Emma Frost moved faster than she thought possible, diamond form shimmering in and out as she cut across the battlefield. She could already hear the screams of metal grinding against metal, the hollow whine of Sentinels tearing through the trees. Somewhere ahead, he was fighting, holding the line, protecting children who should never have been put in harm’s way.

Her chest ached, not from exertion, but from fear. She had lost before—Scott, her pride, her illusions of control—and she had sworn she wouldn’t let herself be that vulnerable again. Yet here she was, breaking apart at the thought of losing him. I thought I loved Scott. Maybe I did, once. But this—this is different. This is real. With him, I don’t need masks, or thrones, or diamond shells. He sees me, all of me, and stays anyway.

The clearing opened, and she saw him—bloodied, exhausted, defiant—shielding the children with one arm while hurling power at the advancing machines with the other. For a heartbeat, Emma froze, overcome by the fragile truth of how much he meant to her. Then the fear sharpened into fury.

Diamond shards exploded from her skin as she leapt into the fray, cutting through Sentinel armor like glass through silk. Together, side by side, they drove the machines back until silence replaced the chaos. The children were safe. He was alive. Emma let her diamond skin fade, trembling as relief flooded her.

She didn’t say it aloud—not yet—but in the privacy of her mind, the words rang clear: I love you. More than I ever thought I could.