Chapter Text
Rich people have a really good backswing, you find one summer evening.
It wasn’t entirely their fault. You should have been paying better attention. Maybe had you spent less time staring at the girl Nat was showing around, you would have dodged the tennis ball. Now all you’ve done was embarrass yourself in front of everyone, including your new cute co-worker.
You’ve been working at New Hope Country Club since last summer. It’s a good job. You get paid well, you made some of your closest friends here, and the members aren’t too bad. There are of course those entitled assholes who don’t bother learning your name despite seeing you every other day, but you’ll gladly let them keep calling you “girl” if they keep those hefty tips coming.
The lady that used your forehead as a target, rushes over to you, apologizing. “Oh, dear. I am so sorry. Natasha! Will you have someone bring over some ice?”
Natasha turns to the reason for you being distracted and said girl leaves to presumably get you ice. Seeing as other members were starting to look over, you get nervous under all the stares and wave them off. “I’m okay. I’m okay.”
“Are you sure, darling?” asks the frequent club goer.
“Yes. I’ll be fine. I’m just lucky you’ve taken up tennis and not golf. That’s one hell of a swing, Mrs. Grey,” you joke and she laughs in relief. She has you sit down at one of the tables off to the side anyway, seeing the red circle on your head. She insists when you try to say you are fine and tells Nat to let you have a break.
Natasha Romanoff, daughter of New Hope Club owners Melina Vostokoff and Alexei Shostakov, is one of said close friends you made here. Of course she lets you take a break, but not without sitting with you, laughing at your expense.
“Where is Wanda with that ice?” she voices out loud. Knowing she’s referring to your new co-worker, you try to casually ask about her. “Is that the new girl you were showing around?”
You guess you couldn’t play it off as simple curiosity, because Nat heard the intrigue in your tone. She teases you, “Oh, noticed her, did you? I think you made a great first impression.”
She wiggles her eyebrows, making you blush and shove her away with a groan when she mimes you getting a tennis ball to the head. You see Wanda come back with ice and you hush Nat quickly when she tries teasing again. Nat gets up and tells Wanda, “Y/N will give you the rest of the tour. I have some things I have to attend to.”
Wanda nods in understanding. Nat leaves you with a parting comment and a wink. “Try not to catch any more balls to the head.”
“Asshole,” you mutter after her, which she obviously hears, laughing as she goes. Wanda turns to you, grimacing upon looking at your forehead. You smile sheepishly, “Does it look that bad?”
“No, I’m just remembering you getting hit,” she replies. You turn red in embarrassment. You’d hoped she hadn’t actually seen it and that Nat was just messing with you, but you can’t always get what you want. She remembers the bag of ice. “Oh! Here. This should help.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem,” she replies, watching you ice your head.
“I’m Y/N, by the way. I know Nat said it but I just wanted to introduce myself to you … myself?” you finish off awkwardly.
She chuckles, “Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”
“Yes, but a walk couldn’t hurt,” you decide, getting up. “Let me show you around.”
You begin where Nat left off and show her the courts. You tell Wanda that’s where she’ll find you. You work the courts. Wanda laughs when you joke that you’re usually better at your job and that she caught you on an off day.
You show her the pool and introduce her to your friend Steve, nicknamed Captain for being captain of the swim team when he was in high school. He graduated two years ago but works as a lifeguard during the summer breaks from college.
You also introduce her to James Buchanan Barnes, or as your friends call him “Bucky”. He goes to the same college as Nat and Steve. They all go to Brown University, an Ivy League school because of course they do, those overachievers. Bucky also works at the club during the summer as a bartender.
Lastly, you introduce her to your friend, co-worker, and classmate, Peter Parker. You and he have been working at the club the same amount of time since you had both decided to make some money summer after sophomore year. He needs the money for his trips with the academic decathlon team and his science projects. You need money for whatever events may come up. You’re both going into your senior year and you decided to be more social this year. That includes going to dances and school events, and that means you need money.
Peter is clearly more social than you, his acadec skills coming in clutch for him as he asks Wanda more about her, like what job she’ll be doing. Same as Peter, Wanda will be working as a caddy, working on the golf field. He gives her the ins and outs of the job and a bunch of tips.
You and Peter begin to mess around, mocking some of the wealthier members of the club. You two always get a laugh out of it. Wanda looks a little taken aback, especially when you both start talking about Nat.
You ask her what’s wrong and she points out, “I thought you and Nat were friends?”
“We are,” you reply easily. “We just like to tease her about her money. Us common folk have to entertain ourselves somehow.”
Peter laughs at your terrible British accent. He turns to Wanda and comments, “It’s all in good fun though. She doesn’t mind. She actually likes to tease back about us being broke, so it’s a mutual thing.”
“Oh.”
You feel a stall in the conversation coming on but Peter comes to the rescue. He’s always been the more sociable of the two. He asks Wanda about herself. You learn that Wanda is also going into her senior year and is in fact not new to town like you thought before. He asks her what school she goes to and when she hesitatingly replies that she goes to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, or as you and Peter know it as the private school for rich kids, there is an awkward silence.
You and Peter had just been laughing, unknowingly making fun of rich people in front of one. Wanda feels the tension and decides to kill it by saying, “Oh, I’m there on scholarship.”
You and Peter sigh in relief and start laughing. “You really had us there, Wanda! I literally almost broke a sweat.”
You groan, “Does everyone around me have to be an overachiever? You guys make me feel so incompetent.”
This time she laughs and quips, “Maybe start being competent, then.”
Peter high fives her and although they’re both laughing at your expense, you can’t help but think that she has a really nice laugh. You dismiss those thoughts with a shake of your head, trying to get back to your task.
“I see you two will have no problem getting along,” you mutter, making her giggle, not helping your case of trying to focus. “Anyway, Peter can show you the ropes. I should head back to the courts. I’ll see you around.”
You see Wanda later again at the end of the day. Peter and she are walking towards you and Nat in the parking lot. You ask her how her first day went.
“Not too bad. Y/N made it easier for me, introducing me to everyone. Seriously, Y/N, thank you. I was nervous before coming in but I think I’m going to like it here,” Wanda says, giving you a sincere smile.
You shy away from the attention and try to play it cool by shrugging it off. “Yeah, of course. It was my pleasure.”
“I bet,” Nat adds with a smirk. You nudge her and quickly change the subject.
“Do you need a ride? Nat’s driving us home,” you offer Wanda, but she declines with a shake of her head.
“My brother is picking me up. Thank you though.” She waves goodbye as the three of you get into Nat’s BMW.
As soon as you can’t see the club anymore, Nat mocks you. “‘Of course. It was my pleasure.’”
“Shut up,” you say and turn up the music to drown out your friends’ laughter.
Back in the parking lot, Wanda’s twin brother Pietro pulls up in the Porsche they were gifted for their 16th birthday last year. She quickly gets in. Her brother asks, “So how was your first day?”
“You can’t pick me up in this anymore,” she says instead of answering his question. Then she goes on to explain why and all Pietro does is laugh. “Good luck trying to pull that off, Wanda. What car am I meant to drive then?”
Luckily, they still had the car their parents had bought just for them to practice driving before buying them an expensive car. Wealthy as their parents were, they also didn’t want their children wrecking the nice things their luxurious lives had to offer like a brand new Porsche.
It’s also the reason for which Wanda is working now. There is no real need for Wanda to have a job. See, her parents wanted Wanda and Pietro to learn a little something about responsibility. They felt their kids needed this due to a small three thousand dollar incident. At least it was small to the twins.
They had thrown a party while their parents were away, or Pietro threw a party and Wanda was there. What could she do? She lived there. During this party, someone had ruined their very expensive rug and the twins tried to cover it up by hiring someone to clean it. The price? Three thousand dollars. Their parents obviously noticed and asked about the money. It wasn’t so much that they minded the price, but more so that the twins thought it was no big deal and tried to hide it.
That really ticked their parents. So they told the twins to forget their summer plans as they’ll both be busy working. They called in favors from their friends, Melina Vostokoff, Alexei Shostakov, and Howard Stark. Now Wanda is working on the golf field and Pietro in the mail room at Stark Industries until they make the money back.
Wanda finds herself actually enjoying work, not for the actual working, carrying around heavy ass golf clubs but she likes talking to you and Peter and Nat, but mostly you. Everyday, you grow a little less timid and you find it easy to get along and joke around with each other.
Half of June has gone by quickly and had her twin not mentioned it, Wanda would have completely forgotten it’s her birthday. Of course, she doesn’t say anything until the last minute of the day, much to your vexation.
“Why didn’t you say anything? Happy Birthday!” you say as you and she pick up your things from your lockers, getting ready to head home.
“Thank you. I’m just not one to really celebrate. My brother on the other hand,” Wanda sucks in a breath, implying her brother is the total opposite. She doesn’t say anything else. You hope she would talk more about herself. You’re always so ready to learn more about her and her life but she never really gets into it. All you get are these little details but you take it.
“So you’re not really the party type,” you guess and she confirms, shrugging, “I don’t really like all the attention.”
“Well then let’s celebrate the cool introverted style,” you suggest, wanting to do something for her. You love birthdays and gift giving. Had you more time you’re sure you could have gotten her something nice. No use to dwell on it now. “Seeing as we both don’t work tomorrow, it’s perfect!”
“What do you have planned?” Wanda asks, intrigued by the mischievous glint in your eye.
“A sleepover, of course. That is if your parents don’t mind,” you add. “We can get a bunch of junk food and watch movies and play board games or something. Oh, my brother has a switch. We can play Mario Kart. What do you say?”
Wanda thinks about it. She wasn’t going to do anything much different than what you suggested when she got home. She wouldn’t mind a little company, knowing the house would be empty tonight. Her parents were on a business trip and Pietro said a few buddies of his were getting together for his birthday, throwing him his own slumber party thing.
She nods. “Sure. Why not?”
“That’s the spirit, Maximoff.”
Fortunately Wanda drove herself today already knowing her brother had plans after work. Nat and Peter wait in the parking lot for you. You let them know of the change in plans. You also invite them to the impromptu sleepover but they both appear to have plans for the evening.
“You two ladies have fun though,” Nat says with a smirk that Wanda misses because she is busy digging through her bag for the keys. You roll your eyes and flip Nat off while Wanda is distracted. Natasha and Peter laugh as they get in Nat’s car.
Both have been relentless this week with the teasing., Anytime they saw you talking to Wanda, they’d make gestures rendering you flustered in front of her. It was embarrassing but they wouldn’t be your friends if they didn’t tease you about your little crush.
Yeah, you can admit you have a crush on Wanda Maximoff. It was kind of obvious, the way everyone caught you staring. Even Steve, the more serious one of the group has made a joke or two about it. You weren’t very subtle, but luckily Wanda hasn’t noticed or at least said anything about it.
You stop to get snacks before heading to your house. Your arms are stuffed as you make your way to the cashier. When it’s time to pay, Wanda takes her wallet out, which you immediately take offense to. You insist on paying since it is her birthday. Then the cashier is agreeing with you and Wanda relents. Wanda feels a little guilty, knowing how easily she could pay for ten times the amount of things without so much as looking at the number on the register.
She makes sure to let you know all the way to your house that you didn’t have to do that but she appreciated it nonetheless.
“Of course,” you say. “It’s your birthday and even if it weren’t, it’s my money and I’ll spend it how I like, and I like treating my friends from time to time, so get used to it, Maximoff,” you state, smiling at Wanda, who suddenly frowns.
“Please don’t spend your money on me,” she requests.
You deny her, “You can’t tell me what to do. Oh, turn right here.”
“There is no use in arguing with you, is there?” she reasons while following your directions.
“Nope.” You smile triumphantly.
Wanda shakes her head at your stubbornness but you can see her crack a smile and your small crush just grew two sizes bigger.
“MTV, welcome to my crib,” you joke as you lead Wanda inside your house. You go through the motions of showing her around the house. The “grand tour” takes 2 minutes. You show her the kitchen, living room, your parents’ room, and your brother’s room.
You end the tour at your room. You’re relieved to have it tidy, for once making your bed before going to work. You couldn’t have Wanda thinking you were sloppy. You can see Wanda itching to take a look around your room but politely keeps her eyes from wandering.
“You can look around if you want. I don’t mind,” you give her permission. You watch her as she walks around your room taking everything in. She pauses to look at some pictures you have on display for anyone to see. She smiles at some silly ones you have of your friends. She asks you who some other people are and you point out family members including your parents and brother.
Having not seen or heard them home, Wanda asks, “Where are they?”
“Out of town. They’re visiting an aunt.”
“They don’t mind you having someone over while they’re gone?” she asks, suddenly feeling like she’s going to get you in trouble but you wave her off. “Don’t worry. They don’t know.”
Wanda freaks out. “Are you serious? I don’t want you to get in trouble. Maybe I should go.”
You rush to calm her down. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding.”
You see that she doesn’t believe you entirely so you add, “I texted my mom earlier while we went for snacks. She gave me the okay, okay?”
Seeing how stressed out you made her, you apologize but once she’s calm you begin to giggle.
“Stop. That wasn’t funny,” she says but the smile she wears says otherwise.
“Alright, alright,” you let up. You move to open a drawer and pull out two sets of pajamas. You toss them on the bed. “Here, I think these will fit you.”
She picks them up, arching up an eyebrow in question. You explain, “You need pajamas for a sleepover. As nice as you make those beige shorts look, they’re not comfortable to sleep in. Trust me.”
She blushes at your off handed compliment. You head out the door with your pajama set in hand. “You can change here. I’ll go get the switch from my brother’s room.”
Clad in your pajamas, Wanda sets her neatly folded clothes on your desk and waits on the edge of your bed. You were taking a little long. She begins tugging at the pajama shirt to distract herself. Out of curiosity she pulls it by the collar and takes a whiff. It smells really nice. She wonders what kind of softener you use.
You walk in right at that moment catching Wanda sniffing the pajama shirt you let her borrow. She pulls it back down hurriedly, face flushing in embarrassment. You joke, “Don’t worry, it’s clean.”
“I know. It smells nice,” she manages to say.
“Sorry I took so long. I was just getting us something to drink,” you explain, confusing Wanda. She looks to your bed where you dumped all the junk food, which included beverages.
“But we already got some.”
“I meant a different kind of drink,” you reply. She turns to look back at you and sees you waving a bottle of Smirnoff in front of her with a mischievous smile on your face.
“There is no way I’m drinking that straight,” Wanda announces, shaking her head. You laugh and agree. You both head to the kitchen to see what you can find to mix it with. Wanda surprises you by taking the lead, making a few drinks with what you have.
“So?” Wanda asks after you take a sip of your drink. You wonder if Wanda is a secret bartender on the side.
“Damn, that’s good. Bucky better watch out,” you praise. Wanda giggles and takes a sip of her own drink. Wanda’s had some practice mixing drinks. It helps to have a fully stocked bar at her house to work with. You take your drinks and head back to your room.
You spend the next two hours playing on your brother’s console, eating junk food, and drinking more of Wanda’s fabulous drinks. You’re both tipsy at this point. You know so by the way neither of you can stop giggling at the smallest things and lose balance anytime either of you lean in to mess with the others’ controller.
In the third hour, you switch games. You decide to play truth or dare. You think this could be the perfect opportunity to learn more about the mystery that lies behind Wanda Maximoff, but by the way the game is playing out, she’ll remain a mystery until another day.
Wanda keeps choosing dare, not wanting to answer any question that may give her status away. She knows why she lied at the time. She saw the way you and Peter made fun of Nat for having money and she didn’t want that to happen to her. She was new. She didn’t need to stand out from her co-worker in any way.
However, it only took knowing you two weeks to realize you really were just poking fun and neither you or Peter would ever actually be mean to someone for having money or not. She could have been honest a while ago but now she’s in a weird position where it’s a little late to go back without everyone questioning everything.
Wanda goes by her birth parents’ last name at work. Everyone at school and elsewhere know her as Wanda Lensherr. Her name is not a complete lie though. She and Pietro were adopted at a very young age after their birth parents Iryna and Oleg Maximoff passed. The Lensherrs wanted their children to know where they came from and carry it with them so on paper their names are Wanda Maximoff Lensherr and Pietro Maximoff Lensherr.
See? Not totally a lie. Just a bit of omission.
Unfortunately for her, you catch on and narrow your eyes in suspicion. “You have not once picked truth, Miss Maximoff. Is there something you’re hiding?”
“Nothing. Dares are just more fun,” Wanda offers.
“Truth can be just as fun. You just have to have some interesting questions to ask,” you reason.
Wanda concedes, “Fine. Truth. What do you want to know?”
She holds her breath, waiting for you to ask something that will surely give her away, but is surprised when you ask, “Who was the best kisser out of all the people you’ve kissed? And why?”
“That’s two questions,” Wanda points out but you dismiss it.
“Answer the question. No stalling,” you demand. Did you really want to hear the story of her best kiss? No, not at all, but you were curious to see if you could compete.
“His name is Jarvis,” Wanda begins. In terms of the better name, you definitely win that one. You bite your tongue from making a joke though since Wanda looks like she’s going to answer both questions. She continues, “And he was the best because there is no one else to compare him to, I guess.”
She finishes her answer with a shrug. Out of all the reasons for this guy being her best kiss, you did not expect that one. She notices the shocked look. “What?”
“You’ve only ever kissed one person?” you ask, tone heavy in disbelief.
“Yeah,” she confirms, shrinking, suddenly feeling unsure of herself. You notice, of course and go to comfort her. “No, I don’t say it like it’s a bad thing. I’m just surprised is all.”
“Why? Does it seem like I’ve kissed a lot of people?” She quirks an eyebrow.
“Yes,” you answer honestly. Wanda frowns at that so you feel the need to clarify, “I mean, you’re very pretty. I’m sure you’ve had plenty of people line up to kiss you. I just assumed more offers, higher number. Sorry.”
She takes your explanation but points the question back at you. “What about you, then? Who was your best kiss?”
Someone pops in your head right away, making you hold back a laugh at the memory but Wanda catches the gleam right away. “Who was it?”
You shake your head. “No. That question was for you. I’m sure you’ll hear the story later anyway from a nosy co-worker.”
“It’s someone we work with?” Wanda is suddenly very intrigued. You mime zipping your lips shut, showing you weren’t going to speak any further about it. She pouts. “You’re no fun.”
“I try,” you shrug, obviously joking. She rolls her eyes and then continues the game asking you to pick truth or dare. You pick truth.
“Who was your best kiss and why?” She asks the same question which you veto.
“No repeats.”
“Ugh, fine. What was the best…,” Wanda pauses to think of something but can’t think of any fun questions, “compliment you’ve gotten?”
“That I’m a really good kisser,” you say, no hesitation. Wanda chuckles, thinking you’re joking for the way you answered so fast. “No seriously.”
“Okay,” she says sarcastically.
“I’m serious,” you whine. You get annoyed when she keeps giggling, falling back on the bed, clearly not taking you seriously. You stand up, determined. “I’ll prove it!”
Her laughter falls quiet. She sits back up. You look down at her smirking. “Is this you offering to kiss me? Are you lining up?”
“If that’s what it takes for you to believe me, yes,” you admit. The alcohol is surely taking over now. You are being far more brazen than when sober and Wanda more impulsive. She gives you permission to do your bidding without second thought.
“Okay. Prove it.” You know she’s serious when she shuffles closer to you, sitting at the edge of the bed, craning her head up. She looks at you expectantly, so you move one hand to her neck and the other tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear.
“Condolences to this so-called Jarvis, but I’m about to take his place,” you proclaim, making Wanda roll her eyes again before she closes them when you lean down to kiss her.
Fucking hell, you are a good kisser, Wanda thinks. You run your tongue over her bottom lip and when she gasps at the sensation, you take it a step further, slipping your tongue in her mouth. If this was the only chance you get to kiss her, you’ll make it the best damn kiss she’s ever gotten and is ever going to get.
When you finally pull away, Wanda is still closing her eyes, trying to catch her breath. You know you did it right. “Now you have something to compare to.”
She opens her eyes to you looking down at her, clearly pleased with yourself. She can’t blame you either. You proved her right. All she manages to say is “fuck.”
You laugh and mentally pat yourself on the back for leaving her practically speechless. You move to find the control for your tv. “I’m tired. Want to watch a movie?”
You move on so fast from the kiss, Wanda feels dizzy. She clears her throat, finding her voice. “Yeah, just no horror.”
You and Wanda get comfortable on the bed and decide to watch a Fast and Furious movie because why not. Before the movie begins Wanda thanks you for celebrating her birthday with her. It was one for her books.
Your giggles continue through the night, both enjoying each other’s commentary during the movie. Halfway through the second movie, Wanda’s attention goes to her phone when she gets a text. She gets silent as she reads the text and who it’s from.
It’s a picture of the Trevi Fountain in Rome followed by
'wish you were here. Miss you.'
She quickly texts back,
'Have fun for me, Jarvis'
“Are you okay?” You ask her, noticing the shift in her demeanor.
Wanda puts her phone away. She smiles convincingly at you, “Never better.”