When you say ANYONE but Numair, do you really mean that? I've got an inkling, but if Daine/Wyldon is too weird I don't have to go there :P

I just wanted to say that I didn't even realize I ship this until just now...

It was a combination of the deep frown on her face and the way she kept hiding her hands behind her back, that made Maria walk over to Wanda and introduce herself. She got a nod and an awkward upturn of her lips Wanda probably thought could pass as a smile instead of a name she already knew.

There was something intrinsically lonely about her.

Maria, one to never back down, wasn't discouraged by Wanda's silence and kept coming back to the tower only to catch the occasional Wanda sighting, and on ever rarer occasions get her company while she was watching a movie with the right amount of silliness to keep them both entertained and relaxed without having to touch upon the matters which kept Wanda hidden in her room like a recluse out of her own volition.

Months had to go by before Wanda started eating with her, and hours upon hours before she smiled all real and bright and Maria could hear stories about Sokovia and Pietro, the half of her permanently missing. Maria shares a few stories of her own, throwing a few anecdotes about SHIELD and one or two about Fury just for good measure.

During their time together Maria is well aware of Wanda's power, of the heights she can reach, it's both magnificent and scary to witness. Maria doesn't fear her, never sees a threat in front of her, because she only can see a girl so scared of herself the world around her has become a mountain she can't climb over. Maria wants to keep repeating to Wanda that things will be okay, as she did one morning when Wanda showed her she could manage her power. Wanda was in control finally.

Except her words soon would turn into a fallacy, in their line of work your entire life can change from one moment to the other. What she can do is be there. Keep Wanda safe even when she doesn't need protection.

The world blows over again, the city is a mess of fire and ashes, collapsed buildings and scared civilians. They're right in the middle of it. Wanda is fierce, power and rage, and as she moves to fight their enemies Maria grabs her hand on an impulse, feels something completely foreign and yet so real she doesn't let go, because Wanda means something to her. Wanda stares at their clasped hands, the world burning, sirens whaling.

"Be safe," Maria says, holding onto her hand, her chest tight.

Wanda smiles, one of her real smiles she only lets the world see when it's too early for anyone but Maria to witness. Maria's universe collapses and rebuilds itself with that simple gesture. One smile to break her and keep her together.

"I will," she answers in a confident tone, squeezing Maria's hand before she walks away, stomping her feet, announcing to anyone willing to listen to be ready for her. And maybe, she doesn't need protection from alien threats, but at least she understands where Maria is coming from. Wanda will be safe for both of them.

Edited at 2016-07-08 01:54 am (UTC)

One thing Evan had sorely missed was sparring. Sure he'd learned standard hand-to-hand in officer basic training and he'd sparred with Teal’c at the SGC and Ronon on Atlantis, but he hadn’t had the chance for any true sparring in years. Once he came clean to the expedition about what he was, he'd stopped holding back in training with Teyla and Ronon, but he still hadn't gone all out.

Here on Sateda (away from the prying eyes of Marita and Seersha and other worshipful Satedan natives), Evan could show Ronon what real sparring was like.

“We’ve sparred a hundred times,” Ronon said, but he limbered up anyway.

Evan rolled his shoulders and grinned. “Yeah, but I'm pretty sure you've never sparred like this.”

“Like how?”

“This is how I learned to spar - well, really as a kid, but once I entered Forsaken training when I was twelve.” Evan swallowed down the bitter memory of being Forsaken. “There are weapons hidden all over this space. I had Danisa hide them, so not even I know where they are. First one to draw blood wins.”

Ronon raised his eyebrows. “Draw blood? That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“Okay.”

Evan and Ronon squared off. Ronon struck first. Evan shifted just his eyes so he could see heat signatures, parried Ronon’s first strike, second. They traded strikes in a flurry, point and counterpoint. Back knuckle. Passing block. Front kick. Knee block. Ankle sweep. Upward circle.

Ronon had longer limbs, better reach. He went for the clinch first. The scent of Ronon’s skin and sweat was heady, but Evan didn’t let himself get distracted. He twisted out of Ronon’s grip, swiped out, shifted claws at the last second. Drew blood.

Ronon swore and disengaged. “What the hell?”

Evan grinned again, showing off cat-like fangs. “First one to draw blood wins.”

Ronon lifted a hand to the claw scratches on his shoulder. “You - you shifted!”

“Just a little.” Evan cocked his head, flirty and taunting all at once. “Didn’t your combat instructors tell you to use every advantage in a fight?”

“Yes.” Ronon narrowed his eyes. “Round two?”

Evan barely had time to nod before Ronon lunged at him, shifting midair. Evan caught an arm around his waist, spun and slammed Ronon into the ground.

Ronon let out a yowl of surprise, but Evan wrapped his limbs up in a heartbeat, figure four choke, one arm wedged up under Ronan’s join to avoid his teeth, limbs trapped to fend off his claws.

Ronon writhed and yowled, but Evan held on, leaned in, and nipped his ear with his cat-fangs, drawing blood.

Ronon growled and shifted back to human form. “Okay, fine. So you can grapple animal forms. Let me up. We can try this again.”

Evan loosened his grip and let Ronon up, kipped up to his feet. It had been so long since he had really fought, and it felt good. They moved back to the center of their training space squared off.

Ronon learned fast. He whipped out with sudden claws, fur covering the back of his arm from shoulder to wrist. He was picking up shifting finesse quickly. Good.

Evan dodged, lashed out with a kick. Ronon caught his ankle and Evan was in True Form, speeding for the edge of the square. Ronon cursed, chased him on foot, shifted seconds later. Evan leaped. Ronon leaped. Evan landed in human form, rolled, scooped up the gun he had smelled - he loved the smell of gunpowder - and fired at Ronon, who’d overshot him, still in True Form. The wound was grazing, but it drew blood and Ronon roared in fury.

He shifted back to human form to check the graze along his ribs. “You keep changing the rules.”

“I told you Danisa hid weapons for us to use.”

A growl rumbled deep in Ronon’s chest.

Evan stepped closer to him. “One rule. First blood wins.”

Ronon sighed. “I just -”

Evan kissed him softly. “For us the rules are different. You’re not a human who sometimes looks like a cat or a cat who sometimes looks like a human. You’re more. We are more. Embrace the possibilities.”

Ronon nodded. “Okay.” He stepped back, squared off against Evan. “Let’s go again.”