[A shirt can be a future lesson, if her frequent guests have even left anything that will fit him.
She smiles and reaches for his hand to lead him from the room. This time the contact is intended purely to be a source of comfort for him, but Wanda would be lying if she said she didn't also enjoy it.]
This is your room for as long as you want to stay.
[Leaving the room, they find themselves facing another door. Wanda continues:] That door is my room. If you need something or you're afraid, I want you to wake me up, all right? I am probably not actually sleeping.
[Moving left is the room they first entered: a shared kitchen and dining space. The cooking fire seems a little off - it's just a little bit too red to be natural fire. Here there are many rugs and furs on the floor, and there's even the tiniest of bars to accommodate her guests.
The table, however, might be most interesting - the tablecloth is richly embroidered with sigils of fae origin seamlessly woven into the design along the edges.]
This is where we eat. I have some soup cooking for later, but I can get anything you want.
[And behind them, past the bedrooms, is the living space. There's a large fireplace here, still with odd red-tinted fire, surrounded by very comfy chairs and piles of extra pillows and blankets. Ivy winds around the fireplace and the mantel is covered in candles and crystals, The rugs here are more luxurious than the ones elsewhere in the house, clearly made for sitting on.
There are several musical instruments in the room, too, and a small scattering of sheet music.]
This is the living room and most of my books. You can read anything you want, and I have some games if you want to learn.
[There's the basement, and the ladder to the loft, and Wanda thinks about leaving it at that but...no, the loft is a treat and she wants to see the look on his face.]
[Vision trails Wanda around the house, mostly quiet as he drinks in the sights and concentrates on details. The kitchen in particular is full of little things he'll want to look at later, and it smells...different in a good way. He's not sure what soup is or if he wants anything to eat, but he nods along to her statement.
When he gets to the living room, he smiles shyly - perhaps the first time he's done that, ever. He approaches the fireplace and holds out his hands to warm them, closing his eyes and relaxing just as he had in the hot bath. After a few long breaths, he opens his eyes again and turns to her, the glow of his smile still on his face and in his eyes.]
I like this. This is good.
[And it's not just the fire, though he takes its reddish color as a sign of welcome. After all, he's rather reddish himself. But this room is comfortable. Every piece of it is something that can be used or admired, none of it wasted. He can easily picture himself here--although at that thought his smile fades, replaced by a furrowed brow.] Do you...live here alone? [Because it's a large space for only one person, isn't it?
But then at the question he perks up. She looks excited about this loft.] Yes.
[Wanda smiles warmly, glad that he seems to be happy.]
Not completely? Zora is hiding from the storm but you'll meet her soon. And I have friends who sometimes stay with me for a while.
[She's excited enough to show him the loft that she doesn't even realize that by starting up the ladder first, she's given him a direct view up her skirt. Oops.
...but the loft really is stunning. Ivy mingled with softly glowing blue and purple flowers covers the ceiling and a small altar casts gentle silvery light, so while there are many candles up here, there's no need for them beyond setting the mood.
Wanda may use this room for being closer to cosmic energy, but it's also something between a meditation area and a lovers' retreat. The bed in the far corner is a nest of soft furs, blankets, and pillows. She's only brought someone here a bare handful of times, even counting this, but she doesn't mind. Vision can't have seen much beauty in his short life. Maybe he'll like the flowers.]
[Oh, that's good. She shouldn't live by herself. No person as compassionate as she is should have to be alone. But it does worry him a little bit - if this Zora is afraid of the storm, will she be afraid of him, too?
The worry is pushed from his mind when he pokes his head up to the loft (alas, not noticing the view up Wanda's skirt as anything out of the ordinary). There's a power here he can feel, and it's similar enough to the magic that made him that he's able to relax again. And it's cozy, and the plant life makes it even more welcoming. That elusive smile comes out to play again, and the patter of rain on the roof above them finally sounds comfortable instead of threatening.]
It's beautiful.
[He takes her hand again, because she seems to like that.]
I am...truly welcome to stay here with you?
[It's what she's said before, but it still seems appropriate to ask. Maybe after some time he'll feel the need to leave, but right now what he needs is a peaceful place to process everything that's happened to him, to try and figure out who he is.
And it's starting to become clear to him that not only is this the right place to do that, Wanda might be the right person to help him out with it, too.]
[His smile is so inadvertently charming that Wanda find herself smiling back. She found him beautiful even when he was covered in dirt and mud, but when he smiles like that she can feel her heartbeat pick up.
She'd like to see him smile like that more, she thinks. And these little touches...
It feels right to hold his hand, something deeper than the simple relief of contact.]
As long as you want, [she says softly, ever-so-tentatively raising her free hand to cup his cheek in mirror of his earlier actions. She'll pull away if he seems uncomfortable, but if not...if they both like these reassuring touches, what point is there in suffering separately? He's initiated almost as much with her as she has with him.]
I'd like that, too. It is...lonely here, sometimes. But safe.
[He closes his eyes to better focus on the sensation of her hand. Knowing the intent behind the touch isn't fear or hostility makes such a difference to him. After a moment he opens his eyes again and looks at hers, searching for the sincerity behind her words and finding it easily enough. (He doesn't realize how different his eyes look, compared to a human's. How is he supposed to know they have hints of arcane symbols in their depths, or that they're a brilliant color? Maybe he'll figure it out once he has a mirror to look at.)]
I want to be safe. [And there's that small smile again.] But--perhaps not lonely, if you are here?
[Her hand lingers. Wanda could get lost in those eyes, especially here where the soft blueish light makes them appear even more brilliant. She hadn't noticed before, between the shock of seeing him and her focus on tending to his injuries, but they have a certain strange beauty she doesn't want to tear her gaze away from.
And this time, her cheeks heat again when he smiles. He evokes such soft emotions in her and it's...nice, to feel connected to someone again. Maybe even wanted. Either way, Wanda finds she welcomes this new vulnerability.]
[The heavy rain on the roof is such good white noise that Vision suddenly finds his eyelids drooping. He blinks to keep them open, and it occurs to him that even with the energy boost from the hot bath his flesh is tired. And it is getting later into the night - he should probably try sleeping. He's not sure he needs it, but his body is certainly demanding some kind of rest. He exhales, a bit regretfully because sleeping means he can't look around the house any more, but it'll be there when he gets up. Right?
Either that or this is all a very vivid hallucination.]
I think I should go to sleep now. My energy reserves are low.
[There's a soft wryness to her tone, the barest hint of humor in her smile.]
You can take either bed in the guest room. And if you need anything, I'll be up a little longer. [A pause, a gentle sweep of her thumb over his cheekbone.] Sleep well, Vision.
[And it's with great regret that she lets him go and moves to make her way back to the ladder.]
[It's the longest day he's ever had, even though it's been only a few hours.
He follows her back down the ladder and over to the rooms, pausing outside her door. "Thank you" is inadequate, and anything else is too premature. He settles on a middle ground.] I am glad that this is where my feet led me. Sleep well, Wanda.
[And he turns to go back to the guest room, picking a bed at random. After a little puzzled poking around, he figures out he needs to get under the blankets and lies down properly. His body is exhausted and all he wants is warmth and rest. he closes his eyes.
An hour later, he's still laying there with his eyes closed, fully awake and unable to turn off his mind. Noises from outside the house keep him up, or perhaps it's the way he can't seem to settle down, replaying the events of the day over and over. Or maybe he doesn't like being alone? Well, Wanda had said he could ask her if he couldn't sleep, so he gets up and pads his way back over to her door, knocking lightly.]
[They part with one last warm smile and Wanda turns to head into the kitchen to do something about feeding herself. Almost immediately she feels the lack of his presence - the fire keeps this room warmer than the loft but something in her feels colder already. Loneliness, she decides. How long has it been since she last had a real friend around? It must be at least a month, maybe two.
And it's been a year since the...incident. A year since she decided she could never truly belong anywhere. She can't be herself around other humans (if she even counts as human anymore) and while the fae princes would gladly have allowed her to remain with them, she doesn't really fit in there either. It's nice to visit. But not to stay.
And Vision's the first person she's met who she thinks might understand. Wanda sees a kindred need for a place to belong in him, and clearly the world hasn't been particularly kind to either of them. Maybe for a little while, they can soothe each other's desperate need for companionship.
...until he breaks her heart when he leaves. Wanda's no child; she knows what she feels for him could easily grow into love if properly cultivated. She's only setting herself up for pain by wondering if he can or might begin to feel the same way for her, if there's any chance he might decide to stay for good...but as she picks at her dinner she can't stop her imagination from wandering.
It's the purity of his heart and mind, his smile, those eyes she could get lost in, and his surprisingly lovely voice. Wanda just...doesn't want to lose them, even if she masters her feelings enough to keep them from growing beyond the softer side of platonic.
She's still lost in thought as she goes through her nightly routine and even her bath, her favorite indulgence, does little to comfort her. She settles into bed with a book and a cup of tea, hoping that maybe this will get her mind to behave, when she hears a soft knock.
The Wanda who answers the door seems much more vulnerable - the lacy silken shift doesn't leave a single curve to the imagination and all of her jewelry's gone. This is Wanda the woman, not Wanda the Scarlet Witch.]
It is not as easy as it sounds. [Her smile's sympathetic, one insomniac to another.] Come in.
[She leads him through an L-shaped room that is clearly part study, part workshop, and her (much smaller) magical library. It curls around her actual bedroom, and in the dim light soft sigils to ward off psychic attacks and encourage peaceful sleep pulse on the shared exterior walls. Questions for another time, perhaps, because Wanda pays them no mind.
The small fire in her bedroom still gives enough light to see, but barely. Which Wanda is thankful for. This room is truly made for comfort but not necessarily to be seen - her makeup and jewelry are disorganized and strewn across a dresser and today's outfit is on the floor where she'd left it.
Oops.
But again, Wanda has other, more pressing, things on her mind. She takes a seat on the side of the bed and gently pats the area next to her.]
Do you want to talk about it? Maybe there's some way I can help.
[Vision hesitates just a moment before entering Wanda's room. She looks so different this way - she feels the same to him in a way he can't describe yet, but her clothes have much less of the symbolic and more of the personal about them. So that's the power of clothing. He'll have to consider it for himself, maybe see if she has some suggestions in the light of day.
His eyes take in everything he passes, but he'll have to ask about them later. Right now he's exhausted and barely processes his surroundings, just enough not to trip on any of the scattered items on the bedroom floor. He sits down next to her and is silent for a moment.
Does he want to talk about it? What can he even say that will explain the hard knot of hurt and anxiety that was his first day alive? And yet, he can already feel it loosening in her presence. Here she is, living proof that not everyone is afraid of him, that there is kindness here.
It's probably been an awkwardly long silence by the time he actually answers, and the words come slowly - though not as slurred as they were earlier.]
I told you I was dangerous. What I failed to tell you was that this is the first day I've been awake, and that after a very brief time with my creators I was attacked, blamed for their deaths, and driven away from the town. I think they either believe I am dead, or that the monsters in the forest will have a new member.
[Are there even monsters in the forest? If Wanda is considered one of them, and the townspeople are considered "good", perhaps he has a fundamental misunderstanding of language.]
Are you certain I should be here with you?
[He wants to be. He wants so badly to stay here, in this warm and living home full of magic, kept by someone who welcomed him. He feels safe around her. Her reassurance that he can't hurt her is actually believable, and yet it isn't truly himself he's worried about. It's the people who were so afraid of him - what if they come here? Is her lovely house safe? Is she safe? He tenses up just thinking about it, despite the soreness that's crept back in after the healing and hot bath.]
[She can feel that knot inside him, and it makes her own heart twist in sympathy. Poor Vision...he doesn't deserve this.
Tentatively, Wanda reaches out to rest a hand on his forearm in silent comfort. Even with her magic, sleep doesn't come easy to her and she's perfectly willing to stay up as long as he needs her.
And oh...oh. No wonder he can't sleep. She's lucky he'll let her anywhere near him after having such awful experiences with humans.]
Vision, I...I'm so sorry. I knew something had happened, but...
[She hadn't thought it would be that bad, and she hadn't wanted to pry any deeper than she had to once she'd seen how utterly pure his mind was. She should be more suspicious of golems after...after everything, but after she'd touched his thoughts she just couldn't.
He's...precious. He deserves to be protected, to know happiness, and Wanda's going to do everything in her power to make sure of it. Her own safety is not a factor in this equation: there are reasons people fear her, and not all of them are bullshit.]
You are not a monster. And I won't let anyone hurt you again. [Her expression softens and Wanda shifts, her other hand tentatively reaching out but not quite touching.]
[The problem is that he wants to like humans - he wants to trust them. He knows they're capable of great things, that they can create beauty and that the world is a richer place for their presence. (He's not sure how he knows this, given his experiences, but it's a bone-deep conviction.)
And because she's shown him kindness and beauty, and because he isn't the only lonely one here right now, he reaches out for her as well and meets her halfway, and he holds her as close as he dares. It's awkward--he's still learning his body, not to mention how it interfaces with other people--and it's very, very gentle. He knows his own strength, and it could crush her if he isn't careful, and most of all if he's going too far he wants her to be able to back away without feeling trapped.
He doesn't cry. It isn't part of how he was made. But there is a shuddering quality to his breathing, and his voice is more raw when he speaks again.]
Thank you.
[He wants to add I don't want to be alone, but--something stops him short of that. She'd offered a hug, not to share her bed, and even he knows that's a much bigger line to cross.]
[The hug is soft and careful: Vision worried about physically hurting her and Wanda mindful of his feelings and the newness of sensation. She wants to pull him closer, though. Everything in her aches in sympathy for his plight and she wants to do whatever it takes to ease that terrible hurt into something more manageable.
If nothing else, at least she can soothe that snarl of loneliness in him.
She would hesitate to invite him to her bed were he a normal man, but Wanda doesn't have to probe his mind to know he wouldn't harm her or take advantage. Gently, she smooths her hands over his skin in rhythmic motions, guiding his head down to rest against her.]
Do you want to stay? This room is warded and I have ways to help quiet your mind so you can rest.
[A heartbeat passes, just enough for Wanda to lean into him a little more.]
[She knows just the right thing to say to stifle his objections; he does want to stay, and though he's no expert in such things the bed seems to be more than large enough for the both of them. Whatever else went into his creation, he has definitely ended up as a social creature. The relief in his tone is palpable.]
I do wish to stay.
[He's not moving out of the hug just yet, though. It just feels so good, and her easy acceptance is doing a great deal to relax him. He exhales and continues, a little mournfully.]
I am not entirely certain if I am capable of sleep, however.
[Wanda's certainly showing no sign of releasing him soon. Is it selfish, she wonders, to be glad that he wants to stay as much as she wants him to? That he wants to hold her as long as she wants (needs) to hold him? Wanda doesn't want to take advantage of him, but she just can't leave him to suffer either.
And so she holds him, content to just be, as her hands find a pattern tracing soothing circles following the textures in his back.]
If you are...my magic can affect minds. I can help you, if you want to me to try. And if you can't, I have the books I read when I can't sleep.
[A small pile on the nightstand and beside the bed - comfort books, Wanda calls them. It's mostly sappy romances and feel-good stories mixed with some fairytales and legends from faraway lands.]
But you can stay with me either way. Sometimes it's...easier, to have someone with you. And it's normal to want it. [A few more heartbeats pass while Wanda wonders if she should continue. Vision isn't like anyone she's ever met, so maybe it's all right to make a small admission of her own.] I will probably sleep better too.
[He sighs in relief, and his embrace grows more firm as she tells him he can stay. It feels so nice to have her in his arms, both from a purely physical standpoint and because it eases that knot of hurt in him to know there's someone who not only doesn't mind having him around, but who actually wants him to be there. It's not just a needy favor if it helps her out too, right?]
I will stay, then. Even if I cannot sleep, I would like to be with you.
[Tentatively, he reaches up to stroke her hair. It looks so soft, and so different from his hairless body; she's hitting just the right chord with her hands on his back, and it feels one-sided not to do something in return. And it's helping - his eyelids droop of their own accord, and his breathing calms down. Eventually, he murmurs into her ear.]
[How is he so unwittingly charming? Wanda's stomach does a series of pleasant flips and it's fortunate that she can't see his face (those eyes) or she's sure she'd just melt. There's no use in denying it - there's a definite connection between them and in his earnestness Vision has quickly become very dear to her heart.
A soft, pleased sound escapes her as he begins to stroke her hair (really, for someone who hasn't been alive a day he has no right to be this smooth) and Wanda's eyes slide shut. The world shrinks to the warmth surrounding her, the fingers in her hair, and the mingled flesh and metal under her hands. Wanda's not sure how long they stay like this, but it's...wonderful. She feels like she's become heavy in his arms and yet Vision holds her like she weighs nothing.
She might be starting to drift off, but fortunately Vision speaks up before he ends up stuck with a sleeping witch in his arms.]
Mmmmm...yes, yes we should.
[She blinks, raising her head from his (warm) shoulder and loosening the embrace just enough so that one hand rests on his side and the other ever-so-lightly on his chest. She doesn't want to let go any more than he does, even though some shifting is necessary if they're to sleep.]
Lay back and try to get comfortable. I can take the other side of the bed or we can...we can stay like this. If you want to.
[She flushes. Normally she doesn't have problems expressing her desires but Vision is so...so different. Everything is new to him, and while Wanda feels no embarrassment at letting him into her bed or wanting him close, Vision's comfort is her only goal. It has to be his choice.]
[Moving slowly so that Wanda's hands remain on him the whole time, Vision moves around until he's laying comfortably on the bed. it's nearly the same as the guest bed, just a little more sunken-in from steadier use, and yet the woman at his side makes all the difference. He would probably be fine with her on the other side of the bed. It's not far, and just the sound of her breathing helps.
And yet.]
I want you to stay, if you do not mind.
[It's selfish, it's so selfish to want her to tend to his every desire, and yet she's offering. She did say it got lonely here, and perhaps...perhaps she feels isolated, like he does. Why, he hasn't the foggiest idea, but maybe the townsfolk weren't very welcoming to her, either. Why else would she live out here all by herself?]
Wanda--
[She's got her hand on his heart; she can feel its beats increasing in pace compared to the slower, resting rate it had been approaching before.]
If I stay with you, would it help you to be less lonely?
[He's not just talking about tonight. This house with its easy integration of magic would be a good place for him to learn about who he is as much as what he can do, and his host might appreciate the company. Sure, he can help out with other things around the house as well - surely having another pair of hands to do work or pair of eyes to do research can come in handy - but he felt that she's sincerely meant it when she said he was welcome.]
[If he could feel her heartbeat, he'd find that its rate has increased too. She just wants to get this right, to make things better for him. Vision is sweet and charming and precious and so, so pure and...and perfect.
She wants him to stay. She doesn't want either of them to be alone anymore.
She wants to be allowed to let her affection grow into love. She wants to love him, regardless of who or what he is.
She wants him, in whatever way she can be part of his existence, and the sudden force of her wanting takes her by surprise.]
I want you to stay, [she whispers breathlessly, leaning into this vulnerability. Slowly Wanda shifts to settle beside him, warm skin and silk pressed to flesh and metal, her hand still resting on his heart.]
Vision, I... [Her heart is too full for words and Vision lays so perfect and beautiful beneath her that there's only one response Wanda can manage. Slowly, so he can stop her if she wishes, Wanda leans over him and presses a single, soft kiss to his cheek.] Yes. I couldn't be lonely if you were here.
[Oh. Oh, that warms his heart, and the resulting smile on his face has a brilliance that puts his former attempts at the expression to shame. He's not brave enough to kiss her back, not yet, but he does reach down to her free hand and tangle it up in his as a wordless gesture of approval.]
Then I shall stay.
[The words come easily to him, and why not? It's not as if he has anywhere else to go. That he'd so quickly found someone to help him, someone who seemed to need a companion as much as he did--
--maybe it was coincidence and maybe it was the magical forces working in ways he doesn't yet understand, but it feels right. Maybe (almost certainly) his creators hadn't intended for this to happen, but if the pieces of the puzzle fit together there's no reason not to try.
He feels confident that he'll be able to sleep now. And so.]
Good night, Wanda.
[With no trouble at all, he drifts off into the unconsciousness of a golem's rest. It's not true sleep - it won't feel like a human sleeping to her powers -but it's not too far off it, either.]
[It feels so inadequate, but Wanda squeezes his hand, smiling warmly. Oh, she would do much to see that kind of smile on his face again. He's so beautiful...
Wanda feels no shame in the eagerness with which she curls up at his side. She isn't resting on Vision's chest like she would sleep with a lover, but she keeps an arm draped over him and her forehead pressed against his warmth. This feels...right.
Her eyelids feel so heavy that she can't seem to keep them open much longer.]
Sleep well, Vision. I'll be here.
[They drift off together, and although Wanda keeps a loose eye on his mind to ensure that no nightmares come, she can't fight sleep for long.
One minute she's marveling over the strange way Vision's 'sleep' feels to her, and the next she's opening her eyes to morning sunlight.]
Mmmmph. [She curls away from it, further into Vision's side. She actually got restful sleep last night and her bed is so comfortable...
...but someone is having none of that, jumping on the bed and meowing as if she's never once been fed in her life.]
[His rest is long, uninterrupted, and badly needed by his still-adjusting mind. The comfort of having Wanda right there next to him has to be a factor: he feels safe, and because he feels safe he can truly relax. The light doesn't wake him up, nor does Wanda's stretching out next to him, but as son as he feels the slight weight of the cat on the bed he wakes up and, startled, phases entirely through the top blankets and barely manages to catch himself on--thin air?
Now he's floating and blinking, very confused, at the orange fluffball that doesn't seem to care if he's there or not as long as he gives her food, now.
Wait. Wanda had said she lived with someone. And when she says the cat's name, it all clicks into place. With a little bit of effort, he alights back on the bed, manages to make himself solid again, and addresses the cat directly as if it's a person.]
[He sure did just phase through the blanket. Zora doesn't care but Wanda jumps, hands hovering unsure at his sides until he floats back to the bed. Either she's seeing things or he was just weirdly transparent for a moment there, but when she lays a hand on his shoulder she finds it warms and solid.]
Are you all right?
[She's never seen a golem do that before. Or anyone else for that matter. Not even Loki.
Right now her attention is solely on Vision and Zora's having none of it. Purring, she climbs into Wanda's lap, nuzzling her and demanding that the witch shift her focus. And eventually Wanda scoops her up for a proper introduction.]
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[A shirt can be a future lesson, if her frequent guests have even left anything that will fit him.
She smiles and reaches for his hand to lead him from the room. This time the contact is intended purely to be a source of comfort for him, but Wanda would be lying if she said she didn't also enjoy it.]
This is your room for as long as you want to stay.
[Leaving the room, they find themselves facing another door. Wanda continues:] That door is my room. If you need something or you're afraid, I want you to wake me up, all right? I am probably not actually sleeping.
[Moving left is the room they first entered: a shared kitchen and dining space. The cooking fire seems a little off - it's just a little bit too red to be natural fire. Here there are many rugs and furs on the floor, and there's even the tiniest of bars to accommodate her guests.
The table, however, might be most interesting - the tablecloth is richly embroidered with sigils of fae origin seamlessly woven into the design along the edges.]
This is where we eat. I have some soup cooking for later, but I can get anything you want.
[And behind them, past the bedrooms, is the living space. There's a large fireplace here, still with odd red-tinted fire, surrounded by very comfy chairs and piles of extra pillows and blankets. Ivy winds around the fireplace and the mantel is covered in candles and crystals, The rugs here are more luxurious than the ones elsewhere in the house, clearly made for sitting on.
There are several musical instruments in the room, too, and a small scattering of sheet music.]
This is the living room and most of my books. You can read anything you want, and I have some games if you want to learn.
[There's the basement, and the ladder to the loft, and Wanda thinks about leaving it at that but...no, the loft is a treat and she wants to see the look on his face.]
Do you want to see the loft?
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When he gets to the living room, he smiles shyly - perhaps the first time he's done that, ever. He approaches the fireplace and holds out his hands to warm them, closing his eyes and relaxing just as he had in the hot bath. After a few long breaths, he opens his eyes again and turns to her, the glow of his smile still on his face and in his eyes.]
I like this. This is good.
[And it's not just the fire, though he takes its reddish color as a sign of welcome. After all, he's rather reddish himself. But this room is comfortable. Every piece of it is something that can be used or admired, none of it wasted. He can easily picture himself here--although at that thought his smile fades, replaced by a furrowed brow.] Do you...live here alone? [Because it's a large space for only one person, isn't it?
But then at the question he perks up. She looks excited about this loft.] Yes.
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Not completely? Zora is hiding from the storm but you'll meet her soon. And I have friends who sometimes stay with me for a while.
[She's excited enough to show him the loft that she doesn't even realize that by starting up the ladder first, she's given him a direct view up her skirt. Oops.
...but the loft really is stunning. Ivy mingled with softly glowing blue and purple flowers covers the ceiling and a small altar casts gentle silvery light, so while there are many candles up here, there's no need for them beyond setting the mood.
Wanda may use this room for being closer to cosmic energy, but it's also something between a meditation area and a lovers' retreat. The bed in the far corner is a nest of soft furs, blankets, and pillows. She's only brought someone here a bare handful of times, even counting this, but she doesn't mind. Vision can't have seen much beauty in his short life. Maybe he'll like the flowers.]
What do you think?
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The worry is pushed from his mind when he pokes his head up to the loft (alas, not noticing the view up Wanda's skirt as anything out of the ordinary). There's a power here he can feel, and it's similar enough to the magic that made him that he's able to relax again. And it's cozy, and the plant life makes it even more welcoming. That elusive smile comes out to play again, and the patter of rain on the roof above them finally sounds comfortable instead of threatening.]
It's beautiful.
[He takes her hand again, because she seems to like that.]
I am...truly welcome to stay here with you?
[It's what she's said before, but it still seems appropriate to ask. Maybe after some time he'll feel the need to leave, but right now what he needs is a peaceful place to process everything that's happened to him, to try and figure out who he is.
And it's starting to become clear to him that not only is this the right place to do that, Wanda might be the right person to help him out with it, too.]
I would like that very much.
no subject
She'd like to see him smile like that more, she thinks. And these little touches...
It feels right to hold his hand, something deeper than the simple relief of contact.]
As long as you want, [she says softly, ever-so-tentatively raising her free hand to cup his cheek in mirror of his earlier actions. She'll pull away if he seems uncomfortable, but if not...if they both like these reassuring touches, what point is there in suffering separately? He's initiated almost as much with her as she has with him.]
I'd like that, too. It is...lonely here, sometimes. But safe.
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I want to be safe. [And there's that small smile again.] But--perhaps not lonely, if you are here?
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And this time, her cheeks heat again when he smiles. He evokes such soft emotions in her and it's...nice, to feel connected to someone again. Maybe even wanted. Either way, Wanda finds she welcomes this new vulnerability.]
Yes. We don't need to be alone anymore.
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[The heavy rain on the roof is such good white noise that Vision suddenly finds his eyelids drooping. He blinks to keep them open, and it occurs to him that even with the energy boost from the hot bath his flesh is tired. And it is getting later into the night - he should probably try sleeping. He's not sure he needs it, but his body is certainly demanding some kind of rest. He exhales, a bit regretfully because sleeping means he can't look around the house any more, but it'll be there when he gets up. Right?
Either that or this is all a very vivid hallucination.]
I think I should go to sleep now. My energy reserves are low.
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[There's a soft wryness to her tone, the barest hint of humor in her smile.]
You can take either bed in the guest room. And if you need anything, I'll be up a little longer. [A pause, a gentle sweep of her thumb over his cheekbone.] Sleep well, Vision.
[And it's with great regret that she lets him go and moves to make her way back to the ladder.]
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He follows her back down the ladder and over to the rooms, pausing outside her door. "Thank you" is inadequate, and anything else is too premature. He settles on a middle ground.] I am glad that this is where my feet led me. Sleep well, Wanda.
[And he turns to go back to the guest room, picking a bed at random. After a little puzzled poking around, he figures out he needs to get under the blankets and lies down properly. His body is exhausted and all he wants is warmth and rest. he closes his eyes.
An hour later, he's still laying there with his eyes closed, fully awake and unable to turn off his mind. Noises from outside the house keep him up, or perhaps it's the way he can't seem to settle down, replaying the events of the day over and over. Or maybe he doesn't like being alone? Well, Wanda had said he could ask her if he couldn't sleep, so he gets up and pads his way back over to her door, knocking lightly.]
I am afraid I cannot sleep.
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And it's been a year since the...incident. A year since she decided she could never truly belong anywhere. She can't be herself around other humans (if she even counts as human anymore) and while the fae princes would gladly have allowed her to remain with them, she doesn't really fit in there either. It's nice to visit. But not to stay.
And Vision's the first person she's met who she thinks might understand. Wanda sees a kindred need for a place to belong in him, and clearly the world hasn't been particularly kind to either of them. Maybe for a little while, they can soothe each other's desperate need for companionship.
...until he breaks her heart when he leaves. Wanda's no child; she knows what she feels for him could easily grow into love if properly cultivated. She's only setting herself up for pain by wondering if he can or might begin to feel the same way for her, if there's any chance he might decide to stay for good...but as she picks at her dinner she can't stop her imagination from wandering.
It's the purity of his heart and mind, his smile, those eyes she could get lost in, and his surprisingly lovely voice. Wanda just...doesn't want to lose them, even if she masters her feelings enough to keep them from growing beyond the softer side of platonic.
She's still lost in thought as she goes through her nightly routine and even her bath, her favorite indulgence, does little to comfort her. She settles into bed with a book and a cup of tea, hoping that maybe this will get her mind to behave, when she hears a soft knock.
The Wanda who answers the door seems much more vulnerable - the lacy silken shift doesn't leave a single curve to the imagination and all of her jewelry's gone. This is Wanda the woman, not Wanda the Scarlet Witch.]
It is not as easy as it sounds. [Her smile's sympathetic, one insomniac to another.] Come in.
[She leads him through an L-shaped room that is clearly part study, part workshop, and her (much smaller) magical library. It curls around her actual bedroom, and in the dim light soft sigils to ward off psychic attacks and encourage peaceful sleep pulse on the shared exterior walls. Questions for another time, perhaps, because Wanda pays them no mind.
The small fire in her bedroom still gives enough light to see, but barely. Which Wanda is thankful for. This room is truly made for comfort but not necessarily to be seen - her makeup and jewelry are disorganized and strewn across a dresser and today's outfit is on the floor where she'd left it.
Oops.
But again, Wanda has other, more pressing, things on her mind. She takes a seat on the side of the bed and gently pats the area next to her.]
Do you want to talk about it? Maybe there's some way I can help.
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His eyes take in everything he passes, but he'll have to ask about them later. Right now he's exhausted and barely processes his surroundings, just enough not to trip on any of the scattered items on the bedroom floor. He sits down next to her and is silent for a moment.
Does he want to talk about it? What can he even say that will explain the hard knot of hurt and anxiety that was his first day alive? And yet, he can already feel it loosening in her presence. Here she is, living proof that not everyone is afraid of him, that there is kindness here.
It's probably been an awkwardly long silence by the time he actually answers, and the words come slowly - though not as slurred as they were earlier.]
I told you I was dangerous. What I failed to tell you was that this is the first day I've been awake, and that after a very brief time with my creators I was attacked, blamed for their deaths, and driven away from the town. I think they either believe I am dead, or that the monsters in the forest will have a new member.
[Are there even monsters in the forest? If Wanda is considered one of them, and the townspeople are considered "good", perhaps he has a fundamental misunderstanding of language.]
Are you certain I should be here with you?
[He wants to be. He wants so badly to stay here, in this warm and living home full of magic, kept by someone who welcomed him. He feels safe around her. Her reassurance that he can't hurt her is actually believable, and yet it isn't truly himself he's worried about. It's the people who were so afraid of him - what if they come here? Is her lovely house safe? Is she safe? He tenses up just thinking about it, despite the soreness that's crept back in after the healing and hot bath.]
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Tentatively, Wanda reaches out to rest a hand on his forearm in silent comfort. Even with her magic, sleep doesn't come easy to her and she's perfectly willing to stay up as long as he needs her.
And oh...oh. No wonder he can't sleep. She's lucky he'll let her anywhere near him after having such awful experiences with humans.]
Vision, I...I'm so sorry. I knew something had happened, but...
[She hadn't thought it would be that bad, and she hadn't wanted to pry any deeper than she had to once she'd seen how utterly pure his mind was. She should be more suspicious of golems after...after everything, but after she'd touched his thoughts she just couldn't.
He's...precious. He deserves to be protected, to know happiness, and Wanda's going to do everything in her power to make sure of it. Her own safety is not a factor in this equation: there are reasons people fear her, and not all of them are bullshit.]
You are not a monster. And I won't let anyone hurt you again. [Her expression softens and Wanda shifts, her other hand tentatively reaching out but not quite touching.]
Can I...would you like a hug?
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And because she's shown him kindness and beauty, and because he isn't the only lonely one here right now, he reaches out for her as well and meets her halfway, and he holds her as close as he dares. It's awkward--he's still learning his body, not to mention how it interfaces with other people--and it's very, very gentle. He knows his own strength, and it could crush her if he isn't careful, and most of all if he's going too far he wants her to be able to back away without feeling trapped.
He doesn't cry. It isn't part of how he was made. But there is a shuddering quality to his breathing, and his voice is more raw when he speaks again.]
Thank you.
[He wants to add I don't want to be alone, but--something stops him short of that. She'd offered a hug, not to share her bed, and even he knows that's a much bigger line to cross.]
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If nothing else, at least she can soothe that snarl of loneliness in him.
She would hesitate to invite him to her bed were he a normal man, but Wanda doesn't have to probe his mind to know he wouldn't harm her or take advantage. Gently, she smooths her hands over his skin in rhythmic motions, guiding his head down to rest against her.]
Do you want to stay? This room is warded and I have ways to help quiet your mind so you can rest.
[A heartbeat passes, just enough for Wanda to lean into him a little more.]
It's all right. I know you won't hurt me.
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I do wish to stay.
[He's not moving out of the hug just yet, though. It just feels so good, and her easy acceptance is doing a great deal to relax him. He exhales and continues, a little mournfully.]
I am not entirely certain if I am capable of sleep, however.
[...it's not like he's ever done it before.]
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And so she holds him, content to just be, as her hands find a pattern tracing soothing circles following the textures in his back.]
If you are...my magic can affect minds. I can help you, if you want to me to try. And if you can't, I have the books I read when I can't sleep.
[A small pile on the nightstand and beside the bed - comfort books, Wanda calls them. It's mostly sappy romances and feel-good stories mixed with some fairytales and legends from faraway lands.]
But you can stay with me either way. Sometimes it's...easier, to have someone with you. And it's normal to want it. [A few more heartbeats pass while Wanda wonders if she should continue. Vision isn't like anyone she's ever met, so maybe it's all right to make a small admission of her own.] I will probably sleep better too.
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I will stay, then. Even if I cannot sleep, I would like to be with you.
[Tentatively, he reaches up to stroke her hair. It looks so soft, and so different from his hairless body; she's hitting just the right chord with her hands on his back, and it feels one-sided not to do something in return. And it's helping - his eyelids droop of their own accord, and his breathing calms down. Eventually, he murmurs into her ear.]
I suppose we ought to lay down now.
[But he's reluctant to let go of her.]
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A soft, pleased sound escapes her as he begins to stroke her hair (really, for someone who hasn't been alive a day he has no right to be this smooth) and Wanda's eyes slide shut. The world shrinks to the warmth surrounding her, the fingers in her hair, and the mingled flesh and metal under her hands. Wanda's not sure how long they stay like this, but it's...wonderful. She feels like she's become heavy in his arms and yet Vision holds her like she weighs nothing.
She might be starting to drift off, but fortunately Vision speaks up before he ends up stuck with a sleeping witch in his arms.]
Mmmmm...yes, yes we should.
[She blinks, raising her head from his (warm) shoulder and loosening the embrace just enough so that one hand rests on his side and the other ever-so-lightly on his chest. She doesn't want to let go any more than he does, even though some shifting is necessary if they're to sleep.]
Lay back and try to get comfortable. I can take the other side of the bed or we can...we can stay like this. If you want to.
[She flushes. Normally she doesn't have problems expressing her desires but Vision is so...so different. Everything is new to him, and while Wanda feels no embarrassment at letting him into her bed or wanting him close, Vision's comfort is her only goal. It has to be his choice.]
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And yet.]
I want you to stay, if you do not mind.
[It's selfish, it's so selfish to want her to tend to his every desire, and yet she's offering. She did say it got lonely here, and perhaps...perhaps she feels isolated, like he does. Why, he hasn't the foggiest idea, but maybe the townsfolk weren't very welcoming to her, either. Why else would she live out here all by herself?]
Wanda--
[She's got her hand on his heart; she can feel its beats increasing in pace compared to the slower, resting rate it had been approaching before.]
If I stay with you, would it help you to be less lonely?
[He's not just talking about tonight. This house with its easy integration of magic would be a good place for him to learn about who he is as much as what he can do, and his host might appreciate the company. Sure, he can help out with other things around the house as well - surely having another pair of hands to do work or pair of eyes to do research can come in handy - but he felt that she's sincerely meant it when she said he was welcome.]
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She wants him to stay. She doesn't want either of them to be alone anymore.
She wants to be allowed to let her affection grow into love. She wants to love him, regardless of who or what he is.
She wants him, in whatever way she can be part of his existence, and the sudden force of her wanting takes her by surprise.]
I want you to stay, [she whispers breathlessly, leaning into this vulnerability. Slowly Wanda shifts to settle beside him, warm skin and silk pressed to flesh and metal, her hand still resting on his heart.]
Vision, I... [Her heart is too full for words and Vision lays so perfect and beautiful beneath her that there's only one response Wanda can manage. Slowly, so he can stop her if she wishes, Wanda leans over him and presses a single, soft kiss to his cheek.] Yes. I couldn't be lonely if you were here.
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Then I shall stay.
[The words come easily to him, and why not? It's not as if he has anywhere else to go. That he'd so quickly found someone to help him, someone who seemed to need a companion as much as he did--
--maybe it was coincidence and maybe it was the magical forces working in ways he doesn't yet understand, but it feels right. Maybe (almost certainly) his creators hadn't intended for this to happen, but if the pieces of the puzzle fit together there's no reason not to try.
He feels confident that he'll be able to sleep now. And so.]
Good night, Wanda.
[With no trouble at all, he drifts off into the unconsciousness of a golem's rest. It's not true sleep - it won't feel like a human sleeping to her powers -but it's not too far off it, either.]
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[It feels so inadequate, but Wanda squeezes his hand, smiling warmly. Oh, she would do much to see that kind of smile on his face again. He's so beautiful...
Wanda feels no shame in the eagerness with which she curls up at his side. She isn't resting on Vision's chest like she would sleep with a lover, but she keeps an arm draped over him and her forehead pressed against his warmth. This feels...right.
Her eyelids feel so heavy that she can't seem to keep them open much longer.]
Sleep well, Vision. I'll be here.
[They drift off together, and although Wanda keeps a loose eye on his mind to ensure that no nightmares come, she can't fight sleep for long.
One minute she's marveling over the strange way Vision's 'sleep' feels to her, and the next she's opening her eyes to morning sunlight.]
Mmmmph. [She curls away from it, further into Vision's side. She actually got restful sleep last night and her bed is so comfortable...
...but someone is having none of that, jumping on the bed and meowing as if she's never once been fed in her life.]
...Zora...
[Five more minutes? Please?]
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Now he's floating and blinking, very confused, at the orange fluffball that doesn't seem to care if he's there or not as long as he gives her food, now.
Wait. Wanda had said she lived with someone. And when she says the cat's name, it all clicks into place. With a little bit of effort, he alights back on the bed, manages to make himself solid again, and addresses the cat directly as if it's a person.]
My apologies, but you startled me.
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[He sure did just phase through the blanket. Zora doesn't care but Wanda jumps, hands hovering unsure at his sides until he floats back to the bed. Either she's seeing things or he was just weirdly transparent for a moment there, but when she lays a hand on his shoulder she finds it warms and solid.]
Are you all right?
[She's never seen a golem do that before. Or anyone else for that matter. Not even Loki.
Right now her attention is solely on Vision and Zora's having none of it. Purring, she climbs into Wanda's lap, nuzzling her and demanding that the witch shift her focus. And eventually Wanda scoops her up for a proper introduction.]
This is Zora.
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