AN: Enjoy! This chapter has some minor tie-ins to the one-shot 'On Lonely Nights, Think Of Me', but you don't have to read that to understand what's going on.
Vision tried to keep the increase in his recurring headaches a secret from Wanda when he was with her. He didn't want to add to the feelings of stress that she was experiencing as her pregnancy progressed. Didn't want to become another thing on the list of things she had to be concerned about.
Unfortunately, Wanda had a tendency to notice when he was in any sort of pain, and would fuss over him. Vision didn't like that at all. With all the aches and pains of later pregnancy, he should be the one fussing over her.
As much as his heart ached to be with her, it was easier to keep his problem secret when they were apart .
At least, it had been, until someone, someone at twenty-seven weeks gestation and about the size of a cauliflower- began to sense his Daddy's pain across the world.
In the Secret Avengers safe house, Wanda's eyes snapped open, woken by a frantic kicking from one of the babies within her womb. She had grown used to Tommy's midnight acrobatics, and as such, they did not usually wake her, except when he landed a blow to her bladder.
The difference tonight was that the kicks had come from Billy, waves of panic exuding from him. Billy was usually always calm at night. Wanda sat up, her hand flying to her swollen belly.
"Billy.. dulce inima, What is the matter?"
"Dada! Dada hurting!"
"Oh.." Wanda felt a lump in her throat, but tried to push her own worry aside, not wanting it to affect Billy, who was clearly becoming a little psychic sponge. "I'm sure Daddy is fine.. He gets headaches sometimes. Lots of people get headaches."
"Wanda?" Natasha's voice was heard through the door. "Is everything alright? Who are you talking to?
"Just.. the copii" Said Wanda, a little embarrassed.
"Alright then.. Yell out if you need anything."
As Vision didn't know that Billy was sensing his pain, and spilling the beans to Wanda, the information couldn't trouble him.
Instead, he was much more concerned with a little project he had undertaken, a project that managed to distract his synthetic brain from the headaches when they came.
A project inspired by something Wanda had said during their last visit.
"Do you still think I'm beautiful?"
Vision had answered, firmly, that yes, she was. But in his eyes, the fact that she even had to ask that question meant that he must have done something wrong. Wanda should already know how beautiful he thought she was. How beautiful he would always think she was. To him, Wanda Maximoff was perfection. An angel. A Goddess.
Vision wanted Wanda to see what he saw when he looked at her. The best way to accomplish this he thought, was through artwork.
She already had one of his paintings, kept hidden, away from the prying eyes of the other Avengers.. one she'd posed for, a situation that had lead to a private, passionate moment between the two of them. Wanda had asked for the painting, wanting to know what Vision saw when he looked at her. Maybe the message had not quite stuck, so, a refresher was in order.
When he was painting Wanda.. When his mind was focused completely on her.. His headaches didn't bother him.
Unfortunately, he could not be painting all the time.
"Mama! Dada hurts!"
Wanda, again, fought away the pang in her heart that this caused.
"Daddy will be okay. Soon he's coming to see us" She gently stroked her belly. "Then, in another few weeks, we're all going to Wakanda to wait for you and your brother to be born. Mama and Daddy can't wait to see you both, and sa te imbratisez.."
"See Mama an' Dada?"
"Mhmm" Wanda could sense that Billy was still slightly anxious. "How about we listen to one of Daddy's stories? I think we're starting the next Harry Potter.."
She searched for the old phone on which Vision had made recordings, booted it up, and played a file. It was somewhere in the middle of an Enid Blyton story.
"..'Come back and have tea with us' said Moon-face. 'Silky's got some pop biscuits..'"
In a 'check in' meeting with Tony, Col. Rhodes, and Secretary Ross, Vision sat quietly, listening to the discussion. Feeling quietly smug in the knowledge that Wanda and the others were absolutely nowhere near the possible locations Ross had listed.
Since she had become pregnant, Wanda would let him know where she was going to be between their visits, so he would know where to go in case of emergency.
Vision liked knowing where she was. He especially liked being where she was.
That was another reason for his current project.. A project that had grown somewhat larger than he originally intended. It consisted of many paintings now.
He hoped it would help him convince Wanda. There was a solution to their problem. Vision knew that there was. He knew Wanda knew it too. But he also knew she wouldn't ask it of him. She didn't think it was fair. So, it would have to come from him.
For the first time, Vision had arrived at their meeting place before Wanda did. He rushed to answer the door for her with a wide grin.. and was met with a very concerned look on her face.
"Wanda, what's wrong?" He gathered her into his arms as well as he was able to with their growing sons between them. She reached immediately for his forehead, frowning.
"The stone has been bothering you again."
"Oh.." Vision's face fell. "How did you know?"
"It seems that Billy can sense his Daddy's pain. He's been very upset about it.
"Oh no.." Vision crouched to speak to Wanda's belly. "Billy, my dear little boy.. Daddy is okay, I promise."
"He feels much better now you're here" Wanda smiled softly.
Vision grinned up at her, then stood, taking her hands to draw her further inside.
"Come in.. I have been working on something.."
Wanda's jaw dropped open as she looked around. The room was stuffed full of paintings of her. Of her smiling. Flying. A few of her in quieter moments, snuggled into Vision. In the various stages of pregnancy.
"Vizh.." she felt tears prickling her eyes. "What is this?"
"I felt like I needed to remind you of what I see when I look at you" said Vision. "How beautiful I think you are.. and to.. to show you that you are the centre of my Universe. So.. Would you mind terribly if I ran away with you?"
"What?"
"Can I run away with you? Join the secret Avengers.."
"Vision.." Wanda turned to him, taking a shaky breath. "There's so much you'd be giving up.."
"I don't see it that way."
"But.."
"No.. Wanda, just listen, please. I love you. I only really feel alive when I am with you. Without you.. Everything is dull.. Colourless.. empty. All I want.. The only thing I can ever say I have really, truly wanted.. Is to be with you and our boys."
"You really mean that?"
"I do.. So.. Can I run away with.." Before Vision could finish, Wanda had launched herself into his arms.
"Okay" she smiled. "Fugi cu mine."
Vision grinned, replying in her own language.
"Oriunde, Wanda.. Anywhere."
Translation:
dulce inima: Sweetheart
Copii: Babies.
sa te imbratisez: cuddle you.
Fugi cu mine: Run with me
