delicate

you can meet me in the back

Despite the burnt bulbs, the room seemed a hundred times brighter once he was standing in it. Wanda had half a mind to stand up and run to him, definitely drawing attention to herself and completely ruining the purpose of meeting in secret. It had been so long, far too long this time, and now he was standing right there! How could she be expected to just sit here?

But she stayed in the booth, like she knew she ought to, and waited for him to see her. His eyes glanced over the group of friends at the bar, paying them no further attention once he realized she was nowhere among them. He turned to the corner nearest the door, and upon seeing nothing but empty tables, a worried look crossed his face.

Viz, she thought, and his head immediately turned in her direction, hearing the soft whisper through their connected minds.

She laughed quietly as he spotted her, and the Vision's thoughts quickly turned from his typically quiet, calculated murmurs to a firm and miraculous repetition of Wanda! Wanda. Wanda. Wanda.

He walked to her dark booth as quickly as he dared, carefully avoiding the mismatched stools and chairs that were strewn about the pub. As he reached the table she'd claimed, he gasped slightly in surprise, and for a moment, Wanda was confused.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Your hair is red." Vision explained, and Wanda smiled in relief.

"Not the most dramatic transformation between the two of us," she teased, considering Vision was (obviously) in his human disguise.

"Fair point," he laughed, sitting down across from her, "but you were expecting me to look like this. I, on the other hand, was completely unprepared."

"There wasn't too much to prepare for," she replied lightly, "it's just hair."

"But it's your hair." he argued, and Wanda was puzzled again.

"And what about my hair?" she asked him.

Vision smiled just a touch more, like he was about to deliver the punchline to a joke, and leaned across the short table. He laid a short kiss on the top of her head, an inch away from her hairline, and answered. "I just didn't know you could keep finding new ways to look beautiful."

He sat back down, beaming over his cheesy line, and she laughed at him in a daze.

"How on Earth do you do that so quickly? You've only been here a minute and my face is red."

"You're the only person that I'm trying to impress," Vision explained, "But, inconveniently, you're also the only person who makes me stutter. So I've practiced."

They both laughed lightly at the thought. Vision, who was perfectly spoken in any other circumstance, was worried about being at a loss for words when meeting Wanda in a bar.

"It's paid off, then," Wanda assured him, her countenance practically glowing. "But when do you find the time for such silly things like planning how to make me blush?"

Vision paused before answering. "As lonely as it sounds, I am typically the compound's only occupant," his voice began to wilt slightly, "and being constantly alone means having time to plan these things out." He blinked a couple times and exhaled slowly, obviously trying to pass his plight off as nothing important. "I've been dying to say a million things to you."

A stinging sensation shot through Wanda's chest as she thought about that. How could she have been so angry just a moment ago, watching that group chatting and drinking, wishing that she was in their shoes. The accords may have split the Avengers, but at least she still had Natasha, and Steve, and even Sam. They were fugitives, but at least their team was intact - Vision had no one save for her, and if she thought their time together was solace, she couldn't imagine what it must mean to him.

Now was her chance to show Vision that at least one person still cared (very much) about him.

"And what else do you do? Besides plot your flattering one-liners."

Vision seemed to be glad for the change in subject. "Well," he gestured to himself, "I suppose I have done some work on him in the month since you saw me last."

"What kind of work?" she wondered, not admitting that there seemed to be nothing different about his disguise.

"I have nothing to show for it. I just...try new things every once in a while," he answered hesitantly, "Make changes that typically don't last."

"And why don't they last?" she asked carefully, suddenly feeling worried.

"This is the guise I always return to because...well, I suppose because he feels the most like me." Vision shrugged, sighing before continuing, "But I'm not sure, perhaps he should be different. There must still be things to improve upon."

And there was the cause for concern. Wanda had known Vision for a long time, and through every new experience or emotion, she had been there to support him and help him understand. Now that they were so often apart, she could assume that he had encountered new problems that no one else had bothered to explain - but that she may be able to help with now.

Wanda stood up from her seat in the booth, quietly walking around the table to the side where Vision sat. He quickly slid over so there was room for her beside him, and soon they were both sharing the smooth wooden bench. She reached down and took one of Vision's hands into her own, gently sliding her thumb over his knuckles. They both watched their conjoined hands as she did this, Vision seeming perplexed by the action.

Wanda gave him a small smile before explaining, "Same hands as always."

She looked back up at him and began to study his eyes, giving extra attention to their unique color and brightness. He blinked twice, meeting her gaze with his rare shyness that only showed in vulnerable times like this.

"Same eyes as always."

And then she tilted her head upwards, pressing her lips softly to his, silently grateful that they were sitting and the height difference wasn't as substantial as usual. Wanda was suddenly very aware that they were not alone and still in public, but kissed him as deeply as she dared nonetheless. Her eyes immediately fluttered shut with joy - again, it had been far too long since last time.

The moment was too short, but Wanda could not seem to completely shake her nerves over kissing in the bar, and she pulled away sadly once she felt her point had been made.

"My analysis is complete," she told him, "and I wouldn't change a thing."

The look on Vision's face was an interesting combination of surprise and amusement, and Wanda could do nothing but smile cheerily as he put himself back in order. He eventually cleared his throat and said, "I wish I had rehearsed a smooth reaction to that surprise."

"Well, we can practice plenty more," Wanda reassured him, "once we're not here anymore."

"Right," he replied, "and unless you were thinking to order a drink, I say we move on to the next step of the plan."

Food! Wanda thought, perhaps a bit too loudly, since Vision laughed at her mental excitement soon afterward.

"I'm assuming you've already found a grocery store nearby?" he asked her.

She nodded quickly, "There's one I love on the way to the hotel. They have them all over the place here, tiny stores with lots of chocolate and fresh bread, I'm sure it'll be perfect."

Vision lifted his free hand and gestured to the door, "Then it sounds like we should be on our way."

Wanda turned to slide out of the booth, releasing Vision's hand so they could both stand, but instead his grip tightened and he asked, "One last thing?" She turned back around to face him, and her cheek was gently met with a short, sweet kiss.

"Thank you, love," he whispered gratefully, and Wanda grinned back at him before rising from the creaking bench. Vision followed after her, and together the two joined hands again and strolled out of the pub.

The group of now-wasted bar patrons paid the couple no attention as the bell rang cheerfully behind them.