Unwilling Union of Powers (Wanda Maximoff / G!P OC)

The room was wrapped in the kind of quiet that only the evening could offer — a heavy, soft silence broken only by the occasional sound of the city far below, muted behind glass, and the rhythmic hum of the heater working against the winter chill. Golden lamp light washed over the room in gentle pools, and the air carried the faint scent of lavender from the candle Wanda had lit earlier.

On the bed, the world felt like it had slowed to a tender crawl.

Kasey lay sprawled lazily across the mattress, her head carefully perched on Wanda's small bump — or at least, carefully enough in her mind. Her hand rested along the curve of Wanda's stomach, fingers absently tracing small, slow circles like she could map out the future just by feeling it. She wasn't entirely lying on Wanda, hovering ever so slightly as though the tiniest extra ounce of pressure would crush the growing little life inside. Wanda had scolded her for it at least a dozen times in the last few hours alone, reminding her — often with laughter laced through her voice — that the baby was safe and sound, protected by more than just her belly. But Kasey never seemed to fully believe it.

"You know, you're not gonna smash them," Wanda mumbled softly, her voice half-playful, half-tired, her hand reaching up to smooth Kasey's already messy hair.

"I know, I know," Kasey replied, her voice muffled against Wanda's belly. "But I don't want to risk it, okay? I'm not about to let our little nugget feel like a pancake just because I can't keep my clinginess in check."

Natasha, curled tightly against Wanda's other side like a cat in her favorite sunspot, let out a light chuckle. Her fingers threaded through Kasey's hair, twirling strands around in slow, idle patterns as her head rested on Wanda's shoulder, her body pressed close in quiet contentment.

"You do know they can't actually hear you yet, right?" Nat teased, lips quirking into that familiar smirk that always walked the fine line between affection and mischief.

Kasey's head lifted, her brow raised in mock offense, a sly grin tugging at the corner of her lips. She turned slightly, glancing up at Nat with a glint in her eye.

"Shh," she whispered dramatically, placing her finger over her lips before leaning back toward Wanda's bump. "Don't listen to Mama, baby. She didn't mean it. She's just being mean to me like always."

Natasha snorted, shaking her head as her thumb brushed over Wanda's shoulder lazily. "Oh, I'm the mean one? That's rich coming from the woman who threatened to murder the Uber driver last week because he hit a pothole."

"Hey," Kasey replied, not missing a beat, "That pothole could've caused whiplash. And glad I did now that we know I'm only looking out for our future linebacker-slash-astronaut-slash-world-saver."

Wanda rolled her eyes, the smallest laugh bubbling from her chest, and reached over to let her fingers dance softly along Natasha's ribs, drawing a quiet shiver from her. Her other hand rested against Kasey's cheek, her thumb brushing the curve of her jaw as she looked down at her girls — the two loves of her life, sprawled over her like cats with nowhere else to be. Her heart felt like it could burst from her chest at the sight.

To watch them like this — playful, soft, so wrapped up in the same future she'd once thought would never be hers — filled Wanda with more warmth than she could put into words. She could see the pride shining in both their eyes, the excitement lingering beneath every teasing word and gentle touch. They had never been more alive, more present, more whole. And knowing that this baby, this tiny new heartbeat, was the thread stitching them all together... it felt like a miracle.

"So," Kasey hummed, her head back on Wanda's stomach, "what do you guys think? Boy or girl?"

Wanda tilted her head back against the pillow, her fingers threading absently through Natasha's hair this time. "Boy," she said without hesitation, smiling softly. "I don't know why, I just... feel like it's a boy."