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CHAPTER XXIII. A Seriously Unfortunate Event
They returned to SHIELD headquarters deep into the night, the corridors nearly deserted except for a few cleaning staff and the occasional agent returning from their own missions. The air felt thick with the remnants of a long day, the quietness of the hour pressing down on them. Malia, looking distracted, quickly peeled off from the group, muttering something about a family emergency that needed her attention. Blake, always alert, stepped away from Elina and Xavier to take a phone call, leaving the two of them alone in the dimly lit hallway.
"So... any plans lately?" Xavier asked, his voice casual as he shoved his hands into his pockets. The question was light, just a way to fill the silence, but Elina felt her heart quicken at the sound of it.
She forced a smile, trying to keep her tone equally light. "My neighbor keeps trying to get me to go to spin class with her."
Xavier chuckled, the sound warm and familiar, making Elina's chest tighten. "Still?"
"Yeah," she laughed, a genuine smile breaking through. "You'd think she'd give up after two years. I'll give it to her, though—she's persistent." She glanced at him, her eyes lingering a little too long on the curve of his smile. "How about you?"
Xavier's smile shifted, becoming a little awkward. "Actually, I've got a date."
Elina's steps faltered, her smile freezing in place as her mind raced to catch up with his words. "A date? With who?"
"Kayla Hart," he said, his tone nonchalant, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You know, the girl from I.T. She fixed both of our broken earpieces, remember?"
Elina racked her brain, trying to put a face to the name, but all she could come up with was a vague image of someone she might have passed in the halls a few times. "I mean, if I saw her, probably."
Xavier sighed, misinterpreting her hesitation. "You know, you'd do good getting yourself a date too."
Elina crossed her arms, trying to hide the sting in his words with a smirk. "Yeah, and who exactly?"
He shrugged, completely oblivious to the turmoil brewing behind her calm facade. "Anyone would be lucky to have you. Trust me."
She punched his shoulder, a playful gesture that masked the way her heart sank at his easy dismissal of the possibility that it could be him. He laughed, that same carefree sound that always managed to make her smile, but this time it only deepened the ache in her chest. The moment felt like a cruel twist of fate—a brief, fleeting happiness interrupted by a painful reality.
