Chapter 6
"Blue-ish Christmas"
Day 3: Sunday, December 13.
VISION
He stayed for a few more minutes on the balcony before going to the library. He spent most of his time reading, watching television or listening to music, luckily for him, Tony Stark’s FRIDAY had a very large collection of music he could listen to and a library always open.
He took a couple of books and then walked towards his room. His room was very spacious, with a television, a sound equipment, a vinyl player (Steve had told him he liked to use it even more than he liked listening to digital music and he let him use his vinyls anytime), and a computer (which he rarely use).
There was no bed, since he didn’t sleep, but there was a very large a comfortable round couch in the middle of the room. The walls were filled with pictures he found on magazines, the internet or in newspapers and there were books and magazines scattered all over the floor.
If he didn’t fly it would be really hard to walk freely around the room.
He sat on the couch and opened one of the books he had gotten. It was a very old edition, the edges of the hard cover were worn and the pages were yellowish, some of the corners were folded in, as if the previous reader was marking the pages.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us…”
Three hours later he finished “The tale of two cities” and made a mental note to research more about the author.
“Charles Dickens” he read the name on the spine of the book, tracing the gold letters with his fingers.
He also thought about talking to Wanda about it, she had probably already read it, if that wasn’t the case, he would suggest it to her.
He sat on his computer and typed the author’s name.
Day 4: Monday, December 14.
He could see the sun was already out when Tony called him to his lab. Meaning FRIDAY had notified him Tony needed him somewhat nine floors down. When he entered the lab, Tony was fixing something, as always.
“Tony” he greeted.
“Hey, man” he said, removing his transparent protective glasses, “I might need your help here”
“Very well” he walked towards the man.
He was working on some sort of engine, very alike to the one’s cars had, but it was smaller. He approched the table and examined Tony’s project for a few seconds, normally Tony would start talking none stop about pretty much anything but he had noticed the man was very quiet lately. So unlike him.
“And yes, I have already tried to turning it off and on again” Tony grinned.
It took Vision a few seconds to understand the joke. He smiled.
“Let’s see” Vision said examining the machine in front of him. he reached for a screwdriver. After a few minutes he said, “I know what you did wrong”
“No-uh” Tony shook his head, “Nothing is wrong, I’m never wrong, that engine just won’t turn-“
The engine made a roaring sound. Vision looked at Tony and then smiled.
“What the hell” Tony groaned.
“I replace the battery for a less powerful one, this engine is far too small and it was burning the system”
Tony then laughed, “Un-fucking-believable”
“You are welcome” Vision gave him a small nod.
“Yeah, yeah, thanks, smarty pants" Tony patted his shoulder.
He was about to leave when Tony cursed loudly, suddenly the fire alarm from the lab went off.
“Fuck! Fuck!” Tony yelled, “FRIDAY, turn that shit off”
“But, sir-“
“Now!”
Vision walked towards Tony, it was silent now that FRIDAY turn the alarm off. There was smoke but it was already dissipating. Tony was covering his right hand, blood running down his arm.
“What happened?” Vision asked alarmed.
“Well, I was about to get rid of the burned battery but it exploded and a piece of the metal sliced my hand”
“Are you alright?” the man was reaching the first aid kit he knew Tony had.
“Yeah, yeah” Tony looked at his hand, sitting on the chair behind him, “I mean, my fingers are still attached to the rest of my hand, so”
Vision walked towards him and opened the kit, Tony’s hand was a bloody mess but his fingers were, in fact, still attached to his hands. He cleaned the cut with antiseptic carefully.
“I don’t think you’ll be able to work with this hand for a while” Vision said, bandaging the hand.
“Well, I'll figure something out once I'm in solitude” Tony tried to joke, smiling softly.
Vision didn’t really get the joke, but knowing Tony it was probably a dirty joke or some sort of sexual innuendo.
“You seem distracted” Vision mentioned.
“Yeah, it’s-“ Tony glared at him, “You better not be getting into my head, man, not cool”
“I wasn’t” Vision said, “I don’t do that” he assured him.
“Mm”
“So what’s on your mind?”
Tony looked thoughtful for a few seconds, Vision finished bandaging the hand and stared at Tony, who was still silent. Before Vision’s curiosity got the best of him, Tony spoke. He scratched his beard and shrugged.
“Cap, actually”
“Steve?” he frowned, “What could have Steve done that’s bothering you so much?“
He thought their relationship had gotten a lot better the past few months.
“Something happened” Tony said looking at his hand, “Or it’s happening, I don’t… really know”
The man looked confused and a little bit upset about whatever Steve had done to him, it was the first time he saw Tony like that. Troubled, confused.
“It’s nothing bad” he continued, “Do you- can you-“ Tony stared at him.
“Can I what?”
“Love and stuff” Tony groaned hiding his face on his hands, “I’m a damn grown man, I shouldn’t be having stupid crushes”
Vision’s eyes went wide. Love. Tony was in love with Steve or at least he thought he was.
“Sir, Agent Barton wants me to notify you that breakfast is being served” FRIDAY interrupted.
Vision and Tony looked at each other and then the older man stood up.
“We better go, then” Tony said, “Thor is probably up already”
“Yes”
“Can you-“ Tony sighed, “Not mention this, ever”
Vision nodded.
One of the things Vision did while eating was observing other people, right now he was looking at Clint and Pietro who were chuckling and talking closely. Clint nudged Pietro’s shoulder and shook his head affectionally. He then looked at Natasha and Bruce. Bruce said something and Natasha threw her head back with a laugh, the man, who was drinking juice, smiled, a little bit of orange juice ran down his chin. He apologised and Natasha wiped his chin with a napkin, smiling softly, telling him something about being “Adorable” and “a bit dorky”.
Tony was talking with Steve. They were actually arguing. Tony sighed heavily and asked Steve to “drop it”, Steve looked at his hand and grabbed it, examining it carefully, Tony’s annoyed expression changed to a more calmed one. He then sighed and told Steve to not worry, then he promised him to get more sleep.
The other man nodded a concern look still on his face. He then made a joke about Jane being able to hear Thor talking on the phone all the way on England, the God simply glared and continued talking to his girlfriend on the phone.
Wanda’s laugh caught his attention, she was now arguing with Pietro and Clint about something called “the Grinch”, the older seemed to be explaining something to her when Pietro made a funny impression. Wanda gave Pietro’s shoulder a nudge and asked him to do it again, her brother complied, making her laugh louder.
That thing he was witnessing, that thing that was happening in front of him, was love.
Love could blossom between a man and another man, it was that bond he felt between Natasha and Clint, love could blossom between a troubled person like Dr. Banner and a reserved woman like Natasha Romanoff, he could see love growing between two men with different, but equally interesting pasts every time he looked at Steve and Tony, and he could see love between siblings, the way Pietro always made Wanda smiled and the way Wanda was always so protective of him (even if he was only minutes older than her).
Even a God could fall into the spell of love for a mortal woman.
But could love blossom between a woman and… an android?
“Vision?” Thor waved his hand in front of him, “Everything alright?”
Vision blinked, “of course” Thor smiled, “Are you going to eat that toast?”
Thor shook his head, “Go ahead, my friend”
They decided to spent the rest of the afternoon in the ice-rink, this time he agreed to go. Bruce refused to go at first, but Natasha reminded him that he asked her to teach him how to skate. Vision didn’t think it was necessary for him to learn because, well, he could fly.
“Pietro, Wanda, I can teach you a few tricks Clint doesn’t know” Natasha winked at Clint.
“Coming!” Wanda and Pietro answered at the same time.
Pietro entered the ice-rink and skated towards Natasha was with Bruce showing off her skating skills, while Wanda was still trying to tie her skates.
“I can do that too!” Thor followed them.
“Don’t break anything” Tony yelled grinning.
“Tony, you aren’t coming?” Steve asked, one foot on the ice rink, he stared at the older man.
“I already got one hand injured, breaking a leg it’s not an option”
“Come on, we can just skate, nothing crazy” Steve insisted, looking at Natasha jumping in the air and finishing with a twirl.
Tony considered it for a second.
He only agreed to enter when Pietro and him bet that they would know how to do what Natasha did by the end of the day. Steve groaned.
“Vision, you aren’t skating?” Wanda asked, she had just finished putting her skates on, “It is fun”
“I-“
“No flying” Wanda said.
“Maybe later” he smiled at her.
Wanda nodded and entered the rink. She made it seemed easy, almost like she was floating instead of skating, she moved her shoulders softly according to the music that was coming from the cabin.
“Wanda is really good at skating, you should go with her” Clint said.
Vision hadn’t realised he had stayed outside, he was reading a book while drinking hot chocolate. He remembered Wanda had made him read several books already, Barton ended up actually liking reading a lot.
“Did you teach Pietro?” Barton laughed, “I taught him, but he won’t admit it”
Vision chuckled, they both looked at the young woman, she was now laughing and dancing with Pietro.
“After Pietro woke up, they came and stayed for a while at my farm, it was winter so the lake had already frozen over” Wanda had told Vision that story.
After Pietro woke up, Clint had wanted the twins to stay with them, Pietro had saved his life and he wanted to show gratitude.
“It took a while for her to ask me, she’s really shy” he smiled, “Anyways, at first she was so upset she couldn’t get a hold of it, but then, one morning we woke up and she was skating alone”
“Wanda is...” Vision said, “She is…”
“Amazing” Clint finished.
“Indeed”
He then stood up from her chair, “Do you mind keeping an eye on my stuff?” he asked, “I need to go to the bathroom, it’ll be quick, I promise”
Vision nodded and Clint disappeared. Clint Barton was one of Wanda's favorite people, and he could see why. He really liked the way Clint spoke about the twins, he knew that they had a very special place in his heart and Wanda and Pietro loved him back very much.
“Hey, you” An old man called, “Are you finished here?” he pointed at the empty cup Clint had left on the table.
“Yes”
“Do you want another one?” the man asked picking the cup, “refills are free”
“No, thanks”
“You don't skate?” the old man asked, when Vision shook his head he hummed, "Your girlfriend is good" He smiled looking at Wanda.
"She is not my girlfriend"
"Well, by the way you look at her, son..." The man smiled and left.
Vision wondered if he looked at Wanda the same way Bruce looked at Natasha, then he wondered if she looked at him in such manner. And then he realised he wanted her to look at him like that.
“I got lost” Clint appeared, “this place is huge, sorry”
“It’s fine” Vision said.
“Vision” Wanda called, she skated towards him, “Come skate with me”
“I don’t-“
“At least come fly then” she smiled offering him her hand.
“Go” Clint said.
Vision nodded and took Wanda’s hand.
There was a song playing, a deep man’s voice singing about flying. Thor was still trying to twirl like Natasha with Pietro, Steve and Tony were talking about some paintings and Natasha and Bruce swayed with the music. Bruce seemed to had gotten a hold of the whole skating thing. At least he could stand on the ice now.
Sometimes, rarely, he would let himself get filled with the emotions from people around him. That heart-racing warmth spreading through Natasha’s body was the first one he felt.
He then felt Wanda’s hand squeezing his’.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Wanda asked.
Vision looked upwards, “That’s a nice song”
“Fly me to the moon” Wanda answered, “It’s one of my favorites” she added, “Steve and I listened to that album for whole month”
“Oh”
Wanda guided Vision around the rink, he observed her carefully but she seemed oblivious while she skated, leaving Vision listening the song. Steve's laugh called his attention, and he looked at where the man was trying to pick Tony from the floor. Tony pulled him towards him, and Steve fell on his knees next to him. Vision tilt his head lightly when Steve blushed as soon as Tony asked if he hurt himself, shaking his head.
Wanda blushed sometimes when he touched her.
“I read a book” he said, he wanted to hear her voice, he liked to talk to her.
“What book?” she asked curiously.
“A tale of two cities” he said, “By-“
“Charles Dickens”
“You have read it” he smiled, “Of course”
“A few months ago” she nodded, “Have you read anything else by him?”
“No” He answered, “Any suggestions?”
“A christmas carol” she smiled widely, “It’s my favorite” Vision stared at her, as her eyes turned sad, “Pietro and I use to read it every christmas, before…” she trailed off.
“I will read it then” He held her hand and squeezed lightly, Wanda nodded at him.
“It is a nice song” Wanda mentioned after a few seconds.
Vision smiled at her and the woman smiled back. And for a seconds she looked like she wanted to tell him something, something important.
“Wanda, come here!” Thor called, and Wanda looked at him, “Pietro did the twirling thing” he pointed at Pietro, who was smirking triumphantly while Tony rolled his eyes.
“I’m coming!” she said, Wanda turned to him, “I must go before my brother breaks something”
“Sure”
“Are you fine?” She asked.
“Of course” he forced himself to smile, “Go” She nodded and left.
Wanda Maximoff deserved to be loved.
She was a really smart woman, unique and very beautiful. She deserved a man that loved her like Bruce loved Natasha, that took care of her like she did with Pietro, that made her smile like Jane did with Thor. And Vision knew he couldn’t do it.
The Vision then flew away from the ice rink. He flew until he saw the Avengers tower and entered his room.
He would concealed his true thoughts about Wanda Maximoff. The overwhelming desire to reach out to her, to kiss her lips, because Vision is not a man, but a machine, and machines are not meant to love human beings, that much was clear.
He must protect Wanda from thoughts as wrong as those, because that’s what he must do, protect Wanda. He felt something rolling down his cheek.
“Wanda must never learn,” he whispered to himself, “this android can cry”
"You're just like an angel, your skin makes me cry, you float like a feather in a beautiful world"