This was almost too easy. The work you were doing had become mundane and without challenge some time ago, but stopping anyone who meant to do harm to your city was fulfilling nonetheless. You were given this power for some reason; you had to believe that living as a so-called freak and being ostracized from your friends and family had to have a greater purpose. Maybe this was it, but your heart craved more.

The abilities came easier now, after years of practice and honing the skill, you could control your sonokinesis and invisibility like a master. The invisibility had always come easy, but the sound manipulation was immediately dangerous. In the beginning you were almost like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, but after finding others like you, you worked hard to gain the control you now had. It was nearly thoughtless; a flash in your mind and the sound waves bent to your will, a flick of your wrist and you could conjure a noise that would render any threat unconscious, a blink of your eye could demolish a building of any size. That was all it took today to obliterate the headquarters of the mob stronghold that was terrorizing your city.

There was no challenge anymore.

You watched the building implode and fall to pieces in front of you when the familiar flash of silver passed on the street below and ran towards the rubble. He moved faster than the sound waves you controlled, so trying to stop him was useless. All you could do was wait until he joined you once he was certain that the building was clear of casualties. You had known Pietro for a few years now, and he always, always showed up when you went to work, as if he knew exactly where you would be. You sat on the edge of the rooftop you were perched on and waited until he appeared in front of you.

"Satisfied?"

"Yes, I didn't see anyone in there," he panted. "You did check first, didn't you?"

"Of course I did, Pietro. You need to start giving me just a little bit of credit."

He looked at you with annoyance and waved his hand dismissively. "I would be more likely to do so if you stopped trying to go off on your own to save the world. There are ways to do things, (Y/N), and ways to not."

You stood up and began to walk away, not willing to fight with him on a topic that had been beaten to death already. "We aren't doing this again. I'm not going to join your team of super friends, Pietro. I don't work well with others, or at least I'm told that's what my psychological profile says. I do just fine on my own; you're the one who takes it upon yourself to check up on me."

"Believe me, (Y/N), this is all my sister's idea. She worries about you."

Wanda had been your best friend for years; well before the twins had allied themselves with the Avengers, but when they joined you weren't as easily convinced to go with them. The vigilante life suited you much better. You turned back to look at him, ready to leap from the ledge and rappel to the sidewalk below.

"Well, if you see her first, please tell her once again that I can handle myself."

He ran to your side in an instant, holding your arm so that you wouldn't leave just yet. "I worry about you too, (Y/N). I don't want to see you hurt...or worse. I care very much about you."

"Oh yeah? You do?" You asked with a slight smirk, noticing a hint of embarrassment in his eyes. "Why is that?"

He began to panic and his voice was uncertain, "I mean...my sister would be devastated without you, and we've been friends for a long time." He wanted to tell you how he really felt, but he had just never been able to build up the confidence to do it. "Honestly, we also worry that someday you will be noticed by the Avengers and we will have to stop you."

"You're gonna have to catch me first, speedy." You gave him a wink and a smile as you stepped back from the ledge and dropped out of sight.

~~~

"Sister, I have a very serious problem." Pietro stood in the doorway to Wanda's room, leaning against it with his arms folded and looking at the floor to avoid her eyes. "I need your help, please."

"What have you done now?"

He sighed and walked towards her but still looked at the floor, "I saw (Y/N) today. She was destroying another building in Brooklyn."

"Did you stop her?" She jumped towards him, her voice loud and filled with shock and worry. "Is she okay? Did she hurt anyone?"

Pietro reached out to hold her at arms' length as she approached, trying to calm her worry, "she's fine, and no one was hurt. You know she wouldn't allow that unless it was necessary, Wanda." His eyes glazed over and a faint smile appeared as he continued, "she would never do that. She's too kind, and sweet, and soft, and loving..."

Her eyes widened and a broad smile crossed her lips. A glimmer of excitement lit in her eyes as she looked at him, "you have feelings for (Y/N), don't you, brother? Is this love that I'm seeing?" She giggled slightly and pulled back from his grip. "It is."

"What the hell do I do, Wanda? How do I tell her? Do I even do that?" He began to pace back and forth in front of her as his nerves started to build. His pacing became faster and faster until he was on the verge of running. When his emotions became stronger and harder for him to manage, they would externalize as speed. "I don't even know how she feels, or if she feels anything at all. Oh, I'm a fool. I'm a complete fool."

"Pietro," she whispered, "you should stop worrying so much about how (Y/N) feels." She walked away without another word, leaving him only more confused.

"But does that mean I should ask her out?" he called after her. "Wait, does that mean she has feelings for me too? Does that mean...she feels the same?"

~~~

Standing at the entrance to the Avengers tower was a nerve wracking experience. You had only been inside once before and your nerves were worse than they had ever been; you worried constantly that you would do something that they would see and that they would be on to you. Today was the same, and you cursed Wanda under your breath for making you meet her here.

I'm here. I'm not coming inside.

Her reply came in almost immediately, and you knew that she didn't need your text to know you were there.

I need your help, so you have to come in.

Wanda, come on. You know it makes me nervous. Please don't make me.

I'm sorry, darling.

With a huff you threw your phone in your bag and forced yourself to go. It never ceased to amaze you how much the building dripped with excess and narcissism. Tony Stark really met the expectations you had of him and more, and you hoped that you would never have to meet the man. You made your way to the main elevator as quickly as possible, but you were stopped just as you were about to enter.

"Hi! I'm Tony." He extended his hand and took yours as you hesitantly offered it. "And you are?"

Well, so much for not running into him. "I'm (Y/N). I'm just here to meet up with Wanda." You pointed casually to the elevator and took a step back, hoping to end the conversation before it had a chance to really start, but he wouldn't release your hand.

"Yeah, she told me to expect you. I guess I'm serving as your greeter and escort today." He pulled you towards him and away from the safety and solitude of the elevator. Your body stiffened at the thought of having to spend any time with him, a man you didn't know and didn't know how to talk to. New people were difficult for you to find any comfort with, and you preferred to just find her on your own. "My lucky day."

Oh, please, don't flirt. "We aren't taking the elevator? She told me to meet her at her room."

"Nope," he said, with a popping sound emphasizing the 'p', "she said to take you to the lounge instead, so that's where we're off to. Come on, sweetheart, we're on a schedule." He spun on his heel and pulled you across the lobby towards the other side of the tower. "So, (Y/N), I hear you have some abilities that we might be interested in?"

"Who the fu-" you caught yourself when he turned to look at you with wide eyes. "I mean, I'm not sure what you're talking about." Dammit, he knew, and you sucked at hiding it.

"We would like you to come on board, if you want to continue the work you're doing. Otherwise, you do know that you can't, right? You know that we'll have to intervene."

Whoever told him about this was going to be murdered. Straight out murdered. In the bloodiest fashion that you could imagine. "Well, if I were to be doing anything...extracurricular, I believe it would be up to me to determine that. If that's what I was doing."

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face you straight away. His expression was no longer the lighthearted escort Tony, but rather a serious leader of the Avengers; he switched gears to protector in an instant. "(Y/N), we know. We've known for a long time. Because you're friends with the twins, we've kept our distance. But we can't do that anymore; you're getting stronger and more destructive. Please, let us help you."

"Help me? Or control me?"

"Both."

You laughed him off and pulled your arm away. Without engaging any further you stormed into the lounge and away from the conversation that you never wanted to have. If you hadn't promised Wanda that you would meet her today, it would be all too easy to just disappear from sight and run out the front door.

When you entered the lounge, it was apparent to you what Wanda had planned. The room was very low-lit and soft music was playing. As your eyes adjusted to the change you saw Pietro standing quietly at the other side of the room, looking shy and nervous.

"Spit it out, Maximoff. Is this your way of apologizing for outing me to Stark? It's not gonna work."

He sped over to you and was immediately only a few feet away. "Wait, what? I didn't. What are you talking about?"

"Stark just asked me to join this damn team, and he knows what I can do! He threatened to stop me if I didn't sign up for this freak show, but I'm not gonna be strong armed into doing something I don't want to do, Pietro! You and Wanda are the only two that I've told, so which of you was it?"

He looked as if he was searching his mind to find an answer for you, but found none. His eyes were pleading with you to believe him. "I swear, (Y/N), it wasn't me and I can't believe it was my sister. You're her best friend; she wouldn't."

"She would if she wanted me here with her." You began to back towards the door and started to fade from his view, "so would you. This isn't fair and I can't be a part of this."

"No, please! Don't leave, (Y/N)," he jumped forward and grabbed you before you left his sight. "Please don't. I love you." His mouth dropped open at his admission, shocked that he had actually said the words to you. He released his grip on you, his arms dropping to his sides in defeat and sorrow.

"I love you too, you stupid man. But I can't be threatened into doing something you want me to do."

"Wait...did you just say that you love me?"

"I thought you knew that?" You paused to take a deep breath and regain your full form. "I didn't think you felt the same, so I never said anything. I figured that with what I was doing, you would never feel that way. But right now, that's not the point."

"Why do you think I'm always there to check on you? That I've got nothing better to do?" He laughed, his body visibly relaxing. "(Y/N), I swear I didn't tell him. You don't have to join us, but I would really like you to think about it. Really think about it. I want you here with me. I just want you."

Finally realizing that he felt the same and that this was what you had wanted for so long, you reached up and grabbed his shirt to pull him down so your lips could meet his for the first time, savoring the sensation that you both had been waiting for. As his mind caught up to what you were doing, he pushed his body into yours, holding you against the wall. "Piet..." you moaned, his tongue searching your mouth, and then slowly moving down your neck as he kissed your skin.

"Yes, my love?" he whispered breathlessly.

"I'm in."