driftfleet | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: The Vision and Wanda Maximoff
Broadcast: No
Action: The Memorial of the First, on-planet
When: End of June

[The last memory the Vision had of home was of a feeling of inevitability, the sense that a storm was coming. Ever since the message from and subsequent meeting with the Interceptors, he's felt the return of that ominous anxiety. This time, he knows the stakes and he knows the danger, and most of all he knows that what's coming now will bring the end of the life he's grown comfortable with.

He's made some inquiries to his friends and carefully considered their input. He's started making arrangements, quietly, in case their mission should fail. But he also knows there may be a limited time to act if they do succeed, and he wants to do so with a clear conscience. That means he must consider all aspects of his choice and, knowing that cannot be made without consideration for the person who holds his heart in her hands, means he has to have a conversation with Wanda that may very well break that heart.

She can't have escaped noticing his restlessness, ever since they arrived at this planet. He's been pensive, distracted, building elaborate simulations only to shut them down within moments. What if, what if, what if--he narrows down the variables one by one until she is the largest one that remains.

He sends her a message to meet him in front of the Memorial of the First. It's a powerful monument not only because of its size and scale, but because of the meaning it gives: here are those who had no choice and made the best of their lives. A beginning that required an end.

He stands alone, waiting.]

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Vision.

[Her voice is soft, and after a moment's hesitation Wanda closes the distance between them and carefully winds her arms around his waist. She knew this was coming, as much as she hasn't wanted to think about it. They didn't have a choice in being here, and she'd fallen in love with him knowing that he could be ripped away from her at any moment.

It had simply never occurred to her that she might lose him like this, that they'd have any choice in the matter at all, but a small, bitter part of her scoffs at her sadness. What was she expecting? She never can keep the people she loves.

'Careless,' the illusion of Ultron had called it in Calibrations, and this time Wanda couldn't argue. She had been very careless with her heart knowing this could never end well.

A lump is already starting to form in her throat and already Wanda's not sure she can trust her voice to stay steady. She does not even know what she wants anymore. She just doesn't want to lose the bright comfort of his mind against hers or the gentle heart she falls asleep to every night, to say nothing of the nebulous something she knows is coming. She's had a vague sense after Calibrations that something isn't right back home, but finding Natasha so shaken the other day confirmed it.

Is it really so wrong to want to stay where they can be happy and safe?]

[Wordlessly he embraces her for a long moment and then exhales and pulls away. He looks at her face carefully, as if trying to memorize something he already knows by heart, and takes one of her hands in his with a strong grip.]

Wanda. I wanted to talk about the future.

[She's probably guessed as much, judging by her expression, but he wants to be as clear as possible, and so he is. He tugs her toward a bench where they can both sit down - and from which, if she wishes, she can easy get up and leave.

He hopes she won't. He knows it's a real possibility.]

As you know, the Interceptors have offered us a chance to return to our original timelines. It may amount to nothing, but it may be real, and if it is we must all make a choice.

[He takes a breath, and it's obvious it's taking real effort not to break eye contact with her.]

We need to talk about that choice.

Don't.

[Loss after loss after loss has made Wanda brittle. There's finality in the way Vision looks at her and something in her heart cracks. Wanda would give anything to hide away from this, anything at all as long as she can keep him in the end.

Her heart is hammering in her chest and she's uncomfortably aware of the slight weight of the memory crystal bracelet. Normally she could gaze up into Vision's eyes indefinitely but now...now she's the one to look away first, squeezing her eyes shut as if that could do anything to stop the tears threatening to fall.]

We could be happy here. [Somehow, Wanda manages to keep her voice steady at the cost of volume.] There will always be people who need help, no matter where we go.

[When she looks away, the urge to gather Wanda up in his arms and tell her it's going to be all right is strong - almost as strong as the certainty that it would be a lie. The sun is setting on their time here, and no matter the choice, something will be lost. Joy and grief are two sides to one coin.]

Have you already decided, then?

[There is happiness for her if she chooses to go home - he should know, he's the cause of a great deal of it - but it's never easy for her. This would be a second chance for her, and if she's still set apart by her powers, she's not the only one. This whole singing planet reeks of the unusual and the unique, and it's part of a galactic community that is so vibrant it has a place for everyone.

He could understand why she'd want to stay. She hadn't been created to protect the Earth. If you took away the part of her that was an Avenger, there would still be a complex and beautiful human underneath, one with a full life to live.]

[Except it wouldn't be much of a life if she was alone. Wanda's always built herself around someone else and when Pietro had died she'd been completely lost. But if she loses Vision, if she loses everyone else...would there be anything left to put back together this time? Or would she just drown in her grief?]

I want...I don't know. I want you.

[Wanda chances a glance back up at him. It's a mistake - even the possibility of never seeing his face again is enough to overpower her self-control and send the first tears down her cheeks.

She wants so badly to throw her arms around him and sob into his chest as she's done so many times before but...well, that wouldn't be fair, would it? And Wanda knows that if she touches Vision at all, she's going to absolutely lose whatever semblance of self-control she has left. So she looks away again, finds a place in the cobblestone at their feet to stare.]

I'm not a monster here, Vizh. And I'm never going to feel the way I do on these singing planets at home.

[Anger flares in him momentarily.] You're not a monster anywhere, Wanda. If people cannot see that--

[But he grits his teeth, counts to five at a human pace, and takes a breath. This isn't the time or the place.]

I'm sorry. And I do understand. You deserve for people to look at you and see who you are, not some nebulous concept of a force they do not understand.

[He looks down as well, because if he looks at her tears he'll be lost.]

It was worth it for me, at home, because I knew my actions mattered. From the very beginning, I was in a unique position to help people. I found a family in the Avengers. I found love with you. I had a purpose, a responsibility. I could look around and see everything I had, and be satisfied.

I know it was different for you. You should not look at yourself and see a monster. If that means staying here, you should.

[Some people see her but enough people don't that Wanda will never be safe or comfortable at home. Maybe not even if she did manage to make them grateful for her power. It's a simple truth.]

So do you, Vizh. We could have that here.

[Wanda's voice is trembling now and she doesn't have much resolve left. All it will take is one touch or the wrong word and she's going to absolutely lose it.]

But I need you. I...without you, I...

[Her throat closes and she can't hold back an audible sob. Give her a minute.]

Have you decided?

[Is there any hope at all for her to escape this with her heart intact?]

You should decide based on yourself, Wanda. Not because of me.

[He blows out a breath, and it's half laugh and half sob himself. His tone may be a little more even than hers, but in truth he's as nervous as he's ever been. There's just so much riding on this.]

Or so I should like to say, but the truth is I cannot claim to have made any kind of final decision without discussing it with you first. I have a responsibility at home. You know I do.

However.

[And then he does touch her hand again, lightly.]

I have...spoken with Natasha about what happens in my own future. It is her assertion that what happens there will happen whether I return or not. The timeline is protected.

But you are part of my heart, [she murmurs, so quietly that if Vision was anyone else, he might not have heard her. Loving him is the only major choice she's made for herself. Even joining the Avengers had seemed like the best she could do for Pietro and everyone who died in the experiments.

Wanda can't look up at him, not yet. But she does turn her hand under his, allowing Vision to lace his fingers with hers if he chooses.

She knows that something bad is coming. She doesn't dare voice what that might mean - she's spent a lot of sleepless nights at home wondering what might happen to her and she can only imagine what they might do to him. She has at least some claim to humanity to protect her. But Vision...

Here she can keep him safe. Could keep all of them safe, really. Wanda's spent a lot of time thinking about her lost memories from the last time the Atroma brought her here, and if they are somehow pieces of themselves splintered off from the timeline, and no real damage has been done...is it so wrong to want to make their lives matter? To choose safety and happiness when it's right at their feet?]

Then if it only matters to us...if we have a chance to be happy together... [Wanda takes a shuddering breath. She wishes she had half his eloquence, and now that she really does have to look up at him, it's even harder.] Stay with me, Vision.

You are my heart.

[His response is even quieter. She might even miss is if she's not listening carefully; she won't, though. She's as tuned in to him as he is to her.

She might even be able to hear the sound of his heart breaking when she asks him to stay.

He lowers his face into his hands and his elbows rest on his knees, breathing raggedly. He stays this way for a long time. The Fleet is his home, far more than Earth is. What Wanda's said is true, all of it: he can be himself here without hiding, he's free to be a man in love, he's made friends and walked on alien worlds and found beauty everywhere he's looked. He feels more live here than he ever has at home, except for those precious, stolen moments with Wanda - and here he doesn't even have to hide and sneak and lie for that happiness.

Shouldn't that be enough?

When he does finally look up, his expression is one of misery, and if she's ever wondered whether he can cry, she has her answer.]

If I do not return, I will have betrayed my highest purpose. I cannot give myself permission to do that. I cannot ask you for that permission.

[His voice cracks.] Please--please forgive me. I have no right to ask that, either, but I am.

[Wanda can feel her heart sinking further as the seconds tick by. She knows him too well. She knows that this is likely pointless, and she can feel the conflict in him without even trying. It hurts to know that he is hurting and that there's nothing at all she can do to ease his pain. Even worse, she's caused it.

But she loves him, and so of course she's going to fight for him. Wanda can't do anything else. It's telling that he isn't urging her to go home, isn't promising her that if she's just patient for a little while, she'll find love with her timeline's Vision again.

She wants to corner him and Natasha and Steve and Tho and demand to know what they're hiding from her.

She also is absolutely certain that it's bad, and that she will only be even more miserable if she knows.

Something in her heart splinters again and when Vision finally looks up tears are streaming freely down her cheeks. She has learned how to mostly muffle the sobs - there have been many situations in her life where she's needed to cry but not wanted anyone else to know.]

And my purpose was to be Strucker's weapon. We are more than what the people who made us wanted. [Quieter:] We have to be.

[And if he is on the side of life...well, there's plenty of life here that needs help, and it isn't as if Wanda could turn away from people in need either.]

Vision... [Wanda's voice catches but she blinks away the tears and tries again.] You can't tell me to choose for myself and then decide for what someone else wants. What do you want?

[The expression on his face is essentially what happens when someone tries and fails to smile. It's miserable, that's what it is.]

I want to look in a mirror and be happy with what I see.

[Can he, if he abandons his responsibility? If he knows he chose not to return when he had the chance? Because this isn't a choice he gets to make more than once. He knows that. All he has to do is look at the wall of a thousand people stripped from their home to know that most people don't even get that choice. Fate deals your hand, and it is what it is.

Except Fate has decided to play Texas Hold 'Em, and the cards are on the table. There's only one more left to draw. Going home is the safe choice. The easy choice. What happens there will happen whether he likes it or not.

But that's the problem. A happy ending can't come in the middle of a story, and his still has more to tell. There's only one way he knows of to be able to proceed with a clear conscience, even if it breaks his heart.

He cups her face with his hand, and the feel of her flesh burns under him.]

Please, Wanda. I cannot make a promise to you if I have other obligations hanging over my head. I need your forgiveness.

[.........wait a minute. Did he just...? Or is she only hearing what she wants to hear?

It doesn't really matter. Vision is suffering terribly, and she has some power to ease his heart. Did he really think she'd turn him away? She would do anything for him, anything at all, even if it broke her heart.

Wanda closes her eyes, leans into his hand, and takes a deep breath. She knows what she has to do. Either she's understood what he cannot directly say, or this is the first step of a permanent goodbye. But she can't leave him to suffer.]

Vision. [She reaches up to cup his cheeks lightly, gently wiping his tears away with her thumbs.] Look at me, love.

[Her throat closes again. Wanda manages a watery smile - she might have to run away after this and completely lose it somewhere else, but she has to try to put on a brave face for him.]

I forgive you for following your heart. I forgive you for choosing for yourself.

[It takes real effort for him to meet her eyes, in no small part because he's having difficulty focusing (how do humans handle leaking all the time like this, it's terribly messy), but when she gives him what he needs the Vision takes a deep breath and simply crushes Wanda to him and holds her tightly, half sure it's going to start her crying as well but needing the comfort of her touch more than anything else right now.]

Thank you. Thank you. Oh, my heart, how could you ever think I would want anything but to be with you? If you choose to stay here, then so do I.

[He'd wanted. He'd wanted this so badly, ever since he'd conceived of the possibility. It's not a done deal yet, not by any means, but he can at least face the future now with a clear mind and a settled heart.

And he has all the more reason to fight with every fiber of his being against the Atroma when the time comes.

He loosens his grip enough to let her breathe, and as soon as he has his voice again he whispers to her ear.]

If I returned home, I would spend the rest of my life with you. Would it be too much to ask the same here?

[Wanda clings to him just as tightly and this is the last straw. Her heart simply can't take it anymore and she starts sobbing for real. She wants so badly to reach for the comfort of his mind, but Vision deserves the privacy to choose for himself without worrying about her watching his thoughts. Whatever it is, he has to say it.

And when he does Wanda just cries even harder and buries her face in his shoulder. These are happier tears and finally she lets her mind brush against his so Vision can feel her relief.]

I was scared, [she says after a moment.] I was so afraid I would lose you.

[Wanda never doubted his love, but she had assumed it wouldn't be enough to convince Vision to take a chance on a new life together. There's no going back from this, no changing their minds after it's all over. She does feel a little guilty, but if they switched places, she knows exactly what she'd tell Pietro to do.

She's feeling a lot of complicated emotions, but the dual warmth of Vision's embrace and psychic presence combined with that wonderful voice starts to calm her tears. Under her relief there's a deep well of love, flutters of excitement for the future, and joy like she's rarely felt before.]

Oh, Vision...I will always be yours. You are my home. [She kisses him deeply, desperate for as much physical contact as possible.] And all I want is a life with you.

[When she kisses him, he relaxes his death-grip and places his hands on her shoulders instead. There are tear-marks on his face, but his eyes show a relief so profound it's almost heartbreaking itself, and his mind is finally beginning to let go of the grief and guilt that had come with the decision.

His guiding lights have shown him the way, and finally his path is clear.]

There is still much to be done. [Actually breaking free of the Atroma being highest on the list, but finding out the truth about the singing planets, figuring out if they want to settle or continue exploring, saying goodbye to friends they've made and welcoming others to be a permanent part of their lives--all these are important, too. Not to mention actually making that promise he'd mentioned. Though--perhaps...no, best to wait until after they've truly accomplished the first thing on that list.]

We can do it together, and walk into the future with open arms. I could ask for no greater honor than to do so by your side. My life is yours.

[She takes advantage of his loosened grip to shift fully into Vision's lap, completely uncaring of what someone might think if they stumbled upon them. They need this, and the new angle makes it easier for her to kiss him so she does: first another deep, passionate kiss to satisfy their more urgent need for closeness, then a much gentler one to soothe their hearts.

Tenderly she wipes his remaining tears away again. She has already asked so much of him, but there's one last question that's been eating at her since his birthday. They may not have reached their anniversary yet, but something about being with Vision feels right on a soul-deep level and she's never felt so sure about anything else. It had felt like she'd be lost forever without Pietro, that no matter how much she tried to heal, no one else could ever possibly understand her at her core like he did.

Instead, the past few months have given Wanda a paradise she could have never dreamed possible. This is not how she'd imagined this going, but she's already on her knees in a way...]

Vision. [She kisses him softly again and rests her forehead against his, trying to compose herself.] My Vision. My heart.

[It's now or...wait. When she pulls back to cup his cheeks again and urge him to look at her, her eyes are glowing a steady red. She means to offer everything she is, so it only feels appropriate.]

I know we are not free yet, but...will you marry me when this is over?

[The Vision is still on a rollercoaster of emotion, having been prepared for this to go either way. Be that as it may, he'd been thinking about this very question, and so when she asks it his first reaction is confusion - did he say it when he'd meant to hold off until it was over first? Had she picked it up from his mind, simmering close to the surface as it must have been?

But then he grins fiercely as he realizes - no, this had been an independent thoughts of hers. She wants this.]

Yes. [And then, less quietly.] Yes, Wanda, I was just going to ask you, but I thought I should wait until we made it to the other side first, but of course I will. [He kisses her, quick and fierce, and his smile is radiant. He touches the memory bracelet he'd commissioned for her at the last planet.]

I meant what I said at the time to Captain Rogers - I wouldn't dream of it when we could be whisked away by capricious hosts at any time, but when we need not worry about it?

I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I would gladly stand by you as your husband.

[She kisses him back passionately, practically overflowing with joy, and when they part her eyes are wet again with happy tears. It's been an emotional day, but it's taken a turn Wanda could never have predicted.]

And I will be your wife.

[Laughing, she tips Vision's face up again and kisses him all over: his forehead, his cheeks, once on the tip of nose just because, and finally his lips again. They'd made what promises they could to each other on Lyndia, but it was always with the knowledge that the Atroma could tear them apart or take their memories at any moment. But even so...Wanda's heart knew what it wanted, it had just taken Steve's meddling to crystallize those desires. And now, finally, she can have it.

Whatever happens next, wherever they decide to go...she's already home in Vision's arms.]

My life has been so much better than I could have known to wish for since you kissed me in the shuttle. I didn't know I could feel like this. I didn't know someone could love me like you do.

[She kisses him again, slowly and sweetly. Their link is brimming with joy, although there's a pang of Pietro-flavored sadness. It's not right that she can't share this with him. He should be there when she promises her life to the man she loves.]

I love you, [she murmurs against his lips, unable to resist the urge to claim them again.] I want this more than anything.

[He kisses her back each time, still feeling raw from the strong emotions but desperately grateful and happy at the same time; their lovemaking tonight will have to be gentle and sweet, but he doesn't think she'll mind. Not today.

The Vision pulls Wanda onto his lap so he can hold her properly and rests his forehead on hers between kisses.]

If I ever required proof that I am more than I was intended to be, my feelings for you are more than sufficient. I did not know I was capable of love until you helped me recognize it in myself, and then I saw it over and over again, each time I looked upon you.

[They can settle on the details once the Atroma have been dealt with, but for now he's content to see the future opening wide before them, full of possibility. He'll have to look around and see what kinds of opportunities there are here for those who want to stay, rather than those who are only visiting. He'll have to determine what he wants to do with himself, once he can live rather than only being concerned with survival. And most of all, he'll get to do it with Wanda by his side.

The one thing he knows for sure is that he doesn't want to wait much longer. As soon as their business on the Marsiva is done, he's going to find a space and someone to officiate. That should give them enough time to be measured for rings, or to resize his ring for the left ring finger.

He cups her face and kisses her again.]

I love you, Wanda Maximoff. I will always be yours.

[Wanda wraps her arms around him and gazes lovingly into Vision's eyes. This is balm for her soul and she craves what the rest of the day will bring: the comfort of skin on skin, gentle kisses and touches slowly yielding to pleasure, the ecstasy of finally being one in a way only they can share. But all forms of physical reassurance are as perfect as Vision is and are helping to drive those horrible feelings of heartbreak further from her mind. It's all right now. She can keep him, and they're going to have a wonderful life together.]

You woke my heart again. Even when we were only friends, I could have a little more hope for the future when I watched you. [She smiles warmly.] And now you are my future.

[She kisses him back sweetly as another wave of love floods their psychic link. This is all she needs; not a big party, or a white dress, or some big production of a wedding. When they part, she rests her forehead on his again.]

I'm sorry...I should have another ring for you, but I didn't plan this very well. It just felt right, and I didn't want to wait any longer to ask you.

Edited 2019-07-02 14:52 (UTC)

[Neither of them has ever really been a "big party" kind of person, even if they have each had the occasional birthday party on the ships. A few close friends, perhaps, and that would be enough for him. Figure out what it would take to get registered locally as a married couple. Write some vows - though he's already said them in his heart. When you fall in love with the same person three times, your heart knows the truth of the matter.

He clasps their hands together and guides her fingers over the ring on his index finger.]

I'm happy to consider this an engagement ring, Wanda. If you'd like a matching one I'll commission it, but we could also jump directly to the wedding bands next. That is--assuming you'd want to wear one.

[It shouldn't be too hard to get those. Even if this planet doesn't have a similar tradition, they are just gold bands and not terribly difficult to make. Worst case, the Iskaulit has jewelry-making tools at the forge.]

Edited (typo) 2019-07-02 18:52 (UTC)

[She runs a finger over the ring and raises their clasped hands to her lips.]

I don't want to wait for someone to make an engagement ring first, [she murmurs a little breathlessly.] But I want a wedding ring, whatever you want it to look like. I want everyone to see I am yours.

[There are few traditions that actually matter to her. The beautiful red dress Sansa made would be a wonderful wedding dress, and it has far more significance to them than anything else would. She would like a cake, but not the kind most people would picture for a wedding cake, and she has no particular interest in a diamond ring. If Vision gives her something similar, of course she'd wear it. But she'd rather have something that he feels best represents their love, no matter what it looks like.

She settles back against him and snuggles close.]

Can you stay with me today?

I can arrange for that. Would you mind if I handled both of them so they match?

[Yes, he's already thinking about designs. A simple band would be enough for him, but he knows enough about her taste in jewelry to know Wanda would prefer something intricate. He can look around, see if anything inspires him, place them on hold. Because he's not going to tempt fate by picking anything up before they've dealt with the Atroma once and for all, but...now that he's committed to a future, he's finding that he's more and more excited about it.

As she snuggles close to him, the Vision closes his eyes and exhales happily.]

I would like nothing better. Of course I will stay with you. I...think I need that, myself.

I'd like that.

[She lets her head rest on his shoulder and closes her eyes, finally able to relax a little. The most urgent need for kissing is sated and for now Wanda just needs to keep him close. One day the thought of losing him will feel like nothing more than a bad dream, but today her heart is still bruised from weeks of trying to prepare for it. Vision's touch is the only real cure.]

We can go anywhere, [she murmurs after a long moment.] Anywhere you want. The beach? Our room? The gardens?

[The beach is lovely. The gardens are always a balm. Their room has the privacy he craves.

None of it is quite right. He squeezes her hand.]

Fly with me. There's a desert island marked on the world map not far from here. We can take all the time we need there.

[How like her Vision to know exactly what they both need. That sounds perfect: privacy and a beautiful, soothing locale all in one. She turns her head to press three soft kisses to Vision's neck.]

Will you carry me? [Her voice lowers.] Or should I carry you?

I just want to keep you close.

[His breath hitches, hearing the echo of her earlier question, and he smiles fondly. He's emotionally wrought and the thought of more effort is exhausting, but at the same time, a bridal carry has a certain undeniable appeal after what he's just agreed to.

Ah, well. It's not like the physical effort of carrying her is taxing. It takes far more than that to begin tapping his reserves of strength.]

I will carry you, if you like. Now and always.

[She was so overwhelmed by the emotions of the day that she hadn't even realized. A stronger person might be able to let go, get up, and fly to the island themselves, but Wanda just doesn't have the emotional strength to tolerate any more distance between them than necessary. She'd been so sure she was going to lose him.

She shifts in his lap so he can pick her up whenever he's ready and winds her arms around his neck again. Scarlet twines around them, and when Vision does lift her he'll find that her power is helping hold them both up. Most of the work he'll have to do is just pointing them in the right direction to the island.]

And I will always support you, love.

[This does put them in a perfect position for midair kisses and Wanda wouldn't be a very good fiancée if she passed up the opportunity, now would she? She wants him to enjoy this too.]

[He starts off by giving her a kiss right away, soft and sweet, before lifting both of them into the air and flying off (much to the surprise of other visitors to the monument, but nobody seems to be upset about it).

There's still a great deal to be done - defeating the Atroma being first priority, but they'll also need to decide when they're going to tie the knot (soon, he hopes), whether they should have a party (he doesn't need one, but if she does, he'll make it fancy enough to make Tony proud), and on and on until forever.

As long as we both shall live.]

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