explosion | OPEN POST.

At some point, I will be too old, so you need to learn to take care of yourself!

[He says that with a bit of a snap to it, fidgeting because the heat of her body is getting uncomfortable. Yet Pietro means none of it, and he sighs in exasperation afterward.]

But until then... you know I'm going to take care of you, and I should have thought about your poor knees on that hard floor. Happy? Now. How do I make it up to you, on your birthday?

[He slides one hand further down her back to cup her ass firmly. Clearly, his ideas of 'making it up' to her are primarily self-serving.]

[ Wanda laughs as she jolts against him. Curling her hands tightly around his shoulders, she leans back and glares down at him. All she wants today is his attention, and now that she has it, she intends to milk it and be utterly exasperating. ]

You don't sound very sincere, Pietro. [ She presses her lips together as she peers down at him without any amusement. With a huff, ] My knees hurt and you are feeling me up instead.

Is that not helping?

[He tries to sound genuinely confused, and continues to grope.]

Are you sure?

Yes!

[ She shifts against him and glares at him. Digging her fingers into his shoulders, she tries to hurt him, but it's impossible to hurt someone made of steel. ]

That is not my knee!

You are exasperating tonight!

[Pietro admonishes her and rolls his eyes, but he removes his hand from her ass without even one more squeeze. If Wanda wants attention to her knees, that's what she'll get. He shifts their positions quickly, gently half-shoving and half-lifting her off his lap to a sitting position on the couch, then takes up the rest of it, like she claimed he'd done before, lying on his stomach and propping himself up on one elbow. With his free hand, he reaches out to run his fingers down her thigh, and stops at her knee, where he rubs softly.]

Now you have nothing more to complain about.

[ That's where he's wrong. She now wants to complain about the lack of a hand on her ass.

Wanda sprawls against the corner of the couch with one foot curved precariously on the edge while she digs the other into the cushions. There's nothing at all ladylike about how she's positioned on the couch, but she doubts he particularly cares. She doesn't. If she was to move about, she's sure he'd grow even more exasperated and stop touching her. She peers down at him and eyes him suspiciously. There's nothing innocent about what he's doing. ]

It hurts.

[ She tilts her chin up as she declares it, peering down her nose at him. ]

A lot. I may never walk again if you don't take care of it.

I'm taking care of it!

[There's more than a hint of exasperated whining in it, and he moves his hand off her knee to kiss it instead. It's ridiculous, but he mostly just wants her to be quiet for two minutes.]

[ That's better. Wanda smiles, uncaring if he sees it. She stays still, not wanting to accidentally kick him if she was to readjust her feet on the couch. She's silent for barely a minute before she hums lightly. ]

It hurts less now. Except here. [ She leans forward to brush her fingertips against the side of her knee. ] Ouch.

[He shakes his head. This is how today started, Wanda telling him where to kiss her, an annoying game of seeing how long he'll keep it up before ditching her in a huff. Pietro doesn't mind, because it's still better than being ignored like earlier, and he can make sure she gets irritated with him too.]

Here?

[He kisses the indicated spot, slowly, sucking at her skin until he's bruised it and made it worse. Maybe it actually hurts now when he pulls back to poke at his mark.]

Is that better?

No.

[ Yes, it is. Wanda stares down at him as she considers what she wishes to say next. How long will he let her do this before he sighs in exasperation and leaves her on the couch? Perhaps she shouldn't push it… but she wouldn't be her if she didn't. ]

Here too. It's very uncomfortable. [ She taps her fingers behind her knee. ]

[It's an awkward angle, and he half lifts up her leg to reach that spot with his mouth. The same amount of attention goes into that kiss too, and he roughly prods her heated skin with his tongue. Only after that, Pietro doesn't pull away, and just continues to kiss her knee without being told where to exactly. He's taking initiative there, because he'll be at this forever if he doesn't. Wanda can just deal with that, or he can drop her on the floor for being a brat and take all the couch space for himself. He lets his fingers trail up the back of her thigh.]

[ She laughs and sucks in that laugh as she peers down at him. It's so awkward on the couch. Why do they always pick such awkward spots to do this? She stares at him as she considers her next words—she wants to stay here in this little pocket of contentment, but she dislikes how her back slopes against the arm of the couch and how he takes up so much space while still looking so small. ]

I am tired. [ Her voice isn't as demanding as she'd like, especially with how her gaze softens and she stares at him. ] Will you take me to bed?

It's about time.

[Pietro has no protest for that. They're always on the couch lately, and it's annoying. She never turns off the television, there's not enough room, and the cushions are worn and scratchy. He doesn't tell Wanda to get up, because he knows take me to bed means he's expected to carry her there, whether or not she has the excuse of her poor knees. And he does so, quickly scooping her up in his arms despite the awkward angle to get a good hold, and dropping her off in the middle of the bed a moment later.]

There. Do your knees still hurt, or are we moving on?

[He stands at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed like he's issuing an ultimatum, but he's still going to do whatever she says.]

[ No matter how many times he speed-runs her anywhere, she always feels a little winded. She needs a moment to catch her breath as she sprawls on the bed.

Well, her knees still hurt, but Wanda knows that's only going to frustrate him the more she whips it. Resting on her elbows, she peers up at him before her gaze drifts to the suncatcher still in its place by the window. She wishes for the sun to glow against it every single time she looks at it.

Wanda frowns. ]

All of me hurts now after you threw me!

[ See? She can change things up in her old age. ]

I didn't throw you!

[He waves one hand dismissively, discounting her accusations.]

It was a gentle toss.

[Climbing up on the bed, he lies on his side, propped up on one elbow, and looks down at her.]

You were squirming anyway, and you can't hold that against me.

You were holding me all wrong.

[ See? It's still his fault! She looks pointedly up at him before she rolls onto her side to face him. Resting her elbow against the bed, she leans her cheek against her open palm and makes a show of rolling her eyes at him.

She nudges his calf gently with her foot. ]

Did you enjoy your birthday, Pietro?

[Pietro scoffs, but has nothing else to say on the matter. He'll never win those arguments, so he pretends he can't be bothered with them. He mimics her nudging, only going for a poke on her arm.]

I always do. I get my wish every year.

And what is that? To be very, very annoying?

[ She jabs at his arm hard with two fingers. It's a losing game she's playing; he's stronger and faster and rises to each poke, but Wanda can't help herself. She wants to get a rise out of him now after snapping at his bait over and over today. ]

[He makes an exasperated noise, but can't resist poking back again.]

How quickly you forget in your old age. What did I tell you I wished for?

I am checking you have not forgotten in your old age!

[ She shoves him gently and ensures to poke at his shoulder roughly so he can't see the heat flooding her face. ]

Or changed your mind. [ Wanda doesn't look at him yet, although she does poke him once more in the arm, lightly this time. ] You can still change your wish but you can't once your birthday is over.

[Pietro looks like he's considering that for a moment, what he could change his wish to, idly stroking Wanda's arm.]

Hm... No. No, I made the wish that I wanted. I'm keeping it.

[ Good. Because her wish is him and his wish is her and the world would feel all out of sorts if that changed. Even when she longs for that picture-perfect life in her television serials, she doesn't want it if Pietro isn't at the centre of it all.

Telling him as much is asking for him to roll his eyes in exasperation, so she keeps that secret tucked closely to her chest. He probably already knows. Not because of it being a "twin thing", but because Pietro understands her better than most people. Not even her friends understand why she loves to escape so much.

Wanda extends her arms above her head and fakes a big, loud yawn, using it as an excuse to kick him. ]

It has been tiring looking after you and your senility, Pietro. Maybe a part of your wish will be to make it up to me.

[He grumbles at the kick, but otherwise ignores her attempt to annoy him. Instead, he moves in closer to her, laying a hand on her stomach, fidgeting a bit to get comfortable.]

I'll make it up to you tomorrow.

You'll be too old and tired tomorrow to hold me.

[ Because that's all she wants at the end of this day.

Snaking her foot between his legs, she hooks it around his calf. Just in case he thinks to slither away, he won't be able to. She draws her fingers down the slope of his nose and bops the tip. ]

I'm too old now.

[It's only a light protest and he does exactly that anyway, making sure to trap her arms so she can't keep poking him.]

Stop. You said you were tired. Go to sleep.

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