The air between them had changed.
Days had passed since the "accident," and somehow, Su Zhan and Skye had fallen into a rhythm — one that felt dangerously natural.
They explored the city together, shared stories over cheap takeout, and laughed about things that didn't really matter.
But underneath it all, something heavier was forming. Something neither of them wanted to name.
Until now.
Skye zipped up her duffel bag, her expression torn between reluctance and reason.
"The car's fixed," she said quietly. "Guess it's time for me to go."
Su Zhan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.
"You sound disappointed."
"Maybe a little." She smiled faintly. "You make it too easy to stay."
He didn't answer right away. His mind felt… conflicted. He had faced mutants, soldiers, fire, and steel — but this? This was harder.
Finally, he spoke.
"Before you leave, there's something I need to say."
She turned, eyes curious. "What is it?"
"I wasn't lying when I said I've never been in a relationship before," he began. "I've met plenty of people, but… I never felt anything. Until you."
Skye froze. The air seemed to still around them.
"It sounds crazy," he continued, voice low but steady. "But these few days with you — it felt more real than anything else since I woke up in this world."
"This world?" she repeated, confused.
He smiled to cover the slip. "I mean… this life."
"Su Zhan…" Her voice trembled. "I—"
"Let me finish," he said. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that I like you. I don't care what you've done or what secrets you're hiding. I just want you."
For a moment, neither spoke. The hum of the city outside filled the silence.
Then Skye laughed softly, a single tear tracing down her cheek.
"You really have terrible timing, you know that?"
"I've been told."
She took a deep breath. "Su Zhan… I like you too. I didn't want to admit it, because… I'm not exactly who you think I am."
"Oh?" He tilted his head. "You're not secretly a spy too, are you?"
"Worse," she said with a nervous laugh. "I'm a hacker. A wanted hacker. I've been with a group called Rising Tide. We dig into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets — expose the truth they hide."
"That's it?" he asked, genuinely amused. "For a second, I thought you were going to tell me you killed someone."
"I'm serious, Su Zhan. If they find out who I am, they'll come for me. And if they know you're with me—"
"They already know," he interrupted gently.
She blinked. "What?"
"The woman who came to find me — Natasha Romanoff, ever heard of her?"
"The Black Widow?" Skye gasped. "You're joking."
"I wish I was. She followed me for a week, then decided to 'invite' me to S.H.I.E.L.D. I said no."
"And you're still alive?"
"Apparently, she likes me."
Skye stared at him, half in disbelief, half in admiration. "You're insane."
"You're not the first to say that," he said, chuckling. Then, his expression softened. "But if you think I'd ever let them take you, you don't know me at all."
"They'll come after both of us."
"Then they can try."
He said it so casually — like he was talking about brushing off the rain.
And yet, the quiet confidence in his tone made her believe him.
She sat beside him on the couch, their shoulders brushing lightly.
"You really don't care who I am?" she asked softly.
"Skye, I don't even know who I am," he admitted, smiling faintly. "My memory's… incomplete. I don't remember where I came from, or how I got here. Sometimes I feel like I just woke up one day in a world that wasn't mine."
Her gaze softened. "That must be lonely."
"It was," he said. "Until I met you."
That did it.
Her defenses, her sarcasm, her practiced detachment — all of it cracked.
Skye leaned in, her lips brushing his in a hesitant, fleeting kiss.
Warm. Soft. Real.
When they finally pulled apart, she whispered,
"If this is a mistake, it's one I'm willing to make."
"Then we'll make it together."
They sat in silence for a long while, just holding each other as the night deepened.
Outside, the city glowed — bright, chaotic, alive.
Somewhere out there, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were watching, plotting, waiting.
But in this small room, nothing else mattered.
For the first time since crossing worlds, Su Zhan felt something stronger than power.
He felt home.