( wanda had complained to the manager of the motel, and the response she got was 'wait 6-7 days for the repairman' and 'you could always go somewhere else'. as usual, the attitude is never quite the most proactive. she doesn't want to go anywhere else, though, because she stubbornly wants to be close to sunday (but not too close) for her own comfort. alternatively, she could always ask on the forum for help, or...
she could text erik. she pauses pressing the down button on her phone when she reaches his contact. he did say he'd be there for her, and wanda — well, his presence would be a balm under the current circumstances.
super casually, )
hello (˶˃⤙˂˶) i have a question for you. do you know someone who can fix windows?
[ When Erik told her that he'd be here for whatever she might need, the sentiment definitely extended to this. So of course that her message is more than welcome, and he doesn't take much time at all in texting back. ]
Hello, Wanda.
I should be able to help. What happened to your window?
[ It'd be helpful to know if he's dealing with broken glass, of if it's an issue with the locks or the frame. ]
( wanda sends that, and for a few passing seconds doesn't seem to realize—right, she's not in the place he had known she was at before. so, she sends him a new 📍 ADDRESS)
[ Hm. He wasn't quite expecting that. Did she just manage to get enough money to live on her own, or was there something else motivating the move? Something to maybe ask her if the opportunity presents itself. ]
I can be there in a couple of hours. I'll see you then.
[ Nevertheless, prior to his arrival, he shoots her one last message so that she knows he's on his way. He gets there with a backpack where he carries a few tools and supplies, and a plastic bag with something that seems to smell of warm food. It's close to dinner time at this point, so he figured why not?
He greets her with a smile when he door opens. ] Hello, Wanda.
( when erik messages her that he will be there shortly, wanda makes an effort to quickly clean up. despite sunday's help, she still hasn't finished unpacking and has a number of things in boxes scattered about her room.
erik arrives punctually, as expected, and wanda opens up the door to greet him. it's always very nice to see him, but more so now; seeing him here, still here, and not gone, however, overwhelms her with a feeling that she can't quite contextualize. it urges her to step forward, though, and wrap her arms around him into a tight embrace. )
Hello.
( she says softly against the cotton of his shirt. it means a lot to her that he has come to help her, so willing and diligent about it. )
[ There are nebulous points in any relationship where the level of intimacy is still undetermined. Erik feels likey they're closer now for more than just a verbal greeting when they meet, but it feels a little strange to take that step, even if it briefly crosses his mind to give her a little kiss on the cheek or forehead.
A hug doesn't necessarily cross his mind, though, but the way she reaches out is definitely more than just a greeting. He can feel the suddenness of it, the way she holds on tightly to him, and he lets the bag of food drop to the floor to put both his arms around her immediately, one hand gently cupping the back of her head. ]
Wanda. [ Her name is spoken again, softer and more surprised. He tips his head just so but doesn't break from the hold. ] What's wrong?
( she feels foolish, in the way abrupt displays of emotion makes her feel. erik doesn't owe her anything, and he's only here because he's willing and wanting to help her fix her window problem as much as he does being near her. it loosens something within, those tightly closed emotions she had thought she had set aside to keep herself from suffocating in them. he returns the embrace just as earnestly, and worry stirs in a flurry within him.
wanda leans back, tilting her head up, just for him to see that she's okay. despite the shared connection between them (unbeknownst to her given her own telepathic abilities), she exudes more gratitude than sorrow at him being here. )
I'm okay.
( partly, anyway.
and, even quieter still, but not enough for the rain beyond to let her words go unheard, she utters a bit hesitantly, )
[ Erik certainly doesn't see it as foolish. They all have moments of weakness, times where it's not easy even for the most optimistic among them to keep that sort of energy. He doesn't mind that she chooses to let that go with him— if anything it feels like a privilege to know that she trusts him enough to be this vulnerable.
He still wishes he could make it better. Whatever it is.
He looks a little surprised at her last admission, eyebrows arched. ] It is.
[ She'd told him about that before. He forgot, frankly. Some part of him can't help feel bad about it, especially when he remembers how difficult it is for her. Navigating the loss of her brother. He lifts a hand rest it on the side of her head, a gentle stroke of his thumb along her hairline. ] We don't have to talk about that. But we can, if you want.
( wanda wouldn't have expected anyone to remember, not with how much happens here, with how dislodged from their own time and place many of them still feel. wanda herself would have forgotten, were it not such a heavy burden in her heart; to forget would mean to forget pietro, and the wound of his loss is still too close to her to simply sweep away. it's really been a little over a year.
the concern (and love) that streamlines from erik to her conscious is not easy to ignore, as the warmth of his hand gently keeps her head aloft. )
It's alright.
( is her quiet response. behind erik, the weather is cold; behind wanda, inside her motel room, it's also cold due to the window that won't close properly. wanda pushes forward once more to wrap her arms around him, a quick, tight hug, before drawing away fully. she picks up the bag she felt fall and hands it over to him, pulling the door open further, to allow him inside. )
[ She shouldn't forget. Some things hurt, some losses are a wound that never heals, but there's nothing as painful as forgetting. Erik would know, when he'd lost so many of those memories, let them be smothered only by the pain of loss and desire for retribution. Perhaps he's never truly avoided becoming a monster, at least in some ways, but it's having those memories now that makes him less so.
He senses that it might not be just her birthday that's upsetting her, but it's a feeling that he can't quite put a finger on. Either way, the cold draft that comes through the window snaps him from that thought, and he lets her go once she pulls away, taking the bag from her with a smile. ] It's food. Thought I'd bring some.
[ He steps inside, and immediately goes to the window so he can make himself useful. The sooner he can fix her problem, the better. So he knows what he's dealing with, he tries to close the window by hand, just to see where it's getting stuck that it won't close all the way. ] Well, at least it's not broken. That should make things easier.
(food, he says, and her eyes linger on the bag as he steps inside and until she moves to close the door behind him. that's a kind enough gesture, and wanda thinks it was a good idea, after all, to message erik about the window and ask him to come. she takes the bag from him as he sets about to study the window, placing the brought food onto the counter, but she's quick to return to his side. )
My guess is that it's just old.
( and battered down by the elements.
there's that desire to want to be helpful even when she has absolutely no idea what she can do or offer to make his repairing the window any easier. truth it, she knows she doesn't need to do anything, but still. on one of the shelving units against the far wall, erik will find a few tchotchkes she keeps, and one of them is the music box he had gifted her a few months ago. )
—it's really annoying, though. I tried putting a towel to fill in the gap, but it didn't help much.
Most likely. They don't really tend to worry about routine maintenance and upkeep around here.
[ Even when there are issues, repairs are spotty at best. Erik has had to fix things on his own, rather than wait around for motel staff to bother calling someone. It's just an exercise in frustration.
The window is old, she's right. It's not in the worst state possible, at least— and as he examines the parts, he can see some parts of the brackets and rails, where the window normally finds the most friction, are worn down and warped. Unseen parts are covered in bits of rust, something that Erik can sense even without seeing it himself. ]
You're in luck. I don't think I'll need tools to fix this. [ Because most of the issues he can see are in the metal parts, though it won't hurt to replace any insulation strips. Getting the window to shut is the first step, though, so he puts his hands to the frame, the worn down pieces of metal shifting with small creaks and noises. He's more used to wrecking than fixing, so it takes a little more focus to not break her window beyond repair, but he manages.
That done, he pulls on the window and shuts it completely. There's an unpleasant screech but he just shrugs at that, gesturing to the bag he's brought with him. ] Some lubrication should fix that. I brought some oil, could you get it from me?
( —in response to his question, but also said with the unraveling of some troubled thoughts she had been having. it's such a small thing, but she really was pretty concerned about her problematic window. would it be a problem that lingered further? would she have to contend with it to the point where her comfort was at risk? again, a silly notion to be troubled about, but she feels so beaten down by so many things that (stubbornly) refusing to be beaten by this contentious window is her way of coping. thankfully, erik is here to have an answer for her.
she brings him the oil after parsing through the bag he's brought.
wanda stands nearby, watching him work; not that she will learn much, but it's good to have some general idea of how this all works should she have to deal with it again. knowing how a problem can be solved so simply... just having that clear vision? that would help her avoid catastrophizing worst case scenarios. )
Are these things you learned to do on your own, as you got older?
[ He's especially focused on the window that he doesn't really notice anything else she may be struggling with in silence. The window won't be a problem for her anymore, and even if it were, she can always reach out to him again. He doesn't think it'll give her further issues after this, though.
He takes the bottle and applies some of the oil onto specific spots in the window, particularly the mechanisms where most friction will happen. Testing every so often, he keeps going until he's pleased with the result, setting the bottle back down. ]
Well— [ A glance her way as he takes a roll of window seal strip. Simple but effective, that'll help keep her room warm too. ] I was in Auschwitz until I was fifteen, before then my family and I spent most of our time running and hiding. My father taught me a few things, but it wasn't the same as having to fend for myself when I was on my own.
[ She probably didn't need all of that information to know that Erik didn't have what one would call a normal upbringing. Even before people started getting rounded up and brought into the camps, their lives were never easy. Discrimination and persecution were present well before then. ]
( just like that, it seems like all her window problems are going away. it really is that simple, if you happen to know how to fix it. truth be told, she had expected erik to use his powers to an extent, but something about him using tools and normal fixes feels encouraging.
though he may feel she doesn't need all that information, wanda still appreciates that he's open to her about it. even if it wasn't her experience, it's still one that resonates with her; it's her people's history, it's her people's present—parallel struggles, in some ways. a normal upbringing was never in the cards for either of them. )
Even on my own, I don't feel like I'm learning to do anything new.
( just the same things that she already does know, and then asking others for help when she's really out of her depth. )
There was never much point in fixing anything once it was broken. ( at this, she makes her way to the music box that erik had gifted her some months ago, sitting pretty on one of the shelf spaces on the wall. holding it up in both her hands, wanda brings it down, closer to him. ) Did you fix this one, too? I can't imagine anyone parting with something this beautiful if it worked before you got your hands on it.
[ Some problems can be just that simple to solve. And yes, naturally Erik is relying on his abilities in part to fix the window, but some finer details he does by hand. Not strictly necessary, but it will add to her prolonged comfort, and help minimize any future issues that the window might have. It's a plus, knowing how to do things manually. Especially in a place like this, he doesn't trust that he'll always have his powers to rely on. ]
You're always learning, even when you might not realise. And besides— you're not on your own.
[ It can be simple as that. What he means in this specific instance is that if she wants to learn new skills, he can certainly teach her. He's sure others could too.
He smiles faintly when she pulls the music box from the shelf, reaching out to tap it gently and getting the lid to open. Music already playing even without her needing to wind it up. ]
I got it from the box of broken toys in your shop booth. Figured I could try to fix it. [ He likes the small bird moving as the song plays delicately. It reminds him of her, he doesn't know why. He looks to Wanda again, his hand resting on her arm. ] I can feel something bothering you.
[ The word choice is very much intentional. It's not just a guess, or intuition. He can literally sense it. ]
( music streams out of the box, dainty and beautiful, the small bird circling around as it pretends to sing. she has spent a lot of time staring at this bird, hearing the music play, never quite tiring of it.
his hand land on her arm, and wanda looks up.
the words he offers her? it's enough to draw emotion out of her, blatant in her eyes, as tears form despite herself. it's her birthday, yes, but that's just a constant pain that she'll never be able to be rid of, now that her brother is forever gone from her life. the music box comes to a gentle stop, halfway through the song, and wanda's lips twist slightly as she tries to keep herself strong; her hands hold tightly onto the box.
there is so much she could say, but all that she could say comes out into a singular sentence that encapsulates the emotion that's rumbling inside her heart. )
...I'm alone again.
( though he had never met them, wanda had mentioned having roommates to erik. she's on her own now, so it means exactly what he would expect. )
[ It's understandable that this isn't a good day, for her. Erik wouldn't even try to make it happy, but he can at least offer a little comfort. She asked him here, today of all days, and he prefers thinking that that's because she chooses not to suffer through the date in silence, because she finds in him some sort of safety, a comfort of sorts, and he's glad to give her that in whatever way he can.
Some aches just can never be erased. And when you lose so much in your life, it's so easy to be terrified of losing what little else one might still have. He understands that, possibly better than most... better than anyone right now, when he can feel it so clearly. ]
Wanda. [ He doesn't take the box from her, but he cups her cheeks instead, thumbs brushing away the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. ] You're never alone, so long as I'm here. I promise you.
[ It doesn't erase the hurt of loss, though. He knows that. Charles still mourns Raven's disappearance after months. You just learn to live with that pain. ]
( the box is pushed toward her abdomen, gently closing the top and hiding the bird away, when erik cups her cheeks. the touch is warm, gentle, so caring. she allows herself to be selfish once more, upon hearing his words, and closes the distance so that she can rest her head against his shoulder. )
I know.
( that's her response to his promise, even if promises worry her, for they can so easily be broken not because of someone willingly doing so, but because the world around them would want it so. still, it means a lot to her that erik says what he does. that familial feeling remains, even now, and it's such a selfish thing from her part to want to continue being recipient to.
but — that much, she knows, she is allowed. )
It's a lot warmer already.
( she says as a way to lighten the mood: the warmth coming from him is one reason, yes, but also because the window has been, effectively, fixed. )
[ He can't make the definite promise that he will always be here. That would be both cruel and ignorant, when he knows how people can simply go from here, as quickly as they are brought in. He clings to the optimistic view that they go back to their own worlds, when in truth they have no way of knowing for sure— no other option is tolerable to him, when one of those people who've left was Raven herself. It is easier to digest when he thinks she's merely returned to their world.
No doubt that Wanda will prefer to believe that, too, for the sake of her friends. The pain of loss would be so much worse if they were to imagine scarier, more horrible scenarios.
His arms rest loosely around her, a hand moving in soothing circles on her back. Her remark draws a small hum from him, faintly amused. ]
Sadly I can't get you a heater. [ Probably considered a luxury item for most around here. ] My offer for you to move to the motel we're in still stands, for the record. If you ever feel too lonely.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
start of february˖
she could text erik. she pauses pressing the down button on her phone when she reaches his contact. he did say he'd be there for her, and wanda — well, his presence would be a balm under the current circumstances.
super casually, )
hello (˶˃⤙˂˶)
i have a question for you. do you know someone who can fix windows?
no subject
Hello, Wanda.
I should be able to help. What happened to your window?
[ It'd be helpful to know if he's dealing with broken glass, of if it's an issue with the locks or the frame. ]
no subject
it's not closing very well. a lot of cold air is coming in through some gaps, so when i get back from work it's freezing inside.
no subject
[ He doesn't ask for an address because he's assuming it's the same where she's been up until now, and she hasn't said otherwise. ]
no subject
( wanda sends that, and for a few passing seconds doesn't seem to realize—right, she's not in the place he had known she was at before. so, she sends him a new 📍 ADDRESS )
i moved. apartment 210.
no subject
[ Hm. He wasn't quite expecting that. Did she just manage to get enough money to live on her own, or was there something else motivating the move? Something to maybe ask her if the opportunity presents itself. ]
I can be there in a couple of hours. I'll see you then.
[ Nevertheless, prior to his arrival, he shoots her one last message so that she knows he's on his way. He gets there with a backpack where he carries a few tools and supplies, and a plastic bag with something that seems to smell of warm food. It's close to dinner time at this point, so he figured why not?
He greets her with a smile when he door opens. ] Hello, Wanda.
no subject
erik arrives punctually, as expected, and wanda opens up the door to greet him. it's always very nice to see him, but more so now; seeing him here, still here, and not gone, however, overwhelms her with a feeling that she can't quite contextualize. it urges her to step forward, though, and wrap her arms around him into a tight embrace. )
Hello.
( she says softly against the cotton of his shirt. it means a lot to her that he has come to help her, so willing and diligent about it. )
no subject
A hug doesn't necessarily cross his mind, though, but the way she reaches out is definitely more than just a greeting. He can feel the suddenness of it, the way she holds on tightly to him, and he lets the bag of food drop to the floor to put both his arms around her immediately, one hand gently cupping the back of her head. ]
Wanda. [ Her name is spoken again, softer and more surprised. He tips his head just so but doesn't break from the hold. ] What's wrong?
no subject
wanda leans back, tilting her head up, just for him to see that she's okay. despite the shared connection between them (unbeknownst to her given her own telepathic abilities), she exudes more gratitude than sorrow at him being here. )
I'm okay.
( partly, anyway.
and, even quieter still, but not enough for the rain beyond to let her words go unheard, she utters a bit hesitantly, )
...it's my birthday today.
no subject
He still wishes he could make it better. Whatever it is.
He looks a little surprised at her last admission, eyebrows arched. ] It is.
[ She'd told him about that before. He forgot, frankly. Some part of him can't help feel bad about it, especially when he remembers how difficult it is for her. Navigating the loss of her brother. He lifts a hand rest it on the side of her head, a gentle stroke of his thumb along her hairline. ] We don't have to talk about that. But we can, if you want.
no subject
the concern (and love) that streamlines from erik to her conscious is not easy to ignore, as the warmth of his hand gently keeps her head aloft. )
It's alright.
( is her quiet response. behind erik, the weather is cold; behind wanda, inside her motel room, it's also cold due to the window that won't close properly. wanda pushes forward once more to wrap her arms around him, a quick, tight hug, before drawing away fully. she picks up the bag she felt fall and hands it over to him, pulling the door open further, to allow him inside. )
Thank you for coming.
no subject
He senses that it might not be just her birthday that's upsetting her, but it's a feeling that he can't quite put a finger on. Either way, the cold draft that comes through the window snaps him from that thought, and he lets her go once she pulls away, taking the bag from her with a smile. ] It's food. Thought I'd bring some.
[ He steps inside, and immediately goes to the window so he can make himself useful. The sooner he can fix her problem, the better. So he knows what he's dealing with, he tries to close the window by hand, just to see where it's getting stuck that it won't close all the way. ] Well, at least it's not broken. That should make things easier.
no subject
My guess is that it's just old.
( and battered down by the elements.
there's that desire to want to be helpful even when she has absolutely no idea what she can do or offer to make his repairing the window any easier. truth it, she knows she doesn't need to do anything, but still. on one of the shelving units against the far wall, erik will find a few tchotchkes she keeps, and one of them is the music box he had gifted her a few months ago. )
—it's really annoying, though. I tried putting a towel to fill in the gap, but it didn't help much.
no subject
[ Even when there are issues, repairs are spotty at best. Erik has had to fix things on his own, rather than wait around for motel staff to bother calling someone. It's just an exercise in frustration.
The window is old, she's right. It's not in the worst state possible, at least— and as he examines the parts, he can see some parts of the brackets and rails, where the window normally finds the most friction, are worn down and warped. Unseen parts are covered in bits of rust, something that Erik can sense even without seeing it himself. ]
You're in luck. I don't think I'll need tools to fix this. [ Because most of the issues he can see are in the metal parts, though it won't hurt to replace any insulation strips. Getting the window to shut is the first step, though, so he puts his hands to the frame, the worn down pieces of metal shifting with small creaks and noises. He's more used to wrecking than fixing, so it takes a little more focus to not break her window beyond repair, but he manages.
That done, he pulls on the window and shuts it completely. There's an unpleasant screech but he just shrugs at that, gesturing to the bag he's brought with him. ] Some lubrication should fix that. I brought some oil, could you get it from me?
sorry a few days of conference kicked my ass
( —in response to his question, but also said with the unraveling of some troubled thoughts she had been having. it's such a small thing, but she really was pretty concerned about her problematic window. would it be a problem that lingered further? would she have to contend with it to the point where her comfort was at risk? again, a silly notion to be troubled about, but she feels so beaten down by so many things that (stubbornly) refusing to be beaten by this contentious window is her way of coping. thankfully, erik is here to have an answer for her.
she brings him the oil after parsing through the bag he's brought.
wanda stands nearby, watching him work; not that she will learn much, but it's good to have some general idea of how this all works should she have to deal with it again. knowing how a problem can be solved so simply... just having that clear vision? that would help her avoid catastrophizing worst case scenarios. )
Are these things you learned to do on your own, as you got older?
welcome back 💕
He takes the bottle and applies some of the oil onto specific spots in the window, particularly the mechanisms where most friction will happen. Testing every so often, he keeps going until he's pleased with the result, setting the bottle back down. ]
Well— [ A glance her way as he takes a roll of window seal strip. Simple but effective, that'll help keep her room warm too. ] I was in Auschwitz until I was fifteen, before then my family and I spent most of our time running and hiding. My father taught me a few things, but it wasn't the same as having to fend for myself when I was on my own.
[ She probably didn't need all of that information to know that Erik didn't have what one would call a normal upbringing. Even before people started getting rounded up and brought into the camps, their lives were never easy. Discrimination and persecution were present well before then. ]
no subject
though he may feel she doesn't need all that information, wanda still appreciates that he's open to her about it. even if it wasn't her experience, it's still one that resonates with her; it's her people's history, it's her people's present—parallel struggles, in some ways. a normal upbringing was never in the cards for either of them. )
Even on my own, I don't feel like I'm learning to do anything new.
( just the same things that she already does know, and then asking others for help when she's really out of her depth. )
There was never much point in fixing anything once it was broken. ( at this, she makes her way to the music box that erik had gifted her some months ago, sitting pretty on one of the shelf spaces on the wall. holding it up in both her hands, wanda brings it down, closer to him. ) Did you fix this one, too? I can't imagine anyone parting with something this beautiful if it worked before you got your hands on it.
no subject
You're always learning, even when you might not realise. And besides— you're not on your own.
[ It can be simple as that. What he means in this specific instance is that if she wants to learn new skills, he can certainly teach her. He's sure others could too.
He smiles faintly when she pulls the music box from the shelf, reaching out to tap it gently and getting the lid to open. Music already playing even without her needing to wind it up. ]
I got it from the box of broken toys in your shop booth. Figured I could try to fix it. [ He likes the small bird moving as the song plays delicately. It reminds him of her, he doesn't know why. He looks to Wanda again, his hand resting on her arm. ] I can feel something bothering you.
[ The word choice is very much intentional. It's not just a guess, or intuition. He can literally sense it. ]
no subject
his hand land on her arm, and wanda looks up.
the words he offers her? it's enough to draw emotion out of her, blatant in her eyes, as tears form despite herself. it's her birthday, yes, but that's just a constant pain that she'll never be able to be rid of, now that her brother is forever gone from her life. the music box comes to a gentle stop, halfway through the song, and wanda's lips twist slightly as she tries to keep herself strong; her hands hold tightly onto the box.
there is so much she could say, but all that she could say comes out into a singular sentence that encapsulates the emotion that's rumbling inside her heart. )
...I'm alone again.
( though he had never met them, wanda had mentioned having roommates to erik. she's on her own now, so it means exactly what he would expect. )
I miss them.
no subject
Some aches just can never be erased. And when you lose so much in your life, it's so easy to be terrified of losing what little else one might still have. He understands that, possibly better than most... better than anyone right now, when he can feel it so clearly. ]
Wanda. [ He doesn't take the box from her, but he cups her cheeks instead, thumbs brushing away the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. ] You're never alone, so long as I'm here. I promise you.
[ It doesn't erase the hurt of loss, though. He knows that. Charles still mourns Raven's disappearance after months. You just learn to live with that pain. ]
I'm so sorry, sweetheart.
no subject
I know.
( that's her response to his promise, even if promises worry her, for they can so easily be broken not because of someone willingly doing so, but because the world around them would want it so. still, it means a lot to her that erik says what he does. that familial feeling remains, even now, and it's such a selfish thing from her part to want to continue being recipient to.
but — that much, she knows, she is allowed. )
It's a lot warmer already.
( she says as a way to lighten the mood: the warmth coming from him is one reason, yes, but also because the window has been, effectively, fixed. )
no subject
No doubt that Wanda will prefer to believe that, too, for the sake of her friends. The pain of loss would be so much worse if they were to imagine scarier, more horrible scenarios.
His arms rest loosely around her, a hand moving in soothing circles on her back. Her remark draws a small hum from him, faintly amused. ]
Sadly I can't get you a heater. [ Probably considered a luxury item for most around here. ] My offer for you to move to the motel we're in still stands, for the record. If you ever feel too lonely.