Chapter 17

The hum of conversation was a comfortable blanket, a low thrum to the background of clinking glasses and gentle laughter. The buffet was in full swing, and I found myself nestled between Momo, Peter Parker – yeah, the Spider-Man – and his wife, Amy, a whirlwind of bright energy. We were a mismatched quartet, a blend of my old, alien hero days, and their more grounded, though still extraordinary, lives. I'd been telling them a particularly ridiculous story about my ill-fated attempt to use a Kryptonian heat vision on a particularly stubborn villain when I felt the telltale tug of needing to visit the restroom.

"Excuse me for a moment," I muttered, pushing my chair back.

That's when it happened. The universe, or more accurately, the chaotic hand of fate, decided to throw a curveball. I turned a corner, and there she was. Ava. Standing there, a smirk playing on her lips, with Lex Luthor next to her, his face an arrogant mask of smugness. Five years. Five years since I'd seen her that smirk was still there and his pompous air. They were still together. It felt like a bad dream.

"Well, well, if it isn't Anos," Ava began, her voice dripping with a false sweetness I knew all too well. "Still flying solo, I see? Guess some people are just destined to be lonely."

My jaw clenched. I wasn't in the mood for this. She was always like this. A constant poke, a needle prick to my pride. I'd come a long way since our messy breakup, and reliving it, even through her snide comments, was the last thing I wanted.

"Oh, let him be, Ava," Lex interjected, his voice a grating, smug tone. "After all, I did steal you away from him didn't I. Besides, he is pretty pathetic that no one wants him." He draped an arm possessively over Ava's shoulders. "We're getting married, you know? Meanwhile, you're probably just going to be alone forever, pathetic."

That did it. A red haze descended on my vision. I was about to say something, I don't even know what, when a soft voice cut through the tension.

"Babe? Are you okay?"

Momo. My heart did a strange flutter-kick. The word, the way she said it, it felt surprisingly right. Even though, I knew it was a mistake. We weren't dating. Ava and Lex's jaws hit the floor. Their smug faces were replaced by a blank confusion.

Momo walked up to me, a small frown on her face, and wrapped her arms around my waist, leaning her head against my shoulder. If not for my smirk, I'd have been a complete mess inside. I was a goner. I felt I wanted to just kiss her right there and then.

"Oh, meet my girlfriend, Momo Yaoyorozu," I said, my voice smoother than I thought it would be. I could practically feel the smugness radiating off me.

Momo smiled sweetly, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "It's lovely to meet you both," she said, her voice like a melody. "Anos has told me so much about his friends."

Ava looked like she wanted to spit nails and Lex was now eyeing Momo, his gaze a predatory leer. I felt a snarl well up in my throat. Keep staring and I will claw your eyes out, I thought to him.

A gentle hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my rage. It was Momo. I shot her a grin, and decided to indulge in a little deviousness. I turned to Momo and pulled her close. Her heart was pounding under my hand and that's when I pushed my lips against hers.

The moment my lips touched hers, a jolt went through my entire body. It was like coming home. I had been wanting to do this, to just kiss her it felt so right, so…. meant to be. She tensed for a split second, and then, her lips became loose, and she kissed back – not with the playful push and pull we had in our pretend relationship, but with a tenderness that sent shivers down my spine. As we stayed there embracing each other, I couldn't help but notice the shocked, white faces of Ava and Lex.

Somewhere in the background, I heard Peter let out a whoop of cheer, followed by Amy joining in with her own enthusiastic clapping. Peter had definitely rubbed off on her. The kiss lasted far longer than it probably should have, but I couldn't bring myself to pull away. I wanted to kiss her and hold her till my very last breath. Finally, we broke apart and Momo was panting and soft gasps escaped her mouth. I could only smirk.

"We should probably get back to the others," I said, grabbing her hand and leading her back towards our table, leaving Ava and Lex utterly speechless.

Amy and Peter were full of questions when we got back, which made Momo's face turn a delightful shade of red. Amy and I exchanged looks and i knew she was loving it, she was already planning our wedding before we even made things official. I hated to admit it, but seeing Momo flustered made her even more attractive.

The dinner eventually wrapped up, and after paying the bill we went our separate ways. I dropped Momo off at her estate, the memory of that kiss still tingling on my lips. We stood by her balcony door, a comfortable silence settling between us. Then, she turned to me, her cheeks flushed.

"Anos," she began, her voice a soft whisper. "I…I'm sorry for earlier, for just calling you 'babe' and being all over you."

"Don't apologize," I said, a genuine smile spreading across my face. "It was… nice."

She blushed, a soft smile touching her lips. "I… I liked the kiss," she admitted, her gaze dropping to the floor.

My own cheeks heated up. "Me too," I mumbled, grinning at her.

She took a step closer, her gaze meeting mine and pulling me in. Her hand went to my cheeks and before I knew it, her lips crashed against mine again. This time, I kissed back with all the tenderness I'd suppressed. It was a soft and loving kiss. The kiss we both needed.

She pulled away breathless, her hand gently cupping my cheek. For a moment we just stared at each other, a thousand unspoken words hanging in the air. And then she turned and rushed inside, leaving me standing there, completely and utterly smitten.