Part 4: Quiet Healing
Location: Xavier's School, Riven's Room
Time: Night
The quiet of the mansion had settled in. Most students had retreated to their rooms, the halls dimly lit with soft, ambient light. In his temporary room, Riven sat at the edge of the bed, shirt off, blood still faintly staining his side where Bobby's ice spike had sliced through during their sparring match.
The wound was closing—his body healing at a remarkable pace, but not instantaneously like Logan. The bleeding had slowed, the pain dulled, but it was still there.
A soft knock at the door drew his attention.
Jean stepped inside holding a small medical kit. "Thought you could use a patch-up," she said.
He didn't speak, just nodded once.
She sat beside him and began cleaning the wound carefully. Her fingers were gentle, but her expression was distant, thoughtful.
"You didn't have to go that far," she murmured.
Riven's mouth quirked slightly. "I didn't."
Jean looked up at him, eyes searching. "Were you really going to hurt him?"
Riven met her gaze. There was a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes—pain, maybe, or something older. Then he gave a dry little smile. "Nah… I was just teaching him something. He's still young. Has a lot to learn."
There was a knock again.
This time it was Bobby.
The boy looked nervous, almost pale. He stepped inside slowly, freezing when he saw Jean sitting beside Riven, tending to the wound he'd caused.
"I—I just came to say I'm sorry," Bobby stammered. "I didn't mean to… I didn't think it would actually…"
Riven looked at him, unreadable again. Jean gave Bobby a soft, reassuring look but said nothing.
"It's fine," Riven said. His voice was flat, but not cold. "Lesson learned, right?"
Bobby nodded quickly, eyes darting to the faint bloodstain, then to Jean, then back to Riven. "Y-yeah. Definitely."
He turned and left, the door shutting quietly behind him.
Jean continued cleaning the wound in silence. Riven leaned back slightly, exhaling a slow breath, letting his body relax.
Outside, the night continued on, quiet and heavy with reflection.