AN: Enjoy!

As annoyed as he had been about his kiss with Wanda being interrupted, Vision found himself unable to wipe a goofy smile from his face as he washed the bloodied deck.

That night, as Wanda crawled in to sleep beside him, pressing her usual gentle kiss against his cheek, Vision had turned, wanting to hold her. She seemed startled for a moment, and Vision worried that he had made the wrong move. But after a moment of hesitation, Wanda kissed him, and let herself settle into his arms.

Though she was still always gone by morning, those nights with Wanda, as well as any brief moments they managed to steal during the day, became things Vision could cling to in the darker moments aboard the Hydra.

During a raid shortly after Vision's arrival on the ship, Captain Rumlow had acquired a whip during a raid. While he hadn't actually used it, yet, he liked to make threats, and Vision had no doubt that he would use it if anyone angered him enough.

He would flinch when he saw Rumlow touch it, but thankfully, Vision had not been on the receiving end of any of these threats. Between his own shy nature and Wanda's quiet protection, Vision had been more or less invisible to the Captain except when he needed something done.

Vision soon learned that being a Cabin Boy in love with a pirate was complicated. Wanda would run a little hot and cold with him, mostly due to the necessity of keeping their growing bond a secret.

Sometimes she would scold or berate him in front of her crew-mates.

"What are you, a snail? Work faster!"

Or intentionally make messes for him to clean up.

"Cabin boy, I dropped something. Clean it up!"

Vision didn't mind. He understood why.

Wanda would always apologise later, not in words, but soft kisses and gentle touches. Sometimes, later, she had guided his hands to touch previously forbidden parts of her, like her breasts or her bottom. She was always shy when she did this, and it gave Vision the sense that she was not much more experienced in these matters than he was. This comforted him a little, as his own inexperience had been terribly obvious.

He was never quite sure exactly where to put his hands, and his body would react to Wanda's touch, or touching Wanda, without much urging. She had politely ignored it for a while, even though he'd been sure she would have noticed. Wanda proved his suspicions on the first night (a night Vision well remembered) that she had slipped her hand into his pants and grasped him with slim fingers, offering to relieve his tension. Vision was so wound up at the time that that first night, it had only taken a few swift strokes to bring him undone, with a sort of strangled cry that he'd tried to hold back lest anyone hear them, and Wanda had smiled the naughtiest, sexiest little smile, and had then crept away for a bit to find him clean pants and avoid awkward questions in the morning.

Another few nights passed before she let him return the favour. Vision had no idea what he was doing at first, but Wanda had taught him, guiding his hand to that little slice of heaven between her legs, where to touch and how hard, until some sort of deep-seated instinct took over, and Vision found himself playing her like the most beautiful instrument, until she was falling apart on his hand, her face buried against his shoulder to muffle her cries.

Sometimes Wanda would forgo town raids in favour of staying on the Hydra with Vision, her excuse being to make sure he got his work done properly. Rumlow always left Vision with a list of tasks when he left for a raid.

Depending on how far the nearest Town was from the port, this bought Wanda and Vision anywhere from a few hours to a few days on their own. It had been a tempting thought to ask her to run away with him, but he hadn't, not yet, not then. At that time, any attempt at serious talk about their relationship, what it was and what it meant, would only lead to her avoiding him for a few days, and that was the last thing he wanted.

So, after making quick work of Vision's chores (They were so much with two), Wanda and Vision would use their time together in other ways.

Once, Wanda had handed him a piece of wood fashioned into a makeshift sword and taught him the basics of how to fight, in case he ever needed to defend himself when she was not around.

"Only to defend yourself" Wanda had emphasised. "Anything else will get you punished. Even defending yourself might get you punished, but at least you'll have something to argue with. So, everything I teach you now is only for self-defence. Promise me."

"I promise" Vision had said, and he'd meant it, at the time, but he had no way of knowing what the future held.

Wanda taught Vision how to dodge and parry and strike and block, and for a while, they jumped around the deck in a playful dance, as though they didn't have a care in the world.

Other times, Wanda would tell Vision stories, mostly about her brother.

"We'd play hide and seek a lot, when we were young" She'd told him, smiling, though the smile soon faded. "The Hydra seemed so big back then.. now I can see how small it is, compared to the rest of the world."

"Maybe.. you could go exploring one day. On land." Vision had almost said 'we' could go exploring, but didn't want to scare her off again. They had at least another day before the other Pirates returned, and he didn't want to spend any of it with her avoiding him.

Wanda had smiled a little sadly, shrugging.

"I'm not sure I know how to be anywhere else.."

"Oh.."

They fell into awkward silence for a bit, until Wanda broke it.

"What about you, Vision? Any fun childhood stories?"

"My childhood wasn't really all that fun.." Vision sighed. "Lord Ultron really only chose to acknowledge me to use me as proof that he wasn't impotent. He trotted me out now and then to prove a point.. the rest of the time I was just someone he could beat when he was frustrated."

"Oh.." Wanda had looked at him, her green eyes softening. "I'm sorry. But.. big house like that.. you must have had somewhere nice to escape to."

"Well.." Vision had thought for a moment. "I did like to sneak out and look at the stars."

"Pietro and I did that too" Wanda had smiled. "We didn't sneak out, we didn't have to.. but we'd lay on the deck and watch the stars, and pick out constellations.."

"Oh?"

"Well, not real ones. We didn't know any, so we made up our own."

"Can you show me?"

"It's midday, Vizh" Wanda had raised an eyebrow.

"Well, not right now, obviously" Vision had blushed. "Tonight, Maybe."

"Well.. Okay."

So, that night, they had taken their blankets out onto the deck of the ship, laying down side by side and gazing up at the star-filled night sky.

Wanda had pointed out a few of she and Pietro's special 'constellations'.. Captain Strucker's bald head, a pair of crossed swords, a panther. Vision pointed out the few real constellations that he knew, that he had learned before his Father decided educating him wasn't worth it anymore. They had looked at the sky and laughed, and held hands.

It had already been the most wonderful night of Vision's life, even before she had kissed him deeply and pulled him on top of her, hands wandering, exploring his over her breasts, hers his lightly scarred back, clothes eventually being ripped off and scattered around the deck. Soon they were both naked under the stars. There was heated kissing and touching and suckling at skin, and soon Vision had found his lower body cradled between Wanda's bent legs, his length pressing against her core.

Good God, how he'd wanted her. But He remembered how nervous he had been. He had never done this before, didn't know anything about sex beyond what he had done with her.

"Wanda.."

"Please, Vision.." Wanda's soft green eyes had gazed up at him. "Let me have this. Make me feel something good."

How could he have said no?

Vision pressed forward, pushing himself inside her. He'd met some resistance, and Wanda had winced, biting her lip, and he knew for sure that this was her first time too.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes.." She'd looked at him like she was surprised he had asked. "I'm okay."

"Should I stop?"

"No."

"Okay.."

Vision had taken his time, continuing slowly until he was fully sheathed within her. He'd given her a few moments to adjust, until she had nodded, and Vision began to move, still slowly at first. Both because he didn't want to hurt her, or embarrass himself by finishing too fast.

He remembered reaching to hold Wanda's hand, remembered watching as her discomfort faded into pure pleasure. Remembered leaning down to kiss her. Remembered her hips beginning to move in time with his, the sighs and moans spilling from her lips, the soft cries of his name.

"V-Vizh.. ah.. Vision.."

"Wanda.. oh Wanda.."

Vision remembered his own pleasure building, almost bubbling over, but he held on, for Wanda, wishing he could watch her, just like this, forever, her face flushed with pleasure, dark hair splayed across the blankets, the reflection of the night sky in her eyes, pupils wide and dark with lust. She was so very beautiful.

He remembered, would always remember, how Wanda had looked when she came, her mouth falling open, eyes closed, her body rippling beneath him, clenching around him, before he was finally dragged over the edge with her.

They had both taken some time to catch their breath, then Wanda had shivered, and Vision quickly rolled off of her, pulling one of the blankets over them.

"Are you alright?" He had asked, concerned. "I didn't hurt you?"

"No" a soft smile crept over Wanda's face. "Not at all."

"Oh.." Vision blushed. "Well, that's good to know."

He had moved to hold her, and for the first time, Wanda had held him too. Her fingers gently, almost shakily, tracing tangle of thin scars crisscrossed over his back. She had to had seen them before, felt them, but it was that night that she had seemed to truly register their presence.

"These.." She'd whispered, gazing at him with wide eyes, "Your Father did that to you?"

"He did.."

"That's why you're scared of Rumlow's whip, isn't it?"

Vision had bristled a little at that.

"I'm not afraid of.."

"It's okay. I'm afraid of him too, a little. I try to hide it..

"Oh.. you hide it well."

"I know." She had looked like she was going to say something else, but stopped, kissing him instead. "Just.. remember what I said, okay? Do what he says, and stay out of his way."

"I know. I will" Vision had said, and again, he had meant it at the time.

Later, much later, Wanda told him she wanted to say that she'd never let Rumlow hurt him, but she hadn't wanted to make him a promise she couldn't keep, and if she had made that promise, her fears of being unable to keep it would sadly prove true.

Vision had wanted to tell Wanda something too. He'd wanted to tell her that he loved her, and in days to come, he often wondered if any of what happened next would have changed if he'd told her then. But Wanda had fallen asleep, and so the words went unsaid. Vision held her, and gazed up at the stars, at the new constellations she had taught him. Back then, the unsaid words didn't seem to matter so much. It felt like they still had plenty of time.

Though their relationship was kept in the shadows, Wanda had been his light, and Vision had liked to think he was hers as well.

These were the moments he had to cling to once things began to go horribly wrong.