Things were generally quiet at the Avengers' compound, or at least as quiet as a place filled with empowered beings could be.
So when Vision heard a high-pitched yapping coming from Wanda's room, invading the usual general quietness, it was with a note of curiosity that he approached her door and tapped his crimson knuckles against it.
The yapping intensified, and he heard something scraping against the floor, and Wanda's chiding tone.
The door opened, and Wanda stood there, holding a squirming, black Labrador Retriever puppy.
"Hey, Viz," she said casually.
"Wanda," Vision said slowly. "What-?"
"It's a puppy," she stated.
"Yes, I see that. What is it doing here?"
"The 'it' is a she, Viz, and her name is Maya. Sam found her wandering around outside a few miles away, so he brought her back. Isn't she adorable?"
"You only consider puppies to be adorable because they remind humans of infants, which releases oxytocin and numerous endorphins in the brain," Vision said in lieu of a reply. "By all human standards of attractiveness, this particular canine is nowhere near-"
"She's a dog, Viz. Just say yes," Wanda laughed.
"Very well. The small dog is adorable."
"See how easy that was?" she teased. Maya, the puppy, wriggled in Wanda's arms, panting.
"You want to say hi to Viz?" Wanda cooed. "You wanna say hi?"
The dog's brown eyes were wide as the small puppy tried to get to Vision, who in turn stared warily.
He was also surprised by the pang of-
No. Did he really feel jealous of a dog?
"Come on, Viz. Say hi to Maya." Still wrangling the puppy, she shifted Maya to one arm and took Vision's hand, pulling him closer.
"Has the animal even been checked for its proper vaccinations? Rabies can be transmitted-"
"Yes, she's had her shots," Wada said impatiently. "Now pet her and say hello."
Vision reluctantly settled his fingers in the dog's fur, noting the softness. Maya craned her head and sniffed Vision before licking his fingers.
"Hello, small canine," Vision said in a monotonous voice.
The dog barked in response, tail wagging.
"I still fail to understand how we have not reached the owners of this animal," he said, scratching the dog's ears.
"Haven't been able to reach them," Wanda said simply. "Besides, we're miles away from anywhere. She's been walking for quite some time."
Vision looked down at Maya. She gazed back up at him innocently.
"Then what do we do?" he asked.
"Keep looking for her owners, I guess," Wanda said. "In the meantime, we'll just keep her here."
"The others are alright with this?"
"I'm not going to give them a decision," Wanda smirked. "They'll just have to deal with her."
"I see."
"Yeah..." A sudden smile broke out over her face. "Want to take her for a walk with me?"
"I suppose. I've never walked a dog before."
"Come on, then!" Wanda picked up a leash from a plastic bag with the PetSmart logo on it. (She'd persuaded Sam to pick up a few things.)
"Well, if you insist..."
"I do," she said firmly.
"Then we shall walk the dog."
And so they did.
This chapter is dedicated to Mysticgoats.
Sorry I haven't updated in forever; I've been working on my Once Upon A Time fic, and school's really busy...yeah.
But I wrote this, so..yay!
Guess who shook hands with Ming-Na Wen from Agents of SHIELD at Megacon on Saturday?!
Me. I did. And it was great.
Anyways, REVIEW PLEEEASE!
Playlist update: 50 songs, 6 followers