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amathslutsguidetofandom · 17 days

Text

No Excuses

PAIRINGS: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Wife!Sri-Lankan!Reader

WARNINGS: HEAVY FLUFF, Simons a fucking simp for the missus, good food :)

SOME INFO: 'Avurudda' means 'New Year', and Kottu and Appa are some famous Sri Lankan traditional food

WORD COUNT: 1,484

ENJOY!

"Yes, Amma. Yes, I cleaned the house like you told me to," you confess softly to your Sri Lankan mother, a tender smile gracing your lips as you recall the gentle encouragement she always provided.

Avurudda season has arrived, a time when the essence of your Sri Lankan heritage fills the air with warmth and nostalgia. In homage to your roots, you meticulously prepared your home, ensuring every corner gleamed with the promise of new beginnings.

And with a sense of reverence, you sought out a traditional Sri Lankan lamp online, a beacon of light to guide you through the festivities of the new year

When you married Simon, Your parents hesitated, their reservations echoing the unspoken fears of marrying outside your culture lingered in your heart

Yet, can they really blame you?

You fell in love with the Lieutenant while you were a techie for one of the TF-141 missions. The mission was primarily automotive, so the team, especially Simon, heavily relied on you. You didn’t think that you had it in you to thaw the ice around the Lt’s heart, but to him, you were his solace, his light.

In the steady rhythm of time, Simon's heart quietly yielded to the gravity of your presence, each day etching deeper into the stone of his resolve, sculpting a silent monument to the unyielding strength of his love for you.

After a few tense debriefs, he finally had the courage.

From the tension of your first encounters to secret touches, which morphed into silent kisses behind closed doors. Your both grew needing the other, the love you have for him and him, you, just became heavier in the depths of your hearts.

Soon, you moved into his flat. And a year later, you’re sleeping next to the love of your life with a gold band on your finger and his last name after your first.

Your parents soon backed off when they realized how much Simon cared for you and you for him.

Your mother's voice breaks you out of your reverie.

"Have you seen the recipes I’ve sent you, the Kottu and the Appa ones?" Your Amma questions, and you tilt your head back and close your eyes. "Yes, Amma, I did. Haven’t I told you that already?"

-----

You hear the door open as you sauté some vegetables the way your mother said to, in her recipe.

"Love? Are you here?" you hear the gruff voice of your husband through the entrance hall of your home.

You holler that you’re in the kitchen.

With a gentle embrace, Simon enfolds you in his arms, his touch igniting a spark of warmth that spreads through your body like wildfire. You lean into his embrace, relishing the comfort of his touch as he buries his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling the sweet scent of your skin. "Hi, handsome," you whisper softly, your voice a tender caress that lingers in the air between you.

Simon grunts out a laugh and hugs you tighter, "missed you, love."

You both stand in silence, letting Simon take you in.

"Have you brought the things I asked you to?" you whisper gently, switching off the heat of the stove. Simon nods, "it was tricky to find them, but I managed to."

Simon finally releases you and goes to grab the paper bags from the table near the door and places them on the kitchen counter.

You smile at him and give a little squeeze to his bicep and dig through the bag. "Great, everything is here, thanks babe," you lay out everything and start to cook your Kottu. You start chopping up the fresh thin, soft rotti until it's the right size.

You feel Simon peek over your shoulder and then go back to the pot and get a whiff of the food you made already. "Jesus, love. It smells incredible," he leans against the kitchen counter watching you chop the last of the rotti and throw the shredded fine bread into your pot.

You inhale deeply, "well, it's Avurudda. Sri Lankan new year." You say sheepishly, as you throw a glance at your husband over your shoulder.

Simon’s eyes go wide and he nods slowly, "I see." He rubs a hand over his chin and takes in the information you just gave him. He pieces everything together and scolds himself for not remembering, "love, I'm sorry I didn’t know."

You chuckle and shake your head, "honey, it’s fine, really." Simon shakes his head, "I should remember my wife’s cultural holidays. No excuses, love." You pout at Simon beating himself up, "hey, I know what can make you feel better."

He looks up at you confused and raises a brow. "I bought a Sinhala lamp, could you help me set it up?" you smile at him as he nods eagerly before you finish your sentence. You give him the instructions and show him the package that came in this afternoon. "Alright, I’ll get on with it," he whispers, rubbing a hand on your lower back and kissing your temple.

You smile and finish your work in the kitchen.

-----

Simon sets the table and you plate the food.

Then you sit down to enjoy the meal you've prepared together, the flickering light of the candles casts a warm glow over the table, bathing you both in its gentle embrace.

Now he sits in front of you and looks at the crispy Appas and delicious looking Kottu sitting between the both of you.

"Alright, so. This is Kottu, it's basically pieces of thick paratha or rotti, cooked with veggies and shredded chicken. It’s my ultimate favorite dish," you point at the plate of food, and talk animatedly.

You don’t see the subtle smile on your husband's face as he sees you talk passionately, and he opens a file in his mind and files in the information that Kottu is your favorite meal. You then point at the crispy upside-down domes.

“These are Appas, or Hoppers, they are amazing with chicken curry," you point at the curry you made a little while ago, "alright that’s it, dig in! And, Suba aluth avurudak weva, mage rattaran.” Simon has learned a little Sinhala for you since you first got married, and he translates your words in his mind.

Happy new year, my darling.

-----

As you and Simon delve into conversation about your respective days, you both begin to enjoy your meals. With each bite, you savor the taste of home, the flavors of your heritage filling your senses with a sense of belonging.

You take occasional sips from a glass of wine, Simon leisurely drinks from a bottle of beer.

“It’s absolutely delicious, love,” he says, reaching for your hand across the table. He rubs his thumb on the delicate skin of your hand. You smile and say your thanks.

You meet his gaze, your eyes locking in a silent exchange that speaks volumes without a single word. And in that moment, as you sit together in the soft glow of the candlelight, you know that you are exactly where you're meant to be, with the man who holds your heart in his hands.

Your leg brushes against his ankle, the fabric of your sock gliding over his skin. Simon grins and gently clasps your limb, placing it tenderly on his lap. Your smile broadens as he begins to caress it, sending waves of comfort through you.

The atmosphere is filled to the brim with your love for each other, the only source of light is from the candles lit on the table and the traditional lamp next to your dining table.

Simon reflects on his fortune, marveling at the serendipity of finding a woman as remarkable as you. He finds solace in the thought of a love so deeply reciprocated, where every beat of his heart echoes with the resonance of your affection, intertwining your souls in a bittersweet symphony of devotion.

-----

You stir from slumber to the not-so-gentle melody of your phone's alarm.

Blinking away the remnants of sleep, you reach out to silence it, yearning for the familiar presence of your Simon beside you.

Yet, as you turn, you find only the empty space where he once lay, his absence palpable in the morning light.

With a soft exhale, you sit up, the soft rays of dawn casting a warm glow around you. It's then that your gaze drifts to his bedside table, where a bouquet of delicate pink and white tulips awaits, their petals kissed by the soft light of dawn.

Nestled among the blooms, a note written in his hand catches your eye.

It’s in his handwriting, the ink scratchy and blotchy. His sinhala words marking their spot on the hard paper.

A rush of emotion floods your senses as you read his words, each stroke of the pen a testament to his adoration.

Happy New Year, my love.

🎀🎀🎀

OMG!

My first Simon Riley fic!!

And

My first Sri-Lankan!Reader fic!!!

One of the main reasons I wanted to start writing is because there is very minimal representation of brown girlies in the fanfic world. Especially, there is lack of rep for South Asian women. And even though I do associate myself with being a WOC, there is still a difference in between cultures.

I srsly keep in touch with my Sri Lankan heritage, and value that part of me.

It's why I try to make my Fics as inclusive as possible, but sometimes ya girl's got to represent her girlies back home.

(dw desi babes, I got a Diwali fic planned for y'all)

Sorry for the ramble and I'm sorry if this is not what most of you lovelies wanted😅😅.

But I've planned this for a while.

Suba Aluth Avurudak Weva, my loves!

(Also, please lemme know what you lovelies think about the fic!!)

Till' then,

Stay Coquette-y,

Anya 🫶🏽🕊️🎀

#simon riley cod #ghost simon riley #simon riley #simon ghost riley #simon #simon riley x reader #simon riley x you #simon ghost x reader #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x you #simon ghost riley smut #simon ghost x you #simon ghost smut #simon riley imagine #simon riley smut #simon riley angst #simon ghost riley angst #Sri Lankan!Reader #Simon ghost Riley x Sri Lankan!Reader

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izvmimi · 5 months

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cw: language. one (1) reference to a rico nasty song.

The sudden clatter of a knife being dropped on a cutting board should have surprised you, but you’re too focused on the screen of the laptop before you to notice that Izuku has stopped chopping vegetables. He looks up over at you carefully, but you continue to type furiously on the other end of the kitchen island, not registering the set of eyes focused on your person.

“Babe?”

Clickity clack, clickity clack, goes the keyboard.

He sighs.

“___.”

His voice is stern and just loud enough that you do somehow hear it, and pulled out of your flurry of vitriolic thoughts, you look at him quizzically.

“Huh?”

“What are you doing?” he asks.

You grimace, then smile and scoff in just the way that concerns Izuku even further. He could tell from the pressure on the keyboard and the small noises of frustration that slipped out of you indiscriminately that you were clearly upset about something, and he could name a couple things that had popped up recently in the news to make you feel that way, but whenever you got to typing for this long with this level of focus, it could only mean one thing.

“I’m just drafting a response to a few criticisms I’ve seen online recently.”

His lips press into a thin line.

“Love, you promised-“

You frown at him and raise an index finger. “First of all, I did not make any promises-" He raises an eyebrow and you look at him sheepishly, then look away. “Fine.”

“Let me see it,” he insists. Before you can even consider closing your laptop, he’s behind you, one hand resting softly on your shoulder. His eyes scan the top half of the reply in the comments and you watch his response attentively, taking in how his frown deepens the longer he reads.

“Baby.” He rubs your shoulder gently, but you can tell he’s between irritated and disappointed with you immediately. Defensively, you shrug him off softly then cross your arms over your chest.

“I’m just communicating my discontentment.”

“Really?” He highlights a sentence at the end, and clears his throat before reading it aloud. “If I see you in the street, bitch your ass is done? That’s discontentment?”

You can feel your cheeks burn.

“It’s a quote!!! From a song!”

Izuku places a hand atop your head and squeezes gently. “It’s also a threat?”

“But-“

“___, you’re a professional Hero. This person could be Quirkless.”

You pause, consider, and then let out a sound of frustration, raising your hands in the air before placing your forehead to the desk.

“Look, I’m just tired of unkind things being said in the media. I don’t mind if they say mean things to me but we’re gonna have a conversation if you’re gonna attack my friends so viciously.” Your voice is muffled and whiny, which means you’re in your inconsolable mood, but by now Izuku is practiced and can get through to you. Izuku’s hands shift from your shoulder to your back and he pulls the stool beside you to sit down.

“I get it, but people say stupid things all the time. Think about what people say about me daily.”

Your head turns to face him.

“The media literally adores you, what are you talking about?” Izuku gives your a cheeky half-smile.

“True, but they didn’t always.”

You give him a soft punch on the shoulder. “Show-off.”

He laughs, and pulls you to him. “You know what it was like when I was a kid though.”

You frown again, thinking about the punches she still thinks she owes Bakugou despite the fact that he’s redeemed himself, and rest your head on his shoulder.

“Can I delete it?” he asks.

“Sure,” you agree.

“Good girl.”

You feel your cheeks warm but don’t say anything as the angry text disappears. He kisses your cheek and gets up again to finish preparing the meal he’d started. You get up as well and wash your hands before joining him.

You work side by side for a few moments before Izuku bumps you gently on the hip.

“Are you gonna save a bit of the feistiness for bed?” he asks, eyes twinkling.

You bump him back on the hip.

“Pervert.”

He beams. “For you? Absolutely.”

#izuku x reader #izuku midoriya x reader #daydreams: bnha #mimi's notes #izuku fluff

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alotofpockets · 6 months

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Cooking class | Wanda Maximoff

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Summary: You meet Wanda at a cooking class that she teaches.

A/n: A special thank you to @catasha, without your ideas I would not have been able to finish this fic!

Masterlist | Marvel masterlist | Words: 2.8K

You recently discovered your love for cooking. You found it both relaxing and exhilarating, being able to add all these ingredients together to create a beautiful dish. Growing up your parents never really taught you how to cook, so you started by learning some cooking videos that you had seen online but the videos were general and not that fun, so you were searching for other ways to learn more cooking techniques. In your search for options you came across a cooking class taught by Wanda Maximoff, just a few blocks over.

When you entered the building you were in awe of the place. There were rows of stove tops, ovens and counters, all basked in sunlight from the floor to ceiling windows. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” The women that walked up to you said. “Yeah, it looks great. I love the way the light enters the space.” The woman nods in agreement. “Everything is so fancy here, I can’t wait to cook here.” Wanda smiles, “Oh, trust me, cooking here is amazing.” The woman answers. “Oh, have you taken classes here before?” In response she holds out her hand, you shake it with a confused look plastered on your face. “Wanda, nice to meet you.” That’s when the puzzle pieces click, you were talking to the owner of the place. “Oh, haha, well Wanda, you have a beautiful place here. I’m y/n.”

The first class starts, and after some quick introductions, Wanda starts telling you about what you will be learning during these few classes. You were going to start easy and work your way up to some more intricate dishes. You were going to be making a dish each week for the duration of the four week starters course. Today you were going to focus on some cutting techniques, since you will be using that throughout the whole course.

Wanda shows everyone how to hold the knives and how to get the best results and tells you to try it out for yourselves on the carrots in front of you. She goes around the kitchen islands giving everyone pointers and compliments. The dish for this week's class was vegetable soup, which meant lots of veggies to be cut. When you were done with the carrots, you chopped up leeks, tomatoes, and parsley. All that was left to cut were the garlic gloves. You felt quite comfortable with your chopping skills after the carrots, Wanda noticed and gave you a compliment, “Nice work, y/n, keep it up!”

You continued to make the soup step by step, as Wanda told you more about what each of the steps would do for the dish, taste, texture, etc. She was an amazing teacher, she explained not only with the end goal of a dish in mind but also transferred her knowledge on certain ingredients as well as in what different ways they could be used. You enjoyed your first class very much, and the soup you created was delicious.

Next week you arrive at the kitchen again, not realizing that you were there a bit too early until you saw that Wanda was still setting up the counters. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was so early.” You say as Wanda looks over. “Don’t worry, darling, come on in.” You blush slightly at the nickname. “I was just setting up the ingredients for today’s class.” She smiles in your direction. “Need a hand?” You say as you place your bag in the corner, “I’m here now anyways.” Wanda is very grateful for the help as she started a bit late with setting up herself, she showed you what each cooking station needed and you got to work while continuing the conversation with her. You placed thyme, bay leaves, sugar, worcestershire sauce and a beef cube on every station, while Wanda distributed the beef, canned tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, tomato paste, and a small block of parmesan cheese.

The dish for today was a spaghetti bolognese, with the main focus for the class being the making of the sauce. Wanda started by letting you cut your onions and mince the garlic, like how she taught you in the previous class. Then step for step she walked you through making the bolognese sauce. You loved pasta dishes, at home you always made them with store bought pasta sauce but now that you knew this recipe you were for sure going to use it. It was so much richer in flavor, while the cooking time wasn’t even that much longer.

Before ending the class, Wanda announced next week's plans. “Next week we are going to have a little friendly competition.You are all going to create a dip of your own choosing. Email me the ingredients you will need before Friday, and I will make sure that they are ready for you on your counters next week!”

You were searching through recipe books and recipes online for a dip that would really impress Wanda. Most of the dips you found looked good but were still pretty basic. A couple of days went by without any ideas and then it hit you, during one of your conversations Wanda had mentioned that she was from Sokovia. You immediately started searching for Sokovian recipes and found the perfect dip. However, you saw that it would take a bit longer than a regular dip to make, so you decided to ask Wanda if maybe you would be able to come in earlier to use the oven to prepare your main ingredient. Wanda let you know that it would be no problem, and that she would be there starting 1pm, so any time after that would work. When you got her message back, you sent her the list of ingredients that you would need for your dip.

That Sunday you arrive forty minutes before the official start of the class. “Hi, y/n, how have you been?” Wanda asks with a smile. “Hey, Wanda, I’ve been well, thank you. How about yourself?” Wanda waves you in before answering, “I’ve been doing good, thanks. I put your ingredients on your station, so feel free to start whenever you’d like.” You sent her an appreciative smile. “Thank you, Wanda, I really appreciate this.”

You start working on your dip. The beets you need for it had to go in the oven for thirty minutes and would have to cool down for another twenty before you could use them. You start by poking some holes in the beet with a fork, and put them in some foil, before putting them on a baking tray. You are so focussed on your preparations that you don’t hear Wanda approaching, who was previously getting some things from a back room. Once you’ve put the tray into the oven and look up you finally realize that she is standing there, leaning against one of the other counters, admiring the focus you had. You feel a blush making its way to your cheeks again but quickly cover it up by turning around and cleaning up some of the things you won’t need to use in the recipe anymore.

After that all there was left to do was wait for the beets to bake. So, you decided to see if there was anything you could do to help Wanda prepare for the upcoming class. Together you set up the ingredients on the other stations, while you were asking Wanda questions about what got her started on cooking. You learned that her mother loved to cook, and that after she passed away when Wanda was younger. Wanda shared that she felt closest to her while she was cooking, which is how she got into cooking. You shared how you got into cooking, and wanting to learn more about her. The conversation flowed so easily you hadn’t noticed that half an hour had passed until the oven beeped.

You take out the tray with beets and let them cool down on the counter. The conversation with Wanda not faltering while you walk around in the kitchen. Soon after the rest of the class walks in. Wanda greets everyone separately before starting the contest. “Alright, I’ve seen some delicious ingredients in your lists, and I cannot wait to try the dips you have come up with! Is everybody ready?” The class cheers. “Ready, set go!” Wanda jokes, she was having so much fun with the competition. She walked around the counters to see what everybody was working on, lingering a bit longer at your counter. You add some yogurt to your grated beets and stir the mixture together. To give the dip some extra flavor, you add some finely chopped garling, some pepper and a pinch of salt. Finally, to top it off, you chop up some spring onion and sprinkle it over the top of your Sokovian purple beetroot dip.

Everyone presents their dip to the class, and Wanda tastes all of them. You could see that she had some clear favorites, and got a little nervous for her to taste yours. Those nerves went away once you saw the sparkle in her eyes after she tried it. You give her a knowing smile, before she moves to the next counter.

“You have all made some incredible dips, I am very impressed. I am also very proud of the creativity you all put into these recipes. However, there can only be one winner, and that is…” Wanda looks at all the dips in front of her, before picking up yours. “Y/n!” The class applauds, and congratulates you on your win. The class ends and everyone starts walking out. You clean up extra slow, hoping to spend some more time with Wanda. She notices and walks over, “So, did you pick a Sokovian dish to impress me?” You laugh, “Depends, did it work?” Wanda laughs with you. “It did, the flavor brought me right back to my childhood. I remember this dip being present on every birthday platter.” You smile as she talks about her connection with the dish that you made. “Yeah, I hoped to be a step ahead with the Sokovian origin but the dip actually tastes amazing.”

“Hey y/n, if I’m out of line here, please let me know but I was wondering if maybe you would like to come over to my place and cook dinner together tonight?” Wanda looks up at you hesitantly. “Yeah, that sounds wonderful.” The corners of her lips perk up slightly, “Like as I date, I mean.” You place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Yes, I would love that.” You exchange numbers so Wanda can send you her address. “Oh, and you can bring your dip, that way we can use it in the starter.” You tell her that you think that’s a great idea. “I’ll make some flatbread for it and then we can cook the main course together.”

A couple hours later, you make your way over to Wanda’s house. You ring the doorbell, and just seconds later Wanda opens the door. “Hi, y/n, come in. The flatbread is almost ready, and do you want a drink? Wine? Water? Oh, I can put on some music, maybe?” Your heart warms at the way Wanda is so clearly nervous rambling. You reach out your hand to take a hold of hers, in order to ground her. “I’ll have whatever you are having, and music sounds nice.” Wanda looks down at your hands, her cheeks flushed. The moment gets interrupted by the ding of the oven. “Oh, I have to get that.” Wanda says and rushes off, leaving you on the doorstep. You smile and shake your head, as you let yourself in and close the door behind you. While Wanda was in the kitchen, you walked around her living room, admiring the way she decorated the space.

Wanda walks back into the living room with a tray in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. “You have a beautiful place, Wanda.” She thanks you as she places two wine glasses, and a platter with the flatbread down on the table. You place the beetroot dip next to them, and reach for the bottle of wine when Wanda walks to the side to turn on some music. You fill up the glasses and hand Wanda one when she walks back and sits down on the couch next to you. Wanda relaxes more as the conversation starts up.

You sip on your wine, as you enjoy your starter together before going to the kitchen with Wanda to cook the main course. You're cutting up some vegetables, while Wanda walks around gathering pots and pans, utensils, spices, and the rest of the ingredients. She moves behind you, placing a hand on your back, making sure that she wouldn't bump into you while you're holding a chef's knife. Instead the gentle touch just distracts you from the chopping, as a blush crept up your cheeks. Wanda does this a couple more times as she walks from side to side in the kitchen, noticing your flustered state every time her hand touches your back.

"Hey, Wands, how can I best cut these?" You say as you move onto the next vegetable. She tells you how she would cut them, and you give it a try. Failing at your first two attempts, not being used to holding the knife in that way. "Want me to show you?" Wanda offers. "Yes, please." You expected Wanda to take the knife from you as she reached out for it but instead she takes a hold of your hand, and moves her body to stand behind you. Your breath hitches, when Wanda says, "Follow my lead." next to your ear. She starts moving your hand in the motion of the cut besides the vegetable before you actually slice into the vegetable on your cutting board together. Focusing on the technique is nearly impossible with Wanda pressed against your back. "See, easy as that. Now you try." Wanda keeps standing behind you but leans to the side and puts her hand on the counter, looking over your shoulder. Though you had trouble focussing for a moment, you practiced the motion Wanda just showed you once besides the vegetable again, before you tried it for real. “Yeah, that’s it! Nice work.” Wanda compliments you. You look over at Wanda with a proud smile plastered on your face. She smiles back at you and leans in to place a soft kiss on your cheek. Your cheeks instantly redden. “I hope that was okay.” Wanda says nervously. You smile at her again, “It was more than okay, Wands.”

The dinner came along nicely, you made a great team in the kitchen. You were sipping on your wine and swaying to the music as you effortlessly danced around each other in the kitchen. Wanda set the table along with some candles. The food tasted amazing, you were so happy with how it turned out.

You cleaned up the dishes together before it was time for you to go home. Wanda only lived a couple of blocks away, so after the few glasses of wine that you had had, you could easily walk home again. Wanda walked you to the door, plans for seeing each other next already made. “Hey, Wanda, I know this was only the first date but can I kiss you?” In response Wanda smiles and leans in. You meet her half way into a soft kiss. You smile into the kiss and feel Wanda doing the same, making the butterflies in your stomach go crazy. On your walk home you can’t stop smiling. Once you enter your home, you text Wanda to let her know that you made it home safely.

Before the last cooking class the next Sunday, you had met up with Wanda many times again. You went on a picnic date on your day off, and enjoyed some snacks by the waterfront. Wanda joined you to try out one of your hobbies. Besides that you spend most evenings after work together, either watching a movie or just hanging out. When Sunday came around, it felt like you had known Wanda for years. When the class was over, you helped her clean up once again, and went home with her after another movie night.

What you thought would be a one time cooking class to learn something new, turned into dating an incredible chef who would teach you all about it from the comfort of both your homes. Signing up for that class, had led to meeting your new favorite person, and you could not be happier.

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#wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff imagine #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff fluff #wanda maximoff fanfiction #wanda maximoff fanfic #wanda maximoff x ofc #wanda maximoff x female reader #wanda maximoff x gender neutral reader #wanda maximoff x y/n

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messedupfan · 3 months

Text

Chapter 11

Summary: Reader finally feels comfortable enough to introduce their girlfriend to their faimly.

A/n: There's a LOT going on right now so it might not be my best work but I hope y'all enjoy!

Masterlist | All Chapters | All Stories Taglist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When October came around you surprised yourself by maintaining a healthy and stable relationship with Daisy. There weren’t many arguments and you were able to focus your romantic energy solely on her and you found yourself happy with the decision to be with her. So, you figured that it was finally time to introduce her to Rachel. In order to do that, of course, you had to start by bringing her to Jean and Anna.

Arranging a dinner wasn’t easy with the busy work schedules and inability to find Rachel a sitter. With school being in session, Kate isn’t available the way she is during the summer since she has a lot to focus on when it comes to her college classes. Leaving it up to you and Jean to scramble to find someone to be with Rachel long enough for the dinner. Until one day when you’re discussing the dilemma with Wanda, she offers to have your daughter over for the night. She made it easy by offering to pick up Rachel from the school when she was picking up the twins. She happened to be getting them on Friday that week because Vision was spending a weekend in New York with one of his classes to observe the architecture in person. After a quick phone call with the school to inform them of this and writing Rachel a note to give to her teacher, it was settled.

Daisy is taking her classes online and caught up on all of her coursework, and Jean and Anna are both able to be home from work at an appropriate dinner time. As soon as you get home from work that day, you shower and get dressed before picking Daisy up. On the way to Jean’s house, you stop at the liquor store to bring a gift and say that it came from Daisy. As you walk the aisles hand in hand with her, you think about when you first met Wanda. And how even through her disheveled appearance, you were struck by her beauty.

Your mind is brought back to reality when Daisy sneaks a kiss on your cheek. You smile and your eyes land on the beverage that you came here for. When the familiar cashier is checking you out, he asks if you want the usual pack of cigarettes. You look at Daisy and then look at the cashier and shake your head. “I don’t smoke,” luckily he catches on and apologizes for confusing you for someone else. Claiming that he’s been meaning to get new lenses. You tell him it’s no worry and you walk out with Daisy, confused by the interaction.

“Babe, I know that you smoke,” Daisy says. “You don’t have to lie about it. I smell it every time we sleep together.”

You frown and sigh, “I’m sorry, I was supposed to quit years ago. But I haven’t been able to kick the habit just yet.”

“Well, maybe I can help you with that,” Daisy offers as she stops you in front of the car. She slips her arms between yours and carefully laces her fingers through your fingers without dropping the bag. “The idea of smoking used to be kind of hot but you know what's hotter?” You hum in question as you smile down at her. “Living a long healthy life,” she beams up at you.

“Oh really? That's what's hot these days?” You ask with a light laugh.

“Oh yeah, baby,” she leans in and kisses you on the lips. The two of you break away and you nod as you look at her.

“Okay, I'll do it this time. I'll quit,” you promise. She kisses you one more time before completely separating.

When the two of you arrive at Jean's house you make sure to coach Daisy all the way from the car to the front door. She listens intently to every tip you give and tries to memorize each of them. She wants this to go well almost as much if not more than you do.

Wanda is making dinner for the four of them when Rachel walks in and asks to help. “Are you sure you don't want to play with the boys?” She asks as she carefully chops some vegetables.

“They just want to play video games and my mom Anna says that too much screen time rots the brain. I thought she was wrong but my brain feels rotten right now,” Rachel says as she observes Wanda.

“Well, I could use some help with the sauce. If you're up to stirring it,” Wanda offers as she thinks of an easy task to give the girl. Rachel happily walks over to the stove to stir the pot but she isn't quite tall enough. “Sorry sweetie,” Wanda apologizes as she steps away from the cutting board to grab one of the stools that the boys use when they help her in the kitchen. “Better?” She asks and once Rachel is standing on the stool she grabs the spoon and then nods to answer Wanda. “Good, now please be careful. The sauce, the pot, and the stove are very hot and I would hate for you to get hurt. Okay?”

“Yes ma'am,” Rachel says as she keeps her eyes on the sauce. Wanda washes her hands before she resumes chopping the vegetables for the salad. As she does, she prays that nothing bad happens to your little girl.

“I must admit, the two of you are cute together,” Jean says as she cuts into the salmon on her plate. “Can I ask, why did you go for Y/n? I mean you're so young and they, well, let's be real. They come with a lot of baggage.”

“Jean,” you say sternly.

“No, it's okay,” Daisy says as she chews her food. She takes a few extra seconds before swallowing in order to find an answer that won't sound like she was just trying to live an old fantasy of hers and ended up wanting more out of it. “I know that I'm young, but as I understand it you weren't much older than me when you found your current wife and married her shortly after.” You clear your throat to hide your amusement as Jean kicks you under the table. “As for all that I'm signing up for with Y/n,” she reaches for your hand and smiles at you as you accept her touch. You smile back. “Well, just because I'm young doesn't mean that I don't come with my own baggage. I have plenty of my own things that others might be put off by. But Y/n doesn't see those things as a reason to not be with me. And I don't see your daughter or the fact that they smoke and can't seem to stop as a reason to not be with them.” Your smile drops at the last part. You know that she was only trying to impress them by showing that she knows you but of all of the examples, you can't believe that she used that one.

“I fucking knew it!” Jean shouts. “I knew you started again!”

You close your eyes and shake your head as you let go of Daisy's hand to rub your face. “Jean-”

“No, don't Jean me,” Jean interrupts. “You've been calling me crazy for years! I can't believe it. Even Anna, my own wife, would take your side!”

“I'm sorry, I know. It's just been a hard habit to kick. I mean, you had a legitimate reason to quit when you got pregnant with Rach. I just, I just, I haven't had a push like that.” You try to defend yourself.

“Oh no, did I say something I… I'm so sorry, Y/n. I knew I shouldn't have -”

“No! See, this is good. We can finally get the truth,” Jean says.

“Honey, please calm down. Why does it upset you so much that Y/n chooses to do this damage to their own body?” Anna asks as she starts to rub her partners back.

Jean tries her best to take slow breaths. “It upsets me because Y/n is Rachel's Baba. My uncle was a big smoker and it nearly killed my cousin to lose him to lung cancer and I don't want that for my daughter. And no matter what they are to me, ex-partner, co-parent, friend, I do still care what happens to them.” She looks at you and you cast your eyes down to your plate, knowing that loss was hard for Jean as well. She loved her uncle. And you thought he was pretty great too. In fact, he's the one who bought your first pack of cigarettes when you and Jean were fifteen after he realized where his cigarettes were disappearing once he caught the two of you and her cousin in his backyard.

He didn't really have a philosophy on children's health and his daughter was a product of that and partially, so were you. He didn't really bust you guys. Instead, he walked away grumbling about something under his breath and left the house. He came back a few minutes later with a few packs of cigarettes and handed one out to each of you. “Don't take mine ever again. You want smokes, ask,” he had said in a raspy voice before walking away. “And stay away from my beers. Y'all are too young, it'll rot ya brains.” The way that he could barely talk without gasping for air or barely walk without coughing up a storm should have been enough to scare you away from the nicotine. But instead, you happily opened that pack and from there started a habit you'd rather hide in shame than quit.

“I'm sorry, I know I should have stopped. And I shouldn't have lied to you as much as I have. I just,” you look at her and remember the broken girl at the funeral and sigh. “There's no excuse. I'm going to quit this time. I promise,” you say as you lay your hand on the table to offer to Jean.

She looks at your hand with a frown and a scowl before putting her hand in yours. “Okay, you better mean it this time.”

“They do,” Daisy chimes in. “I told them that I'd help them quit.” Jean gives Daisy a tight smile because she doesn't want to like this girl for you, but it's getting harder and harder not to.

Wanda is smiling at her phone as she receives a flirty message that was actually cute and not completely sleazy. She starts to type a response when she hears Billy wail in the living room. “Mom! Tommy hit me!”

“Stop being such a girl, you tattle tale!” Tommy shouts next.

“Boys!” Wanda yells as she hurries down the stairs. “What happened?” Wanda says with her hands on her hips. Both boys start to tell very different stories. “Ah ah, one at a time. Billy, you go first.”

“I was trying to pick something that we could all watch when Tommy took the remote from me and-”

“That's not true! I asked first! Mom, he's lying!” Tommy interrupts.

Then the boys start shouting at the same time and Wanda has to raise her voice again to get them to stop. “Time out, both of you. Go stand in separate corners.” Wanda shoos them away. Rachel comes out of the restroom, confused to see the boys standing in corners of the living room. Wanda sighs as she looks at the little girl. In her frustration with the boys, she completely forgot that Rachel was here. She didn't want to embarrass the boys in front of their friend. She has the girl sit on the sofa to pick something on the TV and steps a few feet back.“Boys come here,” she calls them to her and gets them to look up at her. “Please behave and let Rachel pick something. She is our guest and guests get to pick the movie. Okay?”

“Yes ma'am,” the boys say together with frowns. Billy still has fresh tears on his cheeks and Wanda wipes them away before giving her boy a kiss on the forehead.

“We'll talk about this later, okay?” He nods and moves to the couch and she pulls Tommy back to her by the collar on his shirt, making him laugh as she gives him a surprise hug. “You be nicer to your brother, please,” she says as she tickles him. Tommy agrees through his laughter.

The group of you have moved your way to the living room each with a beverage in hand, you opted for water since you still have to drive Daisy home and pick up Rachel after. Jean apologizes for the dramatic moment she had and Daisy waves it off. “Oh don't worry, being concerned for Y/n’s health is anything but dramatic. What I consider a dramatic moment was what happened when we had dinner with my father a few weeks ago.” Daisy laughs at the memory and you cringe at the reminder. “We shared the most innocent Disney channel kind of kiss and my father went on and on about showing respect in his house. I mean, this guy was fifty shades of red every time we held each other's hand or touched shoulders for crying out loud!” Everyone laughs with her.

“I don't blame him,” Jean takes a drink from her wine. “Ugh, I dread the day I find out what kind of parent I am when Rach starts dating. My fingers are crossed tight every day that she's gay.”

You laugh and shake your head and admit, “Mine are too. A lesbian to specify.” You and Jean clink your glasses together. “To the traumas of teen pregnancy!” You say it as the toast which makes her laugh.

“I really admire the two of you for being so close after a divorce,” Daisy says as she observes the two of you.

“Trust me, it gets old,” Anna jokes, making Jean roll her eyes. “I'm kidding. It is nice to see, especially with Y/n's parents being such nightmares you'd think they’d - oh I've made a faux pas, haven't I?” Anna mouths the word sorry to you and you shake your head in a manner that lets her know that it's fine.

“I guess we haven't gotten to the talk about your family past Kate,” Daisy says awkwardly.

You shrug, as you make eye contact with Daisy. “I don't like to talk about it much. Anna only knows because Jean was, as you know, my childhood best friend and she was there for me through it all.” You look at your cup and swirl the water and watch the melting ice cubes knock into each other. But yeah, I had a couple of very clear examples of what not to do when it came to the family I would one day build. My parents aren't terrible people, just flawed as everyone is. I'm closer with my mom because after she had Kate she didn't treat me less than her. My dad however, preferred my step siblings over me. He never said it, but I could feel it. The only big thing he ever did for me was pitch in to get this house when Jean and I got married because he knew how hard it is to provide for a family when you're young.”

Daisy takes a moment to digest the information before scooting closer to you on the couch to wrap her arm around you and lean her head on your shoulder. You kiss the top of her head and Jean smiles softly as she feels better about this pairing. She still doesn't think that Daisy is your forever person. But she's happy that someone is making you happy for now.

Looking at the time you have to call it a night since it was pretty late and you still had to pick up Rachel from Wanda’s house. As you and Daisy are saying your goodbyes, Jean asks to talk to you alone for a moment and Daisy kisses your cheek as she tells you that she'll wait in the car. “I think she's great and if you're ready, I think you should introduce her to Rachel. I mean, the girl is considering transferring to a lesser college to be closer to you. I think she is really committed to you and even to Rachel.”

“Thank you,” you scoop Jean into a tight hug. You put her down and she tells you goodnight and tells Anna that she's going to get ready for bed. You are about to bid Anna a goodnight as well when she stops you.

“Let me start with, I know this isn't my place to tell you this and Daisy is a sweet girl and the two of you make a cute couple. But she isn't for you, Y/n. Your aura's don't compliment each other. There's this energy around you, like you're forcing two pieces of a puzzle that don't fit together. I'm not going to stop you from introducing her to our daughter, but please consider it a bit longer before you do because… Jean is too polite to say this, but what you and Daisy have it isn't meant to be.” She rushes out softly before you're able to get a word in. You aren't ever rude to Anna and her beliefs but you never thought she'd ever say something like this to you. Especially when you're the happiest that you've been in years.

“You're right, it's not your place. Goodnight,” you reply tersely before walking to the car. You take a few breaths to calm down before you climb into the car.

“I think that went well,” Daisy says happily and you don't have it in you to repeat what Anna said although you feel like you should.

“Yeah, it did. Jean agreed to introducing you to Rachel and I don't think we should wait two weeks. I think we should do it tomorrow. What do you think?” You take Daisy's hand in yours and kiss her knuckles.

Her eyes light up and tears rise to the brims, “Really? I, yes! I'd love to!” You kiss her lips before starting the car and drive to her apartment to drop her off.

The drive to Wanda’s house has you fuming as you can't believe what Anna said. You were not trying to force two puzzle pieces together. Maybe at the beginning but things have been easier lately. She can't have known that from one meal no matter how spiritually enlightened she is. You cool off by the time you arrive at Wanda's because you know that Rachel will pick up on it and you don't want to snap at her.

“They all fell asleep,” Wanda whispers as she opens the door before your first could knock on it. “I saw your lights through the window,” she explains to your confused expression and you make a new one to show that you understand. “How'd it go?” She asks as she closes her cardigan around herself.

“Um, good for the most part. Ended kind of weird, but I'll tell you about it later. I just need to get Rach home,” you whisper as you tiptoe into the house.

“Of course,” Wanda says as she carefully closes the door. “Um, can you do me a favor first,” she asks as she looks at the boys sleeping in odd positions on the couch. You look at them and let out a small laugh through your nose as you remember being able to sleep like that without having intense pain for several days after. “Can you help me carry them to their room?” She asks with a pleading smile. You nod and she thanks you quietly as she moves to pick up Billy. You gently lift Tommy into your arms and follow Wanda up the stairs. You carefully tuck Tommy into his bed and watch Wanda tuck Billy into his. She is such a great mom. You feel blessed every time you're able to witness moments like these. She doesn't leave the room without giving them each a kiss on the head.

“Thank you for watching Rachel, I really appreciate it,” you say as the two of you walk downstairs. “I really owe you one.”

“Please,” Wanda waves her hand in dismissal, “consider us even. Vision never helped me put the boys to bed like that. So thank you.” She gives you a warm hug when the both of you are standing at the bottom of the stairs. You take in the warmth that the embrace spreads through your body before separating.

“It was my pleasure,” you smile at her. Wanda smiles back at you and looks at you the way that almost gets you in trouble every time. What you don't see is Rachel being awake enough to witness the scene. She smiles as she lays back down and closes her eyes to pretend that she was asleep the whole time.

The next day, you are running around like a maniac trying to get ready and cook breakfast for Rachel. Daisy is going to come by and introduce herself as your girlfriend. You almost couldn't believe that you're doing this. There was a time when you couldn't see this kind of thing ever happening. You are proud of where you are now. When Rachel wakes up because of all of the ruckus you have been causing you tell her to get some nice clothes on. “Why? Mom’s aren’t going to get mad at you if I’m in my pajamas all day. Besides, we'll probably lounge around in our pajamas after you drop me off.”

“Please, Rach,” you say as you adjust your attire in the mirror. “I have a uh, special friend coming over and I want you to look nice. I kind of have some big news but I want to tell you when she gets here.”

Rachel perks up at the mention of a female special friend. She has watched enough romantic comedies over the years that she knows a romantic moment when she sees one. Last night, she definitely saw one. “She?” Rachel questions in hopes for more information from you.

You laugh and drop your head to smile at the floor for a second then look back at her. “Yes, she is a she. You've even met her before.” This extra bit of information gets her excited. She knew it! You had to have invited Ms. Wanda and the twins over. She was finally getting the big brothers that she always wanted. “Please, go get dressed. She's going to be here any second.” Rachel skips off to her room and you go back to the kitchen to take things off of the stove before they burn. You set the table and once everything is as perfect as you can get it. Daisy is knocking on the door. “Hey you, come on in,” you greet her with an innocent kiss on the lips.

Rachel hears you from her room and quickly finishes strapping on her white dress shoes. She threw on a pretty pink dress with a white headband. When she hears you call for her, she finishes brushing her hair and hops out of the room excitedly. However, her smile drops when she sees the hardly familiar woman.

Daisy gives you a nervous smile and you do your best to be encouraging but you haven't seen your daughter so disappointed. This was nowhere near the reaction you expected. “Hi Rachel, I have heard a lot about you. I'm Daisy, I'm not sure if you remember this but I used to babysit you.”

Rachel looks at you with a confused face, “Baba, why did you make me get dressed if you're going to leave me with a babysitter?”

Daisy's smile drops as she looks at you, feeling a little helpless. “Maybe this was too early, I think we should have stuck to our previous plans.”

You shake your head and whisper, “No, no, this will be okay.” You look at Rachel with a smile, “I'm not leaving you with Daisy, honey. She is the special friend I wanted to introduce you to.” You hold Daisy's hand to show Rachel that you mean it. Unfortunately, she still doesn’t appear to be too happy about it. “Um, I made breakfast,” you say to fill the silence. Daisy nods as she looks between you and Rachel as her worst fears come true. “Let's eat before it gets cold.” You wave to the set table and guide Daisy over. Rachel is still standing in the same spot until you call her over again.

She sits down with a pout and when you serve her, she pushes her plate away. “I'm not hungry,” she crosses her arms over her chest. You frown, you were there for her introduction to Anna and she had reacted in a similar fashion but back then she just wanted her parents back together. When it was made clear that wasn't happening, she quickly began to warm up to Anna. Now, however, you haven't the slightest idea why she had such a sudden switch flip. She seemed excited seconds before you answered the door.

“You know, sometimes my tummy feels funny in the mornings too. But I always find that I feel much better after a good meal like your Baba prepared,” Daisy tries to relate in hopes that it will get the girl to like her at least a little bit. Unfortunately she is only met with a glare.

“My tummy is fine,” Rachel retorts, “I'm just not hungry.” Her stomach growls, contradicting her statement. You make a knowing face and try to lighten her mood.

“Sounds like your tummy could use the food, sweetie,” you try to push the plate closer to her but she just turns her head away. You sigh and quietly apologize to Daisy. You really thought this would be easier.

“Your Baba has told me a lot about you, Rach like-” Daisy is cut off by your daughter.

“Only I can call them Baba! Stop calling them that. And only people I like can use my nickname, I don't like you,” Rachel snaps, taking your patience.

“Rachel Hope Y/l/n, you apologize right now young lady,” normally when you scold her with the full government name she turns into a puddle of tears and apologies but right now, she isn't. “Apologize or go to your room,” you threaten with a stern tone.

“No,” she says while making eye contact with you, unafraid. It only upsets you further that you lack authority over her. It's one thing to be happening now, but what happens when she's older and getting into trouble? A montage of her getting in trouble with the law and having no future, flashes before your eyes and you know that you have to correct this behavior soon before she gets out of hand.

“Room, now!” You point to her room and she stands up without a fight.

Then as she stomps her way to her room she says the three words you never ever thought you'd ever hear from her. “I hate you!” She dramatically slams her door as your heart drops to your stomach. Both you and Daisy collapse in on yourselves.

“I'm so sorry, Daze. I had no idea that she'd be this upset,” you apologize as you hold her hand in yours.

Daisy sighs, “Maybe if she was eased into the idea a little, like we planned? I don't know. I tried not to build expectations but ugh, I really wanted her to like me.” Daisy starts to cry at the end of her sentence and she keeps you away when you try to hug her. “No, you don't need to be comforting me right now. I should go,” you try to tell her to stay as she gets up but she doesn't. “Just take care of her, okay? She needs you more than I do. I'll call you later, okay?”

You nod and kiss her goodbye before shutting the door. You look at Rachel's door and you're not ready to be patient with her yet. So you dump the breakfast that you spent all morning working on and wash the dishes. The alarm on your phone, reminding you that you have to get Rachel off to her mom's soon goes off. You had set it because you thought the three of you were going to be having so much fun and losing track of time. It hurts you because that's not what happened.

You knock on Rachel's door, “Rach, we have to get going.”

“I'm not coming out unless she is gone!” Rachel shouts through the door.

You sigh, “She left an hour ago. Come on, we have to go.” Rachel opens the door and is still glaring at you. “Are you ready to go?” You ask tiredly. She walks past you, bumping you with her school bag, as an answer. The car ride is long. You try to get her to talk but instead of talking she just makes loud noises that irritate you into silence. As you're slowing down to park, Rachel runs out of the car the second she gets to. You try to chase her but her moms open the door before you can and she's running to her room yelling that she hates you as she does and slamming her door there too.

“What did you do?” Jean asks with wide eyes.

“I introduced her to Daisy and she turned into this. I don't know what happened,” you reiterate the events to them helplessly and the two women share a look before Jean tries to bring Rachel to you to apologize and chat. But all you hear is mean words from Rachel and eventually, Jean giving up.

“That is not our angel in there,” Jean says as she returns. “I think maybe you should go. We'll take it from here and maybe we can get somewhere with her.”

You nod, “Yeah okay. I'm sorry, I didn't think this would happen.”

Jean places her hand on your shoulder, “None of us could have seen this coming, sweetheart. But it has happened and we, as her parents, need to come up with a suitable punishment. This behavior is not okay and we need to figure out how to let her know that. I know we joke that she's just like me, but we don't need a repeat of that.”

“Are we sure punishment is the way to go here? I think that she is going through emotions that she doesn't know how to experience and maybe that's why she's acting out,” Anna says as she looks between you and Jean. “Let me try to talk to her. Don't go anywhere just yet.” She says to you as she heads to Rachel's room. You hear the door open, some muffled voices, then a loud crash, shouting, and the door shut before Anna returns with a red face. “Whatever she is going through is beyond our capabilities, I think we should start her on therapy again.”

“What happened?” Jean asks as she puts her hand on her wife's back.

“She threw her cup of markers at my head. She missed me, but I've never wanted to harm a kid more,” Anna admits. “I'm sorry, that was horrible to say,” she says with guilty eyes.

You and Jean scoff at the same time, “No, I get it. When she started giving me attitude, I suddenly realized why I got so many spankings as a kid. My goodness, I was an actual nightmare.” This makes the three of you share a laugh. Then you take a calming breath and look at Jean. “We've really been spoiled with a good kid like Rachel, haven't we?”

Jeans nods and her body deflates as well, “Yeah, we have. I guess it was only a matter of time before we got a blow up like this. She is our kid after all.”

You agree and hug both her and Anna as you start to say your goodbyes. “I'll see you lovely ladies next weekend.”

The week spent with Daisy is awkward. She remains upset about Rachel's reaction, especially since you had talked up how much your daughter was going to love her and the idea that you were finally having the love story that she has always wanted for you. Especially when she started to want siblings. Jean and Anna had already explained to her why it was different and a little more difficult for them to give her siblings. But all you could tell her was that you can't give her a sibling unless you fall in love with someone. So she started to try and help you find someone to fall in love with. For a long time, she wanted you to find someone and now that you have, you're confused why she isn't happy.

One night when Daisy is spending the night, you are cooking in the kitchen and don't realize that Daisy didn't return from the bathroom until you've finished cooking the meal. You turn off the stove and cover the pans before you go looking for her. The apartment isn't big so it's not hard to find her and you get a little upset when you find her standing in Rachel's room holding the digital picture frame that your mom got for her.

“Hey, I know you're hurt and confused but you cannot be in here,” you state calmly. It was a rule. Rachel's room has to be her safe space. If someone is not on Rachel's list, they are not allowed inside.

“I know, I know,” Daisy says as she snaps out of her thoughts. “I'm sorry, it's just. I was passing by and her door was open and then I…” she starts to trail as her focus returns to the picture frame. You frown out of curiosity of what she is seeing. “Who is this woman? Why haven't you mentioned her?” She shows you the picture on the screen and it's a picture of you and Wanda smiling at each other. You look at the picture and sigh. It switches to the picture that Vision’s private investigator took and you wonder if Tommy and Billy sent it to Rachel from their dad's phone. You're curious how they even know about it. Was he looking at it often and they caught him? Did they overhear the conversation where he threatened you with it? You don't know. But you're very curious as to why her slide show was pictures of you with Wanda.

“I have mentioned her, in fact you met her the night you slipped your number in my back pocket,” you say as you shake your head because another picture appears of you and Wanda cooking in her kitchen. “We're just friends. I think this is Rachel's way of messing with us.” You place the frame back where it belongs and sigh. “She watches a lot of those Beverly Dawson's Diaries Tree Hill Pretty Little Glee Gossip shows with my sister Kate. I'm starting to think it's not good for a smart girl like her.”

Daisy follows you out of the room and you close the door behind you but she still seems upset by the pictures. “I'm not upset about the fact that your daughter chose those pictures for her frame. I'm upset that the two of you look like you're in love.” Daisy says and you stop in your tracks.

“What?” You laugh, “That's crazy. We're just friends. I'm not in love with her.”

“It was all over your face in those pictures,” she tries to point out but you can't see it anymore. Wanda knew that you felt a certain way about her and she never confessed feeling the same. So you finally let it go when you decided to introduce Daisy to Rachel. Now everything is a disaster.

“Babe, I love you,” you state as you hold her hands. “Come on, are you really going to doubt me over a couple of pictures?” You try to get her to look at you but you can tell that she is probably spinning in her head. “She watched Rachel so that we could have dinner with my ex to talk about including you in the family. Why would either of us agree to that if we wanted to be together? I don't mean to be so blunt but honey, we’re not in a time where it's some forbidden love. If we wanted to be together, we could be.”

“So it would have been easy for you to jump into a relationship with her? And I had to convince you to even try with me?” She looks at you with pain in her eyes and pulls her hands away from you.

You shake your head, “That isn't fair. I've known you since you were younger. These days that could make me look like some sort of predator. Not to mention I was really good friends with your father. Part of my hesitation was out of respect to that man and I wasn't quite sure what would happen to that relationship once I started dating you. To be honest, it hasn't been good. He hates me now.”

“He doesn't hate you,” she rolls her eyes, tired of hearing this thought from you.

“He can't even look at me, Daisy. Did you know that I used to be able to call him up and ask him for advice or even just to talk? Any time of the day and even at night and he would always answer? Now he sends straight to voicemail. Doesn't even read a text.”

“I am so sorry that I got between you and my precious father! Maybe you two should be together! Oh wait, can't forget about Wanda!” Daisy raises her voice as she moves around the apartment, collecting her things.

“Daze, come on. I don't mean it like that. I'm happy to be with you, I'm just saying that it's different circumstances. Come on, can we please have dinner and not argue about this?” You try to get her to stay. “We've both had long days, and I won't speak for you but I'm a bit delirious, I hardly ate today. Can we please get some food in us before we both say things we don't mean?”

Daisy looks you up and down with a tight expression before sighing and allowing her body to deflate. “Yeah, okay, yeah. I could eat,” you relax a little bit as she sets her things down and follows you to the kitchen. You serve the both of you and the two of you eat together in silence. “That was very good, thank you,” she says after clearing her plate. You smile at her as you continue to eat. Then she starts laughing, “I'm sorry, I don't know why I got so insecure. You make me feel nothing but secure in our relationship.”

You reach your hand out to hold hers, “It's okay.”

“No, it's not. I've been driving myself crazy since meeting Rachel as your girlfriend. I mean, we used to have so much fun when I was just her babysitter. But I guess I can see how this can't be an easy adjustment for her.” Daisy frowns as she plays with your fingers. “And seeing that Wanda slide show clearly didn't help. Clearly she is shipping the two of you.”

You make a face, “Shipping? What's that mean?”

Daisy laughs as she shakes her head looking at you and poking her tongue to her cheek. “You're so cute when you act like you live under a rock.” You make another face and she stops you from saying anything. “Shipping is when a person, for example Rachel, wants two people together and they support the idea of those two people or characters being together. Think, Everlark for those Hunger Games fans.”

“Don't hate me, I still haven't gotten around to watching that stuff,” you confess and Daisy's eyes widen. “What? I figured that Rachel will have that phase and I'll just watch it then. Besides, I've always been more into comics and superheroes. Oh and comedies! I love a good comedy. I watched the Harry Potter movies,” you mention to try and get the shock off of Daisy's face.

“Now we both have some homework to do,” Daisy says as she rises from the table and collects the dishes from the table. “I'll wash these, you go find the first Hunger Games movie and put it on,” she directs and you laugh until you realize that she isn't kidding. You accept it and move to the living room to do as she asked and get comfortable for an impromptu movie night.

Chapter 12

Taglist: @princessprudy @sayah13 @agaymilflover @awkwardmandalorian @bentleywolf29 @thatshyboy1998 @artisannat @thisischaismagic @wqndanat @madamevirgo @likefirenrain @tearsofglitter @feltlikethat @the-writer-arcane @natashasilverfox @karsonromanoff @aloneodi @lovelyy-moonlight @red1culous @jovialsublimecomputer @natasha-maximoff @iliketozoneout @doudouneverte @druggedduck @notbornbutforged @when-wolves-howl @lifespectator @justyourwritter69 @wandaromamoff69 @awesomelygayasf @nekoannie-chan @diaryoflife @wuwu96 @wandanats-goodgirl @sincerely-indi @blueredg52 @sisiwritesfanfics @fuzzyuniversityeclipsefriend @arcturusseer @scarlettwidow34 @chasethemoon @raven-ss @canyonyodeler @sokovianbaby @alexawynters @bittysworld

#wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff imagine #wanda maximoff x y/n #wanda maximoff au #daisy johnson x reader #wonderstruck #wonderstruck series

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rottenpumpkin13 · 6 months

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inspired by that post you reblogged: the firsts + Turks + Rufus + Lazrd + Vincent Valentine (sorry for so many ahah) have an hour to make a good meal for guests, how do each of them do?

Sephiroth: Grilling ungodly amounts of meat it is. He can also make some salad. Other than that, don't expect him to cook anything elaborate lol.

Angeal: He pulls out all the stops. Pasta, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes with garlic, fried chicken, and even whips up some rice pudding for desert. Not to mention that if a guest shows up and the food still isn't finished, he will definitely pull them into the kitchen and get them to help.

Genesis: He orders from a restaurant and throws all his pots and pans in the sink to make it look like he cooked it. He also expects praise.

Rufus: "I have people who cook for my for this exact reason."

Reno: He thinks a pack of cigarettes, alcohol and some takeout is a meal.

Rude: (Fuck it latino Rude) He keeps it simple but tasty. He focuses on quantity and quality, so rice, beans, salad, some chorizo, a heapload of chopped fruit, and sauteed vegetables.

Tseng: He shocks his guests with a full three course meal + dessert. Did he cook it himself? Yes. Does anyone know how? No. Are they scared? Also yes.

Elena: She spends the entirety of the hour looking up easy recipe ideas online. When her guests arrive, she just shrugs, grabs her keys and suggests they go out for dinner.

Vincent: He's sensible. He cooks a simple pasta dish, garlic bread, a salad and pairs it with some pricey wine.

#ff7 #ffvii #final fantasy 7 #sephiroth #ffvii crisis core #genesis rhapsodos #final fantasy vii #angeal hewley #ff7 crisis core #ff7r #vincent valentine #rufus shinra #tseng ff7 #rude ff7 #reno ff7 #elena ff7 #headcanons #◉‿◉

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najia-cooks · 1 year

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[ID: Five large, enclosed bao piled on a plate. The topmost bao has been opened to show a bread-like dough texture and a vegetable filling. The bao are garnished with chopped chives. End ID]

Bánh bao chay (Vietnamese vegetable dumplings)

Bánh bao are an iteration on the Chinese da bao (大包) brought to Vietnam by Cantonese immigrants. Like da bao, bánh bao are commonly filled with some combination of minced meat, Chinese sausage, and hard-boiled eggs; however, some versions of bánh bao are also made with Vietnamese vegetables, herbs, and flavorings. Vegetarian bánh bao (bánh bao chay) may have no filling, a filling consisting of a variety of vegetables, or a filling of sweetened beans or sweet potato.

This recipe combines Vietnamese vegetables, herbs, spices, and sauces with Vietnamese meat substitutes to make a well-rounded filling that's equal parts umami and fresh. The yeasted, enriched dough is tasty, fluffy, and light, but still has enough structure to hold up against the filling.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Makes 16-20; serves 6.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

4 cups + 2 Tbsp (500g) all-purpose flour

2 tsp (7g) active dry yeast

7 Tbsp (90g) granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp (10g) baking powder (optional)

2 Tbsp (16g) cornstarch (optional)

1 - 1 1/4 cup (135-295 mL) lukewarm soy or oat milk, or water

1 Tbsp cooking oil

The basic components of this dough are flour, yeast, sugar, salt, oil, and milk. The baking powder is added to help with leavening; the cornstarch works to create a light, fluffy dough that will not become soggy when filling is added.

For the filling:

1 large carrot (100g)

4-inch piece (120g) cassava root / yuca

1 cup (100g) shiitake or wood-ear mushrooms, diced

4 large pieces (50g) sườn non chay, or 1/2 cup diced or crumbled chả lụa chay

1/2 cup water + 1/2 tsp vegetarian 'chicken' broth concentrate (optional)

50g tofu skin (đậu hủ ky)

1 red onion, minced

5 cloves garlic, chopped

4-5 chives or scallions, finely chopped

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sugar, or to taste

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

2 tsp bột nêm chay, ground to a powder (optional)

1 1/2 tsp fermented bean paste + 1/2 tsp light soy sauce (or 2 tsp vegetarian fish sauce)

2 tsp vegetarian oyster sauce

1/4 cup soybean oil, peanut oil, or other cooking oil, divided

Sườn non chay (roughly, “vegetarian ribs”) is a meat replacement made of textured soy protein. It may be found in bags online or in the pantry / dried goods section at your local Asian grocery store—the bags will be labelled “sườn non chay” as well as “vegan meat slice,” “textured soy bean protein,” “vegetarian food,” or “vegan food.” Most sườn non chay are large and pale in color, but they sometimes come in "beef" or "pork" styles—the difference is not the flavoring but rather the size, shape, and coloring of the pieces. In my experience, the "beef" ones are more darkly colored, and both "beef" and "pork" styles are smaller in size and thinner in shape than the non-specific ones, which I often use to replace chicken.

Chả lụa chay is a vegetarian version of a Vietnamese pork sausage. It can be found in the form of a large loaf in the refrigerator section of a Vietnamese or Asian grocery store. It will be labelled "chả lụa chay" or "gio lụa chay," as well as "vegetarian pork roll," "wheat meat," or "vegetarian food."

Đậu hủ ky, or tofu skin, is prepared by taking the film off of a batch of tofu as it sets. Tofu skin may be purchased fresh or dried, in sheets or in sticks: for the purposes of this recipe, any kind will work! Chinese tofu skin produced for sale abroad may be labelled "dried beancurd sticks."

Bột nêm is a Vietnamese seasoning sold in powder or granule form. Vegetarian ("chay") versions of the seasoning may contain shiitake mushroom, lotus seeds, carrots, tomatoes, and kohlrabi, as well as salt and MSG. It can be purchased in pouches or boxes from an Asian grocery store, or you can use any other vegetable stock powder.

Fish sauce and oyster sauce are common inclusions in pork fillings for bánh bao but are often simply omitted from vegetarian ones. I've used vegetarian substitutes for these ingredients—if you don't have vegetarian imitation fish or oyster sauce, just increase the amount of salt, sugar, and bột nêm to taste.

Instructions:

For the dough:

1. Heat 1 cup (135mL) non-dairy milk to lukewarm in a saucepan or in the microwave. Stir in the yeast to dissolve. if you’re not sure your yeast is alive, proof it by allowing to stand for 10 minutes—it should foam.

2. Add the baking powder, sugar, and salt and whisk to dissolve.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and cornstarch. Pour in the milk mixture and mix well to combine. Add additional milk 1 tsp at a time if it remains too dry to combine. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky.

3. Add oil and knead by hand until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for about 3 hours until doubled in size. If you live in a cold climate and don't have a proofing drawer, heat your oven on the lowest setting for a few minutes, turn it off, and then proof the dough in the oven.

For the filling:

1. Prepare the proteins. Soak the tofu skin (if you're using dried) and sườn non chay in cool water for about half an hour until rehydrated (or simmer them for a shorter amount of time). They are fully hydrated once flexible and a couple shades lighter. Gently squeeze the water out. Dice tofu skin; rip sườn non chay into small pieces lengthwise and then dice widthwise.

2. Prepare the vegetables. Peel cassava root and carrot. Cut both into a fine julienne, or grate them. Dice the mushrooms; mince the red onion; chop the garlic.

3. Cook the filling. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.

4. Add the red onion and continue to sauté until fragrant and slightly softened. Add black pepper, bột nêm, and salt and allow to cook another 30 seconds.

5. Add carrot, cassava, mushrooms, chả lụa chay (if using), and tofu skin and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, until tender. Remove from pan.

6. If using sườn non chay: in the same pan, fry sườn non chay in 3 Tbsp of cooking oil on medium until they’ve absorbed the oil. Whisk 'chicken' stock concentrate into a small amount of hot water, then add the stock into the pan. Cook until mostly dry.

Soaking in water, deep frying in oil, then simmering in a flavored broth is the typical Vietnamese preparation of sườn non chay. The simmering in stock could potentially be skipped if you're including vegetarian oyster and/or fish sauce, but personally I find that dried soy products benefit from being soaked or simmered in something other than water.

7. Mix sườn non chay in with other filling ingredients, salt, sugar, sauces, and chives.

To assemble:

1. Turn dough out from its proofing bowl and gently divide into two even parts. Cover the half you're not using and gently roll the other out into a log of even width. Use a dough cutter or sharp knife to divide the log into 8 or 10 even pieces.

2. Place each disc of dough on its side and roll it out into a circle about 5" (13cm) in diameter. The edges of the circle should be much thinner than the center, since the edges will be bundled up and folded together.

3. The folding method is the same as for baozi and momos. Hold a wrapper in the palm of your non-dominant hand and add a couple tablespoons of filling (if you’re not experienced with making dumplings, it may be easier to add less). While pressing the filling down with your non-dominant thumb, use your other hand to pinch pleated folds in the dough all the way around the circle of the wrapper. Remove your thumb and make one last fold to close the bao. Pinch firmly at the place where all the pleats come together (where the drawstring would be if it were a drawstring pouch) and give a small twist to seal.

4. Set each finished bao on a small square of parchment paper on a baking sheet or in a steamer and lightly cover with plastic wrap or a light kitchen towel. Continue folding until you have formed all of the bao.

To steam:

1. Place a bamboo steamer in the bottom of a wok or large pot, and fill the wok with enough cool water to cover the bottom rim of the steamer by ½". If you've added baking powder to your dough, you may add a splash of vinegar to the water to help neutralise the dough's pH and combat yellowing of the dough.

If you’re using a metal steamer, tie a kitchen towel around its lid to prevent condensation from dipping back down onto the dumplings. Carefully place the bao, along with their parchment paper squares, into the steamer, leaving an inch or so between each one. They will expand as they steam!

If you don’t have a steamer, place a small bowl in the bottom of a wok or large, deep pan or pot. Place the dumplings, with their parchment paper squares, on a plate and place the plate on top of the bowl–the plate should fit inside your pot. Make sure that you can cover the plate and dumplings with a lid. If your lid is domed, there is no need for a kitchen towel, since the condensation will run down towards the outer rim. If your lid is flat, tie a tea towel around it just as you would with a metal steamer. Fill your cooking vessel with 2 or so centimeters of cool water.

2. Raise the heat to high and allow the water to come to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and cover your steamer or pot. Steam the dumplings for about 8 minutes, until the dough is tender and cooked through. Keep finished bao warm in a covered casserole dish in an oven on low while you steam the others.

#vegetarian recipes #recipes #vegan recipes #Vietnamese #dumplings #carrots #cassava root #tofu skin #mushrooms #sườn non chay #chả lụa chay #fish sauce #chives

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