Every day became harder and harder as the goodbyes got more frequent. Vision had continued to visit nightly and practice his phasing. Wanda was proud of him for trying, but couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be in pain when he tried several times in a row. A small sense of guilt rose in her at the thought of being the cause of his overexertion, but it was quickly dismissed when she rationalized that he always stopped for a break when it got to be overwhelming.
It was stupid, but she wanted to get outside and just enjoy the day. Anytime Steve had allowed them out was in very rare situations, mainly for groceries. When they were allowed outside, they had to be completely disguised to look as normal as possible. He said it was necessary to "lay low." Natasha had taken the time these past few weeks to assist Wanda in perfecting her American accent for that very purpose, and also assisted in dying her hair a red-orange shade. She was told that most people knew her for being Sokovian, so the American accent and change of hair color would help her blend in no matter where she went. Vision hadn't commented on either of these changes when he visited, and Wanda was almost glad. It seemed as if he saw her no differently. It always seemed like no matter what she did, he would never see her differently.
The other Avengers still didn't know about Vision's visits, and she still wanted them to. This was mainly for the purpose of having Vision reside with them instead of constantly sneaking around. She understood his concerns about revealing himself though. If he did reveal himself and stick with them regularly, should the feds happen to catch them – all of the Avengers would be compromised and they would likely arrest Tony and the others as well. News segments proved that society didn't believe Vision could make his own decisions, and that he was merely a pawn of Stark's. She also believed that he secretly felt the others still didn't trust them, and didn't want to face it.
A knock at her door brought her back from her thoughts.
"Come in."
The door knob wobbled as Clint stepped into the room. She greeted him with a smile. "Hey, kid. Just wanted to talk to you about something."
"Of course, sit down please." Her head tipped in curiousity. His facial expression was so serious, and she could sense a twinge of guilt
"Scott and I… well. We're going to try to bargain with Ross. Our kids need us. We thought we could convince them to put us on house arrest if we promise to retire from all this Avenger stuff."
A silence had fallen over the two. Clint was sort of like a father figure to her, at least the closest one she had. While she was stuck in The Raft on numerous times he had tried to reason with the guards to not be so harsh on her. He was constantly fighting back for her and the thought of losing that companionship...
"I did say that I wouldn't go if you didn't want me to." He added, seemingly noticing her reaction
Her fist tightened "Why on Earth would I want you to stay here?" She almost laughed at the idea of it "You two need to be with your families. Never would I want to keep you from that. Although I think the world is going to miss Hawkeye and Ant-man."
He smiled and sat down beside her, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. "Anytime you need anything, just come to the farm okay?"
Wanda had never visited his farm personally, but she had heard how peaceful it was in stories from the other Avengers. Though the timing was somewhat stressful during their last visit when Ultron was at large, they had told her it was definitely worth visiting. A warmth had risen in her heart at his offer.
"I will. I promise."
His arms wrapped around her in a tight hug, and almost as soon as he came in, he had left. Now – it was just her, Steve, Sam, Natasha, and Bucky. It felt everyday as if their ranks were growing smaller. She kept wishing that someday they would all be together again. But at the same time, the nightmares that had haunted her every so often warned her of an Avengers "reunion." It was never a pleasing one.
Sighing, she looked over at the clock on her nightstand.
9:00 P.M.
A knock came from her window. Right on time.
Moving swiftly over to the source of the knock, she opened the curtains. What she expected to see and what she saw were completely different things. Floating in front of her was a human man, or at least what appeared to be. She couldn't make out all of his features as he was cloaked slightly from the darkness outside. Nodding, he phased inside and lightly landed on the floor.
She turned toward him, finally being able to take in his appearance. His hair was a light blonde, and quite short. His eyes were even more green, if that was possible. Absentmindedly, she reached up to lightly graze her fingers over his face. It didn't seem real, but the warm touch of his skin proved otherwise. A soft gasp escaped her lips.
"If you don't like it…" He finally said. She could tell he felt awkward and somewhat embarrassed. Peaking in his mind a little, she noticed that he had dreaded his arrival, afraid of her reaction to his human disguise.
"You look like you. And because of that, I love it." Her smile prompted his smile as well, and she could see a wave of relief wash over him "However" she began to add "I will always like you more as yourself. So be yourself with me right now, if that's okay."
Another wave of relief, and look of tenderness in his eyes. He looked at her in a way no one had ever looked at her before. It felt like a gift she had waited so long to receive, and the wait made it so much more special. It was as if he couldn't ever look at anyone else the same way. A slight shiver ran down her spine, and he phased quite easily to his normal appearance.
"So you came to surprise me with this amazing news? And it doesn't hurt you to do it…I hope?"
He looked so serene. The richness of his voice was always so calming to her. "No, I have figured out a way to phase into the disguise without harming the stone, or myself. It is quite simple actually. Previously I had made an error by channeling too much of my energy into the stone. To phase into my disguise, the energy has to be equally dispersed throughout my entire body."
"I'm just glad you're okay. It's great news to know we can at least go out in public together…if Steve lets me out that is. Or I sneak out." She laughed softly at the latter portion of her statement.
"I just want to see you." His statement was so direct, it caught her slightly off guard. Wanda was used to Vision being very direct and truthful, but not about his own feelings and desires. It was such a human thing to do – to reveal one's selfish desires. Vision was always known for putting others before himself, even if it didn't work in his favor. For him to admit such a vulnerable thing, it was quite remarkable to her.
"And I want to see you too, Vis. I know I made fun of you before, but all these daily goodbyes are really getting annoying." They laughed together, and it was one of the first genuine chuckles she had in a while. It wasn't even a funny situation, but being able to share in a joyful and mutual feeling with her companion filled her with an increased sense of contentment.
He paused for a moment. "Perhaps… perhaps we do not have to say our goodbyes anymore."
Wanda's heart thudded to a stop. Was he really going to be willing to reveal himself to the Avengers now? It seemed surreal.
"Now that I can phase into a human disguise regularly, my presence here poses a minimum threat to you and the others. My only concern would be the lack of trust they may have for me. But… I believe it is worth that risk." His face was calculating, and she was lost in the words she never thought he would say.
"Vision" She mustered out, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. She felt him stiffen slightly out of surprise, but he had gotten used to her hugs at this point, and soon after reciprocated the action.
He pulled away soon after, looking down at her. His eyes were hard, yet warm and inviting at the same time. For a moment, she couldn't read him, and the android looked as if he was trying to catch his breath. Her confusion must've been apparent and Vision brought his forehead to rest against hers. There was very little distance between the two at this point, and the goosebumps forming on the back of her neck were aware of the fact.
It used to be so unlike him to do such things, but more often he had been making small little gestures seemingly in an effort to be close to her. Her feelings battled her constantly in these instances. He was her best friend, but after all they had been through – she wanted nothing more than to be able to look into his green eyes every day. She wrestled constantly with being aware of the fact he had very human emotions and being aware that he would probably never act on them. Everything about their friendship was confusing and reassuring at the same time.
It felt safe.
So safe.
His breath was shaky against her nose. There were no words between them. It was like they were both frozen in time or just feeling too nauseous to even speak.
"I want to stay." He said, his lower lip grazed the bridge of her nose, purely by accident, but she felt the heat burning in her cheeks anyway.
"Then you will."
"Wanda… I do not understand why I…" He paused, but she knew exactly what he was thinking. The conflict she felt from him. The feelings of fear, confusion, and uncertainty about their actions. Such expressions of affection weren't normal for him, and although he began to learn to act on them, she knew how foreign it was. He was so afraid of feeling out of control.
She hushed him softly and whispered, her breath warm against his skin "It's okay…just…"
Oh how badly did she want to kiss him. Her best friend. The man who's been there for her through everything. It would make things more complicated and confusing, but something in her wanted to risk that and act on it anyway.
She leaned up slightly, almost closing the gap between their lips.
A knock on her door snapped them both out of it. Vision's grasp on her, however, remained.
Natasha stepped into the room, but the lack of surprise on her face alarmed Wanda even more. She wagered her face was redder than Vision's.
"And to think I was being nice by giving you two kids some time alone without 'getting caught.' Come on. We've got some talking to do."
