Part 6: Her Truth, His Silence
Location: Avengers Compound, Common Room & Streets Outside
Time: Late Evening
Wanda tilted her head. "Have you eaten?"
"Not since morning."
"Then let's go out," she said, her voice light but sincere. "Something real. Not from the cafeteria."
He looked at her, surprised. "You just got back from a mission."
"I'm fine." Her eyes held his, firm but kind. "Come on. My treat."
Riven hesitated, then nodded.
They sat across from each other in a small, quiet diner tucked into the corner of a dimly lit street, far from the neon chaos of the city center. The scent of garlic and baked cheese lingered in the air, mixed with the hum of an old jukebox in the corner. Riven ate with alarming speed, almost like he was afraid someone might take the food away.
Wanda blinked, trying not to laugh. "Do you always eat like you've been starved for weeks?"
Riven paused mid-bite, then gave a rare smirk. "Force of habit."
They laughed quietly together. Something in the moment felt simple—real.
Afterwards, they walked side by side down a long, quiet street. The sky overhead was painted in deep navy blue, speckled with faint stars. Streetlights buzzed softly, casting a warm glow over the sidewalk.
Wanda kept her arms folded, not from cold, but from nerves. She kept glancing at him when she thought he wouldn't notice.
"I've been thinking," she said finally. "About you. About this."
Riven didn't interrupt. He just listened.
"I don't really understand it," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I think... I like you."
That stopped him. He turned, meeting her gaze. She didn't flinch.
"I don't know why, or when it happened," she said, stepping closer. "But being around you doesn't feel like walking on a line of knives. It feels... peaceful. Like I don't have to pretend."
Riven stared at her, at a loss for words.
"I don't expect anything," she added quickly. "I just wanted to say it. Out loud. Because it's the truth."
Silence settled between them, the only sound the wind brushing through nearby trees. Wanda looked up at him, hopeful but not demanding. Riven, stunned, could only hold her gaze.
He didn't speak. Not yet.