"Stop, stop! Piet, stop!" Your laughter filled the gym as Pietro pinned you to the mat and dug his fingers into your sides, tickling you unrelentingly. "We're supposed to be training for the mission tomorrow! We don't have time for this!"

His hands stopped and you tried to catch your breath, pushing his chest with both hands to finally escape from his grasp. He pouted playfully as you pushed him to the side.

"What's wrong with having some fun while we work? You have become far too serious, (Y/N)." Pietro stood, wiping the sweat from his brow with the end of his shirt, exposing his muscular abdomen.

"Oh my god, stop flexing. You know that doesn't impress me." Proving your point, you lifted the bottom of your shirt too, pointing at your equally defined muscles with a smirk. "I've got 'em too, hot shot."

He swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on you. Running his fingers thru his disheveled, silver hair, he cleared his throat and hurried to grab his gear. "Yes, you certainly do, (Y/N)." Before you could reply, he had made his way to the exit, mumbling as he left. "I have to go."

~~~

Pietro charged into his room, pitching his bag into the wall and spilling its contents across the floor. Whenever he felt angry or frustrated, his first instinct was to run, to burn off the emotions that plagued him. He had left you in the gym, so he couldn't go there, and running thru the New York streets was frowned upon by Steve. Sprinting from one side of his room to the other and back again barely fed his need to move, but it was his only option at the moment. Having his fill of the cramped quarters and needing more freedom for speed, he ran thru the halls of the tower until he found his sister, resting in the library.

It was hard for him to disturb her, but he knew that she had already sensed his arrival. As he stood quietly in the doorway, she slowly closed her book and looked up at him.

"Sister, I think I need your help."

"Yes. Do you have anything new that I might not already know?"

"You know," he laughed, "you aren't so smart. You think you know it all, but there are things that I have yet to share."

Wanda scoffed at this, standing to face him. "Your feelings for (Y/N) have become too strong for you to handle on your own. You love her, but she doesn't reciprocate. You have been friends for a long time, and want to be more, but at the same time you are scared to ruin your friendship and push her away. You would be left with nothing at all." She moved closer to him, placing a hand on his cheek. "Did I miss anything?"

"Yes." Pietro pulled her hand away from his face, instead holding it in both of his. "How you are going to help make her love me, my darling sister."

~~~

Pietro moved his hands up your back and into your hair, weaving it around his fingers, pulling your head back so he could hungrily kiss your neck. Pressing his firm body against yours, he held you to the wall, an animalistic growl from his throat as his lips desperately connected with yours. He reached down to grab your hands, pulled them up over your head and frantically removed your shirt. You trembled as his mouth traced its way over your skin, moving down your body—

"What the hell?!" You shot up in bed, startled awake by your dream. Putting your hand to your chest, you felt your heart pounding, and your shirt was wet with sweat.

Stumbling thru the darkness of your room, you managed to find your pajama pants, hastily throwing them on. You didn't know where you were going, but you were awake now; the clock read only 3am, and there was no way to get back to sleep now. Your mind was stuck in the space between dream and reality, hazy and groggy. You made your way to your door, opening it to a dimly lit hallway, silence filling the tower.

Good. Everyone's asleep.

Quietly shuffling your feet along the hall, you made your way to Pietro's door. You had to see him, hoping it would clear your head and snap you back into reality. Gently knocking on the door, you hoped it was enough to wake him, but at the same time you hoped that he hadn't heard you. You weren't even sure what this visit would do for you. Something inside you had brought you here.

This is a bad idea. I'm just going to go back. Yeah, bad idea.

As you turned to return to your own room, the door cracked open. Pietro's silver hair glowed with the moonlight from the windows behind him, giving him an almost angelic glow. His eyes were sleepy, but livened once he saw you, then quickly changed to concern as he realized the time of day.

"(Y/N), what's wrong?"

Your heart began to race again; the same familiar feeling from your dream. You could feel your knees weaken and nerves build in your stomach. He was the most beautiful as you had ever seen him. Rushing forward, you grabbed his face and pulled him to you, urgently kissing him and fulfilling a need to touch him.

As his arms wrapped tightly around your waist, you pushed him back into the room, kicking the door closed behind you.

~~~

"Hey, Maximoff! You're late! We need to move out. Have you seen (Y/N)?" Steve was knocking on the door as he spoke, and the realization of his voice nearby thrust you from sleep.

"Shit!" You shook Pietro's arm, trying to wake him. Trying to keep your voice low, you whispered just enough so that the Captain wouldn't hear you. "Piet, wake up! We need to go!"

Once his mind caught up to what was happening, he jumped from the bed and threw on whatever clothes were nearby. "I'm sorry, Captain! I will be right there! I overslept, but I will be on my way in one minute!" When he was done, he grabbed you and planted a passionate kiss on your lips, then scooped you up and ran to your room. Steve was none the wiser, not seeing him speed by.

"Hurry, my love. Get dressed and meet us in the hangar. I will tell them you are on the way." With one more kiss, he left you to prepare. Throwing on your uniform as quickly as you could, you grabbed your gear and ran for the jet.

Slightly out of breath, you landed in your seat and secured your safety harness. "Sorry guys, I overslept. Won't happen again."

"Seems to be a common problem today." Steve closed the door and took his own seat, giving Clint the signal to take off. "Maybe a new alarm clock is in order?"

"Yes, sir."

~~~

The mission was bumpy, with a few injuries, but overall a success. Upon return to the tower, you could finally find time with Pietro again, after your abrupt separation that morning. The team had gathered in the common room, relaxing after the long day, enjoying a few drinks and a movie before calling it a night.

"Scoot." You tapped Pietro on the knee so that he would make room for you on the couch, but instead he grabbed you and pulled you onto his lap. It startled you for a moment, but you laughed and gently kissed him, forgetting that the entire team was right behind you.

"Ahem." Tony interrupted you, bringing you back into the moment. "When did this start, can I ask? And why did no one tell me?"

You groaned as you squeezed your eyes shut, not wanting to discuss this in front of everyone. Pietro took a deep breath and squeezed your hand. "Last night."

Steve smirked at his realization that this was why you were both late to the jet.

Oh, no. Oh, no you didn't just say that. A few whistles and comments came from the group, turning your face red. You couldn't believe that Pietro was so casual about telling them, especially since it hadn't been even a full day yet.

"Wait, wait, wait." Tony stood, shaking his hands in front of him. "I'm confused."

"That's a new one." Bruce mumbled under his breath.

"(Y/N), you've always been vocal about relationships within the team. Something about affecting teamwork, friendship, blah, blah, blah." His arms were now folded, looking to you for clarification. "What happened to all that? Pheromones get in the way?"

Your thoughts suddenly became cloudy as Tony's words played and replayed in your head. They felt true. It had been only a day, and you had never thought of him this way before. Before that dream, he was one of your closest friends, and you would never consider crossing that line as teammates. It now seemed out of character for you to suddenly make such a shift in your feelings for him, after only one dream. He sure went along with your new approach to him rather quickly, never even questioning it. Come to think of it, he was looking at you strangely after the gym yesterday. Isn't that a strange coincidence?

Pietro was looking at you intensely, trying to keep you focused on him. You stood and stepped back , your expression filled with hurt and confusion.

"What did you do?"

~~~

"This is unforgivable! This is a violation, Pietro! How could you possibly think that this is ok?"

"I'm sorry, (Y/N), I'm so sorry! I only wanted to be with you because I love you. I've loved you for so long." He took a step towards you, his hands out in front of him.

"That doesn't make it okay to play with people's minds! I can't believe Wanda would help you with this! You had her plant that dream in my head!" Your hand shot up and slapped him swiftly across his face. He didn't startle or attempt to stop it. "I can never trust you again, Piet. I just can't."

"Oh, damn." Tony cringed as he saw your hand connect. The team was sitting silently as they watched you fight with Pietro in the lab. "She's really pissed."

"Guys, I don't think we should watch this." Steve said.

"Yeah, you're right." Tony said, but kept his eyes on you. "But that's never stopped us before."

Pietro stood motionless as you stormed from the room and towards the bar. No one spoke as you grabbed a bottle of wine and an opener. Popping the cork and throwing it carelessly to the side, you took a long drink from the bottle and coughed a bit at the burning sensation down your throat. Glancing back at the group, you walked towards the elevator, heading to your room to be alone.

"Show's over, kids."

Part 2

You didn't really want to get drunk, but you were well on your way. You just wanted the anger and the hurt to go away, but sitting on the floor, alone in your dark room with a half gone bottle of wine and a box of Kleenex certainly wasn't helping like you had hoped. Your head was still a mess, and the feelings that Wanda had created in your mind were still there, despite the rage that had built up inside you. Alcohol had always made your emotions more labile, and you could quickly swing from one feeling to the next without warning. You wondered if Wanda would be able to take the feelings she had given you away, but a small part of you didn't want her to. Pietro had been one of your best friends, and yes, you loved him, but not in that way. This way didn't feel genuine; you hadn't come to love him like that on your own, you hadn't fallen in love. You didn't want to lose him, but right now you wanted nothing to do with him either.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on your door. If it were Pietro, you wouldn't be held responsible for your actions once the door was opened. Everyone else could just go the hell away.

"(Y/N), are you okay?"

"Go away, Bruce."

There was a momentary pause before he spoke again, "well, you see, I would...but I've been elected to be the one to check on you, and if I don't report something back, then more of them will come."

With a purposefully loud huff, you slammed the bottle onto the floor as you stood, sloppily walking to the door and supporting yourself on its frame as it opened. "I'm fine. Now go away."

"Yeah, you look fine." Bruce's hand was on the door so you couldn't slam it in his face. "(Y/N), you look like hell. Numbing yourself isn't going to do anything but give you a headache in the morning and you know that. Besides, " he reached up to wipe a tear from your cheek, "I need you in top shape in the lab tomorrow, remember? Last time you were this pissed off, you blew up half the room."

Your emotions were bubbling at the surface, growing harder for you to manage. His attempt at making you feel better wasn't really good at all, but you appreciated his effort. He is the most reserved member of the team, and really more of your boss that anyone, so for him to allow himself to be elected to do this actually meant something to you. With a long, shaky breath, you pulled him in for a long hug as tears ran freely from your swollen eyes.

"You're such a...a...good...friend," you said, as your words were broken between sobs.

"Thanks, (Y/N). So are you."

"I think...I'm getting your shirt...all wet."

You could feel a quiet laugh from his chest as the embrace continued, "I have more shirts."

~~~

You had been able to avoid Pietro for two days when you were assigned to a mission that he would be a part of. Despite your best protests, Steve refused to reassign you, as your skills in thermonuclear chemistry and nuclear transmutation were needed and Banner wasn't as specialized in the field as you were. The platform in the center of the jet separated you, but you could still feel Pietro's gaze on you as you waited silently for team directions from Steve. Closing your eyes, you rested your head back and tried to clear your busy mind so you could focus on the mission at hand.

"(Y/N), can we please talk?"

You kept your eyes closed even as he spoke, hoping to make this moment end faster. "Not now, Pietro."

"Then later?"

As your eyes slowly opened, realizing he wasn't going to leave until you gave him a clear answer, you looked at him emotionlessly as to not give him anything to take the wrong way. "Pietro, go sit down. I am not talking about this right now. If I choose to speak to you later, I promise, you will be the first to know."

"But if you could just-"

You stood now, your bodies nearly touching, but your posture was rigid and aggressive when compared to his. "Maximoff, we are about to go into a mission that could blow up an entire city, one with this team in it, if I don't make every move perfectly. I need to focus. I can't do this right now, and you need to back off. Do you understand me? Can I possibly be any more clear for you?"

"Alright, both of you, sit." Steve was next to you now, his arms crossed and towering above you. "Unless we're going to have a problem here?"

"No, sir."

"Absolutely not."

~~~

"Cap, this isn't working! There's some sort of reaction cascade going on inside this thing. I can stop the core from detonating, but only if I maintain this specific atomic balance." Realizing the depth of what that meant, your voice lowered to a shaky whisper. "I can't walk away."

"That's not an option, (Y/N)!" Steve's voice was strained as he breathed heavily, working to remove the civilians from the area as quickly as possible. "We almost have the city empty! If you can hold it a little while longer, we can get you out of there and get clear!"

"Steve, you don't understand. The second that I pull away, this thing is gonna blow." You took a deep breath, pausing for a moment. "I'm not getting out of this."

A silver flash passed your vision as Pietro stopped next to you. "Captain, I've got this. Let me know when you are ready to take off and I will get her there."

"Pietro, even you aren't fast enough." As he stood next to you, your focus wavered just a bit. "You can't be here. I won't let you. This was my job, Piet."

His feet held firm as he stood silently, watching you work. He wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"So, you wanted to talk to me so badly, but now you won't even listen?"

"Maximoff, be ready in two!" Steve's words increased your anxiety as your heart began to race and beads of sweat moistened your forehead.

"Steve, even if he manages to get me out of here before this explodes, we'll never be able to escape the fallout. I'm ready to risk myself, but this cannot be his choice. I knew what I was getting into." You looked up to meet Pietro's eyes, "you need to tell him to stand down."

Pietro moved to crouch behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist as your hands feverishly continued to work. "Captain, I am ready."

"So no one is listening to me then?!"

"Three...two...one...GO!"

Your hands worked until the second that he pulled you away. The shift in reaction was almost instantaneous, creating a chain of explosions, rocking the building around you as it increased. Your eyes were squeezed shut tightly and you held your breath as he ran to the jet. The power of the explosion threw you both into the rear door, jostling the jet as it tried to lift from the ground. The last thing you could remember was the Captain throwing himself over you, attempting to keep your body shielded from debris as the doors tried to close, but you couldn't see or hear Pietro anywhere.

~~~

You woke in the infirmary a few hours later, your head pounding, frantic to find Pietro. You had ripped off the monitors and tore out your IV before Bruce could reach you.

"Hey, hey, no, stop that!" He grabbed your arms and tried to hold you on the gurney, "where the hell do you think you're going?"

"I...I have to...to find him." You head began to spin with the sudden movement; you tipped forward against Bruce, your weight now being held up for you. "He...he wouldn't...go." Despite your weakness, you kept trying to push against him with no success.

"(Y/N), you have to calm down! He's here, ok? Just calm down."

The doctor rested you back against the gurney, and you looked down to see bandages on your hands and legs. You reached up to feel small stitches on your cheek, and a large swelling on the back of your head.

"Yeah, see? Calm down."

As if on cue, Pietro walked in hesitantly, as if to avoid angering you by his presence there. He waited quietly by the door as Bruce walked over to him, talking low enough that you were unable to hear what was said. Pietro nodded several times during the discussion, though never looking in your direction. When they were finished, he stepped out of the room as silently as he had entered.

You were intent on following him. Forgetting the fatigue that had encompassed your body, you tried to stand and fell immediately to the floor. You could hear an alarm sound, voices rushing towards you, and several hands grabbing you before you succumbed again to darkness.

~~~

The next time you woke, you found Pietro at your bedside.

"I am here only to be sure that you don't do anything stupid. Again."

"You're one to talk," you laughed with a raspy and harsh voice.

"(Y/N), you were ready to let yourself die." His voice was heated but had lowered and was difficult for you to hear. "How could you do that? How could you think that I...that we would allow that to happen?"

Closing your eyes, you realized that you didn't really have a good answer for him. Sure, it was just a part of the job; it was protecting your team and the people that they were trying to protect. But those answers didn't sound valid enough for what he was asking. He meant it in a much more personal way, and you had nothing to offer to appease him.

"I don't know."

Pietro stood and began to pace back and forth next to you. "You didn't think, (Y/N). You didn't think about what would happen after you were gone. You don't think about the consequences of your actions."

"Exactly."

He stopped to look at you, not understanding what you had meant. You held your eye contact with him, patiently waiting until you could see the realization strike him. "I did what I did because I loved you, (Y/N)."

"Exactly."

Pietro continued to stare at you, unmoving and uncertain about what was happening. "I don't understand. What are you saying to me, (Y/N)?"

You lifted yourself up onto your elbows so that you could more easily see him, though your head felt as if it weighed a ton and continued to pound with pain. "Pietro, I do love you, I really do. But not in the way you want me to." His gaze lowered to his feet and his shoulders slumped a bit. "But that doesn't mean I never will. You didn't give me a chance to discover it on my own, and that's what I'm mad about."

"I understand. But you were ready to die without a thought to the rest of us. To me. Sacrificing yourself is much worse than my error, don't you think?" He paused to take a deep breath and steady the anger that was rebuilding. "Okay, we have both done things that were wrong to the other. Can we agree on that?"

"Yes. I think we can both easily agree with that." Your head was beginning to feel like it was spinning again, so you rested back against the bed before he could notice. "I'm sorry, Piet."

He gently took your hand in his, worried that this action might be too forward or that it could be misconstrued for something more than it was. "I am so very sorry too. Are we ok, (Y/N)?"

"We will be, my love."

His eyes brightened at the term of endearment you had used, a smile growing across is face. You laughed at the sight of him.

"One thing at a time, speedy. We can't all move as fast as you."