Catching Up (Cassie and Vision, tagging Vision should he care to interrupt)

[magnetlips]

Mr. Stark hadn't looked happy when Cassie asked where Kristoff Vernard was, but he gave in when Cassie started to pout.

Cassie had figured he was in one of the labs and she was right. He was busy refining his suit. The whirring of tools masked her entrance. She thought.

Kristoff set his work aside and turned to face her. "Hello Cassie."

Comments

[kristoffv]

Kristoff didn't smile very often, but this was an exception. Cassandra Lang was his first and only friend, perhaps more. So if his smile widened when she hugged him, well, he could hardly be faulted.

"It's so good to see you. I really never thought I'd see you again." Cassie babbled, releasing Kristoff and brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"I would have come sooner but Nathaniel Richards thought this time was best."

"Where is he, anyway?"

Kristoff waved his hand. "Probably visiting his other son."

Cassie quirked her eyebrows. "Other son?"

"Nevermind, I'll explain later." Kristoff couldn't say how pleased he was that Cassie had pulled away from his arms. "I ah, you must hear this a lot but I'm sorry about your father. He was a good man." If incredibly thick headed.

[vision_ya]

Vision had stayed behind to help patch everyone up after the fight in Mutant Town. He'd also stopped by the hospital to check on Eli and had returned to the Tower to reassure everyone that he was all right - or at least as all right as he could be under the circumstances.

He had been wandering around at loose ends until he thought that he heard the sound of Cassie's voice. He knocked on the door and pushed it open.

"[Cassie? I was just at...]"

Oh. Oh.

"[I am sorry.]" the Vision continued, his voice flat and toneless. "[I did not mean to interrupt.]"

He closed the door and set off down the hallway, probably faster than strictly necessary.

Stupid stupid stupid.

[magnetlips]

"Oh damn it!" Cassie swore and took off after Vision.

Kristoff was thinking something along the same lines, and followed Cassie.

"Vision, wait! You weren't interrupting anything." Cassie ran after the android. "Kristoff and I were just catching up. What did you want to say?"

Kristoff reminded himself that growling was counterproductive and a disgusting display of animal instincts. He leaves for three years and she falls in love with an android.

[vision_ya]

[I wish I wish I wish I had a spine.] the Vision thought to himself as his feet stopped moving of their own volition, the treacherous sons of toasters that they were. [Or common sense. Or that this would stop hurting.]

"[It is nothing.]" he said, only turning part way around. "[Eli is recovering. I only wished to inform you of that.]"

[magnetlips]

"Oh. Well, that's good." Cassie tried to think of something to say. Something like 'I don't like Kristoff! It's not like that!' without sounding like 'I don't like Kristoff, I like you!' because that wasn't true. She didn't like Vision like that she just-

...Oh fuck.

Now Cassie was incapable of saying anything.

[vision_ya]

"[Yes.]" the Vision said, still not actually looking at her. [May I go now? Before my chest explodes?] "[As I said, that is all. You can go back to what you were doing. I did not intend to interrupt.]"

He tried to move away again, but his feet wouldn't let him. Traitorous bastards.

[kristoffv]

"Yes," Kristoff put his arm around Cassie, smiling at the android's reaction. "I hope next time you'll know better."

Cassie turned to Kristoff and hit his chest. "Kristoff! Don't be a jerk!"

"A-" Kristoff stuttered, his face fell, as did his hold around Cassie. "But I was-"

"Vision, I can help you tell the others about Eli." The blonde bit her lip. Kristoff was going to be so mad at her, and so was Vision if she couldn't clear things up.

[vision_ya]

[He's her friend, Vision!] the teenage android reminded himself sharply as he clenched his teeth and curled his hands into fists.

"[It is no trouble at all, Cassie.]" he said, forcing a smile and ignoring Kristoff. Vigerously. "[I have very nearly told everyone anyway. If you'll excuse me?]"

Finally, his feet were responding to the signals he'd been sending. Stupid feet. Stupid Kristoff.

Stupid Vision.

[magnetlips]

Cassie had reached to touch Vision, but he'd walked away before she could and now her arm remained frozen in place. "Alright." Her arm moved back into place beside her body.

She turned to Kristoff. "I'm sorry. You're mad at me, aren't you?"

[kristoffv]

"Of course not." He was mad at that stupid android Vision, but Kristoff had to ignore those feelings. "You were right. I'm not used to interacting with others." He needed to calm Cassie, then he could worry about the android.

Kristoff smiled. "Tell me how you met your teammates. It's an interesting group."

[vision_ya]

The Vision phased through the door at the end of the hall and then kicked off the floor and dove through the ceiling of the next room. He traveled through the walls and the floors until he reached the training room. The worrisome machine had stopped sparking and the sawdust mess had been cleaned up.

He didn't want to go up to the roof. He'd talked with Cassie up there not too long ago.

The Vision sank down against the wall, bringing his knees up against his chest and burying his face in his folded arms.