𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 ━━━ ❪...

a/n
[ okay... stephen is back now ;) ]

WARNING: frequent cursing

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SIXTEEN
𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
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"THANK YOU FOR everything, Christine," Stephen told his friend, releasing her from a hug, "I really...appreciate it."

They stood in the shadowy parlour of the Sanctum Sanctorum, light shone through the gaps of its antique, circular skylight and they could hear the faint sound of cars as they stood near the door.

"It's alright," Christine ran a hand down his shoulder, smiling wistfully, "I know you and...Scarlett," she still doubted that that was her real name. "Have something."

"We've been taking it slow," Stephen admitted, "It's fairly casual at the moment."

"So, you're not planning for it to become...anything more?" Christine looked up at him, a sly smile on her face.

"I don't know," Stephen felt a blush creep up his cheeks, "We've shared these moments that make me wonder sometimes. She's an extraordinary young woman, but...I worry about her. Especially after what happened in the news."

Stephen was frantic about Wanda, he was extremely worried about what she was doing but then the first thing he heard was she pulled a stunt like that on the news.

It was definitely a contingency but he hadn't expected an incident to happen so soon when the last thing he had heard was she had learned to play 'Baba Black Sheep' on the guitar.

"Scarlett?" Christine's brows furrowed, "I don't recall seeing her name in the headlines, Scarlett...what was her last name again?"

Stephen sighed, he looked away to chuckle a little. He had forgotten how quick-witted Christine could be sometimes, especially when it came to dealing with him.

He gripped her shoulders before telling her, "Wanda Maximoff. That's her real name. I couldn't tell you..."

"Of course you couldn't," Christine laughed, the silence that followed it began to make it awkward quickly.

"Can I walk you to your car?" Stephen suggested, grabbing  the door handle, "I've got to get going."

Christine nodded, she didn't know what she expecting, the life of Stephen Strange would always be a busy one. It was something any woman would have to learn to adapt to, which is why someone with no duty to save the world - like herself, couldn't understand.

"Of course."

*

Steam rose from the pot sitting on the hot stove of the kitchen in the Avengers tower, the light grey wisps drifted into the air as The Vision stirred the red, bubbling mixture he had created in the metal container.

The light tune of Chet Baker's 'I Fall In Love Too Easily' was left playing in the background, ironically; Vision was starting to evolve in a way no one suspected to be possible. It was the slightest moments that had made him wonder if he had feelings for a certain psionically enhanced woman...

He noticed how distraught she was after the whole incident in Nigeria, she wasn't telling anyone except Pietro, but he knew she needed a cheering up.

"A pinch of paprika," The Android read the paper, the small text printed on it detailed a recipe, "A pinch."

Wanda Maximoff strolled into the kitchen, hands dove into her pockets, the familiar spicy smell of food her mother used to make filled her nose, "Is that Paprikash?"

"I thought it might...lift your spirits," Vision explained, looking up to see her with a smile on her face as she walked to where he was, behind the counter.

She chuckled lightly, she stirred the ingredients in the pan before lifting the plastic spoon to her lips to taste the red saucy mixture, it tasted odd.

She was sure that whatever he'd done was incorrect but the look in his eyes when he spared her a glance made her want to spare his feelings - "Spirits lifted."

She stopped herself from laughing.

"In my defence," Vision looked to her eyes, embarrassed at his failed attempt, "I haven't actually ever...eaten anything before, so..."

"May I?" Wanda asked. It had been a while since she'd cooked anything Sokovian in the kitchen.

"Please," Vision took a step back, watching as she looked to the recipe and back at the pot, fixing his mistakes. "Wanda?"

"Hmm."

"No one dislikes you, Wanda," Vision said, he knew what he was trying to say, but she didn't. He lacked experience in human interactions. He sat on the other side of the table, on one of the cream-coloured high chairs.

"Thanks," Wanda frowned in confusion, she screwed the lid back onto the herbs container she was holding.

"Oh, you're welcome," He pointed to his head, "No, it's an involuntary response in their amygdala, they can't help but be afraid of you."

She sincerely doubted that, the people had a right to be scared, they had watched as she brutally killed Natasha Romanoff and continued to create chaos...however, she still didn't think it gave them the whole perspective of who she was.

"Are you?" Wanda asked, waiting for a response, she was scared to be disappointed with an answer of 'yes.'

"My amygdala is synthetic, so..."

Wanda let out a laugh, he joined in himself when he saw her beautiful smile. There was silence, Wanda took a moment to collect her thoughts before opening up, "I used to think of myself one way, but after this..."

She raised a hand, dancing with her fingers, the scarlet glow of her powers weaved through them, "I am something else. I can't help but think that everyone sees me as something different to what I actually am."

Vision turned away for a moment, then he touched the amber stone in his head softly, "Do you know, I don't know what this is? Not really. I know that it's not of this world, powered Loki's staff, gave you your abilities , but...it's true nature is a mystery. And yet, it is a part of me."

Wanda sensed his emotions, she had never read someone with their thought so open, so clear, "Are you afraid of it?"

"I wish to understand it," Vision clarified, "The more I do, the less it controls me. One day...who knows? I may even control it."

Wanda bounced on her feet, she stopped herself from getting dragged in too deep, she changed the topic, "I don't know what's in this," she pointed down to the pan, "but it is...not paprika."

"I'm gonna go to the store," Wanda said, "I'll be back in twenty minutes."

Vision was promptly on his feet, he glided in front of her with a whoosh of yellow waving down his body. "Alternatively, we could order a pizza?"

"Vision, are you not letting me leave?"

His eyes travelled to the ground, "It is a question of safety."

"I can protect myself," She smiled a little, she thought it was cute that he cared for her safety, attempting to move ahead to still be blocked by the android.

"Not yours," He placed a hand on her arm, she took a glance down, she figured it wasn't the worst, though his words changed the meaning of the action, "Mr Stark would like to avoid the possibility of another public incident. Until the Accords are on a...more secured foundation."

She twisted her head up, her gaze caught in his striking ocean eyes, "And what do you want?"

"For people to see you...as I do."

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AS WANDA MAXIMOFF stared into the mirror, she wasn't even sure who she was looking at anymore.

She was staring at a dark facsimile of herself. Her hair had grown longer, became darker with age, her facial features more defined. The only thing that she truly recognised was her face.

And even then, it was no longer painted with goth-like makeup and dark lipstick that she liked to wear before...

Her breaths became short and quick as she tried to calm herself down, sweat glided down her forehead and she placed her hands down on the table to steady herself.

Wanda got panic attacks when she was stressed, it usually only happened when she was younger - before she got her powers. She didn't like having them, it reminded her of when she was naive, weak.

"You're not weak," The accent was American, anyone would have mistaken it for any typical New Yorker except Wanda knew from the distinctive, articulate tone in his voice exactly which one it was.

"Strange," Wanda felt her heart stop in her chest, "I thought we agreed not to read each other's minds?"

She turned around to face him, surprised to see he was wearing casual clothes. However, the surprise was quickly put aside to notice was how angry he was, he was fuming.

His arms were crossed as he stood by the door, his bright eyes were cold and grey, "And I thought we were at least trying to have some sort of trust between us."

"We are," Wanda walked behind him, his gaze following her as she closed the door.

"Then why did I see quick blue streaks following me around all morning?" Stephen had noticed Pietro Maximoff's trail around the streets, zooming past a few miles away from him as he walked Christine to her car.

Wanda was caught and so were her words in her throat; she struggled to think of what to say, "I wanted to know where you were, I was worried, and...you can imagine my relief when I hear that you've been with Christine Palmer the whole time."

Stephen scoffed, "Are you jealous, Maximoff? I assure you, Christine and I's relationship is solely amicable."    

"Ah, so you give all your friends passionate hugs?"

"Passionate is an overstatement," Stephen had uncrossed his arms, using them to exaggerate his point, "Can't say the same for you and Vision."

"What about him?" Wanda stared straight into his eyes, she was baffled he even knew, "Vizh and I barely even know each other."

"But you've gotten to, right?" She could spot the smug smile on the edge of his lips, "He likes you."

"Oh come on, we're just friends!" Wanda cried out in frustration, running a hand over her head.

"You call him Vizh! What is that?" Stephen started to get loud too, the room was mostly filled with their shouts.

"A nickname."

"A nickname? Oh Jesus, Wanda, he's not even a real person!"

"How dare you say that," Wanda knew Vision was a person, he was one of the most decent ones she had ever met, "He is."

"So, you're fucking him then? Is that it?" Stephen spat, only asking in hopes it wasn't true.

"No!" Wanda shook her head, "Of course not!"

"He doesn't even have genitalia..." Stephen raised an eyebrow, "Does he?"

"I..." Wanda tried to think about the logistics of it all, it was probably a definite no.

"Exactly."

"That doesn't matter."

"What can he offer you that I can't?" Stephen waited for an answer, his heart pounded in his chest, was she seriously considering this?

"Love, support, trust and oh yeah, he's actually here most of the time," Wanda hadn't even thought about these things herself, she didn't even know she had these kinds of feelings for Vision, "And what could you offer me?"

"Well, isn't obvious? Emotional aside..." Stephen was close to her now, she could feel his breath on her face, she forced her eyes not to travel further, forced herself not to tell him to 'shut up,' and just kiss her - she was supposed to be angry, "An actual dick for starters..."

"Relationships don't require you sticking your genitalia in someone to work," Wanda sounded hesitant, almost as if she was convincing herself.

"I know you don't believe that." Wanda felt her heart pound, was he still reading her mind?

"Why would you think that?"

"Because it didn't when you were with me."

"What?"

"Come on, Maximoff," Stephen groaned, "You were very nearly on begging to sleep with me..."

"Are you serious?" She was angry now, she clenched together her fists, calming the streams of red she felt building up in her palms, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You wanted to take my pants off in the streets, Maximoff," Stephen was clearly just as enraged as she was, "I think that shows some level of desperation."

"I was half-drunk!" Wanda shouted, "Okay, but you knew that. This isn't about that, this is about you. How you have been lying to me about everything, ever since we met."

"I..." His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat, "It's complicated."

"Yeah, tell me about," Wanda said, "I actually thought we were starting to..."

"Starting to what?"

"Never mind..." Wanda held a hand on her head, "You told me when we met that you keep a watch list of threats to this world, right?"

"Yes," Stephen stood in the same place, not wanting to enrage her any further by trying to touch her.

"I found out the reason you came to me in the first place was because you saw me die. So, why shouldn't I believe that the only reason you decided to find me in the first place was to make sure you did the job yourself?"

Wanda felt her eyes water when he avoided contact with him, he ducked his head, his curls fell down onto his forehead, he let out a long sigh, "I was only trying to help."

"Then how is everything somehow..." Wanda's voice broke, "Worse?"

"I told you...it will get better," Stephen placed a hand on her shoulder, "With time."

"I've waited enough time," Wanda was being stubborn, that was a personality trait usually reserved for Stephen, "I don't see how this can get any better. This an end, I'm done."

"You're done?" Stephen scoffed in disbelief, "That's it? You're just going to throw away everything we've done! All the training we've went through-"

"It doesn't matter, Stephen!" She stood at the doorway, back turned to him, "It doesn't matter..."

"Wanda?" His voice made her stop in her tracks, "Stay safe."

She didn't even turn around, he was left looking at her curled hazel tresses, getting the view of her clothes from behind - a simple black skirt, with long socks and boots. He had memorised every inch of her body.

He could perceive the noise of her considering answering, maybe even turning back to give him a kiss or a hug, anything at all.

But she didn't.