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She fell asleep long before midnight, drooling onto Vision’s knee as he watched Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen make fun of each other in Time Square. She was still in her gown, the one Pepper had picked out for her to wear to the New Year’s benefit. Vision had originally phased on a matching tux, but shortly after his date succumbed to exhaustion, he swapped the ensemble for flannel sleep pants and a soft t-shirt. A much better pillow, the casual clothes proved. Wanda would snuggle her face into the soft argyle fuzz every twenty minutes or so, her arms tightening around his calves as though the lower portion of his legs were teddy bears. Before she fell asleep, he had been playing idly with her hair. Since then, he placed it in a loose plait and ever so absentmindedly brushed his fingers along her hairline. It seemed to be as soothing for her as it was for him.
The compound was stuffed with titles and names several floors below. It had been as glamourous as it had been exhausting. At least now that the pair was openly a couple, people stopped leering at Wanda and Vision had a clear reason to stay glued to her side. But still, people found new ways to annoy with prying and impolite staring. No less than four people had asked Wanda if she was expecting when they overheard her order water rather than champagne as if that was the only reason a person would abstain from alcohol. Two people had asked Vision if he could phase on a new outfit for them to film “for the ‘gram”. When he declined, they asked if it was because when phasing on something new, there was a split second where he was visibly nude. Wanda was ready the second time with a remark about red eyes not only being a byproduct of flash photography but also being rude to her teammate.
The final straw had been nothing more than an honest accident but made the couple tumble over the edge nonetheless. They had been swaying on the dance floor to a slow ballad, Wanda extremely content with her arms around Vision and Vision in bliss with his cheek resting atop her head. It had been everything they attended for, and a clear moment of zen in the chaos.
The DJ had slipped, fallen forward into her laptop, and the song changed to a fast rock song.
She apologized to all the couples over the mic.
Wanda was already dragging Vision by the hand out of the ballroom.
She had transformed her heels to sneakers at some point during her storming. They still matched the deep red sparkles of her dress. Vision chuckled. In a way, they were just like Dorothy’s, dragging him home.
The assumption was that she was taking him back to her bedroom like a cavewoman taking her prize, but a decisive turn brought them to the couch.
There was no need to say what channel she wanted. Vision had communicated to FRIDAY to turn on the Time Square feed as soon as they had turned towards the lounge.
“How is it not already midnight?” Wanda whined, hiking her dress up before sitting to give her hips more room.
Vision gave her a look of sympathy, phasing off his suit jacket and sitting beside her, his arm draped across her shoulders. “We can go to bed, Darling. Tomorrow will be just the same regardless.”
She scrunched her nose in disgust. “Then my wish won’t come true,” She scoffed, snuggled into his side. “And I have an excellent one this year.”
“Wanda,” Vision tried not to sound too judgmental but did not succeed. “Do you mean your resolution?”
“No,” A firework went off outside. “I mean the New Year’s wish.”
His silence begged for further explanation, and she freely gave it. “It’s like when you blow out the candles on your birthday. If you stay up for midnight, you get to make a wish. And if you kiss someone or something, the wish will come true.” Wanda stifled a yawn, pulled at the pins in her hair. Vision watched, eyes glued to the movement of her hands just like always.
“I need to think of my wish, then,” Vision mused, and Wanda remembered for the hundredth time why she loved this man. Because he didn’t question her traditions. Because he enthusiastically participated, no matter how silly. “Am I allowed to tell you what it is?”
Her nose bunched up. Of course he wasn’t. He squeezed his arm around her, pulled them flush together, and kissed her hand where it fussed with a clip. She bumped his nose with her index finger and made a small noise of surprise. “A lot of lovebirds out there right now,” Anderson stated on the television as the camera panned the crowd. “And yet, I’m stuck with you.”
Andy rolled his eyes, punched Anderson’s shoulder with friendly force. Wanda scoffed, amused, and Vision raised his body temperature just a degree so that she would snuggle him even more. The vibrations from the party thrummed through the building.
Wanda was asleep on his shoulder in no time. He had noticed how her eyelids went from drooping to closed for several seconds to closed entirely. It was… incredibly endearing. If he was being honest, it was one of his favorite observations of all humans, but especially Wanda. Especially when she was resting against him.
He didn’t really have a wish. Logically, a wish was nothing more than an improbable goal, in that it was a future state desired but unattainable through reasonable methods.
Vision had lots of goals. Years worth of goals. But no wishes. What he wanted was far from unattainable. In fact, it was rubbing makeup onto his shoulder at the moment. He kissed her forehead, squeezed her just enough to get her to stir. “Darling?”
She glared at him, took her head off his shoulder and placed it in his lap, her right arm across his thighs and left arm wrapping about his calves to clutch them. “‘M awake. Resting m’ eyes.”
“Of course,” He brushed back her hair with his fingers, massaged her scalp. “Only checking, my love.”
He woke her up one minute to midnight.
She shot up like a spring. “I’m up. Is it dropping?”
“Have you confirmed your wish?” Vision crossed his legs, leaned into her and soaked in her groggy appearance. The side of her hair he hadn’t accessed to was knotted and wild, and her eyes were red from having been so tightly closed.
Wanda nodded, made a gesture with her hand to transform her outfit into pajamas that matched his, and settled into his lap. Her body blocked the television, and he didn’t want it any other way. She fit so well there, nearly eye to eye and sharing breath.
The countdown came fast, and he tried not to grin too wide at the way Wanda struggled to keep her eyes open. Her head swayed forward like it was three times heavier than normal, and when midnight finally hit, their kiss was a simple, chaste, closed-mouth affair. Wanda hardly even pulled away at the end, more so burying her face into his neck and clinging tighter to his body. She made a small whine.
He picked her up with ease, careful not to jostle her or move her from how she had settled in. “Happy New Year, my darling love.” Vision whispered into her hair, and his grin finally fully bloomed as he felt the soft pucker of her lips against his neck as she faded back to sleep.