"There they are," Wanda smiled, waving at Steve and Sharon as the two stepped out of a store, Sam right on their heels and Bucky trailing a pace behind them as he struggled with a number of shopping bags.
Vision paced himself with her as she crossed in their direction, their fingers gently intertwined.
"Wanda!" Sharon called with a wave, a smile blooming on her face. "I was just wondering when we would run into you. I love your dress!"
Wanda laughed lightly as she felt her cheeks heat up a touch at the compliment, turning her attention down as she twisted a little to make the skirt flare out.
"Thanks. It has pockets!"
"No way. Let me see?"
Wanda obligingly slipped her hands into the skirt pockets, spreading her fingers out to let Sharon see how spacious they were.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Sam and Steve greeting Vision with smiles and claps on the shoulder.
"That is such a great dress, did you get it around here somewhere?"
"The little oddities store on the far side of the mall," Wanda nodded. "We can go see if they have more of them."
"I guess we know where our next stop is going to be," Steve chuckled as he approached them, opening his arms to Wanda for a hug as he came to greet her as well.
"After you," Bucky nodded, adjusting his hold on the shopping bags a little as he gestured out to the side.
"How did you get stuck with all the bags?" Wanda laughed, giving him a quick, awkward side-hug once she released Steve.
"I was using a tactical avoidance strategy to keep from having to try on new shirts," he chuckled. "If my hands are full, I can't put clothes on."
"Oh, so that's your game," Steve scoffed. "Leave me to be paraded around like a fashion model."
"I made Sam try on some things too," Sharon laughed. "You just look so good in jeans and a button down…"
"She's got a point," Sam conceded, stepping close to give Wanda a quick hug as well. "You rock that look."
Steve shook his head, trying to feign exasperation to disguise his blush.
"Less staring at my abs, more walking. We want to have time for lunch before the movie," he chuckled.
Sharon, Sam, and Bucky obligingly turned in the direction he indicated, snickering between themselves at the blond man's expense.
Wanda curled her hand around Vision's elbow when he offered an arm out to her, tucking herself up close as they made their way for the next store.
It was a lovely day out, and the mall wasn't overly crowded for a weekend, a few scattered people bustling by or milling around on their phones as they went about their business.
Vision was dressed in one of his usual button-down shirts, but with the addition of jeans, in an attempt to look more casual. Coincidentally, it also made him match Steve.
Sam and Bucky had just gone with t-shirts.
Sharon had on a lightweight blouse and pastel shorts, her short hair pulled up in a ponytail and a pair of sunglasses perched on her head.
Wanda had gone with a red floral sundress and a lightweight black shawl that she had tucked over her arms, her hair swept back in a loose braid to keep it out of her face.
She was wearing a number of big hoop bracelets on her wrists, the gold-tinted metal jingling merrily as she clung to Vision's arm and followed him through the mall.
"I didn't realize that you were all going shopping beforehand," Wanda said, pausing to line up her reflection with an outfit in a storefront window as she passed by, to see how it looked on her. "I thought the plan was just to meet for lunch."
"Well, that was the plan," Sam shrugged. "But then I discovered that I needed some pants as well. And Sharon's here early 'cause the three of us guys have the combined fashion sense of a lobster."
"Hey, I resemble that remark," Bucky grinned.
The comment startled a breathy laugh out of Wanda, and she covered her mouth with a hand as Bucky awkwardly pumped a fist and announced "got one!"
"Don't quit your day job," Sam smirked in response. "But yeah, Sharon's been helping us re-style a bit."
"And getting a free show," the blonde woman added with a wink at Wanda.
"Next time I'll have to bring Vision," she replied with a sly smile. "We can make a regular event out of it."
The look of mild horror that the boys exchanged with one another at that was enough to crack both of the girls up.
"Don't worry, Vizh. I'm only mostly joking," she teased, giving his arm a little squeeze.
Her boyfriend didn't look overly convinced.
It didn't take them very long to reach their destination from there, chatting among themselves and catching up on the past week as they strolled through the mall.
The store in question was a little curiosity shop tucked into one of the less-traveled corners of the building, and it carried a broad assortment of items - ranging from incense burners and crystals to leather bags and scarves.
It was one of Wanda's go-to locations for window shopping or spending extra cash. They always seemed to have the prettiest, most interesting things in stock.
"After you," Steve smiled, holding the door open and waving a hand for Bucky to enter the store as the dark-haired man swept by with his nose turned up and his shopping bag collection held high in mock snobbery.
Sharon followed behind him, smothering a laugh.
Wanda and Vision were quick to duck through on Sam's heels, and Wanda looked around with a grin as Steve stepped into the store and let the door close over behind him with a welcoming little jingle.
The whole area smelled mysterious, like some foreign perfume or incense, and she could hear a faint trickle of water from some little fountains in the back corner.
The shelves were about a half step from being cluttered, every horizontal surface packed with items on display in little baskets or lined up neatly in rows.
She almost didn't know where to start.
Sharon had already found the clothes rack in question and was digging through the sundresses there, occasionally stopping to hold one up to her front so she could check the color.
"Is there anything here that you would like to check out, Wanda?" Vision asked, looking around in wonder.
"I really shouldn't be buying myself anything this close to my birthday," she replied sheepishly, trying to keep her eyes from straying to the windchimes, but Vision just flashed her a smile.
"Perhaps not, but that doesn't mean that you can't give the rest of us some ideas."
"I suppose you do have a point," she laughed, letting her hand slide down his arm so that their fingers could weave together. "Maybe we can go look at the patio things; now that I have a yard of my own to decorate?"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Vision smiled, letting her take the lead.
The little shop was deeper than it was wide, but it was still small enough that she could call over to Sharon and the boys in the front of the store without raising her voice much above speaking volume as she slowly wove her way to the back, glancing over the merchandise and pausing as various things caught her eye.
Over the next ten minutes or so, Wanda made her way around the little shop in a loop, showing Vision all of her favorite things and pretending not to notice the calculating gleam in his eye as he considered each of them in turn.
By the time they had circled back to the front of the store, the others had finished up their browsing as well.
"You guys about ready to check out?" Steve asked, a leather-bound sketchbook tucked into the crook of his arm.
"I got what I came here for," Sharon smiled, holding up her dress for emphasis. "Wanda?"
"Just browsing," she smiled, setting down the necklace she'd been looking at and moving to join the others. "Vish?"
"I will be right behind you," he called, turning quickly as he hid something behind his back. "Um...perhaps you would be so kind as to...wait for me outside...?"
"I can take a hint," Wanda laughed, sending him a wink. "I'll make sure not to look when you check out."
Vision flashed her a sheepish smile.
"I'm afraid I'm not very subtle…"
"Maybe not, but I love you anyway," she called over her shoulder to him, heading for the door.
Wanda waited with Sam and Bucky outside the shop as her friends went through the self checkout and bagged up their purchases, resisting the little pull of curiosity that tugged at her to turn around and peek at what Vision was buying. It was likely the set of windchimes she'd been looking at - the ones that sounded like fairy music or distant church bells when they rang - although there was a chance that he had grabbed one of the soft sweaters off of the rack beside them…
Wanda shook off her curiosity, biting her lip to suppress a grin. Either way, she knew Vision would pick out something that she would love.
He knew her too well.
The others joined them a moment later, bags in hand.
"Should we probably drop some stuff off at our cars beforehand?" Bucky suggested, raising his heavily-laiden arms for emphasis. "Otherwise we'll need to buy an extra seat just so we have somewhere to set everything down."
"That would be a good idea," Steve nodded. "Then we can grab our tickets on the way back to the food court."
"And I'll actually have a free hand to eat with," Bucky laughed.
The group of them began to wander back in the direction of the parking lot, the other four figuring out which of the bags Bucky held would be going home with who as Wanda and her boyfriend trailed a few paces behind them.
Vision was fiddling awkwardly with his own shopping bag, trying to keep it hidden away on the far side of his body as if revealing too much of it to Wanda may expose a hint of color or the poke of a shape against the plastic that might give away what was inside, and she was doing her best to keep a straight face as he struggled.
It didn't take them long to double back the way they'd come, pausing for a moment in a cluster in front of the theater before they each had to split off to their own cars.
"I don't have anything to drop off, so I'll wait here," Wanda smiled, giving Vision's hand a little squeeze before allowing his fingers to slip from between hers.
"I can hide your gifts in my car if you'd like," Sharon offered to Vision with a sly wink. "If you want to keep her from peeking at what you bought on the way home."
"Sharon!" Wanda laughed, feeling her cheeks heat up a touch in embarrassment. "I'm not exactly a nosy toddler!"
"No, but it's a good excuse for him to stay here and catch a bit of 'alone time' with you," she beamed. "And it'll stop him from fidgeting himself to death trying to hide it away."
Wanda buried her face in her hands, feeling her blush burn hotter.
"Y-yes, please, if you would be so kind," Vision murmured, casting a quick glance at Wanda before slipping the bag from his arm with an unnecessary amount of stealth and handing it off to Sharon.
"Be back in a minute," the blonde woman smiled, tucking the package securely behind her own bags with a wink.
"You're quite determined to keep that a secret, aren't you?" Wanda asked him as soon as the others were out of hearing range, trying to smother back a laugh.
"I may not be the best at being stealthy, but this year I am determined to surprise you," he smiled. "Even if I have to enlist the help of everyone we know to do so."
Wanda laughed, reaching to take his hands once more.
"You are absolutely darling, you know that?"
It was her boyfriend's turn to blush, his cheeks flushing a dark red as he ducked his head to hide a gigantic smile. Wanda gave his hands a little squeeze in response.
The two of them lapsed into silence for a long moment, Wanda absently swinging their connected hands as Vision slowly regained his composure.
After a while the young man glanced up, a little smile still playing on his lips as he slowly looked her over, drinking in her appearance in an almost reverent way.
Before Wanda could interpret his look, Vision leaned in close and kissed her.
It was barely a brush of the lips, the action quick and light and over before she could truly register it, but the adoring smile on Vision's face when she glanced up at him confirmed that she hadn't simply imagined it.
"S-sorry," he stuttered, reaching to rub at the back of his head. "I didn't mean to impose on-"
Wanda didn't let him finish his sentence, standing up on her tiptoes and curling her arms around his neck so she could draw him down low enough for her to reach.
"I don't mind one bit," she breathed against his mouth, teasing him for a second before closing that last little bit of distance between them.
Wanda drew him into a long, slow kiss that threaded a tingling heat up from the very tips of her toes through her ribcage, making her pulse thump hard in her ears as she felt his hands tighten around her back, pressing her hard into his chest.
Vision responded in kind, seemingly urged on by the way Wanda could feel herself melting into his hold, her hands fisting in his shirt to keep him near.
After a long few seconds they drew apart, breathing hard, but still leaned close enough that Wanda could feel his lips pulling up into a smile against hers.
"We're back," Sam's voice called suddenly, making the two of them startle a pace apart like rabbits.
Wanda turned in time to see the others approaching, Sharon and Steve exchanging smug, knowing looks, and Bucky and Sam nudging each other while winking suggestively.
She quickly busied herself with smoothing out the front of her sundress in an attempt to hide her blush, vaguely aware of Vision in her peripherals as he took a sudden, avid interest in one of the nearby movie posters.
"Hope we're not interrupting anything," Sharon teased lightly, catching her in a one-armed hug as Wanda did her best not to bury her face in her hands.
"Nope," Wanda murmured, "We were just about to get in line to get our tickets."
"I'll get the tickets," Steve offered, digging out his wallet.
"Are you sure?" Vision offered quickly, his hand already on his own pocket, but Steve waved him off with a smile.
"Yeah, my treat."
"Thanks Steve, you're the best," Wanda said as she flashed him a grin, glad for the distraction.
"My pleasure!" the man chuckled. "After all, once you guys see it, I'll have more people to talk to about it."
"So that was your devious plan all along," Sharon accused with a smile, giving Wanda a little squeeze before letting her slip free.
"I am admitting nothing," Steve called over his shoulder with a wink.
Wanda slipped her arm back through Vision's once Sharon had stepped away, snuggling up to his side as he drew her in close.
"I've never seen Star Wars before," Vision admitted. "Is it good?"
"It's a fun movie," Sam grinned. "It's really sci-fi, with space battles and robot droids and cool weapons. You'll love it."
"Sounds quite entertaining," Vision smiled, glancing down at Wanda. "Are you excited?"
Wanda felt the corners of her mouth tug up into a smile as something warm bloomed in her chest, fluttering like butterflies in her stomach, and she gave Vision's arm a little squeeze.
"I can't wait," she grinned.