Cornelia Street - Avengers

Love Prevails

"Pierced through the heart but never killed."

Avengers Compound, 2017

(Anti-Hero, Taylor Swift)

...

"What?" Vision asked, turning to look at the redhead with slightly narrowed eyes. The pair of them and Beth were each cleaning up the exterior training field, picking up equipment, reassigning training schedules, etc.

"No, it's nothing," she said softly, knowing if she was wrong in her thoughts she would never recover.

"Well, I haven't known you in this form for a prolonged period of time, however, JARVIS has known you since you were an infant," he said softly. "You have this particular look on your face. As though you find something amusing."

Her face softened slightly, she often forgot he had known her for longer than she could remember, and besides he was far too good at reading people for her to even attempt to lie to him. "Can I ask you something? Which, you do not have to answer by the way," she said, not wanting to cross a line. Beth straightened up, finishing packing a bag, as she watched the conversation curiously.

He narrowed his eyes as he thought on this. "If I do not have to answer it, then why would you ask?"

"Well," she stammered. "Technically there isn't a question anyone is required to answer but-"

"If we operate under the assumption that no question requires an obligatory answer, then what dictates the necessity or choice of responding? Is it societal expectation, personal ethics, or something deeper within our consciousness?"

She blinked, but remained unphased by his highbrow response, before finding her voice again. "I suppose it's... a combination. Sometimes curiosity or the desire for connection compels us to ask, even if the answer isn't guaranteed."

He nodded, a slight smile forming. "A dance of minds. I enjoy that concept. So, what was it you wanted to ask?"

Beth raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of amusement and bewilderment. "Uh, what did I just walk into? A philosophy class?"

He chuckled. "It's a bit of an intellectual detour, isn't it?"

"I guess we are more alike after all."

The brunette shrugged. "Technically you both are siblings after all," she said, before walking off and leaving the pair to ponder the ideal.

Vision gave her a gentle smile, and got back on topic. "You certainly can ask anything you wish," he told her.

"Do you... like Wanda?"

The confusion on his face was apparent. "Of course, I certainly like all of you. You are all my dear friends."

She laughed at this, hand covering her mouth at both his misinterpretation of her own question and at his sweet comment. "That is not what I meant, Vis." He watched her curiously, waiting for an elaboration. "I meant do you have feelings for her?"

He looked away, and she could see the nervousness in his eyes. He may technically not be human, but she could not deny his fascinating development of the same emotions. It was remarkable, how he often had more of a moral ground than those around them. 

But she also could see in his face, that he was still learning to deal with them, especially ones as intense as admiration and... potentially love. "We are not allowed to, per Mr. Stark's rules," he told her like he was almost trying to remind himself of it rather than her. "To do so would be in breach of those rules."