A few days had passed since their last conversation, and Emma found herself checking her phone more than usual. Each time her screen lit up, she felt a twinge of disappointment when it wasn’t Captain Marvel. She hadn’t realized how much she’d come to look forward to their random texts. Somehow, it felt like her secret window into another world—one where dating disasters and ex-boyfriend drama didn’t exist.

While waiting in line at the café near her apartment, Emma’s phone buzzed, and her heartdid a tiny leap. She glanced down to see a familiar number pop up.

∆ Captain Marvel: Hey, Pepper. Haven’t heard from you. Busy killing plants, or did you find another wrong number to rant to?

Emma laughed out loud, drawing a curious glance from the guy behind her. Quickly, she typed back.

∆ Pepper: Hilarious. But no, I’ve been busy trying to keep a cactus alive. Thought I’d take it easy.

∆ Captain Marvel: Taking on a cactus? Bold move. You must be getting cocky.

∆ Pepper: It’s just one cactus. I’m feeling hopeful…for now.

∆ Captain Marvel: That’s the spirit! Just keep it away from any pizza topped with pineapple, and you’ll be fine.

Emma was still grinning as she ordered her coffee and found a seat by the window, her phone in hand. Talking to Captain Marvel always felt like a mini escape from her day-to-day life. It was refreshing, even comforting, how they could joke around without overthinking things. She decided to go for it, sending him a question that had been on her mind.

∆ Pepper: So, Captain Marvel, what do you do when you’re not saving random wrong numbers from relationship disasters?

It took him a little longer to respond, and she imagined him smirking on the other end of the line, considering what he wanted to share.

∆ Captain Marvel: Wouldn’t you like to know? ;) But seriously, nothing as thrilling as your bad dates. I work in tech, so it’s mostly screen time, coffee, and trying to look productive in front of my cat.

∆ Pepper: Ah, the elusive “tech guy.” Let me guess—you’re secretly a hacker who moonlights as a superhero?

∆ Captain Marvel: Only if being really good at fixing routers counts as superhero work.

∆ Pepper: If you can fix Wi-Fi, you’re already on your way to hero status.

Emma’s phone buzzed with another text before she could reply, but this time it wasn’t from Captain Marvel. It was Sophie, her best friend.

∆ Sophie: Movie night at my place tonight! Bring snacks. I found the most cringey rom-com we HAVE to watch.

Emma glanced between her two text threads, feeling a strange pull. On one hand, her real life was right here, complete with bad rom-coms and snacks. But on the other hand, there was Captain Marvel—a funny, faceless stranger who’d unexpectedly become part of her daily routine.

∆ Pepper: Real life is calling, Captain. But if I survive tonight’s bad movie marathon, maybe I’ll have something embarrassing to share with you.

∆ Captain Marvel: Looking forward to it, Pepper. And hey, don’t worry—I’m sure you’ll find plenty to mock about that rom-com. ;)

Emma slipped her phone into her bag, realizing how much she’d been holding onto her conversations with him. But maybe Sophie was right: it was just a random text exchange. No need to overthink it. She’d go have a fun night with her friend, maybe laugh about it, and life would go on.

That evening, at Sophie’s place, Emma curled up with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn, ready to dive into a movie that was somehow both cheesy and completely nonsensical. Just as she expected, the plot twists and over-the-top romantic gestures had her and Sophie doubling over with laughter.

But even as she laughed along with Sophie, her mind kept drifting back to Captain Marvel. Who was he really? Did he look like the mysterious, confident persona he portrayed in his texts, or was he just an ordinary guy like she was? A tech guy who probably had a day-to-day life as unremarkable as hers.

Sophie noticed Emma glancing at her phone more than once and gave her a sly smile. “Is someone waiting for a text from Mr. Wrong Number?” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

Emma rolled her eyes, trying to play it off. “Not at all. But… he is funny,” she admitted, blushing a little. “It’s just so easy to talk to him, you know? Like we’re both pretending to be these characters, and it’s fun.”

Sophie nudged her, grinning. “Sounds like you’re into it. I think you should keep texting him. I mean, it’s not every day you meet someone who enjoys a good ol’ relationship rant.”

Emma shrugged, feeling oddly shy about the whole thing. “It’s nothing serious. He doesn’t even know my real name, and I don’t know his. We’re just…strangers. That’s what makes it fun.”

“Maybe,” Sophie said, eyeing her friend thoughtfully. “But sometimes strangers end up being more important than you expect.”

Emma tossed a piece of popcorn at her. “Stop trying to turn this into one of your rom-com plots.”

Sophie laughed, throwing her hands up. “Alright, alright. But remember, if you end up marrying this guy, I called it first!”

They both laughed, and Emma tried to shake off the thought. It was just an anonymous texting buddy. Nothing more. No matter how interesting Captain Marvel seemed, she wasn’t about to fall for a mystery man on the other end of a phone screen.

The next morning, Emma awoke to find another text from Captain Marvel waiting for her. She felt a little jolt of excitement as she read it.

∆ Captain Marvel: Good morning, Pepper. Survive the cringey rom-com?

∆ Pepper: Barely. It was so bad we couldn’t stop laughing. I’m convinced the writers were in on the joke.

∆ Captain Marvel: That’s the best kind of bad movie. So, which character was your favorite?

Emma rolled her eyes at his playfulness, but she couldn’t resist typing back.

∆ Pepper: There was this guy named Chad who kept declaring his love in rhyme. Like, “You’re sweeter than pie, you’re the love of my eye.” Pure poetry, really.

∆ Captain Marvel: A true Shakespeare in the making! Tell me, do you wish for a guy like Chad?

Emma snorted, biting back a laugh.

∆ Pepper: Please. My standards are low, but not that low.

∆ Captain Marvel: Noted. I’ll make sure to avoid rhyming at all costs.

∆ Pepper: Oh, so now you’re trying to win me over?

∆ Captain Marvel: Well, I am a superhero, remember? It’s in the job description.

Emma couldn’t help but feel a flutter as she read his words. She liked their playful banter, but this time, it felt like a hint of something more was sneaking in. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but Emma found herself wondering… did Captain Marvel feel it, too?

Still, it was just harmless fun. There was no reason to believe it could ever be anything more than that. Right?

She slipped her phone into her bag, already looking forward to their next text conversation. But for the first time, she caught herself wondering what it would be like to meet Captain Marvel in real life.

As the day went on, that thought kept creeping into her mind, refusing to be ignored. And maybe, just maybe, she hoped he was wondering the same thing.