nayrawrites

[nayrawrites]

Wanda Maximoff x Fem OC

Title: Three Simple Knocks

Summary:

Wanda unexpectedly gets a new roommate and doesn’t know that the stranger isn’t who she claims to be. Secretly, the woman is there to give Wanda Maximoff the happy ending she deserves.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female OC

Status: Ongoing

Words: 34k+

Tags: Strangers to lovers, roommates, slowburn, soulmates

Ao3:

Wattpad:

Chapter 3: A Shopping Trip

Either the wall just cracked, or it was Lucy’s back — she wasn’t really sure which one she’d have preferred.

She shuffled around to get out of the firm grip around her middle, but the red mist held her in place, an unnerved Wanda making sure to keep her distance with the note in her hand.

The distance seemed a bit much, a bit exaggerated. Lucy didn’t think she’d ever even win an arm wrestling competition against her, but she guessed it was better to be safe than sorry.

“The sun’s getting real low,” The grip around her waist tightened the tiniest bit. Lucy really needed to read the room.

The witch ignored her antics, not even fully grasping that Lucy shouldn’t know of that phrase.

“What are these questions?” Wanda stressed.

Sometimes, deflection is the best course of action.

“You know, it just came to me, but you never actually gave me a room tour. Let’s do that right now.”

“Lucy, I swear to God-”

Clearly today it wasn’t.

But there was really no reason to drag God into this silly shemozzle — yes, she only recently added that word to her vocabulary — if you asked her. Like, what was he going to think, if he saw her right now. Don’t summon that guy.

“I just noted down my questions for the game, what’s so wrong with that?” Lucy replied. The wall was slowly starting to get uncomfortable. She should invest in wall-sized cushions after they’re done. Based on today, there would probably be more occasions, where she ends up in such predicaments.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe that it looks like you already wrote down all of the questions beforehand and just used this stupid game to interrogate me,” she paused, closing some of the distance between them by a couple of steps, “Or the weirdly specific comment about my fingers- What’s all that about, huh?”

Oh Lord, she was screwed. And it’s all the fault of her new sweatpants for having such lousy pockets. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Quick, use that big brain of yours and think of something.

“Right, well, I just meant- because of all the gardening you do, you know? I heard the hands get dirty from all the…” she trailed off, “dirt.” Real smooth, Lucy. She didn’t even really convince herself halfway through. Who even allowed her to talk this much?

However, perhaps by some miracle—perhaps by God’s grace; she wasn’t sure—the sternness on Wanda’s face faltered. So did the mist’s grip around Lucy, and thus, she was finally able to move away from her new least favorite spot in the house, before Wanda suddenly changed her mind and decided to introduce her face to the wall this time instead. She didn’t want to take any more chances tonight.

“Oh,” her glance shifted around the room, “you should’ve just told me,” her voice dwindled.

Lucy snorted in return, “Right, ‘cause I had the time before you went all Scarlet Witch on me.”

With crossed arms, Wanda looked anywhere but at her, a slight wince briefly visible on her face.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “But you have to understand that this whole thing isn’t easy for me. I don’t know you and I don’t know your intentions. You can’t expect me to trust you when I see stuff like that.”

And honestly, Lucy already forgave her anyway — despite her dismissive and repellent behavior the moment Wanda opened the door for her — because she suspected what Wanda must be thinking. She knew that for a person like Wanda, there was no easy way around her painstakingly crafted defense-mechanism.

“You’re right. And I get that, I really do, but I expected you to trust Clint. And he trusts me, otherwise I obviously wouldn’t be here right now.” Don’t quote her on that, though.

In all seriousness, Lucy was just glad Wanda believed her, even if she had no idea how that was even possible after all of her poor excuses.

Wanda wouldn’t be able to answer that question either, if someone were to ask. Most likely, she was just subconsciously willing to grasp on straws. Anything was better than the truth. Besides, the Sokovian thought there was no way Lucy could actually mean what Wanda was initially thinking of when she first read that question — no one knew.

She just really hoped her carelessness wouldn’t bite her ass in the future. Anyway, she really needed to get hold of Clint as soon as possible.

Lucy noticed how Wanda seemed to avoid any unnecessary eye contact whenever possible — and it came as no surprise. But she couldn’t hold it against her. No, if anything, she probably would have reacted the exact same way — having to walk a mile in Wanda’s shoes was something she’d never wish on herself. How Wanda was still standing was truly beyond her.

So she just watched her, trying to think of a way to make things less awkward and uncomfortable. However, before she got the chance, Wanda cleared her throat.

“I’m gonna head to bed early, if you don’t mind.”

Lucy minded. She really did. This wasn’t the plan at all. First impressions were important in human interactions. It didn’t even matter that they were mostly wrong — just fabricated.

According to her research, humans tended to show people what they thought those people wanted to see. At first glance, their minds were already working overtime and forming a specific idea of what kind of person each of them expected — what they wanted other humans in their environment to be, and in return, they followed that particular vision and tried to show them exactly that: the best version of themselves.

Humans were basically like molds, and in a fight-or-flight situation, chose what shape to take — even if the chosen shape didn’t reflect who they were at their core.

At least that’s what she got from her observations.

So of course, Lucy totally messed that up. No shocker to anyone. It still really sucked, however. If she already gave such a bad impression on her first day, how was she ever going to win Wanda over.

And it sucked even more because she didn’t want the woman to feel restless in her own home — didn’t want to be another reason for Wanda to isolate herself from the rest of the world any more than she already was.

Though all of this was left unsaid. Because how could she ever say all of that without coming off like a weirdo — more than she already did.

Instead, the only sign of Lucy’s disapproval was a mere scratch to the back of her own head, and that pretty much didn’t tell anything at all.

A poor attempt, really.

“Yeah, me too.” Dishonor on you, Lucy.

She’d have to do better the next day. Otherwise, the next few weeks were going to be awkward as hell.

Not much more was needed for Wanda, as her steps headed straight to her bedroom, which Lucy now noticed was the door right next to her own.

“And maybe work on your handwriting.” Wanda called behind her, before closing the door.

Okay, uncalled for.

The only other thing Lucy took note of, was the click of the lock filling the silence of the house.

But that’s alright, given how Lucy did the same when she entered her own room, the former discarded note in her hand.

That Troublemaker.

༄༄༄

The smell of toast and eggs greeted her the next time Lucy opened her eyes again. Before she could even consider following that temptation, she had to force her eyes to fully open. She didn’t think waking up would be that hard, but her eyelids seemed to have severe separation anxiety.

If it had taken any longer, she’d have had no other choice — and patience — but to forcefully pry them apart with her fingers. She wasn’t sure how healthy that would be.

It took her a while to remember where she was. Wanda’s guest bedroom was a stark contrast to what she was used to — granted, what she was used to couldn’t even be classified as a room. Though the main similar aspect was probably the emptiness. You felt a void. A void that could definitely be filled at some point, though.

She must have fallen asleep immediately after hitting the sheets. That was a first. She felt good though, and rested. Apparently she truly needed that after their rocky start here. Multiple marks on her arm were proof for that.

Not wanting to waste any more time, her feet automatically followed wherever her nostrils led her to, which ended up being the kitchen — of course a very shocking and unexpected turn of events — and was greeted with the sight of Wanda setting the table. Now she understood what people meant when they tell others to follow their noses.

She spotted two empty plates with cutlery, fresh and crispy bacon on a smaller one, hot golden toast in a basket on the side, scrambled eggs, fruits — were they from her garden? — and anything else you’d expect for a filling breakfast. Maybe all the movies didn’t lie about that after all.

Is this what living feels like? She always thought mornings were supposed to be bad, but the sole reason for a human to wake up was basically seductively calling her name right then and there.

Food definitely found the way to her heart.

𓇚 𓇚 𓇚

Only after making her green tea did Wanda bother looking up at Lucy. Her hair was a mess, imprints of her sheets were still planted on her face and her shirt from last night was twisted in questionable ways, making 'Bibble' look like he needed to see a doctor, ASAP.

Truth be told, the sight had the potential to be endearing but at the end of the day, to Wanda it was like the equivalent of spotting a zombie crawl out of its cave.

“Good morning.” Lucy plopped down on the chair closest to her, looking at Wanda expectantly.

At least she was waiting for Wanda before diving in — Wanda had to give credit where credit was due.

She was tempted to just take her time grabbing a fork as she sat down herself. Make the woman in front of her suffer a tiny bit longer before getting to eat. But she was hungry herself and the food was getting cold, so she was merciful instead.

Screw the zombie, she didn’t realize she let Shrek into her house, based on the way Lucy was gulping down everything she could get her hands on. If she had started chewing with her mouth open too, Wanda would’ve probably lost it.

It was rather silent while they focused on their food. Uncomfortable silence, if you asked Wanda. She always wondered whether or not that perception was one-sided. Asking to confirm if it was an awkward silence for them too, would’ve been even weirder, however.

“Do you have plans today?” Lucy broke the silence.

Wanda eyed her wearily, “Why?” Don’t tell me she’s trying to engage in small-talk right now.

“I asked first.”

It’s like arguing with some stubborn cat.

“No.” she replied.

Lucy slowed down and tilted her head, “Why not? It’s Saturday.”

“Is that supposed to mean something?”

“Duh! Saturdays are for meeting up with friends or doing something exciting.” Now Wanda even had to defend her uneventful weekends to a stranger. She didn’t bother — Wanda had no patience for that.

“I have no-“, Wanda stopped, exhaling rather harshly. She almost slipped up. There was no reason for her to share stuff like that with Lucy, “The answer is still no.”

If Lucy noticed the mishap, she didn’t let it be known and Wanda was the slightest bit grateful for that.

Then she noticed how her eyes seemed to drift to somewhere else — somewhere behind Wanda, though she couldn’t be bothered to check on what it was exactly that caught the woman’s eye.

“Well, looks like today is your lucky day. We’re going shopping.” Lucy declared, her hands poised on the table in determination.

“Pardon?”

“You’re free, I’m free; you need something to do, i need a phone. It’s a match made in heaven.” Wanda just stared perplexed, before furrowing her eyebrows.

“Wait you don’t have a phone?” What grown woman didn’t have a phone? Especially one who moved to a whole new place with barely anything to her name. And Wanda asked her exactly that.

“That’s why I’m getting one now. Let’s leave in an hour.” Clinking of dishes sounded in the room, as Lucy stood to clean up. Wanda hadn’t even realized she was done already.

Of course, she could’ve just said no, but Lucy had a point; she had nothing else to do. Just like every other Saturday.

༄ ༄ ༄

It didn’t take very long for them to get ready, and as Wanda reluctantly waited by the door for Lucy, she was surprised the woman actually had clothes that didn’t come out of the kids section. She was almost missing the sight of that blue, purple, pink-ish creature.

“Ready to go?” Lucy asked, as if Wanda hadn’t been the one waiting for her the last 10 minutes.

They headed out the door and marched straight up to Wanda’s car, which still happened to be the same old Buick Verano in its red glory.

She remembered buying it shortly before the Sokovia Accords. Before Steve, Natasha, her and the others were forced to go on the run, always looking behind their shoulders to make sure they were safe.

Ironically, ever since she lost Pietro, the time spent running from the government was probably the happiest she’d ever been. All of that kept her busy. She didn’t have to think about her past — the loss of her home, the excruciating experiments at Hydra, Pietro's sacrifice — none of that threatened to overwhelm her with guilt and pain.

And most importantly; she had Vision. It was the closest they ever got to a happy life with each other, even with the expiration mark always looming over their heads, lurking behind a dark corner.

She bought the car herself, refusing Tony’s offer to give her one of his collection. Accepting it just didn’t seem right. When she came back from the blip, it was one of the only things that reminded her of the life she could’ve had. Even though it’s outdated, getting rid of it was out of the question.

“Nice ride.” Lucy was busy feeling up the car, as Wanda unlocked the doors.

“Am I interrupting? Seems very intimate.” She didn’t exactly smile, but there was a twinkle in her eyes, probably the first one since Lucy moved in.

Lucy snorted in return. Of course she did, Wanda already suspected she was a snorter.

“We’re waiting till she’s ready.” she joked, a serious expression on her face when she buckled in and Wanda started the car.

“Couple goals.” Wanda said, pressing her lips into a thin line. Maybe Lucy even noticed, but that didn’t really matter. The Sokovian wasn’t ready to allow herself to let down her guard too soon. At the very least, not completely.

They backed out of the suburban neighborhood and headed straight for the mall. Wanda wasn’t exactly sure, if Lucy needed anything else other than a phone, so the mall would at least get the job done, just in case. She didn’t feel like going on another trip with her any time soon.

Wanda expected an awkward car ride filled with welcome — on her part — silence. However, that was not the case. Lucy didn’t talk per se, but every two minutes, she’d hear a tap-tap or a click coming from her right. Curiosity, and annoyance, got the better out of her and she chanced taking a peek.

Lucy was busy poking every bit of technology she could get her hands on. She was vibrating with so much repressed giddiness, Wanda was expecting her to take off any second.

“What’s got you so excited?” she asked.

Twisting the volume knob left and right, waiting for something to happen although the radio wasn’t even turned on, she almost didn’t hear Wanda.

“It’s just all so fascinating. I’ve never been in one of these before.” Then, Lucy’s hand stilled. For a beat, no click was filling the car.

Wanda tried not to take her eyes off the road for too long, as she watched her, eyebrows furrowed. She’s never been in a car?

“You’ve never been in a car?” she asked, incredulous.

"Pffft,” Lucy scoffed, “that’s crazy. Are you even hearing yourself? Ha Ha Wanda.”

Well, that was awkward.

Out of the corner of her eye, Wanda could’ve sworn she saw Lucy close her eyes shut, turning away from her.

Damn that car and having to drive it. This is one of those moments where you got to shove a flashlight in someone’s face as you interrogate them.

Tragically, she couldn’t do that right now. Lucy continued talking anyway.

“I meant that I’ve never been in your car. It’s so... drivable,” she trailed off.

“Yeah, sure.” Wanda eyed her with guarded skepticism, “For my own sake, I’m just gonna choose to ignore this whole conversation.”

“Wonderful, let’s do that.” she cleared her throat.

The rest of the ride was filled with awkward silence — now on Lucy’s part too. Victorious at last, Wanda thought.

Not long after, Lenox Square came into view and Wanda swiftly found a parking spot. She tried not to waste any time and rushed face first into the grand shopping mall, Lucy by her side — trying to keep up with her pace.

However, once they made it inside, Lucy stopped in her tracks. Wanda almost didn’t even realize that she wasn’t following her anymore. She turned around to wait for her, a questioning look on her face.

“First time in a mall too?”

Lucy grinned as she caught up with Wanda again, the vibration in giddiness making a comeback — apparently that wasn’t just a car thing.

“No, but it’s the first time I actually get to buy anything.” The woman grabbed the ribbed cuff from Wanda’s sweater and dragged her over to the large touchscreen that showcased a map of the mall. She didn’t bother letting go, as she let a finger of her free hand trail over the map until she spotted the apple store.

“Found it! It’s on the upper level.” Lucy was just about to rush up the escalator but Wanda didn’t move from her spot, instead pulling Lucy back. Had she used just a tiny bit of more force, Lucy would’ve slammed right into her. She stepped back, creating some distance between them and asked, “Where are you going?”

Lucy tilted her head, pointing up. “To the upper floor.”

“They mean this floor, idiot.” Wanda rolled her eyes and walked over to the store, Lucy right next to her. Why Lucy was still holding on to her cuff was beyond Wanda but she didn’t bother yanking her wrist away either.

“Why would they call it the upper floor then,” Lucy grumbled, mostly talking to herself.

When they entered the store, Wanda nearly expected Lucy to ooh and ahh at all the phones, based on how she’s basically been on the verge of doing it since they entered the car. Surprisingly, she didn’t and looked at her options. She was weighing her options between two iPhone 14s; one in blue and one in white.

“You sure you don’t want a Nokia?” Wanda couldn’t resist teasing.

It would certainly raise the chances of survival.

“Why?” the confusion on Lucy’s face spoke disappointing volumes.

Wanda just shook her head, “Never mind.”

As the Sokovian's patience ran thin, she hung her head back “Just pick one already.”

“Hey, it’s an important decision. My first phone gotta be memorable.” she defended.

This again. What is it with her and experiencing all of her firsts? It’s like she was born yesterday.

Wanda’s eyebrows furrowed as she appraised Lucy.

“How old are you anyway?”

“Have you never been taught not to ask a woman her age?” Lucy countered, looking away from the phones in front of her.

“Yeah well I’m not sure I’m even talking to a woman right now.” That was a lie. Well, kind of. Lucy definitely looked like a woman in her twenties, but kids nowadays never actually looked their age. God, now I sound old.

“I’m certainly not a man,” she retorted.

“Could’ve fooled me.” Another lie.

“Ouch, ever so charming.” A hand went to her chest, feigning pain. “And I’m your age,” Lucy added.

“26?”

She shrugged, “Yeah that, I guess.” Wanda still wasn’t convinced and she didn’t bother hiding it.

How can someone be so confusing?

“Do you want my social security number too?”

“Do you even know what that is?”

“Moving on.”

Lucy focused on the phones again and as she looked at the colors, an idea popped into her head. Looking back and forth between Wanda’s face and the devices, she finally picked up a green iPhone 13.

“That’s not the 14 anymore,” Wanda reminded.

But Lucy shook her head, “Doesn’t matter.” and walked up to the counter, Wanda in tow.

It didn’t take all too long for Wanda to notice the strange look the cashier was giving her, as soon as it was their turn.

She wasn’t surprised. The witch had been ignoring the stares sent her way ever since they stepped foot inside the mall. Having another person blatantly gawk at her wasn’t anything she wasn’t used to by now.

Her face must’ve been all over the news only four months ago. Not for praising her as an Avenger, but to display the sick witch that harmed and imprisoned a whole town. Don’t think she was complaining. No, she deserved it. And the people had a right to know, a right to look at her the way they were doing now.

If the cashier wanted to test his luck and say something, Lucy must have not felt like giving him the time of day, as she hip-checked Wanda to the side and stood in front of her.

Her shoulders were squared, her body straightened up, perhaps to appear bigger than she was. It was like seeing a squirrel assuming position as she prepared for combat. The intensity of a squirrel turned gladiator.

Wanda couldn’t see Lucy’s face, didn’t know what kind of expression she wore. All she got was her back and based on the tone of her voice, it didn’t really give off the same impression as her body language seemed to shout.

So Wanda couldn’t a hundred percent be sure that this sudden change in Lucy — the show of blocking the cashier’s view to Wanda — was truly intentional. But even without that explicit confirmation, Wanda knew.

And the castle-like walls around her started to rumble the slightest bit.

She looked over Lucy’s shoulder, not intending to ruin the woman’s efforts completely, but she still wanted to see what was happening.

“Do you even have money?”

Lucy scoffed, taking notice of how close Wanda was standing to her — the first time Wanda had initiated any contact — but dismissed it. “Of course I do.”

Lucy knew that when a butterfly landed on your finger, you had to stand still. Where the hell that came from, Lucy had no idea.

Wanda's eyes grew twice in size the moment Lucy pulled out a see through lunchbox out of her bag, filled with a chunk of dollar bills, more than she could count at the moment.

Wait a minute, is that my lunchbox?

Wanda would have to get back to the obvious commission of theft later on.

The judgment at the choice of wallet was evident in the cashier’s eyes, however, he knew better not to talk.

Fumbling with the money from Wanda's lunchbox, they quickly made their way out of the store, after forcing the guy to set up the phone for her. Wanda insisted. She really didn't feel like doing it herself later.

"Time to go home now." She really wasn't fond of public places. However, she didn't get very far before she felt a hand pulling her back by the back of her sweater.

"Would've been too good to be true," Wanda muttered to herself and faced Lucy again.

"Let's at least get some ice cream while we're here."

"It's too early for ice cream." Based on the digital clock in the apple store they just left, it was barely past 1 pm.

"It's the time of the day where a grown adult has to make a choice for themselves," Lucy insisted.

An eyebrow arched, "Who's the grown adult in this case?"

"Luckily, me." Lucy braced her hands on her hips in emphasis. Then, she walked away. Wanda could only presume where she was heading to — and had no other choice but to begrudgingly follow her.

At this point, she isn't sure why she even tries arguing with Lucy. No matter what, the woman seems to get her way most of the time anyway.

So that's how she found herself standing in line in front of an ice cream stand.

"You choose first," Lucy said. Clearly, she was too indecisive, maybe even more than when she had to choose the color of her phone.

Wanda initially planned to not get a cone, but at the end of the day, ice cream never harmed anyone.

"Two scoops of vanilla chocolate chip please." She wasn't in the mood for anything too adventurous for the day. Vanilla chocolate chip is a safe option, one could never go wrong with that.

"I'll take the same," Lucy rushed out. Wanda smiled. It was fleeting but it still happened. An earth-shattering turn of events, given that Lucy didn't even get to see it. She'd recover, though.

They got their ice cream cones and leaned against a wall, preferring to eat it there instead of leaving the store.

Despite how early it was, Häagen-Dazs — an ice cream vendor inside Lenox Square — was filled with a variety of customers, though most of them were parents with their kids.

She let her gaze trail through the rest of the room, but stopped as she spotted a woman with her young son. At least that's what it looked like. Wanda really didn't want to watch them; she knew what it would do to her, but she couldn't resist.

The mother was leaning down towards the boy, who cheekily grinned at his mom with a fully chocolate covered face. His dripping cone was securely grasped in his hand, as he waited for his mom to see the masterpiece he'd created. At first the mom wore a disapproving frown on her face, though as the grin on her sons face didn't waver, Wanda could spot the woman mirroring his expression, while futily trying to clean him up.

It was cute. A heartfelt moment between a mother and her child. Maybe Wanda was just a witness to a core memory for both of them.

The longer she watched them, the more her heart and eyes started to burn. To be honest, she even welcomed it. The burn in her eyes at least made her feel something else. Physical pain was sometimes more welcomed than the emotional kind.

Her red eyes could be soothed with a repetition of multiple forced blinks of her eyes. She could rub them; let them bleed; hell, she could even get eye-drops. But none of those things could be done for the ache in her heart. Instead, she had to endure that pain, wait it out until it stopped. She had lost count of how many days she'd already been waiting.

Another reason why she avoided public spaces: they're a constant reminder to what she had lost — or well, never even had.

It was fake, remember? Just a twisted fabrication of your mind.

Her boys never existed. Not in this universe.

As she tried focusing on something else instead, take her gaze away from something that only caused pain, Lucy was already looking at her. An unreadable expression on her face. Wanda didn't think reading it would've been good for her right now anyway.

Rather than questioning Wanda about it, which would've been the expected reaction from Lucy, she bumped her shoulder against Wanda's softly and nodded towards the door.

"Let's go home?" It sounded like a question but Wanda knew that Lucy meant it more as an observation, a statement.

And God, she really wanted to go home. She just knew that when they'd arrive, it wouldn't be the one she had hoped for. Her home, the people in it, were gone after all.

She nodded anyway.

They didn't say anything, as they walked outside and Wanda was grateful for that. Although you couldn't see it on her face anymore, her mind was still somewhere else and she really didn't have it in her to hold a conversation.

Rounding up the car, Lucy motioned to the front end of the car. "Have you ever noticed that it looks like a traumatized young man? Could be a woman too, I don't judge. But this guy has seen one too many things." She slapped the hood lightly once or twice.

Wanda stared at her perplexed, not expecting the broken silence. She knew what Lucy was attempting to do, though and looked back at the car.

She couldn't see what Lucy meant, and it wasn't really funny either. But she huffed out a laugh anyway.

If you liked it, feel free to check out the whole ongoing fic

[nayrawrites]

Wanda Maximoff x Fem OC

Title: Three Simple Knocks

Summary:

Wanda unexpectedly gets a new roommate and doesn’t know that the stranger isn’t who she claims to be. Secretly, the woman is there to give Wanda Maximoff the happy ending she deserves.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female OC

Status: Ongoing

Words: 28k+

Tags: strangers to lovers, roommates, slowburn, soulmates

Ao3:

Wattpad:

Chapter 2: A Game

"You can sleep here."

They were currently standing in the middle of Wanda's guest bedroom. It had never actually been used but Wanda still made sure to at least clean it once a month.

The bed sheets were freshly made, soft but plain. A simple gray, no actual personality. Just like the rest of the room.

There were two nightstands on each side of the bed with a nightstand lamp and on the opposite wall was a rather small TV. Wanda wasn't really sure why she even bought one, when she never used it anyway but it seemed like something a normal guest room would have. She liked normalcy.

There was a small desk next to the windows and the only other thing in the room was an empty closet. Maybe she should have decorated it more. Then again, she never actually expected someone else to stay here.

"Neat," Lucy placed her luggage next to the bed and walked over to the windows. "Did you do all that?" her finger was pointing out the window, as she glanced over at Wanda.

She didn't know what Lucy meant at first, until she spotted her garden. She nodded and took in the sight momentarily. Flowers, vegetables and fruits covered most of the green ground. Gardening had been one of her main activities ever since she came back; it was helpful when you just wanted to clear your head.

And Lucy had the perfect view from her new room.

"Some ground rules before I let you unpack." The brunette faced Wanda. "I'm all ears."

"That's rule number one; don't be all ears. I don't need you to be snooping around while you're staying here." If there had been a camera filming them right then and there, Lucy surely would've looked directly into it after hearing that.

"Rule number two." She paused, her forehead scrunching up in thought, "Actually that's it. Mind your own business and leave when you can."

Lucy held back a smile, when she realized that Wanda already ran out of ideas before she even had the opportunity to gather any momentum.

Tough front, huh.

"Yes, ma'am." She had never been good at holding back smiles.

Wanda rolled her eyes and headed towards the door.

"If you need to freshen up, feel free to use the towels and toiletries in the bathroom."

And then she left.

"Oh my God," Lucy whispered and threw herself on the bed. She couldn't remember the last time, she'd been so nervous. Of course she was aware of whom this house belonged to, but seeing her in person was a whole different thing on its own.

She let her stay though, so that gave her hope for what was to come.

Using the time, she unpacks and takes a quick hot shower. Although she had her own shampoo and other essentials, she used the stuff that was already in the bathroom, which was connected to her bedroom — very convenient, if she may add.

And she liked the way apples looked, so why not smell like them too.

When she finally left her room again, her brown hair still damp, she tentatively walked to the living room, where she found Wanda nose-deep in a book.

At first glance, it was hard to tell what she was reading, but as her fingers glided over the paper, swiftly turning the page as soon as Wanda read the last word, Lucy caught a glimpse of the cover.

Lucy knew that book and she also knew why Wanda was reading it. The realization dawned on her, filling the middle of her chest. She'd file that piece of information away for later. All it did now was flood Lucy with more determination of what's to come.

Hearing the soft steps, Wanda looked up from her book. It could totally be her imagination, but Lucy could've sworn the woman's lips were twitching.

What was so funny?

"What are you wearing?" she asked.

The brunette looked down at her clothes; a white shirt with Bibbles face planted on it and a pair of dark blue sweatpants covering her. Not like she would admit it to Wanda, but she just bought them.

"Pajamas?" Maybe she should be offended.

"It's not even 6 pm," the Sokovian countered.

"Can't a girl be comfortable in her own home," Lucy leisurely walked over to the white couch Wanda was occupying and sat down on the opposite end, "besides, there's no way I'm leaving the house today."

"Not your own home but sure," Wanda grumbled.

Silence settled between them again and Wanda genuinely tried focusing on the book in her hands, but it was difficult with the eyes of the woman burning a hole in the side of her face.

Sharing a space with someone felt weird, even weirder when you didn't actually know them, and the weirdest when they were basically openly stalking you.

Lucy didn't even try and hide it. Observing humans was her favorite way to pass some time. Body language, twitches in their faces and breathing patterns; they all told a story. Lucy had no clue what story, she never claimed she was any good at reading, yet that didn't stop her. If anything, it motivated her to continue.

Annoyed, Wanda closed the book with a flick of her wrist — a red mist surrounded said book and transported it right back to the coffee table.

Who knows when it will be able to fulfill its purpose and be read again.

Her new stalker watched, possibly in amazement, the way the magic formed at her fingertips and filled the atmosphere with its power. She'd always wondered, whether or not the mist made a sound. Now she knew it didn't. It was silent, not noticeable at all, if you didn't see it. Just like the wretchedness that had been simmering inside Wanda ever since she opened a certain door one fateful day. But Lucy had every intention to see.

"Can't you find something to do?"

The question shook Lucy out of her thoughts, "Oh yeah, sorry."

However, instead of marching away, Wanda had to stare in concern, as she noticed Lucy shuffling closer to her.

"What are you doing?" she asked incredulously.

"Finding something to do," Lucy deadpanned.

Now don't blame Wanda for where her first thought wandered. She didn't like it any more than you and she feigned no restraint in showing that displeasure for a split second.

To be fair, that phrase alone wouldn't have caused such a reaction, however Lucy basically getting in her face and invading her sacred space, hit the nail in the coffin.

At the plain look of disgust, Lucy's eyes widened.

"Not like that, perv," her hand rose to shove Wanda playfully by the shoulder. The witch just let it sway her, embracing the opportunity to get some distance between the two of them with open arms. Before she got to clarify who the actual pervert in this house was, Lucy continued. The nuisance probably saw it coming anyway.

"Let's play a game."

"No."

"C'mon, it'll be fun."

"No."

"You don't even know what game."

"And I don't need to. Crazy how the world works."

"Please," she stressed.

"No."

"You know, I can do this all day." Low blow, no point in denying that.

Wanda's answer was a groan in annoyance. Lucy took that as a great sign.

"How about 21 questions?"

When Wanda still hadn't said anything in return, she took that as her cue to explain, "I basically ask a question and yo-"

"I know how to play," Wanda interrupted.

In hindsight, the game would've been a good opportunity to find out more about her guest, which was the main reason she even indulged in her antics.

Especially because liars tended to slip up when they got too comfortable for their own good.

She faces Lucy properly, "I'll start. How do you know Clint?"

"Through a mutual friend. I've told you that already," she replied, crossing her legs to get more comfortable on the couch.

"Which friend?"

Lucy just shook her head, "Nope, it's my turn now."

Worth a shot, Wanda thought.

The brunette's eyes looked up for a second, trying to think of a question. She intended to start easy and slow.

"Why do you live so far off the city?" That should be simple enough.

"I like the quiet." Truth be told, Wanda expected worse.

Had Lucy even muttered 'Westview', she'd have shut the whole thing down.

"Why are you here?"

That was a really good question. Lucy just couldn't give Wanda the answer, she would've wanted.

"I needed a place to stay."

Irritation grew in Wanda.

"Are you reading that book for the first time?" to clarify, Lucy nodded over to where it was currently resting, the red mist of Wanda's magic long gone.

The witch tilted her head in confusion. She had no idea what Lucy was getting at but answered nonetheless.

"No." She wouldn't get into detail, how often she'd reached the last page of the novel and how often she'd flipped back to the first page again, in hopes of getting different answers.

“Where are you from?" she asked.

There was a moment of silence, in which Lucy had to take a second and consider her answer. It was only a slight pause, barely detectable but Wanda noticed and in the back of her mind, it unnerved her. Why would someone have to think about where they're from, if they aren't lying.

"I'd say further north from here."

Lucy saw the game for what it was — an interrogation.

Regardless Wanda being aware of that too by now, Lucy's avoidance was enough to piss her off.

"Stop doing that," she demanded.

"Stop doing what?"

Playing the ignorant gal wasn't always the best route, but it had to suffice.

"Giving me these vague answers that literally tell me nothing about you."

Oops, she caught on, Lucy thought.

"It's not like yours were any better," she countered and despite the threatening twitch in Wanda's eyebrow, Lucy had a point. Playing a game of honesty, where both parties had no intention of sharing, was never goint to end well.

"It's only fair that I know who I'm allowing to sleep in my house."

"It's only fair that I know whose house I'm staying at."

God, Wanda really didn't think she had anger issues.

Sure, there was the whole thing of manipulating a whole town and all, but that wasn't done out of anger.

Still, her unwanted guest seemed to get a rise out of her, "No one asked you to stay here."

Now that's when Lucy realized, it potentially wasn't the sharpest idea to test her luck on her first night. There was no certainty that Wanda wouldn't just as easily kick her out as she took her in.

After it was obvious that Wanda pretty much won the argument, which she secretly took great pleasure in, she cleared her throat, "I think the game is over."

Nothing more than a nod was given in return, until Lucy stood up from the couch. Wanda looked questioningly at her, when Lucy didn't seem to do anything else.

"I'm kinda hungry, can I check out the kitchen?", she asked.

Wanda didn't even consider that she could have any other needs; a mistake on her part. And she felt quite guilty for being such a bad hostess, albeit that was something she could quickly work on.

"Right, sorry." Now it was Wanda's turn to stand up.

Together, they made their way to the kitchen and Lucy was almost in awe.

Not because it looked grand and luxurious. No, that wasn't the case. Instead, it was because it seemed like the complete opposite of the rest of the house — save the garden.

While the other rooms she had been in; her bedroom, its adjoined bathroom and the living room, were cozy in its own kind, they didn't appear to be very lived in.

The ambiance was still cold. On pictures, it would've been decent, perfect for marketing and selling. Whereas for a place that had supposedly been lived in for the last couple of months, it seemed...empty.

The kitchen however, was warm and soft, perhaps even the heart of the house, at least for now.

Six hanging pendant lights in some kind of rustic style were the first things she noticed. They were scattered all over the room but the ones hanging near the large vertical windows by the sink were really bringing the room all together. Echoing the last light of the sun, right before twilight fell, Lucy wondered what it would look like when the lamps could rest and natural sunlight took over.

She'd have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

The rest of the kitchen was filled with wooden countertops and cream colored cabinets that were hanging on the walls. She spotted multiple plants near the window and on the small table in the middle of the room, adding to the whole vintage cottage charm.

Having breakfast in here must be a whole experience.

For now, she had to settle on dinner or some snacks.

"I got some leftovers from today, if you want," Wanda offered.

"Please."

Taking that as her cue, Wanda — the amazing hostess that she is, of course — prepares the dish for her and motions for Lucy to start eating.

"You won't have any?"

"No, I've already eaten," she replied and watched for a bit as Lucy seemed way too excited for a simple meal heated up by a microwave, but Wanda guessed she must've been really hungry.

God knows, how long it took her to get here and if that journey included any snacks.

Not exactly sure what to do, Wanda left the kitchen right before the woman got to eat. She settled on the couch again and grabbed her book.

She tried. She truly did. The book wasn't even opened though, so maybe she didn't try that hard after all. Instead, her eyes were settled on the door of the kitchen; a direct view to Lucy.

It felt strange seeing someone in her kitchen and she wasn't sure what it was, but seeing Lucy sit in the kitchen, alone, eating her meal, made her uneasy.

Sure, she still had no actual idea where Lucy was from, why she came and what she planned to do, but she knew what it's like to eat alone. Wanda did it every day. And it's silent and dull and sucks all the fun out of eating something good, if you do it often enough.

So that's why, with the book in hand, she walks right back to the kitchen and sits down wordlessly. Her sole focus on the words in her book.

However, Lucy was happily using her cutlery to devour the veggie casserole and the piece of chicken on her plate, when Wanda came. Her mouth stuffed with a big chunk of broccoli as she looked up in surprise. As Lucy saw Wandas masquerade of nonchalance, she couldn't hide the big grin forming on her face. Lucy would totally take that as a win.

Be that as it may, imagine the sight of a woman trying to grin when her mouth was barely able to cover the broccoli before that.

Chewing like you have a secret went out of the window.

When she was done, her hand patting the satisfied stomach, she promptly did the dishes before the Sokovian got any ideas. Her handiness was pretty much non-existent but it got the job done at some point, all the while Wanda stayed in her chair at the table.

Wanda left as soon as she was done, not bothering to wait for Lucy.

As she was about to follow her, Lucy stopped in her tracks once she saw Wanda standing in the middle of the hallway, a piece of paper in her hand.

She swallowed, when she felt her own empty pocket.

Had Wanda's eyes always flashed red like this, Lucy wondered, as the witch motioned to the note clutched in her hand.

"What the hell is this?"

Lucy already knew what was written on the paper, branded with her initials, before she even looked.

LM

Why aren't you a superhero anymore?

Why do you live here?

Did your fingertips ever start looking different lately?

Why don't you have any pictures in your house?

Why did you let me stay here?

Are you okay

In her humble opinion, it wasn't that big of a deal.

To someone who was wary of your whole existence, it might be.

If you liked it, feel free to check out the whole ongoing fic

[nayrawrites]

Wanda Maximoff x Fem Oc

Title: Three Simple Knocks

Summary:

Wanda unexpectedly gets a new roommate, and doesn’t know that the stranger isn’t who she claims to be. Secretly, the woman is there to give Wanda Maximoff the happy ending she deserves

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female OC

Status: Ongoing

Words: 23k+

Tags: strangers to lovers, roommates, slowburn, soulmates

Ao3:

Wattpad:

Chapter 1: A Stranger

The weirdest things happen on the most ordinary days.

And it was one of those ordinary days when the witch heard a knock on her untouched door. Just three simple consecutive thuds on dusty wood. The sound of it was so unknown to her, it took a while until she was capable of placing it.

The visitor waited patiently, as Wanda made her way to the door in caution, her steps hesitant. She'd never really liked visitors and she liked the unannounced kind even less.

It could've been anyone from S.W.O.R.D. or maybe even a former colleague from her time as an Avenger — though that was unlikely, given how little of them were left, and how even less of them cared to think about her.

She turned the knob and opened the door. However, she was not greeted by either of those options —at least not to her knowledge. Instead, she was facing a beautiful woman in simple attire. Quite young, or maybe that assumption was just the effects of the vibrant energy she exuded.

"Can I help you?"

"Hey, yeah, it's me," silence. The smile she was sporting grew more awkward. the longer the silence stretched. "I'm Lucy." she clarified.

Wanda raised an eyebrow in confusion, as she scrutinized the woman in front of her. But there was no way Wanda knew the stranger.

"What do you want?", no matter how friendly the almost forced smile was, Wanda was not going to let it fool her.

"Oh, didn't Clint tell you? He said I could crash here." Only now did the witch notice the yellow backpack almost slipping down from one of the shoulders and the slightly bigger suitcase leaning against the wall of the house.

"Kinda figured he'd have sorted that out with you first...", she trailed off.

Her stern resolve falters slightly at the mention of him. Though that only added to the prominent confusion.

"Clint Barton, guy with an arrow, hearing aid?" The woman nodded hastily at the description. If the situation had been different, the uncanny resemblance to a bobblehead would've been pretty amusing. But the situation wasn't different and ever since her last fiasco, Wanda had to be on guard.

"Why would he say you could crash here?"

Ever since the funeral, Clint and her hadn't really stayed in touch. She didn't mind. She knew the loss they had both suffered and she also knew that he would use up all his time to be with his family. Five years was a lot to catch up on. She would have done the same.

After the events of the Westview Anomaly, he had texted her.

It'll be okay.

That was all it said and quite frankly, it was enough for her to break down. She assumed, he most likely waited for her to call him, not wanting to pressure her into confiding in him, but the call never came. It's not like she didn't try but no matter how long her thumb hovered over the call button, she couldn't ever actually make herself take that leap. She was too ashamed. And she was too afraid he'd think that sentiment was deserved.

So maybe it wasn't too far fetched for him to send someone. Perhaps this was his way of calling her.

"Well, I'm new here and don't really have...anything actually," she chuckled awkwardly, "Clint found out through a mutual friend and said you'd have some space." Lucy explained.

"You sure he didn't mention me?"

The witch resisted massaging her temple at the womans babbling and just motioned for her to come inside. This required a cup of tea, or five.

"I think I'd have remembered, if he did." She watched Lucy grab her belongings and rush through the door with a small smile on her face. One step closer to the goal, she supposed.

As Wanda closed the door behind Lucy, she pulled her phone out of her back pocket and gestured with her hand to another door further down the house.

"I gotta make a call. Just- stay.", at this point, she could've told her to fetch a stick or walk in a circle too, but she just shook her head and left the room.

Now that she was alone, her back slumped against the door, she took a second to herself and just breathed. She wasn't sure, if she needed that second because she was just blindsided with that strange woman or because she knew, she had to contact Clint now.

Most likely the latter.

Her finger hovered over the call button yet again, and she hated it. Hated her hesitance.

God, just do it.

So she finally did, her phone now resting against her ear, as she waited. Wanda always disliked the beeping of a ringing phone and the anticipation during it. She just wanted to get it over with. The call, however, almost immediately went to voicemail. She tried dialing his phone number two more times but it was of no use.

Sighing in defeat, the redhead went back to the living room, where she left Lucy.

The woman in question was busy inspecting the coat rack, her luggage tossed next to the front door.

"Nice red jacket," she commented, before turning around to face Wanda.

"Thanks, I guess."

She never actually got to give it back to Nat.

"Listen...Lucy, was it? You can't stay here." short but at least straight to the point.

Wow, she could've at least pretended to think about it, Lucy thought.

This was probably the first time she saw an expression that didn't include a smile on her face, her mouth parted and eyes widened instead.

"What? But Clint-"

"I can't reach him and he didn't ask. I don't know what he was thinking but this isn't a bed and breakfast. If what you're claiming is even true." The raise in her voice was more imminent by the end but Lucy didn't let that rattle her. It's not like she had any other options after all.

"It's true! Have I ever lied to you?", she protested.

"Well, no, but we also just met, so."

"Fair point." she sighed.

Lucy took a couple steps closer towards the uneasy woman, her hands lifted, to show that she came in peace. "Wanda, please. I-I could help out around the house, you know, I make a mean bowl of instant ramen. And it won't even be that long. Just until I find something else."

The pleading look was hard to resist but Wanda didn't know her and there was no way to confirm her story. Oh, how easy it would've been to just slip inside her mind for a second. Yet she knew she couldn't do that. She wouldn't, not after Westview. It was her own rule ever since. In no way would it ever redeem herself for all the pain she caused, but it was a start. Besides, it was already difficult enough focusing on her own mind.

Nevertheless, that meant she could only rely on whatever Lucy was claiming unil she got a hold of Clint.

Pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers, she stepped closer to Lucy and looked at her. She could sense the awkwardness it caused in the woman but chose to ignore it, too busy with making a decision.

She examined her, starting from the dark hair, reaching barely past her shoulders, and trailed her eyes lower, ending at the minions socks on her feet.

If she ever looked back on this moment, she would probably admit that this was the reason for what she was about to say.

"Fine, you can stay."

A woman with a pair of minion socks couldn't possibly harm someone.

She really hoped she was right.

Lucy let out the breath she was holding and a bright grin adorned her face. She clasped her hands together in exuberant glee.

"Yay," a tad too much excitement, "you won't regret it, I promise."

And there was something —maybe a glint in her eye, that showed the determination and certainty behind that declaration.

Wanda almost believed it.

If you liked it, feel free to check out the whole ongoing fic