Although I didn't know exactly what words she was going to say to me, I had a clear idea of what the subject was about. At least, that's what I thought.

As soon as I confirmed that she could ask me the question, she looked at me, still shyly.

"Why were you acting so strangely after training today?"

Wanda asked sincerely as she stared at me.

I hesitated before answering, feeling the weight of her words. I knew that, in a way, this was the question I was dreading the most. She didn't need to say any more for me to understand that she had noticed my unease, my discomfort.

"I..."

I began, but soon realized that my voice had failed me. I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts before continuing.

"I don't know why, but when you fell and Vision came to help you, I... kind of..."

Wanda tilted her head, her eyes showing a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"You what?"

Wanda insisted, wanting to know what Peter had felt at that moment when he saw Vision helping her up from the floor at their training session this morning.

"I was bothered by that closeness between you two, Wanda. After all, you're the only friend I have in here, so the fear of losing you and ending up alone here in this giant complex ended up speaking louder."

As soon as I'd finished venting, Wanda stared at me for a few seconds. From the look on her face, I could tell that she was moved by what I had just said. It was very likely that she also felt the same fear of being alone that I was feeling. But at that moment, the difference between us was that she still had her brother around, while I had no one in the complex. I was, in fact, completely alone there.

After I said that, Wanda, noticing my discomfort, tried to comfort me.

"Peter, I didn't know you felt this way and I don't know what to say..."

Before she could finish, I interrupted her.

"Don't worry, Wanda. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable with such a silly scare. And you're probably now thinking I'm a fool for worrying about such things."

I finished saying that while staring at her and, at the same time, giving a small smile that, although sincere, also revealed a little of my discomfort at that moment.

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As soon as she heard what I had said, it seemed that Wanda was trying to absorb my words. In response, she gave me back the same sincere smile I had just offered her.

"I'm not going to lie to you: sometimes, I even think you can be a bit silly, Peter. However, I think that's what makes you so special. That's probably why we like you so much. Your naive and mischievous personality helps you in some way. And it doesn't stop there: you're also not inconvenient like Stark, and even less overbearing like Steve and Natasha. If I could define you in one word, it would surely be that you have the 'perfect balance' to make anyone who gets close to you feel good."

As soon as I heard those words come out of Wanda's mouth, I'm not going to lie and say that I wasn't a little taken aback by it all, because I'd be lying to myself. But what could I do? It was the first time anyone had complimented me and, above all, highlighted my qualities. Of course, I had MJ, who did that all the time, but that's beside the point. What I want to say is that, for the first time, someone I 'might' have something for has just complimented me, and that, while good, is also strange.

I tried to summon up all my courage to respond to what she had said in a firm, determined voice. However, as soon as I opened my mouth, I felt a nervousness rise up inside me like a wave pulling me down, suffocating the words I wanted to say. My heart was pounding, and no matter how hard I tried to control it, all that came out was a fragile and simple “thank you”. That word sounded so small in the face of what I really wanted to express, but at that moment, it was all I could manage.

After that, both she and I didn't dare say a word. The silence, which had previously been bearable, had become oppressive, and it was beginning to feel awkward. Feeling the weight of embarrassment, I tried to do the most obvious thing that came to mind.

"I think we'd better finish this before it gets any later."

In response to what I had said, Wanda didn't answer me anymore. She just nodded, indicating that she had understood what I had said.

SOME TIME LATER

We had finally finished washing and drying all the dishes. Each of us was trapped in our own thoughts. The silence that had settled between us was strange, as if there was something unspoken hanging in the air, something we both felt, but no one dared to put into words.

(Now all that's left to do is put the plates and cutlery away).

I thought to myself as I stretched.

As I'd done most of the washing up, Wanda felt she hadn't helped me enough and decided to put the plates and cutlery away herself. Seeing this, I tried to offer my help.

"Would you like a hand?"

I asked, trying to offer my help to relieve some of the tension that still hung between us.

"I can manage, okay?"

Wanda replied with a tone that seemed to mix a little exasperation and a slight smile.

As soon as she said that, I tried to respond in almost the same tone of voice she had used.

"Okay. If you're saying..."

I retorted, almost in the same tone, trying to hide the slight disappointment I felt when I realized that she wanted to keep her distance.

After rejecting Peter's help, Wanda was putting away all the dishes until she ended up bending over a little to pick up a plate that was on the table. However, she ended up losing her balance and almost falling over. However, in one swift movement, Peter grabs her by the waist with one hand, pulling her close to him. With his other hand, he manages to hold on to the plates that were wobbling in his hand, but he holds them firmly, without letting any of them fall.