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“Let us make a cake for your mother. She will be so impressed by your talents.” The babies remained silent in their highchairs. “I will take that as your assent.” He smiled at them before selecting the video he had chosen.
It was Wanda’s first rotation since the twins’ birth at the new Avengers’ compound. She would be back that evening. Vision was eager to show her how much they all missed her.
He followed the instructions in the video to the letter, pausing and rewinding several times to ensure he had the motions correct. Ever since he began to expand his cooking repertoire, Vision had found that watching videos helped immensely with the fine motor skills involved in mixing batter and stirring sauces. And with measurements like “pinch.”
He looked over to his sons several times during the process, both to reassure himself that they were well and for the simple pleasure of seeing them wave their pudgy little fists or kick their feet.
“Now, children, I see that the next step is to beat all the ingredients together.” He turned on the stand mixer, which had been a housewarming present from Scott and Hope, two newer members of the Avengers. He felt the babies tracking his movements, so he was careful to demonstrate and narrate every action.
“Next we will make the two frostings.” This particular recipe called for a creamy filling and a traditional butter cream on top. He prepared both before he realized that the raw cake batter was still sitting on the counter. Vision shook his head at himself; it was one of the only times he was glad Wanda was not there to witness one of his kitchen faux pas.
When he put the cake pans in the oven, he looked at the dirty dishes with some dismay. He knew Wanda would not mind if he left them for her. Magic did have its advantages. But that would defeat the purpose of a homecoming celebration that was all for her.
So, he set to doing them by hand. The task complete, he checked on the boys again. They were both emitting a stream of incomprehensible baby babbling that he nevertheless listened to intently. Most of the books he read in preparation for parenthood suggested that talking to the children with full sentences would assist with language acquisition. Vision was always thrilled to have his theories borne out.
“That is a fascinating story, William. Do continue.” His son showed no signs of quieting. And his brother just babbled more whenever he took a break. “Thank you for your perspective, Thomas. I enjoy a hearty intellectual debate.”
Soon they gave up babbling for whining and incipient cries. Vision set to feeding his sons, and they calmed once more. As usual more food ended up on them than in their mouths. They were laughing too much for Vision to do more than sigh as he cleaned them up.
Then, it was time to take the cake out of the oven. He set the pans on some racks to cool. He decided it was also time for the babies to lie on their stomachs for a while. Vision lifted Thomas and placed him in the playpen before doing the same with William.
He watched them wriggle around with complete adoration. He would never get tired of watching his children grow and change.
But soon it was time to frost the cake. He finished decorating it just in time to get a message from Wanda that she was on her way. “Okay, boys, let us get ready for your mother.” He dressed them in their nicest, but still comfortable, onesies. Then, he placed them in their highchairs and hung the banner he had made.
Vision phased into Wanda’s favorite outfit just as she opened the front door. Her mouth fell open when she saw the set up before her. “Welcome home, love.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. Even a year after being pregnant, she was much quicker to cry than she ever had been before. She rushed up to Vision to give him a peck on the lips before swooping into cover William and Thomas with kisses.
He moved in to embrace his wife and sons as well. When Wanda leant against him, he held her close and gently wiped her tears away. “Are you ready for dinner?”
“Yes! I’m starving.”
They all sat down together. Wanda fed William while Vision endeavored to do the same for Thomas. Then, Wanda turned to her own meal. Vision watched her eat, full of pride at how much she was enjoying it. At the end of the meal, he cut a piece of cake for her.
“Thank you so much, Vizh.”
“You are very welcome. Don’t forget to thank the boys as well. They were an enormous help.”
She smiled, showering the boys with more kisses. “Thank you for helping your daddy, boys. You are so good.”
After a much faster cleanup of the dinner dishes, they settled on the couch, each with a baby in their arms. Once the twins were asleep, they placed them in their cribs before retiring to their own room.
It felt right to have Wanda back in his arms. Her side of the bed was no longer cold and empty. He nuzzled his nose against her neck as she relaxed completely into the pillows. “Love you, Vizh.”
“I love you, Wanda, now and forever.”