InsaneJournal

Who: Wanda and Vision
What: Babysitting
When: Before Tony and Pepper's wedding
Where: Tony's place
Rating/Warnings: Green

“She’s been asleep for hours. Is this normal? Should we contact Tony and Pepper?” Vision asked Wanda, concern creasing his brow as he looked down at the bundled up child that slept peacefully in his arms. Morgan hadn’t stirred much since Tony and Pepper left, which initially he thought was a good thing. But then hours had passed and he realized he had no idea what was considered good or bad. He didn’t have any prior experience caring for a human child; not to mention the fact that he was still figuring out humans in general. She didn’t appear to have a fever, so that was good; and she had been fed recently, also good. Fortunately, Wanda was there as well, which made him feel quite a bit better. After the last mission they had completed in Scotland, Wanda and Vision had a bit of downtime and both wanted to help out Tony and Pepper, give them a night out, or time to finish up any last minute wedding plans. He and Wanda had settled into their own routine of sorts at the apartment - he’d walk with her to work on the days she had shifts at the bakery (occasionally loitering during her breaks), then he’d either head over to Stark labs, or attend to any Avengers related business. It was as close to domestic normalcy as he’d ever experienced, and he found he was rather fond of it. Babysitting, however, was definitely new territory; and he wanted to make sure everything went well. He walked over to take a seat next to Wanda on the sofa, still cradling Morgan protectively as if she was made of glass. Which, to an android made of vibranium; she practically was. Wanda had just taken a seat on the couch. She’d tasked Vision with cooing at and coddling the baby while she tended to bottles and nipples, since properly sanitizing them was very important. Laundry was busy wish-washing in the machine to ensure Tony and Pepper were equipped with enough clean burping cloths and little clothes that weren’t Journey or other 80s band t-shirts (you’re welcome, Pepper) when they returned to be with their cub once more. She had the most amused look on her face, however, at the way Vision was holding Morgan - like she was a bomb about to go off. Well, technically she was - he had yet to change a diaper, and Wanda was pretty eager to have him try so she could observe. “It’s normal,” she assured him, leaning in to kiss his cheek and also drop a kiss on Morgan’s peach-fuzzed head. “All babies do is sleep. And cry. And eat. Oh, and - “ She wrinkled her nose because being this close, she was getting a whiff of what else babies did. “They poop themselves while they sleep.” Better attend to that, Vision, since Morgan would wake up and be disgruntled about heavy fecal nuggets weighing down her diaper. “That can’t be normal,” he said in response, once the rather strong odor wafted upward, his expression contorting as a result. Fortunately, sensory input was optional when it came to his systems, so he just conveniently shut off his sense of smell for the time being. It didn’t help him when it came to changing the diaper however - that took him a few tries and in the end she was clean and dry but now awake and fussy, apparently having not appreciated his lack of finesse in the diaper changing department. “And now it seems I’ve upset her,” he said, wrapping her up in a bundle again; making sure she was warm. He’d seen Tony pat her back gently and hold her with a sort of rocking motion, so he tried to emulate that as he moved about the room. She wasn’t full on wailing or screaming yet, so he figured if he could keep her distracted enough, it was possible to avoid that escalation. He brought her over to one of the large windows that overlooked the city, lots of movement and blinking lights below seemed to capture her attention for the moment. “I apologize,” he said softly to the young child, who’s eyes were wide and focused on the sights beyond the window. “Next time I promise to rein in my horror at the odor that occasionally comes out of you.” He smiled down at her and walked back over to Wanda, exchanging a look with her that was along the lines of - I’m not very good at this I know, but look she’s not fussing anymore? “You did good,” Wanda assured, watching with a twinkle in those crystal blue eyes - seeing Vision take care of a baby, and delicately hold a baby, did something to her. A stirring in her reproductive organs, or something similar - maybe it was what other women referred to as ‘baby fever.’ She’d never thought much about having children, since she was only now just coming into her own after so much grief and hardship - but then again, she’d been forced to grow up very fast and had a lot of street smarts, a lot of instincts. She’d be a loving mom, wouldn’t she? Maybe she was just extremely amused at the sight of Vision changing a diaper. “Even I am horrified by the smells, it’s natural,” she chuckled - otherwise, Morgan smelled very nice. Clean and fresh, like clouds of sweet powder. She wandered closer, resting a hand on Vision’s arm. “Though babies are - “ She really didn’t have the word to describe them. Beautiful and fascinating and sometimes frustrating. “Would you want one?” “Oh, well I—” He stumbled a bit at that question. Physically, it wasn’t possible for him to have children. Though there were other ways humans could have children - adoption, etc, he had never really given it extensive thought. “I am unable,” he said finally, feeling an unfamiliar twinge of something at having vocalized such a statement. Sadness? Regret? He couldn’t identify it exactly, but it didn’t feel pleasant. It was clear to see how much joy she brought to her parents; he thought; while looking down fondly at Morgan. She would grow up knowing she was loved, and she would undoubtedly become a remarkable adult one day; her mother and father would be there to see it and celebrate it every step of the way. What a tremendous experience that must be. Sadness. It was most certainly sadness he’d felt. “I had not given it much consideration because of that,” he said after a few moments, his expression becoming thoughtful; though there was still a hint of sadness in his tone as well. “Is that… something you want?” he asked carefully, lifting his gaze to meet hers. She hadn’t expressed anything like it before, and suddenly his thoughts narrowed to a sharp ache and regret at the fact that there could be something she might want that he couldn’t give her. Wanda leaned in, lips pressed to Vision’s shoulder, nose nuzzling there. She lifted one hand and squeezed reassuringly. “It might be,” she said and, truthfully, it was also something that hadn’t really popped up as a mighty need - but the more she thought about it, the more she thought it sounded very nice. Domesticity - a home, marriage, children. One child (she could not picture having more than two, admittedly). She supposed she could see why it was a dream for some. “But that’s - even if it’s just us, it doesn’t matter, Viz,” she made sure to tell him. “Not being able to - it doesn’t make you any less human.” She knew that he couldn’t, in the way human men were able to contribute part of their DNA. Still, she was sure of one thing. “You would make a good father though,” she kissed him again - and she meant what she said. “Being a good one isn’t just about biology.” He smiled at hearing those words from her - it was a relief to know that she thought so. Caring for a child was definitely new territory, but like anything else he’d had to learn about humans; it would just take time. Time and practice to know that apparently hibernating most of the day was a normal thing for infants. “I think you would be an amazing mother,” he said, thinking about the qualities he loved about her. She was kind and compassionate with others, and also fiercely protective of people she cared about; any child would be in good hands with her to look after them. Wanda had lost her biological family, and Vision didn’t have any to speak of - beyond the friends he considered to be a family of sorts; so the the thought of the two of them starting their own small family was appealing for many reasons. There was still a faint sadness there that it was not physically possible. But so long as he could have a life with her, that was all that really mattered to him. “As long as we’re together, I am more than content,” he said, pressing a kiss against her head and shifting to wrap an arm around her. He held Morgan securely with the other arm; she looked around the room but her eyelids were gradually becoming more heavy. “I think she’s about to fall asleep again. Would you like to hold her?” It wouldn’t do her any good to be greedy. She had Vision now, he was alive and well and very much present - that was more than Wanda could say for other, more dreary universes where she was left without the warmth and serenity he provided. The loneliness she experienced without him - it was very similar to how she felt when Pietro died, that same kind of ache that never healed but just constantly reminded her that a part of her soul was missing. She wanted children with the love of her life, yes. Because they would be his, would be theirs - together. And yet she knew better than to be too disappointed they wouldn’t ever have any. “Yes, I would,” she smiled happily, taking Morgan to ease the baby into her arms. Wanda rocked her gently, humming an old Romanian lullaby; she tried to think of what it might be in English. Go to sleep, my tiny baby. Don’t be afraid of bad creatures in the forest. Your mother is forever guarding you. Wanda was pacing with Morgan for a bit - until she was certain that diaper was wet. It caused another nose wrinkle from the witch but she would handle it. “My turn,” she said, as the washing machine dinged. “Can you throw those clothes in the dryer?” she asked, batting her lashes at Vision. “I’ll change her. No big deal.” Famous last words. “Perhaps you will have better luck than my attempt,” Vision said with a chuckle as he headed for the washer and dryer. Laundry he could handle, as it seldom required him to sustain it’s life functions. How did parents ever relax? Knowing there were so many things that could potentially harm their child, so many mistakes that could be made. He supposed it must become easier with time, otherwise the human race would’ve failed a while ago. He transferred the clean clothes into the dryer and hit the button, then turned to head back to the living room. He stood there for a few moments, smiling softly as he watched the care with which Wanda held Morgan. She seemed happier these past few weeks than he could ever remember, and he wanted to be able to keep things that way. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that life wouldn’t occasionally throw challenges at them, or that happiness was a static state that never fluctuated. Still, he intended to enjoy every moment he had with her; even if the rest of their lives was just the two of them. “Would you like me to prepare something for you?” he asked, gesturing toward the kitchen. Wanda was clearly the better cook of the two of them, functional taste-buds and all; but he’d practiced enough to be fairly confident that he could manage things like sandwiches or tea, simple basics. “I’ve never heard you hum that before,” he said in reference to the lullaby she’d sang to Morgan. “It’s lovely.” He’d translated the words as sang, finding the meaning was lovely as well. “My mother used to sing it,” Wanda replied, referring to the old lullaby. A lot of Romanian lullabies translated into Sokovian, a mix of the two, since the countries had been so close together - now that Sokovia was gone, she sometimes liked to dip back into the recesses of her mind and pull out something from her homeland. A recipe, maybe. A saying. Or a song she’d play on her guitar. She flashed a grateful smile at Vision. “Tea would be wonderful, thanks.” Then she went to go change Morgan, lots of cooing at the rosy-cheeked baby - who began to fuss, because obviously she was uncomfortable, squirming, but who could blame her when she was sitting in a puddle of her own urine? The diaper was absorbent but still. The wiping went fine on its own, until a shriek pierced the air - that was Wanda, the sound also intermingled with Morgan’s crying, when a stream of projectile water poop shot out from Morgan’s butt and on Wanda’s dress. “Viz? Is there any vodka to add to that tea?” Tony had been teetering on the edge of alcoholic at one point so she doubted he had a stash though. Damnit. So apparently his own adventures in diaper changing had been much less adventurous, judging from the sudden shriek and total ruin of Wanda’s dress. Yep - he’d definitely had it easier. “Let me chec—yes, yes there is,” he said, in the midst of opening a few cabinets in search of liquor. He found a few bottles stashed away, nothing like what he once remembered of Tony’s consumption of alcohol; which was a good sign. The tea didn’t take long to prepare, though he wasn’t sure how much vodka to add to it; so he just went with a generous amount. Probably it was more vodka than tea at this point, he couldn’t exactly tell. “That cannot be normal,” he said, for probably the second or third time since they’d been caring for Morgan. He set the tea down atop the coffee table nearby, then stood there uselessly for a moment as he stared at the state of her dress - covered in excrement. “I’ll uh—go look for something for you to change into,” he offered. She’d probably want to wash that, and soon. When he returned a few moments later his hands were full of a variety of clothing - most of it was Tony’s because in his haste that had been the closest closet to raid. He held out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt with a catchphrase on it he’d barely recognized. Not exactly the height of fashion, but at least it was clean and dry. It was like Morgan’s colon was a water gun. Babies were so messy, and honestly, Wanda had been kind of stunned for a minute there. But while Vision prepared tea and found her a change of clothes, she had disposed of the now-toxic baby wipes she’d used on Morgan, changed her, and swathed her in a clean onesie (good thing they had laundry going after all). Now she was joyful again, having calming from the wailing and wasn’t so red-faced and unhappy; no, now she was back to gurgling and drooling all on her fingers. “I think it’s normal,” she chuckled tiredly, settling Morgan in her cradle so her and Vision could keep an eye on her. “Babies are messy.” Maybe they should be glad they could not have children together? It would mean less explosions on attire. Gingerly, she slipped out of her dress and threw it in the wash with the next load. In her bra and underwear, she went up to Vision and kissed him, taking the clothes he offered. “It has been an adventure, hasn’t it?” “Well it did get you out of your clothes, so I cannot be that upset,” he teased with a chuckle, cupping her face in his hands as he returned the kiss. For all that it seemed babies were not only unpredictable and highly odorous at times, he could still understand why human couples made the decision to start their own families. Morgan looked up at them from the cradle, making happy little gurgling noises as if she hadn’t just exploded all over Wanda’s dress. It was hard not to find some amusement in that. At least, he was pretty sure Tony would have a good laugh at their expense later. Morgan looked pretty content where she was, wrapped up snugly in the cradle, so Vision decided not to disturb her for the moment. Maybe she would slip into another apparently normal… temporary coma of sorts; if not, he’d go and pick her up if she started to fuss. He picked up the tea and vodka combo from the table and handed it to Wanda. “It might be a little strong,” he cautioned, then guided them both to sit back on the sofa and relax a bit, now that Morgan was drifting off to sleep. “I can handle strong,” Wanda promised, taking the mug and gratefully sipping on it. Vodka was generally tasteless, but she could pick up on the flavor of alcohol just mixed in with the black tea. Besides, even if it was strong, it was just what she needed. On the couch, she was practically swimming in Tony’s clothes - she was sure she’d looked better in her life, but childcare sort of made one not care about looks. It wasn’t like she intended to seduce Vision right now - not in someone else’s home when they had a baby to look after. “We may not be able to have children, but - have you thought of getting married?” she asked, cheeks flushing - and not just from the heat of her tea mug either. “I have, actually,” he responded, his tone shifting to something more serious. “But in looking into it, I wasn’t sure if my… status as a non-human would make things difficult.” Human laws weren’t exactly flexible, but maybe there was a way around that. “I will admit, there are many human customs that do not appeal or make any sense to me,” he began, shifting on the couch so that he could face her. He reached out for her hand, his thumb idly tracing over her left ring finger. Apparently in this country, a wedding ring was worn on the left hand; though in others, it was worn the right. And then some couples didn’t wear rings at all. He liked the idea of a small symbol of commitment like that, but it wasn’t the most important thing when it came to the idea of marriage. But he was probably getting ahead of himself though, she’d just asked if he’d thought about it. Which he had - more than she might have realized. “But the thought of marrying you would make me very, very happy,” he finished with an affectionate smile. “That is—assuming you want—I’m not trying to pressure you,” he added toward the end, chuckling at his stumbling words. He didn’t exactly know what her stance on it would be. Wanda set down the mug, sitting lotus-style on the couch and turning to face Vision - she was wearing such a beatific smile, it nearly made her face hurt. “You are not pressuring me,” she assured, leaning forward - basically throwing her whole upper body at him, arms going around him. She was the one who asked, right? So obviously it was on her mind too. “You are the love of my life,” she told him, nose touching his. Eskimo kisses, or whatever they were called - such a sweet gesture, from a girl who often believed she was anything but. Full of vinegar, not sugar. “We can find someone to marry us.” It didn’t matter that Vision wasn’t technically human - in all other aspects that counted, he was even better than humans who had been born into the distinction. Vision wrapped her up in a very tight, very enthusiastic embrace at hearing that. When he reached out to kiss her, he couldn’t stop smiling throughout. He never would have guessed that this universe would offer him the opportunity for such astounding happiness; it had been months since his arrival here and it still struck him every day just how fortunate he was. “I don’t have a ring to give you,” he said when he pulled back, concern briefly shifting his expression as it occurred to him. “Not yet at least,” he chuckled, a broad smile stretching across his face once more. He’d figure something out, though he might need a bit of assistance when it came to picking one out. It was meant to be a surprise wasn’t it? Honestly he had no idea, he’d either ask one of her friends or they would go together to pick one out. “I love you, Wanda.” He continued to smile at her, kissing her a few more times for good measure and because he couldn’t help himself. It would’ve taken quite a bit to ruin his mood at the moment - not even projectile baby poop, which was saying a lot. “I love you too. And I don’t need a ring, that does not matter so much,” Wanda insisted, cupping Vision’s cheek in one hand. It was tradition, she supposed, but diamonds weren’t her favorite anyway. If she had a ring, it would be one suited to her tastes - and she knew Vision well by now, the opposite was also true. She trusted him to pick something out, should he choose to do so. They could talk more about it later. Seemed like they would have to, anyway, when Morgan burbled and cooed some more from her cradle - the spinning mobile could only hold her attention for so long because now? It was time for another feeding. Babysitting. It was almost more of a challenge than recent missions. Vision smiled warmly at her, leaning into that hand on his cheek. He wanted to get her something, even if it wasn’t a ring; but he’d definitely have to think on it first. Or probably over-think on it, to be more accurate. Either way, this was truly one of the happiest moments he’d experienced since his arrival in this universe. Apparently Morgan had slipped into a slightly shorter infant coma this time, as she was awake now and making little sounds - ones that didn’t yet verge on frustration; which was his cue to get up and see that things remained that way. It seemed like accidents and tantrums were somewhat unavoidable at times, but he would try his best to make sure she was as content as possible. He reached into the cradle and picked her up, bringing her to the kitchen to prepare her bottle. Once all was ready, he brought her back to the sofa so they could sit next to Wanda - he was pretty sure he knew what he was doing (mostly), having watched it before; but still, in case Morgan decided she’d rather be held by Wanda; that could be arranged too.