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[margenes]

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[margenes]

[he gives her a look; he's going to start going all superstitious now, them living in the woods in the middle of nowhere and all that. damn.

he takes the water and drinks it slowly, trying to calm down.]

Do not look at me like that.

[redchaos]

Like what?

[Like she's thinking about the day she felt him leave her? Like she won't be able to handle it if anything happens to him now, no matter how small?

Wanda's about three seconds too late, trying to change her expression into something neutral.]

[margenes]

You know exactly how. Do not play dumb with me when you are a really smart cookie.

[he sets the cup down and waves his hand in the air.]

I do not think it is a conversation you want to have right now.

[redchaos]

Maybe later.

[She sort of never wants to talk about it, but knows they will, eventually. She doesn't know how to not share everything with her brother.

The food saves them this time, at least. A flick of the wrist has their plates dished out. Pietro gets more steak, more potatoes, while Wanda settles for less. Her appetite isn't really there, mixed with the shock, but he needs to eat to regain his strength.]

Anything else?

[margenes]

[he won't push, again. they've got days ahead of them. he doesn't want to ruin reuniting with his sister by focusing on upsetting things. truth be told, the idea of watching tv together and falling asleep to it sounds like a blessing. pietro will have some popcorn, too.]

—looks amazing, Wanda. Priyatnogo.

[pietro won't try to ask for more of this moment, either.

he picks at the fork and knife and starts driving them into the potatoes, biting into the food.]

[redchaos]

Remember, not too fast. It's not going anywhere.

[And he has to be patient with himself and his recovering body.

Wanda knows she can't stare at him while he eats, marveling at the fact that he's alive and well and able to share a meal with her, so she tries to busy herself with her own plate.]

And don't stuff yourself, either.

[margenes]

[just as she says that, he slows down. it was very tempting to expedite the eating process.]

I know. I will take my time to savor magically cooked food.

[but mostly because it's the first proper meal he's had in a while.

he points his fork at her, and while chewing on the steak,]

You eat too.

[redchaos]

[Wanda pointedly shoves some potato into her mouth. Now, he can't complain.

Between working on her own plate and watching him, Wanda isn't much for conversation. Maybe she's been hanging out in this little (though less little now) cabin a touch too long, with only herself for conversation.

No wonder she was so suspicious when someone appeared. Especially when that someone looked to be her dead brother.]

[margenes]

[silence he can take, especially while he's gradually increasing the speed by which he eats his food, slowing down only when he locks eyes with wanda.

he makes a couple of funny faces to see if he can make her smile.]

Feels like funeral.

[*not a complaint]

Tomorrow's dinner, let us prepare something together. Something truly from home.

[redchaos]

[Those silly faces remind her of sitting across from him at the dinner table while their parents had a conversation about something important, but beyond the comprehension of two little ones. And Wanda would get in trouble for bursting out into giggles with a mouth full of food.

So, of course he can make her smile.

Even if the funeral comment is a little, how they say, Too Soon.]

Together? You don't want to make me dinner all on your own?

[margenes]

If you want to risk a dinner prepared by just me, it is your own choice.

[he'll do it!! and she should worry about what weird combinations of food it'll be.]

I just thought we could have a little party. A reunion one. Or for our birthday if you need a reason. [it's hardly january] How many birthdays did I miss?

[redchaos]

[She could leave a combination of ingredients that only an idiot could mess up, but. Maybe she wants to see the chaos he can come up with.]

Depends who you ask. I missed five myself.

[Wanda cuts up some steak, pushes it around her plate and into her potatoes, then takes a bite.]

[margenes]

[he splays out his fingers on one hand, the shock on his face in disbelief of five whole years. it's almost like it didn't register.

and then he's all smiles and cocky attitude.]

We need the biggest birthday cake.

[redchaos]

[Birthdays are pretty miserable when your twin is gone. Strange to think of it being something nice again.]

Yeah? Are you planning on making it for us, Pietro?

[She'll make one for them if he really wants it. She'll do anything, really.]

[margenes]

Well, yes. It might reach the roof.

[he doesn't know how much effort that would take. he'll probably give up halfway through.]

It cannot be too hard.

[redchaos]

Maybe we'll just go somewhere nice.

[And not burn down the forest.]

[margenes]

Have you been to the nearest village?

[because he doesn't think they could go to, idk, a bowling alley in germany?]

[redchaos]

Yes. [In disguise. Maybe as an old crone. Shh.] We can go elsewhere. Anywhere.

[Just for a nice dinner or something should be fine.]

[margenes]

[it's not the most fun village.

yet he considers her words. anywhere.]

Maybe. So long as you feel comfortable.

[is that the last of his steak? he chews on it before shoving potatoes into his mouth.]

[redchaos]

[Wanda offers him some of her steak.]

Once you're stronger. First thing we'll do is go somewhere.

[margenes]

Okay.

[he likes the thought of that a lot. pietro smiles and happily takes the offered steak, noticing that wanda isn't eating much but also assuming that perhaps she ate before he arrived.

ignorance is bliss; the unfolding truth of what's happened to her will only make him upset on her behalf.

finishing up and making sure she eats the last of her potatoes, pietro is a blur of motion as he cleans up the table and sets all the dirty kitchenware on the sink. he stops moving and ends up standing behind wanda's seat, arms around her and his head just over his shoulder.]

Time for haircut? New me, and all that.

[redchaos]

[Magic will take care of the washing. Wanda's too preoccupied with Pietro to care about a little mess lingering about. She tilts her head back to smile up at him, resting her arms atop his.]

Yeah. We'll do it in the bathroom.

[He's been washed, fed, and will soon be groomed. And then she's looking forward to making sure he sleeps. She doesn't like seeing him look so tired.]

I'll have you looking less like a poodle.

[margenes]

Pretty girls in towns could not resist my looks. [wait—] Are you calling me a dog?

[she is, but not in the way he thinks. in any case, it's so good to see her smile. pietro, tired as he may be, does his best to move around and pick wanda up in his arms—like how he used to, before.

what, it's not like she's very heavy! and despite the fact that he's not 100%, he's not running a marathon to get to the bathroom.

which is why he's walking them normally towards it.]

I want my hair lighter, like yours. All that orange, but make it cooler.

[is he saying platinum blond is cooler? yes.

he sets her down carefully when they reach the bathroom.]

[redchaos]

[She's thinking maybe the pretty girls were concerned about this not-quite-homeless looking guy, but. She'll let him have it. She doesn't want to lose her free ride, and she's glad because she was hoping her brother would tote her around like this.

Wanda nuzzles his cheek briefly with her nose in a show of affection.]

I'm sorry, do I look like a salon? I thought I was just trimming your hair.

[On her feet, she pulls over a chair that's so conveniently there in the bathroom, guiding Pietro by the shoulders to sit.]

[margenes]

[trust pietro to not read her mind but still totally act like he's reading her mind. it's definitely a good thing he can't! and he trusts that she won't be reading his.

it's just a twin thing.]

If you cannot do it then I will have to find a salon.

[he takes a seat, slumping a little so he's just the right height so she can look over his hair without issue.]

You are the only one I can trust to do it how I want anyway.