"So, when are you going to tell her?"

Vision jumped, Nat's teasing voice startling him from his dazed state. She let out a laugh before sinking onto the couch next to him.

"I'm sorry Miss. Romanov," He replied, shifting to make room for her. "To what are you referring?"

"Oh come on, don't give me that." She said, her eyes flicking over to the back of the room where Wanda sat engrossed in a book, stirring her coffee with a lazy twist of her hand. He followed Natasha's gaze, his own eyes lingering over the young witch. Nat gave him a knowing smirk as the realization dawned, what could be a blush beginning to color his cheeks.

"Oh no, I do not think it would be wise to share my feelings with her." He replied with a shake of his head.

"Why?"

Vision glanced at Wanda, a sad look coming over his face, before replying, "Miss Maximoff has been through so much in the last few months, I do not believe she needs to have even more to worry about. Also, she is human, I am not. I cannot give her...certain things such a relationship would entail."

Natasha let out a low whistle, "Well that answers that question." she said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing, nothing," She quickly deflected, "Look, Vision, people like us don't get a lot of chances at happiness. When you do get it you have to run with it, and sure," She sighed, her shoulders slumping so slightly he almost didn't notice, "It might not work out. But its always worth a shot."

He looked at her carefully. He knew some of what happened between her and Dr. Banner, but only what others had told him in hushed tones when she was out of ear-shot. He wasn't one to press for answers, but something about the far-away look in her eyes made him think that she was speaking from experience.

As quickly as the mood had come it passed, and she patted him on the back roughly. "Talk to her." She added, before getting up and walking away.

Vision sat there for a while, silently mulling over what Natasha had told him. His gaze drifted back to Wanda often. It was true what she said, that the lives of humans, especially the those of 'earth's mightiest heroes' were often short and filled with sorrow and uncertainty. Perhaps he and Wanda could find happiness, however fleeting. Still, something held him back. He wasn't sure if it was fear, or something deeper, but he just couldn't get himself to take the risk, walk those few feet, take her in his arms...

No. It was better this way. She would live her life free of any pain he might cause, and he would look on from the shadows, silently loving her.

–

And he did. Standing by her but never with her. Gazing at her longingly over such short distances, never letting himself get to close, convinced it was better this way.

Wanda on the other hand, flourished. Though the hole her brother left was, at times, almost too much to bear, she now had something she had never dreamed of, friends. Under the careful eye of Steve and Natasha she gained a new found mastery over her powers, taking the first shaky steps towards flight, something she could only have dreamed of back in Sokovia. With help from Sam she learned to trust others and work as a team, and to live with the pain of her past. When Clint sent her the video of his new son, lovingly named after her brother, she truly could say that she was happy again. And yet she often felt there was something missing. She was guilty of spending long minutes staring at the marvel that was Vision, and though she swore to not read another's mind without permission, she got a distinct feeling that he was hiding something from her.

She tried to confront him about it, to just become closer to her teammate, but her attempts were met with an almost forced feeling of friendship and a closed off mind. Sometimes the conflicted tension radiating off of him was so thick she could practically feel it weighting her down. But Vision was adamant that nothing was wrong, and all she could do was accept it.

It was very possible that they would have continued on in this way for the foreseeable future, dancing around each-other in distant circles, had their next mission not gone the way it did

–

It was simple enough, a small contingency of HYDRA loyalists holing up in a bunker in Iceland. What they didn't count on was them having weapons beyond anything they had seen so far. Illegal arms dealings funded by a few corrupt governments helped turn what should have been an easy fight into an all out war, both sides giving everything they had.

As the fight headed into its third hour the team was standing on their last legs. They were split up. Flacon had broken one of his wings and was just barely holding his own on the ground, while War Machine tried offer cover from the air while dodging missiles and bullets. Steve and Vision were fighting back to back, trying to thin the ranks of soldiers surrounding them, but even Vision was showing signs of weakening.

"Is anyone starting to think we should call this one?!" Natasha shouted over the coms, her voice strained.

"We have to get in there. We cant let HYDRA re-group like this." Steve replied.

"I believe Miss Romanov is right. We may need to make a tactical retreat. We can regroup and come back with reinforcements. It is only-

Wanda tried to listen as they argued, but the pain from a bullet lodged deep in her shoulder was proving to great to ignore. She had been pinned behind a overturned bus for the better part of an hour, just barely keeping her attackers at bay, but with every minute they got closer, the wound making it hard to even loose the occasional bolt of magic.

"I could use some back up here." She whispered. Her voice was tired and weak and the others argued over her, not hearing her pitiful call for help. She was about to resign herself to just giving up, when Vision's worried voice broke through the arguing.

"Miss Maximoff are you alright?"

Wanda could have cried with relief, "No...no I was hit. Shoulder. Im pinned behind a bus, I don't know where. I need backup," She paused to cough and hurl an attack in the direction of the gunmen, "I cant hold them off much longer."

Before he could reply a bullet exploded next to her head, and she let out a scream, her ears ringing. She dropped flat against ground and gave one last feeble attempt at reaching out with her mind, to anyone, but her powers simply sparked around her, weak and directionless.

"Damnit..." she whispered before her eyes slid shut, succumbing to the blood loss and exhaustion.

–

When Wanda woke she was laid out on a table in one of the jets. Her wounds had makeshift bandages on them, the soft, gold material catching her eye. She fingered it carefully with her good arm while taking in her surroundings. She saw Natasha sitting over to the side, battered, bruised and half asleep, but very much alive. She tried to call out to her, but she only produced a broken whisper, so she reached out with her mind. She felt the tired minds of Steve and Sam nearby, and after a few less than subtle prods Nat looked up at her.

"Well look whose awake." Her voice was weak but she still managed a smile, "Glad you're ok kid."

Wanda smiled back, and send out a general feeling of happiness, followed by confusion.

"I'll tell you about it when we get back. Right now you need your sleep." Wanda nodded, before letting herself slip effortlessly back into dreams.

–

When she opened her eyes she was in the hospital wing of the facility, feeling sore but rested. Her heart monitor beeped steadily, and when she reached out she felt the calm minds of the nurses in the hall, and her teammates in the rooms around her. Once she was sure everyone was alive, she let herself relax, lying back into the pillows and sighing, humming quietly when she found her voice was once again working.

She rested for a while, slipping in and out of consciousness, until the doors slid open and Natasha walked in. She wore a pajama pants and a tank top, and her hair held back in a messy bun. She smiled in greeting and shuffled over to Wanda's bedside chair.

"Well that was one hell of a fight, huh?" She sighed, getting comfortable. Wanda noticed that she favored her left leg, and winced slightly when she jostled it the wrong way.

"Suppose you want filled in on what happened after you checked out?"

Wanda nodded, "Please."

"Well we didn't win, not by a long shot. After you went down Sam got hit pretty bad, and Rhodey was pretty much out of commission too, so Cap called it. I managed to grab Sam, Vision went for you, and we hightailed it." She shifted again, sighing, "It wasn't easy though, something about running away makes the other team fight even harder. We all got our fair share of bumps and bruises. Cap too, though you wouldn't know it from the way he heals."

"Is everyone ok?"

"More or less, I messed up my leg, Sam got a nasty concussion and some broken ribs, Rhodey got away with some burns and scrapes. Cap got shot a few times, and Vision...well it's not pretty." Wanda's eyes widened and she instinctively reached out for his mind, finding it far away and quiet.

"I didn't even know he could get hurt, not like that, but Dr. Cho claims he's as human as the rest of us, just stronger." She continued, "He's going to be fine, but might need more than a few sessions in the cradle to fix everything." Wanda sighed, relieved, but kept a connection to his mind open, her worries not entirely soothed.

"What happened to him?" She asked, resisting the urge to delve into Nat's mind and take the information the fast way.

"He saved you. After you called for backup he dropped everything to find you. When he did he said you had lost a lot of blood, and bandaged you up as best he could, but those HYDRA bastards weren't letting up. He had to fight them off before he could get you out of there. He took a lot of hits, lost a lot of blood, broke a few bones. If it wasn't for the stone I doubt he would have made it."

Nat looked at her then, careful concentration adorning her features. "Did you ever get inside his mind?"

Wanda shook her head, "No, not after the first two times. I was told not to invade anyone's privacy. Besides, Im sure he would have known if I had. The mind stone lets him read people too."

"Yeah, thats what I thought." Nat said, "Look its not really my place to say anything, but people don't just do that for anyone. You're important to him. More than I think even he knows."

"Me?" Wanda replied, a shock and confusion coloring her features. Nat shook her head, laughing, "Oh my, you kids are gonna be the death of me. Listen. Talk to him. He's got it in his head that hes not good enough for you. I tried to talk him out of it but he wont listen to me. You need to confront him about it, and don't take no for an answer."

"I will." Wanda answered, nodding.

"Good. Now Im gonna go get some more pain killers. You get some rest. Im sure the others will come see you soon. Clint's worried sick, though he wont admit it." Natasha smirked, waving as the limped out of the room, leaving Wanda to her thoughts.

–

It was days before Wanda was strong enough to go visiting. She had never been shot before, and the healing was taking longer than she had expected. Her whole right arm was out of commission, tied up in a sling. She was under strict orders not to agitate the wound, and given a hearty dose of painkillers daily to help make everything bearable.

When she finally found time to shuffle down to Vision's room it was mid-afternoon. She knew he had just come back from a session with Dr. Cho, and would be resting, the perfect time to strike. While what Nat had told her had shocked her. She usually would brush such things off. Yet she the feeling that there was more to Vision than he let on drove her curiosity. She had to know why he risked his life for her, and on a deeper level, why she cared so much that he was ok.

She stared at the door for a second, before reaching out and rapping her knuckles against it.

"Come in." Vision's cool voice called out. She pushed open the door and entered, taking in her surroundings. The lights were dim, the room in almost pristine condition. The bed didn't even look slept in. "Miss Maximoff?" She turned to see him sitting by his window, a book held loosely in his hands. He had bandages all along his chest and arms, and wore only some baggy pants that she doubted were of his own creation. In an instant he was at her side, worriedly reaching out for her.

"Are you sure that you should be up Miss Maximoff? You lost nearly two pints of blood and sustained multiple fractures to your shoulder, as well as slight damage to your left ear. I think it would be best if you-" Wanda listened impatiently as he worried over her, her eyes tracing over his bandages. She reached out with her good arm, her fingers ghosting over a particularly bad area on his chest. Why had he done this for her? She knew he was strong, stronger than even Steve. But he wasn't indestructible. He shouldn't have risked himself like that, not for her.

"Miss Maximoff?" Vision's confused voice called out. She looked up and realized that she had grasped tight to the bandages under her hand.

"Vision, why did you do this?" she said, her grip tightening.

"Im sorry?"

"Why did you risk your life for me?" She said, her tight with worry and confusion, "Why?"

"You are my teammate. As I have come to understand this is what being part of a team means." He smiled then, a tense, fake one that sent anger flaring through her.

"Don't lie to me."

"I do not lie, Miss Maximoff."

"Stop calling me that! My name is Wanda. I have told you to use my name. And you are lying by omission." She let out a frustrated sigh and dropped her hand, "Ever since we joined this team you have been keeping something from me. I can feel it. You are always so distant. I almost thought that you did not like me, that I must have done something to upset you, but then you go and do this! I don't know what you think, but I know that being part of a team means that you do not keep secrets. You don't distance yourself from people who care about you. Now I want the truth. What is going on?"

Vision sighed deeply, and let his gaze drop to the floor, "I do not hate you Mis...Wanda. You have done nothing wrong. The fault is my own. I..." He let out what sounded like a conflicted groan, the tense feeling filling the air around them. "This is harder than I thought it would be."

He looked up at her then, his eyes filled with emotion. It hit her like a physical force, gluing her to the spot. He reached out and took her good hand in his, delicately tracing the veins that ran under her skin.

"Wanda," He continued, "I do care about you. Deeply. I want you to be happy, to be safe. When I heard that you had been hit...I...I was overcome. I did not know what I would do if something happened to you...if you were to d..." He stopped then looking down again. Wanda stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest. This is what he had been keeping from her? "I do not know if androids can feel love but...I think I may feel something close to it for you, Wanda. That is why I have been distant. I did not think it was fair to burden you with this after all you had been through. I thought it best to keep my feelings to myself."

Wanda reached out with her mind, and felt it. Deep under his uncertainty, his pain, there was love. How had she not noticed it before? She smiled, letting the warm feeling wash over her. It had been a long time since she felt something to pure, so true. It felt right.

"Wanda?" She looked up then, Vision's eyes meeting hers, a regretful look overtaking his features. "I am sorry I should not have said anything. Please, forget I-" He was cut off as her lips covered his in a gentle kiss. It was pure, filled with happiness and hesitancy, with hope for something more, hope for the future. When she pulled away he looked down at her with amazed disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something, but her hand covered it.

"It is tradition in human courtship to take your potential partner on a date." She said, unable to hide her smile, "My room. Tonight. Dinner. No need to dress up." She laughed then, and he smiled.

"It would be my pleasure, Wanda." He replied. She reached up and kissed him lightly on the cheek before turning and making her way back to her room. She had a dinner to plan.

Vision stood in the middle of his room, a content smile playing across his face. Perhaps what Nat said had been true. Things would not be easy, they were superheroes, and he could not always be there to protect her. They may fight, worry over each other. They may never have a...traditional family. But she was willing to give it a shot, to run with it. And he was so grateful to have that. To have her.

He was still standing there when Natasha hobbled into his room. She smirked when she saw his almost blush and goofy smile. "So, how'd it go?" She teased.

He looked down at the ground, his smile growing, "I have been invited to dine in Wanda's room tonight."

"Well I hope you're not planning on wearing that." She said gesturing to his scant attire. His blush grew at his bare chest. He consciously crossed his arms "No, perhaps not."