they couldn’t. They wouldn’t do anything about it. They’d have to compensate, take their mind off of her, but later tonight. Not now.

Wanda stared at Rio from the back of the class every time they moved. Just because they were a few rows ahead of her, for no other reason. That was until her phone buzzed, so she took it out of her pocket.

Rio : i hope you’re taking notes

Wanda smiled.

Wanda : i prefer yours

are you not paying attention, vidal?

Rio : unlike some people i can do two things at once

but i guess you don’t know how that feels💔

Wanda : how original

Rio : thank you

i know you enjoy it

Wanda : please, you know nothing

you’re a fucking idiot

Rio : starting to think you use it as a pet name

Wanda : you are wrong

can we study tonight?

Rio : can’t. idiot things.

another day

Wanda : oh i’m sure, whatever…

The rest of the morning went by pretty quickly. Rio spent lunchtime in the cafeteria, at the same table as always, with the same people, while Wanda locked herself in one of the bathroom stalls to eat.

They had different classes, and they happened to cross paths in the hallway on their way to their respective classrooms. A false smile showed up on Rio’s lips, and Wanda flipped them off straight away.

“What was that about?” Hela asked.

“I don’t know.”

“New girl is weird as fuck.”

“Well…” Agatha joined the conversation as they kept walking, her signature grin on her face. “I think she’s cute.”

“No,” Dottie said. “She’s off-putting. Odd… I bet she transfers before the year ends.”

“Transfer?” Val laughed. “Please, she’ll drop out for sure. I give her two months tops.”

“Okay.” Rio frowned. “You guys are being the weird ones now. Stop.”

When they finished their day, Rio saw how Wanda left with someone, who turned out to be Nat picking her up. They got involuntarily angry for a second, but then remembered Wanda was probably headed to work, and so was Nat.

They gulped, watching the car go as Alice and Jen approached. After they got Rio out of their trance, they talked for a while before leaving.

That night, the three of them went to a pub outside of town. It wasn't close, but it was always worth it. It was the most open-minded bar in the area, which practically made it a queer bar. Not exclusively, but everyone knew it. Plus, there was a nightclub next door, so it was frequented by a lot of people their age.

Wanda knew where Rio was the second she got home and stalked them on social media. She had gone there a few times with Nat and Maria, her girlfriend. And even though they were fun to hang out with, she always felt like a burden being there. She wouldn’t talk to anybody else, and was never relaxed enough to fully enjoy it.

She saw photos and videos of Rio and their friends. When she saw Alice's profile, she realized they were the people who tried to talk to her on her first day. She didn't think anything of it, because suddenly all she saw was Rio making out with someone in the background of one of the videos.

“Oh my God.” She whispered to herself as she rolled her eyes, closing everything on her phone and throwing it on the bed. She didn’t need to see anything else; it had been enough.

She didn’t know if what she felt was envy –it could be. Rio was able to have everything she ever wanted. Stability, friends, good grades, family, a love life… Well, if Wanda had a love life, she wouldn’t do what Rio was doing, that was clear. She always had to feel before acting on it. But Rio was certainly very different.

Wanda tried not to think about it for too long; she just took a shower and went to sleep. And the next morning, she chose her favorite outfit to go to class just to make herself feel better. For no other reason, of course.

It wasn’t anything too over the top –a simple black crop top with a short skirt that had little roses on it, her boots and thigh highs. She added all of her accessories too –silver and black rings with various necklaces.

And maybe for the first time in a long time, Wanda didn't dislike having to go to campus. She had a motivation, a purpose. Maybe applying herself wasn't so bad after all.

She arrived early, being one of the first people to sit in the classroom. And Rio, upon entering, widened their eyes, not expecting to see her as soon as they arrived. They would never say anything about it, but Wanda's outfit –especially the accessories– did not go unnoticed.

Not even five minutes had passed when Wanda's phone vibrated.

It was them, of course. Rio asked her if she was free after work –the answer was obvious. And just like that, Wanda ended up having dinner at Rio’s once more. They made a lot of progress in studying, but that night, Wanda decided to walk back home no matter how late it was.

For the next two weeks, they met up every other night –always at Rio’s house– for study dates. Some nights, Wanda stayed over, sleeping next to Rio, but not every night.

They grew fond of one another despite trying not to, and what had started as deep-rooted hatred was now an almost friendship. Almost because Wanda constantly had to remind herself she couldn’t afford to care about anyone else, to like –let alone love– anyone. She had Nat, for whom she was very grateful. But that was it; she couldn’t afford anything else.

She wasn’t going to lose anyone if she had no one to lose.

Still, they started acknowledging each other in the hallways, even occasionally when Wanda went to the campus cafeteria, Rio smiled at her.

But the insults never ceased.

Before, they had started saying them seriously and meant them, whereas now they said them with a sneaky grin or to make fun of one another. But always when they were alone. To everyone else, they didn't even know each other.

That was until one Friday, when Rio decided to change the usual topic while texting in class.

Rio : so… there’s a party tonight

Wanda : oh i’m sure

i wonder which brainless girl will end up going home with you

Rio : dickhead

i don’t take them home

Wanda : right… that’s what’s wrong with what i said

Rio : not all of them are brainless

anyway, do you want to come?

Wanda : sounds like a nightmare x

i don’t need to act nice to people who talk behind my back or see you drunk

Rio : you’re so dramatic, maximoff

so… really? you’re saying no to free drinks and maybe weed?

Wanda : maybe?

Rio : i will bring it if you come

Wanda : fine

but i’ll only go for a little while

Rio : holy shit it worked???

you finally made a good decision?

Wanda :🖕🏼🖕🏼🖕🏼🖕🏼

you’re the fucking worst

“You really invited her?” Alice asked Rio, as they all tried on clothes for later tonight at her and Jen’s dorm.

Alice showed them a jacket, but both Jen and Rio shook their heads, horrible choice . So she took it off, looking through her closet for another thing as they kept the conversation going.

“Is this like a bet?” Jen said. “You should know by now that if Hela makes a bet with you to see if you can hook up with someone… it's not always the best idea.”

“What? No!” Rio laughed. “I’m not doing anything weird.  They’re all on the same page about her, too weird to fuck ; except Agatha, who would find a tree attractive if it had boobs.

Alice was about to add something to the comment about Agatha, but Jen spoke first, overlooking that. “And you aren’t? On the same page?”

“Well… Yeah, but… She’s just nice. Nicer than I thought she would be.”  Rio slipped the useless belt around their waist – useless because it did nothing and their boxers still peeked out, but that was the intention. “I'm just inviting her to a party where there will be a hundred other people, it’s not like I'm trying anything weird with her. I’m being friendly!”

Jen scoffed, laughing after. “Please, you’re not even friendly with your friends. You don’t know how to be friendly or normal about anything.”

“And she’s gone to your house more times than we have since we were kids.”

Rio fell quiet for a few seconds as they changed into a tight enough shirt for their nipple piercings to be noticeable for the night. They were so used to wearing baggy clothes that sometimes they forgot they had been wearing them since they were 18. Not tonight.

“Uh-uh…” A mischievous smirk appeared on Jen’s face. “Is the college fuckboy having a little crush?”

“No! No. We’re study buddies .” Alice and Jen looked at each other as Rio made finger guns, even more awkwardly than usual. “And it just turns out she studies well in my house. But I think she could use a little booze, you know, loosen up and all that stuff. Not with me, of course, I don’t care. It’s not like I’m gonna stop hooking up with pretty girls, come on… You know me, guys.”

“Sure, whatever you say…”

Alice sat in front of Rio, tilting her head while she smiled. “What about Carol? I bet she’s there tonight.”

“She has a girlfriend, Alice.” Jen lightly slapped her, jokingly.

“Well…” Rio hesitated. “I mean, her girlfriend didn’t mind shoving her tongue down my throat last week. So yeah, maybe her.” They grinned. “Or maybe both of them.”

The three of them chuckled, the conversation quickly drifting to another topic as they all finished getting dressed.

Rio knew deep down the party wasn’t going to be like the ones they usually attended. Sure, the elements of a college party would be there the same as always, but this time Wanda would go too.

She was only going because Rio invited her.

They wouldn’t want to talk or flirt with anyone else. Why would they, when Wanda was right there? Why would they want to spend their time with someone forgettable when the most interesting person in the room would be there because of them?

They knew.

Deep down, their friends were right, but Rio wasn’t going to act any different, because they also knew how impossible this crush was.

It would pass.

When Wanda got off work, she and Nat went home together. But she had something quick to eat, then proceeded to change her clothes. It was already late, but she wasn’t worried about the time –those parties usually had too many people and lasted for way too long, so it didn’t really matter.

The music was loud, the air was warm, the lights were almost too dim, and when Wanda arrived, she immediately regretted agreeing to be there.

“Maximoff!” Wanda turned around only to see Rio, talking loudly and lightly pushing someone out of their way to get to her. “I was starting to think you were going to blow me off!”

Maybe the party wasn’t so bad anymore, Wanda immediately thought. “And you’re not used to that, huh?” She said, tilting her head with an all-knowing smile.

“Fuck you too.” Rio shook their head. “Come on, let’s get you a drink, dickhead.”

Rio, without thinking, took her hand and led Wanda to where the drinks were served. The contact lasted a little longer than necessary; both of them noticed it while they slightly blushed, but managed to hide it. Then, Rio offered her one of the drinks, and got one for themselves.

They drank one after the other, between conversations where they could barely hear each other, even though they appreciated that no one was bothering them there; everyone simply walked past them.

But before either of them suggested going outside or anywhere else, Rio's friends saw and dragged them to arm wrestle with some guys. It’s a tradition , Rio told Wanda, which she found ridiculous.

But she waited. She finished her drink, got another one and watched Rio from afar while their friends cheered them on. As usual, she wasn’t the only one staring. Wanda looked around, and many people stopped their conversations just to watch them. It wasn’t as if she didn’t understand the rest of the girls who did.

She understood.

She was just one of many.

But Wanda was drunk enough already not to overthink anything too much. A subtle smile peeked through her mouth as she appreciated the way Rio laughed, the way their arms flexed, and the way they won overconfidently.

She also hated it. Such a cliche, it was ridiculous.

A couple of minutes later Rio locked eyes with her, pointing at the door right after. Thank God, she also thought, as she felt how her body had warmed up with the alcohol. She needed a breather.

“Did you beat all of them?” Wanda asked as soon as they got out, Rio giggling as if she didn’t know the answer.

“I just love proving people wrong.”

Wanda chuckled, slightly nodding as she leaned her body against the wall, crossing her arms. Rio calmed themself, knowing they were flushing yet still getting closer to her.

Wanda raised her cup before they got too close, offering them her drink. “Want more?”

Rio nodded, holding their hands behind their back as they approached their face, opening their mouth. Their eyes didn’t leave one another, and despite Wanda trying not to, her lips curled up into a smile as she made Rio drink from her cup.

“Now…” They whispered, wiping their mouth while their body started to touch Wanda’s, faintly leaning towards her as their hand rested on the wall. “Do you want to get out of here?”

“But-”

“Do you?” Rio interrupted, a sudden, low and calm voice making them aware of how close they were to each other.

Wanda lowered her gaze until she felt her heart race. She hadn't noticed their piercings until then, but she quickly looked up again. It didn’t surprise her, they had practically all their ears pierced too – that she had noticed from the beginning. But this felt new to her –her eyes probably betraying her attempt at seriousness.

They both felt like time had stopped only for them, locking eyes once again –an unspoken feeling igniting within the two.

Rio smirked before speaking one more time. “Do you know I can see the stars through your eyes?”

Wanda raised her eyebrows, trying not to laugh. “You’re drunk.”

“ You’re drunk.” They repeated as Wanda nodded, stepping out from between the wall and Rio as she started walking.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Rio stared at her for a few seconds. This was the first time Wanda wasn’t wearing black –well, except her boots and leather jacket. But the red dress looked good on her, and so did the ponytail.

Wanda yelled something that brought them back, then ran after her so they could start their walk together. They lit a joint on their way to Rio’s house, simple conversations alternating with silences, while the rest of the world disappeared. They just enjoyed each other's company.

Their inhibitions were long gone; they tried not to make any noise as they went upstairs to Rio’s bedroom, but they couldn’t hold back some giggles every now and then. Neither of them knew what time it was, but they sat by the window, not really caring.

Wanda stared at Rio, puffing the smoke of another joint into the air. She didn’t hesitate then, as if her hands had a life of their own, a finger on Rio’s chin made them turn their face toward her. She momentarily cupped Rio's face, yet her hands slowly moved to dig her fingers into their hair.

She pulled it back and out of their face repeatedly, steadily, gently.

Wanda didn’t feel like she had her walls up anymore. She told Rio how soft their hair was, and Rio didn’t know how to answer, so they said nothing instead. They just gawked at her, goosebumps on their arms as they let themselves be carried away by her touch.

By the lack of conversation, Wanda kept talking, also telling them how she used to cut Pietro’s hair since they were kids –something so small she knew her brother allowed because it made her feel competent. And her parents, who didn’t have to take one of their kids to the hairdresser, knew both of them were happy when they did it, so they permitted it, along with a few laughs after the first few times.

“Losing them in a stupid accident must have been horrible,” Rio muttered, once Wanda got slightly closer to them, her hands still tangled in their hair. “I’m sorry.”

But she offered a sceptical grin, as if something was wrong about what Rio had just said, but she wasn’t going to correct them.

“Yeah.”

“You can cut mine.” Rio quickly said, their eyes lighting up as Wanda chuckled. “I’m serious.”

“Sure you are.”

“I mean it…!” Rio grabbed Wanda’s wrists, making her stop stroking their hair. “Do it. If I don’t like it, I’ve always wanted a buzz cut, so I’ll shave my head.”

“Please don’t do that.” Wanda shook her head, Rio raising their eyebrows to make sure she knew they were serious about the proposition. “I’ve never cut long hair.”

“Then make it short.” They smiled. “Search up a tutorial, surprise me, I really don’t care. But now I want you to do it.”

Wanda covered her face with her hands as she laughed softly, knowing that by now her face was probably as red as a tomato.

It was probably a bad idea; they were both drunk and stoned. But they did it anyway. And a few minutes—or could be hours—later, Rio had a brand new haircut.

They had sobered up just enough by then, and Wanda sat on the stool in front of the toilet, where Rio was. “You look really good.” She whispered. “Well, even better.”

“Are you complimenting me, Maximoff?” Rio tried to ignore the fluttery feeling in their stomach. “Can you show me already? All I see is half of my hair on the floor.”

“Yes, sir.” Wanda giggled as she grabbed a little mirror, handing it to them.

And Rio’s eyes widened as they glanced over at their new wolf cut, their hair barely touching their shoulders now. “No fucking way.”

“Is that good? Are you going to shave your head? Oh my God, you’re gonna shave your fucking head. Nothing against the bald, but-”

“No, shut the fuck up.” Rio interrupted her, getting up. “This is it. You’re a fucking genius.”

“ Now you’re complimenting me?”

Rio laughed, approaching the big mirror that was hung in front of the sink as they opened their mouth and turned their face repeatedly.

There was an element of euphoria they felt inside, one they didn’t even know was possible to feel. Rio never hated their hair, but it was simple, flat. Now, when they ran their hands through it, they appreciated it more than ever.

This was Rio.

This felt like the real them. They didn't know how Wanda had done it.

They talked about it for a minute, Wanda’s cheeks hurting from smiling so much. Same as Rio’s. And after that, Rio told her they should head to bed and keep appreciating it in the morning, to which Wanda laughed, but agreed.

So once again, they ended up lying in bed, finally enjoying the peace and quiet after the long night. Every time they'd been in this situation since the first sleepover, they'd both lain a little closer to each other than the last time. And tonight was no exception.

“Are you awake?” Rio broke the silence with a whisper a few minutes later.

Wanda gently turned onto her side, her eyes meeting Rio's as they did the same. “Yeah.”

“Your parents and your brother would be very happy with you,” Rio said as if they never meant anything as much as the words that just came out of their mouth. “He would be proud, I’m sure.”

Wanda stared at Rio, suddenly frozen. Her eyes filled with tears, and she was unsure if her voice would crack when she spoke.

She couldn’t form cohesive thoughts or feelings; she didn’t know what words had been coming from her mouth for a while now —in fact, she didn’t know how she was able to successfully cut Rio’s hair. But the joy she felt before due to the drinks was suddenly buried in sadness.

She didn’t need to remember her brother. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t be thinking about their last moments together —but she was now.

Rio didn’t know where her mind went, but they noticed something was wrong and wondered what they should do. They didn’t know. But Wanda, who hadn’t felt like herself for so long, also didn’t understand why; somehow, she didn’t have that problem with Rio. So she stopped thinking about it as the words just came out of her, unprompted.

“He didn’t die in the accident.”

“Huh?” Rio said, feeling like that quickly sobered them up. “What do you mean…?”

“My brother, he… We both got stuck in that car, but we were alive.”

“But everyone says only you-”

“I know what everyone thinks, but it’s not true. We both got out. When someone came to help us, we saw our parents… I’ll never forget that moment. It’s like- It’s stuck… in my brain. They were gone, but they were there... Pietro and I ended up in the hospital, and I was discharged the next day. I never left his side, Rio, I swear.”

Rio gulped as they listened to Wanda speak so desperately, tears beginning to fall down her face. They didn't interrupt her, they simply moved a little closer —one of their hands approaching her cheek, stroking their thumb against her tears.

“But he wasn’t well. He told me he wasn’t going to make it, and I didn’t believe him. I didn’t want to and I didn’t, I… I spent days crying, and he was still the one comforting me. He shouldn’t have died, or my parents. They didn’t deserve it. Why did they…? I kept wishing it was the other way around, Rio... I still do, most days. It should’ve been me. I wish it had been me.”

“Hey, hey.” They stopped her. ”No. You didn’t deserve that either. You don’t . I’m glad you’re here, okay?”

“But he could’ve lived. I watched him die, I was right next to him, and I couldn’t do anything. The last thing I told him was ‘See you soon’ . It’s unfair, out of the two of us… You didn’t know him. He’s the one who should be here.”

“I wish I could’ve known him, and it is unfair. But I know you, Wanda... And I bet he’d be proud of you for still being here.”

“No, I think he’d tell me to wake the fuck up.” Wanda managed to laugh between the crying, her hand falling on top of Rio’s. “He was an idiot… Always joking when he shouldn’t have been. I wish I could talk to him, see them all again.”

“I know you do.” Rio smiled vaguely, a silence fell over them, and as they continued to caress her cheek, Wanda gradually stopped crying. “But I also know you’re doing so much better now than when I met you… That has to count for something.”

“Define better .”

“Oh, come on…” Rio chuckled softly. “You were a shell of yourself when we met. You didn’t enjoy anything, and you didn’t want to do anything. Now you’re studying, you’re going to class, I don’t think you fully hate it, and tonight I’ve seen you smile more times than this whole past month.”

“Three weeks.”

“Okay, whatever. Three weeks. Don’t get on my nerves now, I’m trying to help.”

Wanda smiled, looking into Rio’s eyes, staying quiet for a while. She never wanted to be a burden to anyone, and within these walls, she never felt like she was.

“I’m glad I moved here. I do think it’s helping me…” She said, her voice still cracking at times, wanting to say it was mainly Rio helping her, but she didn’t know if it was too much. “But maybe it was fucked up, leaving without saying anything. I mean, most people wouldn’t have cared anyway, and I didn’t want anyone pitying me. But there was someone.”

“Like a family member?”

“No. I didn’t have anyone left. Shocker, huh?”

“Don’t be a dick, come on...”

Wanda laughed softly, grateful that Rio had lightened the conversation. They had stopped brushing their thumb over her cheek by then, their hand falling down Wanda’s arm as they lightly stroked it up and down, over and over.

So Wanda extended her hand, starting to play with some of Rio’s hair.

“I started dating someone before college. It was my first- Well, the first person I really liked. We were best friends before that. And you already know I’m good at isolating myself, so… After all the legal stuff after the accident, I left.”

“So you left your boyfriend behind, is that what you regret?”

Wanda grinned, blinking slowly, shaking her head. “Why do you always assume everything about me? You should know by now that your assumptions are usually not… Right.”

This was it.

Rio had been trying to convince themselves for weeks that Wanda couldn’t have liked anyone other than men. Because then they had an excuse for why she would never see them like that. But if Wanda was insinuating what Rio thought she was insinuating, then what?

Rio had no excuse.

She probably didn’t like them; that was the whole story. It was a Rio thing, not a being straight thing. But that was just maybe. Maybe it wasn’t that, though. Because again, Rio was making another assumption.

Wanda could see through Rio’s eyes how they were piecing everything together, how she wasn’t talking about a guy.

“I should’ve known.” It was the only thing they could say after a few seconds, Wanda raising her eyebrows as she smiled.

“What did you think? Me? Men?”

Rio lowered their gaze, an attempt at disguising their smile. A win for everyone but men —that was the best kind.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” They said, clearly ashamed as they made Wanda laugh. But then they took what felt like an eternity to ask her what went through their mind. “And you’re not with Nat?”

Wanda quickly slapped herself on the forehead with one of her hands. “Oh my God, Rio.” She laughed. “Nat has a fucking girlfriend.”

The most subtle smile appeared on their face. “Oh.”

“I tried telling you.”

“I’m sorry.” Rio’s grin grew bigger.

“Then why are you smiling so much?” Wanda laughed, her hand moving around their face. “What’s this?”

Rio cackled, fighting to get her hand down with their own as Wanda giggled. They went on for a while, words barely leaving their mouths full of laughter.

When things slowly settled down, Wanda and Rio found themselves simply staring at one other.

Their gazes fell delicately on each other’s lips not once but several times. They were thinking about the same thing. They heard the other's heartbeat. They told themselves it was the alcohol, the weed, the night.

Neither of them were taking the first step. They didn't even know if they wanted to do it.

Yes and no.

Deep down, they knew, but they couldn’t admit it to themselves just yet.

Rio held Wanda tightly as she rested her head on their chest, still rising and falling quite fast. Wanda slid her hands around their waist, holding them as if she never wanted to let go. It was enough tonight. It was more than anything they’d done before and more intimate than anything else.

They fell asleep instantly. Their legs were intertwined, and Wanda lay on top of Rio, holding each other like no words could describe. They weren’t conscious about it until they woke up, face to face with their arms still tangled together, when they both had to pull back.

They opened their eyes wide. The moment sobered, as if they weren’t supposed to even touch each other. Besides, Wanda had a massive headache, which didn’t help at all.

The morning became inherently awkward. And so did the next week.

Neither Wanda nor Rio could pinpoint why it felt embarrassing, but they behaved oddly since then. They didn’t grow apart, as they had to study for next week’s exams, but the times they were together felt distant. It was a first, they were nice to one another –civil, polite. No insults, no laughs, always straight to the point.

Every morning was a reality check for Wanda, since with Rio's new haircut, no one left their side. A bunch of people were interested in Rio, talking to them with the hair excuse as if they had a chance with them.

A month ago, it would’ve worked. Not now.

Something had changed.

Their friends knew something was up, as Rio finished school every day and went straight home instead of being sociable like they always had been. A few drinks, a few hookups, they always had plans. But they didn't think anything of it because they knew how seriously Rio took final exams, so it must’ve been that .

Wanda and Rio had a couple more study dates, finishing up preparing for those exams she felt so pressured to take. But she didn’t stay over again. It was for the better, she tried to convince herself. They studied, and she left –still distant.

For the first time, they felt forced to be together in a room, to work together. As if they had crossed a line they didn’t mean to cross –and it wasn’t about physicality anymore. But they didn’t regret it either; they simply kept it to themselves like an isolated memory of what they could be. What they could feel.

Wanda tried to bury it deep inside her.

But Rio missed her.

They had gotten used to Wanda’s company –her presence in class, the times they caught each other's eye in the halls or the cafeteria, motorcycle rides from her workplace to their home, talking with her, looking at her at night.

Nights were different.

They had always studied until midnight, never managing to make it past 12 and still stay focused. But it was enough, because deep down, they wanted to talk about something other than studying. And they both enjoyed it despite making jokes about spending time with the worst person they knew. Most of the nights they had slept way less than they should’ve, either talking or lying in bed, in silence, only glances between them.

So Rio missed her.

Sunday night, Wanda left Rio’s house, them saluting her from the door as she walked away. Not even five minutes went by when Wanda’s phone buzzed.

Rio : i guess this was the end of us?

Wanda : i’m sorry ??

we’re seeing each other tomorrow.....

Rio : nvm you may pass the exams but you’re still stupid

Wanda : rio come on, fuck you

did you want something? did i forget anything?

Rio : no i just wanted to wish you good luck tomorrow

i’ll see you inside the war zone asshole

Wanda grinned, looking at her phone, knowing Rio said it with their distinctive smirk on their stupid face.

Wanda : good luck to you, too

fucking idiot

And as much as Rio wanted to keep teasing her, they didn’t. They simply smiled at their screen and called it a night.

It was a weird sensation for Wanda, all these exams. She usually knew how a test went before getting the grade, but this time it was different. The principal congratulated her, saying that the possibility of facing academic suspension was already nonexistent, but she really cared about not failing. Rio had helped her, and she knew she had a chance. She had to prove it to herself, but to them, too. She wanted to make them proud, somehow.

But she also knew her nerves could get the better of her.

And it was odd for Rio as well, not for the same reason, but because now, before leaving each classroom, they always looked for Wanda first. It was the first time they worried for someone other than themself, and it was weird not being able to brag about it –or for Wanda not to mock them because of it. Because they didn’t talk about it.

But on Thursday, after Rio handed in their last test and turned to look at Wanda, she looked up, playfully flipping them off. They did it back, smiling at her before leaving the room.

They waited outside for all their friends, but something was off, knowing this was the end of Wanda and them. They didn't want it to end, whatever kind of relationship or friendship it was. It hadn’t felt just transactional, no matter how hard they’d tried.

Rio still wanted to talk to Wanda every day, they still wanted to insult her to her face, listen to her talk about anything or be quiet together, and have her over some nights.

They really wanted it, more nights with her.

Rio : i think we should celebrate we’re free until january, and we didn’t kill each other

what do you think?

i’d like to take you to dana’s tonight

Rio’s heart pounded as they kept waiting, although they knew she was still inside doing her last exam. Going to that particular queer bar didn't mean anything, but you had to read between the lines. For Rio, it meant something.

Luckily, they saw their friends coming out of the building and approaching, so they were able to stop overthinking for a while. A few hours later, their phone got a notification.

Wanda : take me to dana’s?

i don’t know rio

Rio : you’re not isolating yourself now

you owe me maximoff come onnnn

Wanda : …what time

Rio : i’ll pick you up at 8

Wanda : fiiine

just because i owe you and you’re texting like a sad puppy, i hate it

Rio : who hates sad puppies???

Wanda : no i hate you

it’s different

Rio : right… i bet

This night had to be special. Not that Rio planned on making a move, but it was the first time they’d hang out somewhere other than Wanda’s workplace or Rio’s house. Willingly. With no college talk, or at least no exams to study for. It felt weird, different.

And both of them knew it wasn’t a date, yet it didn’t feel like anything else.

Chapter Text

Rio waited for Wanda to come out of her and Nat’s apartment, leaning on their bike as they loosened up the dark green tie, also undoing another button on their lighter green shirt. Also with jorts, Rio fixed their hair, nervous, running their hands through it.

Nothing could’ve prepared them for the moment Wanda walked out the door –a maroon silk mini dress, sleeveless, a thin layer of black embroidered lace on top. Her hair was down, messy, and she had a long black coat on as well as stockings –the black band showing on her upper thighs.

Rio gawked at her, from head to Doc Martens, their mind blanking as she stood right in front of them, talking.

“Rio!” She repeated, Rio blinking hard as they locked eyes. “I said we’re taking Nat’s car. You know how to drive a car, right?”

“Uh… Y- Yes, I do. But why? We have my-”

“Not happening.” Wanda interrupted, knowing they would say bike . “You see what I’m wearing? I'm not giving this town another thing to talk about.”

Rio pouted, nodding. “If it’s because you have no underwear on, you can just tell me.” They said, grabbing the car keys that Wanda was handing them.

“Desperate much?” Rio flipped her off while she laughed, walking toward the car on the other side of the street. They entered, a silence falling between them as Wanda stared at Rio, who was figuring that car out. “You’ve dressed up tonight.”

“I’m the one who has dressed up?”

“Okay, both of us.” She chuckled. “I never go out, that’s why I- But anyway, what I meant to say is... You look great.”

They looked more than great , she thought, but knew that if she told them, then Rio would never let it go.

Rio smiled, starting the car, knowing Wanda’s gaze was still on them. “I know I do.”

“Never mind.” Wanda rolled her eyes, making Rio laugh. “You can look handsome and still be an asshole, I get it.”

Wanda plugged in her phone, missing the sight of Rio blushing, and forgetting that that was how her music would inevitably start playing. But Rio didn’t complain, they just drove. Later on, they would mess with her by calling her edgy, among other things –Wanda jokingly making fun of them for their taste too, as soon as Rio started nerding out about it.

"Fuck," Rio whispered the moment they entered the bar that had taken almost an hour to get to.

“What’s up?”

“They weren’t supposed to be here tonight.” They said, and Wanda turned her head to spot Hela, Agatha, Valentina and Dottie at the end of the room. “They told me they would come tomorrow, not tonight.”

“We can go someplace else if you want. Or you can go join them, I’ll wait in the car.”

“Are you stupid?”

“I’m sorry?” Wanda snapped, surprised.

“I’m here with you, I wouldn’t ditch you for the world.” Wanda’s expression softened, Rio pausing to process the words that had just left their mouth. “I mean, this place will be packed in an hour, so it’s fine, I don’t care.”

Both remained silent for a second, the many voices from the people who were already there and having a good time filling their ears. Rio grabbed one of her hands and guided her to sit at the bar, further away from those other tables.

“Why are you friends with them anyway?” Wanda asked once they sat down. “You’re better than that.”

“Am I?”

“You’re not a bully.”

“They’re not bullies either.” Wanda raised her eyebrows, convinced they were –just as she’d once been convinced Rio was. But Rio had proven her wrong, unlike them. “Okay, they might be mean, but they’re mostly just bored. Small town, you know… They love anything that distracts them from it.”

The bartender approached them, smiling as they stopped their conversation. They exchanged looks before Rio took the initiative and talked first. For them, a Negroni, whereas Wanda ordered a whiskey on the rocks. She had to play it cool, as if that night was completely normal, so a little courage was needed.

But of course, Rio made fun of her for it. They teased each other over the smallest, silliest things, helping them loosen up a bit as the place started to fill up. Neither of them cared about the rest of the people that night, so far –the more crowded the bar got, the closer they were forced to sit.

They were silently grateful for it.

They ordered another round, the alcohol warming them up enough for Rio to loosen up their tie once again, undoing the button just below their breasts. Of course, they weren’t wearing a bra, and Wanda looked in awe. She tried not to, but her gaze fell thoughtlessly.

She didn’t know how, but Rio was so laid-back that they didn't seem to notice the seesaw of emotions they were causing in her. And she was past the point of pretending.

She couldn’t look away, and with every small movement, Rio was a step closer to showing their nipple piercings to the whole bar. She wasn’t exactly mad at the idea, though, but it made her laugh —Rio catching her look.

“Why are you laughing?” Rio asked, smirking and arching one of their eyebrows at Wanda’s giggle, as they fanned themself with their hand. “Are you scared of my face, dumbass?”

“Don’t call me that!” She tried to pout, but her chuckle got the better of her. “You’re just so incredulous, aren’t you?”

“Huh? What are you talking about…?”

She shook her head. “You know what you’re doing.” Wanda looked away, her head resting on her hand as she also covered her mouth.

Of course, Rio was playing dumb. Sometimes it looked like that was their deal, but they knew how to work their charm, unconsciously at times. They were mesmerizing and irresistible —Wanda never would’ve imagined ending up looking at them that way, but there she was, smitten by everything they did or said.

A good number of people were in the middle of the bar, dancing as the relaxed music played.

Another round in, Wanda had stopped thinking so much about anything. They talked about things they would forget in the morning, and Rio tried to tell Wanda they should see each other during winter break.

She looked at them; tilted head, half smile, eyes locked in theirs. “We’re not friends, though, are we? Or is that what you think we are?”

”I guess we’re not.” Rio watched how the hair behind one of Wanda’s ears fell lightly on her face.

They’d been trying all night to look away from her. They tried to shift the conversation, talk about hookups they’ve had. Maybe make Wanda jealous. But they weren’t sure it worked. Wanda was extremely good at changing the subject and pretending not to care.

But still, Rio’s eyes were caught up in the redhead. She was captivating. Funny with a few drinks in. Well, funnier . Her eyes were green, yet they looked so dark in here, alluring. Rio caught more than one look towards her from people who passed by —looks Wanda didn’t notice or care about, but they did.

Without realizing it, Rio ended up sitting with their knee between her legs, not touching, but simply there. Too close. But also not enough.

Rio raised their hand for the bartender to see, Wanda grabbing the end of their tie only to run it through her fingers, lightly stimming while they were distracted. She didn’t listen to a single word until he answered Rio by throwing the word girl at them.

Wanda quickly raised her head, looking at Rio to make sure she heard right. But they didn’t look upset, their eyes solely went from Wanda’s hands to her eyes, with a grin across their face. But before they could say anything, the waiter came back with their drinks.

“Another round for the green lady…!” He said, smiling as he looked at Rio.

“Thank y-”

“Excuse me?” Wanda interrupted before he left. “Call them lady or girl one more time, and I will personally hunt you down until you apologize on your knees for the rest of your life.”

His eyes widened as he placed his hand over his heart. “Oh. My bad. I won’t-”

“Wanda!” Rio nudged her so she could stop staring at him. “I come here all the time, he always calls me stuff like that. It’s fine…!”

She crossed her arms. “Well, it’s not, and he won’t do it anymore.” Rio slowly smiled from ear to ear, Wanda squinting as the bartender was already gone.

No one had ever cared enough to say anything.

Rio was used to being misgendered; it wasn’t like they did something about it. It was part of their day; they had gotten used to it shortly after coming out and trying to correct everyone in vain. So their friends and a lot of other people thought they didn’t mind, and they all stayed quiet whenever it happened, quickly changing the topic to move on.

“For him it’s easy, he's wearing a fucking pin with his fucking pronouns.” Wanda talked again after taking a sip of her drink. “Aren’t we, supposedly, in an open-minded and safe space? Has he seen the people here? I mean, come on…”

Rio chuckled. “It's okay, Wanda. Really. But thank you.”

“Is it? You say he always does it, why would he assume? He could’ve asked, I don’t know. He should.”

Rio’s grin didn’t leave their face while Wanda looked around. Ironic, how she also assumed it the first time they met. But everything about their behaviors had changed since then; they were different people now, better.

An idea popped into Rio’s head.

Meanwhile, Wanda grabbed their tie once again, deliberately, making them notice this time –her legs also slightly closing, enough for them to brush against Rio’s.

They didn’t know if she was choosing to do these things to make Rio more nervous than they already were. But either way, it was working. And that thing they had tried not to say for days, weeks, even became especially difficult to keep quiet at that moment.

There was too much going on inside Rio’s brain for them to think about their constant fear of ending up hurt. Their worries could end up being regrets. And they were infatuated with her –they’d known it for a while, but right in that moment it felt overwhelming, in the best sense.

In all senses.

Rio could only see Wanda before them, and think about how they had never felt the way they were feeling.

Fuck it.

“Wanda...” They coaxed. “Can I tell you something?”

No return. All or nothing. They were going to say it one way or another, Wanda looking up at them as she raised her eyebrows. “Sure.”

“You’ve really been annoying since day one.”

“Oh my God.” Wanda rolled her eyes, repositioning herself on the stool but without letting go of their tie, while Rio leaned their arm on the bar, and their head on their hand.

They softly laughed. “No, I mean it! You’ve been unbearable. A fucking nightmare sometimes, you know?” Rio laughed nervously, looking away for a moment before they could brace themselves.

“Do you have a point? Because it’s not the first time you've told me this, I’m getting tired of the whole speech.”

Rio scoffed, their gaze returning to meet Wanda’s.

Their heart was on their sleeve; it was embarrassing.

“The point is, I like it. I thought you were stupid, but you’re not. And you act all tough, but you’re not that either. You’re the most interesting person I’ve ever met.” Their hooded eyes fixated on her emerald ones, staring as if she were the only person in the world.

“Is this your usual tactic?” Wanda doubted. “With your dates.”

“No, it’s not.” They chuckled quietly. “Not at all.”

“No? Because I’m guessing this is what you tell all the girls. And they fall for it, of course.”

“I’m not talking about anyone else here, Wanda. This is about you.” Rio said.

They felt ridiculous. They would pour their heart out, but didn’t want to look more pathetic. Rio just needed her to understand, but Wanda was still reasonably skeptical.

She had played so many similar scenarios in her head that she didn’t know if this one was real. How could it be? It was the Rio Vidal, of all people.

She was so absorbed and focused on Rio's eyes that it took her a second to realize that they had pushed their seat even closer to hers. Their gaze dropped to her lips for a moment –Wanda’s leg lightly brushing against both of their thighs, only a few inches keeping them apart.

“It is about you.” Rio crooned, Wanda glancing at their lips. “Can I show you?”

One of their hands fell on the hem of Wanda’s dress, their fingers gentle and slowly scattering upwards. They stood up, their foot resting on the footrest of Wanda’s stool, between her legs. They wanted her closer. And the moment Wanda brought down her hand to Rio’s leg, timidly seizing it, Rio’s lips were on hers.

Something so anticipated, yet it felt so sudden, it took her a second to close her eyes —she couldn’t believe it.

She wasn’t dreaming.

Their lips were so soft.

Rio was kissing her.

With bated breath, Wanda grabbed Rio’s tie, her hands sliding up until they got to the knot. She tugged it, then tightened it, pulling it up. She softly hummed, greedy yet petrified. Because she was.

She was terrified of how much she wanted it. Of how her body was reacting, how Rio melted above her.

It couldn’t be real.

Rio’s cheeks burned just by the feeling of Wanda’s silky skin against theirs, the way her clothes felt against theirs and her hands now holding their neck –they’d waited what felt like an eternity for this. And they relished it so much they didn’t waste another second to part their lips, let Wanda deepen the kiss.

Rio still tasted sweeter than bitter from their drinks, and they were gentler than she could’ve ever imagined.

The truth is, they were being gentle because of her. There had been so much build-up, Rio couldn’t mess it up.

Still, a rush of heat ran through them both –Rio’s hands sliding along Wanda’s body, her chest heaving in response as she arched her hips towards them. It was ideal, but-

No.

It was too perfect.

A sudden wave of consciousness hit Wanda.

She couldn’t.

She broke away, letting go of their tie immediately as she pushed them off –Rio staring in confusion as Wanda took off, fleeing to the bathroom.

Wanda knew she shouldn’t get attached. And she already was. She had to stop it, step back.

It never ended well, caring about someone. Feeling so deeply. Why did it have to feel that good, the start of something already doomed?

She entered a stall, freaking out. She had to tell Rio, no matter how hard it was. Losing them was easier than letting them in.

A couple of minutes later, Wanda came out of the bathroom only to find Rio with company. Their friends must’ve seen them, because Harkness was talking with Rio, taking what had been her place.

Wanda needed to get out of there, so she did. She opened her phone and requested an Uber that took an eternal ten minutes.

It was for the best.

The moment Agatha saw Rio across the crowded bar, she got up to go and talk with them. She tried to make conversation, but they were absent. It took minutes of waiting for Wanda for Rio to go look for her everywhere. They realized.

She was gone, for good.

Rio entered the bar after looking for her outside, infuriated. Resentful. Why would Wanda leave, and without even saying anything?

Not to mention, they went there with her friend's car, so now what?

When Wanda woke up the next morning, the first thing she did was look at her phone. Lots of confused and angry texts from Rio, understandably. She looked through her window –the car was there.

She released all the air she was holding. A horrendous headache wasn’t what was making her feel like shit, but it definitely added to it. However, she had the next three days to lie in bed, do nothing, and wish she were somewhere else. So that was her plan.

It worked for the day. But Nat arrived that night, walking straight to her room.

“What happened yesterday?” She asked, sitting by her side, Wanda, completely covered and under the sheets. “Answer me, Wanda.”

“Nothing.” She heard Wanda's muffled voice speaking half-heartedly. “Alone time, Nat. Please?”

“If nothing happened, why did the idiot show up at work this afternoon asking for you?”

Wanda quickly uncovered her face, her eyes meeting Nat’s. “What...?” Her friend showed her the car keys, arching her eyebrows.

“They told me you didn’t come back together and gave me the keys, so start spilling. You were so nervous when you left yesterday. I want to know what happened. Have you eaten anything today?”

“What’s the point of anything?” She asked rhetorically, going back to cover herself.

“Sure, nihilism at 10 PM. Perfect. Nothing matters, everything is meaningless.” Nat chuckled, pulling the sheets off her once again as she started stroking her hair. “You don’t want to talk about it? You know I won’t pressure you, but…”

“Can you sleep with me tonight?”

She lightly nodded, her fingers running through Wanda’s hair. “But dinner first. I’m fucking starving. And you’re eating with me, then showering, or no deal. You look and smell disgusting right now.”

Nat managed to get a smile out of Wanda, getting her out of bed as she prepared something for both of them. They spent the rest of the night mostly quiet. Nat knew Wanda appreciated company in situations like these, despite not knowing what the problem was. She understood her friend needed time, not space.

Wanda told Nat everything the next afternoon. Everything, including every last detail.

“Do you want us to go to a party together, make them jealous? I bet Maria would enjoy it too.”

“How’s that supposed to make anything better?” Wanda sneered, her legs crossed on Nat’s bed, as she dressed up to go out. “I told you I’m not talking to them ever again.”

“Right.” She laughed. “If that’s your plan, what will you do after winter break once you find them on campus? Or in class? Run away? Drop out? Oh, wait, I have a better one. Are you ever going to let yourself be happy? Even if it’s just a little bit.”

“You should be on my side.” She crossed her arms as well. “I told you why I can’t.”

“Be on your side? Babygirl, you’re just sabotaging yourself... It’s pointless. You’re not going to spend your life depriving yourself of something that feels good, are you? Besides, it sounds like maybe this Rio is not that much of an idiot and they actually like you…”

“Have I been the idiot all along?” Wanda asked, both of them chuckling.

“Not all along, no. But right now...?”

“But this is bigger than me, Nat. I don’t…”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t scary. But you’re still here, alive. Take a risk, you might end up happier. If it doesn’t work, then it doesn't work; that’s fine. But it’s been two days since you saw them, and look at you… Might as well try to do something more.” Wanda looked down, trying to believe her. “Or at least go talk to Rio and tell them to their face you don’t want anything. But I do prefer the other option…”

“Hm.” Wanda hummed, her gaze lost in possibilities. “Okay… Maybe.”

Nat threw a bunch of clothes at her. “Dress up.”

“What?”

“You’re going.”

“Now?!”

“Right now.”

Wanda panicked, looking around. “Are you insane? I mean, what time is it? Where am I supposed to go, though? What do I say? What do I do? I’m definitely not wearing your clothes, that’s for sure. And why not a text? I could do a text.”

“Listen.” Nat stopped her, kneeling before her so Wanda would look at her. “I love you, but I’m going to see my girlfriend until Monday. I don’t want to stay here and listen to you repeat everything we both know. It’s like 8 PM, so get dressed and go see if they’re home. Everything you told me, tell Rio. That’s it, okay? You’ll figure out the rest.”

“Okay.” Wanda breathed, lightly nodding. “Fine.”

Maybe it was a good thing, not letting the past define her actions. It wasn't going to be an immediate change, but maybe she could take a step in that direction.

That, and the fact that Nat was one step away from kicking her out of the house if she said no. It was her gaze, an order. She wanted what was best for Wanda and was going to make sure she chose right.

Just a little while later, Wanda was wandering down the street on her way to Rio's house, hyping herself up. She felt like her whole life was at stake, her insides in turmoil, her palms sweating. There wasn’t enough air for her to breathe.

She had realized how right Nat was, and she needed Rio to know.

As she passed by the fences of Rio's neighbors, she braced herself, the desire to see them more present than ever. When she passed them by, however, Wanda quickly spotted their bike parked next to the garage door.

The thing was, she also spotted Rio, their mouth and hands all over another brunette as they made out while leaning on the motorcycle.

Wanda froze for a second, staring at them –her body suddenly cold, on pause, disheartened.

Rio touched the woman with confidence, making no attempt to be discreet. One moment their mouth was on her neck, their hands on her thighs and the next inside her shirt, mouth nibbling over her clothes.

The moment that other woman locked eyes with Wanda, even if it was for a brief moment, frightened her away. She was out of there in the blink of an eye.

She couldn’t believe it at first, but her heart began to shatter with every step she took. Her emotions fell into the pit of her stomach. This was everything she had feared.

Wanda should’ve never trusted them. Not with her heart, not with the words they swore were only about her.

She believed what Rio had told her in that bar the other night, and she shouldn’t have.

But Wanda never meant for Rio to make a corner of her mind theirs. She had done everything she could to avoid being hurt by something like this, yet here she was; watery and mournful eyes, slightly shaky hands, but determined to get as far as possible from them.

When Rio realized Wanda had blatantly stood them up that night at the bar, they felt betrayed and hurt. Angry. They had never trusted anyone enough to get close to them. They knew of people who did, and only ended up hurt.

Rio still tried reaching out, without wanting to believe the worst of Wanda. She wanted to kiss them just as much as they did. Rio had felt it. But she didn’t answer, which only made them more confused.

They shouldn't have opened up like that to her, perhaps, or to anyone ever.

So, after returning the car in front of Wanda and Nat’s apartment and returning the keys to Nat without any sign of the redhead, Rio decided that the best thing they could do was go back to what they were, to life before her .

Agatha told them about another party that was going to be held to celebrate the end of the semester, so they went. They decided to do everything possible to forget their feelings, including going back to their old ways.

There was a brunette who Rio's friends were making fun of as she just stood there, trying to have conversations with other people, as she awkwardly failed.

Rio had already had enough to drink, and hated the way they spent every day criticizing people. It was fun sometimes, but ever since they started hanging out with Wanda, they had opened their eyes in regards to some of their so-called friends.

And the only idea that popped up in Rio’s mind to prove them wrong was walking up to the woman, exchanging a few words as their hands pulled her closer by her maroon leather jacket. And before Hela, Val, Dottie, or Agatha could do anything, Rio’s lips were busy proving a point. Or so they told themselves.

It didn’t take long for things to escalate, Rio whispering something to her between all the music and people, before leaving in a hurry through the door.

Wanda couldn’t be that special; she couldn’t be the only one they brought home. Not that they were thinking about her.

The woman kissing them was beautiful, and she kissed well. She held on tight to Rio for the ride, her hands sliding inside their shirt, enough for the desire to build up.

For Rio, more determination than desire. Still, enough to go through with it. It's not like they were having a bad time either.

“Is anyone home?” The woman whispered after Rio put away the helmets.

They tilted their head, locking eyes with her as they approached her, taking off her jacket. “Are you in a hurry?” The brunette widened her eyes, shaking her head as she fixed her bangs, also pulling Rio by their belt loops.

And after neck kisses and excessive teasing, Rio grabbed her wrist, leading her to the door.

“And I thought the new girl was going to witness a show...” She breathed, kissing their neck while they looked for their keys. But Rio stopped dead in their tracks, turning around to face her.

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“You know.” She chuckled, nervous. “I just saw her; she just walked past here. The new girl, you know? The one that’s always with the messy eyeshadow, emo, kinda like-”

“You saw her? Here? Now?”

“Yeah, like a minute ago, I don’t know... Listen, forget about it. I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. I always do this.”

“Where did she go?” Rio asked, an indirect demand, their heart racing, their face totally serious.

“I- What? I don’t know, I wasn’t really paying attention, you know? I think in that direction.” She pointed. “What are you…?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t even know your name.” They started walking towards where she pointed.

“Well, it’s Ca-”

“Whatever.” Rio interrupted. “Go home, party’s over. But nice meeting you…!”

Rio strode. They didn’t even question it. It didn’t matter what they were feeling –a mix of everything. But they wanted to see her. They took out their phone, calling her.

Very few lampposts illuminated the streets, but Rio saw a light in the distance, which they decided to believe was Wanda's phone. They yelled her name, not thinking about anything other than needing to face her.

The striding became running when they repeated her name a second time, that figure in the distance stopping their walk. It was her.

For a second, Rio was thankful there were never people on the streets that late, thankful that the person was her. They didn't know what they would have done if they hadn't found her. But Wanda turned around, frowning as she saw Rio stop running while they approached her.

“Wanda!”

“What do you want?” She asked harshly, still fighting back tears.

Rio stuttered, catching their breath. “What do I- What do you mean?! What are you doing here?”

“Regretting every decision I've ever made.”

Wanda turned around once more, readjusting the long red cardigan she had draped around her arms, intending to start to walk again. But Rio was faster, standing in front of her and frowning.

“What the fuck do you mean?”

“Don’t act like you give a fuck now.” She snapped, the anger taking over her. “I just saw how much the other night meant to you and how much I meant to you.”

“You stood me up and ran away.” Rio fumed, clenching their jaw and throwing up their hands as every word reflected their inner bruises. “I tried reaching out and you fucking ignored me, Wanda. What do you want from me? What the fuck do you want me to do? And you say that about me? I see how much it meant to you .”

“Don’t go there, you have no idea.”

Wanda pointed furiously at Rio, causing them to scoff, shaking their head. “Then tell me!”

“I got scared, okay?!” Wanda cried out. “I was fucking terrified. I’m not ready to lose anyone else, but I guess I never had you, did I? Not when you go and hook up with someone else the next fucking day.”

“I don’t even know her, for fucks’ sake, she doesn’t mean anything to me! She’s not you.”

“Why would you do this?”

“What are you doing here, Wanda?” Rio asked again.

She sighed, looking around before shaking her head, delaying locking eyes with Rio.

“I came to talk to you. Explain…” Wanda took a deep breath; she genuinely felt like she had nothing to lose anymore. “How I can’t stop thinking about you. But that was before seeing you shoving your tongue down someone else’s throat, so forget about it. I get it. This is what you do.”

Rio gulped. Wanda wasn’t supposed to see them, but maybe they shouldn’t have done it in the first place. The thought of Wanda thinking about them made Rio’s heart nearly leap out of their chest.

“I’m sorry, okay? I am.” Rio reached out so they could intertwine one of their fingers with hers. Seeing that she didn't move away, Rio took a step forward, tangling their fingers as they grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry. But you’re a fucking asshole for not telling me how you felt sooner.”

“I know, but...” Wanda lowered her head, Rio placing their index finger on her chin, making her look at them. “I know. I’m sorry too.”

A silence invaded them, causing their gazes to pause and scan every feature of each other. They both had endless unanswered questions–about themselves, about each other–but despite their nervousness, the serenity they felt at that moment won them over.

“So…” Rio smirked, one of their brows arching. “You’re afraid of losing me?”

“I never said that.” Wanda’s eyes went slowly from Rio’s to their lips, then looked at them again. She wasn’t smiling, but her eyes were. Her voice turned into a whisper, Wanda blinking slowly as she nodded. “But I am, yeah.”

“I never lied to you, Wanda. I like you, if it wasn’t obvious… And I’m new to the whole feelings thing, actually, that’s why I’m kinda shitty at it, but… I’ll tell you a thousand times if that’s what it takes for you to believe it. And I’ll show it, because I really can’t stop thinking about you either.”

Wanda, perplexed, took another step forward, their bodies now slightly touching. She let go of Rio’s hand, only so she could wrap her hands around their waist.

“This is not a good idea.” She breathed, Rio mimicking her actions as they rested their hands on Wanda’s back. “It’s like… a curse. Ill-fated. Won’t end well.”

“Then let me go.”

“No.” Both of them smiled. “I don’t know why… But I don’t think I can.”

There was an inevitability. Sure, there were endless possibilities in which nothing worked out for them, where they’d end up hurt. But if Wanda walked back then, they’d get hurt either way.

If there was a slight chance for them, maybe it was worth it. They felt drawn to each other one way or another.

As Wanda stared at Rio, her eyes wandering between theirs, she realized she had made up her mind. Her heart was too loud –and so was Rio’s.

They stared at Wanda’s lips, lingering for too long as a smile spread across their own. “So? What are you waiting for, exactly?” They murmured, looking up at her, with collected desire to kiss her, yet waiting for her to do it this time.

Wanda smiled from ear to ear, a shared fluttery feeling between them as she cupped Rio’s face to close the distance that kept them apart. Their chest heaved, mouths opened, and hands toured all over each other.

They lost themselves in the moment.

Rio chuckled, breaking away as Wanda frowned, confused. “What’s so funny…?”

“Wanda fucking Maximoff, dude…” They shook their head. “Never in a hundred years would I have guessed.”

She laughed softly, rolling her eyes. “Fucking idiot.”

“No one’s home tonight,” Rio whispered, leaving a trail of kisses from Wanda’s cheek to her lips. “Stay with me.”

Wanda looked at them, puppy-eyed, Rio clenching her cheeks in between their hands. The idea popped into her head as she tried to hide a smile, slowly shaking her head from side to side. For once, she could read Rio easily; she knew what they wanted.

Wanda did too.

“You could come to my place.” She suggested –her voice low, calm and gentle, and her eyes pleading, as if Rio needed convincing.

Rio fluttered their eyes, their best attempt at disguising the whirlwind of emotions inside them. Wanda was letting them in; it wasn’t an opportunity to be taken lightly.

They kissed her again, sealing the deal. There would be no take-backs, at least not tonight.

This was only one of their many beginnings, after all. But one day at a time.