Zeitnot: having very little time left in a game of speed chess, German for "time crisis."

The cloudy gloom and rain just made the colorful storefronts of Victoria Street stand out more brightly. Or maybe it was simply having Wanda so close to him under the umbrella, holding his arm as they walked along the slick cobblestone, that put him in such a bright mood despite the weather.

"I love this place," Wanda said, leaning her head on his shoulder for a moment. She'd dyed her hair again. It was red this time, which Vision thought suited her. "It makes me think of some of the older parts of Novi Grad. It's not so much that it looks like Novi Grad, but it makes me think of how Novi Grad should have looked, without the bombings and the corruption."

"Edinburgh undeniably has character," Vision agreed. He reconsidered his words, feeling they were inadequate. "It has charm, grace, mystery, and the air of having a past."

"That's a very poetic way to put it," Wanda said approvingly.

"Come to think of it, it reminds me of you," he said.

She responded with a breathy laugh and lopsided smile. "Stop. You're the one with the charm and grace."

They walked along the street for a while without conversation, listening to the rain on their umbrella and the cobblestones.

Vision was a little preoccupied.

Their time apart, with the constant danger that something drastic would happen and they would never see each other again, was agonizing.

It wasn't that Vision had experienced no second thoughts since his conversation with Colonel Rhodes. He was an Avenger, and he was dedicated to using his power to help those who needed it. But as he'd said to Tony nearly two years ago now, the world didn't seem to want heroes. Why shouldn't he then run away with Wanda? They could find a quiet place to settle down. She could stop running. They could use false identities, blend in, live a quiet life together.

These thoughts had begun as speculations and idle daydreams, but the more he imagined that life, the more he wanted it.

Perhaps they could stay here, in Edinburgh, a city they both loved.

He hadn't yet worked up the courage to suggest it to her. He didn't want to sound like he wasn't serious, but he also didn't want to sound demanding. He'd imagined out many different ways to word this...what should he call it? Desire? Suggestion? Invitation?

Proposal?

These thoughts were interrupted abruptly when something happened to the Mind Stone. It felt like a trembling and sudden sharp heat inside it. The physical pain came with a wave of terror, a sense of desecration and wrongness.

A gasp escaped from his lips as his hand slapped his forehead.

"Vizh, what's wrong?" Wanda asked, forgetting to use the alias he assumed when they were in public together.

He didn't answer, not knowing how to explain.

"Hey, is he alright?" a passerby asked.

"Yes," Wanda said quickly, needing to make sure no one got close enough to touch him and realize he wasn't a normal human. "He's okay. He just..."

The sensation passed as inexplicably as it had come. Vision opened his eyes, seeing Wanda's face, covered in rain and full of fear.

"I'm alright," he assured her, loud enough for bystanders to hear. "I just got a sudden headache. It has passed."

"You should get that looked at by a docter. Could be a stroke or something," the passerby said.

"I think that's a good idea," said Wanda. She picked up the umbrella from where Vision had dropped it and helped him up. "Can you walk? Should we get a cab?"

"I can walk. Whatever it was has passed."

She kept glancing at him as they walked to their hotel. Once in the privacy of their room, she ushered him to a chair and stared at him searchingly, expression full of concern, with a trace of panic in her eyes. "What happened?"

"The Mind Stone...experienced a sort of tremor. I felt a sharp...heat, accompanied by a flash of...fear, I believe. I'm not sure how to explain it."

"Do you know what caused it?"

"I have no idea. Nothing like it has ever happened before. It reminded me of the sensation I had when you overpowered me to leave the compound with Clint, but it was different."

"Do you want to call Tony? He might be able to figure out what caused it, or how to fix it."

Vision shook his head. "I now feel fine. There is no reason to believe it will happen again."

Wanda frowned, like she could tell he was putting on a brave face to try to reassure her, trying to downplay the fear and confusion the incident left him with. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. His arms wrapped around her in turn, accepting the comfort she offered.

He loved this simple physical connection. It felt very human. They just held each other for several minutes. The only sound was the patter of rain on the window, and occasional distant thunder. Vision focused on the contours of Wanda's form, the rhythmic way her body expanded and contracted with her breathing. At some point his fingers began tracing soft circles on her back.

She drew away from him with a sigh and looked into his eyes. Vision knew she wouldn't find even a thread of lingering fear, because it was gone.

"Thank you," he said.

She laughed lightly, incredulous that he thought he had anything to thank her for. She pressed her lips to his forehead like she could kiss away whatever hurt him, then leaned her forehead against his.

"I'm alright now," he said. "Would you like to go out to a restaurant?"

"I'm not really that hungry yet. And if we wait a while, the rain might stop."

"What would you like to do in the meantime?" he asked, trying to sound innocent.

And failing, judging by her grin. "What do you think?"

He lifted her onto his lap. His hands ran over the soft curve of her waist while his eyes stayed fixed on hers. Her fingertips drifted along the back of his neck and shoulders.

Vision reveled in her touch. He still found it hard to believe he had the privilege to touch Wanda, to kiss her, to make love with her, and he vowed he would never take her for granted.

She leaned in and kissed him, breathing him in as her lips nibbled at his like she was smelling and tasting him. His desire grew in response to hers.

Then she slid off his lap, moving away from him. He missed the contact, but the mischievous grin on her lips assured him whatever she had planned would be worth the temporary delay.

She took off her clothes slowly, one item at a time. Then she twirled her fingers, conjuring a glowing scarlet mist around her hands.

"May I?"

"Absolutely," he replied.

He felt her power tickle his skin and spread through him. He wasn't afraid, knowing not only that she would never hurt him intentionally, but that her control of her powers was such that she also would not hurt him unintentionally.

She caused his clothes and his disguise to phase away, leaving him as bare before her as the moment he was born. She then levitated him into the air and set him gently onto the bed. She released him from her power and flew herself across the room to land on top of him.

They made love for the better part of an hour, until Wanda collapsed on the bed in exhaustion.

Vision placed a kiss on her shoulder before wrapping her in his arms and curling his body around her. "That was wonderful."

Her lips broke into a bright smile. "Yes it was."

He thought about bringing up his suggestion that they run away together now, but decided against it, as she might think he wasn't serious, or that he would reconsider with a clearer head.

So he said nothing, and only held her. All he could think to tell her was that he loved her, but he didn't want her to think that declaration a consequence of their intense lovemaking. No, he had to wait for the perfect time to tell her that. Ideally a quiet, peaceful moment in a beautiful place.

Those words could wait. They had time. If she accepted his proposal, they would have all the time in the world.

The end.

Thank you, everyone who read and enjoyed this story!

(And to everyone who read but didn't enjoy this story: Um... Why did you keep reading? You could have stopped at any time. And to anyone who enjoyed it but didn't read it: ...How?)