Who: Wanda and Gabriel (A Fossil cameo Steve Rogers) What: Two psychics find common ground When: Bendy Where: Outside and then the apartment complex Warnings: Some arguing, some fluff and some elevator staredowns Status: Complete
It seemed that there was no leaving this place. Lewis came and went so fast and Gabe wondered why. Why wasn’t it him? Not that life back home was much better. He was being manipulated by the old as dirt asshole because he had nowhere else to go. Nowhere else to belong. He was on his own and driven by Zetes’ lies. But more than anything, Gabe just wanted to belong and he knew that he couldn’t because he would always have this fucking curse. He kept to himself here, he worked, he came home and sometimes he emerged from his bedroom. Anna was still around and now they had a new roommate, Adam who was alright, he guessed. It wasn’t like he talked to him much. He wasn’t much of a people person unless he wanted something.
Gabriel was selfish in his own right. He pushed people away and he wanted things for himself. Maybe it was because he never got shit. Everything was taken from him whether it was other people taking it or he ruined it. Sometimes it was on purpose and sometimes it wasn’t, but the point was clear that Gabriel would always live a lonely life. The moment he let his walls come down he just got fucked over, or disappointed and those very same icy walls came back up so quickly and unapologetically. It was sad.
It was another typical night. Gabriel was leaving his shift, clocking out and without saying anything to anyone, he headed out, his head down, looking at his phone to play his music for the walk home.
He wasn’t even two minutes into his walk when he felt her. She had been blocking him out completely but right now, she wasn’t. He hadn’t know what she was up to. Not that he cared. He didn’t. It was just obvious that something had changed - whatever that was and it made her shut herself down completely when it came to him. So of course, he did the same to her. And he did it now, blocking her out so she couldn’t get inside of his mind, so she couldn’t know his thoughts or his feelings. They weren’t hers to know. They weren’t anyones to know.
Gabriel pulled out an earbud though as he came to a stop at an intersection. “Following me?” He asked, then turned his head, looking her over. They had barely talked tonight at work but that was typical for them these days. It was like they were avoiding each other in a way and Gabriel just went with it. What choice did he have? He wasn’t going to chase after her. He looked ahead and waited until the cars stopped before he started walking across the street to head back to the complex.
There were a lot of reasons why Wanda made the choice to block Gabriel out of her mind. One of them was simply that she didn’t want to have a psychic connection with someone who could easily venture into her mind the way she could to others. Wanda had the ability to not just manipulate someone through her powers but she could read their thoughts, see their dreams, look inside of their heads and know what they feared the most, what could control them. Wanda had looked inside of Gabriel’s and deep inside wasn’t the confidence that she thought he had but this alarming fear, this shell of a boy who was afraid of his powers and how horrible he felt to have them.
Of course Wanda wouldn’t tell him that she knew that and of course if Gabriel looked inside of her head, if he went deep enough he would discover just how much she knew about him, realize how much she felt for him. Wanda did. She felt more for Gabe than she wanted to only because they shared similar abilities. Because at one point in Wanda’s life she was afraid of what her powers could do to someone else.
It wasn’t difficult to keep him out but sometimes her mind did waver and she wasn’t surprised that one of those times was now, not even realizing that Gabriel was in front of her until he looked at her, Wanda’s eyes widening in surprise since she didn’t make it a habit to talk to him let alone keep an eye out for him.
“Just heading home,” she told him, a simple answer as she decided to avoid eye contact, not looking at him as the two of them crossed the street until they were both walking in the same direction.
Gabriel didn’t venture deeper because he didn’t know want to know. He didn’t want to know how much she knew, how much she sorry for him. How much she pitied him. It was the last thing he would ever want to know. It would just make him angry, make him resent her. Make him hate her and hate himself even more because he was so completely broken that he never thought he could be put back together because the moment he thought a piece was fitting together, it just fell and shattered and that’s what it would be if he knew. So he couldn’t fucking know. His misery and resentment only led to anger. Just like the night they met. The night she saw inside, the night she spoke like she knew him. The night he shoved her against the wall.
With that memory in mind, he pushed the earbud back in his ear and turned his music back up. Just to block it all out. As if he could make it go away. But even Gabriel knew it was too late now. She was under his skin and he didn’t even understand why. Or maybe he did and he just didn’t want to admit it.
Reaching for the headphones, he pulled them from his ears and stuffed them in his pocket.
“How’s you and the guy?” He asked. He didn’t even bother with his name. He knew just that he asked her out that one time. And maybe he was curious now if this guy was still taking her out to dinner. Not that he cared. He didn’t. At least not out loud. His eyes were on her again, watching her for a moment. Maybe that was why she was blocking him out. Because she found another charity case. Gabriel didn’t want to think of himself that way, but that was what it was. People felt bad for him. They grew attached and Gabriel hated it.
“Is that why you blocked me out?” He asked then, not even caring at that point as they walked.
“James is fine.” Wanda didn’t have to give him a name. She knew it probably wasn’t a good idea that she did but it came out, her friend’s name easily falling from her lips as she regarded Gabriel, not sure why it mattered or where it concerned him. “I know him from back home. He’s a friend of a friend.” And Wanda had saved his life, saved him in a fight twice because it was the right thing to do at the time, because she trusted Steve and Steve trusted in his friend.
The dinner was just a dinner. The two bonded over pizza and Wanda went back home. She knew that there were things inside of James’ head that weren’t fixed, broken pieces of himself and the Winter Soldier intermingling with one another. James was damaged and Wanda wanted to help him, wanted to find a way to ease his mentality so that the assassin within wouldn’t reach the surface again.
“And no, that’s not why I blocked you out. Then again, why would it matter?” Wanda looked at Gabriel was a hint of curiosity and also confusion because she didn’t know why the topic had to focus on someone that Gabriel didn’t know.
“Do you care who I hang out with suddenly? Who I’m helping?” Because in some ways yes, Wanda was trying to lend her time to James because of his mental status, her eyes questioning Gabriel.
“I can’t ask a question?” He asked then, looking at her and he came to a stop. The complex was in view and they weren’t that far, but Gabe stood there, right in front of her, his hands in his hoodie pockets as he watched her. She looked angry and annoyed and usually, that was Gabriel’s default setting but she was pulling it off. Fuck it, he didn’t want to talk about James or how much pizza he had that night and instead, he wanted to talk about why she blocked him out.
“Did I get too boring? Am I lost cause?” He smiled, his dark grey eyes on her. “We both know you get off on it. Helping people. Taking the pieces and putting them back together. Fixing us.” He said and tilted his head. “So why did you do it? Why did you block me out? What did I say that set you off?” He asked. Because it was always Gabriel’s fault. He would always do something or say something and then it was over.
Maybe she realized he wasn’t able to be fixed. That he would always be like this and getting caught up would only hurt her in the end.
“I mean, it’s fine. It’s nothing new.” Gabriel was used to it. Being left behind, blocked out, pushed away. It was just another day in paradise for him at this point. “And there’s so many others who are there wanting to be saved. You’re going to have your hands full,” he teased.
“I said I would help you. I didn’t ask to be your friend.” Which was true. Wanda looked at Gabriel with a sense of confusion, not entirely sure what sort of memo she missed that would have told Wanda otherwise. “You don’t want to be saved. You don’t even want me around you so what do you want, Gabriel? I helped you with your hunger and I will help you as long as you want me to but that doesn’t mean I have to like you or try to understand you. You’re not a puzzle that I want to solve. You made it clear that you don’t want me in your head.”
Which is why Wanda shut him out, kept things between them separated because she didn’t think that it would have mattered anyway. “You push people away. That’s fine. I push people away, too. I know when I’m not wanted and I’m not going to force my way into your head just because you think it’s some cute little game you think I want to play. I don’t. I don’t get off on it because quite frankly I don’t give you a second thought.”
Wanda moved towards the complex but of course Gabriel had to move first, her eyes narrowing because if she had to she would move Gabriel with force alone if he wanted to continue to crawl underneath her skin. She had embarrassed him before and she had no problem doing that again.
His gaze faltered as she spoke, knowing exactly where this was going and he just wanted her to stop. He wanted her to quit talking because it wasn’t anything he wanted to hear. Gabriel knew what he was, knew what he did but to have it thrown back in his face, he just didn’t want to hear it. As the seconds ticked by, Gabriel grew more angry at her. It made sense. Gabriel had tried to talk to her about her brother - thinking maybe … something but in the end, it was nothing. She shut him out, again. He knew better. He fucking knew better and now …
She moved and he took a step but stopped at her look and he just moved out of the way so she could go because honestly, what more was there to say? He didn’t want to say shit to her. She had it all figured out and Gabriel just … he knew better.
“I don’t need your help,” he said then, making up his mind about it and deciding to end whatever arrangement they had. She had helped im. She helped him and she was fucking there and she could handle him. The only person he could rely on now was Anna. Energy was energy no matter who it came from and he didn’t need Wanda.
“I don’t want it. There. I made it easy.” He told her and moved out of the way completely so she could walk away.
Wanda didn’t really expect anything. She knew how cold he could be and how alone he felt. It wasn’t her fault that he isolated himself. That he made the choice to shut everyone else out because it was easier for him. The city they were trapped in wasn’t going to be easy on any of them and if Gabriel wanted to take things hard, if he wanted to push Wanda away and just rely on his own means then she couldn’t stop him. She didn’t think that he even wanted he to.
“Of course you don’t,” she told him, somewhat sadly but he made his choice and Wanda shook her head as she had nothing else to say to him, either. She had offered herself. She said she would be there as long as he wanted her to but she wouldn’t be there for him to play his personal mind games with her, to act like he cared when truthfully she had no idea what he even wanted.
“I hope you’re able to find the help you’re looking for.” Wanda made it that easy for him, too. If he had no faith in himself then she couldn’t continue to throw herself at his feet and hope that he wanted to let someone in. Wanda knew about Anna so she felt that she could provide and give Gabe what he needed. There was no need for her - he couldn’t have made it more clear.
“Don’t fucking patronize me,” he said then, looking at her. After everything she said and she want to top it off with her saying that she hoped he found the help he was looking for? He honestly didn’t know what the hell her problem was. And he didn’t know why he even tried. Because this was what happened. He tried and then it just all went to shit. He knew the day it all changed. When they were in his room and he fed. Something happened, something that he didn’t even pick up on and ever since then it had been a mystery because she blocked him out. She didn’t talk to him at work and … he was a fucking idiot.
And he was over this. He was so fucking pissed at this point that he just walked past her and crossed the street to get to the complex. He shoved the doors open and walked to the elevator, waiting for it to get to the lobby.
He never thought he would miss Kaitlyn so much but right then he did. He missed his shitty ass life before coming here. Anna hated him and the feeling was pretty mutual and Adam was just Adam and Gabriel … well, she was right. He got what he asked for.
But as much as he wanted it, he hated it to. It wasn’t because he wanted it, it was because what other choice did he have? It was all he knew.
Patronize him? Wanda looked at him in utter awe as he just walked away from her. Wanda wasn’t exactly sure where the fault came, how it was suddenly her that became the bad guy. Wanda had kept Gabriel out for a reason. It was safer that way. Perhaps safer for her as she didn’t want to get close to someone who criticised everything that she did or would do. The pain that Gabriel felt was overwhelming, even for someone like Wanda who had felt pain every day of her life since becoming an experiment.
She should have left it alone but Wanda followed him, stopping before the elevator because he was there, pissed and waiting for it. Wanda was angry herself but she knew that she had to control herself. She couldn’t lose herself, couldn’t lose control of her powers, especially while she was standing inside of the complex.
The walls came down but that was only because she didn’t want to seem like she was hiding from Gabriel. That wasn’t what this was all about.
“Where do you even get off?” Wanda asked, the red in her eyes appearing, crimson embers burning around her eyes like a ring of fire. She knew that it wouldn’t take much to hurt him - a flick of her wrist, her power overwhelming as it came off of her in waves, her fingers already bursting with that glow of energy that Gabriel had fed on before.
“Why the fuck do you care?” He looked at her plainly because he didn’t understand why she was right here, asking questions that she already knew the answers to. She knew exactly what he felt, what he feared, what he knew - she knew everything.
Gabriel wanted to hide, he wanted to be a loner, he wanted the darkness because for Wanda, he was an open book - just like he was with Kaitlyn. He hated it. He hated it because Wanda could use so much against him and the last thing he wanted to do was hear about how fucking terrible he was. That he was a bad seed, a murderer. These were things he knew. Things he dealt with.
“You made it clear, we both did. If you’re looking for a ‘thank you’ for helping me out - fine. Thanks. We’re done here,” he said, not giving a shit what her eyes looked liked. But he felt that energy and he knew, he fucking knew what she was capable of. Maybe pushing her to that point would be fun. Seeing her lose control for once.
“You know,” he started and turned toward her, even taking a step, invading her personal space.
“For someone who doesn’t give me a second thought, you have a shitty way of showing it. Because right now, all you want to do is hurt me, to make me feel that pain that you know you can deliver. Maybe I want you to.” The elevator dinged and Gabriel pulled his attention from her so he could walk into the elevator. He pressed the button for his floor and wasn’t surprised when Wanda was there, inside the elevator before the doors closed.
“Because you don’t want anyone close to you.” Wanda took step forwards, positioning herself inside the elevator the moment it closed. It was just the two of them now in this small space. Wanda’ eyes were still shining red and she had every reason to just lash out, to overwhelm Gabriel with her powers and consume him the way that he had consumed her, needing her psychic energy to survive, to continue to live and breathe and for what? To find the means to draw her close and then throw her out?
“And I’m not Kaitlyn,” she said, speaking quietly and maybe a little harshly because she saw that redhead, that beautiful girl inside of Gabriel’s headspace, eyes so blue like diamonds. She had a place in Gabe’s head and she didn’t want to go there. Didn’t think that she could even touch it, be that sort of need that Gabriel wanted from someone who wasn’t even here.
“And I’m not going to be.” Wanda hit the button to her floor while turning around so that she wasn’t looking at him anymore. She felt her body come down from its high, her power dissipating. She didn’t want to fight him anymore. Wanda just...wanted it to be done.
He just eyed her as she turned around. No, she wasn’t Kaitlyn. He never said she was and he didn’t want her to be. What he felt for Kaitlyn it was … complicated but everything in his fucking life was complicated so it wasn’t a surprise. He thought he was getting close to her too. She knew things, about his past, about what he really felt and the idea that she wasn’t here with him, he didn’t know what to do. Some part of him felt lost.
And maybe he was trying to find that with Wanda. He didn’t let people in, he did push them away and he did just want to be left alone, but Wanda … she already broke him down once. She was there. She saw him at his worst and it was that night that everything changed and he just … didn’t know why.
“I don’t want you to be her. You could never be her,” he said and he didn’t say that to insult her. It was just a fact. She wasn’t Kaitlyn. She wasn’t the fiery redhead that he thought he loved, needed …
I wanted to be close to you. He couldn’t say the words out loud but it was the truth. There was a moment when Gabriel did. There was something that night. He noticed it and he pulled away. He ended it. And maybe that’s what it was, he wasn’t sure. Maybe that’s what drove her away. And I think you wanted to be close to me too. He closed his eyes as he felt whatever walls he had up so high come crashing down.
“But you listened to me,” he said then, his eyes opening. “I told you I wasn’t fucking worth it and you listened to me. So at least you’re smarter than she was.”
Gabriel’s words reached her in a way she didn’t expect them to. She heard him loud and clear. He was in her mind. It felt like he was everywhere, telling her, surrounding his head and her body. Wanda was taken aback, her body turning around so that she could look at him, first in confusion but then in realization as she realized that he truly thought the words, words only she could have picked up because like it or not they were connected telepathically.
“I never said you weren’t worth it.” Because Gabriel was. In truth Wanda was scared of getting close to someone who could understand her, who knew what it was like to have powers that they didn’t think they could ever control, the outcome of what their abilities did to others and how, in a way, it could ruin them for the rest of their lives.
“I’m afraid.” Of this. Of you. Of myself. Wanda thought that she could control her own fear but maybe that was just a lie in itself. There was so much about her powers that she didn’t know. She was growing stronger every day and her thoughts, the things she learned, Wanda wondered just how powerful she was going to become.
He understood it. Because underneath all of the crap he carried around with him every single fucking day of his life, there was fear. He was afraid. It wasn’t as if he wanted to hurt people. He didn’t want to kill them either. He couldn’t help it, it was as if he had a disease and with that disease, there was an addiction and he couldn’t stop himself. He had to keep going and it was hard. It wasn’t like everything in his life was going great until this came along. His life was on the shitty side but this … it made it worse.
“I know.” It was really all he had to say. He knew she was afraid. He could see it, feel it. It was overwhelming. The powers she had could level this entire city. She had that inside of her. That capability. It was a wonder the angels had brought her here but Gabriel thought the angels were a crock anyway.
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me.” He looked at her then. His whole life, that’s what it was. People were afraid. People would talk, he would hear the rumors, the whispers, the thoughts that went back and forth. People avoided him, cast him out and naturally, Gabriel picked it up for himself because he believed in it. And that was long before Zete’s had fucked with him. Gabriel was damaged and broken and not even Wanda would be able to put him back together. Nobody could.
“It’s not just you.” Wanda said as she approached him, the elevator was nearly to her floor, she reached out to him, she wanted to touch him but she knew that the moment she did it would be over. She wouldn’t be able to hold back or stop herself, the closeness that she felt and wanted to feel. She knew it would be different. It wasn’t like being with someone normal because normal people couldn’t look inside of her head and know every single thing that was wrong with Wanda.
She inched herself closer to him, wanting to be there for him, her hands reaching for his face but then the door to the elevator opened and all at once Wanda could feel another presence, one that entered her mind quickly because it was familiar. She was so close, her thumb touching Gabriel’s cheek until she had to turn around.
“Wanda,” Steve said, surprised to find her, not exactly sure what was happening as Steve stood outside of the elevator, his eyes on his teammate before they narrowed at Gabriel. He didn’t know him but Steve had a bad feeling about him almost right away, something that nagged at his gut instinct.
“I know it’s not just me,” he started as he watched her. No, it wasn’t just him. It was everything. She had all of this power, enough to snuff this place out. He just wanted her to know that he didn’t get off on her being afraid of him, or what he was capable of.
Gabriel watched her as she came closer and he wanted it. In that moment, he wanted it. He wanted her to come closer, he wanted to touch her and as he took a step toward her, her hand on his cheek as she seemed to still be conflicted as to what she wanted, the doors opened and some guy was calling Wanda’s name. Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck as he looked the guy over.
What the hell’s his problem? It was a question for Wanda obviously as he looked at her.
“Are you getting on the elevator or not?” Gabriel asked, reaching and holding down the button to keep the door open. He wanted Wanda to stay with him, at least go back to his place so they could do whatever they wanted but Gabriel had no idea what she was going to do. “We’re going up,” he decided to say, taking his finger off the button because this weird shit had lasted long enough. Either he’d get on the elevator or he’d catch the next one. “Steve.” Wanda took in a breath because she could see the look in his eyes. He didn’t like what was happening. Of course Steve Rogers was judgemental all the way around when it came to the people who came near his teammates. Steve was...like a guardian. He helped her understand her powers and the two of them developed some techniques. Just like we practiced, he would say. Wanda respected him and cared for him in that aspect.
Steve wordlessly stepped inside of the elevator, arms crossed, his chest slightly puffed out as he kept his eyes on Gabriel, taking him in, wondering what sort of kid he was and what sort of moment he was interrupting with Wanda.
“Wanda, your room is on the second floor,” Steve reminded, as if she didn’t know that as they were both heading to the 10th floor. Steve recognized the kid, having seen him down the end of the hall a few times. “Gabriel, right?” Steve asked, extending his hand for the other to shake. “Steve Rogers. I’m a friend of Wanda’s. If you’re escorting her back to her room you might want to head down.”
Gabriel didn’t know who he was, but after standing here for a few moments with him, he got the gist of it and he didn’t care. Steve was someone that Wanda respected and he was helping her. Gabriel guessed that meant he told her what to do and when to do it too. He looked down at Steve’s hand and didn’t reach for it. Instead, he looked ahead and watched the numbers light up.
“Wanda can do what she wants. If she wants to go with me, then she will. If she doesn’t want to, then she won’t. It’s not your decision, You know, since you’re her friend and not her father,” Gabriel told him plainly, clearly annoyed at what was going on. He shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets and eyed Wanda for a second. He wasn’t going to tell her what to do because it was her choice. Not that he had the chance to ask her in the first place.
Gabriel hated authority and right now, this guy stood taller than him, he was built and he was showing it off as if Gabriel should have been afraid. That maybe if he looked at Wanda wrong, he would ‘get what was coming to him.’ That because he said something, Gabriel should have done it. It didn’t work that way and Gabriel didn’t do something just because someone had a need to throw their demands around like they actually mattered. Wanda might have respected him but Gabriel thought Steve was a dick.
“I agree. She is old enough to make her own choices. She makes the right calls. She hardly makes mistakes.” Steve looked at Wanda who wasn’t exactly looking at anything in particular because right now she felt embarrassed. She had forgotten about Steve being in the same room as Bucky’s. Gabriel was literally right down the hall and that meant, if she was going to go to Gabe’s room, then Steve Rogers, her mentor, was just a few doors down. I didn’t want for this to happen.
She wasn’t some sort of teenager. Wanda thought that she could make her own decisions without someone trying to make them for her. She had helped Steve save James’ life so why couldn’t he trust her with what she was doing now? “Steve, it’s okay. I promise.” Wanda could tell that Steve didn’t exactly believe her but that couldn't be blamed given their situation and how it was only a handful of them.
When the doors opened to the 10th floor Wanda didn't’ move but she also took Gabriel’s hand so that he didn’t get off, either. “He’s coming back to my place,” she told him, giving him a look as Steve felt his eyebrows lift, not exactly prepared to hear Wanda tell him something...like that.
Then why is it happening? He looked at her then. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen. He didn’t know that he was even going to ask her back to his place. He didn’t know anything because everything was so fucking complicated right now. But the last thing he needed was someone else telling him something that couldn’t do. That he wasn’t good enough or that he wasn’t to be trusted. And sure, maybe they were right, but Steve didn’t even know him.
When the doors opened, Gabriel started walking but Wanda reached for his hand, stopping him. He looked down at their hands and then at her as she looked at Steve and told him that Gabriel was going with her.
He wasn’t expecting that and slowly, he looked at Steve as even he looked surprised too, but he stepped off the elevator.
Gabriel smiled a little wickedly. “See you around, Dad,” Gabriel said as the doors closed and Gabriel looked at Wanda, not exactly sure why she even did that.
“I don’t like him.” The words were easy and it wasn’t a shock that Gabriel didn’t like someone. Because really, everyone that Gabriel came in contact with, he didn’t like. He looked down at their hands that were still clasped together before his eyes were on her.
“Do you really want me to come over? I can take a walk around the building and come back up. He’ll never know,” he said. But he knew the truth. It was inside her head and he couldn’t help but take a step closer to her. He was so angry at her before but it was because he did feel something for her and she had rejected him. That’s what it came down to. A few days and he would have been fine, but now it was like something was starting and it was fucking scary. He didn’t want it as much as he did want it. And right now, his want was winning out over his stubbornness as he leaned in, his hand still holding onto hers and he kissed her. It was soft, his lips barely there at first, as if he was testing the waters. He waited for her to push him away, to tell him to stop, to tell him that he wasn’t good enough.
“He and the others took me in.” Wanda didn’t expect for Gabriel to understand it. How it felt like to have nobody and then to be asked to join the Avengers. It was hard at first. Wanda remembered wanting to die because a part of her had, her entire life lost without her twin brother. “He helped me. When I was alone and I needed someone to talk to he was there and so were the others. Clint and Natasha. Most of them only wanted for me to feel safe in my own skin.”
Wanda had pressed the button to the second floor as the elevator starting going back down. She was looking at Gabe then, half expecting him to say something smart or off putting when it came to Steve again. Instead he was...being sincere. Wanda almost didn’t expect it.
“No, I do.” And it didn’t mean that something had to happen but right now Wanda just wanted Gabriel’s company. She wanted to talk to him, to understand him without having to read his mind. Their hands were still very much together as Wanda opened her mouth to say something else but Gabriel was close again, her words caught in her throat as he kissed her - gently, barely even a kiss but she couldn’t help it, her entire body felt like it was going to explode from it, from the feeling of just their lips touching as she kissed him back.
It was simple. And the kiss was over quickly as he pulled back, looking down at her for a moment before his lips curved somewhat. “Yeah?” He asked, only to nod. “Alright.” He wasn’t expecting anything. Actually, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting at this point. He didn’t know what was going on. Gabriel wasn’t afraid to take what he wanted and he could be an asshole when it came to girls. He had done it before and he could do it again but he didn’t want to do that to her. So he took a step back from her, his eyes still lingering for a moment until they were on the doors.
“I still don’t like him. But he sounds like he’s good for you.” Which was true. It didn’t mean that Gabriel didn’t think he was a dick because Steve was. But he was just like everyone else. They looked at Gabriel and thought he was automatically bad and no good. It was just how it was. It wasn’t surprising and it wouldn’t be the first time or the last that someone thought of him that way.
When the doors opened, he nodded toward Wanda so she could go first and he followed her. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he waited for her to unlock her door. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.
But fuck it. When she opened the door and walked inside, she turned back to look at him and he sighed, taking a step inside knowing that everything was changing. The sound of the door closing confirmed it for him.
“He doesn’t like you, either.” Wanda couldn’t help but smile as she eyed Gabriel, the psychic that needed energy to stay alive. She wondered if he wanted to ever talk about it. If he would...talk to her about what happened to him, about Zetes and the others. Wanda wasn’t going to push it and she was afraid that if she did he would just shut her out again. Wanda didn’t want that.
“But he’s only trying to look out for me.” And she knew that Gabriel knew that. Steve didn’t have protective barriers in his head. Wanda could see that, could read the soldier’s mind and know that he was only trying to protect her, not control her or make her think she was doing something awful.
“I’m sure he’ll tell the others about you,” she said, smiling as she approached him again, this time not hesitating to find his hands with hers. She was starting to like it, to touch him, the way their fingers locked together.
“It’s to be expected. Most fathers don’t like me. Actually … all of them,” he said then and offered her a small smile but it was gone quickly when she came closer and took his hands again. He wasn’t surprised that he would tell the others. Of course he would. Because Gabriel was obviously someone who would take advantage of Wanda and use her, and then just let her go.
How did they even get to this point? Gabriel didn’t know and he didn’t know why everything was so here. Especially when minutes ago, he could have honestly said he hated her. But he knew that was only because he had left himself open and she had told him that she didn’t care. It was expected but he took it bad and he was just done. Now, he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t really sure of anything.
“You know whatever he is thinking, he’s probably right.” Steve had insinuated that Gabriel was a mistake and he wasn’t far off. “I mean if this is just some way to stick to him, then fine, I’m okay with that. I don’t mind playing that part.” And he didn’t. He could play the part of the bad boy for her if she wanted to rebel. What did he care? What was Steve going to do to him that hadn’t been done to him already?
“He’s not.” Because Wanda knew the things that happened to Gabriel, things that Steve couldn’t see her touch in the way that Wanda did. “He sees someone who is stubborn. Who doesn’t obey the rules set by anyone. Someone who is purposely disrespectful.” Wanda smiled, touching Gabriel’s cheek again because she was only teasing him, revealing what others saw at first glance, at the man Gabriel was but it wasn’t who he was at heart.
“But that’s not what I see,” she said, admitting it quietly and turning Gabriel’s chin so that he would actually look at her because she knew the moment she told him that he would look away, would reel himself back from her because he wouldn’t believe it or wouldn’t stand there and be told something he thought was a lie when it wasn’t.
Wanda could feel herself falling. She was falling hard and she didn’t think there was anything to stop her from such a free fall. Everything around her seemed to be passing her by, she was going to crash and crash hard but somehow she was accepting of that. Somehow it was okay.