It all makes sense to me

One year later

"Come on Lidiya, we have to get ready for Tony's party!" Wanda pulls me to our bedroom, a smile on her face. 8 months ago we had decided it would be best for me to move into the witch's bedroom, since it was the biggest of the 2. "Slow down darling! It only starts in 1 hour." She gives me the nose scrunch that I love so much. "Knowing you that's not even enough time to get ready." I laugh and swat her arm. "Behave!" We enter her room and she pulls me into a kiss. "Make me." I can't help but moan when I hear her words, and place my forehead against hers. "Don't talk like that when we don't have the time Wands." She gives me a kiss on my nose and pushes me away from her. "Then don't be so gorgeous." I giggle, my social anxiety and shyness are a lot better than they were a year ago but it's not completely gone yet. I don't think it ever will, but that's okay. I learned to live with it as best as I can and my family helps me a lot. "What are you going to wear?" I ask her while going into our walk-in wardrobe. "You'll see!" She replies from further away, I guess the bathroom. I roll my eyes hearing her statement, she can be such a tease sometimes. "Hey, I heard that!" She yells and I can't help but laugh. During these last 12 months I only started loving her more and more. I take the black trousers I'm going to wear and put them on. I managed to gain quite some weight with the help of everybody around me, but I will always be skinny. At least now muscles adorn me, thanks to Natasha her every-day training. I look through the hangers until I find a blouse that I want to wear. It's deep red, thanks to Wanda and Natasha their influence I have also taken a liking to the color. I ruffle my hair, it has grown quite a lot in the last year, and put some black open heels on. When I feel good with how I look I head to the bathroom, to put on some make up. It's an important day for the both of us, celebrating the one year death of Strucker. Okay, putting it like that sounds weird. But one year ago his influence in the world finally stopped and Wanda and I got the closure we much needed. Tony decided this was the perfect occasion to throw once again a party, and neither of us complaint. Opening the door to the bathroom I can see the love of my life standing there, having just finished her make-up and hair. My mouth falls open when my eyes land on her. She is wearing a scarlet red dress with an open back and a split on the right side of her legs. It's a new one, I have never seen it before. She has carefully put curls into her hair, which she has dyed ginger a couple of months ago, and a soft lipstick adorns her face. Dark eye shadow deepens her beautiful green eyes. "Wanda…" I whisper, and for the first time since I met her she looks shy. I cover the meters between us and pull her into a kiss. "You're the most beautiful being on the planet."

Feel good music is playing when we enter the room. It's a new space that Tony has created just a few weeks ago. The entire side is made out of glass and since it's on the second floor this gives us a beautiful view of the compound. Because it's 9.30pm, it's already turning dark and the hundreds of light outside are turning on. A huge bar takes place on the side opposite to the window and it's filled with every kind of alcohol you can imagine. To get to the couches you have to go down a few steps, and a huge table stands in the middle. It can be used to place quite a lot of party snacks on top of it. Thor welcomes us with his typical deep voice. "Ah, Wanda and Lidiya, how nice of you to join us tonight!" He is wearing an Asgardian suit which is very uncharacteristic of him, I hardly ever see him without his battle outfit. I roll my eyes while walking to the bar. "The party only started half an hour ago moron." His thundering laugh runs through the room which causes some people to look in our direction. I can see that for now Nat is the one in control of the bar, handing people their drinks. A very enthusiastic Peter Parker is talking to Sam and Bucky while Loki is doing his best to flirt with aunt May. Tony and Steve are in a heated but friendly discussion and in one of the corners I can see FitzSimmons, Bruce and Shuri talking. My guess it's about science stuff, as always. Pepper is laughing about something with Carol, and Clint and Scott are arm wrestling, with an annoyed Hope acting as judge. When I arrive at the bar Natasha gives me a wink. "What do you want to drink sailor?" Wanda chuckles as she joins us. "Hey, she's taken." Nat acts all surprised, including gasping out loud. "What, no? Really? Since when?!" I give her a playful punch against her arm and she sticks out her tongue. "I'll take what you have to offer." Natasha her eyes widen for a second hearing my comment, and then she turns around and get's working. "Behave devochka (girl)!" I chuckle and plant a kiss on Wanda's cheek. "Where's the fun in that?" I give her a wink and accept the drink Natasha was now offering me. "One long island ice tea for a ognennaya ved'ma (fire witch)." Wanda raises her eyebrow. "I thought I was the witch of this family?" Playfully I poke her in the side. "Why, can't share can you?" "Definitely not."

About 2 hours and quite some drinks later, Natasha and I are both standing on the table on the middle of the room. Music is blasting through the speakers and I'm singing as loud as I can. "That my best friend, she a real bad bitch!" I'm pointing at Nat next to me. "Got her own money, she don't need no nig'! On the dance floor, she had two, three drinks. Now she twerking, she throw it out and come back in!" Natasha does just that and laughter escapes my lips. Everybody is cheering and motivating us to continue. Nat's the one singing next, holding me in a tight grip and rubbing my head. "That's my best friend, she a real bad bitch! Drive her own car, she don't need no lift! In the strip club, know my girl gonna tip. Now she twerking, she throw it out and come back in!" As I try to twerk I stumble off of the table and Wanda's red magic catches me. "Careful there beautiful." A wink accompanies her words. I just laugh along with the rest of the group. For a moment Wanda looks into my eyes and it's like she's hesitating to do something, but when I try to read her mind she blocks me out. Confused my eyebrow goes up. "Have something to hide?" A soft smile tugs on her lips. "I do in fact, but I'm willing to show you. Come with me?" Her head softly tilts to the side as she waits for my answer. "Of course darling, I'll follow you anywhere anytime." Wanda grabs my hand and leads me to the door. "This one has had more than enough to drink I think, time for her to go to bed." Even though I'm still quite drunk I'm capable of making the conclusion that she doesn't want the rest of the group to know she's taking me somewhere, so I play along. "Come on Wandsssss, one more drink!" Thor and Tony out their agreements and Natasha, who has gotten off the table, just looks at me with that penetrating gaze. Of course she can see right through it, but she decides to help. "Come on guys, let them go! We don't need boring people at this party, isn't that right?" Sam and Bucky yell something in the way of "hell yeah" and thanks to her the attention is drawn away from us. As soon as we leave the room Wanda her hands are on my temples. "Need you sober for this darling." Her magic chases away the effects of the alcohol and I shake my head. "Come." She grabs my hand and starts walking, so I can only follow her. "Where are we going?" A smile appears. "To the lake."

After walking in a comfortable silence we arrive at the place where Wanda taught me my first lesson in magic. The moonlight reflects on the water and the waterfall creates a comforting atmosphere. "Why did you take us here?" I ask her, smiling at the woman of my dreams. She sits down on a rock next to the water and I follow her example. "You know, a while ago I read a book about soul mates. It said that in each of us, there is a seed that waits for the nourishing presence of the one for whom we are destined. I really loved that." I nod. "It's really beautiful yes." I notice Wanda fidgeting with her rings, which is a clear message to me that she is nervous about something. I cover her hands with my own and give her a warm smile. "What are you so nervous about sweetie?" A sigh escapes her lips, and a smile plants itself on them instead. "I never believed in that soul mate stuff, it was always my opinion that you could have a relationship with anybody and make it work as long as you put in the effort. I know now that it's a bit of both. Having a good healthy relationship requires both of us to keep working for it, but I also know that you are the presence I needed for the seed inside of me to grow. When I lost Pietro, I felt all alone in the world. I had come to terms with the fact that life wouldn't get any better than it was at that moment. Having a family that I cared deeply for, saving people, but always having this empty hole in my chest. And then I found you, and even though you're no replacement for my brother, it's like you stitched me back together again. It's like that one song says: She don't know that when I hold her, she's really holding me. That was really the case with you Lidiya. The last year has been one of the best in my life, and even though we have our disagreements I loved spending every minute with you. And I want to spend so much more time together in the future. Lidiya…" She turns my hands so that they're laying in hers. "Will you marry me?" Tears stream over my face when I hear her question and I throw my arms around her neck. "Wanda, yes. Yes yes yes a thousand times yes." I pull her into a deep kiss, and when I run out of breath I rest my forehead against hers. It's a pose that radiates love. With her index finger she taps against my ring digit and a beautiful ring appears. "YA lyublyu vas Lidiya… (I love you Lidiya)" With her thumb she wipes away my tears and the brightest smile ever plants itself on my face. "And I love you Wanda."