Chapter Three

After successfully handing her paper in on Monday, Wanda had found herself in a rather sticky situation that very same day. She sat across from Vision in the busy college canteen, practically devouring her much-needed lunch, when a tall red-headed girl had approached Vision. He had nervously turned to face the girl, and had a rather confused look on his face as she spoke to him. "Um, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment?" the girl had asked quietly, but Wanda had heard every word. She raised an eyebrow and decided to listen in. This could be interesting. "Of course. And you are?" Vision asked, ever the gentleman. "My name is Sarah. I just wanted to ask you something," She nervously glanced at Wanda and then back to Vision. He was about to respond when she leaned down and whispered something into his ear, and Wanda looked on in confusion as she hadn't heard a damn word. What the hell was with this girl? Vision jumped back from her after she finished speaking, almost stammering as he spoke, "No... I- Actually I'm not available," Wanda noticed the red-haired girl glare at her, then back at Vision. "Sorry for bothering you," she mumbled, and angrily walked off. Vision watched in disbelief as the girl pushed past people on her way to the door, and he turned back to face Wanda who looked incredibly shocked.

"What the heck was that all about? Are you okay, Vizh?" Wanda asked, placing a gentle hand on Vision's arm. He nodded, gazing down at the small hand on his arm. "Yes, I'm alright, Wanda. Thank you. She told me I was really... 'really hot', and asked me if I was single," he said, his gaze transferring to the milk carton on Wanda's tray as the shock set into him and his eyes widened. Wanda would have laughed at his expression but she was far too concerned, and also slightly pissed off at the girl. "Vizh, are you sure you're alright? Do you get asked that a lot?" Wanda asked, her hand gently tracing a pattern down his arm to rest on his hand, where she stopped for a moment, drawing small shapes on his palm. "I'm fine, really. Actually that was the first time someone has said that to me," Vision whispered as he stared at Wanda's soft hand on his own. Wanda gasped, finding that hard to believe. "Really?" Vision nodded, noticing Wanda seemed genuinely shocked. "Yes, really," He said with a soft laugh, running a hand through his blonde hair. "But you said you weren't available?" Wanda asked him, noticing a look of panic spread over his pale face. "I- Well, you see..." She decided to tease him a little. "Come on, Vizh, you can tell me who it is. I'm your best friend after all. Don't keep secrets from me," she whispered softly, and she saw his pale skin turn slightly pink as he blushed. "Wanda, I- I have to go," he replied, and before Wanda has a chance to stop him, he was gone. Shit. Realisation began to hit Wanda. She had never told him he looked cute, or hot, or handsome. She had called him smart, amazing, wonderful, 'my best friend', and most importantly, 'Vizh'. She had never told him how she really felt about him. Yeah, they did flirt but Wanda didn't think he actually saw her in that way until she remembered their conversation in the library last night. Did he actually have feelings for her? What if he thought she wasn't interested? She grabbed her bag and ran out after him; she reached the main corridor and frantically searched for him. Damn it! Where did he go? She ran towards the door, hoping he'd be outside in their usual spot. No. He wasn't there. Wanda panicked. She searched the library, the main entrance, and all the classrooms they have lectures in. She leaned against the wall in defeat, her head falling into her hands and she cursed herself for being so stupid. It was obvious now. What had he said last night? "I'm just happy to spend time with you. I'd do anything to make you smile," the words echoed in her head as she desperately pulled her phone out of her bag in a desperate attempt to fix this mess she had created.

"Hey, Vision. Watch where you're going!" Vision completely froze and found himself face to face with a very stern looking Natasha. "Miss Romanoff," he sighed, placing his hands on his knees as he caught his breath before he straightened his posture. "Are you okay?" she asked, noticing that he seemed exhausted from running, and as a result he had almost knocked her over. "Why are you in the gym? Change of course or something?" she said with a grin, curiously watching as he shook his head. "I didn't aim specifically for the gym, Miss Romanoff. I was running away," he replied firmly. "From who?" she asked, praying that he didn't say- "Wanda." Natasha cleared her throat. "What? But you guys are best friends? Why would you run away from her?" She asked in confusion, wondering what could have happened between them over the past few days. "We are. She means a lot to me. I simply panicked, that is all. I overreacted and could not respond to her question. I must find her and apologise," he said, his voice laced with regret. Natasha raised her hand, "Okay, okay. Time out. Sit down and tell me what happened," she said as she pointed to the bench at the side of the large gymnasium.

Vision nervously glanced at Natasha, waiting for her to respond to him after he had told her what had happened earlier between him and Wanda. He had no idea why he suddenly trusted her so much, but he felt like he had no other choice but to confide in her. "Jeez, Vision... Okay, so some girl came over and called you hot and asked if you were single? Of course Wanda is gonna be jealous! It's natural. She really likes you," Natasha said, noticing Vision's shocked facial expression. "She seemed to be in shock when I told her that no one had called me hot or asked if I was single before," Vision replied, and Natasha laughed. "Well of course she'd be shocked, you're super cute and honestly, I'm surprised you're single. Wait... You told the girl you weren't available. Why?" Vision's phone suddenly vibrated, and he immediately reached into his satchel to retrieve it. It was a message from Wanda.

To: Vision

Vizh, I'm sorry. Please, please talk to me. I'll meet you at our usual spot.

From: Wanda

"It's Wanda. I have to go," Vision whispered, his soft voice barely audible. He placed his phone back in his satchel, and ran towards the door, leaving Natasha with many unanswered questions.

Wanda sat on the stone steps, admiring a small butterfly which made its way through the tall blades of grass. She clutched her phone to her chest, praying that he would see her message and come to her. She had to apologise to him right now. God, why did she have to mess things up all the time? She heard footsteps behind her, and immediately turned around. "Vizh," she gasped, standing up and running towards him, taking hold of one of his soft hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" she was interrupted by Vision. "Wanda. Please accept my sincerest apologies for my behaviour earlier. It was wrong of me to ignore your question and run away. I have obviously caused you pain and for that I am truly sorry," he whispered softly, staring down into her gentle blue eyes, when he noticed a tear slip down her face. He gently leaned forward and wiped the tear from her clear skin, causing her to gasp. He leaned down to speak into her ear. "The reason why I told her I wasn't available was because of you," he whispered tenderly into her ear, and slowly moved back to face her when he heard a small sob. "Wanda, please don't cry," he said softly, wiping both her eyes with his soft touch. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, embracing her as he whispered "It's alright, I'm here," into her soft, wavy hair. They stood like this for several moments, Wanda tightly holding onto his tight-fitting shirt, not caring that she was making the front of his shirt wet with her tears. Vision gently stroked her back in a soothing motion, enjoying the feeling of having her so close to him, actually being able to touch her without feeling nervous. When did he get so confident? "Vizh," it was barely a whisper, but Vision had heard her. He slowly moved backwards, allowing her to raise her head and look up at him. Her lower lip seemed to quiver, and her eyes were still moist with tears. "I... I shouldn't have said what I did back then. Demanding that you tell me your secrets," Wanda whispered, biting her lip as she held back another sob. "Wanda, you don't have to apologise. You're my best friend," Wanda felt her heart warm as he said this, his tender smile instantly calming her down. "I wanted to explain to you there and then, but something stopped me. I'm not sure why. I think I was simply too nervous," he whispered, noticing that Wanda had calmed down and her breathing had almost returned to its normal pace. "But now I can tell you. I- Wanda, I like you," he said, the last few words were almost inaudible. Wanda didn't even realise she had let out a small gasp, suddenly feeling unsure of how to respond. He watched her, nervously waiting for her response. She was staring right into his soul, her mouth open as she struggled to speak. "W- Wanda?" he stammered, suddenly feeling his anxiety returning as she did not have a response. "I like you too, Vizh," she whispered, suddenly feeling a wave of relief wash over her as she said those words aloud. God, why didn't she tell him sooner? "You... you do?" Vision gasped in disbelief, his voice suddenly cracking, not expecting her response to be what it was. "Of course I do, Vizh. I've liked you since we first met," she said with a soft smile, noticing his expression was one of complete and utter happiness. "Oh, you look really cute right now," she whispered, noticing his expression soften and his blush return to his cheeks as he looked down at his shoes for a moment. "Wanda, I- I didn't think that you..." he trailed off, his gaze firmly locked onto his smart black shoes. Wanda slowly stepped closer, hearing the blonde-haired boy gasp as she gently placed a hand at either side of his face and brought his head up to face her. "Vizh?" "I didn't think that you would like someone like me," he continued, "You... You're beautiful, Wanda," Wanda could feel herself blush, letting out a small giggle as it was now her turn to look down at her black boots, and she felt his hands take hold of hers, removing them from his face and bringing them up to kiss them tenderly. "Vizh, I-" she whispered, looking up from her boots and back to him as she let out a soft gasp. "I wish we could stay out here like this forever, but sadly we have to get back inside," she said solemnly as he frowned in response. "I know, Wanda. I know..." he whispered softly, taking her hand as they slowly walked back in doors, neither of them noticing the blonde-haired girl who watched from the corner of the door with a sly grin on her face.

After a lecture which felt like it lasted for eternity, Vision and Wanda were finished with college for the day. Wanda was gathering her things back into her bag when her phone suddenly vibrated; she picked it up and quickly checked who it was.

To: Wanda

I'm glad you two love-birds finally admitted it to each other. Let me know all about it tomorrow at lunch.

From: Natasha

Wanda gasped, throwing the phone into her bag as she picked up her cardigan and headed to the door, not realising that Vision had glanced over and had read the message too. "Wanda, I-" he whispered, touching her shoulder as she headed out the door in front of him. "It's alright, Vizh. It was just Nat. She must have seen us outside earlier. I swear she's like a cat or something, she just sneaks up on you and you don't even know it," she said softly, trying to reassure Vision who suddenly seemed very flustered. "Wanda, I have a confession to make. Earlier today, when I ran off, I bumped into Natasha. I explained to her what had happened between us in the canteen, and she gave me some advice. She already knew my feelings for you," he whispered, and Wanda could see he was clearly nervous to tell her this. "Vizh, it's okay. It doesn't change anything. She knew that I had feelings for you too. She's probably really happy that we both finally admitted it to each other. I guess tomorrow will be interesting," she said with a soft giggle, taking hold of Vision's hand as they made their way outside. "I hope she doesn't tease us too much," he replied, smiling softly as he realised he shouldn't worry that someone else knew of their new-found relationship. Relationship. What an interesting feeling. "Wanda, I- Would you like to come with me? We could have some coffee, and maybe talk about our next assignment if you like," he asked, hoping she would say yes. She looked up at him with an excited smile on her face as she nodded. "Of course, Vizh, lead the way!"

This wasn't the first time they had hung out at the little coffee shop, as the barista knew both their orders off by heart and had even reserved them a little corner table so they'd have access to some power sockets. Wanda pulled her tablet out of her bag and quickly plugged it in, hoping it would turn on as soon as possible so she could show him her progress on her paper. Vision quickly appeared with the two drinks, a wad of napkins, and a large pile of sugars. Wanda thanked him and started to add the sugars to her drink, absentmindedly moving closer to Vision as she made herself comfortable. "Alright Vizh, here's what I have so far," she said as she passed her tablet to him, watching him as he carefully read her paper so far.

"I didn't expect it to rain! I don't even have a jacket," Wanda gasped as they headed out of the coffee shop after some three hours of talking, flirting, and 'researching'. "You'll catch a cold if you walk all the way to the train station, Wanda. Come with me, my house is nearby," Vision smiled, wrapping his arms around her and she did her best to use her light cardigan as a hood. "You're getting soaked, Vizh," she replied, frowning as the rain was getting heavier by the second. "We're almost there, don't worry," Vision reassured her, leading her into a tall building which seemed to tower over every other building in the area. "Vizh? Where are we going?" she asked, suddenly feeling very confused about his 'house'. "Wanda, it's alright. We're going to the top floor," he replied, gently pushing her wet hair out of her eyes as they walked into the elevator. Her vision suddenly went blurry from the water on her face as she tried to read the large neon sign before the door closed, and all she managed to catch was an 'S'.

Moments later, they arrived at the top floor of the building. Wanda found herself feeling quite nervous, but she calmed down when Vision gave her a reassuring smile. They slowly walked out of the elevator, water still dripping from them. "M- my father won't be home for another hour, so we have time to get dried off and I can make you something to eat if you'd like," he said as he took her hand, leading her to a large metal door which slid open as they approached. Wanda gasped. This place was huge! "Vizh, you live here?" she gasped, walking towards the large couch and television, admiring the sheer size of the place. The walls were entirely made of glass, and Wanda found herself staring out into the city. "This view... It's beautiful," she whispered, taking in the entire city as she gazed down to the streets below and back up to the rows of tall buildings. She didn't notice Vision was stood right next to her, looking at her as she admired the view. "Yes, it is. It's the most beautiful view I've ever seen," he whispered softly, and Wanda turned to face him, her face turning pure red as she realised he was talking about her. "Vizh," she laughed, ducking her head down so he couldn't see her embarrassed expression. "No one has ever complimented me like that before," she whispered, laughing nervously as she reached out to take his hand. "Thank you," she said with a smile, quickly looking up to see a bright smile spread over his face. "Wanda, let's go get cleaned up. We're both soaking," Vision replied as he shook his head a little as a droplet of water dripped down his cheek. Wanda's breath caught in her throat. He looked even cuter with all this water dripping down him. Damn. "Come with me," he said softly as he lead Wanda down a long corridor, "You can use this bathroom, Wanda," he whispered, pointing to the large room on his left and Wanda almost gasped. Bathroom? This bathroom was bigger than her freaking house! She nodded and walked in, "Thanks Vizh," she said as she closed the door slowly, watching as he walked into another room further down, which did not look like a bathroom, but rather a bedroom. Maybe he had an en suite?

Wanda turned around to face the massive bathroom. There was a bath, a shower, a Jacuzzi, a toilet, two sinks, a chaise longue, and a wardrobe. Who needed all this in one room? It was crazy. She slowly started to undress, feeling instantly better as the cold clothes were removed from her and she started to regain some warmth. She stepped into the large shower, and was instantly met with warm water. She sighed in content as she was warmed up, enjoying the heat of the water and the steam which took over the whole room. As she stepped out of the shower, she noticed that her wet clothes were gone and were replaced with dry ones. What the heck? She looked around in confusion. She hadn't heard the door open. She grabbed a towel and quickly dried herself, grabbing her clothes and shoving them back on. She moved over to the sink and noticed a hairdryer and brush, and began to dry her long, wavy hair. When she was finished, she slowly opened the door, looking for Vision. "Vision?" she walked along the long corridor to the room that she had watched him go into and knocked on the door. "Vizh, it's me," Wanda said softly, hoping he was in there. She waited a couple of moments, hearing nothing but silence, when suddenly a voice from the other end of the long corridor called on her.

"Wanda, are you alright?" Vision asked from the end of the corridor which led back to the large living room. She nodded, hurriedly walking towards him. "I'm feeling much better Vizh, I was just looking for you," she replied with a soft smile, reaching out to accept his open hand. She brushed off her question about the dry clothes; maybe she'd ask him about it tomorrow. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked, walking her along to the large kitchen area. "I can make you something to warm you up, perhaps some homemade soup?" he said with a gentle smile that made her heart flutter. "That would be great, Vizh, thank you," she replied, a slight brush spread across her cheeks as she watched him grab all the utensils and items he would need to make it. She sat down at the large dining table, and watched as he began to slice up some vegetables. "Your house is incredible," Wanda sighed, smiling as she looked around the kitchen and dining area, "It's huge," she laughed. Vision raised his head, "My father designed this building himself," Vision replied, watching as Wanda's eyes almost bulged out of her head. "Your father must be a very talented man," she said as she admired the architecture of one particular section of the kitchen. Vision simply nodded, placing the chopped vegetables into a large pot as he began to cook the soup. Moments later, a steaming bowl of delicious soup was placed in front of Wanda. "Thanks Vizh, it smells amazing," Wanda said as she inhaled the delightful aroma of Vision's homemade soup. She instantly recognised the colour of it. It looked like... No, it couldn't be.

"Are you not having any?" Vision shook his head and said he wasn't feeling hungry. She began to dig in, her facial expression changing to one of pure bliss as she ate the first spoonful. Vision watched her with a curious expression on his face, praying that she would like the soup. "It's incredible," she sighed, "It reminds of the soup my mother used to make," she said quietly, almost as if she was speaking to herself. "I recently read a book about Sokovian recipes. I decided to make this particular soup for you. I hope it is alright," Vision said calmly, smiling at Wanda's peaceful expression as she ate the soup. Wanda suddenly felt extremely touched. Not only had he made a whole pot of soup just for her, but he had took the time to read a Sokovian recipe book, pick out her favourite type of soup, and gather the perfect ingredients for it. She was so lucky to have him. "It's perfect, thank you," she whispered, her breath catching in her throat. "Wanda?" Vision moved closer, sitting down on the chair next to her, a concerned expression on his face. "Are you alright?" Wanda felt his gentle hand touch hers, his thumb rubbing over her back of her hand. "Vizh, I just can't believe you went to all this effort for me," she replied, turning to gaze up into his soft blue eyes. "I'd do anything for you, Wanda," he whispered, gently picking up her hand and placing a gentle kiss on the side of it. "I'm just going to clean up," he said softly, smiling as he slowly stood up and made his way over to the large kitchen unit, gathering up the items he had used to make the soup and placing them in the sink. Wanda enjoyed every last drop of the soup, smiling down at the empty bowl, and back up to Vision. "That was wonderful, Vizh," she said, slowly standing up as she carried the bowl over to him, placing it next to the sink. "I'm almost finished cleaning up. I'll walk you back to the train station, Wanda. The rain has finally stopped," he announced, washing up the large ladle before picking up her bowl and spoon and placing them in the warm, soapy water. "Thanks Vizh, I'll go and grab my boots," she replied with a smile, walking towards the door where she had abandoned her black boots, slipping them back on and grabbing her backpack, she headed back to the kitchen, where Vision had just finished tidying up. "Ready?" Wanda nodded, watching as Vision slowly walked towards her, making sure her cardigan was tightly wrapped around her to keep her warm. He passed her a small brown paper bag. "For you," he whispered softly, and Wanda curiously looked inside, smiling like an idiot when she saw it was a large plastic container filled with the rest of the soup he had made. "Thank you, Vizh," she blushed, taking hold of his hand as they headed out to the elevator.

"My train is running late. Great," Wanda sighed, not realising how cold it was outside. "I wish I was smart enough to bring a jacket to college, but here we ar-" she paused when Vision suddenly took off his long coat and draped it over her shoulders. "Vizh? But, you're only wearing a t-shirt? Aren't you cold?" Vision laughed softly as Wanda tried to give him his coat back, finding his cheeks suddenly warm again. It was so sweet how much she cared about him. He gently pushed the coat back onto her shoulders. "Wanda, it's alright. As long as you are warm," he whispered, gasping as she buried her face into his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist. "Promise me you'll never leave me," she blurted out, not even realising the full extent to what she had just asked him. Before she could say anything else, he had responded with a soft whisper of "I promise."