Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm just shamelessly borrowing these characters because they need a break for once.
Also, this is my first story posted on this site, so we'll see how that goes. Enjoy! =)
Wanda had just finished changing out of her "mission clothes," today just an overlarge jacket, jeans, and a baseball cap to blend in with the crowds for a simple reconnaissance op. It seemed they only ever had the one disguise, but it served well enough that she couldn't rib Steve too much over it. Wearing something a bit more comfortable to sleep in, she opened the bathroom door and stepped into her hotel room.
The room was not as she had left it. The window was open several inches, letting in the drizzly, cool night air. It was not unpleasant, and while she had fully intended to open it herself in a few moments, she was not the one that had done so. Fully alert now, she scanned the rest of the room, but saw no one. Sensing a slight movement by the door, she whirled, but instead of confronting a would-be spy, and subsequently hurling them through several layers of plaster walls, she found herself instead greeted with the familiar red-silver tones of…
"Vision," she gasped, confusion and surprise turning the name more to a startled exclamation than a greeting, "What are you doing here?"
"Forgive me, I did not mean to upset you. I was flying over Antwerp on an errand for Mr. Stark when I was alerted to certain facial recognition matches in the area. It was not difficult to track your proceedings after that."
"So you were spying on me."
"I—That is not what I intended. I only meant that—"
She smiled as he fumbled to fix his words, and cut him off with a hug. She knew what he meant. "I missed you too."
It had been nearly three months since they had last seen each other. They had hoped to meet again a month after their last encounter, but the world had been even more in peril than usual, it had seemed.
"I meant to call, but I didn't think you could make it." she said, her voice slightly muffled, neither moving to pull back.
Finally though, it was Vision that gently disengaged and gazed down at her. "I have a little time." was all he said. It was enough.
They were each enjoying the other's presence, Wanda curled up next to Vision, one arm wrapped around his waist, while he softly stroked her hair. It was late, but neither seemed inclined to sleep. Not that Vision seemed to need much rest on a daily basis anyway. And sleep would bring an end to this, hours passing unobserved and unnoticed.
"Will you leave tomorrow?" she mumbled, eyelids heavy even as she stubbornly kept them open.
His fingers stilled for a spell, before lightly resuming their absent path through her tousled hair. He seemed to be considering his words with particular care, and when he spoke it sounded as if he was trying each one in his mouth, testing to see if they fit, "I completed my task for Mr. Stark. He should be able to proceed with the information I obtained, and I believe I have earned a considerable number of days off over recent developments."
"Vis, if Stark needs you, you need to go."
"Do not misunderstand. I will not shirk my duties, but Mr. Stark has the situation well in hand, I am sure. He has also mentioned on several occasions that I might benefit from time off."
She sighed and shifted slightly, feeling a twinge of guilt, "You don't need to spend your time off here, Vis. I'm sure the world needs you more."
"On the contrary, I cannot think of a better place to spend it."
Wanda felt her cheeks warm, with affection and embarrassment both. He didn't seem to notice. Sometimes she wondered if he didn't understand the implication of his words, or if he was just unaffected by it.
"Must you leave tomorrow, Wanda?" he queried in turn.
"I don't know." she answered honestly, "Steve has us moving every day to reduce risks. Not that it will stop anyone that's determined." She smiled at him briefly, before it faded like the people out on the rain-slicked city streets into the night, and she continued, "I might be able to put it off a little while. We could walk around the city tomorrow."
"Do you have a pressing need to go somewhere specific?"
"No. Just somewhere populated. Somewhere to blend in. We'll probably lay low until something big comes up. Draws too much attention otherwise."
"Well then, Wanda… what if I were to accompany you?"
"What?"
"There is a matter in Amsterdam I believe Mr. Stark would like taken care of, if you truly wish to continue working. I am sure you and I would be more than up to the task, and the city itself is quite large enough to conceal two strangers for a time."
She buried her face in his shirt, smiling a little as she asked, "Are you suggesting we team up, Vis?"
"I believe I am." She could hear the smile and the slight chuckle in his voice without having to look up.
"What would we be doing?"
"Cleaning out a variety of unsavory individuals and reacquiring the technology they possess, I believe."
"No one I know, I hope." she teased.
"It is quite possible. They are Hydra agents."
She stiffened, memories and nightmares dominating her mind, drowning her thoughts.
"—Wanda?"
The voice snapped her out of her dark ruminations, and she looked up to find Vision staring down at her worriedly.
She licked her lips and laughed shakily, but there was no humor in it. "Sorry, bad memories." She didn't have to say anything else. He didn't fully understand, but she didn't expect him to. There was no way for anyone to understand that hadn't lived through it, but he could see how much it affected her.
He still seemed concerned, fingers unnecessarily brushing nonexistent strands of stray hair from her face. She curled into his side, arms wrapping around him as she tucked her head into his chest, both giving and receiving silent comfort. His own arms folding protectively around her, he pulled her even closer, resting his head tentatively upon hers. She did not pull back, enjoying the consoling gesture, and ignoring, for the moment, the twinge of awkward uncertainty that usually kept her from getting this close.
As moments passed in silence, Wanda finally chased away the spectres of the past enough to focus on their abandoned conversation, and when she spoke, her voice was steely, a hint of cold fire tinging the words like the magic that danced across her fingertips, "Nothing would make me happier than bringing them down."
"You do not have to accompany me." Vision prompted gently.
"No, I… want to. It feels good to do something useful. And I do, want to go with you, I mean."
She could feel him smile at that, small and warm, and oh so genuine. "Then it is settled. Tomorrow we will go to Amsterdam. But for now," he hesitantly pressed the lightest of kisses onto the top of her head, "try to sleep, Wanda. I expect we will have our work cut out for us in the morning."
The gesture would ordinarily have made her blush or sent that quiver of nervous energy running through her again, but she was so tired that she only barely registered it, much less reacted to it. Instead, she merely shifted her position ever so slightly and drifted off to sleep, Vision falling into a light rest beside her in turn. The storm outside rumbled, hovering above the sleeping city and covering it in a quiet blanket of rain as it softly, gradually eased them into slumber.