#klaroline though

[that-sarcastic-optimist]

Klaus: No one can hurt me if I’m cold and detached and not emotionally invested in anyone

Caroline: Hi :)

Klaus: * sweating * Shit

[niklausxcaroline]

MAYBE I’D LET YOU CHASE ME AROUND FOR A FEW MORE CENTURIES. THAT WAS ALWAYS THE FUN PART, ANYWAY.

KLAUS MIKAELSON & CAROLINE FORBES THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (2009 - 2017)

[galvanizedfriend]

KC Wip Wednesday

This is my humble contribution to WIP Wednesday! It's a scene from the rewriting of TVD S5 - Yokan's version. In it, The Originals never happens, most of the Mikaelsons remain in Mystic Falls and Klaus and Caroline are kind of a thing, but nobody knows (for sure). Remember that moment where Katherine locks herself up in a safe with Stefan to "cure" his PTSD? It's that, except it's Klaus, not Katherine. This alludes to a very Klefan past, btw. Be warned if you're not a fan.

Also, this is for @definedareasofuncertainty, who wanted me to write her Easter Klefan. 🤧 There you go, friend! And you know, not beta'ed and all that.

--

Klaus lies on his back, takes a calm breath as the heavy door is closed with a thud, engulfing them in absolute darkness. All in all, he'd say a metal box is hardly the most uncomfortable setting he's found himself in. He prefers the comfort of first-class accommodations, but he's traveled in worse. The grown man beating about beside him does make things rather unpleasant, though.

"Stop! Caroline! Get me out of here!" Stefan screams, smashing his fists against the iron safe's indestructible structure. The more desperate he gets, the more uncoordinated and weaker his movements become, thus making the effort completely useless, however accomplished in making the experience all the more miserable for him.

It's embarrassing how incapable Klaus is of saying no to Caroline whenever she asks for a favor. Locking himself up in a box with a traumatized Stefan has to be an all-time low. The things he won't do when she bats her eyelashes and says please.

"Oh, stop it," he remarks in a bored tone as he shoves Stefan aside. The old safe is rather spacious, but definitely not enough to comport two men, particularly if one of them won't stop bloody writhing like a worm in hot sand. "The more you scream, the more breathless you become." The more I want to tear your vocal cords to shreds.

"Get me out of here, Klaus, get me the fuck out of here!"

"Relax, Stefan. I'm here to help," he says. "I'm what you would call a greater agony to alleviate the smaller pain you feel being trapped inside the box. It's reverse psychology, or so Caroline read in a book. What do you think of a little werewolf venom high to speed up the process?"

"You're psychotic. You're fucking insane!" Stefan starts pounding on the box again. "Caroline! Caroline, open up! Open it now!"

"I'm sorry, Stefan!" comes her muffled apology. Even through the metal barrier she sounds thick with guilt. It was her idea, but already she's cracking. That bleeding heart of hers… "I'm sorry, I will -"

"Do not touch that box, Caroline," he commands with his full authority. "Leave it."

There's a long pause, the sound of Stefan's heart hammering away inside his chest in the box as they wait to see what she'll do. A beat goes by before she mumbles a final sorry and scurries away, likely to avoid the temptation of putting poor Stefan out of his misery.

Klaus' lips pull into a grin. "Good girl."

Stefan starts shaking beside him, his breath becoming even more labored. "I can't breathe," he gasps. "I can't - I can't -"

"You don't need to breathe, Stefan. It's all in your head," Klaus reminds him pointedly. "A vampire having a panic attack, honestly. When you think you've seen everything…"

"You're not fucking helping!"

"Pardon me. My bedside manners have gone a little rusty since the last time you've experienced them." Klaus casts Stefan a glance, sees the way his eyes widen in horror, his body growing stiff as a rod, and he can't contain the self-satisfied smile that draws across his lips. "We did once find comfort in each other's company, didn't we?" Stefan makes another panicked sound, smoothing his hands across the cold metal door above them, trying to find a way out. Klaus chuckles. "Don't worry, mate. Caroline can't hear us. Your sordid little secret is safe with me. It's just us here, alone under the cover of darkness. Nothing we haven't done a dozen times in the past. Ahh, the 20s…" he speaks around a dramatic sigh. "It was the roaring years, indeed."

"What are you doing?"

"Making conversation."

"I don't want to talk to you, I especially don't want to talk about that." Stefan nearly chokes on the last word, inching as far away from Klaus as the confined space will allow, as though the mere idea of touching him fills him with utter revulsion. Klaus knows better; it's the way he remembers exactly how it didn't what terrifies him.

Anybody who's met this watered down, colorless version of Stefan would never be able to tell how much of a free spirit he used to be. He was fun. A far cry from the shivering man beside him now. Tragic, really.

"I know you like to pretend it never happened. Frankly, you've become quite an embarrassment of your former self, so I wouldn't proudly advertise it either. This bunny-eating, crying in the dark skin you're wearing these days is someone is wouldn't be caught fraternizing with if you were the last human being on earth."

"Then leave me the fuck alone already."

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not here for you," he snaps back. And then, putting a leash on his rising temper, he continues, "But since I have to be… I can recognize that there was something about that time we had together that suited us both, more than just for the obvious reasons."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you do. I was a tool for you."

"A tool for self-destruction."

Klaus huffs out a disdainful breath. "I was a balm to your tortured soul, Stefan, even at a time when you embraced your true self. I indulged you because you amused me, but at the end of the day, when we were together, it was all rather transactional. It wasn't about sentimentality or a shared appreciation for extravagance. It was about the hollow inside us. The fact we were always desperately seeking to fill it with… Anything, really. Whatever we could find. Passions. Pleasure. Violence. Cravings. But it never lasted, did it? Those things lack a purpose. They're all flitting in their essence, an immense explosion of satisfaction followed by… Nothing. We were both hungry, and we kept trying to find the thing that would sate us. You had lost your mind; I had lost my home. Like drawn to like." Klaus turns his face to Stefan, finds him staring back, eyes glinting with an emotion he can't quite read in the gloom. He always did fancy Stefan's eyes, though. There is something raw about them, something honest for a change. A little opening to the truth in his soul he tries so hard to hide from the outside world. "That's what the darkness is, Stefan," he continues. "Loneliness. It's what restrains us. The monster we cannot outrun. When it all stops - the laughter, the liquor, the hunger - and everything goes quiet around us, that's when we feel it. The curse of eternity. The weight of our years, deep in our bones. And the inevitable loneliness that comes with it. You had your names on the wall, I had my letters, but when all was said and done… We were both stuck in infinite darkness. Except for a few glorious stolen moments, in that repulsive room of yours." The corner of his mouth pulls up into a lopsided smile. "I was the bigger monster you needed in order to humanize yourself. Whatever you were, I was worse, and so I assuaged your guilt. Much like me being here right now. But then of course you found religion!" He laughs, closing his eyes and facing forward once more. "Your spiritual path towards the light. Elena Gilbert." He enunciates the name like it's coated in something toxic. His general distaste for Elena goes further than the fact she has thwarted so many of his plans. It's the boring saint act he cannot get over.

"Yes," Stefan says, his voice rough. "And then I lost her."

"Right. Because she chose your brother." Klaus chuckles. Stefan shifts uncomfortably beside him, the urge to hit him palpable in the air. It only spurs Klaus on. "How so very tacky. No taste, that one. Personally, I think there's no amount of blue eyes or good sex that can make Damon tolerable. What a wanker. I just want to bash his face against a wall whenever he opens his mouth."

Stefan scoffs. "Get in line."

"It's ironic, isn't it? You were at your absolute best behavior, weeding out all of your instincts, everything that made you fun and interesting in order to fashion yourself into a fairy tale prince for her, and what does she do? She chooses the dullard bad boy. Typical." Klaus shakes his head. "Ungrateful little -"

"Shut up."

"Martyr," he finishes with a smirk. "She probably thinks she's going to fix him, doesn't she? I bet he encourages it. But that's the difference between you and Damon, isn't it? Even with all your valiant efforts, you know creatures like us cannot be fixed. We're beyond salvation."

He gets a sudden twinge in his chest, an image flashing in his mind. A smile as bright as the sun. Hair the color of wheat. He sees her shifting under his sheets, feels the warmth of her touch, the brush of her rosy lips against his skin. It ignites a sense of joy inside him unlike anything else, a sense of possession, of belonging, of having found something that is far more precious or rare than any of the hundreds of treasures he's collected over the course of his life. But along with it comes the ever-present fear. Of loss. How long before he ruins her, like he's ruined everything else he's ever cherished? How long before he hurts her, even if he doesn't mean to? Before his darkness tarnishes her and kills that smile? Before she decides he's not worth it?

"How do you make yourself worthy?" he asks, the question tumbling out of his as though of their own accord. "How do you earn the affections of someone so…"

"Good?" Stefan finishes for him, reading his thoughts. "With sunshine and rainbows shining out of their eyes? Someone like, say… Caroline?" Klaus goes quiet, all his humor bleeding out of him in a second. "You don't," Stefan answers his own question. "You'll never be good enough for her, Klaus. Just like I was never good enough for Elena. Not really. The truth is they deserve much better than the two of us." He sighs, deflating with resignation next to Klaus. "I guess we did make quite a pair, you and I."

"Then perhaps we should die together," he says with an edge of aggression, his mood taking a sudden downturn. He's suddenly irritated. With Stefan, with this ridiculous situation, with himself for agreeing to that. "You and I, in a box, at the bottom of a quarry. Over and over again, drowning in suffering for all our sins and the women we don't deserve. How about that?" Silence stretches out between them, absolute. There's no response from Stefan, but there's also no pounding pulse, no disgruntled breaths. "Oh, look," he says dispassionately. "Someone's not having a panic attack anymore. Congratulations. You've conquered your fears. All you had to do was remember there are worse things than dying."

Klaus gives one violent kick on the door, sending it flying off its hinges. He pushes himself up, stepping out of the safe.

Caroline comes whooshing in, eyes wide as she takes in the state of the safe, the way Stefan is still down, cowering from the sudden burst of luminosity.

"What did you do to him?" she demands.

Klaus' mouth inches upward into the barest hint of a grin, no mirth whatsoever. "I fixed him."

[userlaylivia]

god rewatching and seeing how far klayley came just makes me sob like a baby!! they started off not trusting each other and her assuming the worst of him to her literally sacrificing herself to save him (and hope!!) and him being devastated over her death! their development and growth was just so amazing and I love them so much!! sorry but klaroline will be never compare to klayley because klaroline has nothing but manipulation and abuse and deception and zero growth! klayley had actual growth and actual development ahhhhhh

[taus-inc]

when it comes to who ppl date in the vampire diaries the bar is in hell. elena w damon after he killed jeremy and did not know he would survive + admitted to it. caroline and klaus after he killed jenna, carol and STABBED HER IN THE STOMACH AND BIT HER???? tyler being with anyone in general after what happened w vicky 😐. i choose to believe bonnie just has standards and good morals for herself and that's why her relationships are few and far between.

[thefloatingwriter]

i love when steroline figure things out, those are always the elite episodes.

[jillvalentineismother]

Why do people applaud Stefan for doing the bare minimum for Caroline while they were together but despise Klaus for kissing the ground Caroline walked on?

Let’s be honest here… if you were Caroline, would y’all really pick Stefan over Klaus? Klaus may be a psychopathic murderer(like everyone else in the show, Stefan included) but Klaus did love Caroline and always put her needs first(multiple times) before his own. Something that stefan never never did.

[laufire]

carenzo's dynamic really was like "yeah, we're just introducing a lesser klausie while the klaroline drought lasts, enjoy his klaus-lite reactions!"

downright to how easily fooled by her he is, of course xD

[serethereal]

hi hi mads @pancakehouse thx for tagging <33

three ships: r/s, percabeth, klaroline

first ship: uh. that would be. um. uh. Miley x Jake (Hannah Montana) SORRY but i can't make it not hit...

last song: shen yeng anthem by Shenseea xx

last film: catching fire

currently reading: nothing :(( stuck reading silly academic papers for my research </33

currently watching: rewatching succession + a kdrama w my sister

currently consuming: these little like. oven pastries? idk what they're called but they are filled with chocolate so i love them

currently craving: iced water

incredible pressure tagging @thebloatedfrog @theinvisiblemuseum @moongays @sequinhaze and um. idk. i feel like everyone has done this so whoever sees this and wants to, consider me incredible pressure tagging you too <33

[that-sarcastic-optimist]

Klaus: You look great

Caroline: *okay

Klaus: *BEAUTIFUL

Klaus: *GORGEOUS

Klaus: *STUNNING

Klaus: *MINE

[dr-lizortecho]

4, 7 and 11 for the salty ask meme! Only if you want to, of course :)

Here you go <3 I sadly will talk opinions all day

Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?

TVD: Kl*uroline (I mean this goes without saying for me, but like no hate to people who like it! I see the appeal, it’s just a hard pass for me) they’re THE popular ship

RNM: I mean me and Kybel are flirting with it, depending on my mood, but it’s the writings fault tbh. They’re the most popular m/f ship

The Rookie: Lucy/Nolan, it hurts me to my core. As far as I know most everyone also dislikes it, lol

Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?

RNM: Kybel, though to be fair I still love them in a weird way. Like yes they’re canon. Yes! they’re snuggling. Yes! Izzy finally let someone in (I really need to make a parallel of her and those blankets). But also like… the Kyle I know and love would never guilt trip a woman into dating him. And so on and so forth.

Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

RNM: Maria and Max are my babes, and they deserve to make out a little bit cause of how much fandom dislikes them (why do I like them? Maria is steadfast and kind, she’s gentle and loving, but strong and stern. A poem come to life. Max is a pathetic wet cat. With anger issues and puppy dog eyes. All in all angsty nerd is my type.)

TVD: Tyler Lockwood (growth! Also, he’s one of the few tvd characters with Sorry in his vocabulary. Also, able to distance himself from the craziness around him.)

[ks-caster]

Chapters: 15/22 Fandom: The Vampire Diaries (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson, Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore, Elijah Mikaelson/Katherine Pierce, Matt Donovan/Rebekah Mikaelson Characters: Caroline Forbes, Klaus Mikaelson, Elijah Mikaelson, Katherine Pierce, Elena Gilbert, Bonnie Bennett, Damon Salvatore, Stefan Salvatore, Matt Donovan, Rebekah Mikaelson, Various The Originals Characters Repurposed as OCs, Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Klaroline, Background delena, background katlijah, is that even the ship name?, An "if Caroline was the main character" AU, Family History, Witchcraft, Julie Plec can fight me, Canon-Typical Violence, It is not necessary to watch The Originals to understand this story, I borrow characters from there because creating OCs is a lot of work, and then people usually don't like them anyway, So I just steal from TO to fill a lot of OC roles, Non-Explicit Sex Series: Part 3 of Red Queen Summary:

Red Queen, Season III. Caroline, newly and finally in a stable, healthy relationship with Klaus, heads off to college as the unofficial last-hurrah of her human life. Dangers lurk around every corner, but hey, they're big, scary vampires; just how bad could it be? It doesn't take long before she discovers that the universe *really* loves to answer that question.

Klaroline. Cross-posted to fanfic only up to chapter 6.

[userlaylivia]

just to be clear, this poll is to guess which ship I hate most not the one you hate most lol I know sometimes ppl click.on an option without reading it right or tags or anything so I wanted to be clear lol I do hate every ship here but there's one I hate most!!

[klaroveins]

Was it casual when he allowed her to drink his blood straight from the vein while she was dying?

Was it casual when he came all the way from New Orleans for her graduation in Mystic Falls?

Was it casual when he allowed Tyler Lockwood to come back to Mystic Falls even though he was in love with Caroline but understood she was in love with Tyler and only wanted her to be happy?

Was it casual when Tyler was her first love but he intended to be her last?

Was it casual when he offered to show her anywhere around the world, Paris, Rome and Tokyo?

Was it casual when he drew a beautiful picture of her even after she insulted him and didn’t give in to his charms easily?

Was it casual when he let his guard down with her considering he was a paranoid person and she hated him?

Was it casual when he constantly pursued her even when she hated him?

Was it casual when he sacrificed one of his Hybrids that he’d spent centuries working to create, just for a single date with her?

Was it casual when before his death, they shared one final kiss?

Was it casual when she believed he was worth being saved?

Was it casual when she always knew he was never the villain in her story?

NOTHING ABOUT KLAROLINE WAS CASUAL.

[morningstargirl666]

hi! do you have any long canon klaroline fic recommendations?

i’m missing klaroline and actual canon isn’t gonna cut it

I'm going to assume by long fics you mean multichaps? I've always found this fandom seems to be lacking in them, and I'm not talking about the 5-10 chapter fics --- I mean the long ass, epic-length fics that transport you to another dimension and rob you of nine hours of your life in a back-alley because you couldn't close the ao3 page at 1am. Other fandoms seem to have dozens of them but klaroline? Not so much. Writers here seem to prefer the 50k one-shots or playing with a different AU altogether, which is fantastic of course, but sometimes you crave something different, you know? Something you can lose youself in. It's what made me write TBBW, initially. However, that doesn't mean the fandom doesn't have some canon-divergent gems.

Epic-Length Wonders:

Red Queen by KS_Caster / @ks-caster

3-Part Series, Over 200k+ words. Season 4 Canon-Divergent. The last part is a WIP. I absolutely adored this fic when I first read it and I still adore it now. Klaus puts Caroline first and continues to put her first during the search for Silas' cure and it is fucking amazing. The werewolf/hybrid world building in the second fic inspired me to write more fics like it. It's not had as much attention since it was moved to AO3, but trust me, this fic is a hidden gem.

Wicked Schemes by willowaus / @willowaus

30 Chapters, 260k+ words. Season 1 TO Canon-Divergent. Ignores the baby plot. Caroline inherits the powers of a harbringer and the way its weaved into the fic so flawlessly makes you question if it wasn't just canon to begin with. Honestly epic world building. Wolf!Klaus also makes an appearance! A true klaroline classic.

make them bow. by for_darkness_shows_the_stars / @stars-and-darkness

35 Chapters, 220k+ words. Season 1 Canon-Divergent. Klaus is dropped into season one while Caroline is still human. Klefan bromance. Damon retribution. Forbes family dynamics. Klaus covered in blood. Council Members and Founding Family warfare. There's a reason this is the most commented-on fic in the entire fandom even though it's barely been out a year.

Binge-In-One-Sitting Multichaps:

Til I Tasted You by KiryTheStitchWitch / @kirythestitchwitch

4 Chapters, 22k. Canon Divergent/Soulmate AU. Will ruin you with single most devastating declaration of love in existence, forewarning you now.

throw roses into the abyss by marxandangels / @marxandangels

7 Chapters, 99k+. WIP. Technically Season 6 Canon-Divergent (after Liz dies) but ignores canon for the most part, especially TO wise. Explores the concept of humanity-less vampires so well, with a dash of world building on the side. Klaus and Caroline's relationship is also explored with such nuance --- like these two aren't just attracted to each other but entwined by their very souls, kind of nuanced. Oh, and the bloodsharing scene drawn by here by @stardust414 lives rent-free in my mind.

Someone's First Choice by unpublishednovelist

10 Chapters, 29k+. Post-Canon. This one's a WIP but I'm keeping my eye on it because it's good. Like hella good. Caroline decides to say fuck it and goes with some college friends to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, accomadation covered by our favourite Original hybrid. She breaks up with Tyler over voicemail. Queen shit.

All I Need by emeraldvixen

14 Chapters, 60k, E rated. Canon-Divergent/Wolf Mate AU. In the mood for some hot and steamy smut? Emeraldvixen's got you covered.

the fate makes for a lousy poet by for_darkness_shows_the_stars / @stars-and-darkness

7 Chapters, 50k+. Season 3 Canon-Divergent/Soulmate AU. The Originals in pajamas. Need I say more?

Who put Bella down the Wynch Elm? by for_darkness_shows_the_stars / @stars-and-darkness

7 Chapters, 60k+. Post-Canon. A murder mystery whodunnit with original side characters and Caroline in all her bad ass glory, after she's left Mystic Falls and its hellmouth-worthy shenanigans. Just - for a minute - imagine canon expanded on the tvd universe and revisted the fact the Originals are little more than nightmarish stories in the supernatural world, or that Stefan is the most infamous mass murderer on the east coast and maybe you'll understand how amazing this fic is.

Important to note these were all specifically Canon-Divergent multichaps. There's plenty more gems out there, just for different AUs and lengths. I also only looked at my ao3 bookmarks for this, so like, I'm probably forgetting several.

[randomshyperson]

Another Love - Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Summary: Being late doesn't always mean you lost your chance. Wanda might not be yours now, but if there’s something an Eternal can do is wait.

Warnings: unrequired love, hints of mutual (?) pining; mild angst with hopeful ending, friends/team partners, canon divergence, fluff, some tension, language. |

Words: 4.046k | Part Two

A/N-> The author was missing Klaroline and instead of dealing with it in a wholesome way, I wrote angst (ish) with Wanda. Send help. Those who haven't seen TVD may know lines from tik tok edits. Cry with me, dear ones. And good reading.

General Masterlist | AO3 | Wattpad

--//--

You didn't know that a piece of paper had the ability to hurt the invulnerable until you received Wanda Maximoff's wedding invitation.

It arrived at your newly sold apartment by mail - You would have missed it if you hadn't made a last check on the boxes of furniture that were to arrive in China shortly after you.

Meeting the new leader of the Ten Rings Society was an indispensable business necessity, you had convinced yourself of that. Much though you had the impression that deep down, leaving New York had little to do with work and a lot to do with a certain former teammate.

Your history with Wanda went way back - all the way to Sokovia, where, as usual, you were guaranteeing the mission Arishem had given you, even if with each century, you doubted your vocation for it more. The Judge was clear in his instructions, on what you represented. A Homo Immortalis, in all your magnitude, chosen to oversee the rest of your people. You were gifted with a little of each of the others; having what was necessary to hold more power than any other, a mortal and superior combination of all the abilities of the other Eternals. 

And while the others lived out Arishem's mission in their own way, you were actually working towards it. Ensuring that humanity evolved, and that applied to making sure that Infinity Stones were not used to exterminate them, everything from helping Captain America with the fools of Hydra disguised as Shield to joining the Avengers to recover Loki's scepter.

Your participation in the team was hidden from the rest of the world for a long time. You had no interest in gaining fame for your work or any financial recognition. These material and superficial things came naturally to you, but they meant little in the magnitude of the life of an eternal, the kind that could run and fly and destroy the world with a breath. The one who could see these, and many other universes, from a palm's distance.

When the Mind Stone fell into your hands, you had two lost and angry orphaned twins at your feet. The Maximoffs were young adults with a lot of anger and hurt towards the world, and while you guaranteed them safety in a new country, they gave you something in return that you had long since allowed yourself to feel.

The vulnerability of having a family scared you. Even then, the Avengers were limited to you just as the Eternals were - co-workers toward a common goal, a shared function. 

Loving Wanda changed all of that.

She melted away your age-old defenses - Centuries of loss and betrayal, dispassion in your mind with the comfort of her presence. Wanda was a ray of light, hope, for humanity you hadn't recognized within yourself in a long time.

Through her friendship, you were inspired to have other friends. To reconnect with the rest of the Eternals, and with the remaining Avengers. Ensuring that humanity evolved, as Arishem instructed you, was almost a secondary plan. Your priority was to guarantee the safety of these people who had become important to you.

The Stones were protected - You would have suggested their destruction, but even Phastos had been against something so raw. The problem was not the stones, knowledge, and evolution never are, the issue was the way these species wanted to use these heavenly blessings. Keeping these objects away from such primitively violent races should be a priority, and so, you made sure. 

The Stones were kept away by you, and when the Mad Titan tried to steal them, he was defeated like the grain of sand he always was before the multiverse.

But soon, you would realize that Thanos' death caused the inevitable revelation of the Celestials' true motives. It was a very sad unveiling - Tragic even, for everything you believed in. Years of ensuring that humans prospered only to destroy them. Luckily, the vast majority of your team agreed that this was too absurd to be allowed.

Not all of you survived, and there was a sigh of greater threats knocking at the door, beyond the promised judgment of Arishem on the humanity your family betrayed his teachings for, but for now, there was peace.

The world was flourishing and spinning, the Avengers were growing stronger every day, recognized as Protectors of the Earth, respected and loved all over the globe. Despite all that had happened to the Eternals, at least this gave you a sense of duty fulfilled.

When it came to Wanda, you hesitated. Not in your heart, because the certainty of your feelings was always clear to you, even before you could admit it to her. The feeling bloomed in your chest every day in her company, and to deny it would be foolish. But at some point, perhaps when work occupied your time, and priorities of making sure Dreykov was dead or stopping other lesser villains that seemed to sprout in the earth like cancer, you put Wanda aside. She grew close to someone else and fell in love with him, and Vision was the one she would marry in a few weeks.

The invitation surprised you, no, it hurt you. At first, your instinct, in a moment of anger and indignation, because Wanda knew - everybody knew - about your love for her, and yet this didn't stop her from reserving a seat at the celebration of her choice. The choice that was not you.

The invitation ripped in a tug, and you gasped. Your mind filled with nostalgia and longing, memories of the team, and of her, made you sigh. The item floated from the floor until it was rebuilt and returned to your fingers.

Greater foolishness would be for Wanda not to invite you. Even though she had been nothing but understanding and kind in rejecting you so many months ago, it would be rude not to include you in this now. Everyone was invited, Eternals, Avengers, Shield agents, and so on. not inviting you would have hurt even more.

You kept the fancy paper in your jacket pocket. You weren't sure if you would have the courage to show up, but all it took was one phone call to a certain widow who said she would shoot you if you upset Wanda on her special day, was all it took for you to make sure you went to the party.

Your return to the United States was bittersweet. Despite all the good memories as an Avenger, the feeling of losing Wanda still ached deep in your chest at every thought that flowed into your mind about her. And traveling to New Jersey for her wedding guaranteed a lot of them.

You purposely missed the ceremony. First, because delays were impossible for someone like you, and second because you didn't want to watch her swear her love to another. 

For the party, Wanda was supposed to change her white dress into something lighter, that would allow her to dance with everyone. 

You knew you shouldn't, but your feet made their way upstairs to the Wedding Venues just the same.

Manners be damned, you would be selfish one last time. 

The floor was quite busy, many familiar faces like Nat, Maria, and Carol, and some distant colleagues were there. You just greeted them politely, ignoring the hesitant glances at your presence at the party, when everyone knew and imagined that you were not coming.

Wanda was frantic in the make-up room. She was smiling so much when you entered, that you barely noticed the gold wedding ring on her finger.

She noticed your presence through the mirror as Nat and Yelena helped her with her jewelry and immediately hesitated.

"Y/N."

You smiled, looking at her, and her solemnly. "Hello, Wanda."

Nat exchanged a glance with Yelena, both by their proximity, realizing how a simple greeting made Wanda shudder from head to toe, and the color of her cheeks not limiting the makeup now.

She turned, twiddling her fingers. "You came."

Your smile didn't falter, but your hand left the doorknob to touch the pocket of your jacket. "You invited me." It is an obvious and tender statement, almost a tease. Wanda smiles shyly, looking away from your intense eyes before she embarrasses herself further in the presence of others.

Nat clears her throat and gestures to everyone in the room. "Let's go see if everything's all right downstairs, shall we?" Most of them practically run out of the room. Yelena makes a confused face.

"She hasn't even changed clothes yet-" She starts to protest, but you step forward.

"Don't worry, Yelena, I'll help her with her dress." You say in the most respectful and least insinuating manner, but still, you get a warning look from Wanda and blush about the way Nat holds back a chuckle.

The door closes as only you and Wanda are left inside the room. You smile at her, and she sighs affectedly.

"I wasn’t expecting you." She starts, but seeing your expression, she blushes as she corrects herself, "I didn't mean it like that. Of course, I wanted you here, or I wouldn't have sent the invitation. But..."

"Wanda, it's okay." You cut her off, aware of the heart pulsing at high speed in her chest. You did not wish that to give the bride an anxiety attack - You promised Nat that she would have an amazing day, and so it would be. "I'm sorry I missed your vows, I'm sure they were beautiful."

She smiles shyly, adjusting a strand of hair behind her ear. If you used telepathy, you could watch her fondly review the last moments, but you would rather burn your eyes out.

Moving closer to the bed, where the change of clothes had been placed, you smiled at her.

"I'm glad you liked the gift."

Wanda frowned in confusion, then understood. She opened her mouth to say something but didn't know exactly how to thank you. You grinned.

"Forgive me, I should have written a note on the box." You joked, wielding a weak, affected laugh from her.

Her cheeks are rosy and she looks lovely like this. "I-I didn't realize it was you who sent it. I didn't... I thought it was a gift from Yelena or even Stark, considering how expensive it looks..."

You hum in understanding, your hands busy unfolding the dress. "I told Yelena to cover for me." You explain, hiding from her curious expression. "Don't look at me like that. I was under the impression that if I put my name on the gift, you might reject it."

"Y/n..."

"And I couldn't let that happen." You interrupt her gently, making her shut up because you approach. Your smile is tender and your touch on her cheek makes her breath hitch. "I chose it especially for you with the world's greatest stylists, each desperate to please me the most."

Wanda swallowed dryly, trying to keep her gaze in your eyes. You licked your lips, and she almost gave up. But your hand moved away, and so did you. 

"Turn around. Let me help you with the zipper." You instructed, and Wanda was so mesmerized by your presence that she did so immediately. 

The ease with which you opened the locks of her dress suggested magical assistance, but Wanda was too busy keeping her own body under control to pay attention to this. The dress was loose on her, and she held it up in front of her, turning to thank you.

The closeness of your face made her gasp softly.

You kept your gaze low, resisting as she did, the urge to break the distance. Wanda put a hand on her stomach when she had the impression that this distance got smaller.

When she spoke, her voice was husky and affected. "I just got married."

It was a warning, a reminder. For both of you, in a way. Your heart broke, and unbeknownst to you, so did hers.

Despite this, your smile was easy on your lips, even if they didn't reach your eyes.

"I am aware." You retorted with a slight tease, stepping aside to grab the dress and hand it to her. "Go get changed, love. I would like a dance before I go."

She refused to acknowledge the nickname, honestly used to them from day one, but not the request. 

She raised an eyebrow at you. "Are you ordering me to dance with you?"

You pouted, a posture reserved for Wanda and Wanda only. "I wouldn't dream of ordering the Queen of Chaos to do anything."

Wanda snorted in embarrassment, shoving your shoulder gently. A distant version of her, a friend you have long since lost, was visible in your eyes. It made your chest ache.

"Shut up." She giggled shyly, clutching her dress against her body.

You didn't mind, your eyes shining with an adoration that made Wanda warm. "What, Scarlet Witch, no need to get modest with me. I'll be seeing you on a throne yet, I'm sure."

Wanda giggles away, her face very red. "God, you're the worst." She complains embarrassedly, fleeing to the makeshift fitting room in the bedroom while you amuse yourself with her clumsiness at her inevitable fate.

When she returns, she looks as stunning as you knew she would in that dress. She must think so too because she sighs at the glimpse of her own reflection.

"It was really thoughtful of you, Y/N." She commented softly, staring at the mirror. "I loved it from the first moment I put it on."

You were leaning on the window now, having spent all the time Wanda was getting dressed, looking at the guests at the party. Watching the happy groom downstairs. Your face turned to hers, and for a moment, Wanda saw only the cold Eternal she met years ago. She didn't have time to hesitate, because your gaze softened and your smile emerged.

"I knew you would look even more beautiful than usual in this one piece, Maximoff. Red really is your color." You compliment, moving away from the window to approach her. "How are you feeling? Is it comfortable enough to dance in?"

You are assessing the dress, but Wanda is looking at you when she replies; "It's perfect."

She looks away before you can notice. There is an exchange of shy glances before you nod to the jewelry you were going to help her put on. Wanda stands back, busy with rings, and when she hands you the necklace she has chosen, you deny it with your head.

"Not this one." You say, moving your hands to your jacket pocket. She stares at you with confusion through the mirror, but holds her breath at the item you begin to fit around her neck. 

"Y/N, that's gorgeous." She gasps in surprise at the sparkling jewel, but as soon as she feels the soft weight, she flinches. "I-I can't, it looks too expensive-"

Your hands hold her by the shoulders, and Wanda chokes, blushing and burning with the feeling of your touch being firm and gentle at the same time. Your fingers adjust the necklace, and your chin rests on her so that she stares you in the eyes.

"It's yours." You assure her, enjoying her perfume and the way Wanda sighs before raising one of your hands to touch the jewel, feeling it on her fingers. "All the best things for my favorite girl."

Although with rosy cheeks, Wanda smiles at your reflection. "Oh, so there are other girls?" She teases, and it's dangerous to do that, alone in a room with you, so close you could just turn your face and take her right there and now, while Wanda has the impression she would let you, even if the party was going on downstairs, but she does it anyway. And you love it.

"None quite like you, Maximoff." Although you return in the same tone, there is a striking truth in your words. Wanda licks her lips, and your grip tightens, making her choke softly on her own breath.

"You're just trying to boost my ego." She retorts, struggling to keep her eyes open when suddenly, your lips are brushing over the amount of exposed skin. Your breath tickles the back of her neck, and Wanda trembles all the way to her tiptoes.

"And why would I do that?" You challenge her as affected as she is, running your hands down her arms until you intertwine your hands over her stomach. Your body embraces hers, and it's as warm and comforting as all the hugs that you two ever shared at the compound and post-battle, and as full of lust as all the few stolen moments in road motels and training sessions. 

Wanda's knees go weak, but you hold her, close and tight. 

"N-no." She gasps, making no effort to pull away, but with the last vestige of sanity in her mind. "Please, Y/N, I can't. I do love him." The statement throws a bucket of cold water on you, reality back.

You try not to be hurt so much, but it is inescapable. You let go of her gently, and by instinct, Wanda ends up with her face turned to yours. For a second, both you and she think the kiss is inevitable. But you offer her a sad smile and pull away.

Wanda speaks before you can, "I'm sorry." She says, and you know what the apology is about because she has tears in her eyes. You shake your head, quickly bringing your hands closer to your cheeks to make sure your makeup doesn't get ruined.

"Hey, no tears now." You ask as tenderly as you can handle, and despite your own request, your eyes are also teary. "It's your special day. No crying, unless it's from happiness."

"But-"

"I mean it, Maximoff." You say in a falsely serious tone, a smile playing past your tears. "Both Romanoff and your brother will break my ass if I make you sad at your wedding. No tears because of me, alright?"

She gave a tearful laugh, nodding her head. She really wants to hug you, but you just kiss her forehead and walk away.

You look like you are going to add something when you face her, but a knock on the door interrupts the moment. Wanda retreats further away, unsure of what she is trying to hide.

It's Pietro at the door, suspicious and clumsy. "Hey, Y/N. What's up? Everyone's waiting for her..."

"And she's ready now." You say to your old friend, coming closer to hug him. "Wanda will be right down. In the meantime, why don't you accompany me to the bar? I have some Makkari stories to tell you..."

Pietro is immediately excited by his new speed rival, and you offer Wanda one last wink before leaving the room with her brother.

The party is so lively and your friends are so happy in their celebration that it is contagious to have fun too.

It is inevitable, however, that you avoid Wanda. She is the star of the night, and she dances with almost everyone and has everybody's attention, and this keeps her busy long enough to look for you. And with Vision there, you figure she wouldn't.

The celebration must go on through the night, so you get distracted by all the other people. When it is almost 3 a.m., and many of the guests have already left, leaving space for the more intimate friends, Natalia Romanova prepares a martini for you at the bar.

"I'm surprised, you know?" she begins, drawing your full attention away from the slow dance that Vision and Wanda share in the main ballroom. "You behaved very well tonight."

With a small smile, you stare at her. "And when haven't I?"

Nat chuckles softly, serving you both. "Good point, friend."

You nod in thanks for the drink, and you toast before Nat asks about where you were going. Your first response is to shrug before you clarify:

"I imagine we'll have a few months of peace before the next supervillain shows up." You joke, getting a chuckle from the other, "Maybe I'll just work. It's been a while since I've wanted to have a better relationship with the witches on this planet."

Nat raises an eyebrow. "I can't even imagine why the change of heart." She implies, receiving a soft hearty chuckle.

You fall into casual conversation after this - Nat updates you on the full rescue of all the widows she made with Yelena, how they both would now have time for a normal life, and that Yelena was going to study at NYU next semester. She also comments that she is thinking about proposing to Agent Hill, but she might wait until spring because she was under the impression that Tony and Steve were about to announce a wedding on the same date as well. You were sincere when you said that although your love life was turned upside down, you were very happy for her and everyone else.

It was almost morning when the party was officially over. Except for the few drunk people around, and that included a high Clint Barton trying to shoot arrows without being able to see in his current state that Pietro was using speed to prevent it, the venue was being dismantled by the wedding team.

Vision wanted to do something special - He went back inside the house to get blankets so that he and Wanda could watch the sunrise together. You didn't want to be listening to the conversation but it was inevitable.

If you manipulated a little bit of probability so that he wouldn't find the items so soon, it was a harmless prank.

Wanda was waiting for him at the pier on the lake. You approached in short strides, and the lack of disappointment in her gaze as she realized it was you and not her husband made you sure of what you were about to say.

"Hey." She greeted gently, her arms crossed. "I guess I owe you a dance, huh?"

You smiled at her, and as you stood close enough, your hand went to adjust the slightly tousled strands of her hair behind her ears.

"I'd be happy to charge that." You begin, your fingers fondling her skin. "At a masquerade ball in Italy."

Wanda hesitates, surprised before almost upset. She opens her mouth to repeat her apology, but you give her a sad smile before continuing, "But I know what your response to this invitation would be."

She swallows dryly. "I'm sorry, Y/N. I wanted to... I really wanted to feel the same way."

"Oh, sweet girl, don't martyr yourself for it. Ever." You ask her gently, the palm on her cheek so gentle that Wanda has to use all her power not to lean in completely. "My feelings aren't going anywhere, Wands."

She sniffles lightly. "That doesn't help-"

You chuckle lightly, shaking your head. "No, you don't understand." You begin, and she holds her breath as you approach. The kiss is on her cheek, but it is so close to her mouth that Wanda's mind stops for a full minute. Your eyes are full of tenderness as they stare at her. "Vision is your first love. I intend to be your last. No matter how long it takes."

She stares at you, static in surprise. Something in her chest burns and screams, and Wanda recognizes this feeling from many years ago, one that she swore she had completely undone with every goodbye she ever had to give you.

But you are here, looking at her and promising to love her for eternity, and she can't help the ghost of a recurring feeling in her chest.

She feels like the worst person when she sees Vision holding blankets outside the house, and the luckiest as well.

"My congratulations, Wanda." You whisper to her. "I wish you nothing but happiness. To both of you."

Wanda gives you a tearful smile, nodding in gratitude. You smile at her before turning your back, knowing that this will not be the last time.

You would wait for her. Another thousand years if necessary.

-&-

Part Two