[ useless, all of it, her question of why, as if there was ever a good answer to why she was hurt in his place, why they were ever betrayed, why hydra needs to hurt so many people, who he couldn’t have better prevented it.

he shakes his head as she does, heart wrenching with the wetness dotting her tearline. no, no more crying for him. ]

I am here because of you, Wanda, for you, why else— [ he clamps down on the emotion bubbling up, hot and stinging. his hand on hers lifts to cradle her nape, unable to stop the way his voice frays. how can he explain? the words are so elusive. his lips part and an inhale sticks in his throat. ] I’m sorry, [ he repeats, ] I thought I could do something to stop them from knowing about us, but now— [ now, maybe there is no us. ]

You mean so much to me.