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“Tony, we need to talk about your android child.” (Name) said evenly, stepping into the lone science bro’s lab. He perked up, hands dipping away from his current little project.

“The one that tried to destroy the world or the one who helped save it?”

“The one who saved it. Definitely that one.” She replied, shuddering at the thought of the genocidal AI Tony unintentionally fathered. Ultron had caused a lot of trouble when he showed up, and if it hadn’t been for the Avengers and their own good guy AI, she cringed at the thoughts of what could’ve been.

And considering her powers included seeing Garnet-esque visions of the future, the thoughts were pretty vivid.

“No, he’s not for sale, and no, I’m not cloning him.” Tony stated, not bothering to acknowledge her any further. She just shook her head, pressing her hands onto the countertop. “...And even if I did clone him, I wouldn’t sell you the copy.”

“That’s not what I’m here for. I have a few questions about what exactly ‘Vision’ is capable of.”

“You should know, Melampus. Why not just find out for yourself?” He pointed out, making her shrug.

“I don’t think my powers work like that, honey. Besides, I’d rather ask you these questions, not him.”

“And why, pray tell, is that?” Tony inquired, gaze falling on her. He seemed both curious and amused. She didn’t know which was more frightening.

“Well, they’re a little more on the personal side.” She responded carefully. “And they’d be incredibly embarrassing if I had to go ask him directly. I figured since you’re, like, his father figure guy thing, you could answer my questions, instead.”

“You and Vision are close, (Name). Like, take-a-bullet-for-each-other-any-second, close. Anything you need to know, you can ask him.” Tony told her, fidgeting to get back to work. But (Name) frowned, not willing to give up just yet.

“The thing is...these aren’t the kind of questions you want to ask the person directly. Because they’re kind of…” She paused, searching for the right words. ”Extremely personal.”

“In what scenario would you ever ask ‘extremely personal’ questions to an android?” Tony deadpanned, and she shrugged, leaning against the counter and biting her lip.

“When you want to know what...um...emotions they’re capable of.”

“Emotions?” Tony repeated, nose scrunching in confusion. “What kind?”

“Yeah, you know….like, anger and sadness, joy…love…” She regretted pausing on the last one, because it literally gave her intentions away in every sense of the word. Tony’s eyes locked on hers, and his mouth fell open when he realized what she meant.

“Oh, God. You can’t be serious. You’re serious? ..You’re serious. Right now. You’re really-”

“Yes, Tony. I’m serious.” She sighed, sinking onto the table and burying her face in her arms to hide the red blush exploding on her cheeks.

“But he’s like-- red, and green, and stuff. And not exactly all that human. I mean, since he’s an android he has all the capabilities of a person, including the you-know-what-”

“Tony--!”

“But I mean, seriously? With...him? Why him?” Tony asked, hiding his laughter like a pro. “Why not someone a little more human, like me? Or Steve, or even the Falcon guy, or something?”

“His name is Sam, and no.” (Name) cut in, looking up at him seriously. “I dunno. There’s just something about Vision. He’s kind of...alluring, in that sense. Y’know? Gah, I don’t.” She shrugged again, forehead resting on the counter. “Maybe it’s that infinity stone in his head that’s like, mind controlling me, or something.”

“I don’t think Thor would let him keep it if he could do that.” Tony reasoned, and she grunted, lifting her head up to look at him.

“I get that liking Vision is weird, and all, but...I just do, man. And I want to know now, before I get my heart crushed into a million tiny pieces, if he’s even capable of feeling human emotions. And if so, how long it’ll take for him to reject me.” She explained. Tony hummed, leaning back and folding his arms as he thought it through.

“Well, it’s not something I tend to worry about. I just think he’s a great fighter and way smarter than most of us. Which is why I just texted him to come help me in here. And hey, maybe he could answer those questions, y’know?”

“...You totally just called him so you could embarrass me.”

“Maybe so, Crystal Ball, maybe so.”

“Please don’t make this situation any weirder than it already is.” She begged. “Just answer the question!”

“I really don’t know, (Name). I just put the coding together and Thor lit that body up. Whatever goes on in his head is all him. He’s his own thing. If I had a pamphlet or Guide to Vision, I’d hand it over to you in a second, but that’s the thing about AI.” He paused, just as Vision stepped into the laboratory. “You never really know what you’re gonna get.”

“You asked for my help, Tony?” Vision said softly, walking into the room. His very presence seemed to soothe the air, which (Name) was thankful for as she offered him a smile. He glanced at her, smiling back.

“Yeah, I just needed a little help with some encryptions is all. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about 4096 bit encoding, would you?” He questioned, and Vision nodded, stepping forward to join Tony. “I just can’t seem to figure out this binary column over here. It’s driving me up a wall.”

“I will see what I can do to help.” Vision replied, immediately taking over the project. There was some silence in the room as he began to work, totally focused on the screens. Tony snuck a look at (Name), wiggling his eyebrows. She shook her head vigorously, feeling her cheeks heat up when Tony kept teasing her. And Vision, being Vision, caught every second of it.

“Are you sure that you need me here, for this? It doesn’t seem particularly difficult.” He said slowly, “Though it seems you do have other things going on.”

“I don’t have anything going on.” Tony said, grinning smugly at (Name). “But I know a little someone who’s got a lot happenin’, right in here~” He sang, pressing a hand to his heart. (Name) groaned, eyes rolling at the man’s total immaturity.

“I swear, I’m going to beat you to a--” She suddenly gasped, her vision becoming spotted and distorted. In an instant everything around her disappeared, and her view became a swarm of mutants ransacking New York. And she was willing to bet it was going on right below them.

“(Name)?” Tony questioned, her body suddenly seizing up. Vision stopped his work, pacing across the lab and standing before her. He leaned close, scanning her body and pressing his fingers gently to her face, cupping her cheeks.

“She is having a premonition.” Vision stated, taking in her body language. “Someone is going to attack, and it is going to happen soon.” He decided, turning back to Tony. “Are any other Avengers available to fight?”

“Cap and Tasha are in upstate training the newbies, and Hawk’s back at home with the fam. I don’t want to drag them into something dangerous after everything that’s happened.” Tony told him, and Vision nodded in understanding.

“Then we wait for her to come back, and attack, ourselves. Assuming we can handle it.” He replied, the sound of his strange, British accent being the thing that zapped (Name) back to real life.

“Whoa--” She breathed, seeing him so close. He turned to her, concern in his eyes.

“What have you seen?”

“Besides you in my face?” She responded, and he instantly backed off, giving her space. “S-Sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound so hostile.”

“I understand.” He assured her, but his eyes pressed her to continue. “Did you see something dangerous?”

“Small army, lots of damage.” She informed them, taking a deep breath. “Any minute, there’s about to be a horde of mutants, and they’re about to tear up this city like nobody’s business.”

“As I feared. Come,” Vision stated, extending a hand for her to take, “We must prepare.”

“I’ll go suit up.” Tony called, heading out of the lab quickly. She let Vision help her up and the two of them made a break for the elevator. An army of mutants, small or not, was trouble. Lots of trouble. And nine times out of ten, they weren’t just using powers, they were using guns.

“Was that the only vision you saw?” The android asked her gently, and she nodded. She disapproved of the heavy feeling in her chest. “Unfortunately, yes. I didn’t see you or Tony in the vision, though. I’m not sure if you get hurt, or worse...or nothing at all. I-I’m not sure.”

“And yourself?”

“Nowhere to be seen.”

“Do not be afraid.” Vision told her gently as the doors slid open. “We will be alright. Just try not to get hurt.”

“Yeah.” She chuckled humorlessly, “I’ll do my best.”

~*~

It was just as she’d foreseen; Mutants. Everywhere. There were more than she’d seen in the brief glimpse into the future. Dozens of them flooded the streets, screaming and shouting. And she didn’t have a doubt in her mind that they belonged to Magneto.

“Leave it to Magnet-Man to drop a bunch of kids on New York.” She grumbled into her com, flicking her wrists upwards and sending a field of psychic energy surging through the streets. Dozens of them went flying backwards, crashing into the street, cars and buildings all around.

“I wonder what he could be planning.” Vision mused evenly, unfazed by the sudden attack. Tony flew overhead while securing streets and using his drones to get people to safety. Because in America, people didn’t totally hate him and were willing to follow instructions unlike Sokovia.

Not that she was bitter, or anything.

“Whatever he’s up to, I don’t like it. Particularly the fact that he’s not here.” Tony pointed out, and she grunted, whipping through the throngs of mutants trying to break through her personal force field.

Psychic matter enveloped her body, its white glare bringing plenty of attention to herself. Like she was screaming “hey, losers! Here I am, come and get me!” And the best part? They all fell for it.

“Keep them in the center of Main, (Name). I will back you up as soon as I can.” Vision told her, just as the fight grew more and more intense.

“Alright, I’m counting on you! These kids are starting to get a little more intense than I was gunning on.” She responded gruffly, noting the massing number of powered attacks coming at her. All sorts of elements, matter and manipulated objects were flying faster and faster at her field, and she was beginning to feel her own powers weaken.

’Well, that’s what happens when you take on an army.’ She thought to herself with a grimace. Countless surges of psychic energy blasted through the streets, but for every wave of mutants she took down, another came back in.

“I know you have plenty of personal reasons for ‘counting on’ Vision, but I’m here too, y’know.” Tony said, and she could practically feel the smirk in his voice.

“Tony, shut up.”

“What does he mean by ‘personal reasons’?” Vision asked, and she nearly choked on air. Unfortunately the pause allowed for a breach in her field, sending a shockwave through her body as her brain tried to recover from the strike.

“TONY!!” She shouted, “I’m trying not to die! Quit distracting me!!”

“Hold on, (Name). I’m coming!” Vision suddenly flew in, rocketing past her overhead and blasting away the mutant’s attacks with his infinity stone.

“She wishes you were.”

“Tony, I swear to Thor-” A powerful zap of energy erupted from her body, cracking glass windows and tearing up the concrete. “If we all get out of this alive, I’m gonna kill you.”

“I doubt it. Now if I ask him a followup question, maybe then you’d kill me, but-”

“As intriguing as this conversation is, I would rather save it for when we’re not surrounded by angry mutants.” Vision cut in, sending another blast across the streets. The mutants were beginning to retreat, now, all of them frightened by the stunning power showcased by the three Avengers. “(Name) does not need the distraction. It will cause more harm than good.”

“What he said!” (Name) growled, flickers of energy crackling across her body. She was going to have one bad headache after this was all said and done. Leave it to Magneto to ruin a perfectly fine day. And of course, Tony. When he opened his big mouth again and said-

“Hey Vision, can you fall in love?”

What happened next was a series of slow motion events.

Vision completely froze, his attacks ceasing as he stared wide-eyed at Iron Man. (Name) knew that was a bad idea. Because a) She was blushing like an idiot and b) the mutants hadn’t given up yet. And that’s when she saw the gun.

“Vision, look out-!”

She leapt forwards, flying through the air and grabbing him, pushing him out of the way when the shots were fired. (Name) barely registered the soft, firm feel of his body before pain exploded through her system.

She was seeing stars when they hit the ground. Everything went static, and white hot pain flooded through her system, in exchange for the blood that flowed out. She protected Vision. At the cost of her own safety.

“(Name)..!” Vision breathed, an almost frightened expression on his passive face. Her brow furrowed, trying desperately to focus on him.

“A-Are you okay?”

“You’ve suffered a bullet wound to the side. Possibly rupturing your kidney-- We need to get you to a hospital, quickly.” He spoke faster than usual, scooping her up in his arms without a moment to lose. She grit her teeth at the feel of her wound being moved, grasping onto him to try and ride out the pain.

“T-Tony, remember what I said...b-before?”

“Don’t talk, doll. Don’t move, just breathe. Don’t do anything stupid. Veronica, get me the closet hospital and book the ER for (Name)! Her blood pressure doesn’t drop under 90/60, you got it?”

“I-If we all get out of this alive...I’m gonna kill you.” She rasped, head leaning against Vision’s chest as he rocketed her towards the hospital. (Name) couldn’t help but notice the strange tension in his grip, holding onto her tightly as they flew.

“Be silent, (Name). We are almost there. Pushing yourself now will put you at greater risk of death.” He told her fiercely, the usual calm in his voice completely absent. Something she would’ve called into question if her own vision hadn’t gone black.

And consciousness was just a fading memory.

~*~

Guilt wasn’t a common feeling that Vision was used to. Normally, he didn’t feel guilt for anything. But after watching (Name) disappear into the ER, go out and decimate the rest of the mutants and clear the city, then come back and see her hooked up to a hospital bed...wasn’t easy.

Especially knowing that it was his fault she was here.

“I’m not gonna be able to apologize enough to you two, am I?” Tony said softly as he came into the place, finding the Christmas-colored Avenger sitting stock straight in a chair, and right next to her bed. Vision’s head turned slightly at his voice, eye contact not really a good idea.

“It was not intentional to get (Name) hurt. I understand that. Although I hope that you will be able to contain your banter in the near future, should something like this happen again. It’s not a...smart thing to do.” He chided, the even calmness in his voice the only thing keeping Tony from getting snarky.

One does not test an android like Vision.

“I know. That was my mistake. I just didn’t think it’d cause you to freeze up like that.” Tony admitted, coming next to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I mean, the rest of the mess was cleaned up, and according to the doctors she’ll be fine. But it’s still a mess. My mess.”

“If I hadn’t frozen, I am sure none of this would have happened. So I will take responsibility for my reaction.” Vision decided. Tony’s eyebrows rose and he hummed, grabbing a chair and setting down next to his AI.

“Not gonna lie; That ‘reaction’ was strange. Even for someone with your life story. What was going on in that big green head of yours?” Tony pressed curiously, and Vision sighed, albeit softly.

“I am not...accustomed to such an emotion. Or any emotion, to be honest. I have not been exposed to many situations in which my responses follow anything above my usual, steadier ones.” He explained carefully, eyes drooping slightly. “But today, I have experienced both confusion, and fear, on levels that exceeded even those I felt when battling Ultron.”

“Fighting a bunch of kids was worse than the end of the world? Seriously?” Tony joked, to which Vision shook his head.

“It is not that which threw me off. It was…(Name).”

“(Name).”

“When she responded to your comments, I knew there was something off. She had been acting particularly odd around me, these last few weeks. I did not know why, but after thorough research, I feel that she has begun to culminate a much more...deep...emotional regard. For me.”

“You think she’s in love with you?”

“I am not sure. Hypothetically, if she were...the thought of it makes me feel strange. In a positive way. And that causes me more confusion than if she did not. I believe the term for how I feel is...giddy?”

“Giddy?” Tony snickered, and Vision’s finger twitched in embarrassment.

“I am not sure. My chest tightens at the sight of her. Ever since I discovered she may hold a deeper feeling beyond our mutual trust, I have felt lighter. Happier, almost. It is very strange.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I know for a fact that (Name) likes you a lot. That’s why she got so worked up when I was teasing her before.” Tony told him, and Vision stared at him. He nearly smiled at Tony’s confirmation.

“That is wonderful. Even moreso that I reciprocate those feelings.” He replied, gazing at the woman sleeping peacefully with a warm smile. The billionaire had to sneak a picture of Vision’s expression in, because it was absolutely priceless. His little android child-thing-man was in love.

“How do you figure that?”

“...I felt...terrified. After she took the gunshot, I feared for her life. But it was on a scale that I have never felt before. The only explanation is that I feared losing someone I cared just as deeply for.”

“That could just be you caring about your friend, y’know.”

“No...I feel that this runs much deeper than a friendship.” Vision said firmly, that wisened expression on his face telling Tony everything he needed to know. He glanced over at the heart monitor, noticing it beginning to pick up.

“I believe you, buddy.” He grunted, standing back up and slapping a hand on Vision’s shoulder. “You should tell (Name) about this when she comes to, though. She’ll be more than happy to hear it.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely.” Tony promised, heading for the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I think you two could use a little alone time. I need to go call my girl anyway. All this lovey dovey stuff is making me miss her a little bit.” He added, disappearing into the hallway.

Vision couldn’t have been more thankful for the gentle silence after that door closed.

“...I thought he was never going to leave.” (Name) croaked from the side, starting Vision suddenly and making him swivel to face her.

“You are awake.” He said numbly. The total surprise in his voice made her laugh, even though it was soft and exhausted. “We...both believed you were unconscious.”

“Is that why you said all those sweet things?” She said with sheepish smile. Vision averted his gaze to the wall.

“I had not intended for you to hear them. They were rather naive thoughts.” He confessed, making her shake her head.

“Not naive. It’s your first time dealing with all those big emotions. Hearing you work through them makes me happy enough. Knowing you feel the same...or something like it, anyway...that’s fine with me.”

“So you do love me?” Vision checked, earning a light pink dusting her cheeks.

“Simply put, yes I do. I know you probably think it’s weird and all, since you’re half-robot and I’m not. But all I know is that you mean a whole lot to me, Vision. Way more than you should.” She giggled quietly, the sound like bells in his artificial ears.

“I am hardly worthy of your affections, (Name).” He murmured, inching closer to her on the bed. He was hesitant, and she could tell. It only made him more endearing as he floated over her, lips dangerously close to her face. “But I will do...everything I can to make sure I earn them.”

“You already have.” She whispered, and for the first time, Vision really smiled. His lips pressed gently against her forehead, the strange, new touch sending tingles through her body. Vision could feel his coding calculating vicariously, trying to figure out what the heck he was feeling.

All he knew was that he felt good.

Curiously good.

~Ende~

Description
“Tony, we need to talk about your android child.” (Name) said evenly, stepping into the lone science bro’s lab. He perked up, hands dipping away from his current little project.

“The one that tried to destroy the world or the one who helped save it?”

“The one who saved it. Definitely that one.” She replied, shuddering at the thought of the genocidal AI Tony unintentionally fathered. Ultron had caused a lot of trouble when he showed up, and if it hadn’t been for the Avengers and their own good guy AI, she cringed at the thoughts of what could’ve been.

And considering her powers included seeing Garnet-esque visions of the future, the thoughts were pretty vivid.

“No, he’s not for sale, and no, I’m not cloning him.” Tony stated, not bothering to acknowledge her any further. She just shook her head, pressing her hands onto the countertop. “...And even if I did clone him, I wouldn’t sell you the copy.”

“That’s not what I’m here for. I have a few questions about what exactly ‘Vision’ is capable of.”

“You should know, Melampus. Why not just find out for yourself?” He pointed out, making her shrug.

“I don’t think my powers work like that, honey. Besides, I’d rather ask you these questions, not him.”

“And why, pray tell, is that?” Tony inquired, gaze falling on her. He seemed both curious and amused. She didn’t know which was more frightening.

“Well, they’re a little more on the personal side.” She responded carefully. “And they’d be incredibly embarrassing if I had to go ask him directly. I figured since you’re, like, his father figure guy thing, you could answer my questions, instead.”

“You and Vision are close, (Name). Like, take-a-bullet-for-each-other-any-second, close. Anything you need to know, you can ask him.” Tony told her, fidgeting to get back to work. But (Name) frowned, not willing to give up just yet.

“The thing is...these aren’t the kind of questions you want to ask the person directly. Because they’re kind of…” She paused, searching for the right words. ”Extremely personal.”

“In what scenario would you ever ask ‘extremely personal’ questions to an android?” Tony deadpanned, and she shrugged, leaning against the counter and biting her lip.

“When you want to know what...um...emotions they’re capable of.”

“Emotions?” Tony repeated, nose scrunching in confusion. “What kind?”

“Yeah, you know….like, anger and sadness, joy…love…” She regretted pausing on the last one, because it literally gave her intentions away in every sense of the word. Tony’s eyes locked on hers, and his mouth fell open when he realized what she meant.

“Oh, God. You can’t be serious. You’re serious? ..You’re serious. Right now. You’re really-”

“Yes, Tony. I’m serious.” She sighed, sinking onto the table and burying her face in her arms to hide the red blush exploding on her cheeks.

“But he’s like-- red, and green, and stuff. And not exactly all that human. I mean, since he’s an android he has all the capabilities of a person, including the you-know-what-”

“Tony--!”

“But I mean, seriously? With...him? Why him?” Tony asked, hiding his laughter like a pro. “Why not someone a little more human, like me? Or Steve, or even the Falcon guy, or something?”

“His name is Sam, and no.” (Name) cut in, looking up at him seriously. “I dunno. There’s just something about Vision. He’s kind of...alluring, in that sense. Y’know? Gah, I don’t.” She shrugged again, forehead resting on the counter. “Maybe it’s that infinity stone in his head that’s like, mind controlling me, or something.”

“I don’t think Thor would let him keep it if he could do that.” Tony reasoned, and she grunted, lifting her head up to look at him.

“I get that liking Vision is weird, and all, but...I just do, man. And I want to know now, before I get my heart crushed into a million tiny pieces, if he’s even capable of feeling human emotions. And if so, how long it’ll take for him to reject me.” She explained. Tony hummed, leaning back and folding his arms as he thought it through.

“Well, it’s not something I tend to worry about. I just think he’s a great fighter and way smarter than most of us. Which is why I just texted him to come help me in here. And hey, maybe he could answer those questions, y’know?”

“...You totally just called him so you could embarrass me.”

“Maybe so, Crystal Ball, maybe so.”

“Please don’t make this situation any weirder than it already is.” She begged. “Just answer the question!”

“I really don’t know, (Name). I just put the coding together and Thor lit that body up. Whatever goes on in his head is all him. He’s his own thing. If I had a pamphlet or Guide to Vision, I’d hand it over to you in a second, but that’s the thing about AI.” He paused, just as Vision stepped into the laboratory. “You never really know what you’re gonna get.”

“You asked for my help, Tony?” Vision said softly, walking into the room. His very presence seemed to soothe the air, which (Name) was thankful for as she offered him a smile. He glanced at her, smiling back.

“Yeah, I just needed a little help with some encryptions is all. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about 4096 bit encoding, would you?” He questioned, and Vision nodded, stepping forward to join Tony. “I just can’t seem to figure out this binary column over here. It’s driving me up a wall.”

“I will see what I can do to help.” Vision replied, immediately taking over the project. There was some silence in the room as he began to work, totally focused on the screens. Tony snuck a look at (Name), wiggling his eyebrows. She shook her head vigorously, feeling her cheeks heat up when Tony kept teasing her. And Vision, being Vision, caught every second of it.

“Are you sure that you need me here, for this? It doesn’t seem particularly difficult.” He said slowly, “Though it seems you do have other things going on.”

“I don’t have anything going on.” Tony said, grinning smugly at (Name). “But I know a little someone who’s got a lot happenin’, right in here~” He sang, pressing a hand to his heart. (Name) groaned, eyes rolling at the man’s total immaturity.

“I swear, I’m going to beat you to a--” She suddenly gasped, her vision becoming spotted and distorted. In an instant everything around her disappeared, and her view became a swarm of mutants ransacking New York. And she was willing to bet it was going on right below them.

“(Name)?” Tony questioned, her body suddenly seizing up. Vision stopped his work, pacing across the lab and standing before her. He leaned close, scanning her body and pressing his fingers gently to her face, cupping her cheeks.

“She is having a premonition.” Vision stated, taking in her body language. “Someone is going to attack, and it is going to happen soon.” He decided, turning back to Tony. “Are any other Avengers available to fight?”

“Cap and Tasha are in upstate training the newbies, and Hawk’s back at home with the fam. I don’t want to drag them into something dangerous after everything that’s happened.” Tony told him, and Vision nodded in understanding.

“Then we wait for her to come back, and attack, ourselves. Assuming we can handle it.” He replied, the sound of his strange, British accent being the thing that zapped (Name) back to real life.

“Whoa--” She breathed, seeing him so close. He turned to her, concern in his eyes.

“What have you seen?”

“Besides you in my face?” She responded, and he instantly backed off, giving her space. “S-Sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound so hostile.”

“I understand.” He assured her, but his eyes pressed her to continue. “Did you see something dangerous?”

“Small army, lots of damage.” She informed them, taking a deep breath. “Any minute, there’s about to be a horde of mutants, and they’re about to tear up this city like nobody’s business.”

“As I feared. Come,” Vision stated, extending a hand for her to take, “We must prepare.”

“I’ll go suit up.” Tony called, heading out of the lab quickly. She let Vision help her up and the two of them made a break for the elevator. An army of mutants, small or not, was trouble. Lots of trouble. And nine times out of ten, they weren’t just using powers, they were using guns.

“Was that the only vision you saw?” The android asked her gently, and she nodded. She disapproved of the heavy feeling in her chest. “Unfortunately, yes. I didn’t see you or Tony in the vision, though. I’m not sure if you get hurt, or worse...or nothing at all. I-I’m not sure.”

“And yourself?”

“Nowhere to be seen.”

“Do not be afraid.” Vision told her gently as the doors slid open. “We will be alright. Just try not to get hurt.”

“Yeah.” She chuckled humorlessly, “I’ll do my best.”

~*~

It was just as she’d foreseen; Mutants. Everywhere. There were more than she’d seen in the brief glimpse into the future. Dozens of them flooded the streets, screaming and shouting. And she didn’t have a doubt in her mind that they belonged to Magneto.

“Leave it to Magnet-Man to drop a bunch of kids on New York.” She grumbled into her com, flicking her wrists upwards and sending a field of psychic energy surging through the streets. Dozens of them went flying backwards, crashing into the street, cars and buildings all around.

“I wonder what he could be planning.” Vision mused evenly, unfazed by the sudden attack. Tony flew overhead while securing streets and using his drones to get people to safety. Because in America, people didn’t totally hate him and were willing to follow instructions unlike Sokovia.

Not that she was bitter, or anything.

“Whatever he’s up to, I don’t like it. Particularly the fact that he’s not here.” Tony pointed out, and she grunted, whipping through the throngs of mutants trying to break through her personal force field.

Psychic matter enveloped her body, its white glare bringing plenty of attention to herself. Like she was screaming “hey, losers! Here I am, come and get me!” And the best part? They all fell for it.

“Keep them in the center of Main, (Name). I will back you up as soon as I can.” Vision told her, just as the fight grew more and more intense.

“Alright, I’m counting on you! These kids are starting to get a little more intense than I was gunning on.” She responded gruffly, noting the massing number of powered attacks coming at her. All sorts of elements, matter and manipulated objects were flying faster and faster at her field, and she was beginning to feel her own powers weaken.

’Well, that’s what happens when you take on an army.’ She thought to herself with a grimace. Countless surges of psychic energy blasted through the streets, but for every wave of mutants she took down, another came back in.

“I know you have plenty of personal reasons for ‘counting on’ Vision, but I’m here too, y’know.” Tony said, and she could practically feel the smirk in his voice.

“Tony, shut up.”

“What does he mean by ‘personal reasons’?” Vision asked, and she nearly choked on air. Unfortunately the pause allowed for a breach in her field, sending a shockwave through her body as her brain tried to recover from the strike.

“TONY!!” She shouted, “I’m trying not to die! Quit distracting me!!”

“Hold on, (Name). I’m coming!” Vision suddenly flew in, rocketing past her overhead and blasting away the mutant’s attacks with his infinity stone.

“She wishes you were.”

“Tony, I swear to Thor-” A powerful zap of energy erupted from her body, cracking glass windows and tearing up the concrete. “If we all get out of this alive, I’m gonna kill you.”

“I doubt it. Now if I ask him a followup question, maybe then you’d kill me, but-”

“As intriguing as this conversation is, I would rather save it for when we’re not surrounded by angry mutants.” Vision cut in, sending another blast across the streets. The mutants were beginning to retreat, now, all of them frightened by the stunning power showcased by the three Avengers. “(Name) does not need the distraction. It will cause more harm than good.”

“What he said!” (Name) growled, flickers of energy crackling across her body. She was going to have one bad headache after this was all said and done. Leave it to Magneto to ruin a perfectly fine day. And of course, Tony. When he opened his big mouth again and said-

“Hey Vision, can you fall in love?”

What happened next was a series of slow motion events.

Vision completely froze, his attacks ceasing as he stared wide-eyed at Iron Man. (Name) knew that was a bad idea. Because a) She was blushing like an idiot and b) the mutants hadn’t given up yet. And that’s when she saw the gun.

“Vision, look out-!”

She leapt forwards, flying through the air and grabbing him, pushing him out of the way when the shots were fired. (Name) barely registered the soft, firm feel of his body before pain exploded through her system.

She was seeing stars when they hit the ground. Everything went static, and white hot pain flooded through her system, in exchange for the blood that flowed out. She protected Vision. At the cost of her own safety.

“(Name)..!” Vision breathed, an almost frightened expression on his passive face. Her brow furrowed, trying desperately to focus on him.

“A-Are you okay?”

“You’ve suffered a bullet wound to the side. Possibly rupturing your kidney-- We need to get you to a hospital, quickly.” He spoke faster than usual, scooping her up in his arms without a moment to lose. She grit her teeth at the feel of her wound being moved, grasping onto him to try and ride out the pain.

“T-Tony, remember what I said...b-before?”

“Don’t talk, doll. Don’t move, just breathe. Don’t do anything stupid. Veronica, get me the closet hospital and book the ER for (Name)! Her blood pressure doesn’t drop under 90/60, you got it?”

“I-If we all get out of this alive...I’m gonna kill you.” She rasped, head leaning against Vision’s chest as he rocketed her towards the hospital. (Name) couldn’t help but notice the strange tension in his grip, holding onto her tightly as they flew.

“Be silent, (Name). We are almost there. Pushing yourself now will put you at greater risk of death.” He told her fiercely, the usual calm in his voice completely absent. Something she would’ve called into question if her own vision hadn’t gone black.

And consciousness was just a fading memory.

~*~

Guilt wasn’t a common feeling that Vision was used to. Normally, he didn’t feel guilt for anything. But after watching (Name) disappear into the ER, go out and decimate the rest of the mutants and clear the city, then come back and see her hooked up to a hospital bed...wasn’t easy.

Especially knowing that it was his fault she was here.

“I’m not gonna be able to apologize enough to you two, am I?” Tony said softly as he came into the place, finding the Christmas-colored Avenger sitting stock straight in a chair, and right next to her bed. Vision’s head turned slightly at his voice, eye contact not really a good idea.

“It was not intentional to get (Name) hurt. I understand that. Although I hope that you will be able to contain your banter in the near future, should something like this happen again. It’s not a...smart thing to do.” He chided, the even calmness in his voice the only thing keeping Tony from getting snarky.

One does not test an android like Vision.

“I know. That was my mistake. I just didn’t think it’d cause you to freeze up like that.” Tony admitted, coming next to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I mean, the rest of the mess was cleaned up, and according to the doctors she’ll be fine. But it’s still a mess. My mess.”

“If I hadn’t frozen, I am sure none of this would have happened. So I will take responsibility for my reaction.” Vision decided. Tony’s eyebrows rose and he hummed, grabbing a chair and setting down next to his AI.

“Not gonna lie; That ‘reaction’ was strange. Even for someone with your life story. What was going on in that big green head of yours?” Tony pressed curiously, and Vision sighed, albeit softly.

“I am not...accustomed to such an emotion. Or any emotion, to be honest. I have not been exposed to many situations in which my responses follow anything above my usual, steadier ones.” He explained carefully, eyes drooping slightly. “But today, I have experienced both confusion, and fear, on levels that exceeded even those I felt when battling Ultron.”

“Fighting a bunch of kids was worse than the end of the world? Seriously?” Tony joked, to which Vision shook his head.

“It is not that which threw me off. It was…(Name).”

“(Name).”

“When she responded to your comments, I knew there was something off. She had been acting particularly odd around me, these last few weeks. I did not know why, but after thorough research, I feel that she has begun to culminate a much more...deep...emotional regard. For me.”

“You think she’s in love with you?”

“I am not sure. Hypothetically, if she were...the thought of it makes me feel strange. In a positive way. And that causes me more confusion than if she did not. I believe the term for how I feel is...giddy?”

“Giddy?” Tony snickered, and Vision’s finger twitched in embarrassment.

“I am not sure. My chest tightens at the sight of her. Ever since I discovered she may hold a deeper feeling beyond our mutual trust, I have felt lighter. Happier, almost. It is very strange.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I know for a fact that (Name) likes you a lot. That’s why she got so worked up when I was teasing her before.” Tony told him, and Vision stared at him. He nearly smiled at Tony’s confirmation.

“That is wonderful. Even moreso that I reciprocate those feelings.” He replied, gazing at the woman sleeping peacefully with a warm smile. The billionaire had to sneak a picture of Vision’s expression in, because it was absolutely priceless. His little android child-thing-man was in love.

“How do you figure that?”

“...I felt...terrified. After she took the gunshot, I feared for her life. But it was on a scale that I have never felt before. The only explanation is that I feared losing someone I cared just as deeply for.”

“That could just be you caring about your friend, y’know.”

“No...I feel that this runs much deeper than a friendship.” Vision said firmly, that wisened expression on his face telling Tony everything he needed to know. He glanced over at the heart monitor, noticing it beginning to pick up.

“I believe you, buddy.” He grunted, standing back up and slapping a hand on Vision’s shoulder. “You should tell (Name) about this when she comes to, though. She’ll be more than happy to hear it.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely.” Tony promised, heading for the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I think you two could use a little alone time. I need to go call my girl anyway. All this lovey dovey stuff is making me miss her a little bit.” He added, disappearing into the hallway.

Vision couldn’t have been more thankful for the gentle silence after that door closed.

“...I thought he was never going to leave.” (Name) croaked from the side, starting Vision suddenly and making him swivel to face her.

“You are awake.” He said numbly. The total surprise in his voice made her laugh, even though it was soft and exhausted. “We...both believed you were unconscious.”

“Is that why you said all those sweet things?” She said with sheepish smile. Vision averted his gaze to the wall.

“I had not intended for you to hear them. They were rather naive thoughts.” He confessed, making her shake her head.

“Not naive. It’s your first time dealing with all those big emotions. Hearing you work through them makes me happy enough. Knowing you feel the same...or something like it, anyway...that’s fine with me.”

“So you do love me?” Vision checked, earning a light pink dusting her cheeks.

“Simply put, yes I do. I know you probably think it’s weird and all, since you’re half-robot and I’m not. But all I know is that you mean a whole lot to me, Vision. Way more than you should.” She giggled quietly, the sound like bells in his artificial ears.

“I am hardly worthy of your affections, (Name).” He murmured, inching closer to her on the bed. He was hesitant, and she could tell. It only made him more endearing as he floated over her, lips dangerously close to her face. “But I will do...everything I can to make sure I earn them.”

“You already have.” She whispered, and for the first time, Vision really smiled. His lips pressed gently against her forehead, the strange, new touch sending tingles through her body. Vision could feel his coding calculating vicariously, trying to figure out what the heck he was feeling.

All he knew was that he felt good.

Curiously good.

~Ende~