[That gets a good-natured laugh, because she's the one who suggested he should wear clothing in the first place. Modesty isn't something he's developed (and if he spends all his time with Wanda, he might not get a very good grasp on it at first).]
Certainly.
[He does need the help, but after a bit his fine shirt and vest are discarded to the edge of the nest and his chest laid bare. Here and there, the runes engraved into his metal parts shine unevenly with the same yellow light she'd observed earlier. None of them are particularly active at the moment, but any of them could be - none are fully dark. His flesh is that same unusual maroon color, as if someone had stained it with beetroot juice, but he's shaped like a man and feels touch like any human, and he finds himself shivering lightly as she runs her hands over him.]
Is that, er, good for you? [And then, hastily,] I like it.
It's nothing she hasn't seen before but this time Wanda has permission to look, and most importantly, touch. She settles back into his arms once his shirt and vest are discarded, propped up on her elbow and half draped over him. The greater intimacy feels wonderful and when she lowers her head to press a kiss over his heart Wanda feels such a strong spark of warmth that it gentles her touches even further. She pays equal attention to flesh and metal with careful, reverent caresses until she can no longer fight the urge to kiss him again. It's softer this time, something he may be able to more easily keep up with.]
It's very good. More than I thought it could be.
[What a shame she's wearing a dress and the whole thing would have to come off for him to reciprocate. She's wary of rushing of him and won't suggest it, but if he asks her to take off Wanda would do it without question. What does modesty matter compared to such a simple request from her soulmate?
Soon more kisses join those careful touches, to skin and metal and rune alike. Wanda pauses after kissing a particularly eye-catching one and lightly runs a finger over it.]
[He is not, as it happens, prepared to deal with a naked Wanda just yet. While he has neither shyness nor shame about his own body, there's still too much of everything new for him to consider wanting even more than he already has at the moment.
It will come. Just not yet.
He's starting to get the hang of this kissing thing, though, and he keeps one hand on Wanda's back even as she explores him for that sense of constant contact, blissful in the warmth and comfort her very presence shares with him.]
That one? [He considers it for a moment, searching for its meaning inside himself.] Self-actualization.
[Not something common, not even in higher magics. But it might explain part of why he is the way he is.]
[Wanda hums thoughtfully and presses another tender kiss to the rune. It's certainly not the only element making him what he is, but it must be a major piece. She's grateful beyond measure for each and every one of them, for everything that makes his soul the perfect match to hers. He's strange, but she's strange too.
Their days fall into a rhythm of slowly discovering each other, of shared magics and gentle kisses. Even Wanda's nightmares leave her alone when she sleeps at Vision's side. She's happy for the first time in months and this time it actually sticks.
So the morning of Valentine's Day, she rises early, tenderly tucking Vision back in and quietly slipping into the kitchen. She could conjure an entire table of treats (and she still will), but she wants to actually put in the effort of baking something for him. This is the only time she can do it secretly.
She gets the little tarts (filled with strawberry-rose jam, a combination Vision's never had before) into the oven and starts on the frosting, hoping desperately that she can finish before Vision rises for the day.
Unfortunately, she forgot to shut the door all the way and a certain fuzzy someone has hopped on the bed. The witch is awake, so it's time for kitties to play.]
[Still lost in the reverie that is golem sleep, Vision doesn't notice when Wanda gets up earlier than he does. It's not that unusual - some of her magic works best at dawn, or sometimes she's restless to get started with the sunrise. He likes lingering here occasionally: it feels like the basest form of comfort to be here in the warmth that smells unerringly like the Scarlet Witch.
But, naturally, Zora either wants food or attention. He cracks an eyelid when she starts headbutting at his shoulder, purring loudly. You have food. [He mumbles the phrase, basing it on the level of daylight streaming through the curtains. But the cat is insistent, and so it doesn't take too long to get an only slightly sleepy golem out of bed and dressed. He follows her out of the bedroom, noticing the enticing scent of baked goods as soon as he exits, following his nose to the kitchen.]
Good morning. I assume you've fed the cat and she's merely wanting attention?
[Wanda jumps and turns to see Vision...and Zora nuzzling his leg. It's not hard to piece together what must have happened.]
Zora! [Cat why. On today of all days...] She ate, but I think she got annoyed that I am working on this.
[Setting the bowl aside, Wanda goes to him for a hug and leans up to kiss his cheek. She hasn't changed out of her thin nightdress and so the warmth of his body encourages her to linger.]
[His eyes light up, as always, when Wanda comes to him; his arms move around her in a very comfortable gesture, even though he knows she'll want to get back to...is that a pastry she's decorating?]
What have you got there? It smells lovely.
[And then it occurs to him that she's baking before he got up, and that she's annoyed at the cat.]
My dearest, are you by chance making these for me?
But I am surprised. [And, to judge by his tone and expression, delighted. Vision runs his hand down Wanda's arm and delicately takes her hand so he can bring those fingers up to his mouth and kiss off a bit of baking residue.]
Though I suppose you ought to finish decorating them? I did not know there was an entire holiday to celebrate love.
[He'll release her after another quick squeeze and find a place that will let him watch but that isn't in the way.]
[That earns him a genuine smile and a deeper blush, and already Wanda doesn't want to let him go. But there are pastries on the line and a surprise to salvage, and she is going to make sure Vision has a good day if it's the last thing she does.]
They're almost done. Normally they would need to cool a little more, but I know spells to make this faster.
Fortunately these are meant to look rustic so glazing the tarts or adding the final toppings isn't an exact science. Wanda uses her powers on them twice, once to cool the pastries and again to set the icing. That done, she puts several on a plate and goes to join him at the table.]
Chocolate is more traditional, but we can have that later. I wanted to make something for you the normal way.
[If she seems a little like she's rambling, she's definitely nervous. It's not uncommon for Wanda to cook and bake for them, but today feels a little weightier. She's even forgotten to conjure drinks.]
[He exclaims in delight at the pastries once she brings them over, both because they're lovely and because she made them just for him. One might think that living here practically his whole life and having Wanda grace him with acts of kindness on a regular basis would inure him to their effects, but it's rather the opposite.
He should do something for her today as well, Vision decides. But what?]
These are delicious. [They're still piping hot, but thanks to her magic not hot enough to burn. Not that his mouth would burn regardless, but it's the difference between a comfortable temperature and an uncomfortable one, and he appreciates it.] Thank you, Wanda.
[He rests his gaze on her, smiling.] What more ought I to expect today? Are there other traditions?
[It's an easy admission, and to punctuate it he quickly takes one of her hands and kisses it. A whole holiday about love, and they can make their own traditions? His mind begins to go over the possibilities, influenced in large part by the couple of romance novels he's read from Wanda's library. Maybe...maybe she would be all right with more than these light kisses. He'll have to think about it and decide what he wants to try.
For now, the hot chocolate sounds lovely.]
I'd like that. Should I heat some milk, since you baked these for me?
[It's hardly a secret, but Wanda likes to say it often. She's just so happy now that he's here with her, no longer simply surviving but actually living.]
I can help you if you want to try.
[Although today her version of 'help' is going to involve her arms around his waist and her head on his shoulder. They take plenty of time for cuddling and kissing as it is but Wanda will shamelessly take any excuse she can get.]
[He munches on another pastry, mentally cataloging the ingredients and recipe for hot chocolate. Yes, they should have everything they need, and it should be pretty easy for him since he's not prone to impatience. And while he's helped Wanda with her potions many times, he hasn't cooked at all. This will be a good experiment - especially since she can just conjure up a replacement if it fails too badly.]
I'd like that.
[He saves a couple of the pastries to eat with hot chocolate, so it's not long before he has the milk simmering.] Now, I add the shredded chocolate slowly, yes?
[Some things, like hot chocolate, aren't that different from potion-making. And she'll be right here the whole time, so hopefully nothing will go too terribly?
She moves with him as he gets started to find an unobtrusive (or as unobtrusive as being this close to him can be) place to stand at his side and rest her cheek against him.]
Yes, and you need to keep stirring. Even chocolate can't be saved if it burns.
[As always, her comforting warmth gives him confidence, and if his free hand snakes around her for an embrace, well, it shouldn't affect the chocolate too much.]
Slow and steady. Like the moonblossoms with the dreaming potion.
[He drops them in, tiny sprinkles of dark against the thick white milk, and continues stirring slowly until the liquid turns a darker shade, and then adds more chocolate. Here and there a bit of spice, and it begins to smell simply divine.]
[Holding him like this is perfect and Wanda has to stifle the urge to lean up to kiss Vision's cheek. She doesn't want to accidentally sabotage him with the distraction of kissing. It can wait a few more minutes, and until then she has the comfort of their casual embrace.]
Just like that, Vizh.
[After a while Wanda grins and glances up at him.]
[The advantage to it just being the two of them (and of being, as far as he knows, completely impervious to disease) is that he can just use the stirring spoon to taste his creation directly. It's very good, but missing...ah, there it is. He sprinkles just a bit of chili powder into the hot chocolate and stirs it up.]
There. Would you mind getting the mugs, dearest?
[The marshmallows go in last so they don't melt, he remembers that much.]
[Wanda grins and kisses his cheek - now that it's done, she can indulge them both. She has no intention of leaving his embrace just yet, however, and so she uses her magic to open a cabinet and levitate two mugs over to the counter.]
I can't wait to try it. And I'm sure it will be good with the pastries.
[Wanda blows on it first with a tiny bit of power behind the action. Vision may not be able to burn his mouth but she certainly can, and she doesn't want this memory tainted by accidental injuries, thanks. That done, she takes a sip, closing her eyes to better savor the flavor. The extra heat was a nice touch.]
Mmmmm...it's perfect, Vizh.
[She leans up to kiss him gently on the lips.] Just like you.
[This time, when she kisses him, Vision feels a light chill along his spine. For the first time, he's tempted to open up his mouth to that kiss, taste her with his tongue...but he doesn't, not yet. He needs to examine this first.
It shows in his gaze with a little bit of fire, more than usual. And he does squeeze her back with his free hand.]
[She notices that subtle shift in his expression and it brings more heat to her cheeks. Oh, she wants to kiss him again... but the tarts aren't getting any warmer. And she doesn't want to push too much, too quickly.]
We're a good team.
[Okay, she can be good, but her willpower doesn't go far enough to refrain from one last caress of his cheek before they return to the table.]
Come on. I'll summon some chocolate croissants we can eat with this too.
[Breakfast is delicious and charming, and Vision feels ever so slightly proud that he contributed to it for once. He'll have to do so more often, when they don't just feel like conjuring food, of course.
All the while, he's pondering and discarding ideas for what to do today to celebrate the holiday. There's nothing so pressing that it cannot be done tomorrow, but the snow is still deep enough that going for a walk in the woods might be something of a chore rather than a leisure activity. Going up to the little nook by the altar today is an absolute must...hmm. At a lull in the conversation, he decides to explore that thought a bit further, speaking slowly.]
Wanda? Are there any magic rituals you'd like to perform that are, er, powered by love? That is, I don't mean sex per se, but love. [He talks quickly to move past that bit, displaying the nervous tics that he has in place of blushing. He's not ready for that, not yet, but maybe--maybe the things leading up to it.] Because I would think this would be an ideal time to perform them, if so, and I, er, well, I'm willing to try them out, if you are, and, well--
[Better interrupt him before he loses his train of thought entirely.]
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Certainly.
[He does need the help, but after a bit his fine shirt and vest are discarded to the edge of the nest and his chest laid bare. Here and there, the runes engraved into his metal parts shine unevenly with the same yellow light she'd observed earlier. None of them are particularly active at the moment, but any of them could be - none are fully dark. His flesh is that same unusual maroon color, as if someone had stained it with beetroot juice, but he's shaped like a man and feels touch like any human, and he finds himself shivering lightly as she runs her hands over him.]
Is that, er, good for you? [And then, hastily,] I like it.
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It's nothing she hasn't seen before but this time Wanda has permission to look, and most importantly, touch. She settles back into his arms once his shirt and vest are discarded, propped up on her elbow and half draped over him. The greater intimacy feels wonderful and when she lowers her head to press a kiss over his heart Wanda feels such a strong spark of warmth that it gentles her touches even further. She pays equal attention to flesh and metal with careful, reverent caresses until she can no longer fight the urge to kiss him again. It's softer this time, something he may be able to more easily keep up with.]
It's very good. More than I thought it could be.
[What a shame she's wearing a dress and the whole thing would have to come off for him to reciprocate. She's wary of rushing of him and won't suggest it, but if he asks her to take off Wanda would do it without question. What does modesty matter compared to such a simple request from her soulmate?
Soon more kisses join those careful touches, to skin and metal and rune alike. Wanda pauses after kissing a particularly eye-catching one and lightly runs a finger over it.]
I don't know this one, but it's pretty.
[Then again, all of him is beautiful to her.]
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It will come. Just not yet.
He's starting to get the hang of this kissing thing, though, and he keeps one hand on Wanda's back even as she explores him for that sense of constant contact, blissful in the warmth and comfort her very presence shares with him.]
That one? [He considers it for a moment, searching for its meaning inside himself.] Self-actualization.
[Not something common, not even in higher magics. But it might explain part of why he is the way he is.]
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Their days fall into a rhythm of slowly discovering each other, of shared magics and gentle kisses. Even Wanda's nightmares leave her alone when she sleeps at Vision's side. She's happy for the first time in months and this time it actually sticks.
So the morning of Valentine's Day, she rises early, tenderly tucking Vision back in and quietly slipping into the kitchen. She could conjure an entire table of treats (and she still will), but she wants to actually put in the effort of baking something for him. This is the only time she can do it secretly.
She gets the little tarts (filled with strawberry-rose jam, a combination Vision's never had before) into the oven and starts on the frosting, hoping desperately that she can finish before Vision rises for the day.
Unfortunately, she forgot to shut the door all the way and a certain fuzzy someone has hopped on the bed. The witch is awake, so it's time for kitties to play.]
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But, naturally, Zora either wants food or attention. He cracks an eyelid when she starts headbutting at his shoulder, purring loudly. You have food. [He mumbles the phrase, basing it on the level of daylight streaming through the curtains. But the cat is insistent, and so it doesn't take too long to get an only slightly sleepy golem out of bed and dressed. He follows her out of the bedroom, noticing the enticing scent of baked goods as soon as he exits, following his nose to the kitchen.]
Good morning. I assume you've fed the cat and she's merely wanting attention?
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Zora! [Cat why. On today of all days...] She ate, but I think she got annoyed that I am working on this.
[Setting the bowl aside, Wanda goes to him for a hug and leans up to kiss his cheek. She hasn't changed out of her thin nightdress and so the warmth of his body encourages her to linger.]
Good morning, Vizh.
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What have you got there? It smells lovely.
[And then it occurs to him that she's baking before he got up, and that she's annoyed at the cat.]
My dearest, are you by chance making these for me?
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They're called love tarts. Today is a Valentine's Day, a holiday to celebrate love, and I wanted to make something special for you.
They were supposed to be a surprise, but... [Zora is a traitor.]
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Though I suppose you ought to finish decorating them? I did not know there was an entire holiday to celebrate love.
[He'll release her after another quick squeeze and find a place that will let him watch but that isn't in the way.]
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They're almost done. Normally they would need to cool a little more, but I know spells to make this faster.
Fortunately these are meant to look rustic so glazing the tarts or adding the final toppings isn't an exact science. Wanda uses her powers on them twice, once to cool the pastries and again to set the icing. That done, she puts several on a plate and goes to join him at the table.]
Chocolate is more traditional, but we can have that later. I wanted to make something for you the normal way.
[If she seems a little like she's rambling, she's definitely nervous. It's not uncommon for Wanda to cook and bake for them, but today feels a little weightier. She's even forgotten to conjure drinks.]
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He should do something for her today as well, Vision decides. But what?]
These are delicious. [They're still piping hot, but thanks to her magic not hot enough to burn. Not that his mouth would burn regardless, but it's the difference between a comfortable temperature and an uncomfortable one, and he appreciates it.] Thank you, Wanda.
[He rests his gaze on her, smiling.] What more ought I to expect today? Are there other traditions?
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We can make whatever traditions we want. If there's anything you want to do, Vision...I want you to be happy.
[She rests a hand on the table and her eyes flash red as she pictures what she wants - two mugs of hot chocolate. With marshmallows, of course.]
Maybe we could start with sharing some hot chocolate?
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[It's an easy admission, and to punctuate it he quickly takes one of her hands and kisses it. A whole holiday about love, and they can make their own traditions? His mind begins to go over the possibilities, influenced in large part by the couple of romance novels he's read from Wanda's library. Maybe...maybe she would be all right with more than these light kisses. He'll have to think about it and decide what he wants to try.
For now, the hot chocolate sounds lovely.]
I'd like that. Should I heat some milk, since you baked these for me?
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[It's hardly a secret, but Wanda likes to say it often. She's just so happy now that he's here with her, no longer simply surviving but actually living.]
I can help you if you want to try.
[Although today her version of 'help' is going to involve her arms around his waist and her head on his shoulder. They take plenty of time for cuddling and kissing as it is but Wanda will shamelessly take any excuse she can get.]
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I'd like that.
[He saves a couple of the pastries to eat with hot chocolate, so it's not long before he has the milk simmering.] Now, I add the shredded chocolate slowly, yes?
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She moves with him as he gets started to find an unobtrusive (or as unobtrusive as being this close to him can be) place to stand at his side and rest her cheek against him.]
Yes, and you need to keep stirring. Even chocolate can't be saved if it burns.
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Slow and steady. Like the moonblossoms with the dreaming potion.
[He drops them in, tiny sprinkles of dark against the thick white milk, and continues stirring slowly until the liquid turns a darker shade, and then adds more chocolate. Here and there a bit of spice, and it begins to smell simply divine.]
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Just like that, Vizh.
[After a while Wanda grins and glances up at him.]
Do you want to taste it? It smells wonderful.
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There. Would you mind getting the mugs, dearest?
[The marshmallows go in last so they don't melt, he remembers that much.]
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I can't wait to try it. And I'm sure it will be good with the pastries.
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Carefully, he pours the pan of beverage into the two cups and tops them liberally with marshmallows, presenting one with a flourish to Wanda.]
For you. Do let me know if I've got the spices right?
[Although since he's just following a recipe, it should all be correct.]
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Mmmmm...it's perfect, Vizh.
[She leans up to kiss him gently on the lips.] Just like you.
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It shows in his gaze with a little bit of fire, more than usual. And he does squeeze her back with his free hand.]
Only because of your help, my love.
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We're a good team.
[Okay, she can be good, but her willpower doesn't go far enough to refrain from one last caress of his cheek before they return to the table.]
Come on. I'll summon some chocolate croissants we can eat with this too.
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All the while, he's pondering and discarding ideas for what to do today to celebrate the holiday. There's nothing so pressing that it cannot be done tomorrow, but the snow is still deep enough that going for a walk in the woods might be something of a chore rather than a leisure activity. Going up to the little nook by the altar today is an absolute must...hmm. At a lull in the conversation, he decides to explore that thought a bit further, speaking slowly.]
Wanda? Are there any magic rituals you'd like to perform that are, er, powered by love? That is, I don't mean sex per se, but love. [He talks quickly to move past that bit, displaying the nervous tics that he has in place of blushing. He's not ready for that, not yet, but maybe--maybe the things leading up to it.] Because I would think this would be an ideal time to perform them, if so, and I, er, well, I'm willing to try them out, if you are, and, well--
[Better interrupt him before he loses his train of thought entirely.]
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