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[margenes]

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[redchaos]

[Wanda laughs.]

I am! I just told you so you know. You're going to have steak, calm down.

[She feels like she's laughed more with him now than she has in a long, long time.]

You won't be pushing yourself too hard too soon. You need to be mindful of what your body tells you. Okay?

[margenes]

I know, I know. Patience and all that.

[he jostles his head about as he concedes that she's right.]

You'll eat with me too, right?

[redchaos]

Did you think I was just going to watch you eat?

[Shut up she was totally going to do that.]

[margenes]

I didn't want to point it out because I am also skin and bones, but you are also a little too skinny.

[he pinches her arm]

I am going to look after you too. So, eat with me.

[redchaos]

[Depression is a hell of a terrible diet. Wanda stuffs some bread into her mouth, slowly swats at his hand, and leans into his side.]

Only if you promise to eat and then get some more rest.

[margenes]

[the moment he fINDS OUT ABOUT THIS... he's going to go full big brother mode on her.]

And my haircut?

[give him attention]

[redchaos]

[She wipes her hand before reading up to push her fingers through his unruly hair.]

Food. Haircut. Sleep. Better?

[She'll smother him.]

[margenes]

[smothering is fine.]

It sounds like a plan.

Will you watch me sleep? [he's trying to gauge his sister's state of mind through these questions about her schedule.] Or what do you say to a sleepover?

[redchaos]

[What schedule? Wanda smiles as she lets her fingers trail down his cheek.]

We can sleep in the same bed, like when we were little.

[In their small apartment, or in the orphanage, when there was a bed available to share.]

Except the beds here are much bigger and nicer.

[margenes]

I would like that, yes.

[just like the good old times. he really can't help but smile; after so, so long, getting to be with his sister is like a dream come true. there's a sense of completeness.

he holds her hand tightly.]

Thank you, Wanda.

[redchaos]

Are you thanking me for sharing a bed with you? I knew I was going to be doing that the moment I realized it was you.

[He's lucky he was left to bathe in peace. She doesn't like taking her eyes off him, so sleeping will be a challenge, but she'll cross that bridge whenever she actually feels tired enough to close her eyes.]

You're my brother. I love you more than anything.

[margenes]

Why would I thank you for sharing a bed? [now he gets to be the annoying brother; joking about cooties and oh no girls with as much jest as one would deem appropriate considering the circumstances.] Don't be weird. You are going to take my pillow and all the blankets, I already know.

[he kisses her forehead.]

You do not have to twist my arm about it.

[okay, okay, he's dropping it now.]

Glad to be back. Though I cannot believe I missed so much. It feels a little crazy to think about.

[redchaos]

I won't. You're technically the younger one, now. I can't steal from you.

[With all the time that's passed. It's a lot--a lot to comprehend, and she knows it'll catch up to them both eventually. He was gone. The world carried on. It's not easy to stomach.]

We'll take it one day at a time, Pietro. The first thing is that you get well.

[margenes]

Younger?

[please, wanda. this is all he has going—he's going to keep trying to hold on to the oldest twin title. it's all older twins talk about.]

Do not pity me.

[he'll catch up soon enough.]

Do you need my help setting the table?

[magic is so convenient]

[redchaos]

You'll always be my big brother in spirit.

[As for his question, she gets up to stand behind his chair and drop a kiss to the top of his head.]

I'll take care of it this time. You can do all the rest, starting tomorrow.

[She'll go at it the old fashioned way, going to a cabinet to get plates and cutlery.]

[margenes]

[in spirit, hey—]

You really are going to work me to the bone, huh?

[he leans back on the chair, relaxing a little and rolling back his shoulders in trying to remove the tension from his shoulders.]

I am open to the challenge.

What do you do to spend your time? Does it get boring?

[redchaos]

That's right. There's a lot to do, out here.

[Look, just because she can fix everything with a wave of her hand doesn't mean she has. Wanda checks on the cooking before setting the table. And it seems like every time she's near Pietro she has to do something. This time, she gives his shoulders a squeeze.]

I've been doing a lot of reading.

[Of a very special book. Wanda has that one locked away in the attic. As all spooky things should be.]

I have wifi. You want the password?

[Said like she's teasing, but--]

[margenes]

[he's following her around with his eyes, lifting his head when she approaches and smiling when she reaches out to touch him. it's that kind of unspoken connection that really spells out that they're twins.]

Boring.

[he makes a face. reading is boring, and he can't be convinced otherwise.]

I do not even have a phone or a computer. How would I use the wifi?

[redchaos]

We can watch television. Movies. Explore the woods.

[Spook anyone that happens to be out too far from the main roads or trails--]

You're going to tire me out, trying to entertain you, aren't you?

[margenes]

And we scare anyone we find in the woods?

[listen, they may want good things, but pietro is also very familiar with the kind of delight that comes from small things.

also he's kind of immature comparatively.]

Let us cross that bridge when we get there, yes? I am easy to entertain.

[redchaos]

You're putting words in my mouth. [He used to be able to practically read her mind--she wonders if it'll be the same, now. A lot's changed. She's changed. But she returns behind him again to gently grab his hair.]

But you do look very scary, with this mess. You'll make babies cry.

[Babies in the woods. Yes.]

[margenes]

[they have a similar track mind! at least the core of their selves remains the same.]

Babies.

[he tilts his head back.]

I am thinking of other kind of scary, but you want me to be the monster in the woods. It could work.

[redchaos]

I just want you to stay out of trouble. Have fun. Be happy. Not get too bored, out here.

[If some of that includes scaring trespasses now and then, well..]

[margenes]

And what, you will be the spooky [he does those annoying finger wiggles again] witch of the woods? Like Baba Yaga.

[pietro, no—]

[redchaos]

[The look on Wanda's face is best described as 😐, and it's all the warning he gets before she sticks her finger into his ear. A childish tactic, but it would work in the past to annoy him, so out it comes.]

What was that? I didn't hear you.

[She's prettier than an old crone, thank you!!!]