I fumbled with the keys one handed, refusing to let go of her.
I unlocked the door and pushed it open.
"After you," I said.
She walked in. I followed, closing the door and locking out the world.
We moved to the living room. It was dark, save for the streetlamp casting shadows through the sheer curtains.
Wanda sat down on the sofa. She slid back, kicking off her heels.
I took off my suit jacket and tossed it onto the armchair. I loosened my tie.
I walked over to the sofa.
"Here," I said, reaching for the cup. "Let me hold that. Your hands are cold."
She handed me the cup.
I sat down. I sat in the corner of the L shape, angling my body.
"Come here," I said, patting my lap.
Wanda moved, shifting her weight until she was sitting across my lap, her legs draped over my thighs, her back resting against my arm.
I held the cup in my left hand. I picked up the spoon with my right.
"My turn to serve," I whispered.
I gathered a spoonful of the half melted chocolate.
I held it to her lips.
She opened. I fed her.
She hummed, closing her eyes. "It is better when you do it."
"Everything is better when we do it," I corrected.
We finished the ice cream in the dark living room, illuminated only by the moonlight. I scraped the bottom of the cup.
"All gone," I announced, setting the empty cup on the coffee table.
Wanda sighed, resting her head on my shoulder. "That was... perfect."
"It was," I agreed. I ran my hand up and down her arm, feeling the silk of her dress.
"Aryan?"
"Yeah?"
"I am thirsty," she whispered. "The chocolate... it makes you thirsty."
I smiled into her hair. "As you wish, my Queen. Your Royal King is at your service. Water? Sparkling or still?"
"Still," she said. "With ice."
"Coming right up."
I gently shifted her so she could slide off my lap onto the cushion. I missed the weight of her immediately.
"Don't move," I warned, pointing a finger at her. "I'll be right back."
"I am not going anywhere," she promised, leaning back against the sofa cushions and reaching for the remote.
I walked into the kitchen, the smile on my face so wide it actually hurt.
[Perspective: Wanda Maximoff]
She watched him walk into the kitchen. The kitchen light flickered on, casting a long rectangle of illumination across the hallway floor.
She could hear him moving around. The clink of glass. The sound of the refrigerator ice dispenser.
Whirrr clunk.
She smiled, snuggling deeper into the couch. The phantom warmth of his body still clung to her, a comforting weight that made her feel grounded.
She picked up the remote and pressed the power button.
The TV screen flared to life.
It was tuned to a news channel. WHIH World News.
Wanda reached to change the channel, she usually avoided the news, preferring the safety of sitcoms… but the headline at the bottom of the screen caught her eye.
BREAKING NEWS: WESTVIEW MIRACLE.
She froze. Her thumb hovered over the channel button.
The screen showed a map of New Jersey with a star over Westview.
"We interrupt this broadcast for a heartwarming story coming out of the quiet town of Westview, New Jersey," the anchor, a woman with perfectly coiffed hair, announced. Her voice was excited. "In a world still reeling from the chaos of the Blip, it seems heroes can be found in the most unexpected places."
Wanda's breath hitched. Heroes. Usually, when the news used that word, it was followed by 'caused collateral damage' or 'vigilantes'.
The screen changed. It was footage.
Shaky cell phone footage.
It showed Aryan. He was on his knees, pumping the chest of a small child. His face was set in a mask of pure focus. His white t-shirt was mud stained.
And next to him... her.
She saw herself kneeling in the mud in her expensive coat. She saw her hand raised. She saw the crimson mist of her magic pulling the object from the baby's throat.
The camera zoomed in on the crowd. They were clapping.
"Earlier today," the anchor continued, "local residents Aryan Spencer and Wanda Maximoff, yes, that Wanda Maximoff, saved the life of a choking infant in the town park."
The screen split. On one side was the video. On the other was a photo.
It was a photo from the party. Someone must have snapped it when they were unaware.
It showed them standing together. Aryan in his maroon turtleneck, holding a plate of spinach puffs. Wanda in her cream dress, leaning into him, laughing at something he said. They looked... radiant. They looked like they belonged on a magazine cover.
THE DOCTOR AND THE WITCH: WESTVIEW'S POWER COUPLE.
The banner flashed in bold red letters.
Wanda stared at the words.
Power Couple.
"Sources in Westview describe the pair as inseparable," the anchor gushed. "Dr. Spencer, a brilliant general physician who reportedly graduated top of his class from Johns Hopkins… "
A photo of Aryan appeared on screen. It was a graduation photo. He looked younger, serious in his cap and gown.
"… has been praised by former colleagues as a medical prodigy. He recently returned after the Blip and settled in Westview."
The anchor smiled.
"And it seems he's found quite the partner. While details on their relationship are private, neighbors say the two are the heart of the community. 'They're just lovely,' one neighbor told reporters earlier today. 'Always holding hands. It gives you hope, doesn't it?'"
Wanda felt a tear prick her eye.
The screen showed another clip… this one from the party. It showed Aryan leaning down to whisper something in her ear and Wanda smiling, squeezing his hand.
"Look at them," the anchor sighed. "Honestly, in a world that has seen so much heartache lately, seeing a love this pure feels like the miracle we all needed. It's like something out of a classic movie. The internet is already calling him the 'National Husband' for the way he looks at her."
National Husband.
A fierce wave of possessiveness rushed through Wanda.
Yes, she thought, staring at Aryan's pixelated face on the screen. He is the National Husband. But he is my husband.
She loved it. She loved that the world saw him the way she did… as a hero. As a man worthy of praise.
She made a mental note. Tomorrow. I will buy every newspaper. I will record this broadcast. And I will frame the headline.