AN: Enjoy!
Once inside, Vision chose a booth near the play area. They had to walk through most of the restaurant to get to said booth, and swore she could feel every eye in the place glaring daggers at her. In her mind, their message was clear.
You don't belong here. We don't want you here.
Wanda wanted to turn around and run right back out, but before she could, Vision had taken her hand in his. Wanda's hand was quite cold from walking so long through the cool morning air, but Vision's was wonderfully warm.
"Don't worry about what anyone else thinks" He whispered. "You're here with me, and you are welcome.."
"Okay.." Wanda was only slightly comforted by his words.
Vision set Vivian down, smoothing a hand over her soft blonde hair.
"You wanted the blueberry pancakes, didn't you sweetheart?"
"Yes Daddy" Viv nodded.
"I'll order them for you. You go play for a bit, okay? Daddy wants to talk to Wanda."
"Okay" The little girl happily rushed off to the play area.
Vision took his seat in the booth. Wanda, quite reluctantly, sat across from him, grabbing a menu and pretending to peruse it so she did not have to meet Vision's eyes. Vision watched her for awhile, glancing at his own menu once or twice, before he finally spoke.
"Wanda.."
"Mhhm?" Her eyes remained fixed on the menu.
"Are you going to tell me what's got you so upset?" He asked gently, then frowned. "Did somebody hurt you?"
"What? No.. No, nothing happened that I didn't agree to."
"Good. For a moment I was worried that I might have to beat someone up, and I don't think I am threatening enough for that to go well.."
The tiniest of smiles tugged at Wanda's lips, before she heard Viv giggle from the play area, and the smile faded.
"I shouldn't be near her when I'm like this.." she sighed.
"Like what?" Vision seemed confused.
"Hungover and dressed like a.. Look at me!" Wanda snapped, finally meeting his gaze.
"I am looking at you" Vision replied quietly. "All I see is a friend who is upset, and I would like to know why, in case there is anything I can do to help."
Wanda hesitated for a moment, then sighed, relenting.
"It.. Today is my Birthday."
"Happy Birthday.. Although I am guessing the day is not quite so happy for you."
"No, not really.. I have.. had a twin brother, Pietro" Wanda continued. "Two years ago, just before our Birthday, he was killed in a hit and run accident, saving a little boy from a drunk driver.."
"I am so sorry.."
"Pietro was all I had left in the world, and when I lost him.. I lost a part of myself, and it hurts, so much, and days like our Birthday hurt even worse.. So I go out and drink myself to oblivion and have bad sex, because it helps me forget all that pain, for a little while, and I know I shouldn't, I know it's not.."
"Why shouldn't you?" Vision cut her off.
"What?" Wanda frowned.
"Well, as a man who spends at least three days a week leaping about in a green leotard for the entertainment of children, I feel I am the last person who should judge someone based on how they dress. And I definitely won't judge someone on how they choose to grieve" said Vision. "Grief is a very personal, private thing. Everyone deals with it in their own way, in their own time. Nobody should judge somebody else for how they choose to grieve.. I'm certainly not going to."
"Y-You're not?"
"No, I'm not.."
"Oh.. Well, thank you.."
At that moment, a waitress approached the table.
"May I take your order?"
"Oh, um.." Wanda looked back to the menu trying to find something small, hopefully cheap.
"We'll have a child-size order of the blueberry pancakes, an order of the pancakes with lemon and sugar, and a mixed grill for the lady.." Vision finished, and the Waitress left before Wanda had a chance to object.
"Vizh!" Wanda scolded, the nickname slipping out without her thinking about it.
"I thought it would be good for your hangover.. Wait, are you vegetarian? I'm sorry.." Vision made to call the waitress back, but Wanda stopped him.
"No, I'm not, just.. That mixed grill is the most expensive thing on the menu."
"In a place like this, there's only a few dollars separating most expensive from the least.. And I believe all the discounts you have been giving us just about cover the price."
"You noticed that?" Wanda blushed.
"I did, Thank you."
"You're welcome."
They fell silent for a moment. Not an uncomfortable silence, exactly, but not all together pleasant either. The sound of Viv's playing filtered over from the playground.
Vision's mind seemed to have wandered off, not quite sure whether to say his next words. He didn't want it to seem as if he was trying to overshadow her grief with his own.. But he thought, hoped, that maybe sharing his own past troubles could help.
"Vivian.. She was supposed to be a twin.." He began, his eyes misting up, just a little.
"Was?" Wanda was not sure she was going to like the end of this story.
"She had a brother, Vincent.. Vin.. who died in the womb."
"Does she.."
"Viv knows.." Vision nodded. "It didn't seem fair to keep something like that from her, and I still have one sonogram picture from when there were clearly two, so she would have found out, and sometimes she gets this look on her face, and.. she knows. She releases a balloon for him every Birthday.. When it happened, a few people tried to tell us it was for the best. They weren't exactly a planned pregnancy, I was learning how to change Viv's diapers at the time most most of my friends were having their first legal drinks.. But the loss still hurt. I don't think Virginia, their Mother, ever quite recovered from it.."
"And then she.." Wanda felt a lump in her throat. It seemed like she'd finally found someone who had suffered just as many tragedies as she had.
"She got sick when Vivian was only a few months old, and died just before she turned one.."
"How.. How did you keep it together after all that?"
"Well, I had at least one very compelling reason to keep it together.." Vision gestured towards the little girl on the playground, giggling as she slid down the slide. A soft smile crossed his face. "Without Viv, I don't think I would have coped nearly as well. I also had good people around me.. My Village, so to speak."
"Village?" Wanda's brow furrowed.
"You know the old saying.. 'It takes a village to raise a child'. That is especially true for a single Father... My point though, Wanda, is that while I don't know exactly how it feels to lose a twin, I do have some idea about loss. So, if you ever need someone to talk to.."
"I'll keep that in mind.. Thank you."
Their food arrived, and Vision called Viv back to the table.
"Can I sit next to Wanda, Daddy?"
"Of course you can" Vision smiled. As Viv slid in beside Wanda, he cut up her pancakes into more manageable pieces, then slid the plate across the table to her.
"Thank you, Daddy."
They all ate in relatively comfortable silence. Vision had been right.. the greasy bacon of the mixed grill did wonders for Wanda's hangover, and she flashed him a smile in thanks.
"Vivian" Vision smiled at his daughter when they were almost finished, "Did you know that it is Wanda's Birthday Today?"
"It is?" Viv cried happily. She immediately jumped into Wanda's lap and, before Wanda could react, the little girl started to sing. "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you.."
And then, Vision had joined in.
"Happy Birthday dear Wanda, Happy Birthday to you!"
For so much of her life, Pietro had been the only person to sing 'Happy Birthday' to her, and often, since his death, she had stopped anyone else who tried. But now, here, with Vision and Viv.. it felt okay.
Wanda pressed a kiss into Vivian's hair, then looked up at Vision to find him smiling.
Vision had seen her Today, on her very worst day. He'd seen her, and he hadn't run away, hadn't ordered her away from his daughter.. Instead, he'd encouraged her closer.
He had seen Wanda Maximoff, short skirt and torn stockings and bad decisions.. And he had understood why, and accepted her, just as she was.
For the first time in what felt like a very long time, Wanda smiled on her Birthday.
She was beginning to think that she had found her Village.