Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Vizh, come in.” Wanda called out, not looking up from her laptop as the blue of the screen illuminated her face in the dark. She winced as the warm light flickered on and Vision walked into her room, cradling two cups of coffee in his hands.

“How did you know I was outside?” Vision questioned and Wanda smiled weakly, hearing the grin in his voice.

“We’ve lived in the same house for two years now, you can’t expect me not to be able to tell your frantic pacing from Sam’s stomping or Nat’s illegally light footsteps.” She finally tore her eyes from her computer, meeting Vision’s own and taking her mug from him gratefully, almost getting lost in his sea of blue in her tired state. 

Vision frowned at her, taking the empty seat next to her desk and adjusting himself, the sleeve of his sweater brushing against hers. “Wanda, I know you need that video to be edited by tomorrow but you really need to get some rest. I could help you if you would like; our video formats are vastly different but I think I can adjust.”

Wanda shot him a tired grin, “It’s alright Vizh, I know you have editing to finish as well. Some company would be nice though, It’ll do wonders for my motivation.” Her tone was light and Vision returned her smile, pulling out his laptop and shifting away from her slightly to properly set it up on the table. “What are you working on by the way?”

“A script for a new video essay studying the role of superhero movies in shaping mainstream media,” he replied scratching his head in embarrassment, “I know it’s not my usual content and it will most likely underperform but I’ve always found this to be an interesting topic.”

“Vizh,” Wanda stopped typing to meet his eyes, “Please promise me you’ll do it and continue if it’s content you enjoy making. Content burnout is a real pain and I don’t want to see you go through it.” Her voice shifted into something more teasing, “How ever will I live without seeing you on my subscription feed and hearing you talk about the randomest things.”

Vision chuckled softly, “Well, you can always knock on my door, I’m only across the hall after all.” Wanda raised her eyebrows, unsuccessfully hiding the smile that crept up her face and Vision sighed. “Alright, I will try my best to avoid looking at the numbers. I know I’ve been a little caught up with them lately.”

Wanda hummed, satisfied, “Good job, proud of you. I will take you up on that offer though.” She smirked as Vision stuttered, his ears burning red.

It was one of the things about him she loved. It had first happened when they first met, both moving into the streaming house on the same day, nervous and awkward. He had accidentally shut the door in her face and the absolute horror on his reddened face as he opened it again and apologised profusely made it hard to suppress the giggles that followed.

If she were completely honest, it was one of the many things she loved about him. It was on nights like these where she wondered about the extent of their friendship. Nights where Vision turned up at three am with coffee, sitting at her side, arm brushing against hers and laughing softly and radiating joy as they just talked. As they were just themselves. 

A small part of her had always wondered if they could be something more. If that line had been crossed a long time ago.

But, all such thoughts would leave her head as she buried them deep down, convincing herself that he simply saw her as a friend. A very close friend. His closest friend. He had to know that if he were to ask her out that she would accept immediately, right? It had been two whole years; one and a half of them confiding in each other and undoubtedly being each other’s best friends. If he didn’t say anything, she just had to bite back the emotion and assume he saw her as nothing but that. A friend. There was no way on earth she would wreck that due to some unresolved emotions. 

She had to admit that it was getting much harder in recent days. 

“What do you think about this font Wanda?” Vision asked snapping her out of her thoughts and she flushed slightly, mentally reprimanding herself. 

She looked over, contemplating the array of fonts displayed, “I think Sans-serif would work better with this format of video, here,” Wanda reached over, pulling over his laptop after he nodded and selected the font that she thought best suited the title, colour dropping from a photo as to match the palette. “I think that looks good.”

“I think it looks amazing,” Vision exhaled with contentment before giving her a smile, eyes shining, “What would I do without you?”

“Be just as incredible as you already are.” she mirrored his grin, ignoring how her heart started beating just a little faster.

After another hour of work, Wanda found herself half asleep at her desk, vaguely remembering Vision guiding her to her bed and saying goodnight before shutting off the lights and heading out, two empty mugs in hand and the feel of his arm around her shoulder lingering even after she woke up.

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“Morning Nat,” Wanda greeted, hair still mussed over with sleep, slightly surprised to see only her in the common space. 

“Good morning,” she called back, tossing her an apple, “The boys are out filming a video in the snow for Thor’s channel. Vision went with them if he’s who you were looking for.”

“I was not looking for him.” Wanda replied, furrowing her brow at Natasha’s raised eyebrows. She met her eyes uneasily, “Why did you think I was looking for him?”

“Well, you scanned the room and didn’t start smiling uncontrollably the same way you do when he’s around.” Nat stated, “How you two are this dense baffles me to this day.”

Wanda crossed her hands, indignant and blushing, “Fine, I like him a lot and I have for a while but it’s not reciprocated and that’s fine because he’s a great friend.”

“Oh jeez,” Nat rubbed her temple and gestured to the couch, “I have to say I’m proud of you for finally admitting that to yourself. He obviously likes you - it being reciprocal isn’t something you should be worried about. I’ve never seen him care for anyone as much as you and we’ve been living here for two years.”

“He’s nice to everyone,” Wanda argued, “He’s just that great of a person.” 

“You really are head over heels for him,” Natasha grinned, “That’s great for you, Vision is probably the most decent guy I’ve ever seen in my life which is rarer than you would expect in this industry.”

Wanda couldn’t help but agree - not that she’d ever admit that to Natasha. She had met her fair share of shady MCMs and businessmen all too eager to sign contractual agreements with her. Not to mention the arrogant, stuck-up content creators that dominated most of the panels at conventions. Nothing they offered ever turned out well and she had learnt that the hard way. 

“Either way, I am not risking my friendship with him for anything.” Wanda said firmly, burying the hope that had blossomed dangerously in her chest. 

Natasha turned to switch on the television, “The channels and hundred-ish videos convinced that you two are dating are going to be so disappointed.”

“It’s too early to make fun of shipping videos Nat.” Wanda walked over to the coffee machine, brewing her usual.

“In this situation and this one specifically, they are completely right though.”

“They are not.”

“Alright Wanda, whatever you need to tell yourself.”

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“Hey, Clint, do you think Steve would know how to help me out with a QnA livestream?” Wanda asked from the other side of the room, slumped comfortably in a beanbag as her toes brushed gently against the fuzzy carpet.

It was a common occurrence after dinner, a few of them retiring to the lounge room to work on their own projects or videos while calming music filled the background. Currently, it was only Clint, Sam and Natasha, Vision taking a shower and the rest retired to their rooms. It served as a sort of common ground where if you were in need of ideas or advice, whoever was in the room would offer whatever they knew and then continue with their work. It was efficient and although Wanda treasured the solitude of her room, there were some days where the sarcastic banter of her housemates helped fuel her inspiration. Even if they ended up watching Netflix more often than not.

“What?” Clint inquired, looking up from his phone, “What kind of QnA?”

“I’ve been getting a lot of comments lately asking me to do a ‘meet the content creator’ type of thing but I get nervous about sharing too much about myself so I’ve been avoiding it. I thought it would be easier if I did one where people ask me things instead so that it’s more conversational and not just… me rambling.” Wanda admitted, twisting her rings subconsciously.

Clint shot her a reassuring grin, “I mean your rise in popularity recently is sure to attract curious fans.” Wanda opened her mouth to protest but he waved her off, “Well deserved kid. You’re one of the best among all the rookies. Don’t tell Kate I said that, I think she’d shoot an arrow through my brains.”

Sam chimed in,“I think Tony would be of more help since he’s good at PR and tech for streams all but I’m guessing you’d prefer to ask Vision to help you with that.” He ended his sentence with a knowing grin, causing Wanda to sigh as Clint and Nat repressed their laughter.

Wanda sunk deeper into her beanbag, “Nat I’m going to murder you.”

“Hey, I didn’t say anything to anyone.” Natasha raised her hands before an even voice filled the room.

“What is everyone speaking about?” Vision walked into the lounge, golden hair still damp and beads of water dripping down his neck. His eyes shifted over to Wanda’s and hers widened as she hastily dismissed the conversation.

“Absolutely nothing Vizh, don’t worry about it.” She gave him an apologetic look as he took a seat on the couch behind her, countering his confused curiosity with a pat on his leg. 

“We were just talking about you.” Sam offered, facing Wanda’s death glare head on, “I mean about you helping Wanda with her livestream preparation.”

“I was going to tell you, Sam , that I haven’t asked for his help yet. I’m not even sure if I’m going to do the stream.” She looked up at Vision, “It’s a QnA thing and I may need some help with setting up if that’s okay with you.”

Vision nodded, giving her a thumbs up, “That I can do, anytime Wanda.” He smiled back at her and she felt the sides of her lips turning up involuntarily. 

Clint and Nat exchanged a grin and Sam shook his head. Wanda decided to ignore it, pulling her laptop up so Vision could see it and asking him about her video thumbnail instead.

“Are you free to film a video with me by the way?” Wanda asked, getting up from the beanbag to sit next to Vision, hyper-aware of the fact that he immediately angled his body towards her without a second thought as he always did. 

“It would be a pleasure,” Vision said, bopping his head, “What are we doing?”

Wanda hummed, “I was thinking of ranking sitcoms and you’ve been forced to watch everything I have for the past two years so I think you’d be perfect.”

“I don’t think forced is the right adjective,” he mused, “I would come and stare and you would invite me to sit down and it sort of became a habit.”

“Well it’s a great habit for you to have since I get to spend time with you outside of working.” she teased as Vision laughed quietly, fondness clear in his breathy chuckles.“Now that I think about it, it’s been a while since we did a rewatch of ‘Malcolm in the Middle’.”  

“I can always continue my script tomorrow?” Vision offered with a glint in his eye.

“You sure?”

He gave her a solemn nod, “Certain.”

She happily scrunched her nose at him before asking loudly, looking around the room, “Do you guys want to watch ‘ Malcolm in the Middle ’ with us?” 

“I’m good.” Clint declared and Natasha shook her head. Sam just winked and went back to work, drumming his fingers against the coffee table good-naturedly.

“Alright then,” Wanda looked pointedly at Sam before she took Vision’s hand, leading him to her room, “C’mon Vizh.”

---------------------

RANKING OUR FAVOURITE SITCOMS ft. the one and only VisionShade 

Posted 20 minutes ago

WandaistheGoat: Holy shit the way he looks at her calls me single in every way.

    Stepbackfromthevehicle: Please don’t ship real people if they haven’t confirmed anything, you don’t want to ruin their friendship like you know who *cough*

WMaximoffles: Name me a more entertaining and wholesome youtube duo. I’ll be waiting.

AvengeMe: THE DUOOOO! THE GANGGGGG!!!

WoodrowtheboatWilson: “the one and only VisionShade” Ma'am I did not ask to cry today

DitchedSnitcher: Something about Vision talking so earnestly about the domestic sitcom life has me feeling a certain kinda way if you know what i'm saying-

StanFanMan: JFRVAHJRVVVVHEJRV QUEEN POSTD (edit: thank you for 28 likes!! This is the best day of my life!!!!)

MadeupName: Okay can we appreciate what ABSOLUTELY IMMACULATE TASTE THEY HAVE IN SITCOMS BECAUSE D AM N

DeerTheodosia: “What do you mean The Office is better? I feel so betrayed.”                           “We watched it every night until 3am for several months when we first moved into the stream house so it may be sentiment.” Catch me cryiNG

    DarthWanda: HER FACE WHEN HE SAID IT PLS,,,,,

ShadedViz: No one:
                    Vision: *furious blushing and stuttering* 
                    Me: SIR STOP BEING CUTE I CAN’t 

Chapter Text

The pitter patter of rain reverberated softly around the room; its muted beat had always brought with it a pang of nostalgia, reminding Vision of the days before he had all of this. Before that video he made of himself calculating the probability of another world disaster blew up. Before he had moved from all those old foster homes into the battered one room apartment by himself and then into this house with the group of people that he’d met during that fateful VidCon. Before he had met Wanda.

It reminded him of his roots. Long nights of focused study on the YouTube algorithm; every minute of his part-time job dedicated to brainstorming on how he was going to improve the quality of his videos, the optimum posting time, the best colour compositions that never failed to turn up that click rate. The numbers were his life. The numbers had gotten him this far.

The numbers had given him more pain than he would ever admit.

There was only so much you could do to prevent the spiralling obsession that was the pleasing of the algorithm. It plucked at you, taunting you with its bright and colourful ‘congratulations’ when a video did well and a ‘what went wrong?’ when it didn’t. The numbers had stolen his relationships, his body, and his health. The numbers had consumed his waking and his sleeping and corroded his very being.

It was a rainy, foggy night in England. The temperature was negative two degrees Celsius, the time was 3:01 am and he was staring blankly at his computer screen, trying to figure out why his latest video was underperforming. That was when he received the message that, now that he thought about it, might have saved his life - an invitation to VidCon in Los Angeles, complete with a Content-Creator badge.

He had purchased his ticket and flew over with an extended list of everything he needed to do and learn to make full use of that opportunity. He hadn’t gotten very far down that list before he met the esteemed Tony Stark. Extremely renowned content creator and business owner Tony Stark had taken a fancy to him for whatever reason (Vision could never get him to tell him why), and invited him to meet the group of creators that he was in constant collaboration with.

Seeing Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton and Thor Odinson in one room had made Vision want to phase through the floor.

Two years after that, he found himself living in a new country with the people he had looked up to for so long. It was there where he had met Wanda with long, brunette hair who looked at him with curiosity evident in her eyes. It had been over two years since then and Vision still could not believe he had the privilege of calling her his closest friend and confidant. In the short time they had met after moving into the house, Wanda had pulled him out of the spiral of numbers, bringing him back to the reason he had wanted to make videos in the first place and showing him the joy of existing.

Since then, he had become fascinated with the intricate details of human life. He had learnt to appreciate the small moments that made it so beautiful. Since then, he had found the one person that made him smile, who he wanted to make smile for as long as he was able to.

The way her grin lit up the room, the way his name sounded on her lips, the way she teared up without fail at the same parts of movies they had watched over and over again. It sparked an unexplainable joy in Vision like nothing else came close to.

However, in preservation of their friendship, he had never acted on his feelings. There had been moments where he had thought that she felt the same way – gazes that were held too long to be ordinary, hugs that lingered for a little longer than necessary - but he’d talked himself out of it with the rationalisation of him wanting it to be true so desperately that he was making it up. Brains did that sort of thing. Wanda deserved the best for herself and if he couldn’t be that person for her, he’d do the best he could for her until that person arrived. No matter how much it’d hurt him.

He had made that conclusion a long time ago and yet, he never could get her out of his mind.

Vision let out a sigh, slamming his laptop shut and shaking himself out of his thoughts. Tony was going to come tomorrow. Maybe getting it off his chest might help.

            —————————————

“Hey C3P0, how’s it hanging?” Tony grinned, inviting himself into Vision’s room and tossing over a paper bag, “I had Happy stop by a burger king.”

Vision gave Tony a nod, “Thank you, nice to see you here Sir.”

“Please Vision, we’ve been over this. The name’s Tony. ‘Sir’ makes me sound like some egotistical, eccentric billionaire.” He frowned, “Well, two out of three of those are accurate but I’m working on it.” He winked, a smirk on his lips as he saw Vision’s reddened ears.

“How was your flight si- Tony?”

“Atta boy,” Tony snapped his fingers in approval, “It was great, I managed to get an entire script done and plan out that Avenger’s photoshoot we need to get done while I’m in town.”

“That sounds great.”

Tony paused, looking directly at Vision who felt a slight panic creep up his throat, “Alright buddy, spit it out, you’re thinking louder than the speakers at Comic Con blasts music.”

“I think that’s hyperbole,” Vision faltered at Tony’s cocked eyebrow, “Okay, I do admit something has been on my mind lately.”

“Great, care to share with the humble crowd of one?” Tony sat down on an armchair, reclining with ease, “You haven’t talked to Wanda about it I’m assuming?”

“No, you see, it’s regarding her,” Vision began before stuttering, “W- wait why did you assume that.”

“You’re kidding,” Tony looked appalled at Vision’s blank stare, “You two are like the north and south pole of magnets held together by the attraction of a positively charged lattice and a negative sea of electrons - sorry, I did some chemistry reading on the plane. I’d assume you were dating if I didn’t have complete confidence that you’d tell me if you were and I definitely did not receive any panicked messages from you.”

He could feel the hot blush creeping up his cheeks, “She’s my best friend.”

“And, let me take a wild guess, you’re beginning to see her as more than that.”

Vision’s voice was quiet, “I have for a long time now.”

Tony dropped the snark, seeking out Vision’s eyes, “Hey, Vision. Maybe it’s time to, I don’t know, make a move? I’m sorry, I’m really not the best at these things, playboy persona aside. I can do that easily. The more intimate stuff, which I know this is, I’m not great.”

Vision dropped his gaze to the carpeted floor, “I really don’t want to ruin our friendship because of something like this. What if she sees me differently after?”

“Trust me, I’ve seen the way she looks at you. You two are so close and have been so close for ages now. Nothing is going to change her perception of you because she likes hanging out with you for you buddy,” Tony walked over, punching him lightly on the arm, “You’re great and you need to drill that into your head man.”

He gave Tony a feeble grin. “I will just wait for the perfect moment,” Vision lamented, getting up and beginning to pace, “I’ll make sure it’s not awkward and she’s not uncomfortable and that she won’t misunderstand and that I won’t come off strong and that our friendship will most definitely be preserved and-“

“Woah, woah,” Tony gripped his shoulder, physically stopping his rapid pacing, “Slow down. Breathe.”

Yes, breathing. Vision knew how to do that.

—————————————

Vision followed Tony into the living room where the others were all waiting around; lounging, chatting, doing work, watching something collectively, or otherwise. His eyes met with Wanda’s immediately and his mouth curled up into a smile which she mirrored instantly.

“Greetings everyone, the backbone of your careers has arrived,” Tony quipped with outstretched arms and a ducked head, “I was joking, I like living a lot thank you very much.”

“You’re lucky Steve is out getting groceries or you’d be facing the wrath of another lecture – much needed by the way.” Clint shot back, face set in a serious look that everyone who knew him recognised as anything but. Natasha looked over from her place on the armchair, grinning smugly.

“I feel so welcomed already,” Tony drawled, going over to Bruce to ask him about whatever he was working on.

Vision made his way over to Wanda, settling next to her on the couch and fiddling with his fingers, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Wanda looked back at him, amused, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on in that head of yours or am I going have to read it with my very real telekinetic abilities.”

“Judging by how easily you can tell, I would not be surprised if you did have them,” Vision smiled weakly.

Wanda frowned, “You know exactly when to show up with a cup of coffee and patiently put up with my breakdowns and dumb tangents until the crack of dawn every time. Of course, I know you well enough to tell when your brain is overworking itself.”

Vision, shifted in his seat at her words, his veins surging with affection and longing, colliding to form a churning solution of ‘please don’t do something you’ll regret’.

“Hey,” Wanda said, softly placing her hand on top of his, Vision’s eyes instinctively flickering to look at it before meeting her steady gaze, “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to but I need you to know that I’m here for you, okay? It’s not because I feel obliged to, alright? I’m here and I’m staying here and my door is right across the hall, ready for you to come in and sit with me and talk or not.”

“But-“

“Anytime, Vizh, alright? I could be streaming to an audience of ten thousand and I would end stream if you need me to and if you dare beat yourself up for it, I will tweet ‘Everyone spam @VisionShade with hearts’ with no context and your dms will be more flooded than they already are.” She looked at him determinedly, searching his face to make sure that he believed her.

Before he could stop himself, he was leaning over and drawing Wanda into a hug. She stiffened and he pulled away quickly, standing up and waving his hands frantically, “Wanda I’m so sorry I’m-“

“Come here Vizh,” Wanda stood, pulling him back into the hug and he softened in her embrace, head buried in her shoulder and her hair ticking his face, “Anytime, promise?”

He exhaled, body relaxing, “Promise.”

She was here. She was with him, and that was all that mattered at that moment.

Vision pulled away to look down at her and the curves of his lips turned upwards, taking in her slightly pink cheeks and happy smile and she met his gaze right back. How was she this perfect?

“Was a hug all it took for you to feel better?” Wanda chuckled, breaking the eye contact and dropping her head, hiding the wide grin that had spread across her face.

“Hugs are nice, I will not deny that.” Vision said before his eyes widened and he hurriedly turned, sitting back on the couch and taking a sudden interest in the colour of the walls.

"I’ll give you another one if you take a photo with me? For my twitter?” Wanda teased, enjoying the way his ears reddened.

Leaping at the chance to change the atmosphere to something more controllable, Vision banished all intrusive thoughts of what she could possibly be implying and raised his eyebrows, “Only if I get to film a video with you for my channel.”

“Deal.” Wanda stretched out her hand and he grasped it tightly, shaking it before they both combusted into a fit of giggles, secretly enjoying the warmth of the other’s hand clasped firmly in their own.

Both didn’t register the fact that they’d been left alone in the room ever since they shared the hug, a very pleased Tony and Natasha toasting with celebratory G-fuel in the one adjacent.

The rain battered against the window, Vision feeling a calmness envelope him once more as he listened intently, laughing along with a snickering Wanda, all his thoughts halting from tearing his head apart and focusing on the wonderful sound of her voice.

—————————————

Just Posted

@WandaMaximoff: @VisionShade let me bribe him to take this photo – you’re welcome Vision fans :)

@Maximoffles: Bestie don’t need to be shy, we know you simp for him too

            @VictorViszh: Honestly, who wouldn’t though-

@Huminahumina: THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD

@ShadedVizh: Thank you Maximom for feeding us starving fans

@WondaMaximum: They look so happy AAAAA,,,,,,,, Also, casual Vision and barefaced Wanda are something I never knew I needed in life but I am never letting this go.

@WestToastAvengers: How can both of them be so hot? This is literally illegal. Who am I supposed to look at TT

@SiMPly_Piano: What kind of bribe?? *nudge* *wink*

            @SlowlyGetOutOfTheVehicle: Why are people like you allowed on the internet

@Ethanolinthistogether: C R U M BS YESS

Chapter Text

“Okay does everyone have their caps and sunglasses or are we going to get mobbed by someone’s fans again.” Tony strutted into the living hall as Wanda looked up from her shoes, tugging at the laces to make sure they were tightly in place.

“Accidentally walk outside without wearing a hat one time and it haunts you forever,” Clint grumbled beside her, causing her to let out a small laugh.

“Okay team, we have to get to the shoot location in about an hour – we’ve rented two vans and Happy and Hill are driving so there will be no surprise reporter behind the wheel this time,” Steve said, voice firm, “It shouldn’t take us more than two hours.”

Bruce slung his bag over his shoulder with a sigh, “Why are we doing this again?”

“Because, Banner, we as one of the most popular content creator group currently on the internet, need to keep up with our professionalism,” Tony grabbed a glass off the counter and drained the double shot of black coffee dry as if it would magically wipe away the bloodshot red of his eyes, “Which means, very nice studio photographs with us looking badass as a team that can go on our website.”

“I’m afraid I share the same sentiment as Mr Banner.” Vision started, walking into the room in a very comfortable looking navy cashmere sweater and sandy brown trousers, hands tucked in the pockets of his pants and causing Wanda’s mouth to subconsciously turn up into a smile. His sweaters always looked so snug. “It sounds rather pretentious; we are content creators and this appears to lean to more of a celebrity’s area of expertise.”

Natasha looked up from her laptop, closing it shut, “I have to agree with Tony on this. Our group is way too popular to continue operating on a small scale and a photoshoot may open up more brand deals and help with our image.”

“Who are you and what have you done with Natasha?”

“Tony, don’t make me take it back and Clint stop laughing before I leak that video of you getting drunk and singing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ at 3am.”

Clint’s guffaws halted immediately and Wanda tried her best to smother a grin, whispering to him, “It’s a very good video, if she doesn’t do it then I might.”

His indignant frown made her grin even harder.

Steve walked over and put his hands on his hips, hunching over tiredly, “Alright no matter how uncomfortable or otherwise this shoot will be, it’s been booked and we’re leaving soon. I don’t like it either but it will help with our brand.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Tony patted him on the back, “Look at us, being such great buds. I should come around more often.”

“Tony if I see you more than twice a week, I think I’ll move to Facebook live.”

“Sam, shh. We were bonding so well.”

Wanda gestured at Vision and he crossed the room towards her, sitting beside her on the carpeted floor, “Very nice sweater, you look very dapper.”

“I- thank you,” Vision gave her a smile, “I like your outfit too, you look fantastic.”

Wanda would be lying if she said she didn’t like to hear that coming from him but shoving the thought from her head, she swatted her hand, brushing it off, “I have to say, I’m really nervous for this. I mean, what if they pick bad photos? I can’t even imagine what viewers would say.”

“If a group of tasteless people decide to bully you again, I will hunt them down.” Vision said immediately, so solemnly that Wanda let out a giggle before sobering.

“I can’t monitor what people think of me. It terrifies me, kind of, but as long as some people still enjoy my content, I think I’ll be fine. I’ll get over it, I always do.”

Vision nodded, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze before leaving her side at a call from Tony.

Fan interactions had always been a bit of an issue for Wanda. Her sudden rise to popularity had brought with it as many people who disapproved of her as people who supported her and a particularly nasty onslaught of hate messages had her shutting off her social media and disappearing off the face of the planet for almost three months. It was difficult. Many nights of staring at the screen; finger hovering over the post button before ultimately, shutting down the laptop and crashing into bed with frustrated tears in her eyes. Hours of worrying over twitter mentions that never failed to call her out on how her hair looked or how her accent sometimes slipped and that it sounded ridiculous or about how her brother had always been the better of the two. That her brother shouldn’t have died in that accident. That it should have been her.

And she completely agreed. She always had. It didn’t help that she was constantly reminded that other people thought that too. She was working on it. She knew that guilt complexes got people nowhere but knowing it was hard. It had been Clint that helped.

He’d messaged her and introduced her to Nat and the two had dragged her out of her house and paid for coffee and tissue paper. She began to ease up again and came back a month later with a video on fan culture that rocked the platform; it pushed her up the ranks and brought in a whole new flood of fans and creators alike that engaged in the discussion that the video was made to start.

It was absolutely terrifying but this time, she promised herself that she would face the commentary head on.

Still, those anxious feelings never disappeared and she knew they never would. They heavily subsided, yes, but going out and doing panels and meet and greets with the people who watched her videos – to the people whose whole perception of her depended on what she and the media painted it to be – it just brought a huge weight of expectations to meet with it. In this day and age, a slip up could cost a content creator their whole career. And that was terrifying.

“Hey, kid, are you alright?” Clint asked beside her and she realised that she had been staring blankly at the empty spot where Vision had occupied.

“Yeah, I’m completely fine,” Wanda managed, smiling weakly at him, “Just, kind of nervous.”

“It’ll be alright – it’s just two hours,” Clint nodded reassuringly, passing her a cup of coffee from the tray beside him, “Just chug the caffeine and let it do the work.”

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Blinding lights and flashing cameras were a huge step up from the dinky blinking phones that trailed them whenever someone was recognised. Wanda took comfort in the fact that it was intentional and not a weird stalker-type situation. It was strange how being in front of a camera filming content with herself and the group felt so different from promotional shootings.

She winced as she stepped out of the car, ducking her head and trying her best not to grimace and smile for the cameras desperate to capture the group before they disappeared into the studio building. The ride had been pleasant enough with Vision and her conversing about a dog breed that they were very interested in and looking at pictures; his eyes were glistening and seeing them do so was always the most tremendous feeling. He had very nice eyes. But then he had been dragged away upon arrival to enter from another entrance, leaving Wanda to navigate the crowd behind Steve Rogers.

Steve was really good with crowds - flashing his best America’s Golden Boy smile and taking photos rather stiffly and being received with open arms anyway because Steve had a fanbase that treated him with utmost respect. They saluted and called him ‘Captain’ completely unironically and it was baffling. But really funny. Tailing him meant more focus on Steve and less on her which she was eternally grateful for.

Soon, they entered the building and Wanda heaved a sigh of relief, returning the concerned gaze that Steve shot at her with a small tilt of her head and nod.

Her eye latched on Vision on the other side of the room, listening intently to the studio director’s directions as he stood rather awkwardly, his thumbs scrubbing the sides of his pants and she felt the tension leave her shoulders. It felt nice to not be the only one who felt incompetent in these situations – however terrible of a thing to have in common that was.

His gaze shifted to meet hers and they lit up, a smile taking over his face as he excused himself to walk over to her.

“Hey Vizh, am I stealing you away from your very important briefing?” Wanda teased as Vision shuffled to stand next to her.

“No, on the contrary, you may have just saved me from the clutches of boredom,” he chuckled, voice low and rumbly. That accent. She’d never get sick of it. “I would very much rather talk about Fox Terriers.”

“The sooner this is over, the sooner we can look for a local shelter,” Wanda agreed, frowning as a man in a black shirt and wire rimmed glasses waved over from across the room, “I think it’s time to do some work.”

“How tedious,” he murmured, following Wanda as she walked over, gears switching into work mode. She was always pretty good in professional environments. Her mother used to say that she had the inner confidence of a CEO despite her rather reserved mannerisms.

They then proceeded to take numerous group shots ranging from brimming with the energy of ‘qualified individuals’ to ‘who let out these deranged preschool children’. There may have been some piggybacking and bunny ears courtesy of the one and only Clint Barton and it definitely helped the group ease into the environment. By the time they were due to take a break, it was like they owned the place. Wanda wasn’t quite sure if the studio was Stark Industries owned so that may have been literal either way.

After that however, they were due to take photographs in pairs and Wanda found herself next to Vision, the photographer urging them to move closer together in order to take the shot. Vision looked down at her with a reassuring smile and she found herself lost in his gaze as he slung his arm around her and she leant against his shoulder, unable to keep her face straight.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Natasha throwing her a double thumbs up and she grimaced, recovering quickly as she realised, no, she did not want that face on their website. She recollected herself, following the photographer’s instructions as she tried desperately to ignore how much she was enjoying Vision’s warm body pressed against her side and arm wrapped around her shoulders. She could’ve sworn his face was redder than usual but dismissed the thought, remembering the man that pulled him aside to touch up the light makeup on his face.

“One more!” the man promised, urging them to try a different pose.

Vision looked at her helplessly, “I think you may be more competent than me when it comes to these things.”

“Trust me when I say, I have no idea what I’m doing.” Wanda shook her head.

“Okay, how about this,” Vision moved so that he was behind Wanda, hands hovering awkwardly near her arms, hesitating, “May I?”

Wanda felt her blood rush to her head, nodding as Vision’s fingers wrapped around her wrists and his body pressed against her back, the soft fabric of his sweater and his warmth enveloping her. His ridiculous height made it so her head was leaning against his chest and he bent down slightly so that she could feel his breath on her neck. She relished the closeness.

He was not making her mission to stay friends easy in the slightest.

“Perfect!” The photographer flashed them a grin as the camera flashed away. Satisfied, he gave them a thumbs up, “You two are naturals!”

Suddenly, the warmth was gone as she stilled and Vision jerked back, face a shade of red darker than Wanda was sure his makeup would make him.

“T- thank you,” Vision said, physically wincing as his voice cracked, “Are we done?”

“Absolutely,” the man nodded, “You can go back to the rest of the group.”

Wanda forcefully cleared her brain and willed the deafening palpitation in her chest to quieten as she tried to wipe the traitorous smile on her face, avoiding Visions eyes, “Shall we?”

Still staring intently at the wall at the far side of the room, Vision held out his arm which Wanda took after a brief moment of hesitation, “Only if you promise we look at dog shelters once we get back in the van.”

“I wouldn’t have the ride go any other way.” She returned, teasingly, any awkwardness fading as quickly as it arose.

Posted 20 mins ago

Meet the Team! Exclusive photographs of the Internet Legends ‘The Avengers’ featuring new team members

WMaximoffles: How does someone as absolutely gorgeous as Wanda Maximoff exist on this earth?

               DeeSeaEU: Eh, she’s not great. You can tell she’s not in shape

               DoTheThingsISay: @DeeSeaEU If this were Reddit, you’d be downvoted to hell buddy. Shut up.

TheAvenjors: Okay but the way Thor is constantly trying to kiss someone in every crack photo sends me

               MadeupName: *Clint sweats in married but freaking Thor with his norse-god biceps is staring*

               WestToatAvengers: @MadeupName Clint Barton is WHAT NOW?

ShadedViszh: Whoever decided to put Vision in that cashmere sweater needs a raise. Thank you.

WandaIsQueen: The pair photos,,, SI studio ships WandaVision you guys

               Clemensaw: Look, I’m no shipper but if you’re telling me that they look at each other like that and aren’t in love, I have no hope for myself in this world

               Bop2TheTop: The soft little hug photo – I am deceased

Ethanolinthistogether: WE WERE ROBBED OF STEVE AND TONY PICTURES

               ObadiahStone: Literal best Youtube rivalry in history and deprived of content :,)

PainfullyObvious: You see the first photo and they all look so professional and serious that you almost forget that these are the Avengers. And then you swipe and it all makes sense

Insomniac: Thor manhandling Tony who looks like he wants to kill someone is just a mood

               LowkeyOdinson: …I am concerned